《Global Demon King: Starting as the Abyssal Dragon》


 Chapter 1

    Zhang Nu appeared in the center of a huge temple.


    [Wee to the Demon King game!]


    [Current yer count: 10 Billion!]


    [yers are split into the "Hero Faction" or "Demon King Faction"!]


    [You have already been set as a "Demon King". Please remember the following important points!]


    [1. Death will result in the loss of your gaming privilege!]


    [2. Victory condition: Completely control or destroy an empire ss faction.]


    [3. After clearing the victory condition, you may choose from the following: Return to the real world, remain in the current world, or challenge a higher level world!]


    [4. The game starts with a safe period of three days. After the safe period, Hero yers can sense all Demon King yers within a certain range.]


    [5. As a Demon King, you must be prepared to face subjugation attempts from Heroes, adventurers, or armies at all times. This includes the threat of other Demon King factions. Make sure to keep a low profile if youck the strength!]


    [...]


    [Please select the Demon King bloodline to integrate within the next 10 minutes!]


    After Zhang Nuprehended those bits of information, he still had a hard time believing it.


    "I transmigrated!"


    "And it''s not just me either!"


    "Billions of people are also transmigrated as well!"


    "We''ve been forced into a ''Demon Kings and Heroes'' game. I''ve been ced in the Demon King''s camp, so now I need to select my Demon King bloodline..."


    This is indeed something hard to believe, but for Zhang Nu who was already a transmigrator and had already experienced a transmigration before, it wasn''t impossible for him to ept either.


    Zhang Nu swept his gaze around the area.


    Countless huge eggs floated before him.


    Those eggs all contained different Demon King bloodlines.


    yers have to choose one to integrate with.


    This choice is an extremely important one!


    It affects one''s development during the early and mid game!


    However, all the eggs looked exactly the same.


    There were no differences to speak of on the surface!


    And time is limited too.


    It''s just like drawing from a lottery.


    Just as he was being depressed, a strange change urred in Zhang Nu''s vision.


    A pale gold message box popped up next to an egg.


    [Slime (Demon King Race)]. Low ss Demon King type. After integrating, you will be reincarnated as a Slime Demon King. It''s possible to awaken water type Talents... Too weak in the early game. Not rmended.


    [Kobold (Demon King Race)]. Low ss Demon King type. After integrating, you will be reincarnated as a Kobold Demon King. It''s possible to awaken detection type Talents... Rtively weak in the early game. Not rmended.


    "What''s going on?"


    "I can see hidden information??"


    Zhang Nu was overjoyed.


    It wasn''t something that he could think over.


    Now that the eggs'' information can all be seen through, Zhang Nu hurried to find a suitable bloodline.


    [Gnome (Demon King Race)]. Low ss Demon King type...


    [Goblin (Demon King Race)]. Low ss Demon King type...


    [Arachne (Demon King Race)]. Low ss Demon King type...


    Really now. Although there are thousands of Demon King bloodlines in the temple and the vast majority are all different, practically all of them were all low ss Demon King types.


    Bloodline is where everything starts!


    How could one be a powerful Demon King without a powerful bloodline?


    [Blood Orc (Demon King Race)]. Mid ss Demon King type...


    [Dark Elf (Demon King Race)]. Mid ss Demon King type...


    [Wraith (Demon King Race)]. Mid ss Demon King type...


    Mid ss Demon King bloodlines look pretty decent. They''re at least far stronger than low ss Demon Kings.


    Patience though.


    There''s still time.


    Keep searching for a bit longer.


    After going through more than thousands of eggs.


    [Bloody Giant (Demon King Race)]. High ss Demon King type... Rmended.


    [Eight Eyed Spider Demon (Demon King Race)]. High ss Demon King type... Rmended.


    High ss Demon King bloodlines!


    They have far stronger potential and they have much more room to grow!


    They can crush 99.9% of Demon King yers at the starting line.


    Which one should he choose?


    No, he can''t choose just yet!


    There''s still a bit more than a minute left. He can''t just give up on the possibilities that he hasn''t seen yet. An even better choice could very well appear!


    Zhang Nu grasped every second he had.


    He continued to go through the message pop-ups.


    30 seconds. 20 seconds.10 seconds...


    Apletely unremarkable egg left in a corner caught his eyes.


    [Abyssal Dragon King (Demon King Race)]. Rare Demon King type... After integrating, you will be reincarnated as the Abyssal Dragon King. This is an extremely rare and powerful Demon King type. It has two forms, Draconian and Demon Dragon. It''s possible to awaken anti-magic, thunder, fire, etc. types of Talents... Strongly rmended!


    "I''ll choose you then!"


    Zhang Nu did not hesitate.


    After making that choice, the egg released a bright light.


    Zhang Nu was engulfed by that light and his body underwent a rapid change, turning into a dragon about 10 or so meters long.


    Every scale on that dragon was dark gold in color. They are like a natural born set of armor, giving one the impression of being impervious to harm.


    "So this is the Demon King transformation, huh?"


    Zhang Nu looked at his sharp ws and enormous wings.


    There was no sense of incongruity. Instead, he could feel that there was an enormous power injected into every single one of the cells in his body.


    In that instant, Zhang Nu gained a certain confidence.


    He felt like he could overturn the universe and destroy the heavens and earth.


    Of course, that confidence was merely a mistaken sensation born of his sudden increase in power. However, it also just goes to show just how powerful he currently is... One could get drunk on that feeling of power. The game suddenly felt not so terrible to him.


    [yer''s Demon King transformation isplete. Beginning proper log in of the game!]


    The next second, eight gates of light appeared.


    Those eight gates are each connected to a different area.


    This is another opportunity for the yers to choose for themselves.


    T/N: Mechatrill here with a new project. I already binged all the raws I can find of it (only up to chapter 183, unfortunately), so I can say with some confidence that it''s pretty interesting. Nation building, dungeon crawling, tower defense, conquest, diplomacy and trade, and even farming simtor, this has it all, so I found it pretty fun. The only thing I dislike is the fact that the raws are limited, being a faloo novel and all, but hopefully, more will end up avable by the time we get up to that far. Fingers crossed.


    Editor''s note: Hello, it''s Xiongcat here! Thanks for reading the first chapter! I hope you guys are enjoying it so far. What do you think of Zhang Nu? Are you #teamdemonking or #teamhero?

 Chapter 2

    Zhang Nu swept his eyes around.


    He once again peeked at the hidden information.


    [Transport Gate 1]: This transport gate connects to the Infinite Wastes in the southeastern area of the Infinite Continent. It''s deste and unpopted, unsuitable for development. Not rmended.


    [Transport Gate 2]: This transport gate connects to the Tempest Mountains in the southern area of the Infinite Continent. This location is rich in resources, but it''s also within the borders of the Tempest Empire. The Tempest Empire is an extremely powerful empire with a poption of hundreds of millions, making it unsuitable for developing one''s own faction. Not rmended.


    [Transport Gate 3]: This transport gate connects to the Holy ins. This location is extremely rich in resources, but is filled with powerful countries with dozens of epic ss powerhouses on site. Going there is basically suicide.


    ...


    Eight different entry locations. Pretty much all of them have their own issues. If they''re not poor in resources, then they''re filled with dangers. Either way, it''ll likely be hard to progress there.


    Finally, Zhang Nu entered the seventh transport gate.


    [Transport Gate 7]: This transport gate connects to the Darkness Valley in the southeastern area of the Infinite Continent. Darkness Valley is located in the depths of the Chaos Forrest. The forest is rich in resources, but the geography isplicated and is split up by many races. Thus, it''s difficult for any particr nation to get a foothold in. This is awless, barbaric, and chaotd. Rmended.


    This Chaos Forest is home to countless different races and various factions. It''s also enormous, spread out over 5 million square kilometers ofnd.


    There are a few powerful countries surrounding it, but they''re also antagonistic to each other, making it so that no one could truly extend their influence into it.


    Thiswlessnd is unquestionably the most suited to a new enterprise.


    Within the valley shrouded by darkness and surrounded by high cliffs, there are a great deal of ruins and remnants. In the very center of it stood an ancient and mysterious altar.


    A light shed.


    A huge and intimidating figure appeared above that altar.


    The figure, bearing dark gold scales and enormous draconic wings, emitted a powerful pressure. The figure curled up upon the altar, making all the nearby birds escape in terror.


    "So this is my nest?"


    "It really is inplete ruins!"


    Zhang Nu activated his yer menu and a full status window popped up. Within the menu are various choices like [Chat Menu], [Status Menu], [Trade Menu], and so on.


    Currently online Demon Kings: 1,000,000!


    A million Demon Kings? That many?


    No, this is probably just the yers of this one server even!


    The game is split into "Heroes" and "Demon Kings" camps!


    yers can onlymunicate with yers of the same camp. There''s no way to contact any of the enemy Hero yers, so there''s no information on the Hero yers at all.


    However, the number of Heroes is definitely not less than that of the Demon Kings.


    Since they''ve probably already descended to the various corners of the continent, then they would have brought the news of the Demon Kings'' descent to the various powers of the world, and they''ll likely start moving soon.


    Zhang Nu nced at the chat menu.


    "I transmigrated into a monster!"


    "Help! I''m trapped!"


    "Haha. All you animals deserve it. I am the Lizard Demon King now. I shall conquer the world. I shall destroy everything!"


    "Lizard Demon King? Why am I just a Slime Demon King then!"


    "Slime isn''t all that bad. I freaking ended up as a Worm Demon King!"


    "So the Demon King type is random then?"


    "I''m so hungry. It''s deserts all around. There''s nothing here at all. If any boss is willing to give me a little food, I''ll be ever so grateful!"


    "..."


    Although each yer is only given three free messages per day, with a full million yers online, the chat log is rolling by at an unbelievable speed.


    Some people were shocked, some were in despair. There are also those panicking, excited, overjoyed... Everyone reacted differently.


    Demon Kings are rtively weak early on.


    Plus, some ended up descending inpletely deste, deserted, and resource poor areas, so many Demon Kings aren''t even able to maintain the most basic living conditions.


    Of course, there are some who are fairly lucky.


    Like the ones who transmigrated into Skeleton Kings or Wraith Kings.


    Since they''re undead, those lucky guys don''t need to eat or drink, so their early game difficulty is greatly decreased. At the very least, they won''t be dying of hunger.


    Zhang Nu closed the chat menu and instead opened up the status menu.


    Name: Zhang Nu.


    Level: 1


    Race: Abyssal Dragon (Demon King Race).


    Base Stats: 400 HP, 200 MP, 40 Strength, 20 Agility, 40 Constitution, 20 Will.


    Talents: Abyssal Draconian (Inactive), Dragon me (Inactive), Dragon Fear (Inactive), Lightning Control (Inactive), Beginner Anti-Magic (Inactive).


    Other Skills: None.


    Talent Points: 10


    It must be said.


    These starting stats really are unbelievable.


    It could definitely let him directly face off against a heavily armed modern army.


    While Zhang Nu was excited, he also knew full well that he must not rx. Although it can be said that he has a strong head start, this particr race is a long one, so it doesn''t necessarily mean that he''ll always have the lead.


    Demon Kings are able to break through their racial limits.


    With enough time and resources, even a Demon King born as a weak race can still be an existence powerful enough to shatter the world.


    The moment he stops moving forward out of pride or self-satisfaction, his advantages are certain to be weakened by the passage of time.


    Plus, there are countless powerful individuals already living in this world!


    How could they possibly simply sit back and watch when they learn that Demons Kings who are born to destroy and conquer have appeared? There are also countless "Heroes of Destiny" who are sharpening their swords all the while.


    After going through the exnation.


    Demon Kings are split by levels.


    Zhang Nu is a level 1 Demon King right now.


    He has five possible beginner Talents.


    Right now, all the Talents are inactive.


    Every 10 talent points can be spent to activate a Talent.


    When all five Talents have been activated, then he''ll level up to a level 2 Demon King and he''ll also unlock his level 2 Talents.


    Due to his racial advantage, every one of his abilities are very powerful.


    Zhang Nu examined the tradeoffs and used 10 talent points to activate his first Talent: "Abyssal Draconian Form"!


    T/N: Hmm... Draconian or dragonoid? I ended up a bit unsure which to use, and I ended up basically flipping a coin on that. They''re basically the same in the end, so I guess it doesn''t really matter that much.

 Chapter 3

    Up on the altar, the dragon started shrinking until it turned into a three meters tall, half man, half dragon being. This is the second form of the Abyssal Dragon.


    Zhang Nu had discovered that after his transformation, his stats also changed quite a bit.


    In his dragon form, his base stats are: 400 HP, 200 MP, 40 Strength, 20 Agility, 40 Constitution, 20 Will.


    In his draconian form, his base stats are: 200 HP, 400 MP, 20 Strength, 40 Agility, 20 Constitution, 40 Will.


    In the dragon form, HP, strength, and constitution are higher.


    In the draconian form, MP, agility, and will are higher.


    Simply put, one is more specialized towards meleebat, while the other is more agile and more suited for using skills. For Zhang Nu specifically though, he''d obviously be more used to the humanoid form.


    Of course, humanoid doesn''t actually mean human.


    Zhang Nu is three meters tall, bearing an enormous pair of wings. Of course, he also doesn''tck sharp teeth and ws, sturdy scales, horns on his head and an oppressive presence either.


    Dragon form will grow bigger and bigger as he grows in power.


    Zhang Nu felt that toorge a form will be inconvenient, so baring cases where he''s facing special battles, he''ll otherwise be using this current form as his main one.


    Then, he nced at the altar beneath him.


    [Demon King Altar]. Special building. A construct required for Demon King yers to level up and develop their territory. Please protect it at all costs.


    The Demon King Altar is extremely important.


    Its main function is to summon subordinates.


    The subordinates that a Demon King can summon depends on their own race and level.


    Take a Slime Demon King for example. The subordinates they can summon are mostly various kinds of slimes. It''s just that their type, level, and abilities differ.


    Gold is required to summon subordinates.


    Leveling up requires talent points.


    As for how to gain talent points? Currently, the only way is to kill Heroes and consume their Hero souls.


    It''s for that reason that Heroes and Demon Kings are natural foes.


    A Hero can gain great wealth and power by defeating Demon Kings.


    Demon Kings simrly need to think of ways to lure in Heroes and, by stepping over their corpses, finally be a terrible existence capable of ruling the world!


    "I have neither Hero Souls nor game gold though!"


    "Everything starts out difficult. All I can do is take it one step at a time."


    "Let''s first explore the surrounding area then."


    He took to the air with a p of his wings.


    The feeling of taking to the skys can only be described with a single word: Awesome!


    Zhang Nu''s vision is far stronger than that of humans, so he could easily distinguish the surrounding geography. At that moment, messages started automatically popping up one after another.


    [Normal cave]. Low exploration value. Resources: Stone.


    [Normal forest]. Low exploration value. Resources: Wood.


    [Normal swamp]. Level 1 normal area. There are high numbers of poisonous lizards and snakes. Average exploration value. Resources: Poisonous lizard materials, poisonous snake materials, small amounts of herbs, small amounts of drinking water.


    With this power of his, it greatly reduced the amount of waste time spent on exploration, as well as greatly increased the efficiency and lowered the dangers.


    Zhang Nu immediately locked onto a certain area.


    [Darkness Woods]. Level 1 normal area. The biggest forest within the Darkness Valley. Within it are high quantities of high quality wood, wild fruits, herbs, bigfoot birds, unicorn deers, forest wolves, and other animals. Rtively high exploration value. Resources: Wood, wild fruits, herbs, meat, etc.


    In the nearby areas, the Darkness Woods have the highest exploration value.


    Zhang Nu immediately entered the woods and various new messages started popping up.


    [Tricolored fruit]. Gray quality. Can recover 3 MP.


    [Bluemoon grass]. White quality. Can recover 10 HP.


    It''s indeed rich in resources!


    Zhang Nu picked a tricolored fruit. It''s about the size of a human fist, although for the current him, it''s like a cherry.


    He tossed it in his mouth and chewed. It''s juicy, sweet, and delicious.


    Zhang Nu was quite shocked by the taste of the fruit. It''s far better than the fruits back in the real world. Fortunately, draconians are omnivores and their general tastes are fairly simr to that of humans as well.


    Thus, he could have quite a treat for himself!


    Zhang Nu picked a few sprigs of herbs along with a bunch of wild fruit and tossed them all into the yer''s inventory before getting ready to explore some more.


    Gugugugu!


    A strangerge bird poked out from the berry bush before him.


    This strange bird is somewhat simr to an ostrich. Its most noticeable feature is its huge feet. It has a certain amount of flight ability, but it depends more on its two legs to run. Within the narrow woods, its speed won''t lose to a human short dash champion.


    [Bigfoot bird]. Level 1 normal creature. A bird who lives in thick woods that specializes in running and mainly eats berries. Its main weapon is its sharp beak. No special skills. No threat to the host.


    A wild monster!


    Zhang Nu''s figure shed forward.


    He was way too fast.


    The bigfoot bird had its neck broken on the spot.


    [Game message: You''ve in a bigfoot bird. Gold +1!]


    Zhang Nu''s eyes gleamed. So it''s possible to get gold just from killing monsters!


    [You''ve in a bigfoot bird. Gold +1!]


    [You''ve in a bigfoot bird. Gold +1!]


    [You''ve in a bigfoot bird. Gold +1!]


    [You''ve in a bigfoot bird. Gold +2!]


    [You''ve in a bigfoot bird. Gold +4!]


    [...]


    Bigfood birds are everywhere in these woods and he also encountered two unicorn deers. Those weak herbivores had basically no realbat ability.


    Forest wolves do have a certain amount of attack power.


    These wolves are a good sizerger than even the biggest wolves back in reality. Their sharp teeth could shatter boulders. However, they still can''t do any damage to Zhang Nu.


    This is only natural.


    He''s a Demon King after all.


    Even if he only just descended and has not unlocked his Talents yet.


    With his powerful bloodline and stats, Zhang Nu''s actualbat power can already basically rival that of Lord ss or above monsters of the same level.


    How could normal monsters like forest wolves be of any threat?


    After two hours, even discounting the collected food and materials, Zhang Nu had earned 42 gold. His gains were quite considerable.


    Gold doesn''t seem hard to earn.


    Not bad, not bad at all. He headed back to the altar in preparation to summon some subordinates.


    Zhang Nu checked it over. Currently, there are two possible units that are unlocked and avable to be summoned.


    [Draconianborer]. Level 1, normal. Summoning costs 5 gold. Summary: Low ss draconian with extremely weak bloodline purity. They are the lowest of the draconians. Although they''re not very strong inbat, they do have production and construction capabilities.


    [Draconian soldier]. Level 1, elite. Summoning costs 100 gold. Summary: Basic soldiers among draconians. They are vicious and powerful inbat.


    T/N: And so we see more uses for the MC''s cheat. I kind of like it actually. It''s a bit understated so it doesn''t feel like it overshadows everything, but it''s also always consistently useful so it never feels like it fades out of the story as a whole. Spoilers by the way: More uses for it wille over time. See if you can guess some.

 Chapter 4

    Zhang Nu is powerful on his own, so he doesn''tckbat power for the time being. Right now,bor and production capabilities are more important.


    Plus, the soldiers cost 100 gold.


    That''s too expensive.


    He doesn''t have that kind of money.


    Thus, Zhang Nu spent 25 gold to summon 5borers.


    The Demon King''s Altar activated a transport gate and 5 figures walked out of it. Each of them had tools like hoes or axes.


    "Master!"


    The 5 draconians all knelt down.


    These lesser draconians have thin blood. Theyck sharp ws, sturdy and impressive scales, or wings capable of flight. They''re also three sizes smaller than him.


    Rather than draconians, they''re more like lizardmen.


    Of course, even the weakest draconians are still over two meters tall, fanged and intimidating, powerfully built and extremely strong whenpared to humans.


    Zhang Nu opened their information.


    [Draconian Laborer]: 15 HP, 15 MP, 2 Strength, 2 Constitution, 1 Agility, 1 Will. Collection lv2, Construction lv2, Smithing lv1, Hunting lv1.


    [Loyalty]: 100% (Locked).


    [...]


    Strength and weakness are always rtive.


    These draconianborers wouldn''t have any issues beating up three adult men at the same time.


    They''re good at collection and construction. Construction includes chopping wood, harvesting herbs, and mining. The construction and smithing abilities are also very important for base building.


    If one had to nitpick, then the only issue is that draconians eat a lot of food.


    Thankfully though, Zhang Nu''s location is very rich in resources. There''s no problem supporting even 10,000 draconians!


    "You guys take care of this food."


    Zhang Nu brought out the dozens of bigfoot birds and unicorn deer that he hunted earlier.


    The five draconianborers moved at his orders and started processing the food right away. They even started up a fire and started roasting the bird and deer meat.


    Soon, the delectable scent of cooked meat filled the air.


    Zhang Nu grabbed a deer leg and started biting away. Even though there weren''t any spices, the meat was still very delicious and fresh. It could instantly defeat even the highest quality beef from reality when ites to the taste.


    This ce really is great.


    The environment is sealed and resources are plentiful.


    It can be said to be the best when ites to early game development.


    Zhang Nu opened up the chat menu. He wanted to see the other yers'' situations. However, he ended up surprised at the change in the number of Demon Kings.


    A few hours ago, the number of Demon Kings online was 1 million.


    Currently, the number online has changed to 999,901.


    99 Demon Kings are gone? They were disqualified that fast!


    Zhang Nu looked through the chat log.


    "Shit! My altar got destroyed by orcs!"


    "Help, I was found by humans. I''m being hunted from all sides. Someone please save me, I don''t want to die!"


    "My territory here is filled with terrifying monsters. I can''t beat any of them. How am I supposed to y here, I can''t even get out the door here!"


    "I''m trapped on a deserted ind. There''s nothing here. I''m on the verge of dying from hunger. Can anyone send me something to eat? My dad is the president of the XXpany in Shanghai, so I got plenty of money!"


    "..."


    No wonder then.


    These hundred disqualified Demon Kings were either discovered and killed, or their arrival location was so terrible that they had no way to develop and expand.


    It''s not strange for a hundred or so to get disqualified within just two or three hours then.


    Zhang Nu felt like, as time progressed, especially after the safe period is over, there will likely be thousands more Demon Kings who will end up dying before they can get anywhere.


    Demon King really is a high risk profession.


    Zhang Nu discovered that, due to their arrival locations being deste areas, right now the mostmon problem that Demon Kings are having is theck of food.


    However, yers do have a specialized trade tform. They can ce items on it and sell off surplus materials in exchange for other resources that they might need.


    Zhang Nu sent a message in the chat menu, "Selling bigfoot birds. Its meat is delicious. 5 gold each. It will be added to the trade menu immediately. Firste first served."


    The moment this message was sent out, the chat menu exploded.


    "Shit, where did so much foode from?"


    "5 gold? That expensive? Why aren''t you rushing to grab them then!"


    "Everyone''s only entered the game for a few hours, so the vast majority don''t even have a single gold yet. You asking for 5 gold for just a single bird is practically highway robbery!"


    "Too expensive. Nobody buys it. Anyone who buys is an idiot!"


    "That''s right! You just keep them yourself until they grow moldy!"


    "..."


    Zhang Nu was uncertain at the moment.


    Even if those people''s words are harsh, they do have some logic to them. The game only started a few hours ago, so the vast majority definitely won''t even have a single gold yet.


    5 gold per bird.


    Will it really be able to sell?


    Whatever. Let''s try it out first with 10 birds!


    The trading menu requires a fee for trades. Each item will only stay on for 15 minutes. If they end up not selling, then he''ll end up losing the several gold worth of the transaction fees instead.


    However.


    Nearly instantly.


    The 10 bigfoot birds were all gone.


    [Trade Sessful, you gained 5 gold!]


    [Trade Sessful, you gained 5 gold!]


    [...]


    [Your items have all been sold!]


    Gone instantly?


    Zhang Nu was dumbfounded.


    T/N: And now we have an economy. Oneposed of what''s basically something like a million individuals. That number will drop over time, but at the same time, as that happens, the individuals will also expand from singr persons to full fledged cities, states, or even nations. It makes an interesting andplex bit of world building.

 Chapter 5

    The chat menu exploded.


    "Holy shit!"


    "What the heck!"


    "Where''s my meat? My meat! What happened to my meat!"


    "Despicable. Didn''t we agree not to buy any? So shameless!"


    "[bigfootbird.jpg"


    "..."


    The game had just started.


    Gold should be in very short supply.


    But why is the actual situation so different from what he had thought?


    Zhang Nu quickly found a rational exnation. This server has a million Demon Kings online. The actual numbers involved were just far too huge.


    There''s no way that every yer is a noob.


    There would always be some elites who managed to get a step ahead of everyone else.


    Then there''s also those who are near areas with lots of monster resources, but those monsters are especially inedible, so they have no choice but to use a portion of their gold to buy food.


    Of course, this doesn''t exclude those yers who just got lucky.


    Take those who managed to discover gold mines or simr resources close to their starting areas.


    Or if they got lucky and encountered randomly generated game treasure chests. These treasure chests have a certain chance of yielding resources, gold, basic consumables, etc.


    All in all, one cannot underestimate the power, intelligence, and luck of the masses.


    Zhang Nu decisively doubled the price and put up 10 more bigfoot birds for trade.


    [Trade Sessful. You gained 10 gold!]


    [Trade Sessful. You gained 10 gold!]


    [...]


    [Your items have all been sold!]


    10 bigfoot birds were once again all snatched up. This time, it wasn''t instantaneous, but instead it took about 20 seconds or so. This showed that there''s still a market at this price.


    The chat menu started howling up a storm.


    "Shit, that''s way too dirty."


    "Yeah, the price doubled in the blink of an eye!"


    "I freaking only hesitated a moment and it was all gone. You animals are too much. Do you have too much money clogging up your base or something?"


    "Reject price intion!"


    "Reject high priced food!"


    "Get lost. If you don''t want to buy it, there are plenty of people who will!"


    "I got plenty of gold, so please continue supplying, boss. Even at 10 gold per bird, I''ll take as many as you have!"


    "..."


    Zhang Nu gained some understanding of the situation.


    In the short term, the market could ept normal food at a price of 10-20 gold. As gold bes more plentiful in the future, the price could even rise higher.


    Of course, from the mid to long term point of view, food shortage definitely won''t be the norm.


    When ites down to it, this is a game of Demon Kings and Heroes, subjugations and defense. If a Demon King can''t even resolve their basic food needs, then this is way too low of them. They would end up being eliminated very quickly.


    There isn''t much food left now, so Zhang Nu won''t be continuing.


    His territory requires food consumption too after all.


    These two trades total to 150 gold of ie.


    5 gold was spent as the transaction fee. Since the two trades didn''t take long at all, the transaction fee ended up fairly low. Right now, he has a total of 161 gold on hand.


    He spent 50 gold to summon 10 draconianborers.


    Then he spent 100 gold to summon up a draconian soldier.


    His territory already has 15 production units and 1bat unit. Things are starting to shape up.


    Zhang Nu examined the draconian soldier.


    The draconian soldier didn''t look much different from the draconianborers. It''s just bigger and stronger. Its ck scales looked more sturdy and its teeth and ws were sharper. Plus, it had a spear equipped as a weapon.


    [Draconian Soldier]: Level 1 elite unit. 50 HP, 30 MP, 7 Strength, 5 Constitution, 6 Agility, 3 Will. Loyalty 100% (Locked), Tiredness: 10%, Hunger: 10%


    Skills: Dragonblood Berserk (E rank), Spear Stab (E rank), Lesser Dragonscale (E rank)...


    Not bad.


    Estimating conservatively, a single soldier could probably beat up 10borers.


    The most basic level 1 unit is already an elite ss monster!


    This is probably unthinkable to Demon Kings with rtively lower bloodlines or races. However, this is Zhang Nu''s biggest advantage right now.


    Next is assigning tasks.


    Zhang Nu set the 15borers on production work.


    A portion of them headed off to the Darkness Woods to harvest, chop wood, and hunt in order to satisfy the basic daily consumption needs of the territory in addition to collecting wood for construction.


    The rest were to repair the ruins, create farnd and build defenses to protect the Demon King''s Altar and the territory as a whole.


    There are no strong monsters in the Darkness Woods, so the normal draconianborers are enough to deal with any dangers there.


    Instead, Zhang Nu took the soldier with him to continue exploring the valley.


    After all, he had only explored a small portion of the valley thus far. He needs to explore more of the valley and see if there are any signs of native activity.


    Killing monsters will only get him gold and materials.


    This could be used to develop his territory, but it won''t make himself stronger.


    Zhang Nu needs to remove any dangers in the area of his future territory. He also needs to collect souls to satisfy the requirements for his evolutionary goals.


    Darkness Valley isn''t particrlyrge or small.


    It took a total of about 30 minutes to do a fullp around it.


    Messages came up one after another, allowing Zhang Nu to quickly gain a very detailed understanding of his surrounding environment.


    [Normal cave]. Low exploration value.


    [Normal swamp]. Low exploration value.


    [Normal ruins]. Low exploration value.


    [Fallen Darkness Ruins]. Level 1 elite area. It was once a forest vige established by a mage. It was destroyed due to an experiment going out of control and all the vigers were killed and turned into undead. Rtively high exploration value. Possible rewards: ck Iron Treasure Chest, the mage''s inheritance, etc.

 Chapter 6

    Interesting.


    He didn''t manage to find any natives, but these ruins are worth exploring too.


    Zhang Nu immediately headed over with the draconian soldier. He wanted to test out his most basicbat unit''s strength.


    "It''s quite eerie!"


    "This vige doesn''t seem all that big."


    "Although, back when it was prosperous, it should have a poption of about maybe a thousand or so."


    As he headed into the Darkness Ruins, he felt like he was entering a graveyard and the environment became chilling. Some kind of evil energy is obviously still affecting this ce even after over a hundred years of being abandoned.


    Not a few steps in, targets have started appearing.


    [Skeleton Soldier]. Level 1 normal monster. Formerly the residents of this woond vige. They died due to the vige lord''s evil experiments and were turned into skeleton soldiers by necromantic energy... Abilities: Strong Swing (F rank), Aura of Undeath (F rank).


    Two skeletons covered in rags stood up.


    Those undead monsters have no concept of fear, so they werepletely fearless even when facing a Demon King. Thus, they charged forward swinging a bone sword.


    "Interesting."


    "Destroy them."


    Zhang Nu didn''t personally take action.


    The draconian soldier roared out and charged out from behind. The soldier crossed the rugged ruins in an instant, with a speed far outstriping even the fastest human olympic sprinter.


    Spear Stab!


    The spearshed out in a blur!


    A skeleton''s head instantly exploded!


    It was basically instantly killed.


    The other skeleton soldier swung down with its bone sword, but was easily blocked by the draconian soldier''s spear. It was then forced back after another two or three blows.


    With a snap, a tail sweep shattered the skeleton soldier''s legs.


    A follow up spear stab ripped apart its skull.


    [You''ve in a skeleton soldier. Gold +5!]


    [You''ve in a skeleton soldier. Gold +5!]


    Zhang Nu nodded. Although it''s the weakestbat unit, the draconian soldier''s power isn''t bad at all. It could probably take down at least seven or eight monsters like these skeletons soldiers.


    Skeleton soldiers are only normal monsters.


    And draconian soldiers are elite monsters!


    Zhang Nu also discovered that when his subordinates kill a target, it counts the same as if the Demon King did it and simr rewards will be generated without any reductions.


    That''s great.


    After all, as a Demon King, there''s no way that Zhang Nu could do all the battling himself.


    "Well done. Time is valuable though, so let''s not just kill them one by one. Go and wake up all the other undead nearby."


    "Yes sir!"


    The draconian soldier immediately turned into a ck blur and all the skeleton soldiers in his passing were woken up. Then, they all got up amidst the ruins.


    Not long after, the draconian soldier was being chased by 10 to 20 skeleton soldiers.


    He couldn''t deal with that many skeleton soldiers at once, but he is very quick and agile, so the skeleton soldiers can''t catch him either.


    Instead, a portion of those skeleton soldiers locked onto Zhang Nu.


    Those skeleton soldiers let out a horrifying cking noise, raised their bone swords and swung them down onto Zhang Nu.


    Zhang Nu didn''t dodge.


    He took that blow on purpose.


    It''s because he wanted to test out his own defensive ability.


    -0!


    It just nged off.


    There wasn''t even so much as a mark.


    The skeleton soldier didn''t even manage to break a scale.


    Instead, it was the skeleton soldier''s bone sword that got shattered by the impact.


    "So weak?"


    Zhang Nu reached out with his hand and grabbed it.


    He grasped its skull and lifted it up from the ground like it was a helpless chick. The skeleton soldier struggled with all its might, but it couldn''t get out at all.


    Zhang Nu squeezed slightly.


    A clear snap rang out.


    The skeleton''s head couldn''t withstand it and the entire skull instantly shattered into dozens of pieces.


    [You''ve in a skeleton soldier. Gold +5!]


    The other skeleton soldiers continued to charge fearlessly at him.


    Zhang Nu pushed off the ground with his right foot and instantly became a blur. He passed through those skeleton soldiers. Everywhere his ws and tail passed through, the skeleton soldiers were all shattered into dust.


    He was simply too fast.


    The skeleton soldiers didn''t even have the chance to react.


    [You''ve in a skeleton soldier. Gold +5!]


    [You''ve in a skeleton soldier. Gold +5!]


    [...]


    This can''t even be called a battle.


    That said, although there''s no excitement of battle here, it did bring him the joy of mowing down grass.


    Zhang Nu finally got an idea of just how powerful he was. Compared to him, the Demon King, undead of this level aren''t even in the same dimension.


    The draconian soldiers continued to move around, but he discovered that he could no longer pull new monsters anymore.


    At this moment, a dangerous presence appeared. This presence wasn''t any weaker than him. It can even be said to be stronger by about 30%.


    The next second, a dark red fireball sted toward him.


    The draconian soldier agily dodged it. The fireball struck the broken wall behind him. Its power wasparable to a rocket propelled grenade.


    Zhang Nu looked on over, "Eh? An elite monster!"


    This skeleton is different from all the others. It wore a set of tattered robes and it had a long bone staff in its hand.


    [Skeleton Mage]. Level 1 elite monster. This was the lord of the woond vige. He used to be a mage obsessed with magic. Currently, he''s been transformed by necromantic energy into a skeleton mage. He still has a portion of his magical abilities from back when he was alive... Skills: Necromantic Fireball (E rank), Chain Fireball (E rank), Lesser Magic Shield (F rank)


    The skeleton mage got ready to keep attacking.


    The power of its magic was quite decent.


    It''s quite a threat if it actually hits the draconian soldier.


    Zhang Nu pushed off the ground and instantly charged before it.


    The skeleton mage hurriedly released a transparent magic shield.


    Zhang Nu shifted slightly and his draconic tail swept forth like an iron whip. It instantly shattered the shield and continued forward to cut the skeleton mage in half at the waist, making it lose the ability to move. Then, Zhang Nu followed up with a stomp, shattering its head.


    "Elite monster?"


    "So that''s all it is!"


    "It doesn''t actually feel all that much stronger though!"


    [You''ve in a skeleton mage. Gold +50!]


    [You''ve conquered the Darkness Ruins. You gained ck Iron Chest x1!]

 Chapter 7

    Zhang Nu got arge rusted treasure chest.


    [Decrepit ck Iron Treasure Chest]. Treasure chest gained from a yer conquering the Darkness Ruins. It contains random rewards.


    There are two kinds of treasure chests.


    The first is fortune chests.


    These chests can appear anywhere in the world. Generally, they tend to appear in some utterly deste locations. The chest''s quality is also random. It basically all depends on luck.


    The second kind of chests are reward chests.


    These chests are basicallypletion rewards. When a yer conquers an area or dungeon, it is one of the possible random rewards that might be generated. The quality of said chest is proportional to the difficulty level.


    This particr case is obviously the second type.


    [You''ve opened the ck Iron Treasure Chest. You gained "Gold" x200, "Blueprint: House of Bones" x1!]


    [Blueprint: House of Bones]. Costs undeath gem x1, wood x20, stone x30, gold x300. You can construct a House of Bones in your territory.


    This is something quite good.


    All blueprints that a Demon King can get are worth a lot.


    This "House of Bones" blueprint allows one to construct a House of Bones anywhere within their territory. With it, they gain the ability to summon a certain number of skeleton soldiers.


    These kinds of buildings are basically barracks type buildings.


    They can grant the Demon King in question a certain number of soldiers from a different race.


    Zhang Nu doesn''t particrly care for skeleton soldiers. Those things have no intelligence and they are super weak in terms ofbat power. However, that doesn''t mean that skeleton soldiers have no value.


    First of all, as undead, they don''t need to eat or drink, so they won''t end up being any kind of burden on the territory itself. They''re basically perfect as dumbbor.


    This was quite a good turn of luck.


    He got a lot out of this excursion.


    Even without this blueprint, the 30 skeleton soldiers yielded him 150 gold and a skeleton mage got him 50 gold. In total, this was an ie of 200 gold and in the early game, every single piece of gold is very valuable.


    This will allow him to summon 40borers or 4 soldiers.


    If it was any other yer, they''d probably bepletely satisfied with that and have gotten ready to leave.


    Zhang Nu didn''t leave though.


    Based on his appraisal message, this Darkness Ruins has a hidden treasure. He''s not going to miss out on the extra gains there.


    After some exploration, Zhang Nu finally found it.


    It was a basement hidden under the ruins.


    It was full of all kinds of vials and bottles, as well as all kinds of random books.


    The potions and herbs have long since rotted away.


    The books are mostly intact though. Although they''re not especially valuable or anything, they can be used to whittle away the time with. It will also help him gain a better understanding of this world and that will be of great aid to his future battles.


    Zhang Nu finally found a chest hidden away.


    [Lord''s Treasure Chest]. Contained within is the Vige Lord''s main inheritance.


    Found it!


    This is what Zhang Nu really wanted to find!


    After opening it up, what appeared was bar after bar of gold, all neatly lined up and shining.


    Besides the gold bars, there were also various coins and gems. The riches on disy were dazzling.


    "Holy shit!"


    "I''m rich!"


    This is the treasure that his cheat pointed out to him.


    It''s the main inheritance of the vige''s lord. In the current period of the game, this is no small fortune.


    [Gained level 1 undeath gem x1, gained level 1 earth gem x1, gained level 1 water gem x1...]


    The gems are quite valuable. They can be used for forging or construction.


    [Gold discovered. Would you like to convert?]


    [Gold sessfully converted. Gold +1200!]


    The shining gold bars all disappeared. What reced them was an insane increase in his amount of money. It increased by 1200 in a single go!


    That''s awesome!


    Zhang Nu had spent quite a bit of time clearing the ruins, but his gains from that were a full decimal ce less than this particr haul.


    Plus, besides the gold, he also got a haul of fairly valuable gems. This was super worth it.


    After heading back to the altar, the 15borers were working furiously.


    They''ve made quite some progress. They managed to hunt several dozen bigfoot birds and unicorn deers within half a day. Beyond that, they had also put up a temporary stone house.


    [Simple Stone House]. Recovery speed +1%.


    It is rather simple, but it''s still somewhere to stay in. He is a full blown Demon King after all, so he can''t go sleeping out in the ruins or wilderness like some kind of hobo.


    It''ll do for the time being.


    Zhang Nu wanted to have his own Demon King Castle though.


    He wanted neat military barracks, high castle walls, perfect defenses, etc.


    This requires an enormous amount ofbor force. Plus, some buildings with special effects can''t be built with just draconianborers. Those require blueprints to construct.


    Thankfully though, he has plenty of money now.


    A huge fortune of about 1500 gold.


    Zhang Nu first spent 500 gold to summon up 100 draconianborers at once. Then he spent 400 gold to summon up 4 soldiers, bringing up his territory up to 5bat units.


    The soldiers don''t have any real production ability. They also require double the food upkeep that theborers do, so it''s far too much of a burden to support an overlyrge military right now. Just having enough to use should be sufficient for now.


    Thus,pared tobat power, in the current period, thebor force for building up the territory is far more important.


    Zhang Nu had 600 gold left and he also has the materials as well. Thus, he decided to build the House of Bones to unlock the ability to summon skeleton soldiers. This will help to continue to build up his territory.


    After a bit of time, he managed to assemble the required wood and stone.


    Now, the gems, wood, stone, and gold have all been assembled.


    [House of Bones sessfully constructed!]


    [Sessfully unlocked skeleton soldier summoning. Unit summoning limit +100!]


    T/N: 200 gold gets him 40borers, that checks out at 5 gold perborer, but 4 soldiers when each costs 100 gold? That''s what the raws say though... This won''t be thest time that math mistakes will show up either. Still, I guess I''m tranting this to match the raws for now...


    Comment if you have an opinion on it. Should I simply trante as the raw state or should I make my own edits to actually correct any math errors I find (as much as I can anyways)? Thoughts? Opinions?

 Chapter 8

    On the matter of the location for the "House of Bones".


    This is naturally something that requires consideration.


    Skeletons don''t need food or water, but they''re not perpetual motion machines. It doesn''t mean that they have no upkeep whatsoever.


    It''s just that Undead don''t depend on food and water to recover their stamina.


    Instead, they need to absorb necromantic energy to recharge.


    One of the functions for the House of Bones is to generate necromantic energy. If it''s ced too closely, then the chilling atmosphere and having skeletons moving in and out all the time will definitely end up causing mental issues.


    The Darkness Ruins is a pretty decent choice.


    It is a location with very strong necromantic energies from the start after all.


    If the House of Bones were to be constructed there, then it can lower the daily upkeep by a certain amount. Plus, it''s not too close nor too far from the altar, so it''s just right in terms of distance.


    With the House of Bones, he''ll be able to summon skeleton soldiers.


    However, Zhang Nu isn''t a skeleton Demon King after all.


    For units that don''t match his race, there are limitations when summoning them.


    Currently, he could summon 100 at most. In the future, if he levels the House of Bones up or he adds in additional necromantic constructs, then this limit can be increased.


    The more necromantic buildings he has, the higher the unit limit and quality for his undead units.


    This is also one of the points behind base building.


    [Skeleton Soldier]. Level 1, normal. Summoning costs 3 Gold!


    He didn''t imagine that it would be that cheap.


    It''s cheaper than even theborers.


    Zhang Nu spent all of his remaining 300 gold on this summoning.


    A cold wind blew.


    A horde of bleached white skeletons crawled out of the House of Bones.


    It was very different from their wild counterparts from the Darkness Ruins though.


    They didn''t have a scrap of disgusting rotten flesh on them. Every one of them were bleached white andplete skeletons, with their weapons being a bone saber.


    "Assemble!"


    The skeleton soldiers received that order and immediately lined up in orderly rows.


    Although theyck the intelligence to doplicated work, they still absolutely follow any orders given. They won''t get afraid or tired and they are cheap too.


    They''re quite suitable to act as cannon fodder on the battlefield or to work as dumbbor.


    The House of Bones will generate necromantic energy and that costs an average of 5 gold a day.


    But given that this will let it maintain a hundred perfect workers that will neverin or need food or drink, this was so unbelievably cheap that it''s practically no different from being free.


    Zhang Nu immediately started assigning the work.


    From now on, work that requires brains like construction, harvesting, and hunting will be given to the draconianborers.


    As for dumbbor that don''t require any skills like chopping wood, quarrying stone or transporting materials, those will all be left to the skeletons to do.


    With that, efficiency immediately jumped by quite a bit.


    Zhang Nu then sold the portion of the food he had left over.


    His second day of pure ie from this territory broke through 300 gold.


    Now, even if Zhang Nu stopped doing anything and just had his territory continue to develop at the current pace, he''ll still be able to keep up with his expenditures, gain a fairly good profit and continue to expand all the while forming a chain reaction of continuous development.


    Two dayster, Zhang Nu was sitting up on his altar and observing his territory.


    The deste ruins have already had a good portion of it cleared out.


    Right now, with the altar in the center, his territory was quickly expanding, with new areas being constantly added.


    [Stone walls]. Within the boundary of the stone walls, building toughness +30%.


    [Simple warehouse]. It contains a total volume of 500 cubic meters. Normal level 1 materials decay speed -50%!


    This warehouse is worth a mention. It can not only store various foods and herbs, it also has refrigeration functionalities, thus slowing down the decay rate of items in it.


    This makes it invaluable.


    The Chaos Forest is very hot, climate wise.


    The vast majority of foodstuff will have a hard time keeping for more than two days.


    With this warehouse though, they can be stored for four or five days. This will greatly increase the efficiency of food utilization, thereby creating more value.


    Many more buildings are currently being constructed.


    Take the house that Zhang Nu had built for himself.


    Also the various animal pens for rearing animal livestock.


    Right now, Zhang Nu has 150 draconianborers, 15 draconian soldiers, and 100 skeleton soldiers. This is already a force to be reckoned with.


    From the start until now, It has been less than 4 days and Zhang Nu had already managed to create this kind of setup.


    If they continue developing at this breakneck speed, then Zhang Nu will soon be able to cover the entirety of the Chaos Forest. From there, he will be an enormous threat to human empires and the human world atrge.


    Just then, an important message popped up.


    [Game announcement: The Demon King safe period has now ended!]


    The safe period has ended?!


    Zhang Nu was slightly stunned by that message.


    Demon Kings and Heroes are opposing factions.


    Heroes have the natural ability to sense the existence of Demon Kings. Only after the safe period has ended are the Heroes allowed to start subjugating Demon Kings.


    In other words.


    From this moment on.


    The battle between Demon Kings and Heroes has formally begun.


    Zhang Nu felt a bit of pressure.


    It was only a few short days.


    In his opinion, the safe period really was way too short.


    However, Zhang Nu didn''t panic.


    His territory was developing smoothly.


    The area that he chose to descend upon is also a heavily fractured andwlessnd.


    It''s very unlikely for any sort of massive crusade to appear in a ce like this.


    For a Demon King like him, this is the best and most suitable location to grow and develop.


    ...


    At the same time, outside the Darkness Valley.


    In a hidden goblin vige.


    Several Hero yers who were reincarnated as goblins also received that same message.


    "The safe period is over?"


    "That means we can go kill Demon Kings now?"


    "Haha. For the past few days, killing wild monsters really is just way too slow for leveling. Supposedly, killing a Demon King will yield at least hundreds of times the reward!"


    T/N: And so we see our first Heroes, and yes, it will turn out exactly how you''d expect.


    This also marks the start of our regr schedule from now on. The current n is a Tues-Thurs-Sat release schedule of 3 chapters per week, and hopefully this will continue until I finish this novel (or I end up running out of raws. Still hoping that more will be out by the time I get that far though).

 Chapter 9

    Five heroes actually descended in a very remote goblin vige.


    This basically proves that Heroes are very numerous.


    They''re at least several times, perhaps even more than ten times that of Demon Kings.


    The one leading these five goblin Heroes is called Chen Hu.


    The goblin body that Chen Hu descended into was the hunting captain and head warrior. He was the strongest goblin in the vige.


    After he descended as a Hero, he grew very strong within just a few short days.


    The other yers naturally all followed his lead.


    "Everyone''s assembled!"


    Chen Hu was in high spirits.


    He had not just gathered fourpanions, but also about 30 healthy adult goblins in the name of a hunting party.


    At that moment, a goblin Hero spoke hesitantly, "The safe period just ended though, isn''t it a bit too fast for us to go try killing Demon Kings right now?"


    Chen Hu gave a cold smirk in reply, "What are you so afraid of? It''s exactly because the safe period just ended. Right now, Demon Kings haven''t had a chance to really develop yet, so this kind of time is our best chance!"


    Another Hero immediately agreed, "Boss is right. Right now, we can only really use goblins, but goblins are just too weak. If we don''t use them now, then there won''t be any point to having them in the future."


    The other Heroes all nodded along.


    Hero yers aren''t like Demon Kings.


    After a Hero descends, they''ll each have pre existing identities, along with connections thate from that.


    Since these five yers all became goblins, they''ll naturally want to figure out ways to make the goblins of the vige work for them or even be their stepping stones as cannon fodder.


    Compared to the Heroes of Destiny, these normal goblins have terrible growth potential.


    The five of them will be leaving the vige to further develop themselves sooner orter, so the vigers are merely early game consumables to be used up.


    They likely only have a bit of value at this point. In the future, as Demon Kings develop and grow stronger, goblins won''t even have any value as cannon fodder. Thus, if they don''t use them now, then when?


    "There''s a few Demon Kings nearby!"


    "Which one should we go for?"


    Different yer factions have different functionalities avable to them.


    Demon Kings have chat and trade menus.


    Heroes don''t have either of those. However, they do have a map function that Demon Kings don''t get.


    Any Demon King nests that are within a range of a hundred kilometers will automatically show up on the Hero''s map.


    Right now, there are about 8 or 9 Demon King markers within that short range of 100 km, so they were temporarily unsure of which one to choose.


    "Let''s go to the Darkness Valley!"


    Chen Hu directly made his decision.


    "This nest is the closest. Even if we don''t challenge it now, it will certainly expand in the future and be a threat to us."


    "In that case then, it''s better to attack preemptively."


    Chen Hu was a vicious thug unafraid of fighting and killing even back in reality. He had specialized in various kinds of semi-illegal business back then.


    He has both guts and ambition.


    This age was practically made for him!


    Chen Hu fully believed that he could definitely rise up, crush all others beneath his feet, and be a king above all.


    Heroes can level up by killing monsters.


    They can also train to be stronger.


    However, all that is far too slow!


    For a goblin that starts out fairly weak, who knows how long it would take for him to be someone really powerful if he just trained and fought monsters normally.


    If he wanted to break through the limits imposed on him by his race, then the only way is to kill Demon Kings.


    The reward from a single Demon King is equivalent to years of harsh training!


    The Demon King that lies in the Darkness Valley will be the starting point for his rise to greatness. It will be the first sacrifice and stepping stone for he who shall be one of the strongest!


    Around night, five Heroes plus 30 normal adult goblins snuck into the valley.


    Heroes can detect Demon King nests.


    Demon Kings can''t detect nearby Heroes though.


    Thus, Demon Kings are rtively more vulnerable to sneak attacks.


    However, Heroes can only get a general idea of the Demon King''s territory. They have no way of urately pinpointing the Demon King''s Altar that acts as the core for the Demon King''s nest.


    Thus, there is something of a process where each side attempts to win a battle of scouting.


    Demon Kings need to be ready at all times to deal with Heroes who might try to sneak in.


    After a Hero enters a Demon King''s nest, they also need to be careful of any traps and minions that the Demon King has.


    "Boss!"


    "Found it!"


    "What''s up ahead is definitely the Demon King''s nest!"


    A small ruin within the valley is up ahead.


    It was as dead as a grave. About 20 to 30 skeletons were active within the ruins. They were all acting in groups, making it obvious that they weren''t normal wild monsters.


    Chen Hu was immediately overjoyed.


    He''s confident of his victory now!


    "It looks like it''s a skeleton Demon King!"


    "They managed to get so many skeleton soldiers in just these few short days?"


    "Yeah, they got dozens of skeleton soldiers in less than a week. If we gave him something like half a year, then we wouldn''t have stood a chance!"


    Chen Hu showed a vicious grin, "Hehe. The stronger the Demon King''s forces, the better the rewards after we kill them. This is all going to end up bing ours!"


    He waved his hand.


    "Let''s go!"


    "Don''t let him escape!"


    Over 30 goblins charged out as one and started attacking the skeleton soldiers that were currently recharging their energy.


    The skeleton soldiers had no thoughts or feelings. When they detected the invaders, they all instinctively brought out their weapons to start fighting back. Both sides immediately began fighting.


    Normal goblins are very weak inbat.


    In a one on one duel, they''re even weaker than these skeleton soldiers.


    However, goblins are intelligent life forms. They can make up for theirck of strength with teamwork and tactics. With a prior n, they are very much capable of dealing with a simr number of skeleton soldiers.


    This isn''t even mentioning the five goblin Heroes.


    Their power far outstrips that of normal goblins.


    This was especially true for the body belonging to Chen Hu. He started out with an elite''s level of power. After he was strengthened by his conversion into a Hero, he''s gotten even stronger.


    The skeleton soldiers easily ended up being pushed back.


    The goblins shattered one skeleton after another.


    "Hahaha!"


    "That''s all they''re capable of."


    "We''re definitely going to win!"


    At this moment, the five Heroes were all in high morale and filled with battlelust. They believed that they were certain to be the first group of Heroes to sessfully kill a Demon King.


    At the same time.


    Up on the Demon King''s Altar some distance away.


    Zhang Nu''s eyes suddenly snapped open.


    A cold gleam shed across his eyes.


    [Warning!]


    [Your territory is under attack!]


    [Your skeleton soldier has been in!]


    [Your skeleton soldier has been in!]


    [...]


    He had received an alert.


    The House of Bones is currently under attack!

 Chapter 10

    Many goblins were injured or killed, but the skeleton soldiers fell one by one. Although the situation was very much in their favor, the Heroes all keep feeling like something''s wrong.


    Where''s the Demon King?


    Could it just so happen to be away from home right now?


    Or did it hide itself away after seeing that he''s losing?


    "Demon King!"


    "Stop hiding!"


    "You''re not getting away!"


    "If youe out now, we can still give you a quick death!"


    Chen Hu didn''t manage to get out more than a couple of taunts before a sudden gust sted into them. Something hade from above them.


    Chen Hu looked up.


    A terrifying and mighty figure was up in the air.


    He pped his wings and stared down with golden slitted eyes. He also had intimidating horns on his head, was covered in dark gold dragon scales, and gave off an overwhelming presence.


    "D-demon King?!"


    The five Heroes were shocked.


    The other goblins couldn''t even hold themselves upright with how much their legs were shaking.


    That''s not right. It''s all undead monsters here, so shouldn''t the Demon King logically also be an undead? What''s with that, it''s way too powerful!


    "Oh, so it''s Heroes."


    The Demon King''s killing intent vanished and he instead showed a slight smile. It''s as if he wasn''t angry and instead was presented with a happy surprise.


    "Hehe. I didn''t expect that you''d deliver yourselves right to my doorstep. And here I was just worrying over how to find you!"


    He rapidlynded as he spoke.


    The goblins were all terrified into backing off.


    Chen Hu angrily bit out with a dark look, "What are you afraid of? This is all just a facade! He''s only been here for a few short days, so just how strong can he be!"


    The other four Heroes calmed down slightly.


    Right. Demon Kings aren''t like Heroes. Heroes basically possess existing people, whereas Demon Kings directly descend. Thus, it will definitely take time for thetter to be strong.


    The game only started a few days ago.


    Thus, this guy must just be putting up a facade!


    "Get him!"


    "Everyone together!"


    "Kill him!"


    The goblins hesitated for a moment, but they did have the numbers advantage. Under the leadership of the five Heroes, they all immediately found their courage again and charged forth screaming.


    As the saying goes, enough ants can chew an elephant to death.


    Chen Hu refuses to believe that he won''t be able to take down a Demon King with all the people he brought!


    Javelins, arrows, and throwing axes wereunched one after another.


    The Demon King didn''t dodge at all though. He instead just allowed all the attacks to hit him. However, there was no effect at all. All the attacks just bounced off without so much as scratching even a single scale.


    -0!


    -0!


    -1!


    It''s unknown if it''s because the goblins were just too weak or if it''s the Demon King whose defenses are too overwhelming.


    Either way, this round of attacks basically caused no damage.


    The Demon Kingughed, "Ha. Is that all?"


    The five Heroes had a realization.


    They made a huge mistake.


    But an arrow, once loosened, cannot be taken back. It''s toote to regret things now.


    The Demon King faced the goblins surrounding him and suddenly let out a roar into the air. His originally strong, three meters tall body suddenly expanded to ten meters in length.


    "Dragon!"


    "Fuck!"


    "Run away!"


    "It''s a dragon!"


    An intimidating dark gold dragon appeared in the middle of the goblins.


    The dragon''s body looked like it''s still basically a baby dragon, but to beings like goblins, this was still an unstoppable mighty existence.


    The dragon''s tale swept at them in a sh.


    It struck with earth shattering force.


    Faced with such an attack, never mind the simply equipped goblins, even a fully armored knight would be crushed to paste!


    Tragic screams filled the air.


    The goblins were all sent flying like they were so much trash to be swept up.


    Anyone struck instantly had their bones shattered to pieces.


    Even if they were lucky enough to have lived past that, after getting thrown into the air by over ten meters, they''ll die anyways after impacting the ground.


    The five Heroes all tried to run away, but two of them were simply stomped to death while two others were blown away by the tail sweep. All of them were instantly killed.


    Chen Hu was the fastest, but there was no way that he could escape a dragon!


    When he felt a powerful gust sting at him, he grit his teeth and tried to block theing blow with his spear. However, his defenses were crushed by the dragon''s w, and three sword-like ws instantly ripped through his chest. The unstoppable force behind it also threw him several meters away.


    What terrifying power!


    This one hit blew through 95% of his HP!


    Chen Hu dropped to the ground in utter despair.


    The difference in power was just too much. There was no possible chance of victory whatsoever!


    No!


    He can''t die!


    How could he just die here!


    Chen Hu struggled to press down on his wound with a hand. A white light sunk into the wound and his shattered body started quickly healing.


    It''s a skill: Healing!


    Hero yers have a certain chance of obtaining skills as well.


    If they''re lucky and managed to get a strong person''s body, then they could start with quite a few skills.


    This waspletely useless in the face of the current situation though.


    The Demon King charged forth and once again crushed him into the ground.


    Chen Hu spoke, terrified, "Wait, please. You can''t kill me!"


    "Oh? Why?"


    "I have money. I have lots of money. If you just let me go, then when we get back to reality, I''ll give you a million bucks. No, five million!"


    "Heh!"


    The Demon King grabbed Chen Hu and suddenly squeezed.


    This particr goblin Hero was instantly ripped in two.


    The battle has ended.


    Zhang Nu checked the relevant information logs.


    [You''ve in a goblin. Gold +5!]


    [You''ve in a goblin. Gold +5!]


    [You''ve in a goblin. Gold +5!]


    [...]


    [You''ve in a goblin Hero. Hero''s Soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a goblin Hero. Hero''s Soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a goblin Hero. Hero''s Soul +1, skill stone +1!]


    T/N: And there goes the first Heroes. Now I kind of want to go search for that gif (or was it a video) of that meme of"I have made a huge mistake."


    Editor''s note: Has anyone wondered what happens when the yers die? Is this some ''Alice in Bordend'' situation? Did anyone watch the Netflix version, by the way? Spoiler: I wanted to cut off one of the actor''s tongue. Some things should just never be made into life action...

 Chapter 11

    This particr invasion had cost him 18 skeleton soldiers.


    However, the 30 goblins he killed got him 150 gold in return.


    This bit of ie was more than enough to cover his losses by several times over.


    Besides that, there were the five Hero''s Souls.


    Their actual value can be counted in thousands of times their number in gold!


    Zhang Nu proceeded to sacrifice the Souls on the Altar.


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 1 Hero''s Soul. 2 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 1 Hero''s Soul. 2 talent points gained!]


    [...]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 1 Hero''s Soul. 3 talent points gained!]


    Five Hero''s Souls total. Four of them got him 2 talent points per, and one gave him 3 talent points. All together, it made 11 points!


    A level 1 Demon King needed 10 points to activate each Talent.


    Zhang Nu still had 4 talents to activate.


    Them being: Dragon me, Dragon Fear, Lightning Control, and Beginner Anti-Magic.


    Zhang Nu made his choice without much hesitation.


    [Talent "Dragon me" sessfully activated!]


    Dragon me.


    It''s the signature ability of the dragon race.


    Whether it is in dragon form or draconian form, it can exert a tremendous amount of power.


    With this skill, Zhang Nu''s total battle power has greatly increased!


    He didn''t just get the Hero''s Souls from killing these five yers. This time, the spoils also included a skill stone.


    [Skill stone: Healing]. Use to gain the Healing skill.


    Not bad!


    Zhang Nu had seen Chen Hu use this skill.


    Back then, when his torso was ripped open by a dragon w, he was near certain to die. It was thanks to this skill that let him quickly heal up his wound.


    There''s one major difference between normal skills and Talents.


    Talents are core abilities that one is born with, and normal skills are standalone abilities that one can learnter on.


    One isn''t necessarily stronger than the other.


    For those with poor racial bloodlines, their talents will also be weak.


    However, they can still be strong if they were to learn a lot of skills.


    Not bad at all.


    His first time killing Heroes managed to get him a rare skill stone as a drop.


    Those things have a very low drop chance after all.


    [You''ve gained skill: Healing (D rank)!]


    Normal skills are divided by rank.


    Healing wasn''t a very high ranked skill.


    However, as a recovery type skill, it''s still quite useful.


    Although this sneak attack from Heroes didn''t do any real damage, this was still something that Zhang Nu took very seriously. Who could have thought that Heroes woulde so quickly?


    A point of note, the Darkness Valley is a very remote location.


    If even this kind of ce got attacked, then what about all the other Demon Kings?


    Zhang Nu opened up his yer menu and was stunned by what he saw. In the beginning, the number of Demon Kings online was 1 million. Now though, it has dropped to about 920 thousand.


    Holy shit!


    Over 70 thousand were gone In a just one day.


    How did so many Demon Kings get disqualified?


    Zhang Nu scanned the chat logs. A lot of people were discussing the Heroes.


    "Shit. Several Heroes have locked onto me. How did theye so quickly? I didn''t have any chance to develop yet. This game''s design is unfair!!"


    "Shock! A famed mercenarypany''s captain here is actually a Hero!"


    "Everyone be careful. Based on trustworthy sources, the Tempest Empire''s ninth prince had publicized his status as a Hero and he''s currently assembling a Anti-Demon Knight Order aimed straight at us!"


    "Heroes are in a much better situationpared to us Demon Kings. Everyone must not attract attention from Heroes before you''ve developed your own army and faction!"


    "What''s to be afraid of! I''ve just killed three Heroes who havee for me!"


    "..."


    The two factions differ greatly in their situations.


    Demon Kings physically descended from out of nowhere. They need to start from level on and build up their territory from nothing. In the early game, if their bloodline isn''t strong, then the overall power of their faction won''t be particrly powerful either.


    It''s for that reason that they need to keep a low profile and umte power while keeping their heads down.


    Only though such methods can they possibly eventually conquer the world and stand above all.


    Heroes came down as possessing souls. Thus, they have the advantage of preexisting social connections and are able to quickly integrate with the native poption.


    If a Hero yer was lucky enough, they could technically directly descend as powerhouses, generals, or royalty. They''d be able to inherit great power or authority from the start and enjoy a great advantage from that.


    No wonder so many Demon Kings were shouting about the game being unfair.


    However, Heroes have their advantages, but Demon Kings have their own advantages as well.


    Demon Kings have unlimited potential to grow stronger and expand their forces. So long as they''re given enough time and resources to grow, they can very well single handedly destroy the world.


    From the current look of things, Heroes far outnumber Demon Kings.


    The number of Heroes who start with great status are the extreme minority.


    The vast majority of them are meremoners, with little choice but to just grind mobs for experience.


    Most Demon Kings end up descending upon extremely remote and unpopted areas with no signs of civilization within hundreds of kilometers. Baring a few unlucky individuals, the vast majority are still safe for the time being.


    At this moment, ten draconian soldiers had assembled before him.


    "Master!"


    "The soldiers have all assembled!"


    "Please give us your orders!"


    "We will serve the master to our deaths!"


    Chen Hu''s group came from a nearby vige.


    Zhang Nu had decided to remove this particr threat, root and stem, and at the same time continue expanding his territory. Thus, after the battle, he had immediately sent out orders to assemble his forces.

 Chapter 12

    Zhang Nuunched his forces.


    He first took to the sky and observed.


    [Normal forest]. Low exploration value...


    [Normal mountain]. Low exploration value...


    [Dark Canyon]. The passageway into the Darkness Valley. The path is narrow. Monsters asionally appear. Rtively low exploration value. Possible reward: Stone, iron ore, etc.


    This canyon was the path out of the valley.


    The Darkness Valley is set within the area known as the Chaos Forest.


    The Chaos Forest is an enormous primordial forest over 5 million square kilometers in size. The Darkness Valley is only a tiny part of it.


    Zhang Nu continued searching along the canyon.


    A hidden forest vige appeared before his eyes.


    [Goblin vige]. Level 1 elite area. This is a nameless vige with a poption of about 300. Although it''s not much to look at, it does contain several elite goblins... Rtively high exploration value. Possible rewards: ck iron treasure chest, goblin equipment, etc.


    Found it!


    No wonder Chen Hu and his group ended up attacking the Darkness Valley.


    This goblin vige is indeed quite close to his base.


    The goblins here will soon notice that theirrades are missing, so it may very well end up causing troubles for him. Plus, this vige really is just too close to him, so it needs to be removed either way.


    Zhang Nu didn''t start acting immediately.


    Goblins aren''t strong, but they are quite numerous.


    The moment they get scared, they''ll end up running away in all directions, so some might very well end up escaping.


    Two hourster, ten draconians and 50 skeleton soldiers exited the canyon before moving in a pincer formation to seal off any avenue of escape for the goblins.


    Alright then.


    Zhang Nu transformed into his dragon form.


    The goblins lived their normal lives within the vige when an intimidating draconic roar came, making all the goblins freeze up in fear.


    "Dragon!"


    "It''s a dragon!"


    The goblins could see a not especially huge dragon from far away. It was currently charging right for them while emitting a terrifying presence.


    "Oh no!"


    "It''sing for us!"


    "Ready bows and javelins, quickly!"


    Although goblins are a weak race, they were still able to live on in thiswless and darwinistic forest. Thus, they of course had their vicious and warlike side as well.


    "Attack!"


    The goblin vige''s chief is an elite level elderly goblin mage. He raised his staff up to shoot out a bolt of lighting about a thumb''s size in width.


    There was a bang.


    Although it did manage to strike the dragon, all it did was damage a few scales.


    As for all the other goblins'' arrows and javelins, the damage they did were almost negligible. The dragon justpletely ignored them.


    Zhang Nu pushed past all the attacks and breathed out a huge wave of fire, which instantly exploded out into a st 10 meters wide, instantly consuming 10 to 20 goblins.


    This wasn''t normal fire.


    It''s the dragon race''s special dragon me.


    The power is far stronger than mere normal fire.


    The goblins engulfed by the mes were nearly instantly turned to ash. Even the ones that were just grazed were turned into humanoid chunks of charcoal before copsing.


    [You''ve in a goblin. Gold +5!]


    [You''ve in a goblin. Gold +4!]


    [You''ve in a goblin. Gold +4!]


    [You''ve in a goblin. Gold +5!]


    [...]


    With but a single attack, Zhang Nu had alreadypletely shattered the goblins'' will to fight back!


    The terrifying pressure and that destructive strike of dragon fire had carved the certainty that there was no way they could possibly win against this great existence into their minds.


    Thus, within moments, the goblins all broke and ran.


    Zhang Nu pped his wings and breathed out another st of dragon fire at arge concentration of goblins. It instantly vaporized another dozen or so goblins.


    It has to be said.


    Dragon me really is just way too powerful.


    That said, breathing dragon fire is also extremely costly.


    With Zhang Nu''s current MP, he was forced to stop and rest after five or six breaths. By then though, the goblin vige was alreadypletely ame.


    All the goblins that tried to escape into the forest were instead met by the forces that Zhang Nu had set in ambush.


    The draconian soldiers charged out with skeleton soldiers one after another.


    Goblins aren''t all that strong from the start. How could they possibly deal with this ambush when their morale had already copsed?


    Within a few minutes, over half the goblins were exterminated.


    The final group of goblins remaining were surrounded by the mes and Demon King army, and the encirclement was continuously shrinking. They were on the verge of another round of mindless ughter.


    "Mercy!"


    "Mercy!"


    "We submit!"


    The goblins all prostrated down and begged for mercy. Zhang Nu didn''t think much of it at the beginning. It''s normal for these kinds of weak races to be cowardly and he didn''t want to leave any witnesses alive.


    At that moment though, a message popped out.


    [You''ve conquered the goblin vige. You gained ck Iron Treasure Chest x1!]


    [107 goblins have surrendered to you. ept?]


    Zhang Nu was somewhat surprised at this notification.


    He had originally thought that it would be just like the Darkness Ruins, where an area would only count as conquered if he eliminated every target there.


    But here, the goblins haven''t all been killed yet and he had already been judged to have conquered the area.

 Chapter 13

    Could this be because of the goblins'' surrender?


    Or, perhaps it''s necessary topletely destroy an area to conquer it? Maybe it''s fine so long as he showed overwhelming power to crush the inhabitants'' will to resist and force them to surrender.


    Zhang Nu had two choices before him right now.


    He could kill these goblins for the gold.


    Or he could ept their surrender and ept them as his minions.


    These kinds of forcefully recruited units are different from the units that are summoned by spending gold.


    Thetter''s loyalty value is locked. It''s like there''s a mental lock on them and it''s absolutely impossible for them to betray him. However, the former''s loyalty values are free floating. Depending on the situation, they may very well run away or betray him.


    The pros are also quite obvious.


    Recruiting them means not having to spend money to summon them.


    Plus, recruited units don''t count as part of the poption limit.


    If a Demon King wanted to really expand and develop, then it''s not enough to just rely on their own racial summons. Vassal races can also greatly diversify their territory''s capabilities and productivity.


    Zhang Nu had decided to ept the surrender.


    He flew a circle over the goblins'' heads.


    The goblins were shaking in terror, with some even having pissed their pants. They were terrified that the dragon would breathe down fire at any second, turning all of them to ash.


    No dragon me descended though.


    The Demon King transformed into his draconian form.


    He looked down upon the prostrating goblins beneath him.


    Then, in a dignified and domineering voice, he spoke, "You insignificant beings dared to even invade my territory. Did you not resolve yourselves to die for that affront?"


    When the goblins heard those words, all of them instantly knew just what had happened.


    The elderly goblin chieftain hurriedly stepped forward and prostrated himself.


    "Those foolish ones charged to their own deaths and we too have also received harsh punishments. I beg you, oh great king, please give us a chance!"


    Zhang Nu let out a cold humph, "I can temporarily allow you an extension on your lives and give you a chance to atone for your sins. However, if you dare to have any other thoughts, you will be utterly reduced to ash!"


    "Thank you master!"


    "Thank you master!"


    "We will follow master!"


    "We will do anything master says!"


    After recruiting over a hundred goblins, Zhang Nu casually took a look at the statuses of a few of the ordinary goblins.


    [Ordinary goblin]. Level 1 normal. 5 HP, 10 MP, 0.5 Strength, 0.5 Constitution, 1 Agility, 1 Will. Loyalty 60%. Skills: nting lv3, harvesting lv2,... Summary: This is an ordinary goblin. Although they''re very weak, they are good at nting.


    [Goblin mage]. Level 1 elite. 10 HP, 30 MP, 1 Strength, 1 Constitution, 1 Agility, 5 Will. Loyalty 60%. Skills: Lesser Lightning (D rank), Fireball (D rank), nting lv5... Summary: The chief of the goblin vige. An elderly and wise old goblin with decent magical abilities.


    In summary, goblins are a very weak race.


    This race is probably among the weakest beings living in the Chaos Forest.


    Not even the elite level goblin vige chief is a match for a draconian soldier.


    However, all things have their uses.


    It''s not like these weaklings have no value at all.


    First of all, goblins eat very little. Not only can they eat practically anything, they can even survive off of grass and leaves for a long amount of time. Even thebined upkeep cost of something like 20 or 30 goblins is still likely less than that of a single draconian soldier.


    Next, goblins are very fecund and can work as adults by the time they''re just three years old. Plus, they''re also naturally skilled at nting and harvesting. They have an especially great deal of natural talent when ites to nting.


    Zhang Nu''s basic production unit is the draconianborer.


    Draconian Laborers are most skilled at construction. They''re next best at harvesting and hunting, but they have no nting skills. On the other hand, goblins will reach lv3 in the nting skill by the time they''re adults.


    The higher the level of the nting skill, the better the effects on the nts nted.


    Be it herbs or food crops, not only can this greatly decrease the amount of time it takes to grow, it can also increase the quantities of the harvest. That''s no small boon to a territory''s long term development.


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied with his gains here.


    He just so happens to be in need of more poption.


    These hundred or so goblins might be very weak, but their production capabilities are of no small use, thus allowing his faction to improve by a good amount.


    Besides the gold and goblins, Zhang Nu had also gained the treasure chest for conquering this area.


    [You''ve opened the ck Iron Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x300, "Blueprint: Spirit Fields" x1!]


    [Blueprint: Spirit Fields]. Costs earth gem x1, wood x20, gold x600. You can construct a hundred acres of spirit fields within your territory.


    Another blueprint.


    This time, it''s one for Spirit Fields.


    Regarding these Spirit Fields, the full name is Farnd of Spiritual Soil.


    These fields are different from normal farnd. The soil of the Spirit Fields contain great amounts of energy. Not only can anything be nted there, everything nted will also grow at 10 times speed.


    What does 10 times speed really mean?


    For a crop that normally requires a year between harvests, if it''s nted in the Spirit Fields, then it will yield its harvest within just a bit over a month.


    Zhang Nu just so happened to have just gained a group of goblins, who have the nting skill.


    If they''re paired together, it could lower the growth time by half on top of that.


    A year''s round of harvests can bepleted within just a bit over half a month.


    Nice!


    Zhang Nu was extremely satisfied with this!


    He never thought that he''d get such a great unexpected reward here.

 Chapter 14

    The draconianborers had finished harvesting the rest of the normal materials.


    The core material used for the Spirit Fields is an earth gem.


    It just so happens that there was one among the gems gained from the Darkness Ruins.


    Zhang Nu had set the Spirit Fields on a t in within the valley. Then he moved his newly recruited goblins there and had them set up a farm on the Spirit Fields.


    The Darkness Valley is a sealed location. Not only is it hidden, it''s also quite easy to manage, safe, and easy to protect.


    One issue though is the supply of seeds.


    A hundred acres of Spirit Fields isn''t particrly huge, but nor is it small.


    It''s one thing if it was just a normal farm, but Spirit Fields yield crops extremely fast, so it also requires a lot of seeds to keep functioning. That''s something that he can only try to get from other yers.


    Zhang Nu opened up the chat menu and sent a message: "Purchasing bulk amounts of herb and crop seeds. PM me if you are interested."


    There are currently over 900 thousand Demon King yers online right now.


    About 1/10 of the Demon Kings have already been eliminated.


    The vast majority of the eliminated Demon Kings were locked on to and then killed by Heroes after the safe period ended. By now, the decrease in numbers has basically stabilized though.


    After waiting a few minutes, a private message came.


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo: "Boss, did you want some seeds?"


    yer IDs are set as Race + Name.


    The former can be hidden though. Since Zhang Nu didn''t want to catch too much attention, he hid the "Abyssal Dragon" part. Thus, his yer ID is now "**** Zhang Nu".


    However, based on his observation, most yers didn''t hide their races.


    For this Demon King yer named "Flower Fey Chen Guoguo", Flower Fey should be her race, while Chen Guoguo is her name. She''s a Flower Fey Demon King. That seems to be a fairly rare race.


    Zhang Nu: "What kind of seeds do you have?"


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo: "I have over a dozen kinds of seeds. I''ll give you a discount if you buy in bulk, satisfaction guaranteed!"


    She sent over a list.


    Those seeds are of pretty decent quality.


    They''re at least far better than what the Darkness Valley can produce.


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo: "For crops, I strongly rmend the giga potatoes. Every mature potato is about 10 pounds, with each nt producing about 500 pounds. Their average growth cycle is three months per harvest."


    "This kind of food has great texture when eating as well. Long term consumption will even increase the Strength of your subordinates, making them more able to build up your territory and defend against Hero attacks. They''re very good as a staple food for a territory you know!"


    Zhang Nu: "Price?"


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo: "For singr sales, 1 gold will get you 3 seeds. If you buy over 100 seeds at a time, I can give you a 20% discount."


    Every giga potato nt can yield 500 pounds of food, and three will total to 1,500 pounds. In the current market, every hundred pounds of food can sell for 10 gold. In other words then, it will sell for 150 gold.


    Theoretically speaking, doesn''t this sum up to a 150 times profit margin?


    This kind of seed price is super generous from that point of view then.


    Of course, this is also due to the growth time for the seeds.


    At this point, very few yers have Spirit Fields.


    Even if they do have Spirit Fields, they''re not likely to have that much of abor force to exploit them.


    For the Demon Kings who arecking in food right this instant, three months of growth time is way too long, so it''s natural that it can''t sell for that much.


    Right now, Zhang Nu still has about 700-800 gold left.


    Zhang Nu: "5 seeds per gold. I''ll buy 2000 seeds right now!"


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo went silent.


    She didn''t send any messages back for quite some time.


    Zhang Nu even started to suspect that he went too far in his attempt to bargain her down and ended up scaring her off.


    Ten secondster.


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo: "Boss, are you serious?"


    Zhang Nu: "I''m not so bored to joke around about this kind of thing. Well? Do you have them?"


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo: "I do. I got plenty of seeds. In that case then, I''ll sell it to you at a VIP price. That''ll be 400 gold in total!"


    Zhang Nu: "Let''s trade then."


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo: "Kay!"


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo: "Boss, if you need to buy any more, please call on me anytime. I''m most confident in my abilities when ites to seed quality and quantity, so I''ll continue to give you the VIP discount!"


    Zhang Nu didn''t waste any more words.


    He directly paid 400 gold and bought 2000 seeds.


    Giga potatoes aren''t all that different from normal potatoes.


    The edible part of them is the root portion under the soil.


    However, giga potatoes are especially nutritious. They can even rece meat in one''s diet, so they were more than capable of keeping the Demon King''s subordinates full, thus keeping up their energy and fighting power.


    Zhang Nu had the goblins nt them all.


    One can nt 200 giga potatoes on a single acre of Spirit Field.


    2000 seeds will thus fill up 10 acres.


    After nting the seeds, the goblins began taking care of them using their nting skill and the seeds quickly sprouted and grew up at a speed visible to the naked eye.


    The goblins were shocked at such fast growth.


    To them, this was practically a divine miracle.


    Zhang Nu quickly noticed that the goblins'' loyalty value started continuously increasing.


    At the same time.


    In a certain faraway valley, the ce was an enchantingly beautiful scene of natural splendor.


    "Ha! I''m rich! I earned 400 gold in just one go!"


    A cute girl flew up from within the forest, happily doing somersaults in midair.


    She wasn''t human. She wore green clothes. Her hair was instead a mass of vines. She wore a crown of flowers and she had a pair of fairy-like violet butterfly wings.


    She was a flower fey.


    More urately speaking though, she''s a Flower Fey Demon King.


    Chen Guoguo started counting on her fingers, "400 hundred gold lets me summon several dozen lesser flower fairies. I''ll be able to cultivate a lot more seeds to sell with them!"


    "Zhang Nu? What kind of demon king is he? He actually bought so many seeds without even blinking, so he must be very strong, right? I''ll have to make sure to maintain a good rtionship with him. He''s a very important customer after all!"


    "Heroes have been subjugating Demon King all around recents, so I can''t just summon lesser flower fairies. I should also summon up a few flower fey warriors to protect my territory."


    "..."

 Chapter 15

    Several dayster.


    The territory was thriving.


    He continued to expand his territory the whole time.


    At this point, he has 300 draconianborers, 30 draconian soldiers, 100 skeleton soldiers, 107 goblins, and over 500 gold saved up.


    Warehouses, stone walls, stone houses, farms, etc.


    All the buildings were constantly being put up.


    These buildings all give various bonuses. While making the territory look more developed, they also improve the various functions within his territory.


    At this moment, another piece of good news arrived.


    The goblin farms are about to yield their first harvest.


    Zhang Nu made some quick calctions. It''s been less than five days since the giga potatoes were nted, but they''re all already fully grown.


    This speed really is unbelievable!


    Giga potatoes normally take at least three months to grow!


    This is definitely an enormously good piece of news for Zhang Nu!


    After the past few days of constant development and growth, Zhang Nu had already realized that his gains have been slowing down as his poption increases.


    Back when Zhang Nu only had a hundred draconians under him, the draconians could keep up with the food costs via hunting and foraging. Whatever left could be sold for additional ie.


    However, after the draconian poption broke 300, the situation has changed.


    Those powerful but extremely hungry fellows require a lot of food every day. Thus, the draconians have recently been forced to limit their activities, which directly tranted to a decrease in their hunting effectiveness. This means that the formerly plentiful food supplies have started seeing shortages.


    It isn''t a hard thing to see.


    The main factor limiting the sizes of one''s territory and army is the food supply.


    That the farms have yielded a major harvest is unquestionably a great piece of news that came at just the right moment for Zhang Nu. This allowed him to breathe a major sigh of relief.


    Zhang Nu personally headed to the farms.


    The goblins were currently digging up the potatoes.


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo wasn''t making idle boasts about the giga potatoes. Each potato is indeed about 10 pounds, and each potato nt weighs over 500 pounds.


    The 2000 giga potato nts basically all grew to maturity, so this particr harvest got him a massive harvest weighing at about a million pounds of food!


    Nice!


    This really is a huge harvest!


    Zhang Nu also personally tasted a roasted potato.


    Giga potatoes are saltier and more delicious than normal potatoes. Plus, they''re much more nutritious, also having the effect of quickly recovering the consumer''s stamina and energy.


    "Very good!"


    "With such crops!"


    "With such a patch of Spirit Fields!"


    "There''s no need to worry about food shortages in the short term!"


    A goblin will need to take several days just to finish eating a single potato. A draconian eats much more, but they''ll bepletely full with two or three potatoes a day.


    In other words, the massive food surplus can all be sold off for money or other materials.


    This will greatly boost the development speed of the territory!


    Zhang Nu immediately gave the orders, "Construct more warehouses near the farms. Have the goblins prepare to nt the next round of crops."


    A draconian soldier came up to report, "We did a new count of the goblins and we discovered that two goblins have disappeared!"


    "What? They ran away?"


    "Please punish us as you see fit!"


    Zhang Nu frowned. This is a bit strange.


    In this period of time, the goblins'' loyalty values have generally been increasing.


    Why did they run away? There really are a lot of variances still here!


    Goblins are skilled at nting, making them excellent farmers. Right now, he''s actually short on farmers, but he didn''t imagine that there would be escapes.


    However, this is unavoidable.


    Subordinates recruited by force are just this way.


    Zhang Nu decided that he needed to increase his armed forces.


    Besides the 100 mindless skeleton soldiers, he only has 30 draconian soldiers. That does make it quite difficult to monitor and protect the entire valley.


    He scanned through the statuses of the rest of the goblins.


    Due to the huge harvest today, these goblins were in high morale.


    Their loyalty value also grew by quite a bit. They''ve all reached around 80% or so, so the chances of runaways is quite unlikely. Those two should just be exceptions.


    Zhang Nu spoke, "No matter. Just two doesn''t have much of an effect. Increase the guards over the canyon. Do not allow this kind of thing to happen a second time!"


    The draconian soldier hurriedly responded, "Yes!"


    Zhang Nu didn''t think much more of this minor loss. He was in a great mood as he watched the enormous pile of potatoes constantly being dug up, and so he opened up the chat menu.


    "Selling mass amounts of food. Suitable for subordinates to eat. 10 gold per batch!"


    By now, the Demon Kings generally won''tck food for themselves anymore. However, they do need to keep their subordinates fed and so they''ll require food supplies to maintain their troops.


    Giga potatoes are unquestionably an ideal choice.


    Zhang Nu also wasn''t stupid enough to directly drop hundreds of thousand of pounds right into the market.


    He divided them up into a hundred pounds per batch. Each batch was set to cost 10 gold and he ced 500 batches into the market. This number isn''t actually all thatrge for him, but it did end up causing a majormotion among the other Demon Kings.


    "Holy shit!"


    "Everyone look, quickly!"


    "Someone''s selling 50k pounds of food!"


    "What''s up with this bigshot. This move is scarily huge!"


    "So much food. How many minions can this all support, but he just brought it out to sell in one go... It''s just that the price is way too expensive!"


    Although there were a lot of peopleining about the price, right now, there is nock of Demon Kings who are currently short on food.


    [Trade sessful, you gained 10 gold!]


    [Trade sessful, you gained 10 gold!]


    [Trade sessful, you gained 10 gold!]


    [...]


    Messages like this filled Zhang Nu''s yer menu. 50k pounds of food were rapidly consumed at a terrifying rate.


    Based on the current look of things, he''ll sell out within maybe a dozen minutes or so.


    This is an enormous sale valued at around 5000 gold here!


    Even when taking into ount the transaction fees, he''ll still end up getting at least 4700 to 4800 gold. This was only a small portion of the food that Zhang Nu currently has, too.


    With a single batch of Spirit Fields.


    A group of goblin farmers.


    And then a few hundred gold to purchase the seeds.


    The final profit was terrifyingly huge. This is unquestionably an extremely profitable business, easily allowing him to fill up his wallet to the brim!

 Chapter 16

    As this batch of food was getting close to being sold out, Zhang Nu received a rather special private message.


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "My friend, do you have any more food?"


    Zhang Nu had received hundreds of messages within the past ten minutes or so.


    However, they were either all trying to bargain him down or just trying to tter him. They were all of no real value.


    This yer''s title wasn''t so simple though.


    Subus are fairly high ranking demons in and of themselves!


    However, a subus queen is a rare once-in-a-century mutation.


    The Demon King bloodline that this yer has is likely an extremely rare high ranking type. This gives her a powerful early game advantage.


    Zhang Nu simply replied with a single word: "Yes."


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "I''ll take them all."


    Zhang Nu couldn''t help but startughing at that.


    That guy''s really got quite the mouth there.


    Isn''t thatplete bullshit? That''s several hundreds of thousands of gold at least there!


    No matter how amazing this person is, or how lucky she is, there''s no way that Zhang Nu would believe that she possibly has so much money at this point.


    Subus Queen Han Kexin didn''t waste any more words. She directly sent over the information on a certain item: "This blueprint is worth at least 500k pounds of food!"


    [Blueprint: Demon King Castle]. Costs darkness gem x1, iron x100, wood x300, stone x500, gold x1800. You can construct a Demon King Castle within your territory.


    Zhang Nu stopped for a moment when he saw that blueprint.


    This is a highly valuable blueprint.


    Demon King Castle should be a territory''s most core building.


    One could judge just the worth of this item just from the sheer expenses of its construction costs.


    This building is likely to have an enormous effect upon the territory as well.


    Zhang Nu can only build stone houses right now, but such things are way toocking in prestige for a great Demon King. Thus, the castle blueprint is extremely attractive to him.


    This blueprint is very valuable.


    In the future, its value will continue to increase.


    It''s not that bad a deal to trade 500k pounds of food for it.


    Zhang Nu thought it over before replying: "Right now, everyone''scking in food. 500k pounds is too much. I can only give you 200k pounds. That should be enough to supply a good army for you."


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "This blueprince is definitely worth that value! 500k food. I won''t ept anything less!"


    Zhang Nu continued to bargain: "300k in one purchase. You know full well that there''s no one else besides me who is capable of putting up so much food in one go right now."


    Subus Queen Han Kexin seemed to have wavered: "At least 400k!"


    Zhang Nu continued his bargaining: "I only have 350k left. If that''s eptable, then I can trade immediately. If not, then never mind it."


    After several minutes of hesitation.


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "Fine. If not for the fact that I''m so short on food right now, I wouldn''t have sold this blueprint no matter what."


    The two sides quickly made the trade.


    Zhang Nu handed over 3,500 batches of giga potatoes.


    Subus Queen Han Kexin offered up the Demon King Castle blueprint in trade.


    This trade can be said to have given both sides what they needed. Subus Queen Han Kexing gained an enormous amount of food supplies, which is more than enough to allow her to not worry about her food upkeep for the short term.


    As for Zhang Nu though?


    Both sides might have gained, but he''ll never be the loser in a deal.


    After all, for Zhang Nu, giga potato cultivation is extremely cheap.


    There are very few Demon Kings with both Spirit Fields and enoughbor to take advantage of them. If he doesn''t furiously sell off food in exchange for lots of resources now, then when?


    Zhang Nu was quite satisfied.


    Then, he dropped another 500 batches of giga potatoes on the market.


    [Trade Sessful, you gained 10 gold!]


    [Trade Sessful, you gained 10 gold!]


    [Trade Sessful, you gained 10 gold!]


    [...]


    Sessful trade messages once again filled the screen.


    Zhang Nu decided that, for the next few days, he''ll put up at most 2000 batches of potatoes for sale each day.


    This is to make sure that he can continue to sell, as well as to keep the price stable.


    At the same time, Zhang Nu also sent out purchasing requests. He''s going to be constructing the Demon King Castle. The other materials might be easy, but he won''t be able to find a darkness gem so easily.


    Thus, he can only purchase one at a high price.


    It has to be said though, the Demon King trading menu is just way too convenient.


    Without it, it would be extremely difficult to develop one''s territory quickly with just the resources present where they descended.


    At the same time, in a certain undergroundva cavern, stood a tall Demon King Altar in the center of countlessva pools.


    A mature super beauty with long legs was currently sitting in an extremely elegant manner up on that altar. Below her were hundreds of strange looking demon lifeforms.


    When Han Kexin saw that giga potatoes appeared on the market again, she was extremely angry. Irritation shed across her eyes as she spoke, "Hmph! And you said that you sold it all to me. As I thought, men are all liars!"


    Although she ended up losing out on that particr deal, this was just how business is, so it''s not like she could seriouslyin about it.


    Han Kexin memorized Zhang Nu''s name. There''s no way this Demon King yer is someone simple. In the future, he might be her opponent, but he could also be someone she can cooperate with in the long term.


    The newest batch of giga potatoes sold out within 20 minutes.


    Zhang Nu decided to give it a break and put up the next batch a few hourster.


    At that moment, another private message that caught his attention arrived.


    Bloody Giant Wang Shi: "Hey there bro. I got a darkness gem. I''ll sell it to you for 2000 gold!"


    This guy probably knew that Zhang Nu was rich.


    He just started off with an enormous opening offer. He''s seriously taking Zhang Nu as someone with endless money!


    Zhang Nu: "500 gold. No more. Otherwise, you can keep it!"

 Chapter 17

    Bloody Giant Wang Shi: "Bro, don''t say such things. Darkness gems are rare gems. They''re way rarer than the normal four elemental ones."


    "How about this then. 1500. Call it the price to make a friend!"


    Zhang Nu: "800!"


    Bloody Giant Wang Shi: "1200. I can''t go any lower. I nearly lost my life when I went after this gem."


    Zhang Nu ignored him.


    He decided to leave the other side out to hang for a bit.


    As expected, Bloody Giant Wang Shi wasn''t able to keep his cool for long.


    After a few minutes, he ended up giving in.


    "1000 gold then, alright!"


    "800!"


    Bloody Giant Wang Shi, after seeing Zhang Nu being so unmoved, could only agree: "Alright, fine. Deal. Call it the price of making a friend. Please take care of me in the future, bro!"


    Wang Shi wasn''t wrong actually.


    Darkness gems are indeed very rare.


    However, there''s not much use for such gems in the current period, while gold is a resource with tons of uses. Thus, Zhang Nu was certain that the other party would agree to the deal.


    He didn''t lose out in this deal at all.


    Even if Zhang Nu were to keep the gem without using it, its price is sure to rise many times over in the future if he were to save it to sellter.


    However, there''s no need for that.


    Zhang Nu spent a bit more money and bought 100 iron, at the price of 2 gold per iron. As for wood and stone, those he has plenty in his territory.


    After gathering everything up, he constructed the building.


    The Demon King Castle is different from other buildings in that its location is fixed.


    As the core building of the territory, it can only be built on top of the Demon King Altar.


    After some shaking, an enormous pitch ck castle rose from the ground.


    The castle is built in the gothic style, giving off an obsidian like feel to it. It''s not particrlyrge, but it''s still more than enough to hold several thousands within it.


    [Demon King Castle]. All production within territory +25%. Within a 1000 meter radius, all units of the territory gains +30% to all stats. While the Demon King is within the Castle, recovery speed +100%, all stats +50%.


    As expected of a core building.


    This effect is indeed extremely powerful.


    Just the 25% increase to all production is something that yields an enormous amount of value.


    After the Demon King Castle was created, all units, be it skeleton soldiers, goblins, or draconians, felt a burst of energy within them. Their movement speed, stamina, and energy were all buffed.


    The Demon King Castle affects everything within a thousand meters.


    Thus, It could cover the vast majority of the Darkness Valley.


    This is basically equivalent to a permanent buff to nearly the entire territory.


    Not only does it increase the productivity of the entire territory, it also strengthens the territory and the army. The boosts it gives are very noticeable indeed.


    The Demon King himself is also much stronger while he''s inside the Castle.


    Thus, it''s easy to imagine just how difficult a time Heroes will have trying to challenge a Demon King within the Castle.


    Plus, the Demon King Castle is a powerful fortification in and of itself.


    The entire castle is designed with threeyers. There exists only a single path in and out for eachyer too, so it''s very easy to set up guards and defenses for. Finally, the Altar is set in the innermost location.


    In this situation, it''s definitely not easy for any Hero to sneak in to try to destroy the Altar.


    It can be said that, with this castle, life will be morefortable and the territory has be safer.


    Zhang Nu can be more rxed when going out as well.


    Although the costs for building the Castle wasn''t cheap, it''s very much a small cost inparison to the full improvements it brings to the territory, making it very much worth it!


    Besides that, food is only a raremodity for the time being.


    In the future, something like trading this much food for the Castle Blueprint is basically aplete fantasy!


    Zhang Nu checked the trade menu again.


    The second round of giga potatoes have all been sold out by now as well.


    Zhang Nu didn''t hurry to resupply the market. Commodities sell for more if they''re rare after all. If he just continuously added more to the market, it might instead end up causing the other Demon Kings to hold back from buying so eagerly, thus increasing the transactional fees.


    Besides, Zhang Nu didn''t really have that many potatoes left either.


    His territory''s upkeep costs aren''t exactly small as well.


    Plus, Zhang Nu had no way to directly rent the giga potatoes for new harvests either.


    Thus, he has no choice but to find a way to buy more seeds on his own.


    He contacted the relevant person.


    Zhang Nu: "Are you there?"


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo: "Yes! Here boss!"


    Zhang Nu: "I want 10,000 giga potato seeds!"


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo: "..."


    Zhang Nu: "Do you not have them?"


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo: "I do, I do. However, that''s a bit too much, so I''ll need some time to prepare them!"


    Zhang Nu: "How long?"


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo: "I''ll hand over 3,000 seeds right now. I''ll send you the rest within three days."


    Chang Nu: "Fine!"


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo: "Do you have any other seeds that you''re interested in? I have some pretty good herb seeds here!"


    Zhang Nu thought it over a bit.


    Although this flower fey seems to have the ability to quickly grow more seeds, her ability also obviously has its limits. He also happens to have part of the Spirit Field still lying fallow, so he might as well also nt some other stuff as well.


    Chang Nu took a look at the catalog and selected two types of herb seeds from it.


    The first is the life herb, with a normal growth time of a year and a half. This kind of herb can quickly heal wounds, and its HP recovery effect is very strong.


    The second is the moonlight ginseng, with a normal growth time of two years. This kind of herb can quickly recover MP and stamina, so it''s an absolute necessity forbat and production.


    After a bit of haggling, Zhang Nu bought a thousand life herb seeds at 2 seeds per gold. Then he bought 500 moonlight ginseng at 1 per gold.


    The more food and medicine, the better.


    Zhang Nu basically monopolized Flower Fey Chen Guoguo''s entire production.


    She could earn several thousand gold from Zhang Nu just via the sale of seeds.


    This unquestionably made her one of the richest Demon Kings during the current period.


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo was surprised and overjoyed.


    She had decided to firmlytch on to this superpower. Then, in order to satisfy this bigshot''s requests, she immediately summoned up more lesser flower fairies to cultivate more seeds and put forth all her efforts toward bing the other party''s merchant of choice.


    Now that the seeds are taken care of, a new problem has arisen.


    There''s not enough farmbor.


    Zhang Nu only has 100 or so goblins. Given the Spirit Fields'' high yield speed, they''re only capable of nting around 10 to 20 fields. They just don''t have enough numbers to support more.


    At that moment, a draconian soldier ran over to report.


    "My lord. The two runaway goblins have returned."


    Zhang Nu couldn''t understand what''s going on, "They escaped, but now they''re back? What''s going on here?"


    T/N: Ah, nation building. It''s one of the things I actually quite like in my novels. Better if the progression is natural and does not rely on asspulls, which is something that this novel does pretty well actually.

 Chapter 18

    Those two goblins snuck away on their own a few days ago.


    Zhang Nu didn''t really think much of it then.


    Two goblins didn''t really matter all that much on therger scale of things.


    However, he never imagined that they''de back on their own. And not only did theye back on their own, they also brought a huge group of their goblin brethren with them.


    By the time Zhang Nu showed up before them, those goblins all fell to the ground, prostrating themselves while crying and begging to be taken in.


    [Notice: 212 goblins havee to join you. Will you ept?]


    Zhang Nu was rather stunned.


    He couldn''t possibly have imagined that something like this would happen.


    It seems that those two missing goblins didn''t actually run away.


    Instead, they snuck off to the forest to recruit the goblins drifting nearby toe join the Demon King. Really, what a thing.


    No wonder Zhang Nu couldn''t imagine this.


    After all, he did kill about ? of all the goblins in their vige!


    Then he forcefully relocated those goblins here as basically ntation ves.


    Think about it for a moment.


    What kind of person do those actions make him?


    That''s obviously the actions of a tyrant, a Demon King.


    But not only did those goblins not hold a grudge, they even ended up trying to recruit more of their brethrens for him.


    Truth be told though, Zhang Nu was simply limited by his ownmon sense.


    Different races have different values.


    Goblins are one of the weakest races there is.


    It''s normal for them to be on the bottom of the food chain. Being ughtered or enved by other races is the norm for them. They only survive thanks to their high breeding rates and adaptability.


    Following a terrifying powerhouse is equivalent to gaining said powerhouse''s protection.


    That''s something that most goblins could only dream of. It means that they won''t need to be bullied around by other tribes.


    Besides that, Zhang Nu''s farms are utterly miraculous.


    For goblins, life in the Darkness Valley is not only safe, they also don''t need to worry about hunger. That''s basically paradise for them.


    "Please ept us, master!"


    "We''ll swear loyalty!"


    "We''ll offer up our very souls to master!"


    Over two hundred goblins prostrated on the ground while begging furiously.


    Each and every one cried and wailed like they''dmit suicide on the spot if they were refused.


    For goblins, joining a Demon King, even if it''s as lowly farm ves, is still an enormous bout of fortune.


    Zhang Nu shifted his gaze upon the two goblins at the head and asked, "Where''d you find these guys of unknown origins from?"


    "Master, they''re goblins from a nearby vige."


    "That vige was destroyed by the minotaurs of the Bloodhoof Tribe a bit ago, so they''ve been wandering about in the nearby forests."


    So that''s how it is.


    Zhang Nu calmly stated, "The farms are indeed in need ofborers right now, so I am willing to ept you. However, this kind of thing is not to happen again without my permission, got it?"


    "Yes, yes!"


    "Thank you master!"


    "We''ll farm with all we have!"


    "..."


    The goblins were grateful and overjoyed to have been taken in by a Demon King.


    Now that Zhang Nu has recruited over 200 more goblins, he now has over 300 goblins in total. Gaining this additional source ofbor is obviously a great boon for him.


    The farms'' productivity will definitely rise a great deal from this.


    That said, he does still need to give out a warning, so as to keep them from doing something like this for the time being.


    It''s not that Zhang Nu didn''t want to recruit more wandering gobins or other natives that might want to join him, but there''s a certain risk associated with that.


    Who knows if the natives who try to join are actually loyal?


    Who knows whether or not a Hero might try to infiltrate by hiding among those groups?


    The territory isn''tplete yet, and everything is still steadily developing.


    He doesn''t want to see some uncontroble circumstance interrupt the current rate of development.


    Zhang Nu used his cheat to do a quick check.


    After confirming that there weren''t any Heroes mixed in, he had the draconian soldiers bring them to the farms.


    After returning to the castle.


    With several thousand gold in hand, Zhang Nu decided to use it on summoning.


    Right now, he has 300 or so draconianborers. That''s enough for construction, stone quarrying, and wood cutting, so there''s no need for more for the time being. However, his fighting force is obviouslycking.


    Right now, other than the skeleton soldiers, he only has 30 draconian soldiers.


    The Castle, canyon, farms, and various patrols all need to be protected.


    Zhang Nu decided. Within the next two or three days, he''s going to increase his number of soldiers to over 100.


    Draconian soldiers are elite levelbatants. In the current period, that''s more than enough to protect the castle and his territory. It''s even reached the basic requirements for expanding outwards.


    Besides that, right now, he does have a resource shortage.


    The Darkness Valley is closed off and safe.


    Plus, it''s quite rich in wood, stone, animal, and water resources.


    However,mon ores like iron and copper are also very important.


    Not only are they construction materials, they can also be used to forge or strengthen equipment. As the territory continues to develop, his need for them will obviously also increase by the day.


    And rather than spending money to buy it all, it''s better to take control of a mine instead.


    Building a mine would indeed stabilize his supply.


    The Chaos Forest is vast and resource rich, so finding a decent mineral vein shouldn''t be too difficult.


    Zhang Nu decided to try asking the old goblin chief for information.


    The goblin chief answered, "Oh great master, there is an extremelyrge and rich mine nearby. It''s just that it has been unusable for quite some time."


    Zhang Nu asked, "Why?"


    The goblin chief replied, "Supposedly, way back then, they dug too deeply and excavated an ancient demon, which ended up causing a terrible disaster."


    T/N: And thus we have our first real dungeon (I don''t really count the ruins. Too small and weak). After all, what fantasy novel would beplete without a dungeon crawl?

 Chapter 19

    The mine that the old goblin spoke of was quite close.


    It''s even closer than the goblin vige actually.


    Zhang Nu headed off in the direction indicated, exploring all the while.


    [Normal cave]. Low exploration value.


    [Normal ruins]. Low exploration value.


    [Normal stream]. Low exploration value.


    [Wild Wolf Woods]. Level 1 normal area. Rtively low exploration value.


    [...]


    [Mine of Sorrows]. Level 1 Lord area. This is an ancient mine, filled with rich deposits of iron. It was once extremely bustling, but due to a mysterious disaster, it has be a ce of death that no one dares to set foot in. Possible rewards: Bronze Treasure Chest. Undeath gems. Various ores, etc.


    That''s the ce!


    A Lord level area?


    That is the highest leveled area that he has encountered thus far.


    By conquering this ce, there''s a chance of receiving a Bronze Treasure Chest. That''s far higher level than the two previous chests that he''s received, so the rewards from it should ordingly be far better as well.


    Zhang Nu wasn''t so reckless as to just charge in right away though.


    30 draconianborers and 10 draconian soldiers arrived after about half an hour.


    This is a pretty well hidden area too.


    The worn down entrance to the mine were all hidden by the overgrown foliage.


    Zhang Nu even found mine tracks. Since whoever made this mine also had the knowledge to build up a system for hauling materials via rails and carts, that means that the natives of this world do have a certain level of technology and knowledge.


    After having his subordinates prepare some tools and torches, Zhang Nu led the 40 draconians into the mines to start exploring.


    The Mine of Sorrows is very big, but over the years of neglect, there were a lot of areas that had copsed. This is also why he brought so many of his subordinates.


    Zhang Nu gave out his orders while facing the main path down, "Move those rocks."


    "Yes, my master!"


    The draconians started moving. They''re quite strong, capable of lifting huge boulders weighing hundreds of pounds with just one arm. With 30 or so draconians working together, they quickly cleared out the path.


    At this moment, a number of piercing wails came from in front of them.


    The draconian soldiers shouted an rm, "Enemies!"


    About a dozen or so shambling figures staggered forth.


    Although their footsteps were unsteady, they''re not actually all that slow.


    [Rotten Zombie]. Level 1 Normal. They were once the half-orc ves working in the mines. After dying, they became terrifying zombies. They''re covered in highly poisonous rot and boast high defenses... Skills: Poison w (F rank), Harden Skin (F rank).


    They''re just Normal monsters.


    The draconian soldiers immediatelyunched themselves at the enemies.


    These zombies have tough bodies, but they couldn''t defend against the spears of the draconians. Plus, they move and react slowly and stiffly, so the battle ended quite quickly.


    [You''ve in a rotten zombie. Gold +6!]


    [You''ve in a rotten zombie. Gold +6!]


    [You''ve in a rotten zombie. Gold +6!]


    [...]


    "Enemypletely purged!"


    Zhang Nu nodded, "Continue forward!"


    The mine''s paths areplex, with copsed corredors and zombies everywhere.


    Zhang Nu led his party, clearing the paths of obstructions all the while. All together, they''ve dealt with over 50 or so zombies and have earned around 300 gold alone from that.


    A sudden attack screamed through the air.


    A draconian soldier was unable to react in time, and was struck.


    -10!


    That attack did quite a bit of damage, instantly sending the strong draconian soldier to the ground, greatly shocking the other draconians.


    There are zombies capable of threatening draconian soldiers?


    Zhang Nu looked over toward the direction where that attack came from, slightly surprised.


    It was a zombie not like the others. It''s far stronger looking and held a pitch ck iron chain in its hands. It was that same chain that struck the draconian soldier previously.


    [Chain Zombie]. Level 1 Elite. It used to be a half-orc supervisor in the mine, vicious, cruel, and powerful. After it died, it became even stronger. Specializes in mid ranged attacks... Skills: Corpse Venom Chain (E rank), Hook Prey (F rank), Harden Skin (F rank).


    An Elite monster?


    No wonder!


    The chain zombie threw its chain out again.


    It''s trying to hook the injured draconian so as to drag it into the darkness.


    Four draconiansunched forward, grabbing the chain at the same time and pulling. This instead pulled the chain zombie to them, and two draconians moved up to stab into it with their spears.


    -7!


    -8!


    ...


    With a couple of strikes, the zombie went down.


    [You''ve in a chain zombie. Gold +50!]


    Zhang Nu used his healing skill on the injured draconian. This D rank skill came from the Hero Chen Hu. Although it can''t really be said to be all that strong, it is more than good enough to heal normal injuries and allow his soldier to recover their fighting capabilities.


    Then he picked up the chain zombie''s chain.


    [Chain zombie''s cold iron chain]. Normal equipment. Forged of cold iron and, after being wielded by a zombie for a long time, it had gained the corpse poison effect.


    It''s basically equipment.


    The material it''s made of is pretty good too.


    Even if he has no use for it, he could still melt it down again for the materials.


    Zhang Nu didn''t pay much more attention to such small gains. He just directed his party to continue forward. On the way, they continued to clear out hundreds of rotten zombies and three chain zombies.


    As they continuously went deeper into the mine, Zhang Nu felt a strange shift in the atmosphere.


    Even though they''re deep underground, they still constantly feel a chilling wind around them. It even carries with the faint sound of sorrowful wails.


    That sound is absolutely hair-raising, enough to make the timid too scared to sleep.


    Zhang Nu discovered that his subordinates are even more obviously affected. Their statuses were obviously dropping, almost as if they''ve been subjected to a debuff.


    What''s going on?


    Just what''s at the bottom of this mine?


    How did it turn this ce like this!


    T/N: Did you know? The Chinese word used for orcs, ÊÞÈË, is actually literally also trantable as "beast-person". Thus, anyone interested in tranting Chinese western fantasy novels should make sure to read ahead so as to figure out if the ÊÞÈË in a novel is supposed to be green with tusks or have fluffy ears and tails. Btw, I did in fact read ahead and confirm that the ÊÞÈË in this novel are, in fact, green with tusks. Thus, orcs.


    (P.S. - Thank you Chinese sites for WoW for offering guidelines to me on what the Chinese terms used for fantasy creatures like orcs, trolls, and ogres are.)

 Chapter 20

    Those cries bring along mental corruption with them.


    The draconianborers were already near the end of their ropes.


    Thus, Zhang Nu simply left the 30borers behind to clear the mines while he continued to head in deeper with the 10 soldiers.


    [You''ve in a rotten zombie. Gold +6]


    [You''ve in a rotten zombie. Gold +6]


    [You''ve in a chain zombie. Gold +50]


    [You''ve in an armored zombie. Gold +50]


    [...]


    As they continued to progress deeper, the piercing screams became more and more clear.


    And with that, the zombies they encountered were more and more aggressive and vicious.


    At that moment, a hysterical roar filled the air.


    The ten draconian soldiers all froze, having been sent into the dazed status.


    "A mental attack?" Zhang Nu''s stats were very high, so he wasn''t dazed. Even so, he still took a few points of damage from that mental attack.


    After he locked onto the source of that attack, Zhang Nu felt like throwing up.


    It was a huge monster that he has never heard of before. It was way too strange looking, kind of like an amalgamation of ten corpses pieced together.


    [Fused Corpse], Level 1 Elite. Due to the effect of evil energies, multiple powerful elite zombies had merged together, now bearing even more terrifying and warped abilities... Skills: Death Roar (E rank), Poison Spray (E rank), Charge (F rank).


    Some elite level monsters are stronger than others.


    The fusion corpse and chain zombie are both level 1 elite monsters, but their powers aren''t even in the same weight ss. After all, this is a monster made of several elite zombies merged together, so its strength is close to reaching the lord level.


    Taking advantage of the draconian soldiers being dazed, the corpse charged forward and attempted to attack.


    However, Zhang Nu pushed off the ground with both feet and sted forth like a meteor, mming into the corpse and sting it into a wall. Then, he lifted a leg and stomped down.


    Boom!


    The entire mine shook for a moment.


    The wall behind the fusion corpse copsed.


    Under Zhang Nu''s overwhelming strength, the corpse was embedded into the walls with at least 30 or so broken bones. However, it didn''t die even so, and it continued struggling in an attempt to fight back.


    "You dare!"


    Zhang Nu grabbed the corpse''s head and sted out zing dragon mes from his palm.


    The fusion corpse waspletely reduced to charcoal, having the deadly dragon fire poured into its body, greatly damaging its insides.


    [You''ve in a fusion corpse. Gold +100!]


    The draconian soldiers recovered from their status affliction. The dazed status caused by the corpse''s roar only has a couple of seconds of effect against the elite level soldiers.


    They had hurried on over, but by the time they arrived, the corpse was already beyond dead.


    Not only was its head turned into charcoal, its body was alsopletely cooked through, smoking everywhere and giving off a disgusting scent of roasted meat.


    The draconians were amazed.


    Their master''s power is as terrifying as always.


    "You guys stay here and clear the nearby zombies."


    "Yes sir!"


    Zhang Nu could feel it.


    The deepest area is not far from here.


    There is an extremely powerful presence there.


    Something like that is rather dangerous for the draconian soldiers. Since there might be casualties if they get involved, it''s better to just leave them here.


    Just what manner of creature made the mine like this?


    And to have created warped monsters like the fusion corpse just now.


    Zhang Nu stayed alert as he headed down on his own. Screams echoed in the air with such force that it''s like it was right beside him.


    [You''ve been affected by the Undeath Curse. Healing effect -50%!]


    [You''ve been affected by a weakening curse. MP -1 per 10 seconds!]


    Zhang Nu was hit by the effects of debuffs. He could clearly feel his MP and stamina quickly dropping.


    It was quite powerful!


    Thankfully though, Zhang Nu hadn''t used much energy the entire time, so he''s still currently in perfect condition.


    Thus, this won''t have much of an effect on him in the short term.


    Of course, he can''t stay long in this kind of environment. This is the kind of ce that gets more problematic the longer time goes on.


    Zhang Nu pped his wings and sted through the mine tunnels quickly before finallynding in a spacious room.


    It looked like an old shrine or something. The ground was filled with bones. There were countless blue, ghostly mes, and a huge tree is faintly visible under the light of those mes.


    That monstrous tree is nearly a hundred meters tall!


    This is inside of a mountain here, so how did such a huge tree grow here?


    Zhang Nu could clearly detect that the source of the sorrowful screams in the mine is right here.


    The tree''s bark is filled with warped human faces, making anyone who sees it break out into hives.


    [Millennium Grudge Tree]. Level 1 Lord. An evil tree formed of thousands upon thousands of souls bearing grudges. It has terrifyingly powerful mental might, easily allowing it to strike out in a massive area. This is a kind of extremely rare and dangerous monster... Skills: Territory of Sorrows (D rank), Grudge Ghost Summoning (D rank), Will-o-wisp (D rank), Death Root (D rank), Devour Soul (D rank), etc.


    Special notice: The Grudge Tree has a deep well of power. It''s able to quickly recover so long as its energy hasn''t been exhausted. The heart hidden within its roots is its only weakness.


    Lord level monster?!


    No wonder it''s so terrifying!


    A monster like that is not something that someone can normally take on alone!


    To win against a level 1 Lord, it requires at least something like three to five level 2 elites or an entire army of level 1s.


    However, Zhang Nu was not afraid.


    Rather, he instead felt a sense of excitement.


    He knew that the stronger the monster, the richer the rewards!


    Is a lord level monster strong? That depends on who it''s facing. Strength is always a rtive, not absolute, concept.


    T/N: First boss fight!

 Chapter 21

    The Millennium Grudge Tree is a mindless kind of monster.


    It started attacking the moment it detected an intruder, especially given that it could feel that said intruder is a major threat.


    The giant tree''s branches started shaking and those branches were filled with ck fruits the size of a person''s head. Then, those fruits all started cracking open.


    "The heck!"


    Zhang Nu was shocked to discover that every single one of those fruits opened up to release a ck ghost from within them.


    [Grudge Ghost]. Level 1 Normal. This isn''t a normal ghost filled with grudges, but something that came from the Grudge Tree and is thus under the Grudge Tree''s control. Be careful of its mental attack and self-destruct... Skills: Wail (F rank), self-destruct (F rank).


    Those grudge ghosts aren''t actually all that strong.


    The issue though is that there''s way too many of them. In just a few short seconds, hundreds have already been released like they''re a swarm of bees from a disturbed beehive.


    Based on the appraisal information, grudge ghosts have two ways of attacking.


    The first is a mid ranged wail attack. This is a mental attack, whichpletely ignores physical defense.


    The second kind is a self destruct when ittches onto a target. This attack is extremely powerful. If there are enough numbers involved, it ispletely capable of being a threat to Zhang Nu.


    Given all that, Zhang Nu had realized that he must not allow himself to be surrounded by the grudge ghosts.


    Not even he would be able to escape the crowd control effect of hundreds of grudge ghosts wailing at him all at once. That is no small threat to him.


    Then, right that moment, countless ck roots extended out from around the Grudge Tree like a swarm of snakes.


    That''s one of the abilities of the Millennium Grudge Tree. Anyone caught by those roots will not only have a hard time moving or escaping, they''ll also rapidly have their MP drained away, thus erasing any possibility of resisting.


    It was pretty obvious that the Millennium Grudge Tree is an especially dangerous and hard to deal with monster even among Lord level monsters.


    Zhang Nu took to the air on his wings. Based on the information he got from his cheat, it''s hard to defend against the roots when on the ground, but they''re also unable to reach anything that''s too high.


    Screams and wailing resounded all around.


    Countless grudge ghosts joined in the cacophony.


    -8!


    -9!


    -5!


    Zhang Nu''s HP dropped bit by bit, but thankfully, his stats are naturally high, so he hasn''t sumbed to any status effects like daze or confusion for the time being.


    Despite the great number of grudge ghosts, they weren''t really all that fast.


    Thus, Zhang Nu continuously kept on the move so as to avoid being surrounded. Soon enough, he managed to get used to the rhythm of the battle. At that point, he''ll be readying his counterattack.


    If it was someone else here, they''d probably try to attack the Tree itself.


    In actuality though, that''s not a good idea.


    The Millennium Grudge Tree isn''t actually a real tree. Instead, it''s a monster shaped like a tree. The tree itself isn''t its weak point, and even if it was greatly damaged, it will still quickly regenerate.


    The tree itself can be said to be a bait specifically there to draw fire.


    The Grudge Tree could continuously absorb energy from the surroundings and the battle itself to fuel its recovery.


    With that, the battle will be continuously drawn out, allowing it to exhaust and then kill any enemy, no matter how strong.


    "Dragon me!"


    Zhang Nu released a zing hot breath and held it up above his horns. Then, he concentrated it into a dense fireball about the size of a man''s head.


    In his draconian form, the attack''s area of effect has shrunk, but its power has increased.


    Zhang Nu mentally activated a trigger and the dragon me fireball fell and exploded among the Grudge Tree''s roots, and with an eye-searing sh, the powerful dragon fire expanded and reduced enormous amounts of the roots to ash.


    A strange dark red heart was beating steadily In the middle of the countless burnt bones, rocks and roots.


    "Found it!"


    "That''s the heart of the Grudge Tree!"


    Zhang Nu had learned via the appraisal message that the lone weakness of the Millennium Grudge Tree was this heart that was hidden among its roots.


    The Millennium Grudge Tree had noticed the threat against it.


    Thus, it turned berserk. The burnt roots quickly regenerated. At the same time, it released all the grudge ghosts and directed a portion of them to cover up the opening.


    "Meaningless resistance!"


    Zhang Nu continuously released two more dragon me attacks.


    The first st instantly vaporized the shield of grudge ghosts, allowing the second st to strike through the opening. Although the roots were regenerating rapidly, they were of no use at all.


    The dragon me fireball sted right through the regenerated roots and struck the beating heart, exploding in mes among the roots.


    The faces on the tree''s trunk all twisted and warped.


    They all let out ear-piercing shrieks, sting out mes from the eyes and mouths. The entire tree exploded inch by inch, and was instantly shattered to pieces.


    The grudge ghosts that filled the air also vanished with a scream.


    [You''ve in a Millennium Grudge Tree. Gold +2500!]


    [You''ve conquered the Mine of Sorrows. You gained a Bronze Treasure Chest!]


    In that instant, all was quiet.


    That insanity inducing screaming had vanished.


    Zhang Nu let out a long breath, he had never realized before just how nice it was to have some peace and quiet.


    This particr battle was very short.


    It wasn''t because the Grudge Tree was weak by any means though.


    Without the notice from his cheat, Zhang Nu really wouldn''t have had an easy time winning against that thing. It''s all thanks to having known where the weakness was, much like how it''s much easier beating a game when you had a walkthrough.


    After defeating the Millennium Grudge tree, Zhang Nu hadpletely taken over the mine.


    A beautiful bronze chest appeared before him.


    That''s the reward he got from conquering this area.


    Zhang Nu opened up the chest.


    [You opened the Bronze Treasure Chest. You gained "Undead Structure Leveling Scroll" x1, "Blueprint: Tower of Grudges" x1, "Gold" x2000!]

 Chapter 22

    [Undead Structure Leveling Scroll]. Costs itself, undeath gems x8, gold x2000. Only usable on level 1 undead structures. Can raise the level of an undead type structure.


    [Blueprint: Tower of Grudges]. Costs undeath gem x1, stone x100, wood x50, gold x500. You can construct the Tower of Grudges. Blueprint uses: 5.


    As expected of a Lord level area.


    The higher the difficulty, the greater the rewards.


    Both of those two items are very useful indeed.


    The former can be used to level up an undead type structure within his territory. Thetter seems to be a type of defensive structure''s blueprint. Unlike normal blueprints, this one can be used five times.


    Besides those two items, he also managed to get over 5000 gold in this trip.


    During this early period, that much money is a huge fortune no matter how one looks at it.


    Zhang Nu didn''t immediately leave. He instead called in his subordinates and had the draconians dig up the area where the Grudge Tree was, creating a hole over ten meters deep.


    "Master!"


    "We discovered something!"


    Under the roots of the Millennium Grudge Tree, there was a mass of gems, numbering 15 in total. They were all undeath gems.


    Zhang Nu hadpletely expected that.


    He of course learned this ahead of time thanks to the notification from his cheat.


    The Grudge Tree can absorb necromantic energy. Over long periods of time, vast amounts of it will then concentrate into undeath gems. Then, when it''s needed, those gems can be consumed by the Grudge Tree as batteries.


    Unfortunately for the Tree though, it ended up encountering Zhang Nu and was killed before it even got the chance to use those gems.


    This particr Grudge Tree is extremely ancient, having stored up 15 undeath gems. That number is more than expected, making it another unexpected surprise.


    And those undeath gems just so happen to have a great use waiting for them.


    After a day of clearing out the mine, the draconians had dealt with all the zombies and dragged the bodies out to be burnt. They''ve also started fixing up all the tunnels, so they should be able to start up operations here soon.


    Mining requires a lot ofbor.


    Goblins and skeleton soldiers are all weak, unsuitable for the work, so Zhang Nu is going to have to summon up a new batch of draconianborers.


    When Zhang Nu returned to his territory.


    [Notice: Spend leveling scroll x1, undeath gem x6, and gold x1000 to level up the House of Bones?]


    "Yes!"


    Zhang Nu made his selection.


    [Notice: Your "House of Bones" has leveled up into the "House of Skeletons"!]


    The level up seeded.


    Zhang Nu hurriedly checked the changes.


    First of all, the outer appearance had changed quite a bit.


    The House of Bones is a disorganized burial mound, whereas the House of Skeletons is an enormous skeletal tomb. It''s at least several times more amazing when ites to just looks.


    Of course, Zhang Nu isn''t so shallow as to only care about that.


    He''s more interested in the changes in functionality.


    For the House of Skeletons.


    Undead recovery speed +50%.


    Skeleton soldiers poption limit increased by ten times.


    Besides that, there''s also two new units avable.


    Skeleton mage. Level 1 Elite. Costs 150 gold per summoned. Poption limit of 50.


    Skeletonmander. Level 2 Normal. Costs 100 gold per summoned. Poption limit of 100.


    Very good.


    He didn''t level this up in vain.


    There''s just way too big a gap between the abilities of the House of Bones and House of Skeletons.


    After gaining the House of Skeletons, Zhang Nu can now summon 1000 skeleton soldiers + 100 skeletonmanders + 50 skeleton mages. This will greatly increase the might of his territory.


    As for why the level 1 skeleton mage is more expensive than that level 2 skeletonmander.


    That''spletely normal.


    Skeleton mages are Elite monsters, whereas skeletonmanders are only level 2 Normal monsters.


    Even putting aside the fact that magic units are more valuable, the fact is that skeleton mages are a bit stronger than the skeletonmanders.


    It''s not like skeletonmanders are useless though.


    Level 2 skeletons are several times stronger than level 1 skeletons. They''re way more powerful be it in attack, defense or strength, making them far better be it in battle or asbor.


    It can be said that, now that he has gained the House of Skeletons, his territory''s power has unquestionably increased by quite a bit.


    Zhang Nu had no intentions of resting on hisurels though. He intends on strengthening the defenses of his territory, which is where the "Tower of Grudges" blueprintes in.


    The Tower of Grudges is a defensive type undead structure.


    Its ability is kind of simr to that of the Grudge Tree. The moment an enemy enters its sensory range, it will automatically summon up self-destructing grudge ghosts to go after those enemies.


    There are two locations suitable for setting them up at: In the Darkness Canyon or near the Demon King Castle.


    The former has a narrow geography. It''s the only passageway into the valley, so the Towers will be very effective in that kind of environment. Thetter is his main base, where his core construct, the Demon King Altar is, so it does also need extra defenses.


    After some thought, Zhang Nu decided to ce them in the canyon.


    If enemies managed to get all the way into his main base, then the various constructs in his territory will likely be heavily damaged.


    In that case, it''s better to just keep his enemies from getting through in the first ce.


    After about half a day, five towers made of bone rose from the ground in the Darkness Canyon.


    They''re filled with terrifying skulls from top to bottom, making them terribly scary just looking at them. Any Hero who sees them as they enter the Canyon will likely tense up in apprehension.


    Zhang Nu gazed upon his handiwork with great satisfaction.


    At this moment though, a draconian hurriedly ran to him with a report.


    "Master!"


    "There are minotaurs outside!"


    "They''re trying to enter the territory!"


    Zhang Nu''s first thought is that those are Heroes attacking again.


    What luck.


    Won''t they make greatb rats for testing his new setup!

 Chapter 23

    A few hours ago.


    A group of people had arrived at the goblin vige.


    Those huge guys were all three meters tall, bulging with muscles, with bull horns growing out of their heads. They''re equipped with steel armor and their main armormants tend toward battleaxes, warhammers, and spike clubs.


    They''re minotaurs!


    A race famed for their strength and endurance!


    There were even countries established by minotaurs in certain areas far off to the north.


    They''re definitely not one of the weak races on this continent.


    These minotaurs came from the nearby Bloodhoof Tribe.


    This tribe is considered one of the tyrants in the nearby area.


    Practically all the weaker tribes around have been savaged by them. This time, they basically came to this goblin vige specifically to sack it and plunder the goblins living here.


    Contrary to their expectations, however, the vige had already been abandoned.


    "We seem to have gotten herete."


    "A major battle had urred here."


    "The goblins were either killed or have left."


    Zhang Kai summarized the situation.


    He''s a minotaur Hero yer.


    Besides him, there were also two other Heroes.


    After the three minotaurs were possessed by descending Heroes, their strength had quickly risen. By now, they''ve gained some fame among their tribe.


    Of course, the tribe had more than just those three Heroes.


    The Bloodhoof Tribe is a tribe with over 800 minotaurs. Seven Heroes had descended upon them in total, and the strongest one had directly taken over the chieftain.


    A minotaur Hero with a shield asked, "Did a Demon King do this?"


    Another female minotaur Hero in robes and carrying a priest''s staff spoke, "Possible. There''s a Demon King nest nearby. We should deal with him right away. It also saves the boss the hassle of doing it himself."


    Although one reason the three of them brought so many minotaurs with them was to sack the goblin vige, the other reason was to investigate the Demon King nest in the Darkness Valley.


    Demon Kings and Heroes are natural enemies


    When a Hero destroys a Demon King nest or kills a Demon King, their strength will rise drastically as well as gain enormous amounts of resources. The advantages of such are hard to resist.


    The Hero with the shield frowned, "Since the Demon King was able to deal with this vige, he and his faction probably isn''t all that weak. Shouldn''t we first report this to the boss then, just to be safe?"


    "Hahaha! What are you so scared of? Isn''t it just a goblin vige? How hard could it be to deal with those weaklings? There''s no way that the Demon King''s all that strong!"


    Zhang Kai''s order was just to investigate.


    However, he doesn''t want to miss such a great opportunity.


    They''re all Heroes here.


    So why do their positions have to be so different?


    He had long since disliked that guy.


    If he could take this chance to kill this Demon King, then it''s still up in the air just who will get to call the shots then!


    "Think about it. Are there more Heroes or Demon Kings? We need to grasp what chances we can!"


    The female minotaur Hero nodded, "Zhang Kai''s right. Grinding on mobs will only us two training points at most every month. It''ll take ages for us to get strong at that point. If we want to overturn the situation, the only chance we''ll have is by killing Demon Kings!"


    The Hero with the shield had a cautious personality, so he originally wouldn''t agree to any reckless adventuring. However, he did find hisrades'' words to be quite convincing.


    The three of them are all Elite levels in power.


    The 50 minotaur warriors with them are also well trained.


    Of them, ten of them are also Elite level. The other 40 aren''t quite at the Elite level, but with their inherent minotaur constitutions, they shouldn''t be all that much worse than an Elite monster.


    This is a very powerful group they have here.


    Just how strong could this Demon King be?


    He''s the one being too conservative here.


    Soon, the three Heroes havee to an agreement!


    Later, the squad of minotaurs reached the Darkness Canyon.


    "Be careful everyone."


    "This is the only path into the Valley."


    "Given that the Demon King''s Valley is sealed off except for this one lone path, the Demon King and his minions may likely set a trap here."


    Zhang Kai spoke dismissively, "So what if he set up traps though? We''re not weaklings that can be defeated by mere traps. I for one look forward to seeing just what this Demon King will try to pull."


    As they headed deeper in, the environment turned spooky.


    Five towers suddenly appeared up ahead.


    Every single one of them was made of bones, and all of them are situated up on high ground nearby. They didn''t look like something constructed by anyone''s hand.


    "What''s that?"


    The minotaurs were somewhat unsettled.


    For such things to suddenly appear in a chilling and spooky canyon. That really is horrifying and scary.


    "Hmph, mere tricks. The Demon King can''t possibly be so stupid that he thinks such things can scare away Heroes, right? He''s far too naive!"


    Zhang Kai continued, "Hurry up and get through already. The Demon King shouldn''t have noticed us yet, so let''s hit him before he can react!"


    The bow had been drawn.


    The arrow loosened.


    How could they possibly turn back at this point?


    The spooky towers didn''t convince the Demon King subjugation squad to retreat. Instead, it only served to spur them on to move quicker in an attempt to get through as fast as possible. The Heroes have thus shown just how determined they are to kill the Demon King.


    At this point, the Towers of Grudges started reacting.


    The countless skulls on them opened their jaws and blew out spooky ck fog. Instantly, the sky darkened, screams and moans filled the air, and grudge ghosts took form one after another.


    They were horrifying in appearance. They bared their ten sharp ws, their bloody eyes locked onto the invaders, and with a piercing screech, they charged down in an instant.


    "Holy shit!"


    "What the heck?"


    "What are those things?"


    "Are they the Demon King''s minions?"


    "Is this Demon King an undead of some kind?"


    A minotaur warrior activated his rage skill.


    His battleaxe furiously ripped a grudge ghosting at him in two.


    However, the grudge ghost just turned into ck fog before taking form right next to him. Its ten sharp ghost ws stabbed forth, ripping open his breastte and instantly tearing a wound into him.


    And before any counterattack could happen, that grudge ghost suddenly stuck right to the minotaur and self-destructed.


    The minotaur warrior fell with a pained scream.


    It was obvious that he won''t be able to live past this.


    Those grudge ghosts have two ways of attacking.


    The first is its ghost ws. This is a single target attack skill.


    The second is its self-destruct. The grudge ghost can instantly blow itself up and cause massive AoE damage.


    This reckless squad of Heroes were instantly surrounded by hundreds of grudge ghosts.

 Chapter 24

    Zhang Nu was watching the whole thing unfold from the top of the mountains.


    When active, the Tower of Grudges cost over 20 gold per minute each.


    However, the Towers are also very powerful.


    Each one can control a hundred grudge ghosts.


    The moment a grudge ghost dies, the Tower will resummon more, creating an infinite, endless stream.


    Unquestionably, the Tower of Grudges is a very good defensive structure, effective against both ground and air targets.


    While grudge ghosts aren''t all that strong, being only a level 1 Normal unit, they''re not actually easy to deal with in reality.


    First of all, they can freely fly around in the air, making them hard to hit. Second, as ghosts, their physical defenses are extremely high. Then adding in their self-destruct ability, they''re practically a warrior''s nightmare!


    When fighting against a Tower of Grudges, the right tactic is to go directly for the towers themselves.


    The moment a Tower of Grudges is destroyed, all the grudge ghosts will also naturally disappear.


    However, where could those minotaurs have known about Towers of Grudges beforehand?


    Plus, the Towers were also all constructed on high ground, where they can''t climb up to. Thus, even if they did know the right way to deal with them, the minotaurs would stillck the ability to actually carry that out.


    With five Towers of Grudges, that makes 500 grudge ghosts.


    That''s ten times the number of their opponents.


    Adding in the fact that they simply will not decrease in numbers, how are the minotaurs supposed to deal with them?


    As for retreat? It''s toote! Both the paths ahead and behind have already been sealed off.


    The minotaurs tried several times to break the encirclement and failed, falling one after another. All of them fell into despair, with no other option beyond struggling worthlessly to draw out their deaths longer.


    "Demon King!"


    "You coward!"


    "Hiding away like this?"


    "Come duel me one on one if you have the guts!"


    Zhang Kai let out angered roars.


    To fall before even seeing the Demon King? That''s way too worthless!


    Who the heck could ept such a thing?


    If he has to die, then he at least has to do so fighting the Demon King!


    Zhang Nu justpletely ignored him though.


    He rather likes the scene of bugs struggling in despair and copsing in rage.


    As for the Hero''s taunts, rather than getting angered, Zhang Nu instead just found it funny.


    One on one duel huh?


    Like that useless shit is even worthy?!


    [You''ve in a minotaur. Gold +9!]


    [You''ve in a minotaur. Gold +9!]


    [You''ve in a minotaur. Gold +9!]


    [...]


    [You''ve in a minotaur Hero. Hero''s Soul+1!]


    [You''ve in a minotaur Hero. Hero''s Soul+1!]


    [You''ve in a minotaur Hero. Hero''s Soul+1!]


    The three Heroes have all been killed.


    The minotaurs were nearly all dead by now as well.


    Zhang Nu was quite satisfied with the results of this test.


    50 some minotaur warriors were allpletely crushed!


    Thus, the Towers of Grudges are very much enough to keep the vast majority of pests out of his territory.


    That said, although the Towers of Grudges were indeed very effective at defense, they''re also extremely fragile.


    Thus, Zhang Nu decided to set up ten skeleton soldiers, two skeletonmanders, and one skeleton mage near each of the Towers.


    It''s to both strengthen the overall defenses and to protect the Towers of Grudges.


    The minotaurs died off one by one and were on the verge ofplete eradication.


    However, Zhang Nu didn''t kill them all. He started taking active control of the Towers to purposefully leave an opening, so as to allow a couple of minotaurs to escape.


    Based on his appraisal information, those minotaurs came from the nearby Bloodhoof Tribe.


    If he remembers correctly, then those goblins who came to join him a few days ago had their vige destroyed by the Bloodhoof Tribe and thus were forced to wander the forest, homeless.


    The Bloodhoof Tribe is nearby.


    They''re basically a powerful and tyrannical faction.


    Just their adult minotaurs number around 900 or so.


    Minotaurs are also skilled in cksmithing along with their mighty strength and endurance. They would make very goodborers indeed.


    The Mine of Sorrows is also on the verge of opening up as well, so wouldn''t it be perfect to nab some minotaurs to toss in there as miners?


    After all,paratively, while draconians are better at construction and forging, Minotaurs are stronger when ites to raw strength and endurance.


    Thus, Zhang Nu purposefully let those couple of minotaurs go.


    He did so in the hope that those minotaurs would go back home and report.


    The Bloodhoof Tribe is well defended and built with quite a number of defensive structures. The minotaurs themselves are also well equipped, so losses would be inevitable if he tried to just attack head on.


    Plus, if he were to attempt to openly conquer the Bloodhoof Tribe, it would end up causing far too much of amotion and will end up exposing far too much of his true might and armies.


    Zhang Nu''s territory has grown day by day, and it can likely protect itself by now. However, he would still rather not expose too much. Thus, it would be best if he could lure the minotaurs toe attack him instead.


    Afterwards, Zhang Nu had his minions take care of cleaning up the battleground while he headed back to the Castle.


    He then sacrificed the Hero''s Souls.


    [You''ve sacrificed a Hero''s Soul. Talent point +3!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a Hero''s Soul. Talent point +3!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a Hero''s Soul. Talent point +3!]


    The previous time, he had received 11 talent points. After activating the Dragon me talent, he had 1 point left. With his newest addition, he now has 10 talent points in total.


    He can activate a new Talent then.


    The Talents that Zhang Nu has left are: Dragon Fear (Inactive), Lightning Control (Inactive), and Beginner Anti-Magic (Inactive).


    Abyssal Dragon Talents are all very powerful.


    Dragon Fear has an intimidation and crowd control effect. Lightning Control is a long distance attack and Beginner Anti-Magic is a defensive Talent.


    All of them need to be activated, it''s just a matter of sooner orter.


    Zhang Nu decided on activation Lightning Control.


    [Lightning Control], Talent skill. Summon a bolt of abyssal lightning able to strike any target within a radius of 1000 meters. The power of the lightning scales directly with the MP usage. Each attack costs a minimum of 10 MP.


    After unlocking this newest Talent, Zhang Nu clenched his fists and watched as bolts of lightning shed all around him. Those bolts of lightning were not only bright, but also scarlet in color.


    Scarlet lightning.


    This is the lightning of the abyss!


    It also carries a curse effect, allowing it to ignore a portion of resistances and cause more damage along with a paralysis effect!


    Zhang Nu spent some MP and a scarlet bolt of lightning sted down several hundred meters away, instantly sting a huge boulder to smithereens.


    Not bad!


    Dragon me is good for short to medium range and causes continuous,rge area of effect damage.


    Lightning attacks can hit at mid to long range, and is more suitable for single strike burst damage in a low to medium area of effect.


    The two basic attack abilities of the Abyssal Dragon each make up for the other''s shorings. With both, it''s enough to deal with the vast majority of enemies.

 Chapter 25

    The next day, the giga potatoes are about ready for harvest again.


    Due to the fact that the number of fields in use has increased, the potato harvest this time is more than double what they were previously.


    After building the Demon King Castle, leveling up the House of Bones, and setting up the five Towers of Grudges, Zhang Nu''s gold not only didn''t decrease, but is increasing rapidly instead.


    There are two main sources of ie.


    One is his loot from battle and the other is his food sales.


    If one were to put aside the other rewards and simply count the raw gold ie, then the food sales are the biggest source of ie. Currently, the total ie up until now is nearly 40,000 gold.


    Plus, the spirit fields still aren''t being fully utilized yet.


    In the future, his agricultural activity will still expand even further.


    Also, other Demon Kings are also quickly developing, so the trading market is still growing, with great potential still ahead of it. Thus, it''s more than good enough to act as a central pir for his ie.


    Right now, his gold ie is quite healthy, his economic situation is great and he has at lesast 30,000 gold to freely spend as he likes.


    Now that he basically has a money tree in the form of his farms, there''s no need to calcte everything out carefully. Thus, he immediately made a major expansion of his undead army.


    50 skeleton mages at a cost of 150 gold per, for 7,500 gold total!


    100 skeletonmanders at 100 gold per, for 10,000 gold total!


    900 skeleton soldiers at only 3 gold per, for 2,700 gold total!


    Zhang Nu already has 100 skeleton soldiers to begin with.


    This way, his undead army ispletely maxed out.


    It''s a shockingly huge army for the current period.


    With this army, the Towers of Grudges, and the Demon King Castle, the Darkness Valley''s defenses against any invasion attempt has be more and more formidable.


    After the undead army was maxed out, Zhang Nu spent another 10k gold to summon 100 draconian soldiers.


    Adding in the 100 soldiers already present, he currently has an army of 200 draconian soldiers.


    Although there are quite a lot of advantages to the undead army, their disadvantages are also extremely obvious.


    Their biggest advantage is their cheapness. Skeleton soldiers only cost 3 gold each, making them even cheaper than draconianborers. Plus, their upkeep cost is also very low, given that they don''t need to eat or drink.


    Their disadvantage is that low level undeads are mindless. They have basically no production capabilities and are unable to follow even slightlyplex orders. They alsock the capacity for independent thought, and so they''re unable to adapt to changing circumstances.


    Plus, while undeads have low upkeep, it doesn''t mean that theyck any upkeep costs.


    They need to go back to the House of Skeletons every set time period to recharge. Now that the undead army has been maxed out, the house of Skeletons now has a daily upkeep cost of several hundred gold.


    As mentioned already, while the undead army is quite useful and is very suitable to act as a mainbat force to soak up damages, Zhang Nu can''t justpletely rely on the undead army on its own.


    The draconian army is the real core of his forces, with a lot of room to grow in the future at that.


    After the round of summoning was done, the poption of the territory had increased by a lot.


    Now, there are a total of 2390 units.


    1150 undead, 920 draconians, and 319 goblins. (T/N: Plus himself for 1 more)


    There are four core constructs: The Demon King Castle, the House of Skeletons, the Towers of Grudges, and the goblin farms.


    His Demon King enterprise is starting to take shape.


    Such an enormous amount of growth in just half a month shows just how much potential Demon King has.


    ...


    At the same time.


    There''s a small fox-kin vige near the Darkness Valley.


    Fox-kin are amon intelligent race. They''re highly intelligent but low in strength. Their general ce in the food chain is near the bottom, not much better than goblins. They can even be said to be even worse off in some ways.


    It''s because most fox-kin girls are quite beautiful.


    They tend to be very close to the continent''s standards of beauty.


    For ve traders, hunting fox-kin is a low risk, high reward business.


    Su Yan isn''t very lucky.


    She ended up a normal fox-kin.


    She''s the only Hero of that nameless vige.


    She had thought that she would have the chance to act like the protagonist of some novel and lead her vige, defeat monsters to level up, hunt down and kill Demon Kings, and then eventually rise to the top of the world. However, she then got a heavy dose of reality fed to her.


    The vige was conquered.


    A lot of the vigers were ughtered.


    She and the other lucky survivors were taken prisoner.


    It''s one thing if it was just that. This ce basically follows thew of the jungle after all. However, what really made Su Yan mad is the fact that the main culprit behind the sacking of her vige is another Hero.


    "Su Yan."


    "Have you properly thought it through yet?"


    "You don''t have much more time to think about it."


    The minotaur chief Zhao Lei oppressively questioned her.


    Zhao Lei is the chief of the Bloodhoof Tribe. This really is a one in a million stroke of luck for him.


    He started with a massive advantage iparable to other Heroes.


    Before him, Su Yan is only a minor character.


    If not for the fact that Su Yan''s Talent is rather special, making her possibly useful in the future, and the fact that she''s a top ss beauty for him to ogle, Zhao Lei wouldn''t have bothered to try to recruit her.


    Su Yan angrily retorted, "We''re both Hero yers, but rather than attacking Demon Kings, you''ve instead sacked my vige! Don''t you think that you''ve gone too far?"


    Zhao Lei simplyughed at that.


    "It''s only natural for the weak to obey the strong!"


    "I''m already level 2. Plus, I lead over a thousand minotaurs!"


    "What right do you have to stand as an equal to me? Right now, you only have two choices. Either submit or die along with these fox-kin!"


    Zhao Lei gave his ultimatum.


    Su Lian was shocked.


    He''s already level 2?


    Even though she''s still angry and holding a grudge, right now, she has no choice but to lower her head. All she can do is obey for now while trying to find a chance to escapeter.


    Zhao Lei was quite satisfied.


    In reality, his business had failed and he was left with nothing.


    However, in this world, he has a powerful body. Plus, he leads what''s basically the strongest faction in the nearby area, so he could be said to be able to lord over all that he surveys.


    Zhao Lei ns to swallow up all the nearby viges and tribes, furiously expand his faction, while at the same time recruiting more Heroes as his underlings. Finally, he''ll end up as a major overlord over a portion of the Forest of Chaos.


    Then, just as he got back to his tribal grounds in satisfaction, a sudden bit of bad news made him break out in a rage.

 Chapter 26

    Zhang Kai and the other two died!


    He had ordered them to go conquer a goblin vige, as well as collect information about any nearby Demon King nests, but he didn''t expect those three idiots to disobey their orders and act on their own!


    To think that they wanted to monopolize the Demon King of the Darkness Valley! However, the result was that rather than killing the Demon King, they themselves ended up killed instead! They truly are a bunch of unsalvageable fools!


    "Worthless trash!"


    "Those ipetent fools!"


    Zhao Lei was in a rage.


    The other minotaurs shied away in fear.


    One Hero stepped forward to speak, "Boss, based on the report from the warriors who managed to escape, the Demon King of the Darkness Valley is an undead type!"


    Zhao Lei calmed down at that and immediately asked, "How strong is he?"


    The minotaur Hero answered, "The battlefield was very chaotic when Zhang Kai and them got ambushed, so the warriors who managed to escape never saw the Demon King."


    Zhao Lei let out a cold snort, "How many forces does he have?"


    The minotaur Hero replied, "About 400 to 500 or so. All of them are undead grudge ghosts. That''s why Zhang Kai and them ended uppletely wiped out."


    "That many?"


    Zhao Lei was quite surprised at that.


    Zhang Kai only had 50 minotaurs with him. If he got ambushed by something like 500 grudge ghosts, then it''s only natural that he didn''t stand a chance.


    Another Hero who''s a minotaur mage spoke, "This Demon King is developing far faster than expected. He''ll definitely be a major threat in the future!"


    Zhao Lei''s expression turned dark.


    Compared to Heroes, the greatest advantage that Demon Kings have is their unlimited growth potential.


    That applies for both them personally and their factions.


    So long as they have enough resources, they can quickly expand their forces.


    "This Demon King is no weakling. Plus, he''s also an undead type, so his costs and upkeep are low to begin with. If we were to allow him to keep developing, he''ll definitely end up a major issue for us."


    He mmed his hand down on the table before rising.


    "The Demon King just won a great victory, so he''ll definitely rx his guard. Gather all our warriors immediately. We''ll raid the Darkness Valley and destroy him right away!"


    Zhao Lei had a vicious look on his face, "Fucking hell, that damn bastard. To dare to kill so many of my subordinates like that. I won''t let you die an easy death!"


    Three minotaur Heroes exchanged nces.


    They didn''t think that Zhao Lei would order an attack that decisively.


    A minotaur Hero spoke up again, "Should we ask the Ironblooded Heroes Guild from Giantree City for help? Our chances will be more certain that way!"


    Zhao Lei shook his head, "Greatree is too far away, they won''t get here in time. Plus, I haven''t agreed to join the guild yet, so they may not actually be willing to help us with this."


    "There''s no need to ask for help. Our existing power is already more than enough!"


    At this point, the rest of them had no more objections.


    For one, Zhao Lei is the boss here and he already made his decision.


    Second of all, the Demon King''s growth rate is rather terrifying, so the sooner he''s destroyed, the better, especially given that he''s an undead Demon King!


    Finally, the Bloodhoof Tribe is capable of assembling a huge army with numbers more than ten times what Zhang Kai had with him. Add in the fact that Zhao Lei is a level 2 unit, their full might is iparable.


    With all that taken into ount, is there any doubt as to the results of this oing battle?


    The Demon King couldn''t evenpletely wipe out Zhang Kai''s little group after all.


    The simple fact that several minotaur warriors were able to escape and report, exposing his unitposition and forces ahead of time was enough to show that the Demon King really is only just that much.


    "Forward!"


    Zhang Lei assembled 700 minotaurs and 200 warriors of vassal tribes for a total army of 900bat units and set off toward the direction of the Darkness Valley.


    Zhao Lei was filled with a sense of achievement as he gazed at the huge army before him.


    He had a very smooth time of it for the past half month. Not only was he able to sessfully inherit control of the Bloodhoof Tribe, he also swallowed up a number of small viges and factions.


    Therefore, Zhao Lei was absolutely confident that this time will be no different.


    After subjugating the Darkness Valley, his power and position are certain to take yet another step forward.


    The fox-kin Su Yan didn''t follow Zhao Lei in his expedition.


    Zhao Lei didn''t really trust this newly joined Hero all that much, so he left her behind in the tribe and had the minotaurs keep her under house arrest.


    After witnessing the Bloodhoof Tribe''s demon subjugation army, Su Yan finally realized just how much of a difference there is between Heroes!


    No wonder she ended up like this.


    Against such a mighty army, the Demon King is dead for sure.


    Su Yan was quite depressed. It''s because the stronger the Demon King, the greater the rewards they''ll end up generating at death. If Zhao Lei''s subjugation was sessful, then wouldn''t he end up growing far stronger?


    She''s also rather disappointed.


    She had finally realized that with her abilities and Talent, unless she has some kind of stroke of luck, she''ll never be able to be a top ss Hero!


    This was something that she really didn''t want to resign herself to!


    About half a dayter, the Bloodhoof Tribe''s demon subjugation army had arrived at the Canyon.


    A hero spoke up, "Boss, they were ambushed by the Demon King in this canyon back then, so we should properly prepare ourselves first!"


    Zhao Lei observed the geography and hmphed, "No wonder they were nearlypletely wiped out. This ce is indeed very suitable for an ambush. However, the same failure won''t be happening twice. Have the priests enchant the warriors'' weapons!"


    Several minotaur priests started busying themselves.


    Minotaur priests are support units. Theirbat power isn''t very strong, but they have support and recovery magic, so they are a power multiplier for the army.


    Based on the report, the Demon King''s minions are grudge ghosts.


    As ghosts, grudge ghosts have high physical resistance. This doesn''t mean that they can''t be dealt with though. They''ll be able to easily deal with them if they magically enchant some of their weapons.


    That said, enchantments do have a limited duration and the priests will have to continuously reapply the spell.


    Thus, they can''t waste any time. They have to move quickly.


    Zhao Lei raised up his fire element enchanted warhammer and roared out, "The Demon King of the Darkness Valley is currently plotting to devour our home and conquer the entire forest!"


    "Heroes of the Bloodhoof Tribe, the time for glory is now. Follow me to crush the Demon King and his minions!"


    Several hundred minotaurs roared out.


    Their fighting spirit zed forth.


    Zhao Lei acted as the vanguard and led his troops into the canyon.

 Chapter 27

    Announcement: Bonus chapter forpleting the challenge!


    Not long after, the five Towers of Grudges appeared before them.


    Those spooky constructs made Zhao Lei and his group stop for a moment.


    Before they could think anymore on it, the Towers had already activated and hundreds of grudge ghosts were summoned from all around and were now charging at them, screaming all the while.


    "They''re grudge ghosts after all!"


    Rather than panicking, Zhao Lei instead rxed some.


    It''s because the information he got was correct. Therefore, since they''ve already prepared for all this, what threat can merely a few hundred grudge ghosts possibly be to them?


    "Kill!"


    "Wipe them out!"


    "Charge forward! Kill the Demon King!"


    The Bloodhoof Tribe pushed forth and attacked in a frenzy. The hundreds of grudge ghosts fiercely fought back at the same time, but they were unable to break through the minotaurs'' formation.


    The minotaurs'' enchanted weapons can very effectively kill grudge ghosts and the damage from the grudge ghosts'' self-destructs were immediately healed up by the minotaur priests.


    From how things were currently going, the attacking side seemed to have the upper hand.


    The grudge ghosts were constantly being killed and forced back.


    Zhao Lei and the rest of his tribe''s elite forces haven''t even joined the fight yet. They just watched the current on-goings while feeling assured of their victory.


    "Hahaha!"


    "That''s all they''re capable of!"


    "And here I thought they''d be stronger!"


    "Those grudge ghosts might be annoying."


    "But it''s impossible for them to stop us!"


    However, such thoughts onlysted for a few minutes.


    It''s because the situation slowly revealed certain unexpected issues.


    "Strange!"


    "We''ve been killing them for all this time."


    "Why are there still so many grudge ghosts?"


    Zhao Lei had noticed a strange issue. The grudge ghosts were being wiped out one by one, but their total numbers weren''t really decreasing!


    The warriors of the BloodHoof Tribe clearly had the upper hand at the start, but after they wiped out one to two hundred grudge ghosts, the minotaurs'' weapon enchantments weakened and the minotaur priests'' MP was draining more and more. Thus, they were unable to maintain their momentum, their progress slowed, and they started taking casualties.


    On the other hand, the grudge ghosts didn''t lose their momentum and continued forward in a steady, unending stream. The entire time, their total numbers remained steady.


    Zhao Lei finally realized the issue, "Damn it, the towers are suspicious. Those grudge ghosts are being summoned by the towers. Quick, destroy those towers!"


    When they realized this fact, several of the Heroes had a chilling thought.


    If those grudge ghosts were all summoned creatures... Then doesn''t that mean that they aren''t the Demon King''s actual minions?


    If that guess were to be true, then they''re going to be faced with an unbelievably terrifying truth!


    What they''ve been fighting all this time against was merely one of the Demon King''s defensive traps. From start to end... They were only struggling against a couple of towers, not the Demon King''s actual army!


    As for the Demon King himself, he was still hiding behind the scenes and has never actually acted yet!


    He''s quite mysterious, to the point where the Heroes still knew nothing about him.


    They had thought that they already controlled all the information, but it was all wrong from the start. Rather, it was all a false trait and a trap!


    When Zhao Lei thought of that possibility, he started sweating profusely. He could no longer sit still and let out a roar while releasing a red aura which instantly covered all the minotaurs there.


    Minotaur skill: Wild Roar!


    It''s an ally buff that maintains their high morale, thus increasing their Strength and HP stats.


    "Destroy those towers no matter the cost!"


    Zhao Lei didn''t know if that terrifying guess of his was true or not.


    Right or wrong, his current critical task is to destroy those Towers of Grudges in order to prevent the endlessly summoned grudge ghosts from sapping his army''s strength.


    Up on the mountain.


    Zhang Nu showed a yful expression as he watched all this unfold.


    "They discovered the trick of the Towers?"


    "It looks like those guys aren''t as stupid as they look then."


    "Alright then. In that case, it''s time to get a little bit serious then!"


    Zhang Nu gave the orders, "Undead army, deploy in full!"


    Zhao Lei was getting ready to personally charge for a Tower. He was certain that he could endure the attacks of 20-30 grudge ghosts on his own and simply destroy the Tower of Grudges with a single flurry of attacks.


    "Chief!"


    "It''s bad!"


    "We''re surrounded!"


    "A huge amount of skeletons are attacking from nearby!"


    White masses came out from both ends of the canyon. Before their eyes, dozens of skeleton soldiers were leading nearly a thousand skeleton soldiers in a massive tide attacking them from both sides.


    This new development utterly stunned Zhao Lei and his group.


    Several Heroes'' eyes practically popped out of their sockets.


    "Shit!"


    "That''s way too insane!"


    "Am I having a nightmare?"


    "Where did so many skeletonse from!"


    "Just how many minions did this Demon King summon!"


    That''s way too much!


    The skeleton wave tactic was crushing in sheer quantity!


    Just the pressure that they were emitting was indescribable.


    At the same time, up on the high grounds, one robed skeleton after another revealed themselves next to the Towers of Grudges. They raised the staves in their hand and formed fireballs before tossing them at the minotaurs currently trying to climb up.


    "Gah!"


    "Roar!"


    The minotaurs stuck by mes fell one by one, screaming.


    Right now, the current situation of the demon subjugation army is as follows:


    Skeletons at the front, skeletons at the back, mages suppressing them from above, and grudge ghosts everywhere hitting any hole in their formation!


    They were pressed in from all sides without any respite from anywhere!


    They werepletely checkmated!


    "We''re done for!"


    "How could this be!"


    Zhao Lei couldn''t believe what he was seeing.


    He had originally thought that he would crush all opposition without any issue, but all that was overturned in mere instants. Now, he was trapped deeply and surrounded, attacked from all sides as his army was copsing in every direction!


    [You''ve in a minotaur. Gold +9!]


    [You''ve in a minotaur. Gold +9!]


    [You''ve in a high ranked minotaur warrior. Gold +90!]


    [You''ve in a high ranked minotaur warrior. Gold +90!]


    [...]


    [You''ve in a minotaur Hero. Hero''s Soul+1!]


    [You''ve in a minotaur Hero. Hero''s Soul+1!]


    The ughter continued without end at the bottom of the canyon.


    The Demon King Zhang Nu sat up above, watching it all happen.


    He knew from the start that there was no doubt as to the oue of this battle.


    Zhao Lei''s demon subjugation army might be quite strong, but they had pretty much no chance of winning against the triplebination of the undead army + Towers of Grudges + geographical lockdown.


    Zhang Nu''s greatest strength wasn''t the undead army.


    It was his draconian army as well as his own personal might as the abyssal dragon!


    However, given the current situation, it doesn''t seem necessary to use the draconian army yet.

 Chapter 28

    The army that came here to subjugate the Demon King wasn''t weak.


    The Bloodhoof Triber is a level 2 Elite area, one that contains a number of units that have reached level 2 in power. Some special members have even reached level 2 Elite in power.


    A level 2 Normal unit is weaker than a level 1 Elite.


    A level 2 Elite is weaker than a level 1 Lord.


    Generally, three level 2 Elites are enough to match a single level 1 Lord.


    This just shows how strong the demon subjugation army really was.


    Even so, Zhao Lei had far underestimated the true might of the Darkness Valley.


    He never even actually learned just what kind of Demon King he was facing.


    Even now, he probably still believes that Zhang Nu is an undead type Demon King like a Skeleton Demon King or Grudge Ghost Demon King.


    Since he didn''t even know what kind of enemy he was facing, his loss was by no means unfair!


    The demon subjugation army''s defeat is already set.


    Even so, their death throes aren''t to be underestimated.


    A cornered animal is the most dangerous, as the saying goes.


    They could easily still cause quite some damage to the territory.


    Zhao Lei led several level 2 minotaurs to start climbing up the cliffs to charge the Towers. The skeleton mages rained down fireballs onto them, but it merely bounced off of an aura around Zhao Lei.


    Zhang Nu took a look.


    [Minotaur Chieftain: Zhao Lei] (Chosen Hero). Level 2 Elite... Skills: Qi of Fury (rank E), War Trample (rank E), Barbaric Charge (rank E), Wild Roar (rank E), etc.


    No wonder he was able to withstand the skeleton mages'' magic.


    The aura around Zhao Lei was his qi.


    Qi is amonly used and very powerfulbat technique. It can be used to cover a weapon to enhance their attacks or be used to cover one''s body to resist magic spells.


    Zhao Lei was filled with rage and hate.


    The Bloodhoof Tribe is basically done for now.


    Even so, he at least has to keep his own life.


    He can stille back from this!


    Even if the Bloodhoof Tribe is gone, he could still go join the Heroes Guild. There, he''ll be able to get the help of other Heroes ande back for revenge. He will absolutely kill this Demon King in vengeance!


    Right now though, he has to destroy those Towers of Grudges!


    Zhao Lei was confident that if he didn''t have the grudge ghosts constantly keeping him on the backfoot, he''ll be able to break the encirclement with his power!


    Then, a thunderous roar boomed out with deafening force!


    Boom!


    A scarlet bolt of lightning sted down into the canyon and unerringly struck Zhao Lei, instantly shattering the qi that he had covering him.


    -50!


    His HP instantly fell to nothing!


    Zhao Lei fell down the cliff, utterly charred!


    "No, impossible. My defenses, my HP, and my qi. How could it be so easily crushed..."


    Zhao Lei''s eyes widened.


    He could faintly see a figure.


    That person stood on top of the mountain, great and mighty like a demon god, looking down at the insects under his feet with a yful gaze.


    One strike!


    With but one strike!


    That was all that it took to etch the true terror of the Demon King into Zhao Lei!


    [You''ve in a minotaur Hero, Hero''s Soul +1, skill stone +1!]


    [...]


    After a few more rounds of long ranged attacks, the level 2 Elites have all been killed one after another.


    The other minotaurs are utterly terrified!


    The Chief and the other leaders were mysteriously sted to death by lightning!


    They''ve never seen or heard of such terrifying magic.


    They couldn''t even see where the caster was, never mind trying to fight back.


    With that, even the bravest and fiercest minotaur started to get scared. Their morale hadpletely copsed.


    Thus, it was about time.


    Zhang Nu leaped down and transformed into his dragon form.


    His intimidating figure appeared over the air.


    A zing hot stream of dragon me sted down next to the battlefield and melted a huge patch of rocks, forcing the remaining minotaurs into an inescapable corner.


    "You may still live if you surrender!"


    "But if you dare to resist, you shall be fully met with my wrath!"


    The minotaurs were shocked.


    Their mindspletely copsed.


    None of them ever imagined that their opponent was actually a dragon!


    "Mercy, my lord!"


    "I surrender!"


    "Please have mercy, we surrender!"


    [210 minotaurs are surrendering to you. ept?]


    It would be a pity to not ept so many strongborers.


    Zhang Nu chose to ept without hesitation.


    Those minotaurs have now became the ves of the Demon King.


    Of course, these newly taken units will have rather low loyalty. Minotaurs tend to be strong-willed as well, so they won''t ept things nearly as easily as the goblins did.


    The draconian army was then deployed to take custody of the minotaurs.


    These war prisoners will be imprisoned before being slowly tamed over time.


    Zhang Nu then opened up the yer menu to check his overall statistics.


    This battle did cause him a certain amount of damages. In total, he had lost 311 skeleton soldiers, 11 skeletonmanders, 1 skeleton mage, and the Towers of Grudges had used up 960 gold.


    The minotaurs were quite fierce.


    They caused quite a bit of minor destruction and battle losses.


    Thankfully, the undead units can just be resummoned.


    His gains are as follows: About 7620 gold, 3 level 1 Hero''s Souls, 1 Level 2 Hero''s Soul, 1 skill stone, and 210 prisoners.


    The gains massively outweigh his losses.


    Just his gold gains could cover all his losses with plenty to spare.


    All in all, this battle ended in aplete victory. Not a single enemy got away too. It just shows how strong the Darkness Valley really is currently.

 Chapter 29

    [You''ve sacrificed a level 1 Hero''s Soul. Talent points +3!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 1 Hero''s Soul. Talent points +3!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 1 Hero''s Soul. Talent points +3!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 2 Hero''s Soul. Talent points +20!]


    The sacrifice of the four Hero''s Souls resulted in a total of 20 talent points.


    Among all of them, Zhao Lei''s alone was worth 20 points.


    To Zhang Nu, this is unquestionably a huge haul. The value of it can even be said to be higher than the gold and all the other gains from the battle put together.


    With those 20+ talent points, he''ll be able to activate both of his remaining level 1 Talents.


    [You''ve activated the level 1 Talent "Dragon Fear"!]


    [You''ve activated the level 1 Talent "Beginner Anti-Magic"!]


    [All level 1 Talents activated. Level up conditions satisfied!]


    Zhang Nu could clearly feel that, after activating all his talents, every cell in his body was evolving and releasing a huge amount of energy.


    [Level up sessful!]


    [MP +400, HP +200, Strength +20, Agility +40, Constitution +20, Will +40. Physical damage resistance +30%. Dragon me skill effect +100%. Abyssal Lightning skill effect +100%, Dragon Fear area of effect +100%...]


    After the level up, all his stats increased.


    His various skills have also been buffed a great deal.


    Of course, the stats for draconian form and dragon form are different.


    Zhang Nu is currently in his draconian form. That''s why his MP increase was higher than his HP increase. If he was in his dragon form, then his HP would definitely be higher than his MP.


    The same for all his other stats.


    Zhang Nu hurriedly opened up his status menu.


    Name: Zhang Nu.


    Level: 2.


    Race: Abyssal Dragon (Demon King race).


    Base Stats: 400 HP, 800 MP, 40 Strength, 80 Agility, 40 Constitution, 80 Will.


    Level 1 Talents: Abyssal Draconian, Dragon me, Dragon Fear, Lightning Control, Beginner Anti-Magic.


    Level 2 Talents: Adamantine Dragon Body (Inactive), Abyssal Devouring (Inactive), Hell Thunderme (Inactive), Medium Anti-Magic (Inactive)


    Other Skills: Healing (d rank).


    Talent points: 3.


    There are four level 2 Talents.


    Every one of them are extremely powerful.


    However, each costs 200 talent points to activate.


    The activation difficulty is over 10 times what it was before!


    A level 1 Hero will only offer 2-4 talent points. He''ll have to kill dozens for each activation.


    Level 2 Heroes will generally offer over 20 Talent points. It will only take killing a few of those to activate a Talent.


    Zhang Nu also checked over the effects of the two new Talents that he had activated, [Dragon Fear] and [Beginner Anti-Magic].


    [Dragon Fear], Talent skill. Costs 50 MP. The instant Dragon Fear is activated, it will deal a powerful mental attack against all targets within a 1000 meter radius. Targets struck will be dazed or stunned, and all stats will be decreased for a certain time period... Skill cooldown time of five minutes.


    That''s really powerful!


    It''s a superrge area of effect mass crowd control (CC) skill.


    Not only does Dragon Fear have a CC effect, it can also do quite a bit of damage against weaker enemies while at the same time having an intimidation and debuff effect.


    [Beginner Anti-Magic], Talent skill. Reduce the effect of D rank or lower elemental magic attacks or debuffs against the user by 99%.


    Beginner Anti-Magic is pretty useful as well.


    From now on, any magic attack that''s D rank or lower is basicallypletely ineffective against Zhang Nu. It wouldn''t be able to do any damage no matter the quantity.


    For the five level 1 Talents, they can do CC, defense, long range attacks, and even transformation.


    When Zhang Nu activated all five abilities and sessfully leveled to level 2, both his durability andbat power greatly increased.


    The gains from this battle truly is something.


    Besides the gains of the Hero''s Souls, he also got a skill stone.


    [War Trample], E rank skill. Costs 20 MP to cause powerful trampling damage. Additional chance to stun nearby targets. Skill effect increases with the Strength stat.


    This is also a pretty decent skill.


    In his dragon form, Zhang Nu''s strength is quite amazing. This close range skill will help increase hisbat power, so he learned it without hesitation.


    The Demon King''s level up also has a great effect on the territory as well.


    Zhang Nu had unlocked several new unit types.


    [High draconianborers]. Level 2 Normal. Created by leveling up normal draconianborers. Each level up costs 50 gold.


    [High draconian soldiers]. Level 2 Elite. Created by leveling up draconian soldiers. Each level up costs 1000 gold.


    The two new units aren''tpletely new units.


    Rather, they''re simply leveled up versions of the two already existing units.


    They can''t be directly summoned. Instead, they must be leveled up from existing level 1borers and soldiers. Their abilities are far stronger than that of their lessers in every way though.


    Besides those two, there are threepletely new units.


    [Draconian battlemage]. Level 2 Elite. An exceptionally talented existence among draconian soldiers. Not only do they have powerful melee capabilities, they also have powerful magicalbat abilities as well. Costs 2000 gold to summon.


    [Draconian general]. Level 2 Lord. Themander of draconian soldiers. They have even strongerbat and leadership abilities. One can be summoned for every 500 soldiers or 50 high soldiers. Costs 15000 gold to summon.


    [Draconian priest]. Level 2 Lord. An exceptionally talented member of the draconian race. They have great intellect and powerful magical abilities. One can be summoned for every 3000 total draconians. Costs 30000 gold to summon.

 Chapter 30

    What shocked Zhang Nu the most about those three new units is the fact that the draconian general and draconian priest are both level 2 Lords!


    What does a level 2 Lord mean exactly? It means that their might likely far outstrips even the Millennium Grudge Tree in the Mine of Sorrows!


    They''re more than enough to sweep away the vast majority of Demon Kings and Heroes right now, and they''re merely his summoned minions!


    That''s seriously terrifying!


    Of course, a level 2 Lord isn''t all that easy to summon.


    The fact that they''re expensive is only one aspect of it. They also have additional requirements.


    The ratio of draconian generals to normal soldiers has to be at least 1:500.


    The ratio of draconian priests to the total draconian poption has to be at least 1:3000.


    Although the draconian poption of his territory is constantly increasing, right now he only has less than 300 draconian soldiers. His total draconian poption only just broke 1000 as well. Therefore, he hasn''t reached the requirements for summoning them yet.


    After a nce at his current gold reserves, he noted that he only has about 20,000 gold right now, which isn''t enough to expand his draconian soldiers to 500.


    Of course, it''s also not enough to level 50 of them into high soldiers either.


    As for raising the total draconian poption to over 3000?


    Even if it was possible, it would end up being a terrible burden on his territory. Given how much draconians eat, 3000 draconians are basically equivalent to 3000 bottomless pits.


    Although Zhang Nu does have the goblin farms built on his Spirit Fields, he would rather keep using this money tree for a bit longer and umte some more savings first.


    All he can do now is to take things slowly, one step at a time.


    The newest crop of potatoes has just been harvested, so the food stores are very full.


    Zhang Nu took 200,000 pound out and organized them by 100 pounds per share into 2,000 shares, and ced them into the trade area at 10 gold per share, same as before.


    At this point, there are also other Demon Kings who are setting up their own Spirit Fields.


    Demon King yers'' food production capabilities are continuously rising.


    Even so, the Demon Kings'' standing armies are expanding even faster. Plus, those other Demon Kings who have Spirit Fields like Zhang Nu are also limited by theck ofbor forces, so their productivity has a hard time matching that of Zhang Nu''s.


    In the current trade market, the biggest trade good is food.


    The food demands of Demon King yers have not lessened at all.


    By now, Zhang Nu has already made something of a reputation for himself, so the moment he ced the giga potatoes up for sale, it immediately gave rise to a discussion in the chats.


    "Hey, everyone, look!"


    "The Potato Demon King''s back online!"


    "Man''s got game. 2000 shares of giga potatoes in one go!"


    "Boss Zhang''s amazing! Does anyone know what race he is?"


    "The Potato Demon King has always been really mysterious. He rarely shows himself in the chat menu, and he has also hidden his prefix. Thus, no one knows much about him at all."


    "Well duh. The man''s busy everyday nting potatoes and getting rich. He''s not like you unprofessional ckers who only know to skive off work to y around in the chats!"


    "I''m guessing that he''s a nt type Demon King like a dryad or treant, with bonuses to nting. How else could he produce so much food?"


    "Duh! He must be a nt creature of some kind!"


    "..."


    That bunch of unprofessional Demon Kings instantly started gossiping about Zhang Nu''s race.


    There''s all kinds of wild guesses everywhere, and no one could convince anyone else. The onlymon consensus made is: This food mogul isn''t from a race that''s very powerfulbatively.


    Demon Kings aren''t just natural enemies with Heroes.


    There are lots of conflicts between Demon Kings as well.


    Given how much money that the Potato Demon King has been earning, it was certain to draw greedy eyes from all around.


    Wouldn''t it end up attracting lots of trouble if he ends up getting recognized by nearby Demon Kings then?


    Without a doubt, there''s definitely quite a few guys in the chat menu currently trying to gather information about him with no good motives.


    That said, they were all overthinking things.


    The reason why Zhang Nu hid his race wasn''t because hecked confidence in himself.


    He''s just used to keeping a low profile, that''s all.


    Zhang Nu is definitely wary of major native powers of note, but he has no reason to shrink away from other Demon Kings. Anyone who tries toe attack his Darkness Valley is just looking to die!


    At that moment, he got a private message.


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "Hey, Mr. Potatoes. You there?"


    Zhang Nu frowned deeply at the sight of that title.


    He''s the freaking abyssal dragon king here. He just happens to be selling some potatoes, that''s all.


    He didn''t know just when it started, but he ended up getting a crappy title of "Potato Demon King" before he knew it.


    Zhang Nu did remember the Subus Queen.


    She had traded a blueprint for an enormous amount of food before.


    Recently, she''s been buying food from Zhang Nu quite a bit.


    Zhang Nu could estimate from his food sales that this particr Demon King''s army is quite something to behold. This one is definitely a very powerful Demon King.


    Zhang Nu: "Yeah!"


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "I''ve got two new blueprints here. Interested?"


    Zhang Nu: "Selling blueprints again? The blueprint drop rate wherever you are seems quite high."


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "Sigh, don''t remind me. This ce I''m at ispletely deste. It doesn''t even have anynd that can be farmed. It''s hard just getting enough food to get by, so it''s all I can do to sell some blueprint to maintain basic living standards."


    Zhang Nu immediately replied: "What kind of blueprints? Let me see first!"


    [Blueprint: Dark Prison]. Costs earth gem x1, wood x100, stone x150, gold x1000. You can construct a prison in your territory.


    [Blueprint: Tower of Fog]. Costs water gem x1, wood x100, stone 100, gold x800. You can construct a Tower of Fog in your territory.


    Zhang Nu: "They''re not bad. Set a price!"


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "180k pounds of potatoes for them both."


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "Hey, I''m making this clear first, but I''m not thatcking in food now, so don''t try to bargain me down now!"


    Zhang Nu: "Don''t say such things. You''re already an old client, so let''s all just be more honest here. 120k pounds is more like it."


    Subus Queen Han Kexin grinded her teeth hatefully: "You''re seriouslycking in chivalry, being so stingy towards a girl like me!"


    Zhang Nu: "How can you use the word stingy in this kind of business? We''re trading in such bulk amounts after all."


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "Hmph! 150k. Final offer. It''s not like my blueprints can''t be sold elsewhere. Heck, it might even rise in price if I hold onto it for a while!"


    Zhang Nu: "Alright, deal. I''ll let you take advantage of me this time. If you have any more good blueprints in the future, make sure to show it to me first!"

 Chapter 31

    The two of them finished their exchange and Zhang Nu got his blueprints.


    Those are two support type structures.


    Dark Prison. Exactly as the name suggests, it''s a prison. From a certain point of view, it too is one of the things that a Demon King''s territory has to have.


    The Tower of Fog. This structure can release a field of fog. Although it doesn''t have any actualbat applications, it can obscure one''s territory and make it hard for enemies to do any monitoring.


    They''re pretty good stuff.


    They were quite worth it for Zhang Nu.


    What he gave Han Kexin was the potatoes he had in storage, so it doesn''t affect his sale of potatoes in the trade menu.


    After around 20 minutes or so, all the potatoes were sold out.


    They sold for 20k gold in total. Minus the trading fees, what ended up in his hands in the end was 19k gold. Thus, his current gold savings total around 40k or so.


    He first spent 10k gold, picked 10 soldiers, and had them head over to the Altar to be promoted into high soldiers.


    Zhang Nu watched as the ten draconians were enveloped by light. When they finally came down from the Altar, they''ve changed a great deal from top to bottom.


    The draconian soldiers were a good sizerger. All the scales on their bodies turned darker and more sturdy. Their simple spears have also turned into a wider ded polearm.


    [High draconian soldier]. Level 2 Elite unit. 180 HP, 50 MP, 15 Strength, 12 Constitution, 18 Agility, 9 Will. Loyalty 100% (Locked). Tiredness 10%. Hunger 10%.


    Skills: Ragin Dragon Qi (D rank), Draconic Blood Awakening (D rank), Demi-dragon Scales (D rank), Spear Stab (E rank), Magic Resistance (E rank), High Speed Healing (E rank)...


    The change is enormous.


    The high soldiers'' stats are more than double that of the normal soldiers.


    Besides that, they also gainedbat skills like the Raging Dragon Qi as well as several other new skills. They gained quite a few skills, even just counting the E rank skills.


    Although they can''t reallypare to the Millennium Grudge Tree, that particr monster is among the most powerful of level 1 Lords.


    However, the high soldiers do have the ability to match up against some weaker level 1 Lords.


    Zhang Nu is already extremely satisfied. After all, the soldiers are merely the basicbat units. Thus, what''s there to be dissatisfied with when they''re already this strong?


    If he assembles up to 50 high soldiers, he can even summon up a draconian general too.


    Zhang Nu ten spent 20k gold to summon up 10 battlemages.


    10 strange figures walked out from the Demon King Altar. All of them are strong and tough looking draconians, but they were wearing mage robes with a shield on their left arm and a spiked hammer in their right hand.


    Are they really mages?


    Zhang Nu checked their information.


    [Draconian battlemage]. Level 2 Elite unit. 100 HP, 150 MP, 9 Strength, 10 Constitution, 12 Agility, 20 will. Loyalty 100% (Locked), Tiredness 10%, Hunger 10%.


    Skills: zing Hammer (D rank), Freezing Hammer (D rank), Whirlwind Hammer (D rank), Combined Chanting (D rank), Shield of the Mind (E rank), Chain Fireball (E rank), Earth Spike (E rank)...


    No wonder they''re called battlemages.


    They really are a unit filled with interesting features.


    Mage units are generally rtively fragile, but draconian battlemages gopletely against that generalization.


    If a draconian battlemage and a high soldier were to fight in their best condition, then the one to live in the end will definitely be the battlemage. Theirbat power is a lot higher than even the high soldiers.


    Draconian battlemages have very high one on onebat abilities.


    At the same time, they also have the features of a mage.


    Draconian battlemages have the Combined Chanting skill, which lets them cast magic inbination on the battlefield. Thus, they won''t lose out even against a real mage squad.


    With 20 level 2 Elites, the territory''sbat strength has clearly increased.


    Zhang Nu still had over 10k gold, but he didn''t n on spending it just yet. A portion of it needs to be reserved for the structures with upkeep costs like the House of Skeletons, Towers of Grudges, and Spirit Fields. Another portion is set aside for constructing the prison and Tower of Fog.


    Of course, the construction of said structures needs to wait a bit, since there are a few more important things to take care of first.


    "Master!"


    "The cleanup of the battlefield isplete!"


    "The minotaur prisoners have been ced under control!"


    The demon subjugation army that Zhao Lei had led waspletely wiped out. This is something that the Bloodhoof tribe will discover sooner orter, but in order to avoid the remnants running away ahead of time, it''s best to first conquer the tribe right away!


    The rewards for a level 2 Elite zone is definitely not small.


    For the sake of efficiency, Zhang Nu only took the 20 new units, 10 high soldiers and 10 battlemages, with him.


    He headed out first and looked down upon thends below from the sky.


    One message after another popped up.


    [Giant Frog Swamp]. Level 1 Normal zone... Rtively low exploration value.


    [Monster Mountains]. Level 1 Elite zone. Medium exploration value.


    [Tiger and Bear Forest]. Level 1 Elite zone... Medium exploration value.


    [Kobold Cave]. Level 1 Elite zone... Rtively high exploration value.


    [...]


    Zhang Nu passed through like so.


    There really were a lot of zones and factions nearby.


    He personally managed to identify nearly a hundred different zones.


    That said, most of them are merely normal zones with the asional Elite zones. Besides that, wild zones are far moremon than viges or tribes. It''s only natural though, given how thinly popted this area is.


    Still, every little bit counts.


    All of them are hidden resources for him!


    Still, he''s not after them this time.


    Zhang Nu patrolled the areas near the Darkness Vally for about an hour before he finally discovered a very well camouged mountain base.


    [Bloodhoof Tribe]. Level 2 Elite zone. This is a minotaur tribe. Although it''s not particrlyrge, it''s very strong in terms of power. It holds about 800-900 adult minotaurs... High exploration value. Possible Rewards: Bronze Chest, minotaur goods.


    Found it!

 Chapter 32

    Inside the Bloodhoof tribe.


    Su Yan repeatedly observed the encampment.


    Zhao Lei had drawn away nearly 80-90% of thebat worthy forces for his attack on the Demon King of Darkness Valley, so right now, the Bloodhoof tribe is rather empty of fighters.


    Su Yan is about 60-70% confident that she can escape.


    This is her only chance, but even so, she hesitated.


    Su Yan was somewhat worried over her fellow tribemates. Even though it''s only been a bit over half a month since she arrived in this world, she still had some feelings toward those fox-kin vigers.


    If she ran away on her own, then there''s no way that those people would be able to live long in the face of Zhao Lei''s anger.


    This time, after Zhao Lei sessfully subjugates the Demon King, his power and influence are certain to increase enormously. In the future, he may very well be a famous great Hero within the Forest. If she ends up making an enemy of him, then wouldn''t he try to take revenge on herter on?


    Just as she was hesitating over the matter, a sudden roar rang out over the sky above the encampment.


    Su Ying raised her head to look and her pupils suddenly shrank to pinpricks in shock and disbelief.


    There was an enormous dragon over 15 meters in length there. Its dark gold scales shone coldly under the moonlight, giving off a sense of utter imprability and filling the air with the majesty and might of a king.


    "Dragon!"


    "It''s a dragon!"


    "Why is there a dragon here?"


    "Get out the weapons! Quick, get out the weapons!"


    The minotaur warriors all took out their javelins and the minotaur priest hurriedly readied their spells. The various defensive emcements of the encampment such as the giant ballistas were quickly brought to readiness.


    Su Yan saw all this, but didn''t concern herself with any of that.


    Instead, she took advantage of the chaos to open up all the cages, "Girls, run away, quickly!"


    Before she could unlock the shackles though, the dragon had already reached right above the encampment and let out a majestic yet wrathful roar.


    A formless wave filled with power swept through the area.


    Su Yan just felt like someone took a hammer to her head. She was seeing stars, lost control of her limbs and senses, and was cast into the dazed status.


    A relevant message popped up in her yer menu.


    [You''ve been attacked by Dragon Fear!]


    [You took -8 HP. You''re inflicted with the dazed status for 4 seconds. Your stats have been suppressed and lowered by 30% for 10 minutes!]


    When Su Yan woke back up, the dozens of fox-kin vigers had all copsed onto the ground,pletely unconscious.


    What happened?


    Was this a mental attack?


    How could such a powerful mental attack exist!


    It didn''t just affect them either. The entire encampment was covered by it and the minotaurs were also struck down without exception. She had never even heard of such terrible power.


    The dragon had already reached them under the cover of the Dragon Fear and had breathed a circle of dragon me surrounding the encampment before anything else.


    It easily destroyed the archery towers, fencing, ballista, walls, and other defensive structures. Then, with another st of fire, it burned the chief''s tent to ash.


    When the minotaurs came back to themselves, they charged at the dragon, unafraid of death.


    The result of such actions, however, was that they were either burned to ash by Dragon me or blown away by lightning.


    The Abyssal Dragon''s enormous body stomped down on the burnt structures like a demon god that crawled out of hell itself, terrifying all of the minotaurs nearby.


    Su Yan was also utterly shocked.


    Why is a legendary being like that here of all ces?


    Just how did the minotaurs manage to provoke such a terrifying enemy?


    "It''s too strong!"


    "The chief''s not here!"


    "We can''t possibly win against it!"


    The minotaurs were greatly intimidated by the Dragon Fear and fully realized the enormous difference in power between them. Thus, they had lost all will to fight and started to copse one after another.


    One minotaur among them managed to escape to the entrance of the encampment, but a Whirlwind Hammer blew his head to smithereens.


    The encampment originally had tons of traps and rms set around its surroundings, but since most of them were destroyed by the dragon''s assault, the invaders were able to make it through easily.


    Their numbers aren''t that high, being only 20 in total.


    Ten were wrapped in Qi, armed with ded polearms and were stunningly quick. They moved like lightning, constantly stabbing out over and over, and not a single minotaur managed to escape from them.


    The other ten had active magic shields. The warhammers in their hands were mighty beyond measure. This is also in addition to their magical attack power, able to strike any enemy no matter the distance, preventing anyone from being able to escape them.


    The dragon caused widespread destruction.


    Its 20 subordinates sealed off the exit.


    They were obviously intent on leaving no survivors whatsoever!


    The dragon however suddenly spoke up, "You insignificant, foolish, and overconfident creatures dared to attack my territory. Have you already prepared yourselves to receive my wrath in turn?!"


    A draconian high soldier tossed something over.


    Su Yan and the minotaurs were all in shock. The thing tossed over was a head, and it wasn''t just any head, but the head of the minotaur chief, Zhao Lei!


    In other words, the demon subjugation army was defeated!


    Thus, the dragon''s identity is also obvious now.


    The minotaurs finally realized just why such a mighty dragon would attack a little tribe like theirs... It''s all their overconfident chief''s fault!


    The minotaurs hurriedly kneeled and begged for mercy.


    "Mercy!"


    "This has nothing to do with us!"


    "Ever since the Chief imed to have been chosen by destiny, he did a lot of things we can''t understand like he had gone insane!"


    "There''s no way that we would dare to make an enemy of a great being like you. Please have mercy and forgive us!"


    "We are willing to submit!"


    The minotaurs had all their courage utterly crushed by the dragon''s Dragon Fear and their hopes werepletely demolished by the draconian''s fearsome might. Thus, their only choice was to prostrate themselves and surrender.


    At this moment though, the one in the greatest despair wasn''t the minotaurs.


    The minotaurs at least have a chance at surviving with their surrender.


    Su Yan was certain that she''ll be killed regardless of whether she surrendered or not. Even if the dragon decided to show mercy to everyone there, it would still have no reason to let her off.


    It''s because Heroes and Demon Kings are natural, non-negotiable enemies.

 Chapter 33

    [145 minotaurs have surrendered to you!]


    [You''ve conquered the Bloodhoof tribe. You gained a Bronze Treasure Chest!]


    Zhang Nu was quite satisfied with the results here.


    He had caught over 200 minotaurs previously. Add that to the 100 or so minotaurs that he gained here, hisbor force for his mine is finally taking shape.


    Just as Zhang Nu was getting ready to finish cleaning up, his gaze suddenly shifted slightly and fell onto one particr minotaur. Then, his lips shifted into a cold smirk.


    He simply flicked a finger.


    A scarlet bolt shed.


    That minotaur was sted out from the crowd.


    Her form quickly shrunk and turned into a fox-kin girl. She waspletely charred and was only barely still breathing from where she fell.


    "Ho? So there is still a Hero here?"


    Zhang Nu was more specialized for meleebat in dragon form, so the power of his magic type skills aren''t as powerful as they are in his draconian form.


    If not for that, given that Hero''s abilities, there''s no way that she could have survived even a casual blow like that.


    Zhang Nu was quite curious about the Hero''s appearance though.


    She''s obviously a fox-kin, so why was she here in a minotaur tribe? Plus, her Talent is quite special as well.


    Among Heroes, those who have Talents are beyond rare.


    A Hero''s Talent will grow and evolve as they grow stronger.


    Su Yan gained a Talent called "High Grade Transformation". She can turn herself into any target or race that she has seen.


    Although it''s just a surface level transformation, the disguising aspect of it ispletely perfect.


    She was probably trying to mix in with the surrendered minotaurs in order to find a chance to escape.


    Not even Zhang Nu''s dragon eyes can see through it at his current level. The reason why he was able to see through her identity as a Hero is all because he saw her information popup through his appraisal.


    Zhang Nu extended his w and instantly held the struggling Su Yan down.


    Before the enormous dragon, she was like a mere ant.


    She hurriedly and panickedly spoke, "Mercy, boss. Don''t kill me!"


    Zhang Nu grinned and asked curiously, "You''re a Hero and I''m a Demon King. For what reason do you think I should spare you?"


    Su Yan hurriedly spoke, "I have a reason why you shouldn''t kill me!"


    Zhang Nu was somewhat surprised, "Oh? Is that so? Tell me then. However, you''ll only have one chance. If I''m not satisfied with your reason..."


    As he spoke, Zhang Nu started breathing out hints of Dragon me from his mouth.


    Su Yan sweated profusely.


    What to do?


    She''s dead for sure now!


    She has to quickly think of a reason why she should be kept alive!


    But what reason can she give?


    Money? Or maybe seduction? Aren''t those all useless though!


    Su Yan nced at Zhao Lei''s head, still on the ground.


    In that instant, she remembered Zhao Lei''s actions as well as the words he said to her before, and a light bulb lit up in her head.


    Zhang Nu spoke, "Have you thought of one yet? I''ll give you three more seconds!"


    Su Yan hurriedly replied, "I can coborate with you!"


    Zhang Nu didn''t actually intend to leave her alive.


    He was just curious as to how low this girl was willing to go for the sake of survival, or what kind ofughable reason she mighte up with.


    He never expected her to bring up coboration.


    A weakling of a Hero wants to coborate with a powerful Demon King?


    Su Yan hurriedly followed up, "I was caught and imprisoned here by Zhao Lei, so I''m actually enemies with him. Thus, even if we''re in different camps, we don''t necessarily have to be enemies!"


    She felt her thought processes clear up as she spoke.


    "Boss, think about it. The only reason you have to kill me is for the rewards, but with me as weak as I am, it''s basically not even worth mentioning. Given that, just how much reward do you think I can yield?"


    "If you let me go and agree to coborate with me, then I''d be able to do a lot of things that you''d find difficult via my status as a Hero..."


    "Like gathering information from other Heroes, or helping to spread misinformation to lure more Heroes to your nest."


    "Wouldn''t it be far more worth it to kill them than me?"


    Su Yan had finished her speech.


    Given so little time, this was the most convincing reason that she could think of.


    If not even this was enough to buy back her life, then she really was fated to die here.


    "Huh. Your words do seem a bit interesting!"


    Who says Heroes and Demon Kings can''t work together?


    This Su Yan is pitifully weak, so killing her might yield two talent points at most.


    What could two measly talent points do for him at this point?


    However, if she could help him trick some Heroes intoing for him, especially if they''re Heroes over level 1, then just killing any one of them will end up being far more worth it than just killing her here and now!


    Of course, there''s no way that Zhang Nu could trust her with just a few words like that.


    No matter how it is, she is still a Hero after all.


    They''re naturally on opposing sides and a Demon King like Zhang Nu can be considered a priceless treasure for any Hero.


    They''d be able to practically reach the top just by killing him alone.


    Zhang Nu released her from his ws and ordered, "Take her back with us!"


    Su Yan had managed to escape death for now.


    He''ll first drag her back and imprison her for the time being.


    As for whether he''s going to kill her or work with her in the future, that''s something that he''s going to have to think and n about first.


    Not long after, the other fox-kin were also discovered.


    Those fox-kin also showed their willingness to offer their loyalties.


    Fox-kin don''t generally have any special abilities, but they are fairly intelligent. The Castle doesck some servants, and it''s not like it would cost that much to keep a few dozen fox-kin alive, so he just took them along.


    Finally, Zhang Nu opened up the chest.


    [You''ve opened a Bronze Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "gold" x4000, "Blueprint: Minotaur Encampment" x1, "Strength Crystal" x1]


    He managed to get a blueprint!


    The blueprint he got this time is no ordinary one either.


    It seems like something like the "House of Bones" that he got way back when. It''s a unit production structure, one that seems like it unlocks the summoning for minotaur units!

 Chapter 34

    [Blueprint: Minotaur Camp]. Costs life gem x1, wood x200, stone x200, gold x1000. You can construct a Minotaur Camp in your territory.


    [Strength Crystal]. Consume for permanent strength +10!


    There was a crystal along with the blueprint.


    It can raise strength by 10 points.


    This is no small number.


    Zhang Nu has 40 strength in his draconian form.


    1 point of strength is equivalent to about five or six healthy adult humans.


    This means that 10 more points of strength is equivalent to a gain of 50 or so healthy adult men.


    Such an increase is significant even for Zhang Nu.


    This is the first time that he has gained a status crystal.


    It wasn''t hard to see just how valuable this kind of item is.


    Zhang Nu grasped the crystal and absorbed it. He felt a warmth spread out through his entire body, infusing each and every cell with new power.


    After returning, Zhang Nu immediately started doing some construction.


    Right now, he has three blueprints on hand: Dark Prison, Tower of Fog and Minotaur Camp. Thus, he needs quite a bit of construction materials.


    The Dark Prison''s core material is the earth gem, the Tower of Fog''s core material is the water gem, and the Minotaur Camp''s core material is the life gem.


    Zhang Nu only has a single water gem.


    It was one of the gems that he got from the Darkness Ruins.


    As for the earth and life gem, he doesn''t have any right now, so he can only buy it from other Demon Kings via the trade.


    Zhang Nu first set the Tower of Fog near the Castle.


    [Tower of Fog]. Creates a fog barrier covering the entire territory. Enemy vision -90% within the barrier and it can resist long distance observation magic.


    This is a defensive structure simr to the Tower of Grudges.


    The Tower of Fog doesn''t have anybat abilities. Its main function is to act as cover and disruption, covering the entire territory with ayer of fog.


    This fog is made of magic, so it only takes effect against outsider units.


    Zhang Nu and the units of his territory won''t be affected at all. Not only will they not see any fog, their vision will always remainpletely normal and clear.


    If any outsider tries to observe from afar using long distance scouting abilities, their vision will be blocked by the mist, rendering thempletely unable to make out the Demon King Territory''s setup or military strength.


    Any outsider who enters the valley will also be affected by the Tower of Fog. Their vision will be greatly restricted by the fog, making it easy for them to get lost within the fog.


    Simply put, the Tower of Fog is basically a jammer.


    It can hide the setup and secrets of the territory, so from a certain perspective, its value is even higher than some defensive structures.


    Of course, the operation of the Tower of Fog does cost upkeep. However, it''s only a few dozen gold a day, so this amount is next to nothing to Zhang Nu.


    At this moment, Zhang Nu received several private messages.


    Bloody Giant Wang Shi: "Bro, I got all the gems that you want!"


    Wasn''t this the guy who sold him the darkness gem a few days ago?


    Zhang Nu: "You again? You got quite a lot of gems huh?"


    Bloody Giant Wang Shi: "Hehe. The ce where I''m at does contain a lot of gems. That said, it all needs to be obtained by risking my life. It''s not easy making a living you know."


    Zhang Nu: "Stop it with the pitiful act. Just tell me how much you want for them!"


    Bloody Giant Wang Shi: "Bro, you name a price then. If it''s suitable, then I''ll make the trade right away. I''m quite a straightforward guy, you know!"


    That guy''s learned some smarts, getting Zhang Nu to make the opening bid.


    Zhang Nu didn''t waste his words: "Earth gem for 500 gold, life gem for 1000 gold. 1500 gold total!"


    This price is pretty fair. It''s actually even slightly higher than the actual market price.


    Zhang Nu simply didn''t care to drag this on back and forth for just a few pieces of gold here.


    Wang Shi didn''t waste any time either and the two immediately made the trade.


    Bloody Giant Wang Shi: "Bro, I''ve got lots of all kinds of gems here. If you need any in the future, you can try contacting me first!"


    Zhang Nu: "No problem!"


    After collecting all the other materials, Zhang Nu built the dark prison near the Demon King Castle.


    [Dark Prison]. Can imprison level 1 and 2 units. All sessfully imprisoned targets will receive -95% to all stats and all their skills will be sealed.


    Zhang Nu personally headed into the prison to look it over.


    The prison was bigger than he had imagined. There were 50 enormous jail cells, with each being around the size of a basketball court. There''d be no problem with locking ten elephants in each one.


    The most important bit though is that the prisones with a sealing effect.


    All level 1 and 2 targets, no matter how strong they are, will end up unable to use any skills at all when they''re imprisoned. Plus, all their stats will be weakened by 95%.


    It''s basically impossible for them to escape!


    The Hero Su Yan gained the honor of being the first prisoner for the Prison.


    Zhang Nu hasn''t quite decided on what to do with her yet.


    There''s no point in killing such a weak Hero, but it''s also wasteful to just release her.


    It''s true that killing her won''t yield him much reward.


    As for working together, Zhang Nu was a bit tempted, but he still can''t fully trust her. Thus, the only choice is to first lock her up for a couple of days and deal with her after taking care of some other things.


    The Minotaur Camp is next.


    The Minotaur Camp costs a lot of materials, but thankfully, his territory has more than enough resources and he is flushed with gold ie. After he got the life gem, he immediately began construction.


    As for the location, Zhang Nu selected the Mine of Sorrows.


    This Mine of Sorrows is an enormous iron mine that yields all kinds of high quality iron ore. It''s extremely valuable for both territory construction and equipment forging.


    Minotaurs have strength on par with draconians, but their stamina is even better than draconians, so they''re more suitable for mining work.


    Besides that, minotaurs are skilled at smelting and they have fairly good talent at smithing, so they can create a lot of value for the territory in the future.


    [Minotaur Camp sessfully constructed!]


    [New units unlocked for the territory: Minotaurs!]


    [Minotaur priests unit limit +50. Minotaur warriors unit limit +500!]

 Chapter 35

    New units have been unlocked.


    [Minotaur warrior]. Level 1 Normal. Cost 20 gold to summon.


    [Minotaur priest]. Level 1 Elite. Costs 200 gold to summon.


    Although minotaur warriors are level 1 Normal units, minotaurs themselves have strong racial abilities, so their fighting power is by no means weak.


    Each minotaur is capable of taking on five skeleton soldiers.


    Minotaur priests are magic units, so they''re even more valuable.


    Zhang Nu summoned up 100 minotaur warriors and 10 minotaur priests.


    [Minotaur warrior]. Level 1 Normal unit. Skills: Charge (F rank), Heavy Hammer (Ff rank), Smelting lv3, Forging lv2.


    [Minotaur priest]. Level 1 Elite unit. Skills: Recovery (E rank), Endurance Aura (E rank), Fireball (F rank), Bless Weapon (F rank).


    "Hail, my lord!"


    10 minotaurs in priest robes and 100 tall and strong looking minotaur warriors wielding hammers respectfully knelt down before Zhang Nu.


    Minotaurs are natural born warriors.


    At the same time, they also have production skills.


    They''re bothbat and production units, with dual functionalities, so Zhang Nu is quite satisfied with them.


    As for the minotaur priests, their magic attack capabilities are weaker than the skeleton mages, but they have great supportive capabilities instead.


    Recovery can rapidly restore their target''s stamina.


    Endurance Aura is an aura type skill. When active, it can affect all targets within arge area of effect, greatly increasing those targets'' physical and mental endurance.


    This is something with great uses.


    Be it the draconian construction crews, goblin farms, or minotaur mines, any of them will end up a great deal more productive with a few minotaur priests setting up shifts to support them.


    Zhang Nu gave out his orders, "Your current task is to repair the mine, work it, and smelt the ores to provide my territory with enough materials.


    "Yes, my lord!"


    Zhang Nu also nned on sending the several hundred minotaurs he previously captured over there as well.


    A minotaur is capable of doing the work of over ten humans. Thus, even just 300 doing mining and nearly 100 taking care of the smelting will end up producing several thousand units of iron ingots every day. Not only will that be enough to satisfy the territory''s daily needs, but it also has the potential to be a major source of ie for the territory in the future.


    Although it doesn''t quitepare to the food sales right now, its potential in the long term shouldn''t be any lesser.


    Currently, the territory''s ie is too dependent on food sales. If something unexpected were to happen to cause a shift in the market, then it could easily cause financial problems for him. Thus, it''s very much necessary to diversify his businesses.


    The minotaurs busied themselves and turned the ce into a new production area.


    Just as Zhang Nu was busy setting the minotaurs up with their work though.


    "Alert!"


    "Your territory is being invaded!"


    "Your goblin has been in!"


    "Your goblin has been in!"


    Zhang Nu suddenly got some notifications that made him react with rm. For some strange reason, his territory is suddenly under attack.


    Is it Heroes?


    It shouldn''t be though.


    Zhang Nu had set up five Towers of Grudges in the Canyon. Plus, they just had a major battle there, so a great deal of the undead armies still haven''t been pulled back yet.


    Given that situation, there''s no way that a Hero could get through.


    Since his subordinates haven''t discovered any invaders ahead of time, then there''s only one possibility left... The invaders never went through the Canyon in the first ce.


    Based on the messages, two of his goblins died, which means that the ce under attack should be the goblin farms.


    Zhang Nu didn''t dare to take this lightly.


    The farms are his critical financial lifeline right now.


    If they''re destroyed, then it will end up greatly affecting his development and expansion.


    Zhang Nu rushed to the farms, but by the time he arrived, the battle seemed to already be over, given that he didn''t discover any enemies on site.


    The goblins had already hidden themselves in their houses.


    A squad of soldiers guarding the farms were currently alertly watching the skies like they''re on guard against something.


    "What happened?"


    Zhang Nunded before them.


    A draconian soldier hurried replied, "My lord, there was an enemy attack, but we have already chased them off."


    "What are the losses?"


    The draconian soldier answered, "Three goblins were killed in the chaos. Also, some of the recently harvested giga potatoes were stolen."


    Zhang Nu nodded.


    The losses looked to be light.


    Thank goodness that Zhang Nu was cautious enough to have made sure to set up a permanent squad of soldiers to guard the farms even when the Canyon was heavily defended.


    "Is this the invader?"


    The strange creature in question looked like a giant bat, only with a humanoid body. It''s about 1.5 meters in height, with blood red eyes and sharp teeth.


    Zhang Nu examined it, and his cheat quickly brought up a message popup.


    [Vampire bat soldier] (deceased). Level 1 Normal. Skills: Blood Suck (F rank), Supersonic Detection (F rank).


    Description: This is a low level monster that normally lives underground. It appeared above ground now due to a nearby Demon King''s summoning. Although it''s not strong inbat, it does have very good flight and detection capabilities.


    Based on the information here, this is the subordinate of a Demon King.


    A minor minion with flight and detection abilities.


    No wonder it was able to avoid the Canyon and enter the Valley directly.


    Most likely, the Tower of Fog had disrupted the vampire bat soldier''s detection abilities and made it so that it never managed to reach the Castle. Thus, it ended up taking the goblin farms as the core of Zhang Nu''s nest.


    This little incident can''t really be called an invasion, being at most a minor irritation.


    The losses from it are so minor that it might as well be nothing.


    Even so, such actions will unquestionably make one irritated.


    It''s one thing if it was a Hero, but for a Demon King to try their luck as well?


    Zhang Nu was never one to take one lying down.


    He rubbed at his chin and thought it over for a bit before suddenly thinking of a great idea for dealing with this problem.

 Chapter 36

    Su Yan was crouched down in the prison.


    Her eyes were unfocused and lifeless.


    Suddenly, a mighty figure walked in.


    Su Yan immediately started objecting, "I can''t take it anymore. I''d rather you just kill me rather than keeping me imprisoned like this."


    The Demon King calmly replied, "Don''t get excited now. Let''s discuss the matter of cooperating."


    Su Yan''s eyes lit up, "You''re agreeing then?"


    The Demon King replied, "Heroes are asmon as cockroaches, so it''s not like I have to work with you. That said, I can give you a test and opportunity."


    "What is it?"


    "Help me kill a Demon King."


    Su Yan immediately deted like a punctured balloon, "I''m a Level 1 Elite at best, so I''m unlikely to stand a chance even against the weakest Demon King around."


    Zhang Nu calmly replied, "What are you so afraid of? I''ll loan you an army, so your part in all this is very simple. Just use your Hero ability, locate this Demon King, and then deal the killing blow."


    Su Yan was dumbfounded.


    Having a Hero help him kill another Demon KIng?


    What kind of thing is that!


    Truth be told, Zhang Nu''s thoughts are very simple. When Demon Kings kill other Demon Kings or Heroes kill other Heroes, this kind of killing within the same camp won''t yield any rewards.


    In that case, why not use the Hero as a de instead?


    This way, Zhang Nu can continue to hide his true strength among the Demon Kings.


    At the same time, the Hero will generate great rewards from destroying a Demon King''s Nest and killing a Demon King. Thus why not do that and take a share from that reward?


    At the same time, it''s a way to give that Hero girl a chance to prove that she has the value to be of use.


    Su Yan didn''t have any other choice really. Rather than continuenguishing away in jail, she''d rather make onest desperate attempt. Maybe she might even get lucky and manage to live through it?


    ...


    Only a little bit ago.


    Over a dozen vampire bat soldiers had returned from the Darkness Valley to their nest.


    Deep within this cave is a Demon King Altar.


    This particr Demon King Nest is popted by hundreds of various kinds of units. They''ve been developing quite well.


    "Master!"


    "We''vepleted our scouting!"


    "There''s a Demon King''s territory nearby!"


    "Right in the Darkness Valley a few dozen kilometers away!"


    The Demon King yer Wang He was sitting on the Altar.


    He''s a bat demon, with pitch ck fur, being over two meters tall, a pair of blood red eyes, huge bat wings, and iparably sharp fangs.


    This is a Demon King of medium grade bloodline.


    He has talents for blood sucking, detection, and flight.


    Wang He was doing quite well for himself so far, and he currently has about 800 subordinates.


    The Bat demon''s units aren''t as strong as the top ssed units, but as a trade off, their cost is far cheaper. That''s why he was able to summon so many of them.


    Thanks to the detection and flight abilities, the vampire bat soldiers have an extremelyrge hunting radius, so Wang He basically had no need to worry over food supplies during the early game.


    He used an overwhelming number of highly mobile minions with high detection capabilities to kill five previous Heroes who have attempted to challenge him and conquered several zones. He''s been developing quite well so far.


    "Demon King?"


    "Darkness Valley?"


    A cold gleam passed through Wang He''s eyes.


    Who ever said that only Heros count as real enemies of Demon Kings?


    What''s a Demon King''s mission?


    To conquer, destroy, and annihte!


    Every Demon King has great motivation to attack, conquer, and expand!


    It''s generally more advantageous for Heroes to cooperate, but for Demon Kings, it''s generally more advantageous topete instead.


    Wang He doesn''t consider a fellow Demon King nearby to be a good thing.


    A single mountain cannot bear two tigers!


    Wang He asked, "What race is that Demon King?"


    The vampire bat soldier replied, "The Valley is covered with magical mist, so we are unable to fully scout out the area. However, we did discover a high quantity of goblins."


    While saying that, it took out the loot it took from the raid.


    "This is giga potato!" Wang He asked, "You''re sure that they''ve nted massive quantities of these potatoes in their territory?"


    "There''s no mistake!"


    "They had veryrge scaled farnds!"


    "When we arrived, several hundred goblins were in the middle of harvesting. They''ve piled these potatoes into mounds the size of small hills."


    Wang He eximed, "Could it be the Potato Demon King?"


    He knows of a certain guy who was crowned with a nickname of Potato Demon King because of him selling potatoes day and night.


    Could the Darkness Valley be the territory of the Potato Demon King?


    Could this rather famous Demon King actually be a mere goblin?


    The vampire bat soldier continued its report, "We had wanted to keep scouting in more detail, but we were discovered by a few very strong guards, so we immediately retreated."


    Wang He clenched his fist.


    If the other party really is the Potato Demon King, then this is certain to be a great opportunity to get rich.


    That guy had earned so much money, so it''s not particrly strange for him to have been able to raise a strong army. Even so, there shouldn''t be anything to worry about.


    Wang He has great advantages in this match.


    First of all, he''s hidden away, while the Potato Demon King is out in the open.


    Demon Kings can''t automatically know where the other is without active searching. Right now, Wang He has scouted out the opposing side''s nest, but his opponent doesn''t know where Wang He is. Thus, Wang He had the initiative here.


    Next is the advantage in mobility.


    Wang He''s army isn''t very powerful inbat, but they are highly mobile air units.


    Wang He was confident that if he were tounch sneak attacks when his opponent isn''t expecting it, then it''s very much possible to directly decapitate the enemy Demon King or to destroy their altar in a base raid.


    By killing this Demon King, he''ll be able to both steal great riches and resources while at the same time removing a strong potential opponent.


    Wang He felt great just thinking about it.


    "Hahaha!"


    "Truly, the heavens are with me!"


    Wang He decided to properly prepare.


    This time, he must make sure to seed!


    He thus sent out sonic waves with orders for his subordinates.


    The next day, his hunting parties have all returned to base.


    Wang He was getting ready to go to war.


    He began patiently nning out his ns for a sneak attack.


    However, before he could even fully n out his strategy, a minion had flown before him.


    "We''re under attack!"


    "A Hero is attacking us!"


    Wang He let out a coldugh in response, "A worthless bunch dares to challenge me? This will merely help increase my power!"


    He had already killed several Heroes before, so he wasn''t rmed at all.


    If he could kill a few Heroes and activate a new talent before attacking the Darkness Valley, then that would obviously be great for him.


    "Master!"


    "It''s terrible!"


    "The outer caves have been lost!"


    "The Hero has gotten through!"


    Wang He finally reacted in shock, "What did you just say? How is this possible!"

 Chapter 37

    Over a dozen fireballs wereunched, exploding out within the caves.


    The vampire bat soldiers are all high speed, low HP units.


    They might be fast and highly mobile, but their defenses are rtively weak and their HP is also very low. At this point, they have nowhere to run to, so how could they possibly deal with such attacks?


    In a few moments, they all fell while screaming.


    An army blew through the defenses like a knife through butter.


    The army was made of over 300bat units, consisting of 10 high draconian soldiers, 10 draconian battlemages, 40 skeleton mages, 50 skeletonmanders, and 200 draconian soldiers!


    High soldier and battlemages are both level 2 Elite units.


    Skeleton mages and soldiers are level 1 Elite units.


    Skeletonmanders are level 2 Normal units.


    What does that all mean, one might ask?


    The army that Wang He was so proud of might number over 800, but they were all unexceptional level 1 Normal units.


    Faced with an opposing army made of Elite units, level 2 units, or even level 2 Elite units, Wang He''s army stood absolutely no chance.


    One could even have said that the invading army wasplete overkill.


    Just ? of that army would have been enough to give Wang He a seriously hard time. Even if he managed to sessfully ward off the attack, it would still have been an extremely costly victory for him.


    The battle hadpletely ended before ten minutes had even passed.


    The bat demons were basicallypletely annihted. The Demon King was severely injured by two high soldiers and was left on the ground beneath the Altar while barely alive. He no longer had any ability to resist.


    "It''s your turn now!"


    A draconian walked up to a girl.


    The fox-kin girl''s expression was utter shock. Her eyes were wide and bulging and her mouth was wide enough to stuff an apple in.


    Back when she epted the job, she had thought that this would be nearly suicide, but who knew that things would end up like this?


    This Demon King is not weak at all, so she never expected him to be so easily crushed!


    Su Yan had a realization on just how terrifying an existence this "King of the Darkness Valley" is!


    Not only was he able to easily crush the Bloodhoof Tribe, he was even able to easily crush another Demon King without even needing to personally show up.


    Here, Su Yan didn''t need to do anything from start to end.


    All she did was utilize the Hero''s mapping abilities to help Demon King Zhang Nu''s army find this Demon King''s nest. In actuality, this particr job was easier than she had imagined.


    She suddenly also realized that the Demon King who seemed so scary before may not actually be as bad as she had imagined.


    Although he framed it as a test for her, in reality, it might be more urate to say that he was raising her up... Being able to have such a powerful Demon King backing her up might actually be a heck of a stroke of luck for her!


    "What are you still waiting for?"


    "Ah! Sorry, sorry. I''ll do it right now!"


    Su Yan grasped her short sword and walked up to the dying Wang He.


    Wang He didn''t even dare to look at her, "Just who are you? A weak little fox-kin Hero like you can''t possibly control such a mighty force!"


    Su Yan simply spoke indifferently, "If you have to me someone, then me yourself for offending someone that you shouldn''t have. This is merely your just deserts, so just ept your fate!"


    Wang He finally realized that the rtionship between this Hero and those draconians didn''t seem like that of a leader and her subordinates.


    Rather, the Hero seems more like she''s a hostage that''s being held and guarded against.


    Wang He suddenly shook all over as if he realized something. He spoke in a disbelieving voice, "You... Could you have been sent from the Darkness Valley!"


    "You know too much!"


    "This secret can''t be allowed to leak!"


    Su Yan stabbed her sword into Wang He''s heart.


    Wang He felt his life quickly draining away. As he finally lost consciousness, he finally realized just how stupid a thing he did.


    [You''ve in a Bat Demon King!]


    [Gained 25 training points. Gained the Shadow Bat skill!]


    Demon King''s and Heroes are different.


    Demon Kings can gain Talent Points from killing Heroes and they can evolve by spending Talent Points to activate Talents.


    Heroes can gain Training Points from killing Demon Kings. Training Points can be used to raise one''s level or to level up the Hero''s skills.


    A single Training Point is about equivalent to the gains from a year''s worth of training by someone of normal talents.


    After Su Yan killed Wang He, she instantly gained 25 Training Points. This is equivalent to a normal person''s 25 years'' worth of training.


    Whether she uses it to raise her level or level up her skills, for someone as weak as Su Yan, either option would give her an enormous leap in power!


    Besides that, after a Hero kills a Demon King, they can also randomly gain at least one of the Demon King''s Talents. The higher level the Demon King, the more Talents the Hero can gain, and the higher chances they''d have of gaining more Talents.


    Su Yan thus opened up her yer menu:


    Name: Su Yan.


    Level: 1 (0/20)


    Race: Fox-kin (Chosen Hero).


    Base Stats: 20 HP, 30 MP, 1 Strength, 3 Agility, 2 Constitution, 5 Will.


    Talents: High Transformation, Shadow Bat


    Other Skills: Illusion Magic (F rank), Lesser Fireball (F rank), Light Healing (F rank).


    Training Points: 25.


    Leveling up requires 20 Training Points.


    Su Yan gritted her teeth and decisively spent those points.


    Then she spent the remaining 5 points onto her Lesser Fireball.


    [You''ve reached level 2. HP +10, MP +10, all stats +5!]


    [Your Lesser Fireball (F rank) has evolved into Greater Fireball (E rank)!]


    Su Yan could clearly feel the unbelievably huge change in her abilities in that instant.


    No wonder Heroes all try to kill Demon Kings!


    This effect really is immediately noticeable.


    Su Yan gave the Altar a nce. The most important part of destroying a Demon King''s nest is to destroy the Demon King''s Altar.


    When a Hero does it, it will yield a reward treasure chest.


    Thus, she conjured up a few Greater Fireballs to st it with.


    [You''ve destroyed a Demon King''s Altar. You''ve gained a Demon King Treasure Chest!]


    She mustn''t be greedy now, so Su Yan did not immediately open up the chest.


    She knew full well that she can''t take this particr reward. It belongs to the big boss waiting in the back.

 Chapter 38

    Demon King Castle.


    Eight fox-kin girls presented huge tes of tea and fruits.


    "Master!"


    "Your tea."


    "We''ve prepared some fruits and desserts for you."


    Although the fox-kin girls were a bit intimidated to face the mighty looking master of theirs, the greater part of them was impressed and worshipful.


    They were originally the vigers of the fox-kin vige. After Zhang Nu conquered the Bloodhoof Tribe, they were then relocated to Darkness Valley. Currently, they are quite satisfied with their new life here.


    This world is one that follows thew of the jungle.


    For the weak, there''s nothing more important to them than a sense of security.


    Zhang Nu had taken in a total of 105 fox-kin.


    Fox-kin might be weak, but they''re low maintenance. He picked out 30 of the young and pretty girls among them and promoted them to servants, with permission to work in the Castle.


    He is a great Demon King after all, so it''s only natural that she should have personal servants attending to his every whim, right?


    Draconians and minotaurs with theirrge bodies and rough appearances might be fine for roughbor, but having them take care of detailed housework is just a disaster waiting to happen.


    Now, things are much better.


    With a squad of maids, the Demon King Castle looked a good deal less gloomy.


    Zhang Nu also made sure to take care of all the other fox-kin as well. Every race has their own natural talents and specializations. Fox-kin might be on the weak side when ites tobat, and they''re also no good at farming or production, but they do have some talents when ites to cooking and brewing.


    Zhang Nu has a veryrge appetite, so he just wound up setting up 30 fox-kin to work exclusively as his chefs.


    Fox-kins are also much more intelligent than goblins and minotaurs. As the territory expands more and more, he will end up needing administrators and clerks.


    This particr great Demon King''s days are really getting better and better.


    At this moment, messages were constantly popping up in his yer menu.


    [You''ve in a vampire bat soldier. Gold +7!]


    [You''ve in a vampire bat soldier. Gold +7!]


    [You''ve in a vampire bat soldier. Gold +7!]


    [...]


    "Eh?"


    "Has it begun?"


    "It looks like everything''s going well!"


    Zhang Nu knew that the Hero girl had already located the Demon King''s Nest.


    Although Demon Kings don''t get any special rewards from killing other Demon Kings, they do get the basic gold rewards. It''s no different from killing wild monsters.


    This particr Demon King isn''t all that strong.


    Even so, he still has about 800 or so minor minions.


    Doing some quick math, this will end up earning him about 6,000 or so gold. It''s a pretty good haul as far as it goes.


    As for that Demon King himself, there''s no real point in monitoring things any further.


    Zhang Nu knew that the Demon King is definitely going to die.


    Thus, he instead shifted his attention onto his territory instead.


    The current status of the territory is as follows:


    Important structures: Demon King Castle, MInotaur Campo, Dark Prison, Tower of Fog, Towers of Grudges.


    Total poption: 3200 units.


    1155 of them are his racial units.


    In detail: 815 draconianborers, 320 draconian soldiers, 10 draconian high soldiers, and 10 draconian battlemages.


    The remaining 2045 are of the other races.


    In detail: 1000 skeleton soldiers, 100 skeletonmanders, 50 skeleton mages, 464 minotaurs, 10 minotaur priests, 316 goblins, and 105 fox-kin.


    Current gold: Around 32k.


    Currently average daily ie: Around 20k gold. Of those, the vast majority came from products of the goblin farms.


    ...


    At a nce, the territory is already pretty strong.


    If things keep on developing at his speed, then even the major factions of the Chaos Forest will have a hard time dealing with the threat posed by him before long.


    Of course, if Zhang Nu wants to match himself up against major nations or great empires, that''s not something that can happen very soon.


    However, if those top superpowers wanted to deal with Zhang Nu, then that''s also a very costly matter for them as well.


    It''s because the Darkness Valley is deep within the Chaos Forest.


    No matter how strong those nation level armies might be, they''d still have a very hard time going through all the countless rough terrain, hostile environments, and restless natives that they would have to in order to reach Zhang Nu.


    Just the supply and costs would be terrifying to behold.


    Thus, Zhang Nu isn''t actually worried about any threat that they might pose.


    What he needs to do now is just to continue developing and expanding. To make his Demon King Army even stronger and to start conquering the nearby factions step by step.


    He doesn''t have that many elites within his main army, so Zhang Nu spent 10k gold and directly level up 10 soldiers to high soldiers.


    Then, he spent 1k gold to add 200 moreborers before then spending 10k gold to raise those 200borers to highborers.


    Zhang Nu did a quickparison.


    [Draconian Laborer]. Level 1 Normal unit. 15 HP, 15 MP, 1 Strength, 1 Constitution, 1 Agility, 1 Will. Construction lv2, Collection lv2, Smithing lv1, Hunting lv1, Crafting lv1.


    [High Draconian Laborer]. Level 2 Normal unit. 25 HP, 25 MP, 4 Strength, 4 Constitution, 4 Agility, 4 Will. Construction lv4, Collection lv3, Smithing lv4, Hunting lv2, Crafting lv2.


    Highborers have their construction skill up to level 4.


    This makes them more capable of building moreplicated structures.


    Highborers'' smithing skills rose from level 1 to level 3. This is equivalent to very strong smithing techniques, allowing them to create high quality equipment.


    The totalborer numbers have finally broken 1000.


    These kinds of basic production units are extremely important.


    Although they can''t directly construct structures with special abilities like the House of Skeletons, Minotaur Camp, or Towers of Grudges, the territory also needs far more than just those structures.


    Arge number of basic structures also has great effects for developing the territory.


    Besides that, draconianborers are also responsible for massive amounts of material transport, wood chopping, collection, and crafting work, so he can''t skim on them.


    He had spent a huge portion of his gold again.


    Although his territory does have a high daily ie and Zhang Nu himself is definitely one of the Demon Kings with the highest ie among them all, it''s still not quite enough for the territory''s development. Thus, he needs to continue increasing his financial ie.


    At that moment, a draconian came with a report.


    "My lord!"


    "The herbal fields are ready for harvest!"


    "The goblin ves don''t know how they should deal with such valuable herbs though!"

 Chapter 39

    Zhang Nu had bought several batches of medicinal herb seeds and had especially set up an herbal garden area within the goblin farms. The first batch of herbs were basically nted at around the same time as the first two batches of potatoes.


    He''s already had several harvests of potatoes, but this is the first time the herbs have matured enough for harvest.


    This is because the herbs have a longer growth time.


    Zhang Nu personally arrived at the goblin farms.


    Here, besides the 300+ goblins, there are also over 100 units of draconianborers and minotaurs who act as abor force taking care of physical work like hauling or plowing.


    In order to increase the effectiveness of the farms, Zhang Nu even set up 5 minotaur priests to take turns on shift.


    Their job is to use their aura spells to recover the farmers'' stamina and boost their endurance.


    Even so, the 100 acres of spirit fields still aren''t being fully utilized.


    40 or so acres are nted with the quick growing giga potatoes. There are additional 10-20 acres used for the slow growing medicinal herbs. However, the rest of the 30-40 acres were generally left fallow.


    This is quite a waste.


    Even so, it can''t be helped.


    This wastees from two issues, one internal and one external.


    The external issue is the supply of seeds.


    The internal issue is thebor shortage.


    It''s his fault for only having a bit over 300 goblins after all.


    Zhang Nu had no choice but to keep sending more draconianborers and minotaurs to try to make up for the shortage.


    The various normal farms would generally have a harvest every five to six days.


    The cycle of nting to harvest is extremely short.


    It''s an enormous amount of work requiring huge amounts ofbor.


    Right now, Zhang Nu''s most important seed supplier, the Flower Fey Chen Guoguo, has recently been quickly increasing her seed production capabilities. Thus, it''s about time to start fully utilizing all the farnd that he has.


    Even without the goblin vigers, the minotaurs are still capable of filling in somewhat.


    Even if that ends up slowing down the production speed somewhat, it will still end up producing wealth every day, so it''s at least better than leaving huge amounts of valuable spirit fields toy fallow.


    "Wee master!"


    "Long live the master!"


    The goblins all prostrated themselves.


    Zhang Nu simply waved them off, "Go back to work."


    The goblins all hurriedly got back up, "Yes, sir!"


    Currently, the goblins'' loyalty values are stable at around 80-90%.


    If he could bring in more goblins for the farms and lower their average amount of work per goblin, then it could end up increasing their loyalty value even more.


    Zhang Nu looked for the old chief and asked him, "Are there more goblins nearby?"


    The old goblin replied, "There are a lot of goblins living in the forest. However, small viges tend to be destroyed very often, so there are no real long term settlements... That being said, I have heard of arge goblin tribe to the South."


    This is a very important line of inquiry, so Zhang Nu silently memorized it.


    He ns on grabbing some more goblins to farm for him.


    The 10+ acres of herb gardens are letting out a faint fragrance. Since the herbs within have different growth periods, the majority of the herbs are still growing. Right now, the current harvest is only for less than two acres of the fields.


    There are two main herbs nted here.


    [Life herb]. Green quality. Can be directly consumed. Slowly recovers 20 HP!


    [Moonlight ginseng]. Green quality. Can be directly consumed. Slowly recovers 30 MP!


    He got 2000 units of life grass and 1000 units of moonlight ginseng from this harvest.


    They''re both fairlymon wild herbs around the Darkness Valley.


    That said, they''re generally only gray or white quality items.


    All the herbs that he harvested from his farms have reached green quality though. This is far better than thosemon wild herbs around, which shows just how much better farming is!


    Plus, these herbs can be directly consumed.


    Directly consuming the herbs without any treatment results in some time before the effect takes ce and it takes additional time for the full effect to show. Thus, they''re not very suitable for use during battles.


    Chang Nu asked, "How many herbs are currently still growing?"


    The old goblin answered, "There are around 20,000 life herbs and 10,000 moonlight ginsengs."


    That really is some good stuff there!


    Although the growth time is a bit long, the value and profit margins really won''t lose outpared to the food crops.


    Zhang Nu sent a message in the chat menu, "Selling life herb and moonlight ginseng. Please PM me if you need any."


    The moment that message was posted, the chat menu immediately lit up with activity.


    "Isn''t that the Potato Demon King?"


    "Why''s the Potato Demon King starting to sell herbs now?"


    "Whoo! This big shot''s going to be running the farming train to the end!"


    "..."


    Chang Nu''s first batch of medicinal herbs for the market are as follows.


    500 life herbs at 30 gold per herb.


    100 moonlight ginseng at 40 gold per herb.


    The trade menu isn''t some market that one could randomly set prices as one might like.


    Setting the price too low means that the seller will end up losing profit.


    Setting the price too high on the other hand will make the items unseble for a long while. This is in addition to the cost of the transaction fees.


    Thus, Zhang Nu had observed the market price trends for a while before he finally settled on a middling price. Not too cheap, nor too expensive.


    [Trade sess. Gained 30 gold!]


    [Trade sess. Gained 30 gold!]


    [Trade sess. Gained 40 gold!]


    [...]


    Sessful trade messages popped up one after another.


    This showed that there weren''t any major issues with the price that he had set.


    Zhang Nu was quite satisfied.


    There was a reason why he decided to nt medicinal herbs rather than devote all hisbor force to nt food crops after all.


    That reason was to diversify his ie sources.


    This way, even if there are major shifts in the food market in the future, he''ll still be able to maintain his territory''s economic viability via the ie from herbs.


    At that moment, a private message popped up.


    Mysterious Witch Liang Bai: "Boss, I can buy high quantities of herbs. Can you give me a small discount?"


    Zhang Nu: "How much do you n on purchasing?"


    Mysterious Witch Liang Bai: "200 units of both herbs!"


    That''s not exactly a small amount of money here.


    Just why is this person spending so much money to buy medicinal herbs?


    Zhang Nu: "To buy so much at once. You know potion making?"


    Mysterious Witch Liang Bai: "Yes. I have a Talent for potion making. My production units can also make potions. Thus, I need a veryrge supply of herbs as ingredients to support my business!"


    Interesting.


    Zhang Nu does quite wee that kind of coborative venture.


    He does need some stable business partners after all.


    Zhang Nu: "I''ll give you a 15% off discount, so the total price will be 11900 gold. However, I want the right of first refusal to purchase your potions after they''ve been produced."

 Chapter 40

    Mysterious Witch Liang Bai: "The price is definitely fine, but I have a minor issue!"


    Zhang Nu: "Minor issue?"


    Mysterious Witch Liang Bai: "I just had a fierce battle against a group of Heroes. Although I won in the end, my losses were considerable, so all my money was spent replenishing my troops."


    Zhang Nu almost vomited up blood at that.


    Is she seriously trying to buy herbs from him when she''s broke?


    Isn''t thatpletely worthless then? What a waste of time.


    Zhang Nu: "Sorry, I don''t ept credit!"


    Mysterious Witch Liang Bai hurriedly exined: "No, I''m not asking to buy on credit. I just want to trade it for other goods."


    Other goods?


    These are medicinal herbs worth over ten thousand gold here.


    What kind of equivalent goods can she pull out in exchange?


    Skill stones? Crystals? Gems? Or maybe blueprints?


    Mysterious Witch Liang Bai: "I still have four level 1 Hero Souls that I haven''t used. I want to trade souls to you for these herbs. Is that alright?"


    Oh?


    Souls can be traded?


    And the other party is actually putting that up in exchange.


    This is something that Zhang Nu had never considered. At the same time, very few Demon Kings would do such a thing.


    That said Hero Souls are basically enemy drops, and since they''re drops, they can indeed be traded. It''s just that there''s no seller or market for it yet.


    Zhang Nu immediately replied: "I''ll give 2000 gold per level 1 Soul at most. Four Souls make 8000 gold, so you need to make up the remaining 3900 gold. Or you can add two more souls."


    Mysterious Witch Liang Bai: "Oh,e on boss. I really am out of money. I don''t have any more Souls either."


    Zhang Nu thought it over for a moment: "Then consider those 3900 gold as a pre-order payment for your potions. After you''re done brewing them up using the herbs, you can just directly return it to me in the form of potions."


    Mysterious Witch Liang Bai: "Really? That''s great! Thanks boss!"


    The two finished their transaction.


    Zhang Nu didn''t go too hard on the Mysterious Witch.


    It''s because he considered her a talented potential asset.


    The Mysterious Witch is a high grade bloodline. They have powerful ck magic and top ss Talents in potions and alchemy. Thus, he''s quite likely to have further dealings with her in the future.


    Besides, it''s not like he really lost out in this deal.


    Four Souls can sell for up to 10,000 gold after all.


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 1 Hero''s Soul. Talent points +3!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 1 Hero''s Soul. Talent points +2!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 1 Hero''s Soul. Talent points +2!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 1 Hero''s Soul. Talent points +3!]


    Zhang Nu immediately sacrificed all the Souls, giving him 10 talent points in total.


    If he was a level 1 Demon King, it would have been just enough for him to activate a Talent.


    Zhang Nu is a level 2 Demon King though. His four level 2 Talents all cost 100 talent points to activate. That said, it''s not like talent points will vanish if unused.


    The first batch of medicinal herbs had also sold out.


    Zhang Nu gained 19,000 gold from that. (T/N: Raw says 18,000 actually, which is off by 1,000)


    This increased his total gold reserve back up to around 30,000 or so.


    This much money is just enough to promote 30 more soldiers, bringing the total number of high draconian soldiers in his territory to exactly 50.


    This is a great increase to his territory''s fighting force.


    Also, it allows him to unlock a draconian general!


    Of course, Zhang Nu wouldn''t do this right away though. After all, if he spends all his money in one go, then his Towers of Grudges, House of Skeletons, the Spirit Fields that his goblin farms depend on, and various other structures will end up bing inactive.


    The next day, Zhang Nu ced more items onto the market, selling another 2000 batches of potatoes, 500 units of life herb, and 200 units of moonlight ginseng for a total profit of over 40,000 gold. (Again, raw says exactly 40,000, which is again off by 1,000)


    His current treasury totals over 70,000 gold now!


    After spending 30,000 gold to make 30 high soldiers, he spent another 15,000 gold to summon a draconian general.


    This is Zhang Nu''s first Lord level unit and it''s no ordinary Lord either, but a level 2 Lord unit!


    A powerful aura suddenly descended upon the Demon King Altar.


    The draconian general walked out of the transport gate.


    He''s over three meters tall, firmly muscled, bearing ck scales, and looked as sturdy as a mountain. He was also equipped with a mighty looking ded polearm and gave off a fierce aura from every inch of him.


    He walked down from the Altar and presented himself to Zhang Nu respectfully.


    "My lord!"


    "Please order me!"


    "I shall give my very life in ordance with my lord''s will!"


    Zhang Nu opened up the draconian general''s status menu to check his information in detail.


    [Draconian general]. Level 2 Lord Unit. 450 HP, 200 MP, 35 Strength, 50 Constitution, 30 Agility, 25 will. Loyalty 100% (Locked). Tiredness 10%. Hunger 10%.


    Skills: Iron Earth Drake Form (Talent Skill), Rampaging Dragon Qi (C rank), Rampaging Dragon Charge (C rank). Battle Dragon''s Aura (C rank), Iron Dragon Scales (Cc rank), etc.


    Summary: This is a draconian general who bears the bloodline of an abyssal earth drake. He has two forms, earth drake and draconian, and is blessed with unthinkable defensive might as well as terriblebat and leadership skills. He''s utterly loyal to his lord.


    "Very good!"


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied.


    The draconian general is very strong indeed.


    He''s not like other draconians. This is an abyssal dragon with a high grade bloodline.


    Abyssal dragons with high grade bloodlines all have two forms.


    The draconian general is able to shift freely between his humanoid and dragon forms.


    In dragon form, his various stats will improve, while in humanoid form, he''s more agile and more specialized toward using skills.


    Zhang Nu thought it over a bit, "Do you have a name?"


    The draconian general replied, "This one''s name back in the abyss is not worth mentioning. If possible, I would ask my lord to grant this insignificant one a new name."


    Zhang Nu spoke, "Then let''s go with Zhang San!" (T/N: It''s basically just a super generic Chinese version of John Doe. It''s literally taking the mostmonst name + the number 3)


    For such a mighty looking draconian general to be given such a casual name like that.


    Yet, the draconian general himself didn''t have any issues at all, "This Zhang San thanks my lord for granting me a name!"


    Then, a draconian hurriedly ran over to report, "My lord, the troops you sent out, along with that fox-kin woman, have returned!"

 Chapter 41

    Zhang Nu saw Su Yan.


    Eh? She had already reached level 2?


    Is the improvements to a Hero for killing a Demon King really that huge?


    Of course, while both Zhang Nu and Su Yan are level two, Su Yan is obviously way weaker.


    She''s probably an even match against the skeletonmanders.


    Zhang Nu asked despite fully knowing the answer, "Good gains?"


    Su Yan enthusiastically clenched her hands, "Hn. I got a great deal of gains. That Demon King isn''t weak, so it was enough to directly level me up. Thank you for your patronage, boss!"


    She suddenly feels like the great Demon King before her is nowhere near as terrible or scary as before.


    Su Yan pulled out the treasure chest, "This is the Demon King Treasure Chest I got from destroying the Demon King''s Nest. I didn''t open it at all the entire time."


    It seems that she does have some awareness.


    Thus, with Zhang Nu''s permission, Su Yan opened the chest up.


    [You''ve opened a Demon King Treasure Chest. Gained "Bloody Contract" x1, "Skill Stone: Blood Sacrifice" x1, "Blooddrinker Short Sword" x1, "Transmission Bat Egg" x2, and "Bat Demon Badge" x1!]


    A Demon King would get a reward chest every time they conquer a zone and those chests mainly contain stuff like gold, blueprints, or resources for the territory.


    Heroes will only gain reward chests for destroying a Demon King Nest.


    Thus, heroes will have far smaller chances at getting treasure chestspared to Demon Kings. Thus, the rewards generated for a Hero tend to be far greater, with the chances of yielding rare stuff like skill stones, equipment, or special items being far higher.


    "You can have these two as rewards."


    Zhang Nu gave the "Blooddrinker Short Sword" and the "Bat Demon Badge" to Su Yan.


    Those two are both pieces of equipment. Badges are Hero exclusive items, and they have the effect of increasing stats. Zhang Nu wouldn''t be able to use or sell it, so there''s to point in keeping it.


    Su Yan was overjoyed, "Thanks boss!"


    Zhang Nu kept the rest of the items.


    [Bloody Contract]. Special item. A tool that is a contract written in fresh blood. Anyone who breaks the terms of the contract will take an enormous bacsh: HP permanently -20. All stats -5.


    [Skill stone: Blood Sacrifice]. D rank skill. Can be used in battle to spend HP in order to recover stamina and MP.


    [Transmission Bat''s Egg]. Low level pet egg. It will slowly hatch by feeding it fresh blood or be made to quickly hatch by spending a life gem.


    Those three items all have their uses.


    The Blood Sacrifice skill has greatbat value.


    Thi skill allows one to sacrifice their HP to recover theri MP and stamina. The Healing skill also allows one to spend MP to recover HP.


    The two can be used together for mutual gains.


    As for the other two items, one is a contract scroll and the other is a pet egg. They are both rather useful items for a Hero.


    A contract scroll is usually used among Heroes in forming parties or creating alliances. It allows them to quickly establish trust.


    Su Yan asked with a face full of anticipation, "Is the boss going to destroy more Demon Kings? We can continue coborating, you know. I can take the job of locating them for you!"


    Zhang Nu spoke dismissively, "Are you trying to make me the public enemy of all Demon Kings? Other Demon Kings haven''t threatened me, nor are there any conflicts of interest yet, so why would I go kill them for no reason?"


    There are definitely quite a few Demon Kings still nearby, but Zhang Nu really isn''t all that interested in the other Demon Kings.


    He could indeed gain rewards from killing Demon Kings with a Hero at his side, but there are tons of other viges, tribes, towns, and various other factions nearby. All of them will also yield rewards for conquering them, so why should he have to go at his ownpatriots?


    Su Yan was a bit disappointed.


    This was within her expectations though.


    She doesn''t doubt Zhang Nu had the power to ughter all the Demon Kings around within several hundred kilometers, but if he did that, wouldn''t it end up making the Darkness Valley stand out even more?


    If that happens, then in the future, not only will they end up receiving the concentrated attention of the Heroes, but they might also end up feared by all the other Demon Kings.


    At that moment, a draconian soldier responsible for patrols came to report a situation.


    "My lord!"


    "There''s a bunch of suspicious people sneaking around near the Bloodhoof Tribe."


    Zhang Nu frowned slightly, "Suspicious people sneaking around? What are they doing near the Bloodhoof tribe for? Isn''t that ce already destroyed?"


    The draconian soldier replied, "Those people were acting very cautiously, so we aren''t sure of their motives yet."


    Su Yan suddenly spoke up, "I know!"


    Zhang Nu was surprised, "What do you know?"


    "There''s a guild formed of various Heroes and Hero parties over in Giantree City. Those people might be from one of those Hero Guides, specifically one called the Ironblooded Heroes Guild."


    "How do you know so much?"


    Su Yan answered, "When I was taken prisoner by Zhao Lei, I had heard him brag about how the Ironblooded Heroes Guild was strongly inviting him. This group is supposed to only invite the strongest Heroes with the most potential, and at the time, they seemed to have promised him a lot of great perks."


    Is that how it is?


    That seems to exin it all then.


    Zhao Lei and the Bloodhoof tribe suddenly vanished.


    Thus, the Hero Guild should have noticed and have sent people to investigate.


    "Allow me to scout them out!" Su Yan immediately volunteered, "I''m a Hero too and I can also disguise myself. They won''t suspect me at all."


    The experiences from these past few days have deeply drilled a truth into her.


    It''s hard to get far with just her own strength alone. She needs backing, even if the person in question is a Demon King. Thus, she needs to properly show her value.


    Zhang Nu had recognized the advantages of cooperating with a "Fallen Hero."


    That said, he still can''tpletely trust the other party.


    "I can allow you to act freely on your own."


    Zhang Nu pulled out a scroll, "But first, we need to make a contract."

 Chapter 42

    This is the bloody contract that Su Yan had brought back.


    He didn''t expect to end up using it right away.


    The moment the contract has been signed, then anyone who vites it will end up taking the extremely painful curse in retaliation.


    The contents of the contract is as follows: Unless she has Zhang Nu''s permission, Su Yan is not allowed to leak any information about the Darkness Valley or Zhang Nu himself. Besides that, she must obey Zhang Nu''s orders.


    This contract ispletely unfair.


    Su Yan must obey the conditions, but Zhang Nu had no obligations at all.


    However, the contract wasn''t there to ensure a fair exchange in the first ce. It''s just a powerful bit of insurance to greatly lower the costs for establishing trust.


    "I''ll sign it!"


    For Su Yan, she knows that the Great Demon King doesn''t trust her all that much, so she absolutely has to sign that contract in order to gain trust and thus guarantee her freedom. After all, once she''s signed it, she''ll basically be one of his own!


    Su Yan used her short sword to make a cut in her palm to let out a few drops of blood.


    Zhang Nu was also quite satisfied at seeing Su Yan agree so readily, and he simrly cut open his finger and dripped a drop of dragon blood onto the contract.


    In that instant, the contract released a brilliant light.


    A mysterious and formless connection is thus established.


    Contracts do have different gradings depending on quality. The higher grade the contract, the more powerful the binding.


    The bloody contract isn''t a particrly high grade contract, being only able to maintain its effects for around a year or so and also only able to bind individuals up to Level 3 Elite at most. Even so, it''s still good enough for the current needs.


    Although she was now bound by the contract, Su Yan instead felt more rxed than ever.


    Now the Demon Lord should finally be able to trust her no matter how paranoid he might be.


    Zhang Nu then took out a pair of eggs about the size of a goose egg. Before his finger could heal, he squeezed out a few more drops of blood and dripped them onto those eggs.


    Those are the "Transmission Bat Eggs" that Su Yan brought back.


    Heroes can raise and keep pets. Transmission bats are a type of low leveled pet. They can be made to hatch by feeding them fresh blood or a life gem.


    Consider, however. Just how powerful is the blood of an abyssal dragon?


    The two eggs immediately started showing cracks on the shell.


    Two unremarkable looking ck bats broke out of the eggs with a crack, let out some squeeks, and immediately started chewing up their egg shells.


    [Transmission Bat]. Level 1 Normal pet. Skill: Sound Transmission (F rank), Supersonic Detection (F rank), Super Hearing (F rank).


    Zhang Nu gave it a nce before speaking, "These guys don''t have anybat ability, but they have the ability to scout, detect enemies, and transmit messages over long distances. Go ahead and choose one to take with you."


    "Really? I''ll go right ahead then!"


    "Hehe. This little guy''s pretty cute!"


    Xu Yan chose one of the transmission bats to keep with her.


    That unremarkable looking little guy can be used to scout, detect enemies, and even send information and receive orders to and from the Darkness Valley. Although it doesn''t have anybat abilities, that doesn''t prevent it from being a very useful support type pet.


    Thus, Su Yan immediately left that day.


    When she exited the Valley, she felt like she was finally free.


    The twists and turns that her life had gone through in the past few days were as follows: The vige she was living in for half a month was destroyed ¡ú Bing a prisoner of minotaurs ¡ú Personally witnessing the Bloodhoof tribe getting destroyed by a dragon ¡ú Being taken prisoner by a Demon King and thrown in jail ¡ú Leading the Great Demon King''s Army to kill another Demon King.


    It felt like she had been dreaming.


    Now, however, the Great Demon King is no longer limiting her freedom.


    Barring any special orders that she needs to carry out, she can go back to the life of a Hero. Thus, most of her time now is to adventure and explore on her own.


    Of course, if she ends up encountering any dangers or troubles, she can go ahead and shamelessly ask the boss to save her.


    It''s exactly because she has a top level super strong BOSS backing her that she now has some confidence in making something out of herself. That said, she does still have something that she needs to do before all that.


    That night, Su Yan used her Talent to transform into a minotaur.


    The moment she got close to the former Bloodhoof tribal grounds, a voice came out from the darkness, "Who are you? Why have youe here!"


    Su Yan just felt a cold sensation on her back. A cold and naked de was held right behind her, making her break out in a cold sweat. She immediately tried to exin, "I''m a Hero of the Bloodhoof tribe!"


    "You''re a Hero too?"


    Su Yan finally managed to clearly make out the other party.


    He was a wolf-kin Hero covered in ck fur.


    He''s quite strong, being around a level 2 Elite. He would definitely count among the elite when ites to the current Heroes. At the very least, there''s no way that she''d be able to beat him.


    "I''m Zhang Kai, one of Zhao Lei''s subordinates!"


    Su Yan had heard of a Zhang Kai before, so she used that name while betting on the hope that none of those here have actually met Zhang Kai before.


    The wolf-kin held a cautious gaze.


    After he verified that the other party was a Hero, he spoke.


    "Come with me!"


    Su Yan was half threatened into being brought into the nearby dark forest.


    Su Yan ended up getting quite a surprise then.


    Hundreds were gathered in that forest. There were wolf-kin, tiger-kin, and bear-kin. There were over ten Heros there, and five of them had the strength of a level 2 Elite.


    The one leading them should be the tiger-kin there.


    The tiger-kin was two meters tall. He had a scar over his left eye, making his scary appearance look even more vicious, "We''re the members of Giantree City''s Ironblooded Heroes Guild. So I heard that you''re one of the Bloodhoof tribe''s Heroes!"


    "But the Bloodhoof tribe has already been destroyed. From the remains, it looks like it was done by a Demon King. Now, please tell me just how this happened. Also, where is Zhao Lei now?"


    As expected, they''re a Hero Guild.


    The Ironblooded Heroes Guild at that.


    Su Yan was a bit nervous.


    These guys are not a bunch of nice people here.


    If she gets exposed for any reason, then she''ll be done for.


    Su Yan stiffened her spine and pushed forth, "We were attacking a Demon King''s Nest in the nearby valley, but we instead got hit by a devastating ambush. Boss Zhao already died."


    The people there weren''t all that shocked at those words.


    After all, did they not gather here specifically because of that reason?


    Zhao Lei is no ordinary Hero. The minotaurs aren''t easy targets either. The fact that the Demon King was able to do this means that he''s definitely no ordinary Demon King!


    The Ironblooded Heroes Guild were on high alert exactly because they had discovered this point.


    All the members of this Hero Guild within several dozen kilometers have received the relevant information. Everyone gathered together here specifically for the sake of pooling their strength and removing this threat.


    "Have no fear!"


    "The couple of us are at least as strong as Zhao Lei!"


    "Besides, we also have other powerhouses that are still on the way here."


    "We''ll form a powerful demon subjugation squad. With all of us, there''s no way that Demon King can get away no matter how strong he might be!"


    The tiger-kin stared at Su Yan, "What I need now is all the information that you can provide. Please tell me every detail you know about this Demon King!"

 Chapter 43

    Su Yan was very nervous.


    She had heard that the Ironblooded Heroes Guild was the strongest Heroes guild in this area.


    Their leader is also terrifyingly strong.


    All the Heroes within several hundred kilometers with the strength or potential have been invited to join, and most of them had already taken up that invitation.


    They''re extremely ambitious and very vicious in their methods.


    If she gets seen through, the consequences would be unthinkable.


    Su Yan spoke, "I don''t actually know that much about the situation. All I know is that it might be a Demon King of the undead."


    The tiger-kin Hero''s gaze sharpened, "An undead Demon King? What''s his actual strength? How big is his army? Talk! Quickly!"


    "When boss Zhao Lei took us to subjugate the Demon King, we got ambushed in the Darkness Valley. The enemy forces probably number around one to two thousand. The battlefield then was really chaotic, so I wasn''t able to see the Demon King''s actual capabilities."


    Su Yan gave a report on Zhao Lei being ambushed.


    Her words had lies mixed in with the truth. Due to the fact that the battle didn''t actually take ce within the Darkness Valley and the fact that she hid the critical information, she wasn''t considered to have vited the contract.


    A bear-kin hero let out a cold chuckle, "Even Zhao Lei died, and yet you somehow survived? I''m thinking that there''s probably something suspicious there!"


    He then addressed the tiger-kin, "By my views, this guy is either a cowardly deserter or a bait that the Demon King purposefully let escape. We''re better off just killing him, just in case."


    Su Yan was terrified by those words.


    The tiger-kin Hero leader rejected that idea though, "No matter. So long as he can provide us with information, even if it''s only partial, it''s still worthwhile!"


    "Besides, he''s been to the Demon King''s base before, and we do need a guide. There''s use in keeping him around."


    Su Yan hurriedly begged for mercy, "Bosses, please let me off. I only just got away here, so I really don''t want to go back again!"


    "Shut the fuck up!" The tiger-kin leader showed a cold smirk, "You''d best be good and obedient. That way, you''d at least have some chance of living. Otherwise- Hmph!"


    When Su Yan heard those words, she started coldly smirking as well in her own mind.


    Those guys are no decent people, as expected.


    They''ve decided to use her, to have her lead them and die as cannon fodder.


    The bear-kinmander asked, "Based on his description, although Zhao Lei did lose quite badly, the Demon King seemed to have taken a lot of losses as well. Should we attack ahead of time then? After all, it''s only been a few days since then, so the Demon King shouldn''t have fully recovered yet."


    The tiger-kin leader shook his head, "Zhao Lei died due to recklessness and underestimating his enemy. We can''t follow in his footsteps. Let''s wait a few more days!"


    The wolf-kinmander agreed as well, "That''s right, so long as the guildmaster or the deputy guildmaster gets here, then no matter how capable that Demon King is, he''ll still definitely end up as our trophy in the end."


    "Let''s first hash out a n. It''s best if we can avoid the heavily defended canyon and instead enter the Valley via the air, a river or by some other route before directly destroying the Demon King''s Nest!"


    "As for this guy... Lock him up for now."


    "Don''t let him escape!"


    "Set up a few extra guards!"


    "Make sure they keep a close eye on him!"


    Su Yan was taken away without any chance to object.


    It was unavoidable for her to feel a hint of worry when she heard the Ironblooded Heroes make their battlens.


    Those Heroes leading the group are all at a simr level of power as Zhao Lei. Plus, all the subordinates they brought are also elite troops and there was even supposed to be a lot of reinforcements behind them.


    Plus, unlike Zhao Lei, they were extremely careful.


    They were even nning topletely bypass the canyon.


    The Great Demon King has probably finally met a real challenge now.


    Su Yan had no way of getting back to report. Those Heroes won''t let her escape. Thankfully though, she had long since prepared for that, and while no one was paying attention, a tiny bat slipped out of her pocket and left the secret camp without anyone noticing.


    ...


    Darkness Valley.


    Demon King Castle.


    Mysterious Witch Liang Bai: "Boss, the first batch of potions have beenpleted."


    Zhang Nu: "That fast? Show me!"


    The Mysterious Witch sent two different potions.


    [Life herb potion]. Upper green quality. After consumption, recover 25 HP over 10 seconds!


    [Moonlight recovery potion]. Upper green quality. After consumption, recover 40 MP over 10 seconds!


    That''s some really good quality!


    It''spletely different from consuming the herbs directly.


    Although the herbs also have simr effects, it takes some time before theye into effect and the recovery speed is also slow. Their actual worth in battle is fairly low.


    After being made into potions, they''ll immediately start taking effect after drinking and the full effect will bepleted within 10 seconds.


    This makes it so that they can practically save one''s life in a pinch!


    It''s a must have for any traveling, something with very high value in actualbat!


    Zhang Nu asked: "How much do you n on selling?"


    Mysterious Witch Liang Bai: "I n on selling the life herb potion for 150 gold and the moonlight recovery potion for 200 gold. For you, I can especially give you a discount of 50 gold!"


    That''s quite expensive!


    Even so, it''s not a bad price either.


    Currently, there''s ack of potions on the market. It''s a matter of life and death, so any Demon King with the ability to buy them will definitely keep 3-5 bottles on them at all times. The demand for it can be said to be extremely huge.


    The Mysterious Witch''s discount also shows plenty of sincerity.


    This is because she needs to buy the ingredients from Zhang Nu.


    Mysterious Witch Liang Bai: "If you think that this is fine, then I''ll first repay my debt now. In the future, I''ll also make sure to let you have the first chance at buying them!"


    Zhang Nu: "No problem!"


    Potion making really is profitable.


    There''s enormous demand in the market for it just waiting to be filled.


    This made Zhang Nu kind of want to go grab some potion makers of his own.


    What races are good at potion making? It seems like elves and the like tend to be good at it.


    In the end, after some discussion, the Mysterious Witch handed over 20 moonlight recovery potions and 10 life herb potions to repay the debt she owed for buying the ingredients before.


    Zhang Nu also made an agreement with Liang Bai.


    He''ll be getting first shot at her products, as well as the best services.


    Zhang Nu promises not to disrupt the market via reselling the potions. At the same time, he''ll also be giving Liang Bai some discounts when supplying ingredients to her.


    Thus, the two Demon Kings formed a cooperative rtionship.


    This can be said to be a mutually beneficial deal.


    Although Zhang Nu is quite tempted by the potions market, he''s not actually jealous over the Mysterious Witch''s small profits. This is money that she earned using her own abilities after all.


    Besides, based on the actual investment and returns, it''s quite obvious that right now, farming is the true path for him.


    After Zhang Nu finished his discussion with the Mysterious Witch, he received the news that Su Yan had sent him via her transmission bat.


    "What?"


    "A huge group of Heroes have gathered nearby?"


    Rather than worried, Zhang Nu was quite overjoyed. Aren''t they basically EXP bundles being delivered right to his doorstep? The stronger the Hero, the better quality their Souls are!

 Chapter 44

    Those Heroes learned the lessons from Zhao Lei''s failure.


    They attempted to bypass the Darkness Canyon and get through the mountains via other, smaller passages or simply via the air in order to directlyunch a sneak attack at the Demon King''s nest.


    It''s still a suicidal move though.


    Zhang Nu, who was situated within the Castle, had grown greatly in power since Zhao Lei''s attack.


    Thus, those invaders cannot possibly pose a threat to him.


    Zhang Nu had no worries over his own safety, but a battle will likely end up causing damage to his territory.


    Damage to normal structures didn''t really matter, but if the goblin farms, House of Skeletons, or the Minotaur Camp were to be destroyed, it would definitely end up adversely affecting the development of his territory. That''s something that must not be allowed to happen.


    Thus, Zhang Nu decided to proactively attack instead.


    "My lord! Your army has been fully assembled!"


    The draconian general knelt on one knee. An army made of 10 draconian battlemages, 50 high soldiers, and 200 normal soldiers was assembled.


    They''re the most elite draconian army!


    They didn''t even include any skeleton soldiers!


    Skeleton units tend to be a bitcking in speed, so they''re not suitable for rapid assaults.


    Draconians are different though. Those units are all elite fighters. Draconians are quite agile from the start, so they can easily traverse even forests, mountains, and other rough terrain.


    This army is capable ofunching a quick attack, quickly ending the battle, and then quickly withdrawing from the battlefield, all without any dy.


    "My lord, please give us the order!"


    Zhang Nu nodded, "Go forth then!"


    The draconian general Zhang San was quite excited.


    He never imagined that he would get the chance to show his mettle so soon.


    Those Heroes came at just the right time. On this day, he shall use their blood to prove his abilities and loyalty.


    "For our lord!"


    "Crush our enemies!"


    Zhang Nu raised his mighty looking polearm as the signal, and the other draconians roared out in unison. They left the Darkness Canyon and sped through the night like ghosts at a terrifying pace.


    "Let me see then."


    "Just what kind of entertainment those Heroes will be able to show me."


    Zhang Nu flew into the sky. If there are any sneaky strategies or ambushes, then he''ll be able to discover them right away via Appraisal. He will thus ensure that nothing goes wrong.


    ...


    During theter half of the night.


    Inside the dark forest.


    A leopard-kin Hero was looking around suspiciously.


    A tiger-kin Hero asked, "What is it?"


    The leopard-kin Hero replied, "Did you feel the earth shake just now?"


    The other Heroes stopped for a moment.


    Before anyone had the chance to carefully check, screams started ringing out within the forest.


    All the Heroes and other warriors were greatly rmed.


    Although the forest is quite safe and hidden, they still set up some wolf-kin with high detection and acute senses of smell all around to act as guards in order to prevent any sneak attacks.


    The constant screaming obviously means that the wolf-kin guards were being wiped out.


    The tiger-kin Hero roared out in rage, "Fucking hell! It''s an enemy attack! Get ready for battle! Everyone get up now!"


    Over a dozen Heroes and several hundred elite warriors all hurriedly gathered up.


    Yet, before everyone even managed to get a clear picture of the attacker''s form or numbers.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    The earth really was shaking!


    The trees before them all fell down.


    A wolf-kin Hero yelled out in rm, "Something''sing!''


    "Roar------!"


    A powerful and violent roar rang out.


    An enormous monster charged out of the woods!


    "What the heck?"


    "Oh god! It''s a dragon!"


    "It''s a dragon. This is an earth drake!"


    The creature that charged through the woods and appeared before everyone was an enormous draconic beast. More urately, it''s an earth drake.


    Dragon is a very diverse race.


    Earth drakes are one of the branches among dragons.


    This particr earth drake is three meters tall and over a dozen meters long.


    Although earth drakesck wings, and so are unable to fly, their limbs and tail are extremely thick. Their scales are the size of a man''s hand and several centimeters thick, while also giving off a metallic shine.


    It''s an iron earth drake!


    More urately speaking, it''s an abyssal iron earth drake!


    Iron earth drakes are known for their powerful defenses. Their resistances are extremely high against both magic and physical attacks!


    "Damn it!"


    "Why is there a monster like that here of all ces?"


    "Get it! Attack! Kill it, quick!"


    Everyone swarmed it and all kinds of attacks rained wildly upon the earth drake. Most of the attacks simply bounced off, doing miniscule amounts of damage.


    "Roar!"


    The earth drake''s sharp ws ripped a wolf-kin warrior apart.


    Its enormous tail swept across the field and about 4 tiger and bear-kin were all sent flying over ten meters away.


    The earth drake fearlessly charged directly into the mob and physically crashed against the army made of several hundred elite warriors over and over, killing dozens of warriors.


    During all of this, two unlucky Heroes were stomped into paste.


    The other Heroes were all shaken. They practically couldn''t believe their eyes. Just where did this terrifying monster pop up from?


    And it had such unthinkablebat power too!


    It definitely exceeds even the level of a level 1 Lord!


    The wolf-kin Heromander spoke with a dark expression, "That guy''s at least a level 2 Lord. Even with our strength, we would have to pay dearly if we want to kill it!"


    The tiger-kin Hero leader spoke, enraged, "We can''t let it keep rampaging about. Otherwise, with all our subordinates dead, what are we supposed to use to challenge the Demon King with?"


    The others were all on the verge of tears.


    They''re here to subjugate the Demon King here.


    So how did they end up provoking such a vicious monster?


    With how unbelievable the earth drake''s defenses are, even if they did win in the end, they would also definitely end up taking enormous casualties. In that case, their ns of subjugating the Darkness Valley will probably have to be put on hold.

 Chapter 45

    "Raging me sh!"


    The tiger-kin Hero Leader swung his enormous sword. zing red qi covered the de in an aura over five meters long and shed down onto the earth drake''s back.


    -30.


    This strike did quite a bit of damage.


    A portion of the earth drake''s scales were shattered, finally opening up a rtively deep wound in it. The other level 2 Heroes all attacked as well, finally bringing the earth drake''s rampage to a stop.


    "So hard!"


    "It''s my strongest attack!"


    "Yet it only did just this little bit of damage!"


    The tiger-kin Leader observed the wound on the earth drake''s back and noticed that it had already stopped bleeding. It''s even quickly healing at a visible rate.


    There were 16 Heroes here.


    Two of them were already killed by the earth drake.


    Of the remaining 14 Heroes, there were one tiger-kin, one wolf-kin, one leopard-kin, and two bear-kins who have the strength of a level 2 Elite.


    Of them, the tiger-kin''s strength is already very close to that of a level 1 Lord monster. The other nine Heroes are also exceptional among level 1 Elites.


    This formation is also joined by over 500 elite warriors of various races.


    Of those, a fourth of them have reached level 1 Elite.


    This is definitely an extremely strong army. Although the earth drake is unbelievably vicious, there''s no way that it could defeat the Heroes just on its own.


    "Interesting!"


    Just then, something shocking happened.


    The earth drake stopped attacking and actually spoke.


    The tiger-kin''s expression shifted, "Just what are you!"


    The iron earth drake''s body quickly shrank, turning into a giant man over three meters tall.


    Although he did indeed shrink, he was still covered in ck scales and armed with a long polearm over four meters long. His presence thus did not decrease from before at all.


    "I''ll let you die enlightened then."


    "I am Zhang San!"


    The draconian general spoke out a really mob-like name in a powerful tone.


    The 14 Heroes all showed confused expressions at that deration.


    The draconian general waved a hand, "Kill them all!"


    Draconians charged out from every direction.


    Both the Heroes and the warriors of various races all had their attentionpletely taken up by the powerful abyssal earth drake.


    They never imagined that there were other enemies around.


    Those draconians really are unbelievably fast and strong.


    The Heroes'' formation had already long since been ruined due to the earth drake. Thus, they werepletely unable to properly defend and react. Screams of pain rang out over and over in that instant.


    In a blink of an eye, a huge swath of their side had fallen.


    Some attempted to break out of the encirclement, but they then discovered that the woods around them were filled with draconians waiting in ambush.


    The tiger-kin Hero Leader shouted in anger, "So you''re the Demon King of Darkness Valley!"


    When the other Heroes heard him, all of them showed shocked expressions. However, they did seem to understand now just why that guy attacked them.


    Who would have thought that the Demon King could be so terrifying!


    For him to have such great personal might!


    This Demon King is not only personally strong, his army can also be called freaks of nature. The draconians who came out on the attack were just a portion of them, and there were still more draconians spread out in the forest just waiting to take down any one in the Hero army who tried to escape.


    Nobody knew that this Demon King had such terrible powers at hismand.


    The five strongestmanders could do nothing but watch as the 20 high soldiers and hundred or so soldiers cut down the Heroes and their subordinate warriors like a scythe harvesting wheat. The Hero army was beaten to the point where they couldn''t even fight back.


    It''s not like the five Heromanders didn''t want to join in and help, but their abilities simply couldn''t match up to their desires. This isn''t even getting into the fact that they might not be able to win against 20 high soldiers.


    Just Zhang San''s fierce attacks were enough to keep them from being able to contemte anything else.


    Zhang San''s draconian form didn''t have the same powerful defense and strength, but what he gained instead is more agile and skilled fighting tactics and skills. His polearm cut down one warrior after another.


    They''re done for!


    The Demon King''s too strong!


    They were just no match for him!


    The surviving Heroes were all in despair!


    It''s not like they haven''t dealt with other Demon Kings before, but they''ve never encountered a Demon King as hard to deal with as Zhang San. Even now, they still can''t see any hope of victory.


    The Hero army continuously shrank under the encirclement.


    The tiger-kin Leader roared out in anger, "Demon King, if you''re a man, then have a fair battle with us Heroes without any of our subordinates!"


    This battle is already hopeless.


    The tiger-kin attempted to try to provoke the other side in the hopes of getting the Demon King to fight them on his own.


    Although their chances of defeating the Demon King is miniscule even with all their level 2 Heroes working together, it''s still better than no chance at all.


    It was their only hope.


    The forest had already beenpletely locked down by draconians.


    There was no way that they could possibly escape.


    Their only hope is to throw everything they have at the Demon King in the hopes of defeating him!


    For the draconian general Zhang San, those ants before him are not only weak but also so shameless. He didn''t want to pay any attention to them. All he cared for was to quickly kill them as his mastermanded him.


    Who could have thought that, at that moment, a majestic voice rang out from up in the sky, "What an interesting request!"


    When they heard that voice, everyone there stopped.


    The draconians in the area all stopped their attacks and backed off by some distance.


    The draconian general Zhang San also disengaged. He took a knee and spoke respectfully, "My lord. Why does someone of your station need to pay any attention to such ants?"


    Before the various Heroes'' shocked gaze, a figure descended from the sky... It was another draconian.


    However, he was different from Zhang San and the other draconians.


    That draconian had a huge pair of draconic wings. His entire body was covered in dark gold scales and every single scale gave off the feeling like it contained a great deal of energy. Every inch of him gave off the majestic aura of a king.


    "I was bored just watching up above anyways. Since they brought up such a request, I might as well give them a chance at challenging me. I can also use this chance to stretch myself a bit."


    Zhang Nu spoke, "You may back off now!"


    "Yes, sir!"


    The draconian general got up and backed off to the side respectfully.


    Zhang Nu gave the remnants before him a quick scan. They were down to less than a hundred, and the original 16 Heroes have also been reduced to just seven by now. Thus, he shook his head, "You might as well juste at me all at once!"

 Chapter 46

    The Heroes werepletely dumbfounded.


    Their brains short circuited.


    They were simply unable to ept the reality right away.


    After all, this really did simply beggar belief.


    It was worse than even their worst case estimation.


    The tiger-kin leader looked at the draconian general Zhang San standing respectfully and submissively to the side. It was as if the vicious fighter from just a moment ago was apletely different person.


    Then he looked at the awe-inspiring Zhang Nu with a presence that''s over ten times greater.


    He finally gradually pieced together the main issue here.


    They got it all wrong?


    That Zhang San who practically took on all of them on his own wasn''t actually the Demon King, but was instead merely one of the Demon King''smanders?


    Fucking hell!


    Isn''t that a bit much!


    How the heck is a mere subordinate of the Demon King this strong?


    If just a subordinate of the Demon King was this strong, then just how terrifying is the actual Demon King himself?


    That existence had alreadypletely overturned everything he thought he knew about Demon Kings!


    "Come on then!"


    "Don''t waste any more time!"


    Zhang Nu released an invisible wave of pressure, enveloping everyone there. They felt as if they just took a hammer to the head, immediately bing dazed.


    That aura that descended was Dragon Fear!


    The Heromanders were rtively stronger, so they only experienced some minor mental damage. However, they did still take the effect of the debuff, thus lowering all their stats, and also at the same time was temporarily dazed.


    As for the other targets?


    The level 1 Elites ended up dazed for several seconds.


    For the level 1 Normal units,cking even that much power, the vast majority of them all dropped onto the ground. They either directly lost consciousness or lost allbat capabilities for a short while.


    Zhang Nu was rendered rather speechless seeing that.


    Those guys are a bit too useless here.


    The Heroes still haven''t recovered from their temporary dazed state.


    Zhang Nu pushed off of the ground and streaked forth in a blur. He instantly arrived right before the Heroes at a speed that few could perceive.


    Then, he reached out with his enormous hands and lifted the tiger-kin leader by his head like one would grab a chick.


    "Damn it!"


    "Everyone, attack together!"


    "We have to kill him!"


    The Hero Commanders were shocked but attempted to counterattack anyways.


    Zhang Nu released a st of Dragon me from his hand, instantly reducing the tiger-kin leader''s head into ash. Then, the headless corpse slipped down from his fingers.


    Shit!


    Like hell they can fight that!


    How exactly are they supposed to fight that?


    The other Heroes were already scared stiff by the viciousness shown.


    The strongest and highest ranked among the Heroes ended up dying to the Demon King in just a single moment. He didn''t even have the chance to fight back at all.


    "Gah1"


    "Why did things turn out this way!"


    "He''s a monster!"


    "How the heck can we possibly win against that? Run away!"


    Zhang Nu found the scene of the Heroes routing and deserting rather funny. "It''s a rare opportunity for me to personally fight, but to think that this is what I ended up facing. Is there not a single Hero among you who can actually take a hit?"


    As he spoke, his form expanded.


    A 15 meter long dragon took flight.


    A pir of Dragon me descended from midair, viciously striking the ground and instantly spreading out in all directions, annihting everything in its way.


    Flesh was instantly burned to ash.


    Neither stone nor metal could withstand the terrifying temperature, and so was melted in an instant.


    The Heroes and the warriors following them could not put up the slightest resistance, and so wer all instantly in amidst tragic screams.


    After about ten seconds, Zhang Nu stopped breathing out Dragon me.


    An area the size of several basketball fields was filled with molten craters and was covered in ash. An enormous amount of zing hot steam rose from the ground, warping the air itself.


    Zhang Nu asked, "Are there any escapees?"


    Zhang San replied, "This one had made the necessary preparations in the area, so not a single one of those in this forest today had gotten away."


    Zhang Nu nodded with satisfaction, "Withdraw the troops then!"


    Zhang San immediately ryed the orders.


    The draconian soldiers were all highly mobile. They arrived like a bolt of lightning, and then they left like a bolt of lightning as well. The entire battle took less than an hour.


    Zhang Nu headed over to the only survivor there, "Hey, you still alive there?"


    Su Yan had already returned to her original form.


    She made sure to hide herself away the moment the fighting started.


    Zhang Nu had exined the situation from the start, which is why none of the draconians attacked her at all.


    Su Yan found it really hard to stand before the dragon. If he identally let out a breath of fire while talking, then she would definitely end up utterly annihted in an instant.


    That guy is really just way too strong!


    She got back up with all her might, "Don''t worry boss, I''mpletely uninjured!"


    Zhang Nu nodded, "Consider this skill stone your reward for this time."


    Killing over a dozen Heroes ended up dropping three skill stones.


    Zhang Nu then picked one of them out to give to Su Yan.


    [Skill stone: Reminiscence], E ranked skill.


    Zhang Nu had the special ability to see hidden information, so this skill was useless to him. Therefore, he might as well instead give it to this Hero as a reward for her efforts.


    "A skill stone? That''s awesome!"


    Su Yan was overjoyed, "Thanks boss!"


    Zhang Nu then spoke, "What ns do you have going forward?"


    Su Yan considered the matter.


    After mulling it over some, she spoke, "I don''t have any suitable ces to stay at right now, nor have I thought of a next target yet. How about you give me a suggestion then, boss?"


    Zhang Nu spoke, "Head to Giantree City then."


    Su Yan paused for a moment, "Giantree City?"


    Giantree City.


    It''s a city within the forest.


    There are many forest cities like it within the Chaos Forest.


    Giantree City is the biggest, strongest, and most popted area within 500 km.


    These kinds of cities are usually built and ruled by a single race, while at the same time having many different races living within it.


    They are filled with all kinds of people. It is both fraught with dangers while being filled with opportunities at the same time, so it''s quite suitable for a Hero like Su Yan to try to make her way in.

 Chapter 47

    T/N: Challenge goal reached, so here''s an extra chapter.


    Of course, Zhang Nu had his own considerations when he gave Su Yan the suggestion to head to Giantree City.


    Darkness Valley is bing stronger and stronger as a faction.


    Zhang Nu''s own strength is also gradually reaching the point where he can''t keep a low profile anymore.


    If he really can''t keep a low profile, then it also means that he won''t need to keep a low profile anymore. At that point, he should simply take, conquer or destroy whatever zones or resources nearby as he likes.


    The moment that Zhang Nu does that, it will also have meant that he has advanced from the development stage to the expansion stage.


    The final mission of a demon King is to conquer and destroy.


    Giantree City is the strongest power within several hundred kilometers, and as Zhang Nu''s territory and forces continuously expand, there''s no way that they can possibly allow a threat as invasive as a Demon King to remain nearby.


    It can be said that conflict is nearly unavoidable.


    Darkness Valley and Giantree City are destined for war.


    Zhang Nu sent Su Yan to Giantree City for the sake ofying some groundwork. It''s to first set up a spy within to gather information for him.


    Besides which, the Heroes that Zhang Nu had killed more or less had certain connections to Giantree City.


    Their Ironblooded Heroes Guild''s headquarters is located in Giantree City.


    Said guild is a veryrge and powerful Heroes Guild. They''re extremely dangerous to Demon Kings, so Zhang Nu absolutely has to wipe them out first in order to avoid major future problems.


    Su Yan hurriedly agreed, "Yes boss. I''ll head over to Giantree City right away. You can just wait here for my good news!"


    Giantree City is several hundred kilometers away.


    There are a lot of wild zones, tribes, and other groups in between here and the City.


    That said, although the way there isn''t all that easy to get through, Su Yan should have no problem dealing with those minor problems given her current strength.


    No matter what, she is still a level 2 Hero after all.


    "You won''t becking in rewards in the future as long as you properly show results!"


    Su Yan knows full well what Zhang Nu wants. It''s exactly because of that, that she has value to him. So long as she has the Darkness Valley backing her up, she''ll definitely be a powerful Hero in the end.


    A fallen or evil Hero is still a Hero!


    It''s at the very least better than being a mob character that just randomly gets killed off, after all!


    Zhang Nu returned to his territory.


    He got quite a lot of gains from this battle.


    He didn''t lose a single draconian battlemage or high soldier. He only lost two normal soldiers, with about ten or so injured. In total, his battle losses were practically zero.


    The draconian general''s showing was also quite satisfactory.


    Zhang San really did have quite some talent for leading an army.


    The enemies this time were way too weak though, so he didn''t even get a chance to really show off his full might like the leadership skills for example. Given the current stage of the game, having a draconian general like that is more than enough to basically dominate over most others.


    As for his profits from this excursion, it can be called a huge harvest!


    31210 gold!


    2 skill stones.


    16 total Souls, of which 5 of them being level 2 Souls and 11 being level 1.


    The two skills were the E ranked Earth Spike and the D ranked Blessing of the Gust.


    The former is a basic earth element magic.


    Although Zhang Nu doesn''t really consider magic of that level to be anything worthwhile, it wasn''t a bad thing to diversify his attack capabilities.


    Thetter is a support skill.


    When this skill is activated, it can give him a 25% buff to movement speed for a period of time. This skill is actually quite useful to Zhang Nu.


    After using up both the skill stones, Zhang Nu went on to the main event.


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 2 Hero''s Soul. 20 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 2 Hero''s Soul. 21 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 2 Hero''s Soul. 22 talent points gained!]


    [...]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 2 Hero''s Soul. 25 talent points gained!]


    Zhang Nu was excited to discover that the five level 2 Souls alone managed to gain him 109 talent points.


    Zhang Nu then sacrificed the 11 level 1 Souls. Those mostly tended to give around 3-4 points per soul, giving him 38 talent points in total.


    This battle had gained him a total of 147 talent points.


    If he adds in the 13 talent points that he had from the start, then Zhang Nu''s current talent points have reached 160 in total.


    Which Talent should he activate out of the four level 2 Talent then?


    Zhang Nu made his choice without taking too long.


    [You''ve activated a Talent skill: Adamantine Dragon Body!]


    [Adamantine Dragon Body]. Talent skill. You gained an even stronger body. Physical damage resistance +50%. While in dragon form, +400 HP, +200 MP, +30 Strength, +15 Agility, +30 Constitution, +15 Will. When taking physical damage, you can reflect up to 50% of the damage dealt.


    This is a foundational type skill.


    It greatly increases Zhang Nu''s base stats in both forms. His physical defensive capabilities also greatly increased, and at the same time, he also gained the ability to reflect physical damage.


    It goes without saying that this is a very powerful skill.


    One point especially worth mentioning is that the effect of this skill isn''t static. It will continuously increase in power as Zhang Nu levels up and gets stronger.


    "Roar!"


    A draconic roar filled the air.


    Zhang Nu transformed into his abyssal dragon form.


    In the very beginning, Zhang Nu was only about 10 meters long. After he became a level 2 Demon King, his form reached around 15 meters in length.


    After activating the Adamantine Dragon Body skill, Zhang Nu''s body drew once again. Now, he''s at least over 30 meters long, and both the pressure and aura he''s emitting has visibly grown.


    He has gotten stronger.


    Just how much stronger did he get though?


    The strength ofbat units are ranked as follows: Normal, Elite, Lord, Overlord, King, and Epic.


    Zhang Nu did a quick estimation, and his current strength should be at the Overlord level at least.


    In facy, he should be one of the strongest among the Overlords.


    If he could activate two more Talents, then he would probably directly reach King level. When ites down to it, level 2 King units have practically never appeared on this continent.


    Zhang Nu pped his wings and left the Valley.


    He decided to find somewhere to test out his newfound might.

 Chapter 48

    Around a hundred kilometers south of the Darkness Valley is a goblin tribe.


    Although there are quite a lot of goblins within the Chaos Forest, the vast majority of them are generally spread out among hundreds of small viges.


    They are minor and insignificant targets, and even if a threat does some, they would still have an easy time pulling up roots and leaving. That said, it does also makerge scale goblin settlements extremely rare.


    That said, this particr tribe numbers around three to four thousand.


    A race who lives at the bottom of the food chain being able to maintain such an enormous settlement without fear of being raided by other races is something that vites the normalmon sense.


    Why is that then?


    Of course it''s because they have something backing them up.


    The reason behind this goblin tribe''s survival is very simple.


    Their tribe was built around an ancient ruin, and the entire tribe was focused on serving and worshiping an ancient monster that lived within the ruins.


    A sacrificial ceremony took ce every month.


    Every time the day of the ceremonyes, the goblin tribe will bring out all the resources and food that they have collected and present it as an offering to this ancient beast. If that monster hadn''t had its fill even after that, then it would directly devour the goblins there.


    The ones eaten would number at least ten, up to perhaps dozens or even over a hundred in the worst cases.


    Although the goblin tribe lives in a state of nervousness and terror, it was also thanks to the existence of this ancient beast that the tribe was able to avoid enemy invasions. Thus, more and more goblins came and gathered here over time.


    On this day, at a certain secret gathering spot.


    "Is everyone here?"


    "Don''t worry. The 15 of us are all here, no more and no less!"


    This is a goblin tribe, so of course there would also be yers here. They weren''t particrly numerous, being exactly 15 of them. At this moment, they were nning to do something big.


    "Very good!"


    "After over half a month of preparations!"


    "All of ites down to whether or not we can seed here!"


    The 15 goblin Heroes had a very simple n - They''re going to kill that monster that the tribe has been worshiping!


    Why do they want to do that, one might ask?


    The reason behind it is quite simple.


    Although there are 15 goblin Heroes within the tribe, these goblin Heroes'' statuses within the tribe are rather average. Theycked the ability to quickly gain control over the tribe.


    If they can''t control the tribe, then they won''t be able to take control over the warriors of the tribe.


    Without arge enough force to support them, there was basically no way that merely 15 goblin Heroes could possibly defeat a Demon King!


    Thus, the 15 of them decided on a risky n.


    They spent over half a month training and hunting monsters with all their might.


    At this point, pretty much all of them have reached the stage of level 1 Elite.


    Based on their estimations, the monster is a level 1 Lord, or perhaps a level 2 Elite.


    Despite its great might, the monster in question also tends to spend the vast majority of its time in deep sleep. By now, it haspletely rxed its guard against the goblins who have been serving it for all these years.


    If they were tounch a sneak attack, then they should have a decent hope of killing it!


    If they could kill that monster, then their fame and influence over the tribe will greatly increase. With that, they''ll be able to ride the wave to rebel and overthrow the current chief.


    With that, they''ll then have control over the entire tribe.


    Although goblins were a bitcking, with enough numbers, it should still be enough to deal with some rtively weak Demon Kings!


    "Let''s go!"


    The 15 Heroes left around dawn and avoided all the other goblins. Then they snuck into the forbiddennd in the center of the tribe and came to an ancient ruined tower.


    That''s the ce!


    The monster is sleeping inside the tower!


    Supposedly, this tower was once a biologicalboratory. The ancient monster was supposed to be an experimental creature created by the ancient wizards of theb, who bred and mutated it via magical means!


    The leader of the goblin Heros whispered, "We''ll use potions to remove any scent from us. Since it''s deeply asleep right now, it shouldn''t be able to discover us!"


    "We''ll go in now, find it, and kill it!"


    "Although that guy isn''t a Demon King, a monster as strong as it should be able to offer us some training points. Whether or not we''ll be able to get further will all depend on this operation!"


    However, before they could even get started, the goblins were horrified to discover that the ground beneath them had started shaking.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Why is it awake!"


    "That shouldn''t be... Oh, no. It''sing!"


    An ipatible powerful presence came, and with it, an enormous monster slid out of the tower.


    It was an enormous python!


    The python was over 50 meters long. It was covered in thick snake scales. Its maw was covered in teeth. And there was even a single sharp horn on its head.


    The goblin Heroes were frozen in fear.


    This was the first time that they actually faced this monster.


    They realized that they had made a huge mistake.


    That guy wasn''t a level 1 Lord or level 2 Elite at all. Given the aura that it''s giving off, it has obviously already reached the might of a level 2 Lord!


    In other words, they had no chance of winning from the very start!


    This was true even if they tried attacking the python while it was asleep!


    The giant python had also noticed the 15 sneaking and suspicious goblin Heroes near it. Yet, for some unknown reason, it didn''t even so much as give them a nce.


    The terrifying giant python simply slithered up the tower until it reached the very top.


    It raised its enormous head and pointed it up toward the sky in an attacking stance. Its eyes were alert and filled with fighting spirit, almost as if it had detected some kind of huge threat to it.


    "Look, quickly!"


    "There''s something up in the sky!"


    "What''s that flying up there?"


    "T-that... It looks like a dragon!"


    A mighty looking dark gold dragon was thousands of kilometers up in the air. It ripped through the clouds as it dove down and headed their way.


    "Hahaha!"


    "We''re so lucky!"


    "That guy didn''t wake up because of us at all!"


    "It just felt a powerful enemy invading its territory. We just need for them to start fighting and then we can take advantage of the chaos to escape!"


    The goblin Heroes rejoiced in their luck.


    Those two creatures were so terrifying, so powerful.


    Now that their attention has been drawn to each other, how could they possibly pay any attention to a bunch ofpletely unimportant goblins? They truly are favored by fate on this day!


    The next second!


    An enormous pir of Dragon me mmed down, instantly washing over the area where the goblin Heroes were!


    The goblin Heroes who were just rejoicing in their luck not even a second ago had all died within the mes, having been burnt to ash.

 Chapter 49

    [You''ve in a goblin Hero, Hero''s Soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a goblin Hero, Hero''s Soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a goblin Hero, Hero''s Soul +1!]


    [...]


    That single st of Dragon me from Zhang Nu had annihted the entire group of 15 Heroes.


    He gave it a quick nce. Although their quality wasn''t that great, all of them being level 1 Souls, they do make up for it in quantity, being 15 Souls all together.


    He never expected things to work out so neatly for him.


    Originally, he had decided to first defeat the lord here and then take his time dragging every individual out from the crowd and dealing with them.


    But now, this turn of events will save him quite a bit of time and effort.


    Zhang Nu''s gaze fell upon the ancient giant python on top of the tower.


    Information rted to the giant python immediately appeared.


    [Dragonblood Python]. Level 2 Lord monster... Skills: Poison me Breath (D rank), Death Stinger (D Rank), ze Shield (D Rank), Summon Rain of Fire (E rank), Magic Resistance (E Rank), etc...


    Description: This is a rare and powerful monster. It had been magically altered back when it was resurrected. From that, it gained a slight bit of draconic bloodline.


    So it was an artificially remodeled monster.


    It was pretty strong just on its own, but it also then gained a hint of draconic bloodline, so its potential was very strong. Add in hundreds to even a thousand years of time to mature, and it has thus reached a Lord level existence.


    "Hiss - Roar!"


    The giant python was obviously extremely agitated by the pressure of facing off against an abyssal dragon. It immediatelyunched an attack before Zhang Nu could do anything.


    Over a hundred fireballs the size of a person''s head rained down upon Zhang Nu, constantly pelting Zhang Nu''s enormous 30 meters long body. Every single fireball was quite amazing in both temperature and power.


    -0!


    -0!


    -0!


    This round of attacks did no damage to Zhang Nu at all.


    This was because the giant python''s Rain of Fire was an E ranked magic.


    Zhang Nu had the Anti-Magic ability. A magic attack like this that doesn''t reach even D rank would have its effect weakened by 99%.


    As for the remaining 1%?


    LIke that little bit of damage could get through his defenses.


    Therefore, that round of attacks didn''t do the slightest bit of damage.


    Zhang Nu directly descended before the giant python, "Is that all you''re capable of? That''s not even enough to scratch my itch!"


    The giant python was enraged by that taunt.


    It coiled up tightly like a tensed bow and gathered an enormous amount of power to its horn before viciously stabbing forward with a drilling motion.


    D rank skill - Death Stinger!


    This is the giant python''s closebat trump card. This one strike is very powerful, capable of easily piercing through a castle wall. There was no way mere flesh and blood could take it head on, so its damage effect can be said to be quite terrifying.


    Zhang Nu had the ability to block or dodge it.


    However, why should he dodge it? He just gained the Adamantine Dragon Body and this is a great opportunity to test his newfound defense. Therefore, he decided to take it head on.


    Boom!


    The python mmed into him with great force.


    The horn sparked against the dragon scales.


    -5!


    -9!


    This time, Zhang Nu finally took a bit of damage. However, this tiny degree of damage can only be called a scratch to him.


    On the other hand, the giant python had its own scales shattered and was bleeding profusely.


    It felt like what it hit wasn''t normal flesh and blood of a living creature but someone even harder than diamond. Plus, a portion of the force from its own attack was directly reflected onto itself.


    -34!


    -45!


    If this were to continue on, then the python would end up killing itself before it could do anything more than scratch Zhang Nu.


    Following a bang, its ipatible hard horn cracked and shattered as the python was thrown over a dozen meters away.


    Its magic attack was ineffective.


    Pythical attacks don''t work.


    The two sides weren''t on the same level at all.


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied with his current defensive capabilities. He also didn''t want to waste any more time here. This monster before him wasn''t nearly as strong as he had thought, after all.


    Although it''s a Lord level monster, there are strong and weak creatures among Lords as well. At the very least, this python isn''t a particrly strong specimen among level 2 Lords. It can''t evenpare to the draconian general.


    An opponent like that wasn''t very interesting at all.


    Thus, Zhang Nu decided to finish it off quickly.


    At this point, due to the huge amount of noise that they were making, all the goblins of the tribe had been alerted.


    "There''s an invader!"


    "It''s currently fighting against the sacred beast!"


    "Quick, take up your weapons. Stop him, quickly!"


    The goblin vige was in chaos as it got ready to attack the invader.


    However, when they saw the scene before them, they ended up stopping right there on the spot.


    The dark gold dragon was nearly unharmed.


    The giant python on the other hand was covered in wounds.


    This was the first time that they have ever seen the sacred beast in such a terrible condition.


    At this point, although the giant python was covered in wounds, it was also goingpletely berserk. Not only did it not try to escape, it even opened its mouth to st out a wave of green mes.


    Poison me Breath!


    This ancient python also had the ability to breathe fire. Although it''s nowhere near the might of Dragon mes, it did contain within it a powerful poison elemental attack. A normal opponent would have ended up poisoned to death even if it managed to escape being burned to death.


    Zhang Nu directly returned fire with his own Dragon mes.


    The Dragon mes ripped right through and evaporated the Poison mes and sted right into the giant python''s mouth, instantly piercing right through it from head to tail.


    Bang!


    The giant python exploded on the spot and its charred flesh rained down onto the ground.


    [You''ve in a dragonblood python. Gold +8000!]


    A level 2 Lord monster was so easily crushed just like that. It just goes to show how powerful Zhang Nu is now.


    The goblins of the goblin tribe had witnessed the scene of that single st of Dragon me ying the giant python. They all also witnessed the scene of the giant python exploding all over the ce.


    "Oh gods!"


    "The dragon... Killed the sacred beast!"


    The goblins had a hard time believing what they just saw. The sacred beast that they worshiped for so many years was killed just like that, not even leaving an intact corpse.


    Zhang Nu pped his wings and flew over the goblins'' heads.


    A st of Dragon me sted down in the center of the goblin tribe, instantly sting a molten crater into the ground.


    Some goblins still wanted to try to resist the invader, but Zhang Nu just directly dropped Dragon Fear on top of them.


    As that terrible force crushed down on them, the goblins all fell down like cut stalks of wheat, instantly routing.


    It''s way too strong!


    How could mere weak goblins possibly resist such a great creature?


    Zhang Nu directly opened his mouth and dered, "The monster that you''ve been worshiping is already dead, and now I am your new master!"


    "Submit or bepletely destroyed!''


    "Choose for yourselves!"

 Chapter 50

    "We submit!"


    Under the power of the Dragon Fear, the goblins lost all will to resist.


    Thousands of goblins knelt down on the spot.


    [Notice: 3105 goblins have submitted to you. ept?]


    [You have conquered the goblin tribe. You gained "Gorgeous Bronze Treasure Chest"!]


    Everything went smoothly.


    This is what it is meant to subdue your foes without fighting! (T/N: Sun Tzu''s Art of War reference here)


    Zhang Nu had directly taken over this tribe without killing a single goblin here, not including the 15 Heroes. This is an unbelievable result for any other Demon King.


    Truth be told, this isn''t actually all that strange.


    Several hundred goblins would end up getting eaten every single year.


    The reason they paid such an enormous cost in their enshrinement of the giant python was all for the sake of having a powerful backer so as to prevent others from bullying their tribe. Zhang Nu had killed the giant python outright, so his strength was far above the python.


    Thus, it''s only natural that the goblins were willing to submit.


    Zhang Nu is a dragon after all.


    Dragons have sat at the peak of the continent''s food chain since ancient times.


    The abyssal dragon is also a legendary grade rare dragon, being even more mysterious, more powerful, and more terrifying than normal dragons.


    All dragons are extremely prideful.


    In their eyes, a weak race like goblins are basically no different than insects. They''ve never heard of any stories where a dragon is willing to ept goblins as subordinates.


    No matter how brutal a dragon might be, so long as it''s willing to give the goblins a way to live on, no goblin would be willing to leave such a powerful backer.


    Zhang Nu spoke up, "Where''s your chief?"


    A strong looking goblin hurriedly ran forward, "Yes master, I''m the chief here. Please order me as you like!"


    [Goblin chief]. Level 2 Elite... Description: A one in a million mutated goblin. He bears a body and strength rivaling that of minotaurs.


    Unlike the other goblins, this goblin is over two meters tall.


    His body resembled that of Arnold Schwarzenegger''s.


    Although he can''tpare to the hulk-like draconian soldiers or minotaurs, he''s definitely a super strong giant among the goblins.


    Zhang Nu spoke, "Begin preparing the tribe for relocation."


    The goblin chief spoke in a panic, "Master, we''ve been living here for many years now, so we would have a hard time surviving immediately if we moved somewhere else."


    Zhang Nu spoke, "You don''t need to worry about that. I have made my own arrangements. From today on, you won''t go hungry so long as you work for me!"


    "Besides, I do not like eating goblins!"


    A great being like a dragon has no need to lie to goblins, so when the goblins heard his words, all of them were overjoyed.


    These goblins are very numerous too, so they''re more than enough for resolving theck of farmbor within the Darkness Valley.


    After Zhang Nu conquered this tribe, he gained a reward treasure chest.


    Although this goblin tribe is a "Level 2 Lord zone", the reality is actually a bit different. The entire thing is propped up by an ancient giant python, and all the other units are simply far too weak.


    Most likely, that''s why he only got a bronze treasure chest.


    That said, the treasure chest is extremely beautiful.


    It looked far better than the bronze chests that he had gained the previous few times.


    [You opened a treasure chest. Gained "Normal Structure Leveling Scroll" x1, "Life Crystal" x2, "Sealing Bracelet" x1, "Gold" x10,000!]


    This time, he didn''t get any blueprints, but he did get a leveling scroll.


    [Normal Structure Leveling Scroll]. Able to level up a normal level 1 structure or facility within one''s territory. Material costs for leveling up depends on the target.


    That''s a good find!


    Zhang Nu had previously gained an undead structure leveling scroll before.


    At the time, he had used it to level his House of Bones to the House of Skeletons. This had directly increased his territory''s undead army''s capabilities by well over 10 times.


    Now, this particr leveling scroll has an even greater range of uses.


    Its worth to Zhang Nu is by no means inferior to a top ss blueprint.


    Other than that, there were several other items.


    [Life Crystal]. Permanently increase max HP by 100 points!


    [Sealing Bracelet]. Blue quality equipment. Able to seal all of the wearer''s skills. Only effective against those of level 3 or lower.


    The former is a stat crystal.


    It''s basically the same as the strength crystal that Zhang Nu had received from the chest he got from conquering the Bloodhoof tribe. Only this time, it''s a life crystal, capable of increasing max HP instead.


    Zhang Nu used it on himself without even thinking about it.


    [Absorption sessful, +100 HP!]


    [Absorption sessful, +100 HP!]


    200 HP. That''s not a small number here. Those two crystals are worth at least tens of thousands of gold.


    The final item is rather useless though.


    It''s a special equipment. It''s not for personal use, but for equipping it on someone else in order to seal their skills and prevent said other party from being able to take it off themselves.


    Although he felt like it wasn''t all that useful, Zhang Nu wasn''t really disappointed either.


    Opening treasure chests is something that depends on luck from the start.


    It''s not like he can count on it to be able to yield him something that''s immediately useful to him every single time, right?


    A leveling scroll, two crystals, and 10,000 gold. Just that much was already enough to satisfy him!


    Zhang Nu returned to his territory.


    He sent out the draconian general Zhang San with the responsibility of aiding the goblins in their move.


    His territory is in desperate need of this new batch ofbor for his farms.


    After returning to his territory, Zhang Nu also sacrificed the new souls he gained.


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 1 Hero''s Soul. 3 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 1 Hero''s Soul. 3 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 1 Hero''s Soul. 4 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 1 Hero''s Soul. 3 talent points gained!]


    [...]


    The 15 souls yielded him 51 talent points in total.


    Zhang Nu already had 60 talent points from before.

 Chapter 51

    Out of the level 2 Talents, there are three Talents still awaiting activation.


    Abyssal Devouring, Hell Thunderme, and Medium Anti-Magic.


    Medium Anti-Magic is exactly what it says on the tin. It''s basically just the stronger version of Beginner Anti-Magic. If he activates this skill, then Zhang Nu will gain a greater ability to nullify magic.


    As for Abyssal Devouring and Hell Thunderme?


    The former is an absorption type skill.


    It can be used to cancel out enemy attacks or used as a means for defense and recovery.


    Thetter is a super powerful damage ability.


    It canbine the powers of Abyssal Dragon me and Abyssal Thunder into an even more terrifyingly powerful Hell Thunderme. It''s more than enough to raise his attack power to another level.


    In Zhang Nu''s opinions though, at his current level, his offensive and defensive abilities should be enough. What he instead needs is more diversity in his fighting capabilities.


    Thus, he''ll be putting aside the Thunderme and Anti-Magic for the time being.


    [You''ve activated the Talent skill: Abyssal Devouring!]


    [Abyssal Devouring]. Talent skill. Costs at least 50 MP. Can forcefully dispel and even devour magical energy within a certain range or drain MP from a target within range to recover the user''s HP and MP... Cooldown time of five minutes between each use of skill.


    One of the strongest powers of the abyssal dragon is their devouring and absorption abilities.


    This skill''s effects are quite powerful. It can be used to great effect in actual battle, and it also greatly increases Zhang Nu''s survivability.


    Putting the Hero''s Souls aside, the greatest reward he got from this excursion should be the leveling scroll.


    If one was to ask which structure is the most important within a territory, then the answer would definitely be the Demon King Castle. It can increase the territory''s productivity, the power of the Demon King''s forces, and the strength of the Demon King himself.


    Leveling up the Demon King Castle would actually be a pretty good choice.


    However, that isn''t possible.


    The Demon King Castle is ssified as a core structure of the territory, but this leveling scroll can only be used on normal structures.


    Thus, Zhang Nu started considering which structure to use it on.


    The House of Skeletons was disqualified first.


    It''s a level 2 undead structure that has already been leveled up once before.


    As for the Tower of Fog, the MInotaur Camp, or the Dark Prison?


    Zhang Nuy believes there isn''t much value in leveling those structures right now. The only thing really worth leveling should be the goblin farms, or, more urately, the spirit fields.


    Under normalmon sense, the spirit fields shouldn''t be considered a structure.


    However, based on the game''s settings, it is considered one of the territory''s structures. In that case then, the leveling scroll should be effective on it, so Chang Nu immediately gave it a try.


    [Spirit Fields] (Can be leveled). Leveling cost: Normal structure leveling scroll x1, life gem x10, earth gem x10, wood x500, stone x500, gold x5000.


    That''s great.


    It really can be leveled up!


    The materials required for leveling it are quite expensive, but Zhang Nu had faith that its worth will be proportional to the costs.


    He immediately started collecting the materials. The other items weren''t hard to get, but the real difficulty is the gems required. Right now, he didn''t have a single gem left.


    Then Zhang Nu remembered that he knew a gem merchant.


    He had bought two types of gems from that person previously after all.


    Zhang Nu: "There?"


    Bloody Giant Wang Shi: "Hey bro, what''s up?"


    Zhang Nu got right to business: "10 life gems, 10 earth gems. Can you get them?"


    Bloody Giant Wang Shi: "Holy shit! That many? Bro, what do you need all those for? Earth gems are one thing, but life gems are going to be a bit difficult."


    Zhang Nu was direct: "Following the price fromst time, 1000 gold per life gem and 500 gold per earth gem. How about it?"


    Bloody Giant Wang Shi: "Give me three days!"


    Three days.


    That''s way too long!


    Zhang Nu thought for a bit: "If you can get it ahead of time, then I''ll pay an additional 1000 gold for every day in advance!"


    Bloody Giant Wang Shi: "Alright then. You''ve got a deal. I''ll do my best!"


    Money can solve all kinds of problems.


    Bloody Giant Want Shi had gathered up all the gems within just 20 or so hours.


    Zhang Nu was quite curious as to the area that the Bloody Giant was in. Just what kind of ce is it for him to be able to get that many gems?


    Of course, Zhang Nu had no real interest or ability to ask about other people''s secrets.


    Every powerful Demon King has their own ways.


    Zhang Nu readily paid 17,000 gold. 15,000 of the gold was the price for buying the gems, and the remaining 2,000 gold was the tip for the 2 days early delivery.


    After getting the gems, hisborers had also already prepared all the other materials as well.


    [Level up sessful!]


    [Your "level 1 spirit fields] have leveled up to "level 2 spirit field". Spirit field growth speed +30%. Spirit field size +50%!]


    The goblin farms had been sessfully leveled up.


    The farms have now gotten evenrger, and the nts within it now grow even faster. It''s more than enough to multiply the profits for the territory. The only downside is that it also greatly increased the demand for farmbor by several times as well.


    Two dayster, the first group of his new farmers had arrived.


    The goblin chief led a long line of his tribes.


    Several thousand goblins were carrying various bags and packages filled with their various properties of little worth. After traveling hundreds of kilometers through the forest, they had finally arrived at the Darkness Valley.


    The goblin chief was shocked at what was before him though, "Th-this is..."


    An enormous span of spirit fields spread out before him.


    Hundreds of goblins wereboring while wearing straw hats. Nearby, the strong looking draconian soldiers were patrolling around to act as security for them.


    Not far from them, minotaur priests were busy casting recovery magic while draconianborers were transporting wood and stone in preparations for building housing for the goblins.


    This small farm gave off the appearance of a small town thanks to the huge increase in poption.


    The goblins there were happily eating, drinking, and being merry. With the Demon King covering them from above and the draconian soldiers keeping guard, they didn''t need to worry about their safety at all anymore.


    Other than the fact that the farming work is a bit tiring, this is basically a goblin paradise!


    The goblin chief was utterly shocked. He had never imagined that he would be able to ever live a life like this.

 Chapter 52

    Demon King Castle.


    Zhang Nu received the reports of the 3000 goblins having moved onto the farms.


    They''ll be able to start contributing to the work soon.


    As the farms were being quickly expanded, they''ll start bringing in many times the profit they once had. Of course, as the farms are expanded, they also require more management and protective forces as well.


    The several thousand goblins will all need daily necessities as well.


    Beyond that, their housing, farm tools, and various other equipment and designs will also have to catch up to their numbers as well, so they''ll also need to construct a goblin town to simplify management.


    It wasn''t just the goblin town either.


    The poption of his territory was rapidly increasing.


    This expansion of his faction will also correspondingly bring with it a number of issues in terms of governance.


    Zhang Nu nned to construct a city around the Demon King Castle. Thus, he also needs to summon more draconianborers toplete this work.


    The ambush in the ck forest earned him over 30,000 goldst time.


    The goblin tribe conquest this time earned him over 10,000 gold.


    Add in his territory''s normal daily ie, his current treasury has reached around 100,000 gold or so. That''s by no means a small number.


    Zhang Nu nned it out.


    First, he spent 22,500 gold to summon 1,500borers then promoting 500 of them into highborers.


    The normalborers will be responsible for quarrying stone, cutting wood, transporting materials, and the construction of basic structures. The highborers will be crafting various tools and equipment.


    Then he spent 20,000 more gold for 200 more draconian soldiers.


    Zhang Nu needed to expand his draconian army. In the near future, he nned to expand the draconian army to 1000 in total and also increase the number of high ranking soldiers among them to up to 100.


    Actually, after this round of summonings, his racial unit poption has finally reached 3069.


    Of them, there were 1815 draconianborers, 700 highborers, 480 draconian soldiers, 50 draconian high soldiers, and 15 draconian battlemages. (T/N: That math doesn''t check out... where''d the 9 extrae from?)


    The total number has finally broken 3000!


    What did that mean exactly?


    It means that the requirement for summoning a draconian priest has been reached!


    The draconian priest is a new Lord level unit.


    Although it''s extremely costly in terms of price, it''s definitely worth the price to summon!


    Zhang Nu can be said to have waited for this moment for a long while now, so after he satisfied the conditions, he immediately went ahead with the summoning.


    Suddenly, the Demon King Altar shook.


    An unusually powerful force descended.


    This presence was unusually strong, stronger than any other existence that Zhang Nu has seen before, above even that of the draconian general Zhang San.


    Following a sh of light, a figure descended before the Altar.


    By draconian standards, the figure in question wasn''t particrly tall. He''s about 2.5 meters, dressed in a simple brown robe, wearing a mask on his face, and holding a wooden staff.


    He looked very ordinary in terms of just appearance, not having anywhere near the amount of presence that the draconian general did.


    Even so, Zhang Nu knew that the draconian priest is not to be underestimated.


    He checked the details on the draconian priest.


    [Draconian Priest]. Level 2 Lord unit. 300 HP, 500 MP, 20 Strength, 30 Constitution, 30 Agility, 60 Will. Loyalty 100% (Locked). Tiredness 10%. Hunger 10%.


    Skills: Winged Drake Form (Talent), Teleportation Field (C Rank), Healing Field (C Rank), Death Field (C Rank), Weakening Field (C Rank), All-Knowing Eye (D Rank), Thunderfall Curse (D Rank), me Explosion Curse (D Rank)...


    Description: This is a draconian priest bearing the blood of the abyssal winged drake. He has exceptional intellect and strategic skills. He''s capable of various healing, support, attack, scouting, and support spells. Utterly loyal to his lord.


    That''s way too amazing.


    The draconian priest might not be as strong as the draconian general on thebat side, but the draconian priest isn''t abat specialized unit in the first ce.


    It can be seen from the skills and their ranks, but the draconian priest is far more powerful than the draconian general!


    Beyond that, a draconian priest is highly intelligent and very skilled in terms of governance and strategy, so they also have hidden worth as advisers.


    As expected of a unit costing 30,000 gold.


    The draconian priest stepped forward and respectfully knelt down.


    "This old one greets my lord!"


    Zhang Nu nodded, "Rise. From today on, you''ll be known as Li Si. You''ll be aiding me in the management of the territory."


    The draconian priest Li Si stood up, "It is this old one''s honor. I shall put forth my greatest efforts and with my utmost loyalty. I will absolutely not betray the grace that my lord has shown."


    The Draconian priest and draconian general are both high grade draconians.


    In fact, they are real abyssal draconians.


    The draconian general has the ability to transform into an abyssal earth drake and the draconian priest has the ability to transform into an abyssal winged drake. Thetter''s bloodline is a bit stronger though.


    Compared to the earth drake, the winged drake doesn''t have a very strong body.


    Although their defenses are weaker, their mobility and magic abilities are far stronger.


    The draconian priest''s skills are quite specialized. Several of their core skills are all field types. The special point is that the skill effect is distributed over time, so the priest will be extremely vulnerable before they get those skills off.


    In other words, a draconian priest would be no match for a draconian general in closebat.


    That said, each and every one of those field skills are also extremely potent. This is especially true on the battlefield. Their area of effect is extremelyrge, and they have very powerful effects on arger scale.


    Something especially worth mentioning is the draconian priest''s "Teleport Field".


    This skill can create two fields in different locations, and then enact the instantaneous transportation of units between those two fields. Its worth in the strategic sense cannot be understated!


    When paired up with the draconian general, one has tactical leadership skills, with a specialization in acting as the vanguard, while the other has numerous field effects, specializing in support.


    The final result is that, together, they produced a far greater effect than the sum of their parts.


    Zhang Nu was already quite strong, but now that he has Zhang San and Li Si acting as his hands, the result is like adding wings to a tiger!


    His Demon King enterprise has been developing for a month now.


    The preparations made during the early period have beenpleted.


    He is now ready and able, so Zhang Nu believes it is now time to start making war strategies.


    At this moment, a transmission bat flew before him and spoke out in Su Yan''s voice. She was reporting the current progress of her work.


    "Boss!"


    "Everything is going smoothly so far!"


    "I''ve almost reached Giantree City!"


    "Then, I''ll do my best to scout out the enemy for you!"


    Zhang Nu smiled at the report.


    This spy seemed to be quite sessful so far.


    Here''s hoping that she really will be able to show her worth and bring him useful information.

 Chapter 53

    Su Yan reached her destination with no real danger.


    Giantree City''s name came from the nearby Giantree Forest.


    That forest is simply far too noticeable. Hundreds of enormous trees stood at an average height of around 500 meters tall. Each and every one was practically a skyscraper in and of themselves.


    The few especiallyrge ones have even reached up to an unbelievable thousand of meters in height.


    They were like mountains peeking out from thend, awesome in their appearance.


    The Giantree Forest was once thend of the elves. They had started building their home on those trees from thousands of years ago.


    Three hundred years ago, however, a certain incident caused massive casualties to the elves.


    Afterwards, the chief of the elves led their people out of the forest to instead establish the Giantree City.


    Although it''s unknown just why the elves left their original home, the fact of the matter is that the elves were still a powerful force, so they were easily able to keep the Giantree City stable and well protected, thus drawing many to seek refuge within.


    Over the many, many years, Giantree City became one of the forest cities within the Chaos Forest.


    It is the economic center of an area extending hundreds, even thousands of kilometers, epassing countless tribes within the forest. Thus, it is also the strongest faction within that area.


    Su Yan couldn''t wait to get into the city and start exploring.


    However, two tiger-kin soldiers stopped her at the gate.


    "Stop right there!"


    "Where''s your entry pass?"


    Su Yan was befuddled, "What entry pass?"


    The tiger-kin soldiers red, "No entry into the city without an entry pass. Get lost now, don''t get in the way here!"


    The Giantree City is extremely guarded.


    It wasn''t a ce that anyone could enter or exit as they liked.


    After all, the Chaos Forest is an utterlywless ce.


    There are all kinds of sneaky and dangerous factors all around.


    "Hey now, guys. I''m a Hero, so can''t you make an exception?"


    "Ptui, who cares if you''re a Hero or whatever. No one without an entry pass is allowed inside the city, so get lost!"


    Su Yan was out of luck.


    Even so, she didn''t try to continue bothering the guards.


    "Hmph, I''d rather like to see just how you think you''re going to stop me from getting in!"


    She found a corner that no one was watching and transformed into a small bat.


    It was the Shadow Bat Skill.


    It was all thanks to the boss for letting her kill the Demon King that she managed to get this Talent skill.


    This skill allowed her to instantly transform into one or several shadow bats. It can be used for scouting, escape, or dodging enemy attacks. It was a fairly useful skill.


    Su Yan attempted to try to circumvent the city wall.


    The result was that she ended up mming into an invisible barrier.


    "Ow!"


    "That hurts!"


    "So Giantree City ispletely covered by a barrier."


    "This is an important piece of information. I need to make sure to report this to the boss."


    Having failed to break through head on, she had no choice but to look for other means.


    After a number of additional tries, Su Yan finally found a hole in the defenses.


    She dove down into a sewer tunnel and sessfully entered the city.


    "Hahaha! I did it! I knew that there''s no way that it could beat me. So this is Giantree City huh? What a bustling ce!"


    Su Yan walked around down the streets.


    Everything around her waspletely new to her.


    The structures here were elegantly designed, and the streets were all tidy and clean. It was also quite environmentally conscious as well, as expected of the works of elves.


    She might be a fox-kin, but she didn''t actually stand out at all.


    Although the Giantree City is governed by the elves, all kinds of races of the Chaos Forest actually live within it.


    Elves, orcs, tiger-kin, bear-kin, half orcs, gnomes, and even goblins. All kinds of races of the forest can be found everywhere on the streets.


    It gave off a very exotic feel to it.


    Back in reality, Su Yan was a university student from a wealthy, new money family.


    She had gone traveling with her family to over 20 foriegn countries, but even so, she had never felt just a sense of newness as she did now. She quite liked this feeling. Truly, it was a great new experience for her.


    Of course, Su Yan wasn''t here to just y tourist.


    She did not forget her actual mission.


    She needed to gather useful information for the boss.


    Su Yan found it difficult to decide on a direction for a moment. She didn''t know where to start. Just then, though, an idea popped into her head as she thought of a ce.


    After gathering some basic information, Su Yan arrived at the Heroes guild.


    A Heroes guild isn''t actually any kind of formal organization.


    Rather, it''s more like a loose alliance of Heroes.


    The guild in the Giantree City is led by the Ironblooded Heroes Guild, but that doesn''t mean that all the Heroes of the guild belong to the Ironblooded Heroes. There were also numerous other small parties or even soloers.


    The guild headquarters here seems to be a bar.


    The actual functions offered were basically not much different from a bar either.


    Dozens, even hundreds of Heroes of various races were drinking and boasting.


    Hero yers weren''t like Demon King yers. Demon Kings have their chat menu tomunicate to each other with. Heroes don''t have a chat menu, so a neutral ce like a guild is basically a gathering ce and information center.


    "Oh!"


    "Someone new?"


    "It''s a fox-kin girl huh."


    "Hehe, hey there pretty chick, how about sharing a drink with us?"


    Su Yan caught quite a bit of attention. A number of people even started wolf whistling at her and some even got up in preparation to hit on her. They were as annoying as flies buzzing about.


    In response to that, Su Yan showed no reaction and simply shed the Bat Demon Badge that she was wearing.


    The Heroes around immediately reacted to that and shut up.


    This was a reward that can only be gained from destroying a Demon King''s nest. Not only is it a great piece of equipment, it''s also a proof of one''s strength and status.


    For those Heroes here, the vast majority of them wereplete n00bs.


    They haven''t even been to a Demon King''s nest before, never mind actually seeding in hunting a Demon KIng!


    Thus, it''s only obvious that they didn''t have the guts to pester a Hero who has already seeded!


    Su Yan wanted to gather information, but as she was hesitating over just where to start, a voice rang out near her, "Not bad. Although you''re a weak fox-kin, you were still able to be a level 2 Hero. Why don''t youe join our Ironblooded Heroes!"


    When Su Yan looked over to where the voice originated, she saw a man with skin the same color as goblins. He towered up at two meters in height, was bulging with muscles, with red eyes, and had two pearly white tusksing out of his mouth.


    He''s an orc!


    Su Yan activated her detection skill and her expression changed slightly in reaction.


    This orc wasn''t just level 2, his actual strength has reached nearly the level of a level 2 Lord!


    Is Giantree City really hiding that many powerhouses? Just some random Hero is already this strong!


    No!


    Even within Giantree City, there''s no way that he''s some minor character!


    Su Yan asked with visible caution, "And you are?"


    The orc replied, "Vice-captain of the Ironblooded Heroes, Zheng Xiao!"

 Chapter 54

    She didn''t expect him to be one of the higher ups of the Ironblooded Heroes Guild.


    Su Yan thus asked, "What kind of advantages would I get if I joined?"


    "Hah, you really are new here. Otherwise, there''s no way that you would have asked such a dumb question!"


    Zheng Xiao spoke, "The Ironblooded Heroes is the strongest Hero organization within several hundred kilometers of the Giantree City. We''ve hunted and in dozens of Demon Kings so far!"


    in dozens of Demon Kings?


    That number is way too big!


    Zheng Xiao continued to say, "Our guildmaster is the famous Du Mingfeng. Right now, his identity is one of the four great guardian elves of the Giantree City!"


    Su Yan visibly reacted to that.


    Du Mingfeng!


    That was quite a famous name!


    He was a major business mogul back in reality.


    He supposedly started from absolute nothing, yet eventually reached the point of being a multi-billionaire. He was a super rich person with tons of controversies about him.


    Someone like that is no simple person to begin with, yet he ended up directly transmigrating into one of the four great guardian elves of the Giantree City.


    Those "guardian elves" can be considered the generals of the elven face and the four guardian elves are the four highest generals of the Giantree City. Their main responsibility is to guarantee the public order of the City as well as keep it safe from outside invaders.


    No wonder Du Mingfeng was able to build the Ironblooded Heroes Guild.


    This Hero organization was far stronger than she had originally thought.


    This is a major piece of news, something that can definitely earn her quite a bit of merits from the boss.


    Zheng Xiao''s tone then turned harsh, "The status of the Ironblooded Heroes is quite coveted. There''s little need to further expound upon the advantages of joining us. On the other hand, if someone were to offend the Ironblooded Heroes, then there won''t be a ce left for them within the Giantree City."


    Su Yan could hear the implied threat in his words.


    The Ironblooded Heroes really were tyrannical in their way of doing things!


    Su Yan coldly smirked in her mind. She already had a powerful backer now, so what worth did a mere Hero organization have? What did they even have that canpare to that bigshot boss of hers?


    "I''ll join!"


    Su Yan was unfazed by Zheng Xiao''s little attempt at luring her in with a carrot and a stick.


    She was only joining them in order to gain more information.


    If any special situations were to pop up, then she''ll slip away immediately.


    Zheng Xiao was quite satisfied with this result.


    The Ironblooded Heroes had quite some reputation, after all, and he managed to gain for the guild yet another great member.


    Given the equipment on this fox-kin Hero, her actual capabilities should be about equivalent to that of a level 2 Elite. Even within the Ironblooded Heroes Guild, she can be considered one of the elite members.


    Plus, she was quite a beautiful woman at that.


    If his guildmaster were to fancy her and take her for himself, then he would also be able to get quite some bonuses from that as well.


    Thus, Zheng Xiao brought Su Yan over to the headquarters of the Ironblooded Heroes Guild.


    The ce is set right next to the military base of the Giantree City. The entire way was very well guarded, full of elven warriors patrolling everywhere.


    "You''ll be joining the guild officially a few days from now!"


    "For the time being, you can stay here in the headquarters and take the time to get used to things."


    Su Yan looked around, "Why are there so few people here in the headquarters though?"


    Zheng Xiao exined, "The Ironblooded Heroes are strict when ites to our entry requirements. Our membership focuses on quality rather than quantity. Plus, over 70% of our members are spread out among the Forest and are infiltrating and taking control of the nearby native factions and tribes, so it''s only natural that we wouldn''t have many people here in the headquarters."


    When she heard that, Su Yan remembered Zhao Lei.


    If Zhao Lei didn''t end up getting killed, then he may very well end up bringing the minotaurs into the Ironblooded Heroes Guild.


    A single Zhao Lei was able to order about hundreds, up to even a thousand minotaurs. In that case then, what if the Ironblooded Heroes had 10 or even 20 Zhao Lei? The amount of power that they would thenmand would thus be rather horrifying!


    Plus, their guildmaster was also one of the guardian elves of Giantree City, thus allowing him tomand a portion of the elven army within the City.


    The more she learned, the more shocked Su Yan was.


    This Hero group has a terrifying amount of power. Adding together their powers on the surface and all the hidden factions they have control over, the Ironblooded Heroes were far stronger than she had imagined, and their ambitions are likely also far greater as well.


    It was undeniably a dangerous organization.


    It''s probably the only Hero faction in this area capable of threatening the Darkness Valley.


    "Vice Captain!"


    A huge figure built like a miniature mountain came over. He was a full two stories tall, with skin the color and texture of concrete, and had two heads on his shoulders.


    It was a race known as an ogre.


    Normal ogres are basically around the size of minotaurs, but this particr one is farrger than minotaurs. This is because he is one of the rare two headed ogres.


    Supposedly, for ogres, among every 100,000 of them born would be a mutated species. Not only would they be double the size of a normal ogre, but they would also be born with two heads, a main and a substitute.


    Those ogres are far stronger as well as being born with magical abilities. Normally, they would all end up the chiefs of their ogre tribes.


    The one before her is obviously an ogre Hero though.


    Su Yan secretly activated her appraisal skill. What she found out was that the ogre was likely simr in strength to the vice captain Zheng Xiao.


    Zheng Xiao immediately asked, "Zhou Kun? Why are you back here?"


    The ogre Hero Zhou Kun replied, "I''ll tell you about itter. For now, the guildmaster wants to see us, so we should head on over first."


    "Alright!"


    Zheng Xiao did not dare to act carelessly here, so he sent Su Yan away to find a decent ce to stay on her own.


    Su Yan acted agreeable on the surface, but secretly, she had certain ideas.


    Zheng Xiao and Zhou Kun were some of the top brass for the Heroes guild, and since they were being summoned by the guildmaster at the same time, it must be for something important. This may be something worth spying on.


    Thus, while no one was watching her, she shook her sleeves.


    An unremarkable little bat flew out from within her sleeves and followed behind Zheng Xiao and Zhou Kun into a meeting room.


    The transmission bat''sbat ability is basically insignificant, but it does have the three F rank skills "Sound Transmission", "Supersonic Detection", and "Super Hearing".


    Of those three skills, the skill Super Hearing can let it notice any motion within several hundred meters, and it is even able to then use Sound Transmission to then notify its owner of what it learns.


    The transmission bat is extremely weak, but that also makes it very hard to notice.


    Thus, it can be considered a very good eavesdropping tool, making it especially suited to Su Yan''s spy work.


    Soon, she heard the conversation.


    In response to that, she was overjoyed.


    She had gotten a huge stroke of luck! This is very important news, with very high value indeed.


    With the news that she just got, she would definitely be able to get another skill stone as reward from the boss the next time she meets with him.

 Chapter 55

    "Guildmaster!"


    The two of them saw their guildmaster after entering the room.


    Du Mingfeng is an elf, but he is very different from the other elves with their thin and delicate looks.


    Du Mingfeng is two meters tall, with deep and solid features. He also has a long scar running across his entire face, giving him a dark and lone wolf-like impression.


    "We had lost all contact with the forward army that we sent over to the Bloodhoof tribe. Our conjecture is that it was due to the Demon King in the Darkness Valley!"


    Both Zheng Xiao and Zhou Kun were visibly shocked at this news.


    That army had at least five level 2 Elites, over 10 other Heroes, and hundreds of elite warriors. Yet, they were gone, just like that.


    The most worrisome part though is that such an elite army hadpletely lost contact.


    The fact that there wasn''t even a single survivor was something rather unbelievable.


    Zheng Xiao frowned deeply, "In that case then, it looks like Zhao Lei and his Bloodhoof tribe must have also fallen to that Demon King!"


    The ogre Zhou Kun decided to volunteer, "Allow me to meet him in battle then! I rather want to see just how strong he really is!''


    Do Mingfeng shook his head, "Everything ispletely unknown about this Demon King right now, so we cannot risk it at this time."


    Zhou Kun replied, "But we can''t just ignore him either. That Demon King will only get stronger and stronger. If we don''t do something, he''ll likely end up bing the biggest threat to us!"


    Du Mingfeng shed a confident smile at that, "There''s no need to worry. Even if this Demon King has some abilities, there''s still no way that he''ll be any threat to us."


    Seeing that the other two were uprehending, Du Mingfen borated further, "The current young lord of Giantree city is weak and incapable, soft and indecisive. Thus, the elven elders are currently nning on selecting a deputy lord. You should understand just what this kind of opportunity means for us!"


    The other two were overjoyed at that news.


    If it''s the deputy lord of the Giantree City, then their guildmaster has a very good chance at it given that he''s a guardian elf.


    Although there are four guardian elves, Du Mingfeng has the obvious advantage. After all, he was a big shot who had once single handedly built an economic empire.


    When ites to management capabilities, operational intellect, and skills at scheming, how could any of these hicks possiblypare?


    No, they have no hope at all!


    He had arrived at Giantree City for a month now and he had already brought a great deal of change to the City. His fame and prestige rises by the day and he has already be the head of the four great guardian elves!


    Thus, he''s basically already guaranteed for the position of deputy lord.


    Du Mingfeng had been secretly investing in various factions and drawing people to him all this time. Plus, he had even used his Heroes to secretly control something like 30 tribes of various sizes outside.


    Such ambitions were quite revealing.


    If he could take the position of deputy lord, then the ipetent young lord will be reduced to a figurehead in a sh.


    At that time, the Ironblooded Heroes Guild will be the true rulers over the Giantree City!


    Du Mingfeng spoke confidently, "If we can control the Giantree City, what would a tiny Demon King of the Darkness Valley be to us? He''d be merely an insignificant mob, that''s all!"


    Zheng Xiao and Zhou Kun hurriedly congratted him, "Congrattions, guildmaster. We''re most lucky to be following you in your ascension!"


    Du Mingfeng nodded with satisfaction, "Therefore, we have to act with steadiness. We''ll leave the Darkness Valley alone for now. Zhou Kun, you have a different job!"


    "Please order me, guildmaster!"


    "A fairly strong Demon King is residing over in the Myriad Flower Valley 150 kilometers north of Giantree City. She should be enough to let you raise your strength to the Lord level!"


    "Haha! She''s just a mere flower fey. Just give me three days. I''ll definitely crush her!"


    As the three of them conversed, an unremarkable little bat was quietly hanging upside down right outside of the door.


    ...


    That night.


    Darkness Vally.


    Zhang Nu had received Su Yan''s report.


    She had reported all the information that she gathered throughout the day.


    This spy really was working her hardest.


    It was something that Zhang Nu was quite happy with.


    His decision to not kill her back then really was the right one!


    The Ironblooded Heroes Guild?


    They do seem quite strong!


    However, what Zhang Nu was more worried about right now was the Flower Fey Demon King who was about to be subjugated by them.


    Zhang Nu wouldn''t care the slightest about if any other Demon King lives or dies, but flower feys are a very rare race.


    He only knows one flower fey and that person is his most important economic supplier!


    Therefore, could it really be that big a coincidence?


    Recently, his farms have expanded a great deal, so his demand for seeds have also increased greatly as well. Thus, he currently urgently needs to massively increase his seed purchases.


    If something were to happen to Chen Guoguo now of all imes, then Zhang Nu would have lost a major supplier of seeds.


    There was no way that he''d be able to find a supplier to rece Chen Guoguo in a short amount of time too.


    Thus, if that were to happen, then him leveling up his farm would have been pointless.


    Not only would his territory''s food production decrease greatly, he would even end up taking a great deal of losses in the short term.


    At that time, he''ll end up exhausting an enormous amount of food in order to keep his 3000+ draconians and thousands of goblins plus minotaurs alive.


    Just how fast can he continue developing If his economics ends up in a tight situation?


    Thus, Zhang Nu immediately contacted Chen Guoguo.


    Zhang Nu: "There?"


    After about an hour.


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo: "Sorry about that, I was busy with something and only saw the message just now. Are you looking to buy more seeds?"


    Zhang Nu: "Yeah. I need a great deal of seeds. How''s your recent production?"


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo: "I''ll continue to produce another few batches of seeds, but you should probably look for some other suppliers soon. I''m worried that I might not be able to supply you for much longer."


    Zhang Nu asked: "Why do you say that? Has something happened?"


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo: "Sigh, some Heroes have locked their eyes on me. Although I managed to chase them away for the time being, they''ll definitely be back!"


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo: "Those Heroes are really strong, and they probably have some powerful allies. I''m not too confident in my ability to hold them off..."


    Alright then.


    It''s basically confirmed then.


    The unlucky flower fey Demon King that the Ironblooded Heroes have their eyes on is definitely this most important supplier of his.


    This news is actually both good and bad for him.


    The bad part is that his seed supplies will be unavoidably affected somewhat for the recent period.


    The good part is that Flower Fey Chen Guoguo is actually located not all that far from his own location. In the future, he''ll be able to take safe control over the entire supply chain for his biggest enterprise.


    This kind of thing is something inevitable for all Demon Kings.


    If Flower Fey Chen Guoguo was tens of thousands of kilometers away, then Zhang Nu wouldn''t have been able to do much more than watch uselessly.


    However, this case is different.


    Chen Guoguo is located about 150km north of the Giantree City, and Darkness Valley is over 200km south of Giantree City.


    The two of them are about 400km apart, which isn''t that long a distance, all told.


    He is very much capable of interfering in theing battle in order to change its fate.


    Zhang Nu finally spoke: "Alright, stop saying such depressing words. As my important coboration partner, I have a way to help you deal with your problem. The Heroes won''t have such an easy time getting what they want!"


    Chen Guoguo: "Really? What should I do? Boss, please teach me!"


    Zhang Nu: "There''s no need for you to worry. Just keep raising your seeds at peace. You''ll know when the timees."

 Chapter 56

    Myriad Flower Valley.


    When she saw Zhang Nu''s message, Chen Guoguo was rather bewildered.


    Chen Guoguo had been working with Zhang Nu for quite some time now, so she has absolute faith that Zhang Nu is a super powerful bigshot grade Demon King.


    Her own instinct told her that Zhang Nu was trustworthy, but intellectually, she knew that this wasn''t possible.


    Chen Guoguo was firmly aware that even if she can''tpare to Zhang Nu, she''s definitely doing much better than the vast majority of other Demon Kings.


    During the past bit of time, the price of seeds has been rising the entire time.


    Zhang Nu also continued to buy them at the market price.


    Thus, Chen Guoguo was able to earn a huge amount of money from Zhang Nu just through her ability to cultivate seeds. Her territory has over 1000 units, and of them, she has over 700 minor flower fey and over 600 venomous flower fey.


    The former is a production unit.


    They don''t have anybat ability at all.


    On the other hand, the venomous flower fey is abat unit. Although they haven''t reached the Elite level, they''re unusually strong for a level 1 Normal unit.


    Despite the many Hero attacks she has endured, the vast majority of them weren''t even able toy eyes on Chen Guoguo herself.


    They all got done in by the venomous flower fey without being able to fight back.


    Thanks to those souls, she rose to level 2 just not all that long ago.


    She had even specifically bought blueprints to build defensive structures to help defend her territory.


    She has a boar-kin camp. With it, she summoned 10 elite boar-kin and over a hundred normal boar-kin in order to cover for the flower fey warriors'' weaknesses.


    With such power and wealth at hermand, just how many Demon Kings couldpare to her at this current time period?


    Even so, the two recent attacks she endured were very difficult for Chen Guoguo.


    Her keen instincts told her that those were merely scouts and probes at her. Every single time, they retreated right after making contact with her forces, so their main force will likely being for her soon.


    "Zhang Nu was probably justforting me!"


    "No matter how powerful he is, he''d still have a tough time helping me in this kind of situation."


    Chen Guoguo thought it over.


    In the end, she still had to just rely on herself.


    It''s simply far too unrealistic for her to put her hopes on other people.


    After Chen Guoguo purged those random thoughts from her mind, she started concentrating on preparing for the oing battle. She spent all the gold she had on hand summoned up another batch of venomous flower fey in order to replenish the losses she had taken the past few days.


    In the end, not too days after, a minor flower fey came up to her to report.


    "Mistress, we''re under attack!"


    Chen Guoguo asked solemnly, "What are their numbers?"


    The minor flower fey spoke quite panickedly, "There are a lot this time, about nearly a thousand. Plus, there are a lot of ogres among them!"


    "Ogres!"


    Chen Guoguo was visibly shocked at that word.


    Ogres are the most aggressive and violent race in the Forest.


    A normal adult ogre is even more powerful than a minotaur. They''re a monster whose might is near the Elite level. They''ll be really hard to deal with if they''re in arge group.


    Thus, Chen Guoguo headed out to the heavily defended entrance of the Valley.


    When she personally saw the enemiesid out before her, she ended up gasping.


    A massive horde of nearly a thousand enemiesid before her.


    Of them, 500 were the muscr looking ogres. They were huge in size, wore heavy armor, and heldrge axes and hammers in their hands. Just the sight was enough to make one shiver in fear.


    The other races were also creatures like tiger-kin and bear-kin. Not only are they numerous, they''re also well equipped.


    This is obviously a real battle now!


    The Heroes were aiming to destroy the Demon King nest in one go here.


    The ogre chief Zhou Kun shouted out, "Hah! Demon King ! I suggest that you stop your pointless struggling and juste out to face your death instead. It''ll at least save you some pain!"


    "Dream on! Come at me! I''m not afraid of you!"


    Chen Guoguo was clenching her teeth.


    She had poured so much of her sweat and blood into building her territory up to where it is now, so how can she possibly just give up? Even if she really does end up losing, she at least has to fight it out to the very end!


    "Stubborn fool!"


    Zhou Kun showed a cold smirk, "Fine then. Since you refuse to ept reality until it''s right before you, I''ll let you have your wish and show you what despair really means!"


    The war drums rang out.


    The first squad of ogres started pushing forward.


    Each of those ogres were equipped with a huge five meter tall shield.


    Chen Guoguo had immediately directed her venomous flower feys to start attacking.


    The flower fey race had an unusual variety of differentbat units avable to them, but Chen Guo Guo''s flower fey depended mainly on the "Venomous Flower Fey Warriors" as her main fighting force.


    Venomous flower fey are considered a nt type unit.


    The advantage to them is that they need very little food, much like with undeads. Thus, their daily upkeep costs tend to be rtively low. Their disadvantage is the fact that their movement speed is very low, leading to low mobility issues.


    Venomous flower fey have a rather special kind of attack.


    They''ll use their flowers to shoot venomous stingers at their enemies.


    Those stingers have an effective range of hundreds of meters, and they''re alsounched with force equivalent to that of heavy crossbows. Plus, those struck by them will end up being paralyzed by the venom, making them unable to move.


    Just one or two might not be all that scary. Although they''re hard to defend against, the firing rate of the venomous stingers aren''t all that high


    However, things are different when an entire field is filled with venomous flower fey.


    At this point, countless venomous stingers rained down on the invaders. Not even a Lord leveled monster would be able to withstand such an attack, and many Heroes have already died to this maneuver.


    Yet, the demon subjugation army was already prepared for it.


    The ogres wielding huge shields stood at the very front and blocked the vast majority of the rain of stingers with their shields, covering the troops behind them.


    350 meters!


    300 meters!


    250 meters!


    The two sides were getting closer and closer to each other.


    Even so, the flower fey''s attacks were dealing very little damage.


    Chen Guoguo was extremely anxious. She continued to activate her own skills in order to repeatedly summonrge amounts of vines in order to obstruct the ogres'' advance.


    Yet, none of that was of much help.


    It just bought her a bit more time, but it had no effect on the direction of the battle.


    She was in trouble. The venomous flower fey are very fragile, having nearly zero meleebat capabilities. Plus, their movement speed is terrible. Thus, the moment they were forced into meleebat, it would mean the end for them.


    "What can I do?"


    Chen Guoguo was terrified.


    The gap in capabilities between their two sides was just too much.


    She has no way of holding back this major invasion. All her blood and sweat she had invested was about to bepletely and cruelly destroyed.

 Chapter 57

    "Hahaha!"


    "This Demon King is on herst legs!"


    "Congrattions to the boss for another sessful Demon King hunt!"


    The ten plus Ironblooded Heroes next to Zhou Kun were all level 1 Elites at the least, with several of them having reached level 2 Elite even.


    Even just those Heroes were by no means easy to deal with.


    Plus, Zhou Kun himself hasn''t taken any actions thus far either.


    This just goes to show that the demon subjugation army hasn''t shown all its cards yet, but even so, they still managed to hold such a decisive advantage against the Demon King. Thus, this battle was practically decided already.


    Thus, the subordinates decided to engage in some ttery, which Zhou Kun himself was quite happy with.


    "This Demon King only has two cards left to y. The first is the defensive structure "Tree Guardians" and the other being her boar-kin squad. However... Those are nothing to be feared!"


    It was easy to see that the Ironblooded Heroes Guild are rigorous in their actions.


    Every single time they challenge a Demon King, they would collect as much information as possible, lower as much risk as possible, use tactics specifically aimed at their enemies, and thus leave no way out for the Demon King in question.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Objects screamed through the air!


    Several truck sized boulders flew out from inside the valley and mmed right into the ogre squads with terrifying speed and force.


    After several impacts, many ogres had their shields shattered and themselves crushed.


    It was the Flower Fey Chen Guoguo''s defensive structure, the Tree Guardians!


    Tree guardians are a special kind of structure. They''re quite simr to treants in appearance, with solid bodies, thick arms, but are unable to move.


    Their arms allow them to attack enemies in melee range, but as an inmobile structure, their main ability is their ability to create giant boulders to throw as a ranged attack.


    Chen Guoguo has two Tree Guardians.


    They were built near her Demon King Altar.


    Since the demon subjugation army had entered their attack range, they started attacking with their boulder throws, which did manage to sessfully force a few openings into the ogre shield troop formation.


    However, it couldn''t do much to change the tide of the battle.


    The Heroes have long since made preparations against them.


    Zhou Kun sneered, "Deploy the mage squad!"


    This demon subjugation army has a special squad within it. It''s made of 25 elves, and all of them were dressed like mages.


    They were the elves of Giantree City.


    A group that Du Mingfeng specifically sent along to aid them.


    Of them, the weakest were level 1 Elites.


    As the elven mages chanted, one fireball after another flew out. Thus, the boulders were blown apart in midair before they couldnd.


    Chen Guoguo was chalk white.


    Were even the Tree Guardians useless here?


    The only force she has left that she can use is the boar-kin army she summoned from the Boar-kin Camp, but can they really turn the tables here?


    She only had about 100 boar-kin in her army.


    Of them, only about 10 were Elites.


    How are they supposed to hold back the Ogre formation before her?


    She''s already lost this battle!


    She won''t be able to stop them no matter what!


    "Hahaha!"


    "Demon King, you''re already out of tricks now!"


    "But we haven''t even started warming up yet!"


    Zhou Kun had a vicious expression on his face, "Everyone berserk. Begin the assault."


    The ogres roared out in excitement. Their eyes turned blood red and their muscles bulged out. Their movement speed also more than doubled.


    "Not even a god can save you now!"


    Zhou Kun also activated the ogre''s berserk skill as well.


    He was ready to personally lead his Heroes squad into a charge. Those flower fey are no match in closebat, so just a single round of attacks shouldpletely shatter them!


    Victory was right before his eyes!


    He just needed to take down this Demon King, and he should get at least 50-60 Training Points from that!


    It was more than enough to boost Zhou Kun''s power into the realm of a Lord level powerhouse!


    Just as the Heroes were assured of their victory, and even the Flower Fey Demon King Chen Guoguo had practically given up all hope herself.


    Suddenly, a roar rang out.


    It was a clear dragon''s roar.


    It came from up in the sky.


    Everyone thus raised their heads to look up.


    "Boss!"


    "There''s something up in the sky!"


    "It looks like... A dragon!"


    Apletely crimson, over 20 meters long draconic lifeform arrived before everyone''s shocked eyes and started circling overhead.


    Its wings pped, and countless fireballs, wind des, and lightning strikes fell down like rain, all of them concentrated on the elven mages.


    That was somethingpletely unexpected.


    The elves from Giantree are extremely valuable.


    If anything happened to them, then they''d have a hard time exining themselves when they returned.


    Thus, Zhou Kun had very carefully kept them safe within the center of his formations. Yet, no one could have expected an attack like this, and not even the elven mages were able to react in time.


    In the blink of an eye, the elven mage squad was annihted.


    Zhou Kun was enraged.


    "Fucking hell! That damn beast! Kill him! Kill him right now!"


    Arrows and javelins rained up toward the dragon.


    However, the crimson dragon showed no signs of fear. He released a magic barrier around him, easily blocking the attack.


    Roar!


    The crimson dragon spat out a huge st of mes.


    This particr st of dragon fire was quite weakpared to the dragon me of a true dragon, but its power and area of effect was still quite mighty to behold.


    As the crimson dragon flew a circle over the demon subjugation army while withstanding all the attacks flung towards him, everywhere he passed was reduced to a sea of mes, and hundreds of warrier dove for cover or ran whilepletely on fire.


    He had managed to force such an enormous army into retreat just on his own, thus giving the flower fey army that was on the verge of destruction some breathing room.


    "Damn it!"


    "That''s a sky drake!"


    "It''s a level 2 Lord monster at least!"


    "Where the hell did that thing pop up from!"


    The demon subjugation army''s stable formation was already in chaos from the dragon''s surprise attack, and casualties were already mounting rapidly.


    "Just what''s going on!"


    Chen Guoguo''s eyes were wide.


    Her face was contorted into an expression of disbelief.


    She suddenly thought of something though, and she looked toward the crimson, fire-breathing dragon. That dragon... It can''t be that he''s boss Zhang Nu!


    It''s possible!


    No wonder he said what he did back then!


    To think that the boss is a sky drake.


    And so terrifyingly strong at that!

 Chapter 58

    The sky drake is very powerful, but under the concentrated assaultunched at it, its magic shield was being quickly depleted.


    The sky drake thus stopped its fire breathing, instead hended and shifted into a humanoid form.


    He was a draconian around 2.5 meters, dressed in a robe, wearing a mask, and holding a staff. He had a powerful presence about him.


    Zhou Kun immediately had a realization, "Another Demon KIng!"


    The other Heroes were somewhat panicked. The Ironblooded Heroes have defeated many Demon Kings in the past, but all Demon Kings tended to work alone. They''ve never seen any Demon King ally with another Demon King before.


    Plus, this particr Demon King is terrifyingly strong!


    Zhou Kun shouted a question, "You''re the one from Darkness Valley!"


    That''s right!


    The draconian priest answered truthfully.


    The furious attack from before used up quite a bit of his MP, so he was taking this opportunity to use two bottles of moonlight potion.


    Zhou Kun snorted, "As I thought!"


    The Ironblooded Heroes Guild has investigated practically all of the nearby Demon King factions in the vicinity. They had a basic understanding of their capabilities and race for practically all of them.


    Only a rare few Demon Kings are still unknown as of yet.


    Out of those Demon Kings, the strongest and most mysterious faction was the one in the Darkness Valley. Therefore, their opponent''s identity was easy to figure out.


    All of the Heroes here, including Zhou Kun, were absolutely certain that the draconian priest is the Demon King!


    It''s because only the highest grade Demon Kings could possibly be so powerful!


    Zhou Kun''s expressions went through many changes. It was first dark, then enraged, before finally turning vicious, "We were nning to destroy you from the start, but to think that you''d deliver yourself right to us... Well alright then, we might as well take you down at the same time!"


    The Darkness Valley is very powerful!


    It had destroyed Zhou Lei''s minotaur tribe and also annihted a forward army of the Ironblooded Heroes Guild.


    Even the guildmaster fears it, so it can be imagined just how difficult it would be to directly assault it. However, things are different here.


    The Demon King hase out of his own ord.


    He actually left his base to support the Flower Fey Demon King.


    It''s true that this makes things a great deal more difficult, but isn''t it also a rare and valuable opportunity?


    The "Sky Drake Demon King''s" power definitely far exceeds that of the Flower Fey Demon King!


    Zhou Kun could easily get 50-60 Training Points from killing the Flower Fey Demon King, so if he could kill the Sky Drake Demon King, then wouldn''t he be able to get several times that as the reward?


    Not only would it be a great aplishment, it would also greatly increase his strength!


    At that point, who else in the Ironblooded Heroes Guild, bearing the guildmaster, would be able topare to him? Zheng Xiao''s position as the second inmand will be his then!


    The more Zhou Kun thought about it, the more excited he got.


    Even if it ends up a pyrrhic victory, even if he ends up sending his entire army to their deaths, it would bepletely worth it if he could kill those two Demon Kings here!


    "Don''t panic!"


    "He didn''t bring his subordinates!"


    "So what if he''s strong himself?"


    This helped to restore the confidence of the other Heroes and warriors.


    That''s right, no matter how strong the other party is, in the end, he''s just one person.


    So what if he''s a level 2 Lord? The boss, Zhou Kun, could hold his own even against a Level 2 Lord. Plus, the Heroes still had many level 2 powerhouses to add to that.


    They were only in such a terrible state a bit ago due to being attacked by surprise.


    From now on, the Heroes squad just need to hold back the sky drake, and the others will be able to charge in to destroy the Flower Fey Demon King.


    After taking down the Flower Fey Demon King, they can thene back to drown the sky drake in numbers. Even if the sky drake is unreasonably strong, in that situation, it''s still dead for certain.


    Immediately, roars of fury exploded out.


    The demon subjugation army reformed.


    Zhou Kun was about to lead a new round of attacks.


    Chen Guoguo flew over to the draconian priest, "Boss, the enemies are really strong. If it''s really impossible, then you should retreat first, otherwise, it really might get dangerous for you!"


    The draconian priest calmly replied, "My lord gave me two tasks. The first is to save you. The second is to destroy this army. For this old man, failing to aplish either one of those tasks is more serious to me than losing my life."


    Chen Guoguo froze for a moment.


    "Cough, what did you just say? Are you not boss Zhang Nu?"


    The draconian priest replied, "Of course not. Why should the great lord himself personally act to deal with a bunch of insects like them? This one, Li Si, is merely an insignificant servant of my lord!"


    What?


    He''s not the boss?


    Boss Zhang Nu never showed in the first ce?


    Chen Guoguo felt like her head was ringing. She was having some difficulty processing all the new information.


    How was this possible? Li Si''s power is already this terrifying. Even for a Demon King, he would count as among the top ranked.


    How could such a powerful existence just be a Demon King''s subordinate?


    This... Really is just in unbelievable. Unthinkable!


    Chen Guoguo couldn''t help but ask, "But, how are we supposed to deal with these Heroes then?"


    The draconian priest calmly spoke, "You and your subordinates just need to act in support. As for the direct battle, leave that to me!"


    As he spoke, he took a step forward.


    The draconian priest raised the staff in his hand, and a long and iprehensible incantation rang out.


    The draconian priest mmed his staff into the ground and countless runes started expanding out from him as the center. They instantly covered an area the size of a ser field and formed into an enormous magical formation.


    "Death Field!"


    "Weakening Field!"


    When Zhou Kun and his Heroes entered those fields, they immediately felt their HP and strength being rapidly drained away.


    [You are under the effect of the Death Field. -15 HP every minute!]


    [You are under the effect of the Weakening Field. -50% Strength, Agility, Constitution, and Will]


    What terrifying debuffs!


    An average level 1 unit only has about 20-30 HP.


    Under the draconian priest''s fields, they won''t even be able to hold out for more than two minutes!


    The draconian priest is evenyering a Weakness Field on top of that, greatly weakening the demon subjugation army and lowering theirbat capabilities enormously.


    "Damn it!"


    "Kill him, quick!"


    Zhou Kun realized how bad the situation was.


    What kind of unbelievable skill is that?


    How the heck were they supposed to fight under that kind of field effect!


    The draconian priest showed no reactions whatsoever. He simply finished his third incantation and a terrifying wave of magic power was released.


    "Teleportation Field!"


    One teleportation effect appeared after another within the magic formations around the draconian priest.


    The next second, following a sh of light, hundreds of new figures were sent here.


    An entire army appeared out of thin air, cing the formerly alone draconian priest well protected within the center of their formations.


    The reason why Zhou Kun dared to charge in anyways was all because the "Demon King of Darkness Valley" was all on his own.


    Who could have imagined that he could use teleportation to suddenly pull out so many subordinates!


    Every single one of the teleported units were Elites.


    How are they supposed to fight against that?


    The Heroes went deathly pale!


    Zhou Kun hurriedly roared out, "Retreat!"


    "Hoho. Finally running away? Toote!"


    As the draconian priest Li Si coldly sneered, a powerful me Explosion Curse wasunched out and exploded right on top of the ogre Hero leading the charge.

 Chapter 59

    [You''ve in an elf mage. Gold +50!]


    [You''ve in an elf mage. Gold +50!]


    [You''ve in a high elf mage. Gold +800!]


    [...]


    [You''ve in an ogre Hero. Level 2 Hero''s Soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a minotaur Hero. Level 1 Hero''s Soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a wolf-kin Hero. Level 1 Hero''s Soul +1!]


    [...]


    [You''ve in a tiger-kin Hero. Level 2 Hero''s Soul +1!]


    ...


    Zhang Nu wasn''t on scene, but the furious barrage of messages in his yer menu gave him enough information to understand just how the battle was going.


    The powers on the two sides were quite different, thus making it a one-sided battle.


    Zhang Nu was quite satisfied with the draconian priest''s performance.


    The draconian priest''s role is different from that of the draconian general.


    The draconian general is a directbat unit, whereas the draconian priest is focused far more on support.


    Even so, the draconian priest''s might is not to be underestimated. In fact, it''s not that much inferiorpared to that of the draconian general and its powerful magic field effects make it even better suited forrge scale battles.


    Although a draconian priest''s directbat powers in draconian form isn''t all that strong, as an abyssal draconian, a draconian priest is also capable of transforming into a dragon form.


    In sky drake form, the draconian priest is unable to use certain field spells, but its offensive might will not lose to any other level 2 Lord monsters.


    In summary, the draconian priest has powerfulbat support capabilities and has high intelligence. It''s a very excellent unit.


    After about 30 minutes, the draconian priest led its army back home.


    The draconian priest''s "Teleportation Field" is a rare spatial skill.


    That said, this skill does have some rather troublesome setup requirements that need to be met before it can be used.


    The draconian priest has to first leave a temporary teleportation field over in the Darkness Vally and have the soldiers to be teleported to wait within that field ahead of time.


    Then, he has to physically head over to the Myriad Flowers Valley to activate the teleportation.


    Only then will he be able to teleport the targets from the Darkness Valley over to where he is.


    The temporary field also onlysts for 24 hours at most.


    It is rather troublesome, but it can''t be denied that the ability to quickly move one''s army like that is worth a lot in terms of strategic value.


    After they returned, Li Si casted a Healing Field and left the injured soldiers there to heal.


    Zhang Nu did some calctions through the information he got from his yer menu. All in all, the casualties from this battle cost him around 3-4 thousand gold total. This wasn''t really a big deal for him at all.


    "Reporting, my lord!"


    "The threat to the Flower Fey Demon King has been resolved!"


    "We have defeated the Ironblooded Heroes Guild, destroyed over 90% of their army, and killed every single one of the Heroes that led it!"


    In this battle, they had no chance to set up an ambush ahead of time, nor did they have suitable terrain, so it was unrealistic to wipe out every single one of their enemies here.


    There''s always going to be someone who ran away ahead of time who slipped the.


    That said, killing over 90% of their enemies is already a very glorious result.


    Zhang Nu nodded, "You''ve done well."


    After this battle, Zhang Nu is sure to be the biggest enemy of the Ironblooded Heroes Guild and Giantree City is also sure to pay far more attention to him, perhaps even fear him.


    That mattered little though.


    A conflict with Giantree City is unavoidable anyways, so rather than trying to shrink away, he''s better off instead taking the initiative and attacking first.


    At this moment, a private message popped up.


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo: "Boss, boss, thank you so much! I never thought that I would manage to live through this!"


    "And those Heroes got the snot beaten out of them too."


    "That was way too satisfying!"


    "..."


    That girl sent a deluge of messages all at once.


    Zhang Nu only replied with a single message: "Quiet down."


    Flower Fey Cheng Guoguo: "You''ve helped me so much, but I didn''t have anything to thank you back with. All I can do is give you a few batches of seeds to show my gratitude."


    Zhang Nu: "Don''t worry about it. It was nothing. I''ll pay a fair price for the seeds though. You need as much gold as you can get to upgrade your territory right now."


    "If you really do want to return the favor, then just properly develop your territory and raise up more and better seeds for me!"


    Chen Guoguo practically cried with gratitude.


    Since the boss already said that much, then she won''t hold back anymore.


    She owed him way too much for this. It wasn''t something that can be paid back with just a few batches of seeds. Therefore, it''s better for her to not try to return the favor now and instead remember to hold her gratitude within her heart for now.


    Chen Guoguo decided.


    She needs to work a lot harder.


    She needs to get the boss to not need to worry so much about her while at the same time properly work for him.


    That would be better than anything else!


    Chen Guoguo: "Yes! I''ll follow the boss from now on!"


    The Flower Fey Demon King hadpletely be the boss''s fangirl.


    Zhang Nu is no mere good samaritan. Him helping Chen Guoguo was for the sake of helping himself.


    Even if Chen Guoguo wasn''t the one that the Heroes were going after, there''s no way that Zhang Nu would simply let go of the chance of taking down such a huge mobilization of Heroes.


    The reason for that is simple.


    The gains were just too much.


    The gains this time is as follows:


    Talent points: 163.


    Gold: 31865.


    This is an even bigger haul than taking over arge sized level 2 Elite zone!


    As he thought, a Demon King needs to kill and conquer, especially if the other side is Heroes. Nothing is better than ughtering Heroes!


    Zhang Nu originally had 11 talent points left. With the addition of his gains from this excursion, he now has 174 talent points.


    That''s huge!


    If he could have killed another level 2 Hero or two, then he''ll have been able to activate all his remaining Talents and directly ascend to a level 3 Demon King.


    It''s a bit of a shame not having been able to reach that in one go though.


    Zhan Nu decided to activate Medium Anti-Magic.


    Medium Anti-Magic is not much different from Beginner Anti-Magic. The only difference is that the nullification went up from D Rank to C Rank.


    This means that even a top grade level 2 Lord like the draconian priest would have a very difficult time dealing any direct damage to Zhang Nu.


    With the Adamantine Dragon Body and Medium Anti-Magic, along with arge AoE control skill like Dragon Fear, this will make it so that Zhang Nu can be confident of taking on an entire army without any fear of being harmed.


    One could say that, at that point, pure numbers will no longer have any worth against him.


    As for how he''s going to spend his new gold though? Zhang Nu decided to promote a group of high ranking soldiers. Then... He''ll summon another draconian general!

 Chapter 60

    Giantree City.


    Du Mingfeng smashed his teacup to the ground in rage.


    Normally, the guildmaster is a very calm and respected figure. This is the first time that the members of the Heroes guild has ever seen him so angry, so all of them were quite fearful.


    It was a demon hunt that was well prepared for and practically foolproof, and yet it ended up failing out of nowhere. The third inmand in the Guild, Zhou Kun also died. This was an embarrassment!


    Not only that, but of the thousand or sobat units that went out only a few dozen managed to return.


    It was practically aplete wipeout!


    This incident would cause heavy damage to both the Ironblooded Heroes Guild''s morale and Du Mingfeng''s reputation in Giantree City.


    Du Mingfeng coldly spoke, "Speak! What happened!"


    Zheng Xiao hurriedly reported, "We''ve finished investigating the reason for the failure. The cause really is due to somethingpletely unexpected. The Demon King of Darkness Valley is a sky drake and is very capable in field type magic, with which he can single handedly shift a battlefield to his favor. The entire chain of events is as follows..."


    As Zheng Xiao reached the end, he angrily swore, "That motherfucker! It''s one thing after another with him that keeps causing losses for our Heroes Guild. That guy''s just asking to make an irreconcble enemy out of us!"


    After hearing the full report, Du Mingfeng instead calmed back down.


    Pointlessly venting one''s rage is the kind of thing that only a weakling would do.


    Someone like him is not the type to let anger dictate his actions.


    "Demon Kings and Heroes are irreconcble enemies from the start. Although the losses from this failure does hurt quite a bit, failure itself is not something to be feared. What''s to be feared is an utterly meaningless failure. We have to learn what lessons we can from any failures!"


    Du Mingfeng learned from the report that the Demon King has the ability to fight in two different forms.


    In dragon form, he is highly mobile and can attack by breathing dragonfire and using elemental magic. It''s the ability to instantly disrupt formations and cause damage.


    In humanoid form, his field type magic has powerful battlefield control effects. No normal army could hold out for more than two minute if they entered his fields.


    No wonder Zhou Kun was no match for him!


    This Demon King is indeed very difficult to deal with.


    However, right now, he has to raise the morale of his men so as to avoid desertions.


    Du Mingfeng spoke up, "This is indeed the strongest and most hard to deal with Demon King out of all the Demon Kings we Ironblooded Heroes have dealt with thus far, but victory is not impossible."


    "His sky drake form is highly mobile, but so long as we are prepared for it, it''s something we can very much deal with via long distance concentrated fire."


    "His humanoid form''s battlefield control ability is very strong, but in order to maintain his field magic, his own mobility will definitely be limited, hecks closebat capabilities and his own direct damage abilities aren''t strong either. We just need to break through the defensive lines as quickly as possible and we''ll be able to interrupt his casting!"


    "..."


    After hearing their guildmaster''s words, the Heroes all felt it to be quite reasonable.


    This Demon King is indeed very strong and even with the full power of the Ironblooded Heroes Guild, it would still be no easy task to defeat him.


    However, what''s there to fear with the guildmaster here?


    The guildmaster is definitely strong enough to counter him!


    Zheng Xiao got pumped up, "The guildmaster''s right. The failure this time is all due tock of information, in addition to having to deal with two Demon Kings at the same time. However, they won''t be so lucky next time!"


    As he said that, he directly requested permission to deploy, "How about I personally lead the army this time and directly assault the Darkness Valley! I guarantee that I can take it!"


    Du Mingfeng shook his head, "There''s no need to be so hasty. Wait a bit."


    Zheng Xiao was confused, "Guildmaster, what are you still waiting for?"


    At this moment, an elf came in, "Sir, the lord of the city requests your presence!"


    When they heard that, everyone visibly reacted.


    They had a basic idea of why the city lord would request their guildmaster.


    Du Mingfeng is a guardian elf of Giantree City. His position is equivalent to a human general, and he himself has a certain amount of military authority.


    Du Mingfeng did not get permission for the demon subjugation this time.


    He had transferred a squad of elven mages on his own ord.


    It wouldn''t have mattered much if they all ended up returning unharmed, but the problem is that this squad of elven mages werepletely wiped out in the action in the Myriad Flower Valley.


    The city lord and other higher ups may very well be using this opportunity to find fault in Du Mingfeng.


    However, Du MingFeng just got up without any panic or hurry, "This is what we''re waiting for!"


    As he said that, rather than disobeying the summons, he instead directly left with the elven messenger.


    Zheng Xiao was a bit worried. With the deputy lord selection right around the corner, it would be really bad if this incident ends up affecting things.


    Just then, he noticed a motion and looked up.


    There, he saw a little ck winging its way off.


    Strange. There seems to be a bit more bats around in the city!


    ...


    Du Mingfeng walked into the audience room of the Giantree City.


    This is the ce where the city lord holds court, with several dozen elven guards lined up neatly on either side.


    Du Mingfeng gazed up at the city lord''s throne. There, a little girl who looked around 13-14 or so was sitting up on a seat that looked too big for her.


    That little girl had long silver hair running down to her waist.


    Her eyes were like the most brilliant rubies.


    Her beauty is rare and exceptional even amongst elves.


    Three years ago, the old city lord unexpectedly passed on and this young little elf was chosen by the elder council to be the new lord.


    The reason why she was able to be the city lord is all due to her having the bloodline of the elf king. This is the strongest and noblest bloodline among the elven race.


    A hint of contempt shed across Du Mingfeng''s eyes.


    Even so, he still properly offered his respect as dictated by elven courtesies, "Guardian Elf Jules presents himself before yourdyship!"

 Chapter 61

    An elven elder stood next to the city lord.


    He looked visibly aged and was dressed like a mage.


    He''s the oldest and most experienced First Elder of Giantree City and he''s very old even for an elf. Therefore, he is someone greatly respected within the city.


    Of course, it''s also for that exact reason that he''s a thorn in Du Mingfeng''s side.


    Before the young city lord even opened her mouth, the First Elder already started speaking in a dissatisfied tone, "You transferred and used the defense forces of Giantree City on your own recognisance, leading to 25 elven mages losing their lives. You should know just how great a mistake you havemitted!"


    So he was called in to take the me after all.


    Du Mingfeng replied calmly, "This was an ident!"


    "You caused the deaths of 25 of our people, and yet rather than being ashamed of it, you call it an ident instead! Did you forget your responsibility as a guardian elf of Giantree City?"


    Du Mingfeng replied, "No, I have not forgotten. It was exactly for the sake of protecting Giantree City that I had to do what I did!"


    The First Elder spoke angrily, "What?"


    Du MIngfeng exined, "The threat of Demon Kings is far too great. If we cannot y all the Demon Kings around us as soon as possible, then Giantree City will be taken over by them sooner orter!"


    The First Elder stopped for a moment.


    Demon Kings are previously unknown existences that only appeared recently.


    Even he, with all his experience and worldliness, knows nothing of them.


    The young city lord questioned, "But why do we have to fight the Demon Kings? Can''t we use diplomatic means to reach a mutual understanding? For us elves, it''s peace and freedom that''s the most important here!"


    "Mydy is a bit too naive!"


    Du Mingfeng sneered, "Who has ever heard of sheep engaging in diplomacy as equals with wolves and tigers? The Demon Kings'' very existence is, from start to end, all just to conquer and destroy. They expand endlessly with unending greed and cunning. They''re the purest evil!"


    The young city lord frowned.


    The First Elder also fell deep into thought.


    Demon Kings really have appeared for far too short an amount of time, so the elves of Giantree City simply know far too little about this special category of beings.


    The First Elder asked, "Do you speak truly here?"


    "I am willing to ept any test via contracts or oaths!" Du Mingfeng replied, "First Elder, your Ladyship, think about it for a bit. Just how long has it been since the Demon Kings first appeared?"


    "The results of this battle just goes to show how terrifying their growth speed is. It''s to the point where they''ve already be a major threat to Giantree City!"


    That was indeed true.


    They managed to gain such power in just a single short month after all.


    The First Elder''s attitude was slightly shaken.


    If things went badly, then the Demon Kings may greatly threaten Giantree City.


    Even if they''re not threatening Giantree City for the time being, they will still expand madly, devour the nearby tribes, and with that, affect the basic governance of Giantree City.


    "Before now, every Demon King was like a lone ind and Demon Kings cannot sense one another. We were thus able to defeat them one at a time."


    "This incident has shown a new change however. That is also the direct reason why this subjugation failed... Two Demon Kings have allied!"


    When he heard that, the First Elder visibly reacted.


    "Demon Kings grow terrifyingly fast from the start, but if the various Demon Kings were to join together into a united front, then the consequences are unthinkable!"


    "We cannot shrink back from this one failure. On the contrary, I need even more support. Only that way can we protect Giantree City!"


    "Therefore, I am officially asking herdyship to grant me permission to lead an army to join with the Heroes Guild in order to subjugate these two Demon Kings!"


    "This matter cannot wait and must be dealt with as soon as possible!"


    Du Mingfeng revealed his hand here. He will take advantage of the situation and use it to his own advantage.


    Although the Ironblooded Heroes Guild is already quite powerful, if they can also borrow the strength of Giantree City, then they''ll have no worries about taking down these two Demon Kings!


    This time, the demon subjugation army waspletely crushed.


    However, that also ended up creating quite amotion for Giantree City, which instead ended up putting quite a bit of pressure on the city''s lord and the First Elder.


    As an experienced business mogul, Du Mingfeng sharply used the crushing defeat this time to inte the threat of the Demon Kings to drag Giantree City into the conflict.


    And it worked.


    After hearing his words, the First Elder and the young city lord hesitated.


    The two of them simply knew too little about the Demon Kings. However, it''s exactly because of theirck of understanding that they would end up even more suspicious and cautious about them. Plus, the rapid growth speed of the Demon Kings really was worrisome.


    The young city lord spoke hesitantly, "I still think that we should try to approach the Demon Kings diplomatically first. We should first understand their thoughts and goals and only use the military if there''s no other choice."


    Du Mingfeng sneered inside his mind.


    The young city lord was still as soft and indecisive as always.


    In the end, the decision for this matter still rests within the First Elder''s hands.


    Du Mingfeng spoke, "Mydy, the Demon Kings'' strength grows by the day. We don''t have much time left anymore."


    The First Elder considered it for a while before finally speaking, "The guardian elf''s words do have some logic to them. This forest is one that follows thew of the jungle from the start. Mydy must not simply allow a threat to grow simply because you dislike war and end up causing irreversible consequences."


    Du Mingfeng immediately agreed, "That''s right. It''s necessary to engage in a small conflict in order to prevent arger one. I am willing to take full responsibility for this matter!"


    The First Elder asked, "How many men do you need?"


    Du Mingfeng thought it over before speaking, "A thousand elites!"


    The First Elder frowned, "That''s not a small number. You''re certain that you can solve this issue?"


    Du Mingfeng replied, "I am certain. I will prove to Giantree City atrge that our actions here are the correct ones!"


    The next day, Giantree City called a council meeting.


    The city lord and the eight elven elders all voted to decide on the matter.


    The final result of that vote was one abstain and eight agreements.


    The only abstain was the city lord''s vote.


    She keeps getting the feeling that there''s a problem with such actions, but shecked experience and was unable to say out loud just what the problem is, so she could only abstain.


    Giantree City officially announced its partnership with the Heroes Guild, that they will be working with the Ironblooded Heroes to defeat the Demon Kings in order to deal with the threat of Demon Kings and their rapid growth.


    An even bigger demon subjugation army was being assembled.


    Of their targets, the "Myriad Flower Valley" and "Darkness Valley" rank at the top as the Demon King nests that need to be dealt with right away!

 Chapter 62

    Du Mingfeng''s n went through quite smoothly.


    He had sessfully utilized the shock from this horrid defeat to make known the threat of the Demon Kings, thus stimting the worries of the higher ups of Giantree City and getting them to decide to deploy a thousand soldiers.


    This army will all be under Du Mingfeng''s exclusivemand.


    The official elven army of Giantree city is different from the warriors of the various forest tribes. All of them are well trained and even the most basicbat units are level 1 Elites.


    Of those thousand Elite units, one out of every 20 of those elven soldiers is a level 2 Elite existence.


    One can imagine just how powerful this army is!


    When the Ironblooded Heroes learned of this, all of them were overjoyed. They never imagined that their guildmaster would be so capable, to forcefully change a disaster into an opportunity.


    From that point of view, Zhou Kun''s sacrifice really was worth it.


    Zheng Xiao immediately spoke up, "Boss, the time is ripe. I think we should deploy right away and attack the Darkness Vally. We''ll get revenge in one go andpletely remove this threat to our future!"


    When he said that, the other Ironblooded Heroes all showed their own agreement.


    The Demon King of Darkness Valley has been acting far too arrogant.


    They first killed a major potential recruit of the Ironblooded Heroes Guild, Zhao Lei, then they annihted an entire scouting army. Now, they stopped Zhou Kun''s subjugation of the Flower Fey Demon King and even caused enormous damages to the Guild!


    If they don''t destroy him, then the Ironblooded Heroes won''t be able to take it anymore.


    This time, they''ll show him just what the Ironblooded Heroes can really do!


    "What are you in such a rush for? Be it the Flower Fey Demon King or the Sky Drake Demon kIng, their deaths are already set, like fish on a cutting board. All that''s left now is just how to season them."


    Zheng Xiao hurriedly asked, "Then, the Guildmaster''s n is?"


    Du Mingfeng exined, "I n on splitting our army into two and to attack the Myriad Flower Valley and Darkness Valley at the same time!"


    When they heard that, everyone was stunned.


    Zheng Xiao asked, "Dividing our forces? Why are we taking the risk of dividing our forces though? Isn''t it better to take it safe and fight with our full force? Right now, we have the power to easily crush them!"


    Du Mingfeng exined, "This is not only not a risk, but instead the way to best utilize our military advantage. Have you considered why the Sky Drake Demon King went to save the Flower Fey Demon King in the first ce?"


    Zheng Xiao thought it over before speaking, "My guess is that the two Demon Kings are allied!"


    Du Mingfeng nodded, "Not just that. The Flower Fey Demon King must be very important to the Sky Drake Demon King. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have gone as far as exposing himself."


    "Then, the guildmaster means?"


    "Darkness Valley is very disadvantageous terrain for any attackers, which makes the Demon King even stronger there. If we were to try to forcefully assault it, then we won''t be able to avoid a great deal of losses. Thus, we''re better off destroying the Flower Fey Demon King first."


    Du Mingfeng continued exining, "You and I will each take an army. I''ll personally attack the Flower Fey Demon King. If the Sky Drake Demon Kinges to save her, then you''ll use that opportunity to assault the Darkness Valley. If the Sky Drake Demon King doesn''te, then I''ll be able to easily take down the Flower Fey Demon King."


    So that''s it.


    Zheng Xiao finally understood it.


    The intent is to force the Sky Drake Demon King into a dilemma.


    There''s no way that the Flower Fey Demon King could possibly stop Du Mingfeng''s attack.


    If the Sky Drake Demon King was toe to help her, then he would be giving up the home field advantage to fight in unfamiliar territory, thus far lowering the threat of him and his army.


    Plus, once he leaves, the Darkness Valley is certain to be far emptier. Thus, Zheng Xiao could use that opportunity to attack it and deal huge damages to the Darkness Valley.


    If he stays home to guard the Darkness Valley though, then it''s basically equivalent to just watching the Flower Fey Demon King die without lifting a hand. That would definitely ce a great deal of pressure on him in terms of morale and mental wellbeing.


    At that point, Du Mingfeng would have destroyed the Flower Fey Demon King and he would then be able to rendezvous with Zheng Xiao to attack the Darkness Valley as one.


    Du Mingfeng spoke, "The Flower Fey Demon King is specialized in production and logistics. If my guess isn''t wrong, then that''s where her value to the Darkness Valleyes from. Us destroying the Flower Fey Demon King is equivalent to temporarily cutting off the Darkness Valley''s supplies, which will temporarily weaken that Sky Drake!"


    Zheng Xiao nodded, "Brilliant, Guildmaster. No matter what, those Demon Kings won''t have any hope of turning the tables anymore. Our unification of this area is just a matter of time then!"


    Du Mingfeng showed a satisfied smile at that.


    This uing demon subjugation battle is nothing much. His ns and ambitions aren''t limited to just this. This time, he used the excuse of subjugating the Demon King to greatly increase his own authority and influence.


    Then, the next step will be Giantree City''s turn.


    The elven elders with the First Elder at the head are merely a bunch of ignorant country bumpkins after all. They won''t be able to strut around for much longer.


    As for that soft young city lord?


    How could she possibly win against him?


    After he kills a few more Demon Kings, he''ll start acting to kick the young city lord off of her position in charge of the city.


    That woman had no qualifications to order him about. She''s more suitable to be made into his toy as part of his harem.


    After the meeting was done, Du Mingfeng continued making his preparations.


    He went into a secret vault all by himself.


    This vault contains a number of very important tools.


    All of them came from the Ironblooded Heroes Guild''s previous Demon King subjugations. They were valuable loot that came from Demon King Treasure Chests.


    Although Du Mingfeng had absolute confidence this time, his cautious nature made it so that he would still make perfect preparations just in case.


    Thus, he took two of the most valuable items within the vault.


    One of them is a scroll giving off an aura of spatial magic. It will be used to preserve his life at a critical moment.


    The other is an unremarkable looking dark green stone. If one were to look carefully at it though, they''d discover that there''s a green me burning inside of that stone.


    Hellfire magic stone.


    This item is extremely powerful and indiscriminate in targeting.


    It''s a final trump card to assure mutual annihtion in the most extreme circumstance. He hopes that it will nevere in use.


    ...


    The next day, the armies set off from Giantree City.


    Du Mingfeng led the thousand strong elven army toward the north.


    Their destination is the Myriad Flower Valley where the Flower Fey resides.


    At the same time, Zheng Xiao had already gathered his own forces. He drew a great deal of men from various tribes that they controlled and led them south toward Darkness Valley.


    The young city lord personally watched at the armies left.


    She was currently frowning unhappily.


    When the First Elder saw that, he spoke, "Mydy, I know you dislike battles, but there''s nothing else that can be done to deal with those Demon Kings."


    Another elven elder agreed, "Yes. Mydy, whether or not Demon Kings really are as evil and vicious as they''ve been described, it is certain that their existences are major threats to Giantree City."


    Things have already reached this point, so the young city lord can''t do anything about it either.


    She simply still has a bad premonition about Giantree City''s actions in attacking the Demon Kings without bothering to learn about them in detail or make any contact first.

 Chapter 63

    Late at night.


    Darkness Valley.


    On the high walls of the Demon King Castle, the Demon King stood with his hand behind his back.


    Two mighty guardian draconian generals respectfully stood at his side. Other than Zhang San, there''s also a Wang Ar.


    Wang Ar is new, a second draconian general that Zhang Nu just summoned.


    Right now, even excluding Zhang Nu, his territory now has three full high leveled Lord level units, and all of them are quite strong among Lord units too.


    Other than them, the army itself was constantly expanding.


    At this point, the racial units have now reached 3660 in total.


    Of them, there are 2000 draconianborers, 700 highborers, 850 draconian soldiers, 80 high draconian soldiers, and 30 draconian battlemages.


    Besides them, he also has over a thousand undead units, nearly a thousand minotaurs, over 3000 goblins, and a number of fox-kin as well. In total, the territory''s full poption has reached five digits.


    This enormous number has gradually made the territory more and more prosperous.


    Right now, with the Demon King Castle as the center, the entire area around it were industrial zones. Over a thousand skeletons transported materials while thousands of draconianborers and minotaurs worked.


    With the castle as the center, a high grade city in terms of both size and format was slowly taking shape. This will be the Demon King''s capital in the future.


    Right at this moment, the draconian priest Li Si approached.


    "My lord, there is an emergency dispatch."


    Zhang Nu casually asked, "Most likely regarding the Ironblooded Heroes."


    The draconian priest Li Si nodded, "Yes. The Ironblooded Heroes have allied together with Giantree City. They sent out two armies. One is attacking the Flower Fey Demon King, while the other ising for us."


    "The elves of Giantree City have also joined in?"


    "Indeed so. Giantree City has dispatched an army of a thousand elves, all of them under themand of Giantree City''s guardian elf, who is also the guildmaster of the Ironblooded Heroes Guild, Du Mingfeng. Right now, they''re currently heading for the Flower Fey Demon King''s territory."


    "The other army is one assembled from the Ironblooded Heroes Guild themselves, mainly formed from an alliance of warriors from multiple tiger-kin, bear-kin, and wolf-kin tribes.


    When Zhang Nu heard that, he was slightly surprised.


    The reaction of Giantree City toward the Demon King waspletely within expectations, but what he didn''t expect was that Giantree City would deploy their army that quickly.


    An elite army of a thousand elves can''t be considered weak evenpared to Darkness Valley. There''s no way that Flower Fey Chen Guoguo''s territory could withstand such an attack.


    Yet, the Ironblooded Heroes Guild was splitting their forces and sending their vice captain Zheng Xiao to head straight for the Darkness Valley.


    The draconian priest gave his analysis, "Their motive for splitting their army is quite obvious. They must be trying to force us to split our focus and fight on two separate fronts. If we try to save the Flower Fey Demon King, then we''ll end up weakening the defenses of Darkness Valley, and yet if we do not try to save her, then they''d be able to easily destroy her beforeing for us.


    Zhang Nu nodded, "What do you think then?"


    The draconian priest gave his opinion with a sneer, "Those ants are so foolish yet arrogant. They have no idea just how terrifying my lord''s true might is!"


    From the draconian priest''s point of view, such strategies are simplyughable.


    He spoke after thinking briefly, "There''s no need for my lord to act. This one and the two generals should already be more than enough to deal with them!"


    Du Mingfeng is indeed quite capable, but he was deceived from the start.


    He started off assuming that the draconian priest Li Si was the Demon King, which directly made him underestimate the Darkness Valley.


    That was a deadly mistake!


    Du Mingfeng and the Ironblooded Heroes Guild had never fully understood the truth of the Darkness Valley, and he understood the Demon King of Darkness Valley even less.


    "I have no doubts as to the capabilities of you and the two generals!''


    "That said, based on the information I got, this Du Mingfeng is unlike other Heroes. He should not be underestimated."


    After some brief considerations, Zhang Nu gave his orders, "Li Si, Wang Ar, you are to lead 500 soldiers and 50 high soldiers to reinforce the Myriad Flower Valley. There''s no need to crush the army of Giantree City, but you do need to make sure to protect the Flower Fey Demon King and hold back Du Mingfeng and his army.


    "Yes, my lord!"


    Zhang Nu then gave additional orders, "Zhang San, you will lead the rest of the draconian army, undead army, and minotaur army to ambush the Hero army attempting to sneak attack the Darkness Valley."


    "Yes, my lord!"


    After giving his subordinates their orders, Zhang Nu wasn''t nning on sitting idly either.


    Giantree City and the Ironblooded Heroes Guild, was it?


    If they''re going to make an enemy of him, then he absolutely needs to teach them a heavy lesson!


    He''ll be sure to make them experience the true dangers of the world!


    "I''ll leave the two battlefields to you!" Zhang Nu spoke, "I n on personally giving Giantree City a little visit using this opportunity."


    When they heard those words, his three highmanders all visibly reacted.


    The draconian priest was slightly concerned, "My lord, Giantree City is well defended. They do notck for powerful elven defenders as powerhouses of various other races. Although you do bear great power, might going personally by yourself be a bit overly risky?"


    Zhang Nu calmly replied, "There''s no need to worry. The thousand elite soldiers that Giantree City had just sent out were all part of the city''s defenses, so their defenses are certain to be weaker in the short term."


    "Both of the highest leadership of the Ironblooded Heroes have all deployed, so how many out of the Heroes remaining in Giantree City could possibly be of any threat to me? Giantree City in its current state cannot possibly stop me!"


    Zhang Nu''s confidence came from his information advantage.


    Firstly, he could directly see hidden information, and secondly, he had the spy Su Yan who had been constantly sending him information over the past few days, so he had a very good understanding of Giantree City right now.


    Besides, only by doing the unexpected can he catch his enemies off guard.


    Be it the authorities in charge of Giantree City or the Heroes guilds lead by the Ironblooded Heroes Guild, none of them would expect that something as unimaginable as the Demon King directly attacking Giantree City could possibly happen, so there was no way anyone could have made any preparations against it.


    The Ironblooded Heroes have made trouble for him over and over, and now they even attempted to raid his home base.


    Zhang Nu really wanted to see what kind of face they''d make after they failed their own base raid, look back home, and see their own base utterly wrecked.


    Besides, by killing Heroes, he can get more souls.


    Not only will killing more of them get him more souls, he''ll also be able to instantly weaken the total Hero forces in the nearby areas.


    There''s no way any Demon King could possibly resist such a thing!


    As for Giantree City? Since they decided to attack on their own ord, then they should reap the consequences for their decision!

 Chapter 64

    The Giantree City army had reached the Myriad Flowers Valley.


    Du Mingfeng was utterly confident.


    The battle on this daycked any tension whatsoever.


    No matter how the Demon King of Darkness Valley chooses to respond, there''s no way that the Flower Fey Demon King will be able to avoid her fate of destruction.


    After all, this particr Demon King subjugation army ispletely unlike Zhou Kun''s tribes from a few days ago.


    Even putting aside the difference between the disciplined and well trained proper army of Giantree City versus the mob made from various forest tribes, just the leadership alone waspletely iparable.


    Zhou Kun was a level 2 Hero and his power is around that of a pseudo Lord level. While he might have been able to put up a decent fight against rtively weak level 2 Lord units, he hasn''t actually reached the realm of being a Lord himself.


    But who is Du Mingfeng?


    He''s the guildmaster of the Ironblooded Heroes Guild, as well as being one of the guardian elves of Giantree City.


    His strength is absolutely crushingpared to any other Hero.


    He''s a level 3 Hero.


    And he has also reached the pseudo Lord level as well.


    What did this mean exactly?


    Although Du Mingfeng might not be able to fight seriously against a true level 3 Lord, he''ll have no problem at all against five level 3 Elites at once. He''s more than capable of fighting on equal terms against the strongest level 2 Lords. All in all, he''s undeniably a major bigshot.


    Given all that, it''s quite obvious that with such power, paired with the elite Giantree City army, even if the Sky Drake Demon King of Darkness Valley were attempt toe to the rescue, there still won''t be any way that he''ll be able to avert the Flower Fey Demon King and her Nest''s fate of being destroyed.


    Du Mingfeng wasn''t worried about the Sky Drake Demon King showing up at all.


    In fact, he''s even looking forward to it a great deal.


    If this Demon King was toe with massive reinforcement, then he would have fallen right into Du Mingfeng''s trap.


    The Sky Drake Demon King is a top quality level 2 Lord, so he''ll be quite a bit more difficult to fight on his home turf. Instead, he''ll be far easier to fight against on foreign territory.


    Besides, if they really do start fighting, the Darkness Valley will certainly be far weaker.


    The Heroes under Zheng Xiao''s leadership were eager and ready and as the vice-captain and the second inmand of the Ironblooded Heroes Guild, it''s only natural that he''s even stronger than Zhou Kun!


    With that level 2 Lord Hero leading them, while the Demon King and his elites are missing, their chances at a base raid are very good indeed!


    With that, the Ironblooded Heroes Guild will be able to take down two powerful Demon Kings at once while spending the least amount of resources.


    As Du Mingfeng thought that, his lips curled up in a smirk.


    He cannot think of any possible way for the Demon King to reverse the situation. His side has the absolute advantage and the initiative, so there was no way that they could possibly lose!


    "Scout the enemy forces!"


    "Yes sir!"


    Several level 2 elven mages activated the E Ranked skill "irvoyance".


    It''s a long distance detection type skill, allowing one to gather information about the enemy ahead of time.


    "Sir!"


    "There''s a massive amount of Venomous Flower Fey!"


    "Other than those, there are also arge number of draconians and boar-kin."


    Du Mingfeng''s eyes lit up, "Draconians? How many!"


    The elven mage answered, "Based on the results of all of our observations, we estimate that there should be around 500 or so!"


    "That many?"


    Du Mingfeng was surprised for a moment.


    Then, he startedughing loudly, "Hahaha! Good, good. That idiot drake haspletelymitted to protecting that Flower Fey. However, that''s the best case for me!"


    With that, he waved a hand.


    "Send the Windchaser Bird!"


    The Heroes immediately opened up the cage and released the bird.


    This bird is extremely fast and shot off like an arrow, quickly disappearing over the horizon.


    Windchaser Bird is a low leveled pet.


    It has the ability to cast wind magic, but itsbat capabilities are very weak.


    Their extremely fast speed makes it so that they''remonly used to send messages.


    Zheng Xiao will soon receive the news and learn that the Darkness Valley is low on defenders, making it the perfect time to attack.


    "Everyone!"


    The Demon King Nest is right before us!"


    Du Mingfeng gave his orders, "Activate defenses! Begin the assault!"


    Of Giantree City''s elven army, 300 of them are mages. The remaining 700 are elven warriors armed with both sword and bow.


    They''re capable of magicalbat, long distance archery, or meleebat, so their overallbat capabilities are obvious.


    A number of powerful magic circles appeared.


    Magical shields quickly appeared, linking up with each other into a single whole and turning into an enormous magical barrier protecting the entire army.


    This is far stronger than normal shields!


    It bothcks any openings and is extremely tough!


    Du Mingfeng drew his sword and roared out, "Attack! Kill them all!"


    The elven army started entering the Valley. Venomous stingers constantly bombarded them and the giant Guardians continuously threw boulders, but all of it was blocked by the magical barrier.


    "Aughable attack!"


    Du Mingfeng felt no pressure at all.


    The army easily passed through the entrance to the Valley and entered its interior.


    At that moment, an army of draconians in formation appeared before them.


    The elven mages'' long distance scouting was only able to discover those draconians, but they had no way to appraise just how strong or weak those draconians are. When he saw this army, Du Mingfeng couldn''t help but react slightly.


    Elites!


    They''re all Elites!


    Over 500 draconian soldiers, and even the weakest normal soldier among them are level 1 Elite units. Of them, the high soldiers and battlemages are even stronger level 2 Elites.


    "How are they this strong?"


    "Isn''t that Demon King a bit too powerful?"


    Even Du Mingfeng ended up sucking in a breath at that.


    If he didn''t borrow the Giantree City''s elven army, then just the strength that the Ironblooded Heroes have assembled would have had a very hard time fighting against this army.


    Plus, Darkness Valley is extremely dangerous terrain. It''s easy to defend and hard to attack.


    With an army like this within, it would be nearly impossible to storm from the outside. Even if they seeded, they would have to pay an unbelievable price to do so.


    No wonder Zhao Lei and Zhou Kun were so easily defeated.


    Du Mingfeng set aside his shock and grinned with dark anticipation.


    "Hahaha! Truly, the heavens are with me! You''re even more powerful than I had anticipated, but I''ll use this chance today to crush you all in one go!"

 Chapter 65

    At the moment, three figures were currently situated within the draconian army.


    One is the Flower Fey Demon King Chen Guoguo. She''s only a level 2 Elite and her specialization isn''t inbat either, so in this battle, she can only act as support.


    As for the other two, they were Li Si and Wang Ar.


    The draconian priest Li Si spoke, "We''ll have to leave that guy for you to keep busy!"


    The draconian general Wang Ar spoke firmly, "Don''t worry. He is indeed quite strong, but with me here, he''s not going to get anywhere near you."


    The draconian army will be able to remain undefeated so long as the field magic isn''t interrupted.


    The draconian priest stabbed his staff into the ground, called up his great mental might, and released it into the environment around him, which quickly formed into a field type magic.


    "Healing Field!"


    The draconian priest started off with a support type field spell.


    So long as the draconian army remains within the bounds of the field, their HP will quickly recover. With that, theirbat power greatly improved.


    At the same time, the draconian general let out a roar and charged out from within the formation. His form quickly expanded and instantly turned into a ck iron earth drake 3 meters tall and over 10 meters long as he charged into the Giantree City army''s formation.


    Under the attacks of several hundred venomous flower feys, the Giantree City army''s magic barrier had already been weakened by quite a bit.


    Thus, under the ferocious m from the draconian general, the magic barrier instantly shattered like ss and several elves at the front were blown away.


    "What''s going on?!"


    Du Mingfeng reacted with rm.


    Wasn''t the Demon King supposed to be a sky drake?


    How did it suddenly be an earth drake!


    This ispletely different from his information!


    "Weakening Field!"


    "Death Field!"


    The draconian prist continued toplete the formation of his field spells. Two new fields enveloped the area within nearly a thousand meters and all the enemy army that was within that area were stuck with the effects of the debuffs.


    Du Mingfeng had noticed the fielde up, so he naturally also noticed the draconian priest in the center of those field effects.


    The draconian general Wang Ar ignored all other attacks and charged straight at Du Mingfeng in his earth drake form before swinging a vicious w attack at him.


    With a ng, Du Mingfeng blocked that attack with his sword.


    He had an ugly look on his face as he asked, "Just who is the Demon King of Darkness Valley!"


    Wang Arughed as he taunted, "What need is there for our lord to appear just to deal with some worthless weaklings? A few of us servants are already more than enough!"


    When he heard those words, Du Mingfeng reacted as if he was struck by lightning.


    He felt like a bucket of cold water was poured on him. He felt a chill from top to bottom, both inside and out!


    The draconian priest''s powerful bloodline and the great might that he had disyed made the Heroes misunderstand from the start. Even Du Mingfeng had thought that he was definitely the Demon King.


    Yet, only now did Du Mingfeng finally realize that he had been under the wrong impression from the start.


    The Demon King may not have even shown up. From start to end, the one that the Ironblooded Heroes have fought was merely the Demon King''s subordinate!


    But that''s just unreasonable though!


    Why is even the subordinate this strong?


    Be it that sky drake priest or this earth drake general, both of them can be considered among the very strongest among even the Demon Kings for the current period!


    Could it be that the draconian general was lying to purposefully mislead him?


    But what would be the point of that?


    "Shit!"


    Du Mingfeng realized that his mistaken strategy may very well end up causing major problems for him!


    ...


    Not long after the battle of Myriad Flower Valley had begun, the Ironblooded Heroes Army was traversing through the Darkness Canyon.


    Zheng Xiao had already received the message from the windchaser bird, so he knew that the Darkness Valley had sent heavy reinforcements to help the Flower Fey Demon King and the Nest itself must be very weakly defended.


    It was a heaven blessed chance, so how could he possibly pass it up?


    However, at this moment, the five Towers of Grudges appeared and started operating.


    Hundreds of Grudge Ghosts filled the air over the Canyon.


    This caused somemotion among the Heroes, but these Heroes are all fairly experienced, so they quickly calmed back down.


    "Don''t panic!"


    "It''s just the Demon King''s defensive structure!"


    "Everyone, forward! Destroy those worthless towers!"


    Zheng Xiao directed his army in preparation to attack the Towers of Grudges, but at that moment, around a thousand skeletons appeared from both ends of the Canyon and flooded in.


    At the same time, up on the high ground, draconian battlemages, skeleton mages, and minotaur priests appeared one after another. In nearly the blink of an eye, Zheng Xiao''s army waspletely surrounded.


    "Fuck!"


    "Boss, it''s bad!"


    "We''re surrounded!"


    "Where did so many undeadse from!"


    Zheng Xiao was shocked as well, but he hurriedly attempted to calm the army down and restore order.


    "Everyone, don''t be afraid. The Demon King''s elites are all away from the Valley. While these skeletons are numerous, they''re just cannon fodder!"


    This calmed the army down and restored morale somewhat.


    "That''s right!"


    "Kill them!"


    "The vast majority are all skeleton soldiers!"


    "Those weak mobs are easily crushed!"


    Although it was a bit disadvantageous being heavily surrounded, the elite warriors of the Hero army are all very experienced, so they wouldn''t end up freezing in fear.


    Besides which, in this situation, it''s not like they can retreat either way, so they had no choice but to push forward regardless.


    Zheng Xiao swung his greatsword and smashed through 20 to 30 skeleton soldiers in one go like he''s reaping stalks of wheat. Then he went on to cut down several skeletonmanders.


    At that moment, arge de was swung right at him, and Zheng Xiao was forced several meters back.


    "Oh shit!"


    "There''s a strong one!"


    The draconian general Zhang San came forth and pulled his polearm from where it was stabbed into the ground.


    "Just you worthless weaklings think you can threaten the Darkness Valley?!"


    His gaze was freezing cold, "That said, since you''re already here, there''s no need to go anymore. None of you are leaving here!"


    As he spoke, the draconian army entered the battle.


    Although the draconian priest had taken the vast majority of the draconian soldiers with him, several hundred were still left behind and they were not to be underestimated while under the leadership of a draconian general!


    Besides which, they have the terrain advantage + undead army + Towers of Grudges + minotaur units acting as support here.


    How were the Heroes supposed to fight against that?


    Zheng Xiao''s army were all assembled from various native tribes.


    This army''s discipline and ability to work in tandem can''t evenpare to that of the Giantree City army. He never imagined that he''d end up facing this much resistance when he came to the Darkness Valley!


    Something''s wrong here!


    Given the formation that had weed them, it was obvious that the Darkness Valley waspletely prepared for them!


    They knew far in advance that the demon subjugation army woulde!


    How did the Darkness Valley have such detailed understanding of the Hero Guild''s secret movements? The deployment of this army was kept a secret after all!


    Could it be... That they were infiltrated?!


    Zheng Xiao had no time to think about it. That''s because Zhang San was already swinging at him with his polearm. Although Zheng Xiao did have the strength of a level 2 Lord, he was still obviously losing against the draconian general.


    Zheng Xiao was forced back after just four or so exchanges of blows.


    The draconian army swarmed forward and the Heroes and demon subjugation armypletely lost cohesion.


    ...


    The two battles started at nearly the same moment.


    While both sides were fighting furiously, Giantree City was still as calm and peaceful as always.


    The elven elders were all awaiting news from Du Mingfeng.


    As for the result of the battle? That''s something that they never had any doubts about. The official Giantree City army was the one deployed this time, so there was no way that they could possibly lose.


    Thus, they just need to wait for the good news.


    At this moment, the young lord was sitting in her study.


    She started getting a strange jittery feeling.


    The young lord was born with very sharp and powerful instincts.


    Given her experiences from countless previous events, this feeling that she got was practically a premonition. Something bad had likely happened!


    Just as she thought, they shouldn''t have been so reckless.


    She should have stopped the military action back then.


    But now, the arrow has already been loosened. It''s already toote for regrets. All she can do now is pray for the protection of the Goddess of Nature in hopes that it won''t end up a major problem!


    At this moment, without any prior signs.


    "Roar!"


    A roar filled with kingly majesty filled the air.


    The entire Giantree City shook from it!


    The peace and quiet here waspletely shattered.


    Countless clouds blocked off the sun and cast their shadow over Giantree City. Lightning shed within those clouds and every bolt of lightning was an inauspicious scarlet.


    "Dragon!"


    "It''s a dragon!"


    "A dragon is attacking!"


    The soldiers and citizens of Giantree City were shocked to discover that a mysterious and majestic looking dragon over 30 meters tall and covered in dark gold scales was flying toward them through those thunderclouds.


    Killing intent and Dragon Fear enveloped the sky and earth alike!


    The sheer pressure from it made it hard to breathe!


    Everyone could clearly feel just how terrifying and powerful this being was.


    This powerful being''s target was clear. It was attacking Giantree City. It dropped like a meteor from the heavens and viciously mmed into the barrier.


    Boom!


    The entire city shook!


    The shaking was as intense as an earthquake!


    The dragon was attacking the city!


    Terror spread!


    At that moment, everyone could clearly feel just how terrifying and powerful this dragon was. However, just how did Giantree City manage to provoke such a being?

 Chapter 66

    Zhang Nu used to keep a very low profile.


    It was all for the sake of a stable development environment.


    Now though, the early game development period is nearly over. What development that should have been done has basically all been done, so it''s only natural his strategy should change with it and he should do what a Demon King is supposed to do.


    From this moment onwards, Zhang Nu shall have these Forest residents shake in terror.


    Du Mingfeng had drawn away a thousand elites, so Giantree City''s defenses will definitely be weakened.


    However, this City has a great deal of power saved up from its long history, so it wouldn''t be so easily caught off guard. The dragon had just started its attack and it was already immediately met with a fierce counterattack.


    One elven guard mage after another immediately started casting.


    mes, wind des, and lightning continuously struck like rain.


    At the same time, one magic tower after another activated and those towers continuously shot out magic beams. The attacks were dense,cking in blind spots, and thus are impossible to dodge.


    In this situation, a normal level 2 Lord would have been instantly in.


    Even a level 3 Lord might not have been able to withstand it.


    There''s no way that Giantree City hasn''t been met with major crises in the past. The fact that it was able to stand within the Forest for several hundred years was already enough to prove its strength!


    "Don''t panic, everyone!"


    "Giantree City has a barrier protecting it!"


    "He won''t be able to easily get in!"


    "Yeah, Giantree City is full of powerhouses. Even a dragon won''t be able to truly threaten us. He''s justmitting suicide here!"


    "..."


    Giantree City''s rapid reaction and the defenses and counterattacking capability that it''s showing greatly reassured the citizens of Giantree City.


    However, some had noticed that something doesn''t seem right.


    Even under such a dense baptism of magic attacks, every single scale on the dragon was still as good as new. It''s as if what it was taking wasn''t powerful magical attacks but a child''s toy squirt gun.


    -0!


    -0!


    -0!


    ...


    He didn''t feel a thing.


    Zhang Nu even actually felt a bitfortable.


    This is the effect of the Medium Anti-magic. Unless all the attacks were concentrated into one and hit all at once, the power of those spells were nowhere near enough to break through his defenses.


    If every single hit only deals 0 damage, then what''s the point no matter how many attacks there are?


    A million or 10 million "0" added together will still be 0!


    Zhang Nu let out a thunderous p of his wings and charged right at Giantree City again while enduring the dense spells and beams.


    This city barrier is very strong!


    Not even a bodym from a dragon could break through!


    Zhang Nu did not try to push through with raw strength again.


    Instead, he opened his mouth and breathed out arge wave of ck energy. It spread out like a mass of ink and covered the area around him.


    "Abyssal Devour!"


    This is the level 2 Devour Talent!


    The thick ck fog isn''t actually fog!


    The fog-like ckness is a kind of energy. This is a very rare element, a devouring energy type that only abyssal dragons can control.


    This energy can be used to attack or defend.


    When Zhang Nu released that ink-like pitch ck devouring energy, this energy quickly spread out in the air and thenpletely absorbed all the magic attacks like an extremely powerful sponge.


    In fact, when it touched the barrier of Giantree City, it corroded arge hole in the barrier.


    Zhang Nu dove right in using this opportunity.


    When he sessfully got inside the barrier, the attacksing at him increased in intensity, and arge number of arrows even got mixed in.


    Zhang Nu surrounded himself with the ck energy to cover him like ayer of armor. Any attacks, be it physical or magical, werepletely absorbed on impact.


    Quickly, as it absorbed enough attacks, this energy also quickly became saturated and the ck energy gradually turned into a dark red hue.


    Zhang Nu held this energy and quickly flew over Giantree City''s skyline. As he passed, Abyssal Lightning continuously fell, forcing the citizenry to run every which way in panic.


    Zhang Nu had no interest in those normal citizens. He just found them annoying, so he was just casually driving them away.


    Under the aid of his cheat''s information disys, he had already sessfully locked onto the headquarters of the Heroes Guild.


    He gathered up all the energy that he had devoured and at the same time furiously invested his own MP into it. Finally, itbined into a powerful attack.


    "Be annihted!"


    The abyssal dragon roared.


    Hundreds of bloody lightning bolts sted out.


    In that instant, countless bolts of lightning brilliant enough to blind flowed forth like a torrent, lighting up an entire street.


    Boom!


    The Guild headquarters was instantly reduced to ash.


    Only an enormous crater was left.


    [You''ve in a level 1 Hero. Soul +1]


    [You''ve in a level 1 Hero. Soul +1]


    [You''ve in a level 1 Hero. Soul +1]


    [You''ve in a level 1 Hero. Soul +1]


    [...]


    Zhang Nu didn''t know just how many Heroes that one attack killed. His yer menu was already overflowing with messages after all.


    One could say that Giantree City''s Heroes Guild was done for!


    The entirety of Giantree City''s Hero faction was heavily cripled!


    Zhang Nu was not just satisfied with that though. He also locked onto the Ironblooded Heroes Guild''s headquarters and a ming pir of Dragon me fell upon it like a waterfall.


    In that instant, the Heroes Guild headquarters waspletely turned into a sea of mes.


    [You''ve in a level 1 Hero. Soul +1]


    [You''ve in a level 2 Hero. Soul +1]


    [You''ve in a level 1 Hero. Soul +1]


    [You''ve in a level 2 Hero. Soul +1]


    [...]


    This time, the ones that died were all Heroes of the Ironblooded Heroes Guild.


    Their quantity wasn''t as high as that of the other Heroes Guild, but their quality was obviously on a different level.


    Given Zhang Nu''s rampage through Giantree City, destroying buildings and ughtering Heroes, there was no way that he could have gone unnoticed.


    "Enough!"


    "Stop it!"


    "Don''t destroy Giantree City anymore!"


    Several powerful presences rushed toward him.


    Zhang Nu scanned where those presences came from.


    The four at the front were all level 3 units.


    [Giantree City Guardian Elf: Ss]. Level 3 Elite unit... Skills: Tempest Chi (C Rank), Tempest Annihtion sh (C Rank), Tornado Strike (C Rank), etc.


    Description: One of the four guardian elves of Giantree City. Specializes in closebat martial arts. Very Strong. Be careful of his sword.


    [Giantree City Lord: Nancilia]. Level 3 Lord unit... Skills: Elf King Bloodline (Talen Skill), Elemental Contract (B Rank), Starlight Shield (B Rank), Teleportation (B Rank), Meteor Rain (B Rank), Meteoric Arrow (B Rank), etc.


    Description: The Current city lord of Giantree City. Although she''s still a young and immature elf, due to the fact that she had inherited the bloodline of the Elf King, she has exceptional power. Not only is she skilled in all kinds of magic, she''s also skilled in archery... Her personality is soft, indecisive, considerate, and kind, which is one of her major weaknesses.


    ...


    The three guardian elves were all level 3 Elites.


    This level of power is of little concern, and Zhang Nu found them beneath his notice. However, that little girl at the front seriously shocked Zhang Nu. For her to have reached the level of a level 3 Lord, and for her to actually be the city lord of Giantree City.


    The young city lord angrily demanded, "Why are you attacking Giantree City!"


    Zhang Nu let out a thunderous reply, "Giantree City sent out its soldiers to attack my territory, so why should I not fight back and attack Giantree City back? Or are you saying that you attacking us is allowed while the reverse isn''t?"


    The young city lord was shocked, "You... You''re the Demon King!"


    "Correct!" Zhang Nu answered her with a furious st of Dragon me.


    The three guardian elves didn''t dare to take it head on, so they all dodged out of the way, leaving just the young city lord to face it on her own.


    "Oh no!"


    The young city lord has teleportation magic. If she wanted to dodge, then she definitely could. It would have been easy for her.


    However in that case then, that terrifying st of Dragon me would definitelynd in the middle of the city, striking the street, houses, and even the innocent citizens.


    Just how much damage would that end up doing?


    She couldn''t allow the city to be destroyed even further!


    The young city lord grit her teeth, activated defensive magic, and countless stars gathered to her and formed into a powerful magic shield.


    It was able to forcefully hold off the Dragon me attack.


    Oh? This little girl was very strong, just as he thought!


    This is the first time that he had encountered an opponent capable of resisting the Dragon mes.


    However, Zhang Nu just had a cunning grin on his face. Although the elven city lord is very powerful, to the point where even he would need to spend a lot of energy if he wanted to defeat her in a one on one duel with his current strength.


    Even if he did win, the other side could teleport, so he''d be unlikely to capture her.


    However, the elven city lord is overly concerned about the safety of the City. That was why she would rather directly pit her strength against the Dragon me rather than dodging.


    She very much has the magical might capable of damaging Zhang Nu, but high ranked magic is overly powerful, so she didn''t dare to use them for the same reason.


    In this situation, she couldn''t show her true strength at all, so how could she possibly fight against the super powerful great Demon King before her?


    The Dragon me continued to burn.


    The Starlight Shield quickly faded.


    The young city lord''s little face was red with exertion.


    She was gritting her teeth as she tried to hold on, but she was on the verge of failing.


    At this moment, the Dragon me attack finally ended. However, before the young city lord could even let out a breath, she was shocked to discover that the dragon before her had disappeared.


    What''s going on?


    Where did he get to?


    Just then, a guardian elf loudly shouted out, "Behind you, mydy!"


    The Demon King had transformed into draconian form at some moment. He also imbued himself with the Wind Blessing and charged at her like a bolt of lightning.


    The elven city lord was unable to react in time, and Zhang Nu had put a bracelet on her wrist.


    This is the Sealing Bracelet that he got from the treasure chest from conquering the goblin tribe. He originally thought of it as a useless item, but he didn''t anticipate finding a use for it here.


    "Oh no!"


    The elven city lord could clearly feel her magical abilities being rapidly suppressed.


    Zhang Nu reached out and grabbed her. Then, before the other elves could react, he immediately pped his wings and quickly escaped the forces surrounding him.

 Chapter 67

    "Oh no!"


    "Herdyship has been caught!"


    The three guardian elves were panicking.


    The elven elders who arrivedter on were also stunned after hearing of the news.


    Impossible!


    While the city lord was young, no one who bore the elf king''s bloodline could possibly be weak.


    Instead, she had to be one of the strongest among the strong within Giantree City. She wouldn''t have been able to be the lord of the city otherwise.


    Who the heck could believe that a personage like that could have been kidnapped in the middle of the City!


    The first elder finally arrived, but when he heard such nightmarish news, he nearly fainted from shere rage.


    This is the only descendent of the elf king of Chaos Forest!


    If anything were to happen to her, then the revitalization of the elven race would be done for!


    "Save herdyship!"


    "No matter the cost!"


    "We have to rescue her!"


    The first elder raised his staff with anger and summoned up a me serpent over a hundred meter long, which struck at Zhang Nu like a zing dragon.


    "Another level 3 Lord!"


    "Hmm. Giantree City truly is filled with powerhouses. This is not somewhere I can tarry!"


    Zhang Nu held the elf city lord with his left hand while releasing the inky ck fog with his right to act as a shield to block the giant me serpent.


    "Abyssal Devouring!"


    The me serpent dove right into the ck fog but waspletely sucked in without the slightest struggle like it had entered a ck hole.


    The guardian elves and elders all chased after Zhang Nu to try to take back the city''s lord.


    In response, Zhang Nu once again released the energy devoured right back at them. Countless sts of mes hurled back like rain, and among said rain was also hundreds of bolts of scarlet Abyssal Lightning.


    The pursuers didn''t care to try to take it head on.


    Besides which, theirdy was currently in the Demon King''s hand, so they didn''t dare to attack with their full power either.


    Given all that, how could they possibly have stopped the Demon KIng?


    Zhang Nu used the opportunity he gained while the elves clumsily dealt with his attacks and left in a showy manner right before everyone''s shocked eyes.


    This assault was just too sudden.


    The entire process, from when the Demon King appeared to cause chaos, to him capturing the city lord, and then leaving, the entire thing took less than three minutes in total.


    Zhang Nu''s goals were very clear here.


    He ced getting revenge on the Heroes as his first priority, which is why he ttened the Heroes Guild and the Ironblooded Heroes Guild''s headquarters right at the start. As for capturing the city lord, that was just an unexpected gain.


    Zhang Nu checked the information.


    He knew that this elf was by no means simple.


    Not only is she the ruler of Giantree City, she also bears the inheritance of the elf king. Thus, her existence is extremely important to the elven race.


    With her captured and acting as a hostage, the elves would need to act carefully.


    With the threat of killing the hostage, there''s no way that Giantree City would dare to threaten Darkness Valley anymore.


    In the end, they would have no choice but to ept diplomatic talks and agree to various unfair conditions!


    He really lucked out!


    Originally, he just wanted to teach the Heroes a vicious lesson, and if he could also take that chance to get some souls, that would be all the better.


    He never expected that not only would he get more than what he intended, he even unexpectedly managed to pick up quite a treasure. This trip really was worth it.


    Of course, Zhang Nu did use up quite a bit of strength in that fight.


    Giantree City''s might was not to be looked down upon.


    He activated the "Blood Sacrifice" skill to spend his HP to recover his MP, and then he used his Healing skill to spend MP to recover HP.


    As he did this over and over a few times, Zhang Nu''s condition gradually returned to his perfect state.


    "Release me!"


    Nancilia continued to shout and struggle while in Zhang Nu''s ws.


    This little ruler was extremely scared right now. Since all her skills were sealed, she isn''t able to use any of her skills or abilities and ispletely at Zhang Nu''s mercy.


    She was very upset.


    While she did have a bad premonition about it, there was no way she could have imagined that the Demon King would be so arrogant as to directly attack Giantree City.


    And for her, the great ruler of Giantree City, the one that everyone looks up to... To be kidnapped by the Demon King of all things! That truly was humiliating!


    Nancilia is soft and indecisive, so she wasn''t apetent leader, but as one who bears the elf king''s bloodline, she is prideful from her very bones, so how could she possibly ept such humiliating treatment?


    Thus, despite being afraid, the greater part of her was more humiliated and angry.


    "Release me! You damnable Demon King!"


    Nancilia''s little face was crimson with exertion. She attempted to pull the mp like ws around her, but all her effort waspletely pointless and all she could do was uselessly hammer away with her little fists.


    Zhang Nu justughed, "Hahaha. You''re the loser, so what right do you have to make any demands? After all, I could crush you into paste at any moment!"


    When she heard him call her a loser, Nancilia got mad, "I won''t ept that result! I couldn''t use my full abilities in Giantree City. Fight me again if you''re really strong. I absolutely won''t lose to you again!"


    "Hah! Empty boasting!"


    Nancilia''s level is indeed higher than Zhang Nu, but level doesn''tpletely determine actual power.


    Nancilia is a level 3 Lord unit, but Zhang Nu is at least a level 2 pseudo-King. In a one on one duel, Nancilia''s chances of winning aren''t all that high.


    Of course, she has the ability to teleport, so if they really were to fight again, then Zhang Nu wasn''t confident in being able to capture her alive again.


    Given how valuable a hostage she is, he would seriously lose out if he identally killed her or allowed her to escape!


    Nancilia''s eyes shifted cunningly and she attempted to challenge Zhang Nu''s pride, "You won against me unfairly, and you refuse to fight me in a fair fight. Isn''t it because you''re afraid? It''s unfair, I won''t ept it! I don''t ept that as my loss even if you killed me!"


    "Brat, stop it with your meaningless tricks. Do you really think that I''m an idiot?"


    Zhang Nu won''t fall for such a low leveled appeal to his pride and he spoke as he sped up, "You had better be good and cooperate. Otherwise, I''ll head right back and ughter a thousand of your people and burn them to ash right before you."


    "What?"


    Nancilia''s eyes widened and red...


    Only then did she suddenly discover that they seem to be heading in the wrong direction.


    This Demon King should have originated from the Darkness Valley to the south, but he''s currently flying northward... He''s heading for the Myriad Flowers Valley!


    Nancilia froze in fear.


    Right now, a thousand strong Giantree City army was currently in the Myriad Flowers Valley to subjugate the Demon King there. If they get attacked by this terrifying guy, then the consequences would be unthinkable!


    A point of note:


    Giantree City has at least 50 to 100 level 3 powerhouses. They also had the powerful barrier protecting the city as well as numerous magic towers, ballista towers, and various other defensive structures.


    Even so, the Demon King was still able to withdraw unharmed.


    That elven army is currently out in the open and they''re also currently in the middle of battle against another Demon King. If they get attacked by the dragon in this situation, they wouldn''t have any hope of surviving!


    "Don''t kill my people!"


    "If you have to kill someone, then kill me instead!"


    Zhang Nu really found itughable.


    That girl really didn''t have the aptitude to be a ruler.


    While a true ruler doesn''t necessarily have to be coldblooded and merciless to her opponents, it''spletely stupied to try to trade her own life for that of her subordinates. The fact the she tried just shows her ipetence.


    "Whether or not I kill them depends on your behavior."


    Zhang Nu was very fast, so the Myriad Flower Valley was already right before them.


    The sound of battle was audible. The battle is still ongoing and no conclusion has been reached yet. He had arrived at just the right time.


    He first flew up above and swept over the battlefield.


    The situation below was about what he had anticipated.


    Du Mingfeng was indeed worthy of being the guildmaster for the Ironblooded Heroes Guild.


    He had the strength to fight the draconian general one on one and was even slightly winning.


    Giantree City''s army was nearly double the size of the draconians fighting against them.


    The draconian army on the Demon King''s side only numbers around 500 or so, but thanks to the draconian priest''s support as well as the draconian general''s leadership skills, their fighting power more than doubled, making them easily capable of matching the army from Giantree City.


    Besides which, Flower Fey Demon King Chen Guoguo wasn''t just there as decoration either. She has very powerful recovery and support skills, and she also continuously directed her venomous flower fey to act as rained support.


    The Demon King''s side obviously had the advantage and was pushing the Giantree City army back.


    However, from the looks of it, while the Demon King''s side did have arge advantage, they wouldn''t have an easy time actually reaching a decisive victory either.


    The elven army is a well trained professional army. They''re not like the mob that an alliance of tribal warriors would be, who would end up copsing the moment things turn against them.


    At this moment, under Du Mingfeng''smands, the elves escaped the bounds of the draconian priest''s field effects and switched from offense to defense. They used their magic and archery to fight while maneuvering in an organized fighting retreat.


    Zhang Nu evaluated them "Your Giantree City''s elven army really is quitepetent. I wonder how long they''d be able to withstand my Dragon me though."


    Nancilia was rather panicked, "Don''t kill them, Demon King! I''ll agree to any condition!"


    Zhang Nu spoke, "Oh? Is that so?"

 Chapter 68

    Du Mingfeng''s bad feeling was getting stronger and stronger.


    With the draconian priest, draconian general, and the draconian army there, they made the originally easy to annihte Flower Fey Demon King into an exceptionally hard target.


    The worst part of it is, be it the draconian general before him or the draconian priest at the back, it''s possible that neither of them were the Demon King at all and were instead just the Demon King''s subordinates.


    If that really is the case, then the situation looks bad.


    No matter how much Du Mingfeng didn''t want to believe that worst case guess, the chances of said guess turning true is also very high, which would render this current battle meaningless.


    They have little choice but to retreat then.


    Du Mingfeng seized an opportunity.


    Just as he was about to announce a retreat, however, an enormous pressure swept across the area from the sky. It instantly made all the elves there freeze in shock and even Du Mingfeng himself was affected by the Dragon Fear.


    "My lord!"


    The draconian priest and draconian general immediately bowed.


    Flower Fey Chen Guoguo''s eyes widened, "What? Boss personally came?"


    She hurriedly raised her head to search for him.


    At that moment, a powerful and majestic looking figure appeared right over the battlefield.


    Because it was too far away and had the sun behind it, there was no way to clearly see his face. However, everyone clearly felt the powerful pressure on them and Chen Guoguo turned excited.


    This is real!


    Really, as expected of the boss!


    This aura is iparable!


    Chen Guoguo''s eyes practically had stars in them.


    Her excitement is like that of a fan seeing their idol!


    Du MIngfeng''s face turned cold though.


    What a terrifying presence!


    What a powerful aura!


    Looking at the draconians'' behavior, there''s no room for any doubt.


    "Hmph. So you''re the Demon King of Darkness Valley?!"


    The Demon King''s powerful voice came, "Correct. If you surrender now, you deluded fools, you may still have the chance to live!"


    "Surrender?"


    "Don''t you think that''sughable?"


    Du Mingfeng''s thoughts raced.


    The Demon King himself finally appeared!


    This kind of chance is extremely rare, so why not take this chance and throw everything at him?


    Even if it ends up costing the lives of the entire elven army here!


    So long as it kills this terribly difficult and unknown Demon King, then that price ispletely worth it. After all, right now, the Demon King is the only being capable of threatening him in this area!


    Even if the loss of this elven army makes him lose the chance to be the deputy city lord, or even his status as a guardian elf!


    That''s still worth it!


    Du Mingfeng is confident in his strength and ability.


    He has countless methods to rise up again. Giantree City will be his sooner orter!


    "Everyone, listen!"


    "This is the moment where your loyalty is tested!"


    "Giantree City will have no peace so long as this Demon King exists!"


    "For the city lord, for our people, for our home, we have to y this threat, even if it costs us all our lives!''


    Under Du Mingfeng''s speech, the elves resolved themselves for death.


    These elves are pretty strong to begin with, and they''re also utterly loyal to Giantree City. Du Mingfeng has faith that so long as they concentrate fire, there''s no way the Demon King can get away unscathed no matter how strong he is.


    Even if that still isn''t enough in the end, he still has hisst resort.


    Either way, he has to kill that Demon King on this day.


    Zhang Nuughed, however, "Most courageous. However, before you attack, how about you take a look and see who this is!"


    Zhang Nu grabbed a person.


    Or, more urately, he grabbed an elf.


    "Ah!"


    "Herdyship!"


    "It''s herdyship, the city lord!"


    "Oh no, herdyship was captured!"


    The elves there immediately started falling into chaos. Du Mingfeng also showed a disbelieving expression. The Demon King is holding the city lord hostage? How is this possible!


    The young city lord never leaves Giantree City, so there''s no way this is possible unless the Demon King had directly assaulted Giantree City to capture her!


    However, that''s even more impossible!


    Giantree City is protected by a barrier.


    Beyond that, it also had enormous amounts of defenses and many powerhouses on standby. The young city lord is exceptionally powerful herself, so there''s no way anyone could deal with all that!


    With the hostage shown, the elves didn''t dare to do anything out of fear that harm mighte to the hostage.


    No one dared to attack anymore.


    It made the morale that had just risen up despite the difficulty immediately fall to the bottom.


    Du Mingfeng immediately shouted, "Don''t be fooled everyone! This is a trick from the Demon King! How could he possibly capture herdyship? Ignore it! Attack already!"


    When they heard that, the elves hesitated in uncertainty.


    At this point, Zhang Nu spoke to Nancilia, "You should know what to do now, right?"


    Nancilia grinded her teeth.


    After a brief bit of mental turmoil, she spoke, "Stop! You''re no match for him. Don''t increase the number of meaningless casualties. I permit you all to lower your weapons and surrender!"


    With that, it''s basically confirmed that it''s no illusion or puppet.


    This is the real, ept no substitute, city lord of Giantree City.


    Although Nancilia felt extremely unwilling and humiliated, she had no other choice than to do what she just did. Otherwise, none of her people here would be able to keep their lives.


    She had personally experienced the Demon King''s might after all.


    Although Nancilia seriously considered her loss an unfair one, she did have to admit that this Demon King''s physical and magical defenses are unbelievably high!


    Despite the concentrated attacks of Giantree City, he was still able to leavepletely unharmed.


    Nancilia did not think that a mere 700-800 elves would be able to threaten him.


    Besides which, the draconian and flower fey armies were still just waiting for an opportunity not so far away. They were currently closing in and were getting ready to perform an encirclement.


    They had no chance of winning!


    In order to protect them, this is the only choice she could make!


    If they don''t surrender now, then they really won''t have the chance anymore.


    Nancilia spoke out in amanding tone, "Lay down your weapons!"


    The elves are extremely loyal to theirdy and the city lord has said this much. Thus, after a brief moment exchanging nces with each other, they decided to throw away their weapons in the end.


    "Stop that!"


    "What are you doing?"


    "How can you yield to the Demon King!"


    Du Mingfeng lost control over his emotions and turned furious.


    The elven warriors just looked at each other. All of them wanted to stare at Du MIngfeng like he''s an idiot.


    Are you a freaking idiot!


    Don''t you see that herdyship is being held hostage?


    All elves know that the young city lord has the bloodline of the elf king. Her existence, in some ways, is even more important than Giantree City itself.


    Du Mingfeng is a Hero first and foremost though, and he had emphasized the threat of the Demon King over and over.


    However, before this, the Demon King had never taken any actions against Giantree City. The current result is all because of the Heroes provoking the war with the Demon King.


    "Useless trash!"


    "I knew that I couldn''t depend on you!"


    Du MIngfeng''s gaze turned dark.


    Although he didn''t want to use this trump card, he had no other choice now with how things currently are.


    His expression suddenly turned vicious and cruel, "In that case then, all of you can go and die!"


    Zhang Nu suddenly detected a bit of abnormal magical disturbance.


    He couldn''t take things lightly.


    Du Mingfeng is no ordinary Hero. He has killed at least a dozen Demon Kings after all.


    The Ironblooded Heroes Guild have killed at least several dozen Demon Kings.


    Thus, with so many Demon Kings, they must have gained countless treasures from it. Thus, Du Mingfeng likely has an extreme level of versatility in terms of Talent Skills and special items.


    As the leader of a Heroes guild, he definitely has a lot of trump cards hidden away!


    Zhang Nu raised a hand to st out a bolt of lightning, but the instant it was about to strike Du Mingfeng, a magic scroll activated, warping the space around him.


    In that instant, Du MIngfeng vanished.


    Zhang Nu frowned, "Teleportation scroll?"


    A Hero on that level had lots of options, as expected!


    With this kind of instantaneous spatial teleportation scroll, not even he, as strong as he is, could prevent an escape unless he somehow got his hands on a way to seal and lock down dimensional space.


    Just then, Nancilia let out a gasp.


    "Oh no! Run away, quick!"


    A dark green stone was left where Du Mingfeng used to be before his teleportation.


    That dark green stone had arge number of cracks on the surface, and a great deal of ominous looking green mes erupted out, instantly lighting up over a dozen elves around it.


    Awful screams rang out, the mes spread and grew like mad, and elves fell.


    The green mes acted intelligently like it was alive, and it purposefully spread out in multiple directions to reach out and spread itself to new targets.


    In the blink of an eye, it had spread from a dozen or so elves to several tens of elves.


    They were all covered in mes that couldn''t be put out no matter what they did.


    Those mes quickly spread like an infectious gue.


    Nancilia''s face was chalk white, "It''s over. That''s hellfire which burns its target''s MP as fuel!"


    "This kind of magical fire cannot be put out by normal means. It will break apart and spread out uncontrobly for some time and consume all nearby targets with MP!"


    Given the speed that it''s showing, the entire elven army would be burning within a minute at most and be burned alive by those mes that stuck to them like glue.


    Plus, until the mes go out on their own, they will continue to spread like dandelion seeds, allowing them to cover everything in an area over a dozen kilometers around.


    In just a few minutes, all targets that can be burned within that area will be lit on fire and burned to death.


    It''s a kind of indiscriminate and very vicious attack method without any regard to friend or foe.


    Du Mingfeng had used the entire elven army as fuel for the mes to increase its spread. When the hellfire growsrge enough, it would be able to consume the Myriad Flower Valley''s army and even the Demon King and young city lord as well.


    Kill them all in one go and leave no one alive to speak of it.


    That was the best result for Du MIngfeng.


    If that happened, then the use of the extremely valuable magic stone would have been more than worth it.


    Nancilia was anxious beyond words. She could never have imagined that the guardian elf Du Mingfeng would have used such a vicious tactic.


    Not only did he sacrifice the entire elven army, he even attempted to kill her as well!


    Zhang Nu considered the pros and cons of intervening, but in the end, he did still raise a hand and released a mass of ck fog at the spreading green mes.


    "Abyssal Devouring!"


    Zhang Nu absorbed the hellfire on the elves, disappearing those magical mes and sessfully saving the lives of those elves.


    Nancilia was stunned.


    The Demon King gave up on chasing down his target and decided to save those elves instead.


    Why did the Demon King, described as unimaginably evil, save them?


    Yet the guardian elf of Giantree city, after gaining the status of a chosen Hero, turned so vicious and unscrupulous?


    Are Demon Kings really unforgivably evil?


    Do Heroes really represent justice?


    Nancilia felt confused. Maybe the situation isn''t actually like what she had thought. When ites down to it, she had never really understood the beings known as Demon Kings or Heroes!

 Chapter 69

    "Boss!"


    Chen Guoguo pped her wings as she flew up to him.


    The Flower Fey Demon King has a very petite body. She has a green dress on and wears a crown on her head. Along with her pair of butterfly wings, she''s really cute looking.


    Chen Guoguo was very excited at this first offline meeting.


    The boss looked even more amazing and cool than she had thought. It made her feel quite safe!


    Zhang Nu asked, "How''s the situation on your side?"


    Chen Guoguo replied, "Thanks to your help, boss, there wasn''t much damage."


    Zhang Nu spoke, "Your territory is simply too weak. I suggest that you just focuspletely on production and leave all defenses to my side."


    Any other Demon King would likely have a very hard time agreeing to a demand like that.


    To abandon allbat units and just devote everything to production is extremely risky.


    As for trusting another Demon King to provide all defenses for their territory, isn''t that basically equivalent to handing their own life to the other person?


    "Yes!"


    Chen Guoguo agreed without hesitation though.


    She trusts Zhang Nu very much. Besides which, it was basically impossible for her to hold off powerful factions like the Ironblooded Heroes Guild or Giantree City no matter what she does anyway.


    In that case then, why not justpletely abandonbat and devote everything to production and construction?


    In this way, not only will she be able to lend Darkness Valley with strong logistical support, it would also allow her to focus on investments and to save up wealth, allowing her to reach higher limits in the future.


    "My lord!"


    "What should we do with these prisoners?"


    The draconian general Wang Ar had already finished bounding up the entire elven army, so they were alreadypletely under the control of the draconian army.


    "Take them back with us and put them in the prison!"


    There was a reason to not kill those elves.


    The elven race is skilled in nting, potion making, and alchemy.


    If he could get these elves to work for him, then it would definitely be a good thing for his territory''s development. However, Zhang Nu cannot use these elves just yet.


    These elves had surrendered under Nancilia''s order.


    They were not willingly submitting to Darkness Valley of their own ords, so their average loyalty is only about 10-20 points or so. Not only do theyck any sense of loyalty to him, it could even be said that they still consider him their enemies.


    Thus, there''s no real other choice than to imprison them for the time being.


    Li Si dropped a Teleportation Field to allow the troops from Darkness Valley to take the prisoners back.


    Zhang Nu did not send the entire army back. He had left a small division of about a hundred soldiers here to keep guarding the Myriad Flower Valley and keep Flower Fey Demon King Chen Guoguo safe.


    When he returned to Darkness Valley, the battle here had ended as well.


    Zhang Nu found Zhang San to ask for a report.


    At least 80% of the Heroes and demon subjugation army led by Zheng Xiao had fallen within Darkness Canyon, but at thest moment, Zheng Xiao had managed to escape with a small squad.


    Zhang San''s first priority was to protect the territory, so he did not pursue too far and this leader of the Heroes had escaped. This made him feel rather depressed.


    Zhang Nu personally didn''t mind this result all that much though.


    His gains were already more than enough, after all.


    One more or less really didn''t matter at all.


    He immediately started tallying up the totals, and his proceeds are as follows:


    Level 1 Hero Souls: 189!


    Level 2 Hero Souls: 12!


    Skill Stones: 9!


    Gold: Over 120k.


    Zhang Nu was rather dazed by the time he had finished totaling everything up. For him to have gained so much Souls and a good majority of it came from Giantree City.


    In other words, during the process where Zhang Nu ttened the Heroes Guild and the Ironblooded Heroes Guild headquarters, he had wiped out well over a hundred Heroes who were gathered within.


    That''s insane!


    The Heroes were practically mowed down like grass!


    This would definitely be something unimaginable for any other Demon King!


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 1 Hero Soul. 3 Talent Points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 1 Hero Soul. 2 Talent Points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 1 Hero Soul. 3 Talent Points gained!]


    [...]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 2 Hero Soul. 21 Talent Points gained!]


    Everything was sacrificed in a single go.


    He gained 731 Talent Points!


    This is a nigh unimaginable number!


    Since he had 74 Talent Points left over from before this, he now has 805 Talent Points in total!


    Zhang Nu used 100 Talent Points to activate the final level 2 Talent.


    [You''ve activated the level 2 Talent "Hell Thunderme!"!]


    [All level 2 Talents activated. Level up conditions satisfied!]


    Zhang Nu could feel it.


    After activating all the Talents, every cell in his body was giving off a reaction akin to nuclear fusion, constantly giving off an enormous amount of energy!


    [Level up sessful!]


    [MP +800, HP +400, Strength +50, Agility +100, Constitution +50, Will +100. Your Dragon me, Dragon Fear, Thunderme, Devouring, Adamantine Dragon Body effect +100%...]


    The level up waspleted.


    All stats increased greatly.


    Nearly all active Talent Skills have multiplied in effect.


    Zhang Nu has fully be a level 3 Demon King. His powers now can''t even bepared to what it was back when he was level 2.


    He hurriedly checked his current status.


    Name: Zhang Nu.


    Level : 3.


    Race: Abyssal Dragon (Demon King Race).


    Base Stats: 800 HP, 1600 MP, 90 Strength, 180 Agility, 90 Constitution, 180 Will.


    Level 1 Talents: Abyssal Draconian, Dragon me, Dragon Fear, Lightning Control, Beginner Anti-Magic.


    Level 2 Talents: Adamantine Dragon Body, Abyssal Devouring, Hell Thunderme, Medium Anti-Magic.


    Level 3 Talents: Dragon King''s Sanctum, Evil Dragon''s Descent, High Anti-Magic.


    Other skills: Healing (D Rank), Blood Sacrifice (D Rank), Blessing of the Gust (D Rank), Earth Spike (E Rank), War Trample (E Rank).


    Talent Points: 705.


    In summary, Zhang Nu''s power has suddenly grown by leaps and bounds.


    He noticed that there''s only 3 Level 3 Talents though.


    Every single one of them costs 1000 Talent Points to activate though!


    Zhang Nu couldn''t help but flinch at that number. 1000 Talent Points. That number is way too much. Just how many Heroes would he need to kill to umte that much? He had originally thought that he had a lot of Talent Points now, but he didn''t expect that he didn''t have enough to even activate a single level 3 Talent.


    Of course, thinking about it more carefully, there''s actually nothing wrong with that kind of number.


    A level 3 would be considered fairly strong even ced against the wider continent.


    As for a level 4? That would be a powerhouse capable of holding a major region all on their lonesome!


    If it really was possible to break through to level 4 that easily, then wouldn''t a level 4 Demon King be just too cheap andmon? The gate fee of 1000 Talent Points might seem extremely high, but in actuality, it wouldn''t take all that long to umte if one were to hunt and kill Heroes en masse.


    In summary, the growth speed of Demon Kings is amazingly fast.


    This is also one of the main reasons why Demon Kings are so widely feared.


    Although he wasn''t able to directly activate a level 3 Talent, Zhang Nu did just activate a new level 2 Talent, "Hell Thunderme".


    He checked out the effect of the skill.


    Hell Thunderme is basically justbining the Abyssal Dragon me and Abyssal Lightning and using them together. Afterbining those two different powers, the effect and element generated haspletely changed!


    The Thunderme has long range, is extremely fast, and it also has the high burning temperature and continuous damage effect of fire. It''s definitely a very powerful skill.


    Of course, the MP cost of using it is simrly terrifying.


    This technique is good for taking down enemies in a single surprise attack or to deal with powerful enemies who resist both lightning and fire damage.


    Actually, for a Demon King, the best part that came from this level up isn''t actually the increase in personal power.


    It''s because no Demon King could conquer the world on their own. Thus,pared to the boost in personal might, territory development and the military setup might be more important.

 Chapter 70

    After Zhang Nu had be a level 3 Demon King, he had unlocked new units.


    [Draconian Craftsman]. Level 3 Normal. Leveled up from high draconianborers. They have extremely high crafting skills. Costs 500 gold per level up.


    [Super Draconian Soldier]. Level 3 Elite. Leveled up from high draconian soldiers. They have extremely strongbat ability. Costs 5000 gold per level up.


    [Mystic Draconian Battlemage]. Level 3 Elite. Leveled up from draconian battlemages. Costs 8000 gold per level up.


    [Draconian Marshal]. Level 3 Lord. Amander of armies leveled up from a draconian general. They have even strongerbat abilities as well as leadership skills. Every 500 high soldiers or 50 super soldiers unlocks one additional marshal count. Costs 50,000 gold per level up.


    [Draconian High Priest]. Level 3 Lord. A high priest leveled up from a draconian priest. They have even stronger magical abilities. Every 20,000 draconian poption unlocks one additional high priest count. Costs 100,000 gold per level up.


    When Zhang Nu leveled up to level 3, he didn''t unlock anypletely new units.


    The 5 new draconian units that he gained are all higher leveled versions of units that he already has. Every single level up is practically aplete metamorphosis, increasing the unit''s strength by a great deal.


    Zhang Nu was quite satisfied with this.


    With these leveled up units, Darkness Valley''s strength will rise by a whole new level.


    The gains this time, besides the gold and souls, also included 9 skill stones.


    Zhang Nu took a look at those skill stones. They were all D and E Ranked skills. He picked out two of them to use on himself.


    Those two skills are as follows:


    [Invisibility]. D Rank skill. After activating this skill, the user enters an invisible state and continues to spend MP to maintain it. The invisibility will be interrupted the moment the user attacks or is attacked.


    [Eye of Detection]. D Rank skill. The user can summon an immobile magical eye that observes all targets within a certain area of effect. It has the effect of piercing traps and invisible units.


    Most of those skill stones are actually pretty good, but for the level 3 Zhang Nu, normal attack or defensive skills have little meaning anymore.


    He chose the two skills mainly because they are support types. Invisibility is fairly useful in certain specific situations.


    As for the Eye of Detection?


    Zhang Nu didn''t need any informational type detection skills.


    This skill is for remote viewing, like looking through a remote camera. It allows the user to see and observe through the magical eye even without being there. Thus, it''s fairly usable for him.


    As for the seven remaining skill stones, there''s quite a market for those, so they can be sold for money when needed.


    Zhang Nu is notcking in that kind of money though, so he has no need to sell them. Thus, he decided to keep them to use as rewards for his subordinates or his spy, Su Yan.


    This time, the gold gains have reached an enormous 120,000+.


    His full treasury reaches over 160k gold in total.


    Thus, Zhang Nu decided to expand his draconian armies.


    He first spent nearly 10k gold to replenish his losses.


    Then, he spent 50k gold at once to summon 500 soldiers.


    Picking out 50 normal soldiers to level up to high soldiers cost another 50k gold.


    With this, his draconian army now total 1300 normal soldiers, 130 high draconian soldiers, and 30 draconian battlemages.


    Zhang Nu still had 50k gold left, and he was quite curious and looking forward to the level 3 units.


    Thus he immediately leveled up 5 high soldiers and 1 battlemage.


    The high soldiers were leveled up into super soldiers and those super soldiers changed a great deal in appearancepared to the normal or high soldiers.


    The most eye-catching part is that they grew a pair of wings.


    Super soldier had the ability to fly!


    This was quite a happy surprise for Zhang Nu. Flight capabilities are not to be underestimated. Those have a great deal of use on the battlefield!


    Zhang Nu immediately checked the stats of the super soldiers.


    [Super Draconian Soldiers]. Level 3 Elite unit. 350 HP, 150 MP, 25 Strength, 22 Constitution, 28 Agility, 19 Will. Loyalty 100% (Locked). Tiredness 10%. Hunger 10%.


    Skills: Raging Dragon Qi (C rank), Draconic Blood Awakening (D rank), Earth Drake''s Scales (D rank), Qi Impact (D rank), Magic Resistance (D rank), High Speed Healing (D rank), Aerial Scouting (E rank)...


    Generally speaking, the super soldier''s skills are quite simr to that of the high soldier. It''s just that the skill ranks have basically all increased. For example, the high soldier''s Raging Dragon Qi is D ranked, but the super soldier''s Raging Dragon Qi has turned to C rank.


    Other than that, the super soldier also has more skills than the high soldier. The main one being some aerialbat and scouting skills.


    Comparing the stats, the super soldier is quite a bit stronger than the high soldier. Nearly all their stats have nearly doubled, which would definitely make a major difference in terms ofbat ability.


    At a rough estimate, a team of five super soldiers together could hold off even a draconian general for a good long while. That showed just how powerful theirbat capabilities are.


    One gets what they pay for, and the costs of the super soldier are definitely worth the cost.


    Zhang Nu also checked over the mystic battlemage.


    This is the level 3 unit leveled up from the level 2 draconian battlemage unit.


    On the surface, they looked quite simr to the draconian battlemages, but if one were to take a more careful look, there are actually some major differences.


    Every single scale on the mystic draconian battlemages are engraved with mystical runes. A powerful magical aura emanates from their bodies, giving them an aura of danger and pressure.


    [Mystic Draconian Battlemage]. Level 3 Elite unit. 200 HP, 300 MP, 19 Strength, 20 Constitution, 22 Agility, 30 Will. Loyalty 100% (Locked). Tiredness 10%. Hunger 10%.


    Skills: Wyvern Transformation (C rank), Armored Battle Drake Transformation (C rank), Amphibian Drake Transformation (C rank), zing Hammer (D rank), Freezing Hammer (D rank), Whirlwind Hammer (D rank), Combined Chanting (D rank), Shield of the Mind (E rank), Chain Fireball (E rank), Earth Spike (E rank)...


    So that''s how it is.


    Compared to normal battlemages, the mystic draconian battlemages have druid-like transformation magic. They can transform into three different types of draconic beasts suitable fornd, sea, or air.


    Draconic beasts aren''t true dragons, they''re just magical beasts that have some amount of draconic bloodline.


    Battlemages are a bit stronger than high soldiers to start with, so mystic draconian battlemages are also a bit stronger than super soldiers.


    Topare the two, the mystic draconian battlemage can perfectly fight in midair, on the ground, or underwater. The only downside to it is that they''re too expensive.


    A draconian battlemage costs 2,000 gold.


    Leveling a battlemage into a mystic draconian battlemage costs another 5,000 gold.


    This level 3 Elite unit costs 7,000 gold in total to summon. It wouldn''t be a small number for any Demon King at this period of time.


    That said, all in all, be it the super soldier or the mystic draconian battlemage, both of them are quite satisfactory in terms of strength.


    It can be said that this single mystic draconian battlemage is fully capable of single handedly defeating the vast majority of Demon Kings at this current stage. Yet, it''s merely a normal unit for Zhang Nu.


    With this kind of power, something like the Ironblooded Heroes Guild ispletely not worth any concern!


    Zhang Nu likely didn''t even need to worry about Giantree City anymore.


    With Nancilia as his hostage, there''s no way that Giantree City would dare to do anything overt anymore. They''d have no choice but to obediently sit down for talks and ept all of Zhang Nu''s demands.

 Chapter 71

    "My lord, Su Yan has returned." The draconian priest came forth to report.


    Zhang Nu nodded, "Let her in."


    This Hero girl might be quite weak, but her usefulness is by no means small.


    Without Su Yan constantly passing information along, there was no way that Zhang Nu could have known the enemy''s ns and prepared counters ahead of time.


    This particr pawn is quite useful and she''ll have more chances to show her value in the future.


    Given that, Zhang Nu wouldn''t want her to end up dead.


    The past few campaigns from the Heroes made it quite obvious that there was information leakage, so there was no way that the Ironblooded Heroes wouldn''t have started suspecting the presence of a spy.


    Su Yan, who had just joined the Ironblooded Heroes just recently, was very likely to be a suspect.


    Therefore, Su Yan had been given the orders to withdraw before the attack on Giantree City.


    Zhang Nu had burned the Ironblooded Heroes'' headquarters to ash, and in the process, killed at least dozens of Ironblooded Heroes.


    Su Yan had used this attack to set up a scenario faking her death and she thus easily escaped.


    Although Su Yan did have the ability to disguise herself, so she could have switched to another identity to continue working, in the end, it was decided to call her back, just to be safe.


    Zhang Nu had captured the city''s lord, thus gaining the absolute initiative, so there wasn''t much that Su Yan could have contributed even if she had continued to stay.


    "Boss! I''m back!"


    Su Yan entered the castle and greeted the Demon King.


    Zhang Nu asked, "What''s the current situation in Giantree City?"


    Su Yan hurriedly replied, "Ever since you showed your might, the pervasive mood in Giantree city is one of nervousness and fear. The elves are practically insane with worry."


    "Right!"


    "When I was leaving, Du Mingfeng and Zheng Xiao had just escaped back in disgrace."


    "When they saw that the Heroes Guild and the headquarters of the Ironblooded Heroes were destroyed, they practically exploded on the spot with rage!"


    "Boss, your moves were just too perfect here!"


    "The Hero factions near Giantree City have been greatly reduced and the Ironblooded Heroes Guild took even heavier losses. Their headquarters was lost with practically all hands!"


    Su Yan was quite awed.


    She had known that Zhang Nu was very strong for a long time now, but she never imagined that he was this strong.


    Him single handedly striking into Giantree City, heavily damaging the Heroes'' bases, and even kidnapped the city lord was practically a conga line of humiliation.


    Be it the elves of Giantree City or the Ironblooded Heroes, all of them were pretty much utterly humiliated!


    Su Yan once again cheered the fact that she had followed the right boss.


    If she had joined up with a Hero boss like Du Mingfeng, then she likely would have ended up just like the Heroes in the Ironblooded Heroes'' headquarters.


    "Your contributions this time were considerable!"


    "Go ahead and take these skill stones!"


    Zhang Nu brought out four skill stones at once as he spoke.


    Su Yan was overjoyed, "Wow, four of them and they''re all fairly high leveled too! You''re so generous, boss!"


    "Such minor rewards matter little."


    Zhang Nu spoke with an annoyed tone, "You''re too weak. You can''t even match up to one of my better soldiers. You need to get stronger as quickly as possible. Otherwise, how are you supposed to work for me properly!"


    Su Yan hurriedly replied, "Yes! I''ll definitely do my best! Please don''t worry, boss!"


    Zhang Nu considered the issue.


    Su Yan had no outstanding tasks right now, so Zhang Nu decided to grant her a small squad and have her bring them to help her hunt monsters nearby.


    A Hero doesn''t necessarily have to kill Demon Kings to get stronger. They can gain Training Points by doing various training or killing monsters too.


    Of course, hunting monsters for Training Points is much slowerpared to the gains from killing Demon Kings.


    Su Yan can''t beat powerful monsters on her own, but it''s different if she had a squad of draconians helping her. Her gains could easily multiply tenfold that way, so it''s a very effective way to increase her strength steadily.


    The next day, Zhang Nu got news of Giantree City''s request for talks.


    That was within expectations.


    Their own lord was kidnapped by the Demon King, so Giantree City didn''t dare to act recklessly or attack. Thus, their only choice is to attempt to save their city lord via diplomacy.


    As for actually releasing her?


    That''spletely impossible.


    That said, this is also the chance to squeeze as much out of Giantree City as they can though.


    ...


    That day, in the forest, the First Elder and his group were waiting impatiently.


    Then, a sky drake descended from the sky andnded before them, then turned into a draconian wearing a robe and holding a staff.


    The First Elder frowned, "You''re not the Demon King! We demand to speak with the Demon King!"


    Li Si just calmly replied, "For a being as great as our lord to reply to your request is already bestowing you with a great honor. Do you really think that he''s someone that mere ants like you can simply demand to see whenever?"


    "You..."


    An elven elder was enraged.


    Li Si just sneered coldly, "What? Do you not want to talk anymore?"


    The First Elder hurriedly stopped hispanion.


    Right now, the initiative is on the other side.


    However, since the Demon King was willing to send someone to talk, it means that he''s notpletely unreasonable. So long asmunication is possible, there''s still room to recover.


    The First Elder spoke, "We need to confirm our city lord''s safety!"


    Li Si tapped the air with his staff and a watery veil appeared before them. A somewhat clear image appeared within that veil.


    At that moment, the elven city lord had manacles on her arms and legs, currently locked within the dark and cold prison.


    When the elders saw that, they had a hard time keeping control over the anger in their hearts. The city lord''s a descendant of the great and noble elf king. How could they have treated her so brutishly?


    This is an insult to the elven race!


    The First Elder''s own expression was dark. He clenched his fists and forcefully pushed down his rage as he coldly spoke, "Speak. Just what do you want in order to return our city lord!"


    Li Si spoke with utter calm, "My lord has little interest beyond Giantree City''s loyalty and submission!"


    The elves practically exploded upon hearing that.


    "That''s impossible!"


    "To want the entirety of Giantree City?"


    "That''spletely impossible! Don''t even think about it!"


    The First Elder had a hard time holding back the killing intent in his eyes at that moment as well, "Hmph, your master''s got quite the appetite. There''s no way we can possibly agree to that!"


    Li Si just calmly replied, "Is that so?"


    The First Elder spoke, "So long as the City remains, there will be plenty more city lords toe. But if even Giantree City is gone, then what''s the point of getting back a city lord? Don''t you think that kind of demand isughable!"


    Li Si startedughing, "There''s no need for you to pretend ignorance now. My lord has long since seen through it all. That elf''s importance to you isn''t so simple as simply being the city lord, right!"


    At those words, everyone there, including the First Elder, visibly reacted.


    The First Elder hurriedly schooled his expression, "I have no idea what you''re talking about!"


    Li Si spoke bluntly, "That elf had awoken the elven king bloodline. She is the only elf king descendant in the entire Chaos Forest, as well as being the only hope for your elven race''s revitalization. Am I right?"


    With that, the First Elder turnedpletely pale.


    His body shook, nearly unable to hold himself upright.


    This secret is something only known by the innermost circle of the elves. All the elves who knew of it had signed a contract to keep the secret, so there shouldn''t have been any possible way for that secret to have leaked!


    But, why then does the Demon King know of this?


    "Given such an important figure to the revival of the entire race, yet my lord is only demanding a single mere Giantree City. Is that really that high a demand?"


    Li Si paused before continuing.


    "I rather think my lord is being far too merciful here!"


    It''s over!


    It''s allpletely over!


    The elders'' hearts fell.


    This talk will definitely be extremely difficult.


    The other side knows their greatest trump card, their biggest secret!


    Now, they''re making an outrageous demand, directly asking for the entire Giantree City... How the heck are they supposed to negotiate now?

 Chapter 72

    T/N: identally mistook the day yesterday and forgot to post the newest chapter, so here it is now.


    The First Elder had a terrible expression on his face.


    "No matter what!"


    "Giving up Giantree City ispletely impossible!"


    "Having us kneel to a Demon King is also utterly impossible!"


    How could they hand Giantree City over to a Demon King? Ever since the elves left Giantree Forest, they''ve been living in this City for the past 300 years!


    How are the elves supposed to live without Giantree City?


    And as for having the elves of Giantree City pledge their loyalty to the Demon KIng?


    Elves are a prideful race. Other than the natural born Elf King, there''s no way they could possibly swear loyalty to anyone else, never mind a Demon King from who knows where!


    The draconian priest sneered, "Very well then. Since we cannot reach an agreement, there''s no point in talking anymore."


    With that, he transformed into a sky drake and moved to leave.


    The elven elders here never imagined that the messenger of the Demon King would act so upromisingly, willing to cease all talks at the slightest disagreement.


    "Wait!"


    "Just a moment!"


    The First Elder called the draconian priest to stop.


    Li Si leaned his head down, "What more do you want to say?"


    The First Elder knew that he was in a tough spot. Theycked preparation this time, so they were unable to get the talks to continue. Thus, they had to carefully research and prepare more and try againter.


    "Royalty must not be shamed!"


    "A future queen should not be locked up in a dungeon like that."


    "We request that the Demon King release ourdy, the city lord, from the prison cell!"


    The draconian priest burst out in augh, "She''s just a mere prisoner, what dignity of a queen is there to speak of? What say do you have in how our lord wishes to deal with or even y with her?"


    The elven elders looked like they were about to spit fire from their eyes at that!


    The First Elder spoke, "This is something that we cannot ept no matter what. If the Demon King were to continue this treatment, then Giantree City would have no choice but to go to war for the sake of the dignity of the elven race!"


    From the looks of those elves'' expressions, they may actually be serious about this.


    They''d throw away their lives for something as minor as this?


    Elves really are a race with a high degree of pride.


    If the elven king were to be slighted, or worse, humiliated, then for the elves, it''s unquestionably a major incident.


    The draconian priest spoke, "Very well then, if you want us to improve our treatment of our prisoner, then that''s not impossible. However, you need to first show a proper sign of your sincerity. For example, paying a fee for the improvement in treatment."


    "How much do you want?"


    "5 million gold!"


    In this world, gold is a universal currency. No matter where you go, no matter which country you''re in, gold would always be epted as a valid currency.


    yers can convert any raw gold they get into the Game Gold.


    Back when Zhang Nu took the vige ruins in the Darkness Valley, he had gained some gold from the treasure chest left behind by the vige chief, which he had converted into usable Game Gold.


    Of course, the gold on the continent isn''t necessarily one to one equivalent with the game currency.


    The 5 million gold that the draconian demanded, converted to the Game Gold, would only be worth around 500k or so. Even then, that''s still an enormous amount of money.


    The elves looked at one another.


    This minion of the Demon King really is far too much a bully.


    Although Giantree City is extremely wealthy, 5 million gold is still not a small number. Even with the full power of Giantree City, it would still be quite difficult.


    If the 5 million gold was the ransom cost, then the elves wouldn''t have anything to say.


    However, the problem is that this price is only to improve Nancilia''s living conditions. This is clear and outright extortion!


    The First Elder spoke, "We don''t have that much gold. At most, we can give you 1 million gold!"


    The draconian priest just taunted, "You just said that royalty must not be shamed. Yet, for the dignity of the elf queen to be worth only 1 million gold. That really is far too cheap no matter how you look at it."


    The First Elder was so mad that he was nearly coughing up blood.


    Just what does the Demon King even need all that gold for?


    Oh right, he''s a dragon. Dragons are naturally predisposed toward collecting gold and gems.


    The elves solemnly discussed the matter among themselves.


    One of the elders spoke, "We don''t actually have that much gold, but we can substitute part of the cost with elven jewelry. The total value would definitely not be any less!"


    The draconian priest refused, "No! My lord only wants gold!"


    Several of the elven elders started having thoughts of contempt.


    Hmpth, this dragon Demon King really doesn''t have any taste.


    For him to not understand the true worth of jewelry and arts and instead just like sleeping on top of gold like those money grubbing dragons of low character.


    That''s way too barbaric!


    In the end, the First Elder grinded his teeth while saying, "Fine, 5 million gold. We''ll give it to you, but right now, we only have 2 million to give right away. We''ll need a bit of time to assemble the remaining 3 million."


    Li Si considered it for a moment.


    Although Giantree City is prosperous, in the end, it''s not a real trade city.


    It would indeed be very difficult for them to pull 5 million out right away.


    "Very well then. You must pay in full within 10 days though. Otherwise, I won''t be able to guarantee whether or not your city lord will be able to continue enjoying any good amodations."


    This first discussion thus ended like so.


    The elves could be said to not have gotten the slightest advantage.


    Instead, they were even extorted a huge amount of money by the Demon King''s subordinate.


    Money isn''t even the biggest issue here!


    The Demon King had already realized the full importance of the city lord to the elven race!


    Given that, how could he possibly let her go? It''d be strange if he didn''tpletely drain Giantree City dry to the very marrow!


    The elven leadership were extremely angry, but what else could they do?


    They could only obediently pay the gold to cate the Demon King first and guarantee their city lord''s safety.


    When Du Mingfeng learned that the elven leadership was actually nning on giving gold to the Demon King, he was naturally beside himself with rage.


    To not attack the Demon and instead invest in him like mad?


    Do those elven leaders have shit in their rotten heads?


    Du Mingfeng immediately went up to the elf First Elder, "First Elder, your actions won''t help at all. Instead, it would just make the Demon King even more arrogant!"


    The First Elder shot him an unkindly look back, "You''ve already been fired. You have no right to raise any objections at me. Leave!"


    When ites to the major crisis that has befallen Giantree City this time, Du Mingfeng is unquestionably responsible for a great deal of it.


    The First Elder had already removed him from his position as a Guardian Elf.


    Currently, Du Mingfeng is merely a normal elf, so he naturallycked the right to judge the First Elder.


    Du Mingfeng forced down his anger and spoke, "First Elder, trying to talk to a Demon King or appeasing him is the most idiotic action!"


    The First Elder got mad too.


    What other choice did they have here?


    Speaking of, it''s all this guy''s fault. Why else would Gaintree City be in such a state? Why else would the city lord have been kidnapped!


    Du MIngfeng gave a suggestion, "Why don''t we instead hire a team of top quality Heroes from some other city, have them infiltrate Darkness Valley and secretly rescue the city lord!"


    The First Elder hesitated, "Secretly rescue her? Is that really doable?"


    Du MIngfeng spoke, "There are many powerhouses hidden among the Heroes. So long as Giantree City is willing to pay, there would definitely be those who would be willing to take the quest! I''m contacting some top ss powerhouses from afar as we speak!"


    "That is indeed a possibility."


    The First Elder muttered to himself, "That said, we absolutely cannot allow the Demon King to know that this team of Heroes has anything to do with Giantree City. Otherwise, we would only be in a worse position."


    Du Mingfeng volunteered, "Leave this to me! Whether it seeds or fails, I''ll make sure that it''s donepletely secretly and that it wouldn''t betray any connection to Giantree City no matter what!"


    "Very well!"


    "I''ll give you another chance!"


    The First Elder grit his teeth, "If you really do manage to find someone and rescue the city lord, then I''ll restore your previous position and even raise you to the position of deputy city lord!"


    "Don''t worry!"


    A cold light shed through Du Mingfeng''s eyes.


    He spoke adamantly, "I won''t allow any mistake this time!"

 Chapter 73

    Darkness Valley.


    Zhang Nu was working on some city nning.


    This city will be named Darkness City.


    As the Demon King''s capital city, it needs to be built big enough, advanced enough, and also needs enough room for expansion and further developments.


    City building is a major enterprise.


    Although Zhang Nu used over 2000 draconianborers, each of whom was able to do the work equivalent of ten human workers, their progress speed was still not quite satisfactory for him.


    To resolve this issue, he''ll need to either increase the number ofborers or increase their quality.


    The former can be done by summoning basicborers of minotaurs en masse, but thetter needs him to level up theborers to highborers or craftsmen.


    The problem, however, is that all of that costs money.


    Due to the issue of Chen Guoguo being affected by the aftermath of the battles, her seed production speed wasn''t quite keeping up.


    The goblin farms have been greatly expanded, but their production hasn''t increased by that much yet. Thankfully, everything''s managed to return to normal now and Chen Guoguo is now devoting her full effort into production and support, so this issue should be solved in just a few more days.


    Only, the profits from farming will still need to take about a week of time.


    There''s no way to instantly explosively increase the territory''s ie.


    Just as Zhang Nu was contemting how to get more money, Giantree City came just in the nick of time and delivered a huge amount of gold right to his doorsteps.


    "They delivered it this quickly?"


    "That''s just great!"


    The elves directly delivered 20 huge chests of gold to Darkness Valley.


    This is the 5 million gold that they gained via diplomacy (extortion).


    Giantree City obviously couldn''t bring out that much money at once, so they only delivered the agreed upon 2 million gold here. As for the rest, that will be delivered within the next 10 days.


    "Open it up!"


    Several draconians opened up the chests and piles of shiny continental gold coins appeared before their eyes.


    Other than the gold coinsmonly used as currency on the continent, there are also a great deal of unminted gold bars and gold bricks too. There''s a lot of them too, and the golden shine from them was enough to make one dizzy.


    "Those elves really are rich!"


    Zhang Nu reached out and grabbed a handful, letting a shower of gold coins rain down from between his fingers, creating a clear ringing of metallic ngs. It sounded so very soothing to his ears, cing him in a great mood.


    At the same time, the game''s notification rang out.


    [Notice: Detected convertible gold!]


    [Would you like to convert it into game gold? (Y/N)]


    It''s not like Zhang Nu really is a gold hoarding dragon. Although he does quite like the joy thates from having gold and treasures, it''s not to the point where he''d hoard it while sleeping on top of it all day.


    "Convert it all!"


    [Conversionplete!]


    [Gained "gold" x202550!]


    Over 200k gold!


    That felt way too good!


    By weight, this haul of gold would be worth about 2 million gold in continental coins.


    Zhang Nu could basically confirm now that the ratio between continental gold coins to game coins is 10:1.


    Does extortion for gold really work this fast?


    That''s just great!


    No wonder why evil Demon Kings in stories always like kidnapping so much.


    Even Zhang Nu is tempted to use this as a long term business model now.


    Just kidnap city lords and vige chiefs and force their subordinates to give up money for ransom. It''s foolproof and profitable, who wouldn''t love it?


    Of course, 2 million gold is no small number.


    Only a forest city with centuries of development like Giantree City could have been able to produce that much in over a single night.


    If it was the native tribes of the forest, then never mind 2 million gold, they might not even be able to pull out 20k gold or perhaps even 2k gold.


    Gold is a rtively valuable material and resource in this world, and not only is gold coins universally recognized everywhere on the continent, its buying power tends to be extremely stable as well.


    Well, every little bit counts.


    It''s not like kidnapping people for ransom is the only method.


    Zhang Nu had ns to expand his faction anyway, so why not gather up all the nearby native tribes and viges and make them pay taxes and protection money? Even grains of sand can make a big pile if there''s enough, so long as his territory is big enough, this would end up being no small number.


    Besides that, the forest is definitely rich with all kinds of various resources.


    Zhang Nu could easily use his cheat to find a few gold veins and invest in high qualitybor like minotaurs to start mining it. Wouldn''t that also be a good source of stable ie?


    As for right now, he has wealth to spare.


    Zhang Nu directly summoned up 1000borers before then leveling up 500 into highborers. Then he selected 100 of those to level up into level 3 draconian craftsmen.


    In total, he spent 80k gold!


    His total draconian unit count has thus finally broken through to 5260 units.


    He has 2500 draconianborers, 1200 highborers, 100 draconian craftsmen, 1300 normal soldiers, 125 high soldiers, 5 super soldiers, 29 draconian battlemages, and 1 mystic draconian battlemage.


    Of them, the production units doingbor, production, construction, and other work number at 3800. This is an extremely potent backline support force.


    It will be more than enough to guarantee the operation of his territory.


    [Draconian Craftsman]. Level 3 Normal unit. 50 HP, 50 MP, 10 Strength, 10 Constitution, 5 Agility, 5 Will. Harvesting lv5, Construction lv5, Crafting lv5...


    Those are the stats of the new draconian craftsman unit.


    As expected of a level 3 production unit. Its various production skills are all level 5. It has the capability to create high quality tools and equipment.


    Its production capability is basically at the professional level.


    This is far stronger than theborers.


    Zhang Nu wants his city to be built with advanced transportation setups and structural designs. In addition, he also wants to update his troops'' equipment.


    For that, the draconian craftsmen are vital.


    They will bring about a great change to his territory.


    Zhang Nu sent those craftsmen off to their assigned work.


    Then, he suddenly thought of something, "Since I did ept the money, I should properly do the work. Go and bring Lady Nancilia out of her cell!"


    After the young city lord had been taken to the Demon King nest, she was imprisoned in the Dark Prison along with all the other elves.


    Since Giantree City was willing to spend so much money to "parole" her, Zhang Nu wasn''t someone who goes back on his words either. Thus, he let her out of the prison right away.


    Of course, the sealing bracelet was still locked on her wrist.


    Although this item may not be able to seal her full strength, so long as she has it on, she wouldn''t even be able to beat a super soldier. Thus, there was no way that she could possibly escape from the Darkness Valley.


    Of course, Zhang Nu didn''t dare to act overconfident either.


    In order to make sure this meal ticket of his remained absolutely safe, he very generously offered Nancilia new amodations inside the Castle.


    She wasn''t allowed to leave without Zhang Nu''s permission. Even when she is allowed to leave the castle to get some air, she still needs to have five super soldiers guarding her at all times.


    Nancilia didn''t know why this change happened, but after she was released from the Prison, she finally had the chance to properly observe the Demon King''s territory.


    Nancilia was extremely curious about this Demon King''s territory. She was originally under the assumption that a Demon King''s territory must be full of vicious demons and under a dark and gloomy atmosphere.


    What she never expected was that Darkness Valley was far from some den of demons.


    Over ten thousand draconians, skeletons, minotaurs, and even goblins were all living alongside each other without conflict, building, mining, crafting, farming, and transporting goods.


    The entire territory was extremely prosperous and industrious.


    Figures enthusiastically at work were everywhere.


    Not only did Nancilia not feel any evil from this ce, she even noticed that this ce is very orderly, to the point where it''s far better than the vast majority of cities in the Forest. She was impressed despite herself when ites to this Demon King''s ability as a ruler.


    That night.


    Zhang Nu was having dinner in the Castle.


    Nancilia was also treated as an honored guest now.


    By now, she is even allowed to sit at the same dinner table as the great Demon King.


    Even so, she couldn''t muster up the slightest amount of appetite toward the table full of food.


    She puffed up her cheeks and red, "Demon King, just how long are you going to imprison us for?"


    Zhang Nu spoke, "There''s no need to be impatient now. I''ll release you and let you continue to be the city lord when Giantree City agrees to submit to me."


    "There''s no way that''ll happen!"


    Nancilia was super mad.


    That guy is an evil Demon King after all!


    Nancilia grit her teeth, "Then release my people first. There''s no point in keeping them after all, and it''s even costing you food everyday to feed them, right?"


    Zhang Nu refused, "No. As a portion of my war spoils, prisoners of war are valuable. Worstes to worst, they can still be ransomed for gold."


    "Damn you!"


    "Are you still unwilling to ept this?"


    Nancilia made a face at him, "Hmph, of course. It''s not like you properly beat me after all. I won''t ept this result unless you fight me again and beat me fair and square!"


    Zhang Nuughed.


    Even now, this girl still thinks her loss is an ident.


    The reason why the Demon King beat her back then is all because she wasn''t able to use her true power, and then she identally took a sneak attack, that''s all.


    If they were to fight it out again, she''spletely confident that she''ll be able to win.


    Zhang Nu had no intention of arguing with a little girl though.


    He just refused adamantly, "Enough, a prisoner has no right to negotiate terms here. You should just stay here obediently. Don''t even think about trying anything under my eyes. Otherwise, there won''t be any guarantee that I won''t don''t something excessive."


    Nancilia turned her head away in a huff.


    She has faith that she won''t be staying here for too long.


    There''s no way that the elves will ignore the plight of their fellow elves. The First Elder will definitely send people to save her. This Demon King will regret not having killed her in a few days!

 Chapter 74

    A few dayster.


    The First Elder waspletely covered up, with a huge hood covering his head, walking down the street like a suspicious thief.


    He would stop every couple of steps like he was afraid of being discovered.


    In the end, he turned into a small unremarkable house.


    Inside, several men had already been waiting for some time.


    The First Elder lowered his hood.


    "Is it really necessary to be so cautious and secretive?"


    Du Mingfeng exined, "It absolutely is necessary. I suspect that there''s a spy in Giantree City, that the Demon King had set eyes within the city around us."


    The elven First Elder''s eyes twitched, "Any evidence of that?"


    "There''s no direct evidence, but the Demon King had been prepared for every operation we had recently. There''s no way that''s just a coincidence."


    "Hm. That''s logical. In times, caution is absolutely required. Besides, the current operation has to be kept absolutely secret. No one can be allowed to learn of it."


    There are four others present.


    The First Elder spoke suspiciously, "Are these the foreign Heroes you found specifically? Are just these few people really able toplete this task?"


    Of those four here, two were orcs, one was a wing-kin, and thest one was a troll.


    The one at the head was an orc warrior. He had a crimson greatsword on his back and his skill was covered in red patterns. He gave off a fierce aura.


    He grinned, "Less people is better in this situation. We''re professionals!"


    The four of them are all level 3 pseudo Lords.


    The orc leading them is by no means weaker than Du Mingfeng.


    The other three Heroes with him definitely aren''t much weaker than him either.


    Heroes with such strength would definitely be top ss powerhouses for the current period of the game apart from those extremely rare individuals who lucked out in winning the lottery.


    They''re different from Du Mingfeng, who directly gained a powerful body from the start.


    The four of them were only around level 2 at the start. They got to their current state one step at a time by killing Demon Kings.


    Du Mingfeng started introducing them.


    "Wang Gang, orc fire god warrior. He gained the blessing of the god of fire, which gives him extremely high fire resistance, strong enough to even resist dragonfire. In total, he has hunted and killed 18 Demon Kings, and for 12 of them, he had assassinated them all by himself."


    "Li Dingnan, orc shaman. Not only is he skilled in both fire and wind magic, he also has a powerful Talent skill and control type skills. In total, he has killed 14 Demon Kings."


    "Jin Ying, wing-kin shadow assassin. He''s skilled in assassination and his speed is unmatched. He''s also skilled in high leveled stealth skills, which allowed him to single-handedly kill 9 Demon KIngs.


    "Peng Sihai, troll alchemist. He''s skilled in alchemy and specializes in poisons. He has in several cases poisoned an entire Demon King''s Nest to death, and those Demon Kings died without even knowing what happened."


    "They''re all top ss Heroes from Berserk Beast City!"


    "They''re pretty much the strongest solo Heroes within a thousand kilometers!"


    They do sound pretty good, but when he heard the words Berserk Beast City, the First Elder couldn''t help but be on his guard.


    Berserk Beast City is around 500-600 kilometers from Giantree City. It''s a city mainly habited by orcs. Their poption and military force are both a good deal higher than that of Giantree.


    Berserk Beast City rose only a few decades ago.


    Their savagery and violent nature made them have poor rtions with Giantree City.


    There had been many conflicts between the two sides, so it was only natural that he would get suspicious.


    Du Mingfeng spoke, "There''s no need to worry, First Elder. Solo Heroes tend to keep to themselves. They have no real rtions with the authorities of Berserk Beast City."


    From the start, there were two types of Heroes.


    Heroes that go solo and Heroes who work in groups.


    Du Mingfeng is one who went the group route.


    These kinds of Heroes will either join or form their own organizations, build and organize their own territory, and then expand their holdings and their forces to eventually build a demon subjugation army. Then, they''ll wagerge scale wars against Demon Kings and subjugate them with numbers.


    Of course, aside from those who work in groups, solo Heroes aren''t particrly rare either.


    These kinds of Heroes would generally move about all on their own.


    They won''t build their own factions. Instead, they ce extreme focus on improving their personal might.


    This naturally requires a high demand on the Hero''s personal strength and quality.


    Solo Heroes won''t form armies to take down Demon Kings. Instead, they''d form demon hunting parties made of a few individuals working together. Sometimes, they''d even take actions just by themself.


    With less people involved, they''re able to move more quickly and freely, so they would avoid shing directly with the Demon King''s army and instead directly infiltrate the Nest, lock onto the Demon King, and then kill the Demon King as quickly as possible. So long as the Demon King dies, all the troops that they summoned would also disappear.


    Since there''s no army involved, the single Hero or small party of Heroes would be able to monopolize all the rewards.


    This allows solo Heroes to grow extremely quickly, thus creating a positive feedback loop!


    As the saying goes, an obvious threat is easy to deal with, but a hidden one is far deadlier.


    For Demon Kings, top ss solo Heroes are the more dangerous ones!


    Those four are the best, the strongest, and most experienced solo Heroes around this area!


    Du Mingfeng saw that the First Elder was still not fully convinced, so he continued his exnation.


    "Solo type Heroes require a high degree of skills andbat capabilities. Each and every single one of them is a one in ten thousand powerhouse!"


    "I picked these four among hundreds of solo Heroes. They''re the very best among the best, so they''re more than capable ofpleting our quest!"


    After hearing that, the First Elder finally nodded.


    They do sound quite capable.


    Although the First Elder is still unable topletely trust them, at this point, it''s also true that there are no better options avable.


    "I am extremely grateful that you woulde help Giantree City in its time of need!"


    "This quest is extremely difficult, but so long as you canplete it, we will agree to whatever price you want!''


    The orc Wang Gang calmly spoke, "Guildmaster Du had already exined it to us. Isn''t it just the Demon King of Darkness Valley? We can just team up and kill him!"


    The First Elder was greatly rmed by that.


    He immediately corrected, "No, it''s not to kill the Demon King, it''s to rescue herdyship!"


    "As for that Demon King... If you can keep him from being alerted, then it would be best to not fight him!"


    The four Heroes exchanged a nce.


    They didn''t seem to pay that much attention.


    They''re the most famed and most powerful solo Heroes. Any one of them would be able to hold down a major territory on their own.


    Now that the four of them are working together, how could they possibly lose to a single Demon King?


    Perhaps this Demon King''s army might be especially strong, but for their kind of Heroes, the size and power of a Demon King''s army doesn''t matter much.


    What solo Heroes seek is to grasp the single opportunity to kill the Demon King in a sh.


    If the Demon King is dead, then it doesn''t matter how powerful the army is.


    Plus, the more powerful the Demon King and the bigger their army is, the richer the reward would be!


    "I need to emphasize this again!"


    The First Elder was afraid that those Heroescked understanding.


    "The quest you''re undertaking is only to rescue herdyship, the city lord. Don''t do anything unnecessary!"


    The Heroes could only nod at that.


    "Don''t worry!"


    "We''re confident in our sess!''


    "We''ll definitelyplete this quest!"


    The First Elder nodded, "There''s also one other thing that you have to remember. You must not expose your rtionship with Giantree City no matter what!"


    "Understood!"


    "We do have the professionalism for that."


    Wang Gang spread his hands, "We''re solo Heroes specializing in assassinating Demon Kings. We''ve never been to Giantree City, and we don''t really know much about the elves of Giantree City either. Nor have we ever met the First Elder. Is that about right?"


    That old bastard really doesn''t have any guts.


    Is he that afraid of the Demon King''s revenge?


    The four Heroes mentally looked down on the First Elder.


    Thus, the First Elder signed a contract sealing the deal.


    This way, the First Elder can finally rx and send the four of them to infiltrate Darkness Valley. If they could rescue the city lord, then that''s of course the best case scenario.


    If they were to fail the quest, then Giantree City would also be able to deny all involvement.


    Isn''t it only natural for Heroes to try to assassinate a Demon King?


    What reason would the Demon King have to suspect Giantree City?


    Du Mingfeng spoke, "If there''s no more issues, then I''ll be taking them out of the city now. First Elder, can we borrow the detection crystal?"


    The First Elder took out a crystal.


    "This is a mind detection crystal."


    "It can detect the MP (mental power) of the city lord."


    "You''ll be able to find herdyship by following the direction it''s guiding you toward."


    The four Heroes were overjoyed.


    With this, things are now so much easier.


    The First Elder spoke, "It''s best not to dy. Get started as soon as possible. You must bring herdyship back safely!"


    Half an hourter, the Four Heroes were stealthily taken out of the city.


    The five of them stopped after making sure that they weren''t followed.


    Du Mingfeng asked coldly, "What''s the word from Berserk Beast City about my proposal for cooperation?"


    Wang Gang grinned, "Our city lord is quite interested. He''s willing to support you and help you take the seat of the city lord."


    "Good!"


    Du Mingfeng''s eyes shed, "In that case then, I don''t think I need to tell you just what you need to do for this quest, right?"


    "We know!"


    "When we find the young city lord, we''ll kill her!"


    Du Mingfeng nodded, "So long as that useless city lord is dead, not only would the elves hate Darkness Valley, I''ll also have no more threat to my position as city lord!"


    After all, back at the Myriad Flower Valley, Du Mingfeng had nearly butchered that entire elven army with hellfire.


    It''s one thing if the city lord never returns, but if she does return and reveal this matter, Du Mingfeng would no longer be able to stay within Giantree City anymore.


    Besides that, so long as the elf king''s descendent still remains, her status among the elves will be extremely hard to budge.


    In that case, just how is he supposed to control Giantree City and the elven race?


    The young city lord must die!


    Du Mingfeng used the First Elder.


    He actually just wanted to kill with a borrowed knife!


    "Alright, that''s enough talking."


    "It''s about time we got started."


    "Just wait for our good news!"


    The four top ss solo Heroes departed.


    Du Mingfeng took a deep breath. At this point, everything is still within his control. Given those four''s powers, while hostage rescue might be uncertain to seed, they should be more than capable of killing the hostage.


    The First Elder couldn''t possibly imagine that his attempt at rescuing the city lord would instead end up sending four assassins after her.


    Those four are not to be underestimated working together, and now they even got support from Giantree City. The future elf queen is truly in extreme peril.

 Chapter 75

    The next day.


    Darkness Valley.


    The four solo Heroes infiltrated in.


    They didn''t try to break through the heavily guarded Darkness Canyon.


    Instead, they traversed the perilous mountains to get into the Valley.


    "Hehe."


    "The geography was dangerous indeed."


    "However, it wasn''t enough to stop us."


    The orc shaman let out a breath of relief. They have finally managed to get in, which was not an easy task.


    The wing-kin assassin Jin Ying spoke, "Actually, there''s no need for you guys toe as well. It''s just killing a sealed elf after all. If I was acting on my own, then this quest would have already beenpleted some time ago!"


    "Hah. After spending so much effort to get in, are we seriously just here to kill that elf?"


    The troll alchemist Peng Sihai turned to look toward a certain direction.


    "Wang Gang, what do you think?"


    This fire god orc is the strongest one among them.


    Wang Gang pulled up his fire red greatsword and spoke, "The Demon King of Darkness Valley is a dragon. Have any of you killed a Demon King like this before?"


    The other three smiled knowingly.


    "LIke hell. Never mind killing one, we haven''t even ever seen one before!"


    The elven First Elder had emphasized over and over that they''re only to rescue the elven city lord, and to not provoke the Demon KIng.


    The Heroespletely ignored those worlds.


    They didn''t even have any consideration toward the elf First Elder.


    Can a Hero who doesn''t kill Demon Kings even be called a Hero anymore?


    How much rewards would a dragon Demon King yield?


    If they could kill him, then even if they can''t shoot to the top in one go, their powers will at least explosively increase!


    It would be worth more than killing 20 normal mob Demon Kingsbined!


    If they''re lucky enough and, after killing the Demon King, they managed to get one or more of the dragon Demon King''s Talents, then they could basically take flight on the spot.


    Can any Hero resist such temptations?


    Wang Gang spoke up, "Based on the information that I have, this dragon Demon King is indeed very strong. He''s even capable of taking on a level 3 Lord in singlebat. If we were acting along, then it would indeed be necessary to be careful and properly gauge things first, but right now..."


    "The four of us are working together. That''s more than enough to take him on!"


    Li Dingnan spoke, "I agree. At this current progress, there''s no way there could be any Demon King that can take on the four of us working together. Rather than just more than enough, it might be more urate to call it a cakewalk!"


    "This is the heavens handing us a magnificent gift. Refusing such a gift is practically a sin. We''re definitely killing this Demon King!"


    "I agree as well!"


    "What''s the point ofing all this way if we''re not killing the Demon King?"


    "Wang Gang''s Blessing of the Fire God greatly increases his fire elemental attack and gives him unbelievably powerful fire resistance. That''s perfect to counter a dragon!''


    "..."


    "Since everyone is in agreement, then it''s decided!"


    "We''ll locate the target first!"


    The four of them have reached an agreement.


    Jin Ying swept his gaze at the scene before them, "The Valley is full of magical fog, so the Demon King probably has a Tower of Fog. This will cause us quite a bit of problems."


    The magical fog only works against outsiders, so it would greatly increase the dangers to the Heroes'' operation.


    The troll alchemist Peng Sihai brought out a potion, "Have no worries. This is a potion of True Seeing. So long as you paint some on yourselves, you can temporarily prevent the fog from affecting you."


    The four of them applied the potion, and a great deal of fog had indeed vanished from their sight.


    "Potions of True Seeing are rtively expensive, so I didn''t prepare that much. Therefore, we need to hurry up, so as to not fall under the effect of the magical fog again."


    After saying so, he brought out two different potions.


    One is a stealth potion. This potion can cover up the user''s scent, heat, sounds, and even signs of light, making it so that the Demon King''s minions will have far harder time detecting the user.


    The other is an invisibility potion. After drinking it, the user will bepletely invisible for a certain period of time,pletely shielding them from sight.


    The four of them first used the stealth option and quickly did some scouting of the nearby area.


    Thus, they discovered a prosperous ce.


    "This is..."


    It''s none other than the Demon King''s farm.


    Only, its size is extremely exaggerated.


    Thousands of goblins were wearing straw hats while working in the farm on bare feet. A great number of minotaur priests and other minotaurs were assisting them, and also present was a division of several hundred draconian soldiers standing guard.


    A new vige was located near the farm.


    That vige is full of neat wooden houses. Old goblins and goblin children lived within without worries.


    The Heroes determined based on their experiences that those goblins aren''t summoned units, rather they''re native units who surrendered and were made vassals.


    They''ve never seen a Demon King who dared to ept so many vassal units, never mind keeping them all in the center of their power. That''s just far too risky!


    Beside the issue of the loyalty value, the biggest problem is that this makes it easy for a Hero to sneak in.


    That''s why, for the vast majority of Demon Kings, whenever they conquer a vige or tribe, their mostmon action would be to just purge and ughter all the natives. Not only does this remove all risk, it also gains them gold as well.


    "Not here!"


    Wang Gang''s detection crystal showed no responses, meaning that the elf city lord isn''t being held here.


    The elf city lord is an extremely important hostage, so there''s no way that the Demon King would just toss them wherever and forget about them. He would definitely instead situate her in the center of his power.


    The orc shaman Li Dingnan couldn''t resist muttering though, "So many vassal units and hundreds of elite warriors, yet this still isn''t the core of his territory. Just how many subordinates does this Demon King have!"


    The vast majority of Demon Kings that they''ve dealt with in the past were merely level 1 mob Demon Kings.


    The goblin vige and goblin farm is just the Darkness Valley''s production area, but it''s already enough to utterly crush the entire territories of those Demon Kings.


    The Heroes just got more excited though.


    The reward from killing a Demon King depends on both the personal power of the Demon King as well as the size of their territory and the number of their subordinates!


    The bigger the territory, the more rewards that will be generated!


    This is an extremely rich opportunity for them!


    After finally arriving at the central area of the Darkness Valley, the four Heroes were utterly stunned. The Darkness City is already over halfplete, with thousands of draconians, minotaurs and skeleton soldiers swarming everywhere. It was an awe inspiring scene!


    That''s way too much!


    Although they did their best to estimate upwards, the territory was still far beyond what they had imagined!


    The Demon King''s directly summoned units and his vassal units have probably already broken through 10,000 in total. This is somethingpletely unprecedented.


    The four Heroes realized. The Demon Kings that the four of them have killed before might not be able topare against this Demon King even if they were all put together.


    This Demon King''s forces are rather beyond whatmon sense should dictate!


    "Found it! She''s inside the Demon King Castle!"


    This provoked a slight reaction from the other three Heroes.


    Only now did they finally notice the existence of the Demon King Castle.


    The Demon King Castle is the Demon King''s home base. Heroes will be weakened after entering the castle, whereas the Demon King''s strength will increase while within the Castle. It would thus greatly increase the challenge difficulty!


    That said, aftering all this way, just who could bear to just give up now.


    There''s no more chances if they miss this opportunity.


    There''s no way that they''ll be able to find a second Demon King like this one.


    Hmph, so what if there''s a Castle? There''s no way that the Demon King could stop them!


    "Let''s go!"


    They drank the invisibility potions and directly headed to the Castle.


    The orc shaman casted a spell, "Mind control!''


    The Demon King Castle''s guards are high soldiers. Although they''re level 2 Elites, when taken by surprise, there''s obviously no way that they''d be able to resist a level 3 pseudo Lord''s mental attack. Thus, their eyes turned dull.


    "Open the gate!"


    The four Heroes stepped into the Castle.


    They could clearly feel that the moment they entered, their powers were immediately suppressed.


    "Everything went smoothly!"


    "What''s the next step?"


    "Do we directly search out the Demon King, or should we instead follow the guide to find the elf city lord?"


    Wang Gang replied, "Get the elf city lord first. She''s a very important piece for the Demon King."


    "If we can find her and take her hostage, then the Demon King would hold back. After all, the elf city lord is useful for him, so he wouldn''t want to just randomly kill her."


    When the other three heard that, they felt this strategy was brilliant.


    "Hahaha!"


    "A reverse kidnapping and hostage situation!"


    "As expected of you, Wang Gang. Your moves are just too much!"


    "Use the Demon King''s hostage to instead threaten the Demon King. Nice one, I like it!"


    The four Heroes moved invisibly and, through use of potions or mental hypnosis, managed to sessfully pass through one checkpoint after another.


    In the end, they finally arrived before a certain room.


    The elf city lord is inside that room.


    They exchanged a nce. Everything went smoothly so far, so they immediately pushed the door open. However, at that moment, a magical eyeball suddenly opened up from the wall right behind them.


    The Heroes'' idea was indeed pretty good.


    The young city lord is indeed a very important hostage for the Demon King.


    Not only can she be used to extort Giantree City now, in the future, she can also be used to control Giantree City or even the entire elven race.


    Thus, how could Zhang Nu not pay a great deal of attention to such an important hostage?


    Zhang Nu had ced a high number of Eyes of Detection nearby to monitor the area.


    It''s one thing if those Heroes had shown up anywhere else, but the moment they showed up near where Nancilia is, the Demon King would notice for certain.


    At this moment.


    In the Demon King''s throne room.


    Zhang Nu is currently sitting on the altar.


    He clearly saw the four Heroes sneaking about.


    "Be it the Darkness Valley or the Demon King Castle, both are well guarded and patrolled. The fact that those Heroes were able to get in means that they really are no ordinary individuals."


    Since the Eyes of Detection are a kind of indirect observation, Zhang Nu was unable to see their appraisal information.


    That said, given the evidence, he estimated them to at least be around the strength of a level 3.


    This is around the same level as the guildmaster of the Ironblooded Heroes, Du Mingfeng.


    Plus, they''re extremely experienced in dealing with Demon Kings. Otherwise, there''s no way that they''d have been able to infiltrate this far.


    "It looks like I really am going to have to increase security. Otherwise, getting mice sneaking in every couple of days will end up being quite a headache."


    As for how to deal with the four of them here?


    Zhang Nu stood up from his Demon King Altar, and a powerful aura immediately enveloped the entire room, making the draconian generals, draconian priest, and draconian soldiers all unconsciously kneel down and avert their eyes.


    "High quality souls, delivered right to my door. Since you''re being so generous, I''ll go ahead and receive it with a smile."


    Heroes of that level would definitely not be some nameless mobs. Their abilities will definitely be quite abundant, which made Zhang Nu feel a sense of expectation.


    He had just leveled up to level 3, so it''s only natural that he''d want to try it out and see just how strong he really is.

 Chapter 76

    Nancilia has been under house arrest for several days now.


    She had attempted to break the seal on her or to find an opportunity to escape.


    However, breaking the seal is impossible to do in a short amount of time!


    Plus, every time she goes out, she''ll have five super soldiers following her!


    How could she possibly escape in this kind of situation?


    All she can do now is to hope that the First Elder and Giantree City will rescue her as soon as possible.


    However, on second thought, the Demon King is extremely strong and his army is simrly powerful, so no matter if Giantree City assembles an army or if they send strong people toe save her, they''d definitely end up taking a great deal of losses for it. That''s not something that she wants to see.


    If an enormous amount of her people would end up sacrificed just to save her, then it''d be better to not be rescued at all!


    Plus, after the past few days of contact with the Demon King, she has found that the Demon King isn''t actually someone truly evil. There''s no absolute need for Giantree City and Darkness Valley to fight until one is gone.


    While she was being wracked by indecision, the door mmed open.


    Several figures quickly charged in.


    They were two orcs, a wing-kin, and a troll.


    "You are..."


    Nancilia judged that they weren''t from the Darkness Valley.


    The one leading them, an orc with red patterns all over his skill, asked, "Are you the city lord,dy Nancilia?"


    Nancilia was overjoyed.


    She saw the crystal in that orc''s hands.


    It''s a detection crystal made by elves.


    There''s no doubt about it, they were sent from Giantree City!


    She hurriedly replied, "Yes, I am. I''ve never seen you before though. Did the First Elder send you to rescue me?"


    "Eh, I suppose. However, we''re..."


    The orc''s face turned vicious, "Actually here to kill you!"


    Nancilia detected the killing intent and she instinctually moved to dodge. A zing sword sh flew right through the air in front of her.


    With a bang, the entire wall was cut apart.


    The zing hot mes left a ckened burn.


    She turned stark pale. If she was struck just now, then she''d be dead or crippled at the very least.


    Just what''s going on here?


    The fact that they have the elven crystal means that they were definitely sent by the First Elder.


    But then, why are they trying to kill her?


    The wing-kin Heroined, "Hey, what are you hitting so hard for? It''s enough to just cut off her legs. We still need her to threaten the Demon King with!"


    When she heard those words, Nancilia felt a chill all over her body.


    She also had a rather unbelievable feeling.


    These powerhouses suspected to be sent from Giantree City want to kill her, and the only reason they didn''t gopletely through with it is so that they can capture her to use as a hostage against the Demon King.


    "I don''t need you to tell me that! I''ll cut off her legs now!"


    With her being sealed, there''s no way for her to dodge.


    While Nancilia was in a panic, the windows of her room suddenly shattered and five draconians charged in, holding back the orc Hero.


    Originally, in order to keep Nancilia from escaping, the Demon King had kept five super soldiers situated nearby the entire time on standby.


    One super soldier barked out in anger, "You dare! Who are you to dare to intrude into our lord''s Castle and restricted area!"


    "Shit!"


    "We''ve been discovered."


    "Don''t waste any more time!"


    "Capture her first before anything else!"


    The orc Hero swung his sword at a super soldier.


    The orc shaman used the opportunity tounch a lightning chain. Nancilia was quickly bound up, paralyzed, and dragged over without being able to resist.


    Those Heroes are so strong!


    Nancilia knew that she might not be able to deal with the four of them even if she was unsealed!


    The five super soldiers were enraged!


    Their task was to keep an eye on this elf.


    If this elf was abducted right before them, then for them, it was a failure that can''t be made up with even if they were to die a thousand times!


    The wing-kin Hero pulled out two short swords and shed out several dozen cuts in a single instant, forcing back the super soldiers who were trying to charge in.


    At the same time, Wang Gang used his single greatsword and fought an even exchange with several super soldiers.


    "This is strange!"


    "Why are just a few minions this strong?"


    Wang Gang had thought that he would be able to take them all down in just a few moves, but he never expected that he''d be unable to cut down even a single one even after so many rounds.


    It''s obvious that the debuff from the Demon King Castle would have quite some effect, but even so, it''s stillpletely unexinable for a few mere minions to be able to fight evenly against a top tier Hero like himself.


    "Don''t let them tie us up!"


    "Let''s get out of here first!"


    The troll Hero smashed a potion into the ground and the entire room was immediately filled by poisonous smoke.


    This is the Demon King''s home turf, so it''s disadvantageous for Heroes here.


    The Heroes nned to use the elf city lord as bait to lure the Demon King out of his territory before working together to kill him. This way, there shouldn''t be any way it can go wrong.


    Yet, the result is that just as they got out of the Castle, they got surrounded by hundreds of draconian soldiers.


    The ones at their lead gave off an especially strong aura. This included the draconian general Zhang San and the draconian priest Li Si. They seemed to have been waiting for the Heroes for some time now.


    Besides them, a powerful looking figure stood protected in the center of the formation. He gave off the majestic aura of a king with every move, making it obvious that he was the king of dragons, the Demon King of Darkness Valley himself.


    Oh no!


    They''ve been ambushed!


    "You''re trying to take the honored guest of Darkness Valley away without even giving your greetings. Aren''t you looking down on me just a bit much!"


    Wang Gang spat and ced his sword on the elf''s neck.


    "If you dare toe forward, I''ll cut this head right off!"


    The draconians nced at each other.


    The draconian general Zhang San startedughing uproariously.


    This scene is just way too strange.


    These Heroes are actually trying to threaten the Demon King with his own hostage.


    Even the Demon King himself showed his surprise at this.


    "I have originally thought that it was a basic cliche of ''a Hero of justice infiltrating the Demon King''s Castle to save the princess'', but I never thought that you Heroes would actually be so dishonorable."


    "However, did you think this kind of threat would work against me?"


    The draconians all startedughing.


    Wang Gang was losing confidence by the second.


    There''s no other choice though!


    They didn''t have any other options left!


    He believes that the elf has value to the Demon King.


    Besides, if this elf dies, then the Darkness Valley would definitely end up in a blood feud against the elves. The Demon King shouldn''t want to make an enemy out of the entire elven race!


    With that, Wang Gang regained his confidence.


    "I''ll seriously do it! If you don''t want this elf to die, then let us leave the Valley!" He loudly spoke.


    Zhang San stood forward, "My lord, why even bother wasting your words on these kinds of trash. Just allow us to directly rip them to shreds!"


    "That''s right!"


    "Rip them to shreds!"


    "Rip them to shreds!"


    "Rip them to shreds!"


    The draconians didn''t care if the elf lived or died, nor would they care at all about making an enemy out of the entire elven race. They simply cannot stand allowing anyone to offend their lord!


    Those Heroes dared to do such a thing, so they should be ripped to shreds!


    Nancilia was in utter despair.


    What kind of existence is the Demon King?


    How could he possibly acquiesce to the Heroes'' demands for her sake?


    Even if the Demon King really did do that and allowed those Heroes to leave safely, would those Heroes really just let her go? She may very well face an even more tragic end in that case!


    When she thought of that, Nancilia shouted, "I don''t fear death. If you want to kill me, then just do it. Stop wasting time!"


    "Damn you!''


    Wang Gang was enraged.


    He decided to first cut off an arm.


    However, the Demon King interrupted first, "Let''s y a game then."


    The Heroes paused for a moment, "What do you mean?"


    "In the end, you guys intruded here in order to kill me, so I''ll give you a chance for a fair fight. In exchange for that, let her go first."


    What luck.


    For solo Heroes, weren''t their basic goals when infiltrating Demon King Nests specifically for the sake of avoiding the armies to seek a chance at singlebat against the Demon King?


    Nancilia''s feelings immediately turnedplicated.


    The Heroes sent by Giantree City want to kill her, yet the Demon King was willing to take the risk of fighting the Heroes on his own just to save her. Just what''s going on here? She really doesn''t know anymore.


    Wang Gang said, "Then send your army back first!"


    Zhang Nu waved a hand, "Back away a thousand meters first. After they release their hostage, take another two thousand meters back."


    "Yes, my lord!"


    The draconians began backing away.


    Nancilia on the other hand was panicking, "Demon King, don''t be fooled. These people are really strong. You''ll definitely end up in trouble against them. We can''t let those viins get their way!"


    The four of them really are very strong.


    Plus, the entire time, Nancilia was under the impression that luck was a major factor in the Demon King being able to defeat her, so the Demon King should be near her in power. Given that, isn''t he actually in a lot of danger then?


    Although the Demon King did abduct her and made her angry at him a lot, the Demon King did not actually treat her badly.


    The four Heroes are the real bad guys here, and Nancilia really doesn''t want to see them get their way!


    Actually, Nancilia was overthinking things.


    If Zhang Nu really did want to save her, he actually had plenty of other options.


    For example, instantly sting out abyssal lightning. With a sudden surprise attack at such a close distance, given the Heroes'' strengths, they''d have to dodge, block, or be blown back. No matter which ends up happening, they would definitely end up showing an opening.


    As another example, Zhang Nu could just directly unseal the Sealing Bracelet and let Nancilia escape on her own via teleportation magic.


    In the end, the fact is that the Demon King was just feeling yful.


    He wanted to test the power of the first ss Heroes in this stage of the game.

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77:


    The draconians all backed away by a thousand meters.


    The four Heroes exchanged a nce before temporarily releasing Nancilia.


    Right now, the most important thing is killing the Demon King. So long as they can kill the Demon King before them, just where could a mere sealed little elf city lord run away to?


    Soon, the draconians have all disappeared from view.


    At this point, the field was utterly empty except for the Demon King, the elf city lord, and the four Heroes.


    "Demon King, unseal me and let''s work together against them. Well?!"


    Nancilia immediately swore an oath, "I swear that I won''t run away!"


    Zhang Nu replied, "No need."


    The orc shaman shattered a magical crystal ball and a violet barrier with around 300 meters in diameter enveloped them.


    The Demon King and the four Heroes were all trapped within, while Nancilia was excluded outside, leaving her quite mad.


    "You terrible Demon King. I was trying to help here, and yet you wouldn''t trust me!"


    "Those four guys are really strong!"


    "Let''s just see how you''re going to deal with them!"


    It''s a barrier crystal!


    This item can temporarily create a sealedbat environment. It''s an absolute necessity for any solo Heroes if they want to hunt and kill a Demon King.


    After the barrier formed, the four Heroes rxed quite a bit.


    Wang Gang loudlyughed, "At this point, it''s toote for you to regret it. You really shouldn''t have been so arrogant."


    The orc shaman Li Dingnan agreed, "That''s right. You probably never heard of us, so you don''t know just what it means for the four of us to work together!"


    The wing-kin spoke, "What are pping your gums for? Don''t waste time and attack already!"


    The Demon King just nced at the four of them.


    "One minute." He put a finger up, "Within this one minute, I won''t fight back at all. Use whatever moves you have and don''tin about not getting the chance."


    Wang Gang was enraged, "You''re overly arrogant!"


    The Demon King just replied, "You still have 55 seconds left."


    The four Heroes are all top tier powerhouses!


    Although they''re all pseudo Lord in power, due to having hunted a great number of Demon Kings, they gained a lot of Talents as rewards. They also have all kinds of consumable items and powerful trump cards.


    If they were to really fight with all they had, the four Heroes could easily match the strength of level 3 Lords.


    What right does the Demon King have to look down on them so much? For him to act so prideful and arrogant, the Heroes naturally found their own pride hurt.


    "Fine!''


    "You asked for it!"


    "You''ll understand soon enough!"


    "Just how foolish you were!"


    "I''ll have you die in the most painful manner possible!"


    "..."


    Outside the barrier, Nancilia looked very anxious.


    She had no idea how the battle inside was going.


    The four Heroes aren''t easy to deal with, so what if the Demon King ended up losing? It''s all fine for him to die due to his one hubris, but there''s no way that those Heroes will let her go.


    She never imagined that her own fate would end up linked with that of the Demon KIng.


    She''ll only live if the Demon King wins. If the Demon King dies, then she''ll end up following after him. Although it feels kind of strange, she still prays for the Goddess of Nature to protect him and bless him with the fortune to win.


    Boom, boom, boom!


    With those explosions, there was a violent wave of shakingparable to an earthquake!


    Nancilia could urately detect that the epicenter of the quake was inside the barrier. The shockwave energy was terribly powerful, meaning the battle inside was far more furious than she had imagined!


    The Demon King wouldn''t really die, right?


    Nancilia''s worries onlysted for a minute though.


    Cracks spread across the violet barrier and broke off piece by piece like shattered ss before dissolving into sparkles of light and disappearing.


    Immediately after, the Demon King walked on out.


    Nancilia asked, "A-are you alright? What happened to those other guys?"


    Zhang Nu replied, "Can''t you see it for yourself?"


    The Demon King was utterly unharmed.


    But how could the battle have ended so quickly?


    Nancilia looked toward where the battleground was with wide eyes.


    The 300 meter diameter area within the barrier was pretty muchpletely tossed about. Lava flowed in the crater, setting things all around on fire. All kinds of various strange items and scroll fragments littered the ground!


    What happened to those four Heroes?


    The leader of the Heroes, Wang Gang, looked like he was still standing.


    His arms were still raised in the motion of swinging his sword down.


    However, his head, and a good portion of his torso werepletely destroyed. The enormous wound was scorched ck and smoking, but not a drop of blood had flowed out.


    Nancilia was simply shocked at the sight.


    It was obviously the result of some unfathomably powerful energy annihting his body without any resistance in an instant. That''s why he was still in that pose.


    The orc shaman had runes absolutely covering his body all over.


    He had copsed on the ground, bleeding out from every orifice. His eyes were wide open, with his face locked in a rictus of shock.


    The wing-kin Hero Jin Ying was kneeling down not far away. His two short swords were shattered, and only half of him was still there. The other half waspletely gone.


    Strange? There should still be one more though.


    The troll Hero hadpletely disappeared.


    However, there was a strange new creature there though. It looked like a squid with eyes and spikes growing everywhere, and it gave off an extremely dangerous impression.


    Is that the fourth Hero?


    The troll was an alchemist!


    He must have used some kind of forbidden alchemical concoction and transformed his own body into that horrific monster.


    That kind of transformation may very well be irreversible!


    Unless one is in a situation where there is no other choice, where death is certain, no one would willingly turn themself into that kind of disgusting monster...


    Even so, he still died.


    The squid monster had been burned to charcoal .


    Just how did the Demon King do this? He finished the battle in just two short minutes, and he even won in such an unbelievably one-sided manner too!


    Nancilia was utterly shocked.


    Did she overestimate the strength of the Heroes?


    Or was she far underestimating how terrifying the Demon King really is?


    She felt like it''s likely thetter. Back when they fought in Giantree City, he must not have shown anywhere near his true strength.


    Nancilia thought back to all the times she taunted the Demon King and demanded another fight with him. Then she looked at what remained of the Heroes and involuntarily shuddered.


    ...


    This minor incident was now over.


    Zhang Nu returned to the great throne room.


    He thought back to the battle just now.


    He had to admit, the four Heroes really did have a thing or two.


    Beyond the fact that all of them had power nearing the Lord level, each of them also had all kinds of strange items too, like magic stones, scrolls, or potions.


    LIkely, due to having killed lots of Demon Kings, they have an extremely high number of varied skills and Talents.


    This did cause him a little bit of trouble.


    That said, when the difference between them is thisrge, such insignificant tricks can''t possibly change the result


    Zhang Nu used Thunderme to shatter Wang Gang''s head. Jin Ying was cut in half across the waist in the middle of his shadow leap, leaving half his body in the shadow space.


    After Li Dingnan tried various elemental attacks to no effect, he attempted to attack Zhang Nu with mental control, but the result was that he ended up dying to the mental bacsh instead.


    One point worth noting is the troll alchemist Peng Sihai.


    He used an alchemical potion and transformation magic to turn himself into an abyssal demon. However, it was still unable to change his fate in the end.


    In summary, Heroes of this level have the ability to cause some troubles, but their actual threat is minor, nothing to be feared.


    They''re already the most top tiered Heroes of this area, but it seems like they really are only this much.


    Zhang Nu opened his status screen and scanned the messages. There were four new kill records that just popped out.


    [You''ve in a level 3 Hero. Soul +1, Skill Stone +1!]


    [You''ve in a level 3 Hero. Soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a level 3 Hero. Soul +1, Skill Stone +1!]


    [You''ve in a level 3 Hero. Soul +1, Skill Stone +1!]


    Zhang Nu discovered that high leveled Heroes have a high chance of dropping skills.


    He only killed four Heroes, yet they dropped three skill stones. Plus, those three skill stones are likely no simple things either.

 Chapter 78

    The three skill stones dropped by the four Heroes are as follows:


    [Fire God''s Blessing]. B rank skill.


    [Shadow Leap]. C rank skill.


    [Tempest Strike]. C rank skill.


    The Fire God''s Blessing is the orc Hero''s ability.


    It greatly increases fire element attacks and resistance.


    Shadow Leap is the wing-kin Hero''s ability. It''s a skill suitable for assassination or infiltration.


    Those two skills are quite good even for Zhang Nu.


    Zhang Nu didn''t hesitate and learned them right away.


    [Fire God''s Blessing]. Passive skill. Fire element attacks +60% damage. Fire element damage resistance +100 points.


    This skill is indeed very useful.


    It can greatly increase the damage of the Dragon me.


    As for the damage resistance, it''s a pretty useful stat as well.


    As an example, suppose a single Dragon me from Zhang Nu deals 200 points of damage. If the target has 100 points of fire resistance, then they''d only take 100 points of damage in the end.


    Back in the fight, Wang Gang didn''t die from being burned.


    In the end, he was one-shot by the Abyssal Thunderme.


    He could withstand the Dragon me attacks.


    The reason for that, besides his qi skills and high defenses, the greater reason for that is due to him having fire element damage resistance.


    This kind of damage resistance has no connection to one''s defense or levels. It simply directly weakens any damage dealt.


    [Shadow Leap]. Costs 20 MP to enter shadow space for up to 5 seconds, during which movement speed +200%. Every second costs 5 MP. Skill has a cooldown duration of 12 seconds.


    This is absolutely a great skill.


    It doesn''te with any invisibility or stealth effects.


    However, shadow space is an extradimensional space, one which most detection methods cannot sense at all. Thus, the effect generated is that the user would suddenly disappear and reappear, as if having teleported.


    This skill is not only suitable for assassination, it can also be used to avoid the vast majority of attacks.


    It''s a very useful ability to have.


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied with those two skills. As for thest skill stone, "Tempest Strike", it''s an attack skill thatbines wind and lightning element damage.


    It''s a very powerful magic.


    That said, Zhang Nu has Abyssal Dragon me for short and area of effect attacks, and for longnge and instantaneous surprise attacks, he has Abyssal Lightning. If he needs to break through defenses or one-shot an enemy, he could use Abyssal Thunderme for that. Although he doesn''t have all that many skills or variety, they work extremely well in covering all eventualities.


    A skill of this rank and power wouldn''t get Zhang Nu any real improvement.


    Although all three skill stones are quite good, they could really only count as side dishes. The real main course here is the Hero''s Souls.


    He immediately sacrificed them without waiting.


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 3 Hero''s Soul. 230 Talent Points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 3 Hero''s Soul. 200 Talent Points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 3 Hero''s Soul. 210 Talent Points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 3 Hero''s Soul. 210 Talent Points gained!]


    Just as expected.


    The higher leveled the Hero is, the better the quality of their Soul.


    Level 2 Hero Souls yield over 10 times the points that level 1 Souls do when sacrificed, and the talent points from sacrificing level 3 souls are also over 10 times that of level 2 Souls.


    Just sacrificing four souls got him 850 Talent Points! (T/N: Raw text had a distribution of 250, 210, 220, 230. However, that doesn''t add up, and additional text confirms the 850 total. Thus, I edited the numbers to make things add up. Not sure if this is an issue with the raws I''m working off of or if the author failed at math again...)


    This really is rather terrifying. It''s even more than what he got from a few days ago, when he attacked Giantree City and killed over 200 Heroes all put together!


    That was just great!


    He seriously wanted to just open up the gates and invite in even more Heroes toe and try to assassinate him.


    If something like this were to happen a few more times, then wouldn''t it end up helping him level up in mere moments? Level 3 to level 4 isn''t difficult at all!


    Of course, this is just the Demon King''s personal opinion.


    For over 90% of Demon Kings, if they''re targeted by solo Heros on the level of Wang Gang''s group, then it would definitely be practically a death sentence. In that case, they''d likely end up being too scared to even close their eyes at night anymore.


    Only the rarest of super big shot Demon King would have the capability to consider such high leveled Heroes mere EXP bundles.


    Zhang Nu had 705 Talent Points to start with. Now that he gained 850 Talent Points, that makes 1555 Talent Points in total.


    A level 3 Talent costs 1000 Talent Points, so he can activate a level 3 Talent now.


    Zhang Nu only has three Level 3 Talents: Dragon King''s Sanctum, Evil Dragon Descends, and High Anti-Magic.


    There''s no real need to exin High Anti-Magic.


    It''s just a stronger version of Medium Anti-Magic, raising the negation rank from C rank to at least B rank.


    Zhang Nu''s current Anti-Magic and magic resistance is already strong enough for now. Even if someone were to attack him with a level B skill, the damage dealt won''t be any real threat to his life, so there''s no need to be in such a hurry to raise his Anti-Magic level.


    Having removed one choice, there are two more still left.


    Dragon King''s Sanctum is a kind of territory type skill.


    These kinds of skills are extremely rare. Not only does it greatly increase one''sbat power, it also has extremely strong crowd control ability, so itsbat value is very high.


    Evil Dragon Descents should be a transformation type skill.


    This skill can greatly increase one''sbat power, and when transformed, his various skills will change in effect, bing simrly powerful.


    Zhang Nu decided to activate the Dragon King''s Sanctum.


    [You''ve activated the level 3 Talent, "Dragon King''s Sanctum"!]


    [Dragon King''s Sanctum]. Talent Skill. Costs 50 MP per second. Creates a Royal Territory with a radius of 300 meters. Within the Territory, all of the user''s stats +50%, all skills +50% damage. TArgets within the Territory are sealed: Skill damage -25%, skills under C rank are sealed, and take -15 HP per second...


    Zhang Nu was shocked.


    That skill is a bit too powerful!


    Not only can it greatly increase his ownbat power, it will also seal all of his enemies'' skills below C rank while at the same time dealing damage every second that ignores physical and magical defenses.


    Just that would already be terrifying enough, but this isn''t all there is to this skill''s effect.


    Not only can it be activated instantly, it also has a lockdown and imprisonment effect.


    Sanctums are independent spatial dimensions. Anyone dragged into one will never be able to escape unless either the dimension shuts down on the one who created the dimension is defeated.


    Be it flight, movement skills, or spatial magic. None of those tricks will work to let one leave the dimensional space.


    This is also why Zhang Nu decided to choose this skill.


    From now on, no Hero will be able to use spatial magic or teleportation scrolls to get away from him.


    Besides that, this kind of territory skill is also known as a Royal Territory!


    The ones on this continent with a Royal Territory Talent are beyond rare.


    Only true kings or queens have the possibility of activating a Royal Territory.


    This is direct proof of one''s status and power.


    Why is Nancilia so important to the elves?


    It''s because she has the potential to mature to an Elf Queen!


    It''s because she''s someone with the potential to be a King leveled being that, even if she was a useless girl without the slightest leadership ability, she would still be worshiped by the elves like their treasure.


    For any race, the position of a King is extremely high.


    A King''s value is unlimited.


    Just the status alone is enough to draw in countless followers.


    Now that Zhang Nu has the ability to activate a Royal Territory, this means that he has reached the level of a King.


    Of course, Zhang Nu also knows that there are strong and weak individuals among Kings.


    Even if Kings are one in a billion, no matter how small a portion of the poption they are, on a continent as enormous as this one, their numbers will be enormous... This continent has never been short on Kings!


    He had just entered this level, so he''s still a long way from being able to rest safely.

 Chapter 79

    In the middle of the night.


    The First Elder was full of worries.


    It''s already been two days since the infiltration and rescue operation started, yet there''s still no news at all.


    At this point, Du Mingfeng sent a request for a secret meeting.


    Could it be that there''s news from the Heroes? The First Elder did not hesitate, changed clothes, put on the hood, and went over to the meeting ce.


    "Well? Has herdyship been rescued?"


    Du Mingfeng sneered coldly on the inside.


    There''s no way that she could possibly be rescued.


    In fact, the useless young city lord may very well already be dead.


    "The Demon King''s territory is well guarded, so it won''t be easy for the Heroes to infiltrate. Right now, there''s still no news at all from Darkness Valley, so please be patient!"


    "What? There''s still no news? Then why did you ask to meet me in secret?"


    "I have something that I need to report!"


    The First Elder grumbled unhappily, "Can''t this wait until after herdyship returns? Right now, the highest priority of Giantree City is rescuing herdyship!"


    At this current point, he didn''t care about anything beyond the rescue of the city lord.


    "No, this matter that just happened is too important!"


    Du Mingfeng appealed with all the sincerity and impatience he could, "It pertains to the fate of all elves in Chaos Forest!"


    The First Elder paused for a moment, "What is it? Tell me!"


    "This matter must be kept secret. No one else must know!" Du Mingfeng moved close while lowering his voice, "The matter is that, First Elder, you... Are dead!"


    When he heard thosest few words, the First Elder reacted with rm.


    He got a bad premonition.


    However, before he could do anything in response, suddenly, a pitch ck short sword stabbed out, instantly piercing his heart.


    "You..."


    The First Elder never expected that a former Guardian Elf would sneak attack him!


    The First Elder can''t be med for reacting too slowly though. Although he does indeed have the power of a level 3, he is a mage in the end. If he was sneak attacked by a level 3 pseudo Lord warrior from such a close range, then his chances of defending or dodging in time were close to zero.


    Besides which, elves are a naturally kindly race.


    Although they might be very cautious when ites to other races, it''s extremely rare for any fighting or killing among their own race, so most of the time, they overly trust those of their own race.


    The First Elder was down.


    Although his heart was pierced, with his great power supporting him, he was still able to avoid dying instantly.


    Since it was a secret meeting, he didn''t bring any of his subordinates or guards.


    At this moment, there''s no one around who could help him.


    Du Mingfeng smiled, "Don''t waste your energy. Since I dared to kill you, of course I made preparations. Haven''t you noticed by now that you can''t use any magic anymore?"


    The First Elder''s skin was turning ck while bleeding from his mouth and nose. It''s the effect of a certain powerful curse and poison, quickly eating through his HP.


    He shouted out in shock, "You''ve betrayed Giantree City!"


    "Betrayed? No! Giantree City will decline sooner orter under your useless bunch. Only I have the ability to lead Giantree City and the elven race to glory."


    "I didn''t betray Giantree City. No, I''m purging you calcified fossils for the sake of Giantree City. This is saving Giantree City!"


    "First Elder, can youprehend my burdens?"


    "As for your death? That''s a necessary sacrifice!"


    "All truly great enterprises require sacrifices!"


    "You should be honored!"


    The First Elder roared out angrily, "Dream on! You''ll never be able to lead Giantree City, nor will you ever lead the elven race. Only the Elf King has that capability!"


    "Elf King?"


    "That trash?"


    "What''s a weak and useless thing like her going to do?!"


    Du Mingfeng stomped down on the First Elder with a foot, "You still don''t understand even now. Ever since the descent of Heroes and Demon Kings, the previous age has already passed, never to return. We are the lords of this new age, the creators of the new order!"


    "What is an Elf King supposed to be worth? You blind old bastard, go ahead and rot away along with your rotting beliefs!"


    After saying that, Du Mingfeng swung his sword again and beheaded the First Elder.


    Then he wiped away the blood on the de, returned the short sword to the sheath on his waist, and spoke, "Come out!"


    Zheng Xiao came out.


    He was overjoyed, "Giantree''s most respected First Elder is dead and that useless city lord is definitely dead too. There''s no one in Giantree City capable of preventing you from bing the city lord anymore!''


    "Have you taken care of the other matters?"


    "Of course!"


    Du Mingfeng looked back at the First Elder''s corpse, "Hmph, I didn''t actually want to kill this old bastard and that piece of trash so soon, but ns never survive in the face of change, so there''s no choice but to start early."


    Before this, he had spent a month preparing and setting things up.


    Those preparations included building the Ironblooded Heroes Guild, recruiting Heroes from everywhere in the vicinity, winning over a portion of the elves of Giantree City as well as the bigger tribal chiefs nearby.


    All those things were, in the end, for a single goal.


    The seizure of Giantree City.


    Du Mingfeng wanted to take Giantree City, so the First Elder and the young city lord are the biggest unavoidable obstacles to that.


    In order for him to govern this ce smoothly, those two will have to die sooner orter. No exceptions.


    With Du Mingfeng''s abilities, he could have set up a firm foundation little by little and get everything to flow logically and naturally to this point, leaving no me that could possibly be tracked to himself.


    Yet, who could have expected that a great Demon King woulde out of Darkness Valley.


    The Demon King heavily damaged his Ironblooded Heroes Guild and got him fired from his position as a Guardian Elf. All his ns were ruined then!


    Du Mingfeng thus had no other choice.


    He could only decisively use the most aggressive method now.


    "Go spread the news!"


    "Tell them that the city lord has already been killed by the Demon King!"


    "And that the First Elder was also assassinated by the Demon King''s minions!"


    "I''ll dere that I''ll temporarily hold the position of the city lord. Then I''ll allow the eight great tribes and Berserk Beast City''s army to enter the city in order to take control over the elder council and Guardian Elves!"


    "..."


    Over a single night, Giantree City had entered a state of emergency!


    Many of Giantree City''s leadership were assassinated.


    A great deal of the elves who opposed it were either purged or imprisoned.


    As for the mid and lower ranking elves, most of them didn''t know what was going on at all.


    Du Mingfeng had already dered himself the city lord, after all, so most elves just took what he said to be the truth and united under him against amon foe for the time being.


    Du Mingfeng used the excuse of getting revenge for the First Elder and the city lord and invited in the tribal warriors of the eight tribes and an elite orc army.


    This chain of operations waspleted within a single night.


    Over a thousand elves died in the chaos and purges.


    Du Mingfeng used the three factions he had and finally seeded in taking over Giantree City. Those three factions are as follows:


    The first faction is the elves loyal to him.


    This includes a guardian elf and two elven elders. They were the elven internal faction that he managed to win over before and now submitted of their own ord.


    The second faction is the eight great tribes.


    They''re the eight strongest and most populous tribes nearby. They had long since been under the control of the Ironblooded Heroes, pieces that were long since prepared, just waiting to be used.


    The third faction is the Berserk Beast City army.


    Due to having to elerate his ns for taking over the City, Du Mingfeng''s personal forces right now are still not enough to fully control the entire city. Thus, he had to bring in outside forces.


    Using the excuse of recruiting Heroes to rescue the city lord for the First Elder, Du Mingfeng took advantage of the opportunity to make contact with Berserk Beast City, negotiated the terms, and brought in this army.


    He knew full well that this is a double edged sword.


    Berserk Beast City is ambitious and grasping, so this is an extremely risky endeavor.


    That said, Du Mingfeng had no other choice. He has to firmly control Giantree City and purge or suppress all opposition within the city. Only this way will he be able to safely sit upon the throne of the city lord.


    When dawn broke the next day, Giantree City had passed through the tumult and has now appeared to have returned to peace.


    Only, there seemed to be a hint of blood still lingering in the air.


    Du Mingfeng had also sessfully realized his ambition of sitting upon the city lord''s throne. His current status is the temporary city lord chosen in an emergency selection.


    "Congrattions, Guildmaster, for officially taking over Giantree City!"


    Zheng Xiao and the Ironblooded Heroes were all very excited.


    They had taken defeats over and over these past few days, leading to the near copse of the Ironblooded Heroes Guild. But now, they''ve witnessed their guildmaster''s capabilities again, and their morale finally recovered.


    With Giantree City in their hands and the support of Berserk Beast City, what is there to worry about Darkness Valley?


    Du Mingfeng asked, "Is there still no news from Wang Gang''s group?"


    Zheng Xiao shook his head, "Not yet. That said, for heroes like them, it''s pretty normal to continuously wait in ambush for three to five days just to find a good opportunity."


    "There''s no need to worry, Guildmaster. Given their abilities, killing a hostage is a piece of cake. That elf is definitely dead for certain!"


    Du Mingfeng nodded.


    So long as Nancilia is assassinated in Darkness Valley, he would not only have removed the biggest threat and obstacle to him, he could even use the hatred and call of revenge to incit the elves of Giantree City and even elves from other ces to fight against Darkness Valley. It would make the fight much easier then


    Excitement and killing intent shed across Du Mingfeng''s eyes.


    Darkness Valley had caused him a lot of problems and losses.


    He''s not the kind of person who would just take that lying down!


    Now that he has Giantree City, the Ironblooded Heroes Guild, the eight great tribes, and the aid from Berserk Beast City, Du Mingfeng wants to see just how much longer that dragon can stay arrogant for!


    He''s going to get revenge right away!


    Besides that, he also needs a great victory to firmly establish his authority and position.

 Chapter 80

    T/N: Bonus Chapter for meeting the goal


    In a region close to Darkness Valley, there''s a small group of kobolds.


    They aren''t all that numerous, being around 200 individuals in total. They originally lived in a small vige they built in a nearby cave.


    Recently though, an Earth Bear appeared.


    It chased the kobolds out and took over the cave.


    The kobolds couldn''t fight against the powerful level 2 Elite monster.


    Thus, they could only leave their homes and be refugees. Not only do they now need to face all kinds of dangers, they''re even under the threat of hunger and disease now.


    One can say that they''re drowning in misfortune.


    They''re almost at the end of their rope.


    If things continue on as is, these kobolds will definitely be shattered and destroyed.


    However, this isn''t particrly abnormal either. Situations like this happen repeatedly every day in all corners of the Chaos Forest.


    This is simply thew of life in this ce.


    "Bark, bark! I heard some information!"


    "Recently, a lot of minor tribes all defected to Darkness Valley!"


    "I heard that there''s a powerful Demon King in Darkness Valley. So long as one is willing to loyally follow him, they''ll be able to gain his protection!"


    "We should go too!"


    "..."


    That smart looking kobold viger was furiously gesturing as he ryed the rumors that he just heard.


    The rest of the kobolds were skeptical.


    Some vigers thought that there''s something suspicious about it.


    Other vigers thought that even if the Demon King really is recruiting subordinates, it still wouldn''t be something that a bunch of homeless stray dogs like them would be able to get in on.


    The kobold chief decided, "Whether it''s true or not, let''s send a couple of guys to check it out first. After all, we''re not going to be able to survive for much longer either way."


    In response, the kobolds all agreed.


    LIfe is getting harder and harder.


    If they can''t find a ce to rest or a way out, then most of them are going to die of hunger or sickness.


    Even if it''s just a thread of hope, they still have to at least try.


    Thus, the kobold chief selected two of the strongest and healthiest kobolds, and had them represent the kobold vige and head toward Darkness Valley to get more information.


    Unexpectedly, the result is that they returned the next day.


    They also brought a draconian with them.


    "W-who might this be..."


    The kobold chief was extremely shocked.


    Kobolds might not be all that strong, but they have a very sharp sense of smell and sensory type Talents.


    This draconian is very strong.


    He was easily capable of wiping out the kobold group singlehanded.


    This is actually just a super soldier of Darkness Valley. A super soldier is a level 3 Elite unit, so he is indeed an unmatchable powerhouse as far as the kobolds are concerned.


    The super soldier spoke, "Our lord epts your fealty and thus sent me to receive you. I''m here to solve your issue as well."


    Not long after, the super soldier entered the kobolds'' cave.


    About three minutester, a number of roars came from inside the cave. There was then a short yet fierce sound ofbat before everything went quiet again.


    The draconian soldier then came out of the cave with his ded spear, still wet with blood, in his right hand and a truck-sized giant bear in his left.


    "Bark, bark, bark!''


    "The Earth Bear is dead!"


    "It was killed just like that!"


    "Thanks be to the Demon King! Long live the Demon King!"


    The kobolds barked excitedly and all kneeled and bowed around the corpse of the bear. That bear was something that they stood no chance against, but a mere subordinate that the Demon King casually sent over dealt with easily.


    The kobolds feared and respected the Demon King''s terrible power.


    If they really could join a being like that, then they won''t need to worry about getting bullied anymore.


    ...


    Darkness Valley.


    Demon King Castle.


    Zhang Nu got another message.


    [You''ve conquered the kobold vige!]


    [Gained "Decrepit Bronze Treasure Chest" x1!]


    Did he get another small vige?


    [You''ve opened the Descripet Bronze Treasure Chest. Gained "Gold" x200. Gained "Blueprint: Kobold''s Home" x1!]


    Not bad.


    He actually got a blueprint.


    That said, the blueprint isn''t very high quality.


    It''s a unit production type structure. It''s basically like the House of Bones from way early on, only able to summon up a small number of level 1 normal kobolds.


    It''s kind of useless for Zhang Nu now.


    Zhang Nu put it away. He could sell it in the future or give it to Chen Guoguo. She''s rtively morecking in thebor force, so it wouldn''t be bad for her to raise some kobolds for manualbor.


    The faction of Darkness Valley is beginning to expand.


    Zhang Nu used his powerful information detection ability and marked out all the nearby native factions before sending his subordinates out to conquer them.


    In a few short days, whether by threat of force, actual conquest, or the targets joining of their own ord, he has conquered 18 areas including this small kobold vige. Thus, he has gained 18 treasure chests from that.


    However, the quality of those chests aren''t all that high.


    Even if he managed to asionally get a blueprint or skill, they''re not all that beneficial to Zhang Nu at this point anymore.


    These are all small viges and tribes nearby. Generally, they''re only around 300-400 in poption, with even the biggest not being more than 800. All in all, they total to only about 8000 or so, so they can only be considered very minor factions.


    That said, a journey of a thousand miles takes one step at a time.


    Nancilia is also sticking near the Demon King recently.


    She was unable to resist asking out of curiosity, "Just what are you after really?"


    "Isn''t that obvious?" Zhang Nu replied, "I''m currently absorbing all the factions within the area I''m capable of holding!"


    Nancilia just scratched her head, "Those tiny tribes and viges are really weak and poor though. It''s not like absorbing them will be of any benefit to you though!"


    No benefit?


    Not necessarily!


    Every ce conquered will get the Demon King a treasure chest.


    Although it''s not much every time, adding them all up, the 18 chests will have gotten him at least 20k gold!


    Of course, Zhang Nu can''t exactly exin that.


    Thus, he instead took another tack, "Even the weakest and most easily overlooked goblin has worth in their existence in this world."


    "I n on taking in,bining, and reorganizing all these factions and using them to build proper viges or cities. Then, I''ll have them exploit the resources of the forest or work in production to create value."


    "..."


    When she heard that, Nancilia was very surprised.


    She feels like she''s beginning to understand what the Demon King is trying to do.


    The Demon Kings'' goal is to create a new order in the world. The meaning to their existences seem to be to destroy the previous order of things and then recreating a new one in its ce.


    If something like this happened in a civilized world, then the Demon King''s conduct would unquestionably be a cmity. After all, the process of destroying the previous order and creating a new one in its ce would cause countless sacrifices and deaths.


    No wonder they''re known as Demon Kings!


    For normal countries and people who live normally under civilizedws, Demon Kings may very well be terrifying or even evil.


    However, this Chaos Forest never had anyw or order to speak of since ancient times.


    This ce is squished between three great empires. For the billions of lives over the past thousands of years, the onlyw that exists is the most primordialw of the jungle. It''s kill or be killed. All kinds of battles and wars have never stopped, even as rivers of blood were shed!


    If there''s a powerful Demon King, though, then he would be able to create order in thiswless ce, to create neww and order in this ce that never had any. If that happened, then that may not actually be a bad thing!


    While Nancilia was thinking about it, the draconian priest Li Si came up with a report, "My lord, we caught an injured elf nearby. He seems to be one of the leaders of Giantree City!"


    Nancilia was shocked to hear that.


    Zhang Nu was also slightly taken aback, "One of the leaders of Giantree City? Why would he appear near Darkness Valley? And injured too? Bring him forth!"


    Li Si quickly brought a middle aged elf forth.


    That elf was seriously injured. He lost an arm, apparently having gone through an extremely vicious battle.


    "Third Elder!"


    "How did this happen to you!"


    Nancilia started shouting in surprise.


    This middle aged elf is actually the Third Elder of Giantree City''s council of elders. When he saw Nancilia, he was stunned for a moment before lighting up in joy.


    "Mydy, you''re not actually dead. Thank goodness..."


    "Just what happened? Why are you so hurt so badly? What happened to the First Elder? Something happened, didn''t it!"


    The Third Elder spoke with difficulty, "The First Elder... Is dead!"


    "What?!"


    Nancilia was utterly frozen in shock.


    The First Elder was like a father to her. Although he''s not actually blood rted, he was still practically family to her. She had a hard time epting such terrible news right away.


    "It was the former guardian elf Jules..."


    "He killed the First Elder, conspired with Berserk Beast City, and usurped the position of city lord... So many of our people were savagely killed by him!"


    "Mydy, our Giantree City... Cannot be left in the hands of someone like that. You must take Giantree City back!"


    When Zhang Nu heard this news, the first thing that came to his mind was:


    Shit. Why did that old guy have to die so suddenly? Doesn''t that mean that he''s not going to be able to get the remaining 3 million gold he''s owed anymore? He''s still waiting on that money to raise more soldiers here!


    Jules is Du Mingfeng.


    Jules is his elven name.


    That guy really is a ck-hearted and vicious person!

 Chapter 81

    Certain puzzles have logical exnations now.


    For example, there''s the question of why the four Heroes tried to kill Nancilia.


    They must have been taking orders from Du Mingfeng.


    So long as this young city lord doesn''t die, then even if Du Mingfeng seeds in usurping the throne, he''d still have a hard time sitting easy.


    When she thinks of the fact that her people are under the rule of an unbelievably ambitious and cruel person, as well as the fact that arge number of elves were purged and butchered, Nancilia was anxious beyond measure.


    However, what could a mere prisoner do?


    She doesn''t have any freedom, nor does she have the power to do anything.


    No matter how great Nancilia''s status and influence is, Giantree City is already under Du Mingfeng''s control, and tens of thousands of elves are currently in his grasp.


    With the Ironblooded Heroes and the elite soldiers from Berserk Beast City, the elven citizens wouldn''t even be able to run away.


    If anything were to enrage Du Mingfeng, then another bloodbath and purge may happen.


    What can she do?


    It''s all her fault for not being strong enough!


    At this point, a thought popped up in the elf girl''s mind.


    Although she herself didn''t have the power or armies, Darkness Valley does. If she could convince the Demon King to help, then it might resolve all her problems.


    But what about the cost?


    Nancilia wavered back and forth for some time before gritting her teeth and falling to her knees with a thump.


    Zhang Nu did not expect this young city lord to do something like that. She''s a proud descendent of the Elf King, after all, but she was actually lowering her head to the Demon King.


    "Giantree City is in a crisis, and so are the elven people. I beg Darkness Valley to deploy your army and help us elves in our time of need!"


    Given Nancilia''s personality, the pride of the Elf King didn''t matter anymore. Anything would be worth it if it''s to save her people.


    Zhang Nu put on a hesitant front, "Giantree City''s walls are strong. With my powers, while a surprise strike might be possible, actually taking the city isn''t nearly so easy."


    "Besides which, Darkness Valley has no reason to do something without reward. You know me by now, so you know what I want. Have you considered my price?"


    Nancilia''s heart sank.


    Of course she knew what the Demon King wanted.


    This Demon King is extremely ambitious too. He also wanted to take over Giantree City from the start, but this too is something that the elves won''t be able to ept.


    However, why would the Demon King send out his army without a reward?


    Does this mean that Giantree City is going to fall no matter what?


    Nancilia spoke, "We''re willing to present you with the entire wealth of the City as tribute, so can you at least leave the city itself to the elves?"


    "No! I want all of Giantree City! This includes all the citizens of the city to pledge loyalty to me! Otherwise, Darkness Valley won''t send so much as a single man!"


    Zhang Nu is adamant.


    Giantree City is the strongest faction in Darkness Valley''s surrounding area.


    If he could take Giantree City, then how much reward could he get from that?


    Giantree City has a general poption of 200 thousand, with a permanent residential poption of at least 100 thousand. All of them are valuable resources!


    Zhang Nu fully realized that this is a precious opportunity.


    It just so happened that Du Mingfeng usurped the position of city lord at this time.


    And it just also happens that the actual proper city lord is currently in his hands.


    Zhang Nu would have a hard time finding such a chance to conquer Giantree City with such a proper justification!


    Without it, if he were to conquer Giantree City by force with no justification other than "might makes right", then given the elves'' stubborn nature, they would resist to the very end even if it means their deaths.


    In such a case, not only would he need to spend a great deal of resources, and even when he wins, all he''d get is a useless ruin!


    Right now, Nancilia is in his grasp, so as long as Nancilia gives the order, the vast majority of the tens of thousands of elves and the elven defense army of over 8000 would refuse to stand on Du Mingfeng''s side.


    Thus, he''ll only need to fight two forces: The Ironblooded Heroes Guild and the Berserk Beast City''s army!


    "Is there no room for negotiation? Any other condition would be fine!"


    "No!"


    In the end, he''s a Demon King!


    If he has an opportunity to conquer Giantree City, then there''s no way that he could possibly give up the chance.


    Nancilia is soft and indecisive. She''s worried that she has failed her people and that she would be the sinner who let down the entirety of Giantree City, so how could she possibly make such a decision?


    Right now, Giantree City''s foundations are still shaky, so there''s no way that he could let such a perfect opportunity go.


    Thus, Zhang Nu continued, "I''ll promise that Giantree City will forever be an elven city. You will continue to be the city lord of Giantree City, and elves will be permitted to keep their self governance!"


    His words were clear.


    After gaining all authority over Giantree City, Giantree City''s highest authority will switch from the city lord to the Demon King.


    The defense forces of Giantree City will also be mostly switched out, so as to make certain that the city would now be under the control of Darkness Valley.


    However, Giantree City will continue to be governed by the elves.


    The Demon King won''t interfere with the lives of the elves lightly.


    The elvenmoners who live in Giantree City will, for the vast majority of the time, never notice any difference from before.


    This is the greatest amount ofpromise that the Demon King is willing to make.


    Otherwise, there''s no way that the Demon King would help and deploy his own forces.


    After living in the Demon King Castle for the past few days, Nancilia has gained some understanding of the Demon King, and she believes that the Demon King isn''t an evil being with no moral guidelines.


    She''ll gamble on that.


    Nanc grit her teeth, "Fine. I''ll agree to these conditions as the city lord of Giantree City. In return, please deploy your army right away!"


    Very good then!


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied.


    Thus, he didn''t waste any time with words either.


    He first removed the seal on Nancilia.


    Then he released the 800 elves he had imprisoned.


    These 800 elves are all members of Giantree City''s professional army. Theirbat strength is nothing to sneer at, so they''ll be of quite a bit of use. He allowed Nancilia to personally lead them.


    Zhang Nu then started assembling a draconian army.


    Right now, he has 1300 normal soldiers, 125 high soldiers, 5 super soldiers, 29 draconian battlemages, and 1 mystic draconian battlemage.


    He also currently has 180k gold stored up.


    He spent 30k to get 300 normal soldiers, 50k to get 50 high soldiers, 50k for 10 super soldiers, and 32k for 4 mystic draconian battlemages.


    His draconian army has thus changed to: 1550 normal soldiers, 165 high soldiers, 15 super soldiers, 25 draconian battlemages, and 5 mystic draconian battlemages.


    When Nancilia reached the assembly point with her 800 elves, she got quite a shock. Although she knew for some time now that the Demon King''s army is powerful, she''s still very shocked when she''s personally witnessing it.


    This army is nearly 2000 in number and every single one of them are Elite units.


    Only now did Nancilia know just how powerful the Demon King really is. Plus, it''s only been a bit over a month since the Demon King has descended until now.


    One could imagine just how fast this Demon King developed and grew.


    If he was truly determined to conquer Giantree City, then there will basically be no chance that Giantree City could possibly survive. It''s only a matter of time before it''s taken by the Demon King''s army and Giantree City had nowhere near the power to resist such forces.


    When she realized this, Nancilia felt slightly better about her decision.


    Zhang Nu asked, "Well? Are you prepared?"


    Nancilia nodded, "We can head out right away!"


    Zhang Nu then spoke, "Giantree City''s magic barrier is very sturdy. Its regeneration speed is also very fast. If we tried to attack head on with force, then it would cause a great deal of battle damage for both sides."


    Nancilia then asked, "Is there some way we can decrease casualties then? I hope to minimize battle casualties as much as possible!"


    "Of course! Leave it to me!"


    A few minutester, a dragon flew out from Darkness Valley.


    After leveling up to level 3, Zhang Nu''s body has be evenrger than before. At this point, his body is now over 50 meters in length. He truly is a full blown dragon now.


    Behind the dragon followed a small squad.


    This squad consists of a draconian priest in the form of an abyssal sky drake, five mystic draconian battlemages in the form of wyverns, and 15 flight capable draconian super soldiers.


    Although they''re not that numerous, they form a magnificent looking group and theirbat power is not to be underestimated either.


    Zhang Nu soon spotted Giantree City.


    When he saw Giantree City, the information on Giantree City also popped up before his eyes again. This was enough to get him quite excited.


    [Giantree City]. Level 3 Lord zone. High exploration value.


    Description: This is a forest city built by elves with 300 years of history. Total poption around 200k. Permanent residents number 120k. It has a very powerful protective barrier and various defensive instations. It''s extremely difficult to invade from the outside... (a great deal more description not disyed)


    Possible rewards: Shining Mithril Treasure Chest. High quantities of materials, gold, equipment, and various other products of Giantree City, etc...


    That''s right!


    From the information pop up, Giantree City is a level 3 Lord zone.


    However,pared to wild and untamed zones, this is an actual city. No matter the invasion difficulty or conquest reward, neither can bepared to any other zones from before.


    For the current Demon King, there''s nothing that excites him more than taking a city.


    This ce is iparable to any of the other zones that Zhang Nu has conquered before!

 Chapter 82

    An orc sat before Du Mingfeng.


    His attitude was arrogant, showing little regard for Du Mingfeng.


    Gaim.


    Berserk Beast City''s Master of Ten Thousand.


    This orcish city only has eight Masters of Ten Thousand in total.


    Orcs are very martial, so only the strongest warriors of the army have the right to be themander of the army. Thus, the higher the status, the stronger the individual in question is.


    Gaim is one of those Masters of Ten Thousand.


    At the same time, he''s also the son of the city lord of Berserk Beast City.


    In order to keep control of Giantree City, Du Mingfeng reached out to this foreign force. However, while it might be easy to invite them in, getting them to leave is another matter entirely. Since Berserk Beast City has stepped in, it won''t be nearly so easy to get them to back away.


    Therefore, Du Mingfeng has to figure something out.


    For example, inciting Berserk Beast City to deal with Darkness Valley instead.


    In such a case, it''d be win-win for him no matter who wins in that conflict.


    "Hmph! Demon King. It''s not like I''ve never encountered them before. Don''t go trying to exaggerate the dangers to me here. From my point of view, it''s just your own ipetence!"


    Gaim waspletely dismissive toward Darkness Valley.


    There are lots of Demon King Nests near Berserk Beast City, so it''s not like he hasn''t dealt with Demon Kings before.


    Du Mingfeng spoke, "The Demon King of Darkness Valley is a dragon, fundamentally different from other Demon Kings. He''s the greatest threat to both of us, so if we don''t remove him as soon as possible, the consequences are unthinkable!"


    "Enough!"


    "So what if he''s a dragon?"


    "That''s nothing to me!"


    "Likely as not, he may already have died beneath Wang Gang''s sword!"


    "If he dares to appear before me, then I''ll split him wide open! Get me a dragon yer title to y around with at the same time!"


    Gaim waspletely unconcerned.


    He considered Du Mingfeng''s words to be mere exaggerated threats.


    Like hell he''s going to fall for Du Mingfeng''s attempt to trick him into taking his army out.


    Gaim was under the conceit that he had already seen through it all, so there''s no way that he''ll fall for such tricks. Since he''s here now, he''s going to put down roots and take over this city bit by bit.


    Du Mingfeng wanted to try to continue exining.


    Yet, unexpectedly, the ground suddenly started shaking. A fierce pressure suddenly descended upon them like a storm, making both of them react with rm.


    "What''s happening?"


    "What kind of aura is this!"


    "For it to be so terrifying!"


    Gaim has never experienced such a powerful aura!


    Even his legendary father has never shown such might.


    Du Mingfeng''s face sank.


    He found it somewhat familiar.


    His next words slipped out, "It''s Dragon Fear!"


    "Oh no!"


    "The Demon King''s here!"


    The two of them went out and saw an over 50 meters long dark gold dragon with a mighty presence currently circling over Giantree City.


    "That''s the Demon King?"


    "It really is a dragon!"


    Gaim''s eyes widened with shock. He has never seen a dragon before, which is why he was so dismissive before. He was under the impression that the so-called dragon is just another kind of monster.


    Only now does he know.


    Dragons are apletely different conceptpared to monsters.


    That guy wasn''t lying. If that dragon is a Demon King, then this Demon King truly is terrifying, an enemy far mightier than any he''s ever encountered!


    Du Mingfeng frowned.


    The Demon King''s aura and body size has obviously increased from before!


    Could it be that the Demon King has gotten even stronger? That''s bad. That guy''s growth rate is way too terrifying. They absolutely have to kill him this time. They can''t allow him to leave alive!


    Likely, due to the previous experience, the defensive setup of Giantree City is much sharper this time.


    However, this bit of improvement was basically pointless. That''s because the current abyssal dragon is on apletely different levelpared to the previous one.


    "Abyssal Devouring!"


    The dragon breathed out a huge mass of devouring energies.


    This energy concentrated andpressed into a ck hole.


    A powerful suction force came from the ck hold, sucking in all kinds of projectiles and magical attacks. At the same time, it continuously moved forward.


    The ck hole collided with the barrier with a bang!


    The devouring energy, dense as a ck hole, warped the surface of the barrier while at the same time corroding an enormous hole in it.


    "Forward!"


    The dragon let out a roar.


    The denselypressed ck hole exploded.


    An enormous mass of ck fog-like energy covered the sky.


    Those devouring energy could both absorb and devour attacks while at the same time act as very effective cover, allowing the dragon and his subordinates to enter the city easily.


    "Damn it!''


    "They got in!"


    Du Mingfeng Immediately gave his orders, "Have all the squads assemble immediately. Kill it no matter the cost. We must not let this dragon get away no matter what!"


    With that, he looked to the side.


    "Commander Gaim, would you..."


    Only then did Gaim suddenlye back to himself from the shock of facing the dragon. He found his previousck ofposure shameful and disgraceful to Berserk Beast City, so he just let out a snort.


    "The warriors of Berserk Beast City have never feared any challenge!''


    "We shall show this dragon that descending upon this ce is the greatest mistake of his life!"


    While they spoke, orders were continuously passed along.


    In just a few short minutes, the elven defense army, the chiefs of the Ironblooded Heroes Guild''s eight great tribes, and the elite warriors of Berserk Beast City all quickly gathered. They then forced the dragon to the central za in the city. This location is very open, very suitable for fighting en masse.


    "Quite the quick reaction time!"


    Zhang Nu scanned the surroundings. The area around him was crammed full of enemies.


    The elven army numbered several thousands, the full allied armies of the eight great tribes number near 10 thousand, and the warriors of Berserk Beast City number around five thousand. At the same time, Du Mingfeng and Gaim have also arrived.


    "Hahaha!"


    "I was just pondering about the issue of trying to invade Darkness Valley!''


    "I never imagined that you''d be so stupid. Toe here to your death with only these few minions. Truly, you''ve saved me a lot of energy!"


    Du Mingfeng was overjoyed.


    No matter how strong the Demon King is, it''s stillpletely unrealistic for him to single-handedly fight against the entire city and all their numbers!


    Be it the army of Giantree City or Berserk Beast City, they''re all made of elites, not something that anyone could fight off on their lonesome. After all, no matter how powerful an individual is, there''s limits to their HP and MP.


    Let''s just see how he''s going to escape this time!


    Yet, who could have expected the Demon King to justugh sarcastically, "Who says I only brought these few with me? Keep your eyes open and watch!"


    With that, he shifted his enormous body.


    The draconian priest Li Si stood behind him, staff in hand. An enormous field formation had already been formed with him at the center.


    With a sh of light, hundreds of figures were currently being teleported over.


    Du Mingfeng reacted with rm, "Damn it! It''s teleportation! Interrupt him, quickly!"


    That''s Zhang Nu''s strategy for invading the city!


    The Demon King did not try to forcibly fight against the barrier with his entire army.


    Instead, he personally broke through with a small squad before then using the draconian priest''s Teleportation Field, thus sending his army from Darkness Valley straight over.


    By doing this, he perfectly bypassed the defensive line and greatly lowered the difficulty of storming the city!


    That said, a draconian priest''s abilities are limited. They''re only capable of teleporting over a few hundred at a time, and the greater the number teleported, the higher the corresponding cost, so he needs to constantly refill his MP.


    If he wants to teleport the entire army over, then it would definitely take a lot of time!


    Thus, Zhang Nu purposefully brought super soldiers and mystic draconian battlemages just to protect the draconian priest, letting him cast the teleportation without interruption.


    "Attack!"


    "Kill them all!"


    "Vengeance for the city lord!"


    "Vengeance for the First Elder!"


    Du Mingfeng started roaring out.


    He knows well that they have to interrupt the casting before more soldiers are teleported over. Otherwise, when the masses of Darkness Valley''s elites get here, even if they were to seed in defeating the invasion, they''ll still end up taking an uneptable amount of losses!


    "Vengeance for the First Elder!"


    "Vengeance for the city lord!"


    The elves of Giantree City all disyed their rage.


    They all believe that it''s this evil Demon King that killed the city lord and assassinated the First Elder, so it''s only natural for them to be enraged.


    Yet, just as they were about to attack, the first group teleportation waspleted.


    When they saw this new army, they all acted as if they saw a ghost. It''s because this army waspletelyposed of elven warriors.


    "What''s going on?!"


    Du Mingfeng was utterly bbergasted.


    Why is the army teleportec over from Darkness Valley all elves?


    Did the Demon King summon elves?


    No!


    That''s wrong!


    That''s Giantree City''s army!


    All the elves present were stunned!


    They could not understand it. Those are theirrades, their brethren, so why were they teleported over by the Demon King and are now standing on the enemy''s side?


    "Stop!''


    A clear voice rang out.


    A silver haired girl stepped forth along with her guards.


    When the elves of Giantree City saw her, they all showed expressions of disbelief mixed with joy as they called out as one, "Mydy!"


    "It''s herdyship, the city lord!"


    "It really is the city lord!''


    "Herdyship isn''t dead!"


    The instant that Du Mingfeng saw Nancilia, his arrogant expression suddenly turned unbelievably ugly.


    What''s going on?


    That''s impossible!


    The four Heroes actually failed to kill her!


    Nancilia swept her gaze across the field as she loudly shouted, "My brethren, you''ve been tricked! The former guardian elf Jules was the one who killed the First Elder!"


    A wave of shock rang through the elves at that deration.


    Nancilia continued to speak, "He plotted with Berserker Beast City and betrayed Giantree City, betrayed our people, and even attempted to hire assassins to seal my mouth. It''s all thanks to the Demon King who acted to save me that I''m able to live on and appear before you now."


    At the same time, the one armed Third Elder stepped forth from among the elves.


    He loudly shouted, "Don''t be fooled by the traitor''s lies and don''t be used by him either! Push him and the minions of Berserk Beast City all out of Giantree City!"


    "Damn it!"


    "We were tricked!"


    When the elves here learned that they were lied to, they were instantly enraged.


    Du Mingfeng had no room to do anything now. He could only roar out his order, "Kill those elves, all of them!"


    The eight great tribes of the Ironblooded Heroes immediately started attacking.


    At the same time, Gaim roared out, "The armies of Berserk Beast City never retreats! Charge! With me!"


    The elves immediately fought back.


    The battle turned into a chaotic melee.


    After this shift of the scales, this battle was already meaningless to Du Mingfeng now.


    Be it win or lose, he has lost either way. It''s impossible for him to control Giantree City anymore... All his efforts were aplete waste now!


    Although he hates it, there''s no need for him to fight to the death here.


    So long as he remains, there''s still hope!


    The game''s not over yet!


    Worstes to worst, he can rise again somewhere else!


    Du Mingfeng kept a very cool head. He pulled out his teleportation scroll and got ready to activate it. Yet, he was shocked to discover that the scroll had no effect.


    "What''s going on?"


    Du Mingfeng was shocked to discover that the scenery around him had changed.


    The sky was gone. So was the earth. The za of Giantree City is also gone. The space that he was currently in is like a chaotic abyss or the depths of space.


    What kind of ce is this?


    Just what''s going on here?


    [You''re under the effect of "Dragon King''s Sanctum". Space has been sealed. All skills -25% damage. Skills below C rank are sealed!]


    When he saw that message, Du Mingfeng was utterly frozen in shock.


    The Demon King was looking down at him like he was an ant, "You''ve already escaped from underneath my gaze once. Did you really think I''ll give you a second chance at it?"

 Chapter 83

    The King''s Sanctum is an instantaneous ability.


    Its area of effect also works instantaneously.


    The moment the skill activated, all targets within the area of effect will all be immediately pulled in, so there was no time to react at all.


    Zhang Nu''s sanctum has a radius reaching over 300 meters.


    Not only did Du Mingfeng fail to escape and was dragged in, hundreds of other targets within the area were all also pulled into the Sanctum space.


    This includes Nancilia and the elves, as well as Gaim, who was charging in at the head of his Berserk Beast City army.


    When they realized that they''re now in such a strange space, all of them were utterly confused. Only a few individuals managed to realize the truth of it and reacted with shock.


    "Could this be..."


    Nancilia had a shocked and disbelieving expression on her face, "The legendary King''s Sanctum. The Demon King actually has the power of a King''s Sanctum! He''s no ordinary dragon! He''s actually a Dragon King!"


    As a potential Elf King, Nancilia had inherited umon knowledge since birth.


    She has a far greater understanding of Sanctumspared to others, so it''s only natural that she would know full well just what it means to be able to use a Sanctum skill!


    Dragons are all very powerful, but there are still strong ones and weak ones among them.


    Nancilia has such a high status and is so honored all because she is a future Elf King, yet the dragon before her is already a Dragon King!


    What does this mean exactly, one might ask?


    Even among others of the same race, he''s still a natural born leader!


    Nancilia was initially greatly conflicted by her submission to the Demon King and her yielding of her authority as the ruler of Giantree City, but now she felt much better about her decision.


    On this continent, dragons stand on top of the food chain.


    The status of dragons are higher than that of elves from the start.


    A Dragon King is even rarer and nobler than an Elf King.


    She herself hasn''t even be a true Elf King yet, so lowering her head to a true Dragon King isn''t really something uneptable either.


    Besides, she''s never even heard of an existence able to reach the King level at only level 3.


    The Demon King also has lots of room to grow even further in the future.


    Nancilia was by no means the only one shocked. The Third Elder of the elves and Gaim of Berserk Beast City were also stunned. They''ve never seen such an ability, for it to be powerful enough to seal even space itself.


    Du Mingfeng immediately drew his pitch ck short sword, "Lord Gaim, we''re trapped. At this point, there''s only one option left for us."


    The orc Master of Ten Thousand Gaim wielded a pair of axes. His eyes slowly turned red and violent Qi poured out from him, "Kill this Demon King!"


    The hundreds of Berserk Beast City warriors who were pulled in all had their eyes turn red and their muscles started bulging out like mad.


    Zhang Nu nced over.


    [Berserk Beast City Master of Ten Thousand: Gaim]. Level 3 Lord unit. 500 HP, 100 MP... Skills: Unlimited Berserk (Talent Skill), Berserk Beast Qi (B Rank), Rage (C Rank), Raging Mountain Splitter (C Rank), etc...


    [Orc High Berserker]. Level 2 Elite unit... Skills: Berserk (Talent Skill), Berserk Beast Qi (D Rank), Wild Charge (D Rank).


    The army led by Gaim are all Berserkers, who are one in a hundred among orcs.


    They have the Talent Skill Berserk, which allows them to go mad in battle, to have the courage to charge forward no matter how strong the enemy they''re facing is. It also allows them to resist various mental attacks and control from negative statuses.


    The King''s Sanctum can seal normal skills, but Talent Skills are unaffected.


    This is also why, even when facing a terrifying Demon King, that group still charged forward without hesitation. After going berserk, they basically have no intellect to speak of.


    "Roar!"


    With a roar, a pir of Dragon me sted forth.


    The instant that this enormous pir of dragon me fell upon the orcs, their armor and weapons all melted away before they werepletely turned to ash and blown away.


    The Demon King shifted his head and the pir of Dragon me swept about at a fast speed.


    All the orcs who got caught up were turned to ash. Not a single orc was able to withstand it for so much as a second.


    [You''ve in an orc berserker. Gold +80!]


    [You''ve in an orc berserker. Gold +80!]


    [You''ve in an orc berserker. Gold +80!]


    [You''ve in an orc high berserker. Gold +800!]


    [...]


    Zhang Nu''s yer screen was instantly filled with kill messages.


    His enemies were being wiped out so fast that saying that they''re being mowed down would be an understatement.


    These orc berserkers are undoubtedly an elite army, but they''re still being wiped out so easily.


    One reason for that is the vast difference in power. A level 1 or 2 Elite trying to go up against a Level 3 King is unquestionablyplete suicide.


    The second reason for it is that their full abilities are being suppressed. They can''t use any of their skills, and this includes their qi.


    Without the protection of their qi, their only defense is their raw flesh and blood, yet not there''s no way such things can withstand Dragon mes even if they''re made of steel!


    Otherwise, if these berserkers weren''t being suppressed by the Sanctum and were still able to use their qi, then while their fate won''t change much, they''d at least be able to cost Zhang Nu more MP. In such a case, with enough numbers, it may actually be possible to cause him some small issues.


    Soon, under the baptism of Dragon me, the several hundred berserkers have all died out.


    At this point however, Gaim managed to charge through right up to Zhang Nu.


    The Demon King hit him with a direct st of Dragon mes, but Gaim erupted with qi, which acted like a barrier, blocking the Dragon me.


    However, the Dragon me is just too powerful.


    Plus, Zhang Nu got the Fire God''s Blessing from killing Wang Gang, so his fire elemental attack is not something that can be easily withstood.


    Gaim used his qi to defend with all his might, but he was still badly burnt. His HP quickly withered away under the continuous force of the Dragon me.


    "Gahhh!"


    "Die!"


    Gaim''s Talent Skill is "Unlimited Berserk". The worse his injuries are, the stronger the berserk effect is, and thus the greater hisbat power bes.


    He''s not one of Berserk Beast City''s Masters of Ten Thousand for nothing.


    "Rage!"


    Gaim pushed back against the force of the mes and erupted with another wave of Qi to bounce the Dragon mes pushing against him away, raised his red hot battleax into the air, and struck!


    A Raging Mountain Splitter struck the dragon!


    With a bang, Gaim''s battleax shattered!


    It was a good weapon, but after taking continuous attacks from Dragon me and then taking the reflected damage from the Adamantine Dragon Body, it finally reached the end of its rope and shattered.


    Gaim seemed to have recovered from his berserk state then.


    He just stared, disbelieving.


    ""Interesting!"


    "You''re quite strong!"


    "For you to actually have dealt a minor flesh wound to me."


    "In that case, as a reward for your bravery, I''ll grant you a quick death!"


    The Demon King opened his mouth again, and Dragon me gathered within it. At the same time, hundreds of bolts of scarlet lightning bolts also gathered, merging into this st of Dragon me.


    The scarlet abyssal lightning and crimson abyssal dragon fire.


    Twopletely different but simrly violent energies werebining in an unbelievable way, finally giving birth to a new type of energy.


    That energy has never been seen before.


    It has the speed and fury of lighting,bined with the continuous burning effect of fire.


    Zhang Nuunched this st of Abyssal Thunderme at Gaim, who was still in midair!


    Gaim furiously drew upon his qi to try to defend, but he knew that it was pointless. This new attack is ten times quicker and stronger than the Dragon me from before!


    Gaim really has never seen such terrifying power before!


    This far exceeded the limits of what he''s capable of withstanding.


    Even that legendary father of his might not be able to take on such an attack, so how could he possibly do it?


    "Is this the difference between us?"


    "I''m not even in the same league as the Demon King!"


    The orc''s qi was instantly vaporized and the Abyssal Thunderme mmed into him, instantly sting him into charred pieces.


    [You''ve in a Berserk Beast City''s Master of Ten Thousand. Gold +25000!]


    Shock!


    Terror!


    Helplessness!


    None of those stark words are able to fully describe Du Mingfeng''s feelings at this moment.


    Even the Level 3 Lord, Gaim, was only able tost a few short moments against the Demon King.


    Du Mingfeng is even weaker than Gaim.


    Faced with this oppressive and overwhelming power, any plots or tricks arepletely pointless.


    The Demon King looked down upon him and asked, "Do you have anyst words?"


    Du Mingfeng immediately spoke, "Don''t kill me. I''ll swear loyalty to you. With my ability, I''ll definitely be of worth to you!"


    The Demon King smiled.


    This made hope bloom in Du Mingfeng''s heart.


    Yet, who could have expected that the next moment, a st of Dragon me suddenly fell,pletely enveloping him.


    "I have no need for overly ambitious subordinates!"


    Such people definitely won''t truly be loyal to anyone else.


    Du Mingfeng is this kind of person. Ambitious people like him are basically like a poisonous serpent. While they might submit when they''re weak, they''d definitely bite back if they ever find an opportunity.


    Perhaps Du Mingfeng''s capabilities exceed that of Su Yan by hundreds of times, but a Hero like that cannot be allowed to remain.


    Best just to kill him and be rid of any worries!


    [You''ve in a level 3 Hero. Soul +1. Skll Stone +1!]


    Zhang Nu let out a breath. Constantly maintaining DPS while also maintaining the Sanctum was quite exhausting, even for him.


    That said, Du Mingfeng is dead now.


    So is Gaim of Berserk Beast City.


    This battle is basically already over now.


    The elves who were watching all this from the side were all still frozen in shock.


    Is this the might of a Dragon King?


    That''s way too shocking!

 Chapter 84

    When Zhang Nu finished off Gaim and Du Mingfeng, the allied tribal army of the Ironblooded Heroes Guild and the berserker army of Berserk Beast City both became leaderless mobs.


    Adding in the resistance from the elves, they had no way to interfere with the Demon King''s subordinates and could only watch as the draconian priests cast his spells.


    The armies of Darkness Valley were brought over one group at a time.


    The Demon King''s most elite army was quickly assembled and readied forbat!


    The draconians and elves worked together and crushed the Ironblooded Heroes and the Berserk Beast City army, who could only retreat without being able to fight back!


    [You''ve in a tiger-kin warrior. Gold +20!]


    [You''ve in an orc warrior. Gold +25!]


    [You''ve in an orc berserker. Gold +80!]


    [You''ve in an orc warrior. Gold +25!]


    [You''ve in an orc high berserker. Gold +800!]


    [...]


    [You''ve in a level 2 Hero. Soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a level 1 Hero. Soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a level 1 Hero. Soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a level 2 Hero. Soul +1!]


    [...]


    The yer menu was constantly refreshed with new messages.


    The Demon King army was fiercer the longer it fought, with no mercy whatsoever.


    The Ironblooded Heroes and the Berserk Beast City armypletely copsed!


    As the bloodbath went on, just the gold ie from that reached an amazing number.


    This battle continued for over an hour. The Ironblooded Heroes and the Berserk Beast City army werepletely annihted. The numbers wiped out by the Demon King army reached up to around 10,000.


    One could say that this is the biggest battle to have happened since the Demo King''s descent. Truly, the battlefield was made into a hell of mountains of corpses and rivers of blood.


    When the citizens of Giantree City witnessed the battle, they were deeply struck with shock and awe!


    Nothing establishes the Demon King''s might better than this bloody battlefield.


    By now, the battle has reached the conclusion. The two enemy armies were basicallypletely destroyed. All that''s left is some cleaning up.


    Zhang Nu took a look.


    His gold gains here reached over 280 thousand!


    This is despite the fact that a small portion of the enemies were killed by the elven army.


    Since those elves aren''t the Demon King''s subordinates yet, their kills aren''t considered the Demon King''s kills. Otherwise, the total ie could definitely have reached 300 thousand!


    As expected.


    For Demon Kings, killing, battles, destruction, and conquest are the quickest ways to gain money and power.


    Even for Zhang Nu, 280 thousand gold is no small number. It''s more than enough to raise a great and powerful army, greatly increasing his power!


    "Very good!"


    "Let''s consider this gold as part of the tab that Giantree City still owes me!"


    Zhang Nu originally extorted 5 million continental gold from Giantree City. Converted to game gold, that''s more around 500 thousand. Giantree City had only paid 2 million, and the remaining 3 million originally went up in smoke after the First Elder''s death.


    Now though.


    Killing those guys had basically given him pretty much the equivalent of what was owed.


    This battle was enormous, so casualties were unavoidable. That said, the casualties are only equivalent to around 10-20 thousand gold,pletely insignificantpared to the gains.


    Besides which.


    Aside from the gold, Zhang Nu had also killed a great number of Heroes.


    Du Mingfeng was a level 3 Hero. The chiefs and leaders of the 8 great tribes were all level 2 Elites. The rest of them are mostly just random level 1 Heroes though.


    In total, he got 51 Souls from this battle.


    1 level 3. 9 level 2s. 41 level 1s.


    Sacrificing them can probably him around 400 or so Points. That''s still a few hundred short from the thousand mark.


    What a pity.


    If only there were a bit more Heroes.


    However, there really are no more Heroes to be found in Giantree City now.


    When Zhang Nu''s previous raid on Giantree City destroyed the headquarters of the Heros Guild and Ironblooded Heroes, he had already pretty much taken out the vast majority of all the Heroes in Giantree City.


    The ones that he killed today were all from the Ironblooded Heroes'' vassel tribes.


    While one can''t say definitively that all the Heroes within the area have been killed, there''s definitely very few, if any level 2 Heroes left. The rest are all merely level 1 n00bs.


    Zhang Nu is a bit depressed by that.


    For a Demon King, Heroes are important resources too.


    At times, a thorough purge may not necessarily be a good thing.


    It''s like how one shouldn''t take everything when harvesting veggies. One should always give it the time and space to grow back.


    Only that way will one be able to guarantee continuous harvests.


    Thankfully, the Chaos Forest spans over 5 million square kilometers. There are still plenty of cities like Giantree City around, so even if there''s no more to be harvested here, he could just switch locations and keep on harvesting.


    Besides that, there are also 5 skill stones and various equipment from the Heroes.


    Of them, the skill stone that dropped from Du Mingfeng is pretty good.


    [Skill Stone: Magic Seal]. C Rank. Costs 35 MP. One can enchant one''s weapon with the sealing effect, which applies magic seal to enemies on attack. Effect duration depends on the user and target''s respective power.


    This skill is quite useful, so Zhang Nu used it for himself right away.


    As for the remaining 4 skill stones, they''re not all that useful to him personally, but it would also be a shame to just throw them away. Thus, he just stored them with a mind to use them for trade or as rewards.


    As dusk came, the battle of Giantree City finally came to an end.


    However this is not the end of Giantree City''s trials.


    The Demon King and the vast majority of his elite army have all appeared in the center of Giantree City. Once again, the saying about how what is easy to invite in isn''t so easy to get to leave.


    Without the help of Darkness Valley this time, it would have been very difficult for the elves alone to defeat the traitor army and the elites of Berserk Beast City.


    While they used the Demon King''s power to deal with their traitors and invaders, is this not still a risky act akin to "provoking the tiger to chase away the wolf"?


    After all, a "tiger" is even worse than a "wolf".


    If the Demon King and his subordinates were to start rampaging, then Giantree City would definitely face a disaster that would destroy them.


    Nancilia brought several of the elven leaders before the Demon King. Then, this future Elf Queen did not hesitate before taking a knee and kneeling down.


    "Thank you, your majesty the Demon King!"


    "In thanks for saving Giantree City and us elves, I bring my people, my elves, to join your majesty!"


    When the thousands of elves present saw this scene, they all reacted with rm. Herdyship the city lord actually lowered herself and kneeled?


    Elves are a race with great pride!


    At that moment, murmurs started breaking out. Emotions ran high. There were many elves who weren''t willing to ept this. They even wanted to stand and publicly object.


    This made the atmosphere that had finally calmed down grow tense again.


    The slightest ident could light a spark, and the result of that would be utter destruction.


    Several elven elders saw this, and stepped forth as well.


    They followed behind their city lord and also took a knee, "Giantree City will follow your majesty the Demon King. We simply request that your majesty treat the elves with kindness!"


    The Demon King nodded with satisfaction, "My promise will stand eternally. So long as you follow me loyally, then Giantree City will always remain the home of the elves!"


    "Thank you, your majesty!"


    The other elves aren''t fools.


    The elven elders have good eyes.


    After seeing the Demon King show his King''s Sanctum, they knew that Giantree City must not, nor can they, resist this great being!


    Giantree City is merely one of many cities within the enormous Chaos Forest.


    Their branch of elves have also long since declined.


    At this point, pledging themselves to a great king of dragons isn''t actually somethingpletely uneptable. After all, the other party is a true king!


    The Demon King nodded. However his gaze swept across the area.


    The other elves are currently still standing.


    At this moment, the one armed elven Third Elder yelled out, "What are you standing about for? His majesty the Demon King saved the city lord, saved Giantree City. He''s the savior of us elves, so are we going to return his grace with betrayal?"


    "Giantree City is already gravely hurt!"


    "Berserk Beast City is also looking our way with greed!"


    "For Giantree City, for our people, we must follow his majesty the Demon King... Kneel already!"


    When they heard that, the elves lowered their weapons.


    Finally, the thousands of elves there all kneel in submission.


    At the same time, Zhang Nu got the message.


    [You''ve conquered Giantree City].


    [Gained "Shining Mithril Treasure Chest"!]


    Zhang Nu was naturally overjoyed.


    This really is a benchmark of his Demon King enterprise.


    Everything before was but minor gains. This is what true conquest is!


    This elven city with 300 years of history, the tens of thousands of elves living here, the hundreds of thousands of regr residents, and the magnificent and rich forest city.


    From now on, it has be one of the Demon King''s territories!


    Zhang Nu has gained the highest level and biggest reward chest that he has gotten thus far.


    Even the sum of all the reward chests he has gained would likely be nowhere near the value of this one!


    He didn''t hesitate and opened it up right away!

 Chapter 85

    [You''ve opened the mythril treasure chest!]


    [Gained "Gold" x1.2 million, "Blueprint: Tree of Life" x1, "Blueprint: Lifespring" x1, "Castle Leveling Scroll" x1, "Life Gem" x100, "Earth Gem" x100, "Water Gem" x100!]


    This reward shocked Zhang Nu.


    1.2 million in just gold alone!


    That''s quite the unbelievable number!


    Zhang Nu has never seen so much money before. It''s seriously unbelievable.


    The reward chests that he gained before arepletely worthless and unmentionablepared to this one!


    As for the other rewards, those are also extremely rich.


    [Blueprint: Tree of Life]. Level 3 blueprint. Costs gold x 200k, life gems x50, earth gems x 50. You can create a Tree of Life in your territory.


    The value and cost are both very expensive.


    More so than any that has ever been seen before.


    That said, it''s quite reasonable.


    The Tree of Life is a level 3 structure after all!


    This is even higher level than his territory''s level 2 spirit fields and House of Skeletons.


    Not only that, the Tree of Life is an extremely rare top se structure even among other level 3 structures. This structure is most certainly worth the cost.


    It''s a multi-functional structure.


    It''s both a unit production structure and has numerous support abilities.


    To put it simply, it can both give Zhang Nu elven units and powers to improve his territory. It''s indeed very useful.


    Other than that, he also got a level 2 blueprint and a leveling scroll specifically for castles.


    [Blueprint: Lifespring]. Level 2 blueprint. Costs gold x30k, water gems x50. You can create a Lifespring in your territory.


    This is a recovery type structure.


    Lifesprings grant a powerful healing effect.


    So long as one is within the range of the Lifespring, HP and MP recovery will speed up.


    The springwater generated from the Lifespring is also an unlimited high quality material. It can be used to produce potions or used to directly water the fields to greatly increase the quality of potions or increase production quality.


    It too is very useful for the territory.


    Zhang Nu took the rewards into his yer inventory.


    Although he was already quite satisfied with the rich rewards from the treasure chest, it''s not the only reward he should have gained from taking Giantree City.


    Take, for example, the Dark Ruins that he conquered at the very start.


    Zhang Nu had not only gotten a chest, but he also gained the left behind treasures of the former chief from a basement under the ruins.


    In that case, thetter was in fact worth even more than the rewards from the treasure chest.


    And Giantree City''s value is thousands of times greater than that minor vige.


    Right now, Zhang Nu is Giantree City''s master.


    He can order about the citizens of this city, and he is of course also able to control all the wealth and resources of the city as well.


    Giantree City''s treasury has stored within it a great deal of valuables, including gold, silver, jewelry, medicinal materials, ores, equipment, and more.


    The Demon King has no interest in the jewelry and works of art that the elves have collected.


    He only wants gold!


    Thus, he sent the elves to the treasury to bring out all the gold they could find.


    Soon after, all kinds of goldware and coins were piled up before him. From the looks of it, his previous demand of 2 million gold didn''tpletely empty out Giantree City.


    [Detected convertible gold. Would you like to convert?]


    "Convert!"


    [Conversion sessful!]


    [You''ve gained 150k gold!]


    Zhang Nu nodded, satisfied. These gold, if minted into continental gold, will make around 1.5 million. That''s not a small number by any means.


    Beyond that gold, Zhang Nu also took a haul of elemental gems.


    This includes about -- life gems, 207 earth gems, 185 water gems, 143 fire gems, and 161 wind gems. (T/N: The exact numbers for the life gems were eaten in the raws I''m using, so make due with a ceholder)


    At an estimate, they''re worth about 500k game gold on the Demon King market at market prices.


    Other than the gold and gems, he also took a great deal of good elven wine. The Demon King Castlecks quality means of pleasure and entertainment, so high quality elven wines can improve his standard of living.


    Giantree City''s treasury also contains a great deal of art and oddities, as well as various medicinal materials, ores, high quality equipment, etc...


    Those items are actually far more valuable than merely the raw gold within the city, but Zhang Nu isn''t all that interested.


    He doesn''t exactly have a good eye for elven art.


    Pretty but unusable jewelry is useless to him.


    For those things, they don''t have any real use other than to look good. Rather than taking it for his viewing pleasures, he''s better off figuring out some way to sell them to human merchants and getting gold in exchange from human civilization.


    Actually, other than the Giantree City treasury, there are also a great deal of merchant citizens and adventurers in Giantree City. Those people tend to have plenty of gold, and if he seized all of it, it would definitely sum up to be an amazing amount.


    That said, he can''t go too far here.


    While seizing private wealth might bring him a moment of joy, the end result will be utter ruin.


    Among the many forest cities, Giantree City isn''t actually particrly strong.


    The reason why this city was able to stand for 300 years and draw in so many tribes and merchants is mainly because the elves are trustworthy.


    To destroy Giantree City''s reputation for mere momentary profits will cause him far more damage in the long term!


    The greatest treasures of Giantree City aren''t these umted wealth, but rather its people.


    Zhang Nu got the records from Nancilia. Giantree City has around 50k elves, and of them, around 40k or so are normal elven peasants.


    Elven peasants are all Normal units.


    Although theirbat strength is weak, they''re all highly skilled in one or more trades such as potion making, alchemy, smithing, or farming.


    Elves are very capable when ites to production.


    If those production abilities can be utilized well, the territory''s ie will definitely explode. Compared to that, what is this bit of gold right now worth?


    The elven citizenry make up about half the general residents of the City.


    The rest tend to be various races of the Forest or merchants.


    They live within Giantree City, so they need to pay taxes every month, which makes a stable source of ie. Among them, there are also many with great skills in crafts, various talents, or a great deal of knowledge. If they can be properly used, they''re sure to show their value.


    Zhang Nu asked, "Are there any empty ces nearby Giantree City suitable for habitation?"


    When Nancilia and the Elven Elders heard that, they guessed that the Demon King must be nning to set up a long term garrison.


    Although they have some unavoidable reservations at the thought of needing to interact with the Demon King''s soldiers and the entire City''s safety and defense being controlled by the Demon King''s army, this can''t be helped either.


    Nancilia thus immediately replied.


    "There is. There''s arge in between Giantree City and Giantree Forest."


    "If your majesty the Demon King wants to set up a garrison, that location is fairly suitable. Not only is the geography wide and open, it''s also conveniently close to water sources."


    Zhang Nu nodded, "Let''s go take a look!"


    Apanied by several dozen elves, the Demon King came to a grassy in. This location immediately borders Giantree City and the towering Giantree Forest stands on the other side. The space between, however, is enough to build another two Giantree Cities within.


    Zhang Nu got curious though.


    He took a look at the Giantree Forest.


    The Forest really did make a magnificent sight.


    [Giantree Forest]. Level 3 Overlord zone. Extremely high exploration value...


    What?


    Overlord level zone?


    Zhang Nu couldn''t help but visibly react to that.


    He immediately took a closer look at the relevant information.


    Description: The Giantree Forest was once a paradise that the elves lived in for over a thousand years. Three hundred years ago, a terrible disaster swept through this forest, killing the vast majority of the elves there. Only a minor portion of the surviving elves managed to leave the Forest and build Giantree City... Although 300 years have already passed, the barrier that the elves worked together to create still seals this zone. However, the barrier''s energy has clearly weakened.


    After reading through the description, Zhang Nu finally understood.


    So that''s why the elves left the Giantree Forest to build Giantree City. It''s because they couldn''t stay in Giantree Forest anymore, so they had no choice but to move out.


    Nancilia asked in confusion, "Lord Demon King? What is it?"


    Zhang Nu shook his head, "Nothing. This location is quite good. Make some space now, I''m going to prepare a few things!"


    He had to admit it, this Overlord leveled zone did get him quite interested.


    Zones this high leveled truly are a rarity!


    That said, now isn''t the time to research this. He can form an exploration teamter on after he''s finished with his current work first!


    "Watch carefully now."


    "I shall grant Giantree City and you elves a great gift!"


    [Message: Would you like to use "Blueprint: Tree of Life" x1, gold x 200k, life gems x50, earth gems x50 to summon the Tree of Life?]


    Zhang Nu didn''t hesitate, "Yes!"


    The young elven city lord and the elven leaders were all quite confused.


    What is the Demon King acting so mysterious for? This ce is utterly empty, with only wild grass, weeds, and flowers around. What great gift is he talking about!


    Just then, all the elves react with rm.


    They all felt a powerful energy at the same time then.


    At the same time, the earth started violently shaking. The grassy in and dirt suddenly erupted out, and a sapling covered in light sprouted out from the earth.


    "This is..."


    Nancilia could clearly feel it.


    The vital energies contained within that sapling!


    The elves didn''t even have the chance to figure out what it was before that tiny sapling grew at an unfathomable pace. It got taller and taller, bigger and bigger, practically piercing the clouds!


    100 meters!


    200 meters!


    500 meters!


    ...


    That enormous canopy was like a huge umbre, nearly covering the majority of the in in an areaparable to the size of the entirety of Giantree City.


    Every single leaf was shining with magical patterns.


    It was lit up like a Christmass tree, but the light is very gentle and natural, easily lighting up an enormous area at night.


    [Tree of Life construction sessful!]


    [You''ve unlocked the ability to summon elven units!]


    [You''ve gained new summonable poption: Elf warrior +8000, elf mage +2000, elf high warrior +800, elf high mage +200, elf dragonhawk knight +100, elf dragonhawk mage +50, ancient tree high priest +1!]


    Currently, Gaintree City is veryrge in size. Bigger than even Darkness Valley.


    The Demon King''s control over this area isn''t stable yet.


    Right now, his urgent priority is to stabilize his position, and to do so, he mustbine the carrot and the stick. He has to both keep militar dominance while also winning the hearts and minds of the people.


    Therefore, Zhang Nu made the decision to ce the "Tree of Life" next to Giantree City.


    With how valuable this blueprint is and how expensive the construction cost of the Tree of Life is, logically, he should ce it in the Valley in order to guarantee its safety.


    However, after considering the pros and cons, Zhang Nu felt that cing it in the Darkness Valley is less useful and less valuable than cing it next to Giantree City.


    First of all, the Tree of Life can be used to increase the poption of elven units. Not only can it summon elven units, it''s even capable of summoning up to level 3 units.


    If Zhang Nu wants to fully control Giantree City, he first has to rece its defense forces.


    If he were to ce a draconian army here, the elves will have a hard time not feeling oppressed faced with these different and vicious looking draconians each and every day. In addition, their own pride would be hurt as well, and over time dissatisfaction is sure to arise.


    If there''s too much oppression or conflicts arise, then the loyalty value will lower.


    If he were to rece elves with elves, then such issues won''t exist anymore.


    The ones holding Giantree City will still be elves, only these elves are summoned up by the Demon King, and summoned units have their loyalty locked.


    Zhang Nu''s control over Giantree City would thus be unshakable, while the elves would at the same time slowly forget about the fact that they were conquered.


    Besides that, the "Tree of Life" is a mysterious ancient tree recorded in elven records. In the past thousands of years, no elven tribe within Chaos Forest has ever sessfully grown this legendary ancient tree.


    The fact that Zhang Nu brought this to Giantree City is the same as granting the elves of Giantree city an enormous gift.


    Thus, the elves would definitely be beside themselves with gratitude while at the same time awed with the Demon King''s powers.


    This is what it means to be loved and feared alike.


    Finally, the Tree of Life gives the highest boost to elves.


    Thus, the more elves around it, the better.


    From the standpoint of effectiveness, cing an ancient elven tree at Giantree City is far better than cing it in Darkness Valley.


    Zhang Nu nced at a few elves.


    From the look on their faces, his goal was reached.

 Chapter 86

    "A Tree of Life!"


    The young city lord''s eyes went wide.


    The other elves'' expressions were even more exaggerated.


    The elven elders ended up directly falling on their butts.


    At this moment, their minds hadpletely lost the ability to think.


    The Tree of Life is amon elven legend and ancient story.


    Tens of thousands of years ago, there was a time when a powerful and prosperous elven empire existed. The Tree of Life was something that was created back then.


    After the peak of the elven empire''s prosperity, it eventually declined and fractured.


    Afterwards, the method for growing a Tree of Life was lost to the elven race.


    In current times, there are no more Trees of Life to be found on the continent. Who could have imagined that the legendary Tree of Life would directly appear right next to Giantree City in such a shocking way.


    Itpletely goes againstmon sense and all knowledge!


    During the age of the ancient elven empire, to grow a Tree of Life required an enormous amount of time and investment. How could it just suddenly appear out of nowhere like this now.


    Not only were the young city lord and her group shocked by this scene, the citizens of Giantree City were nearly all also stunned.


    That was practically a miracle.


    It''s a miracle from the Goddess of Nature!


    Zhang Nu took a look at the relevant effects of the Tree.


    Other than unlocking elven units, it also came with the following effects:


    [Tree of Life]: Level 3 special structure. Within a radius of 10km, all units recovery speed +80%, aging speed -50%, all stats for elves +25%, training effectiveness for elves +100%, increase growth speed of nts.


    As expected, the Tree of Life''s effects are very powerful.


    It increases recovery and slows aging.


    For elves especially, it also has additional stat increases while at the same time improving elves'' training effectiveness, and the effect is very high at that.


    Finally, the Tree of Life''s powerful life energy can also nourish all life forms within its area of effect. nts especially will grow at ten times the rate.


    This effect is basically identical to that of the level 1 spirit fields.


    The Tree of Life''s radius of effect reaches up to 10km from it. This area of effect is far beyond that of a normal spirit field. The surrounding ins can basically thus all be remade into spirit fields, gardens, or orchards.


    One can imagine just how much value it can produce.


    As expected of a top ss level 3 blueprint.


    The huge amount of gold and resources that Zhang Nu spent was worth it.


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied either way, "Lady Nancilia. Do you elves like this gift of mine?"


    The young city lord came back to herself.


    She practically bounced three meters into the air in joy, "Wow! It''s just amazing! Such abundant life energy! I feel like I''m submerged in a hot spring. Thank you, Your Majesty. We''ll definitely properly protect the Tree of Life."


    This Tree was mysterious in it appearing out of nowhere, but what did that matter?


    The Tree of Life is the real thing!


    For the elven race, being able to stay near the Tree of Life is absolutely the best living environment ever!


    The young city lord no longer had any reservations about the Demon King governing Giantree City anymore. She even has thoughts that the Demon King might be a divine emissary sent by the Goddess of Life.


    How else could he have created such a miracle?


    Zhang Nu could observe the loyalty values of the elves steadily climbing. From now on, there won''t be any more elves who would dare to question the Demon King''s right to rule Giantree City.


    Of course, besides just winning hearts and minds, he also can''t ck on the military might.


    The greatest value of the Tree of Life for the Demon King is the fact that it unlocked many new units in a single go.


    Of them are:


    [Elf Warrior]. Level 1 Elite. Costs 150 gold.


    [Elf Mage]. Level 1 Elite. Costs 300 gold.


    [Elf High Warrior]. Level 2 Elite. Costs 1500 gold.


    [Elf High Mage]. Level 2 Elite. Costs 3000 gold.


    [Elf Dragonhawk Knight]. Level 3 Elite. Costs 15,000 gold.


    [Elf Dragonhawk Mage]. Level 3 Elite. Costs 30,000 gold.


    [Ancient Tree High Priest]. Level 3 Lord. Costs 150,000 gold.


    Zhang Nu discovered that elven units are very expensive.


    The Level 1 Elite elf warrior actually costs 150 gold. Compare that to the simrly level 1 Elite draconian soldier, which costs only 100 gold.


    However, be it in attack or defense power, the draconian soldier is obviously stronger.


    From that point of view, summoning elves doesn''t seem to be worth it.


    Truthfully though, that kind ofparison isn''t actually all that urate.


    The draconian warrior is his racial unit after all. It''s generally going to be the most cost effective. Plus, theoretically speaking, so long as their upkeep can be met, then there''s basically no upper limit to the number that can be summoned.


    A truly mature Demon King can''t just rely on his own racial units though.


    All races have their own specializations and advantages.


    Although draconian soldiers are very much perfectbat units, the elf warrior has distinct advantages in certain aspects.


    For example, the elf warrior is capable of meleebat white at the same time being supreme archers. For another example, their vision is better and they''re dexterous and agile, making them far better at scouting and whatnot.


    All in all, a Demon King should have all kinds of monsters following him.


    Only bybining the specialties of all kinds of units can the strongest army be forged.


    Zhang Nu also noticed that among the units unlocked by the Tree of Life, there''s a Lord leveled "Ancient Tree High Priest". This is even stronger than the current draconian general and draconian priest, but only one can be summoned.


    Well, he''s flush right now, so he just directly summoned it.


    A mature elven beauty wearing dark green robes flew on down from the Tree of Life before respectfully kneeling down before him.


    "Thank you, my lord, for summoning me!"


    "This one shall serve you with my all!"


    The young city lord was very curious.


    She started looking over this unfamiliar brethren.


    She could feel that this elf is very strong!


    "This one is?"


    The Ancient Tree High Priestess answered on her own, "I''m an elven priestess of the tree from a faraway elven country. I''ve appeared here to answer my lord''s summoning!"


    The Demon King''s summoning ability, is it?


    The Young city lord already knew that Demon Kings seem to have the ability to summon minions.


    She just never imagined that it wasn''t just the draconians of the abyss world who would answer the summoning. That he could even summon elves from a faraway nation.


    "From today on, many more elves will continue to be brought here."


    "They will join Giantree City and be yourrades."


    The young city lord was very happy, "That''s great! Giantree City is an elven city, so we''ll warmly wee fellow elves from anywhere else!"


    The elven elders were quite happy as well.


    The recent tulmults had weakened the elves of Giantree City by quite a bit.


    If many more strong elves were to join them and replenish the strength that the elves had lost, then that''s obviously a good thing for Giantree City.


    Zhang Nu then spoke to the Ancient Tree High Priestess, "You''re the first to descend from this Ancient Tree, and you''re the priestess and guardian of the ancient tree as well, so from now on, you''ll be known as Gu Yi!"


    The Ancient Tree High Priestess immediately replied, "Thank you, my lord, for granting me my name!"


    Zhang Nu nned to summon up another 2000 elf warriors and 500 elf mages. In total, it will cost him another 450k gold.


    This is by no means a small amount.


    Before he conquered Giantree City, Zhang Nu would have had a very hard time using so much gold in one go.


    However, after taking Giantree City, he now has abundant riches, so even such mass spendings won''t feel like too much of a burden anymore.


    With these additional 2,500 elves, not only has the Demon King army greatly increased in power, they''re also enough to take over the defenses of Giantree City.


    This way, the entirety of Giantree City, from the protective barriers, to the arrow and magic towers, to all other misceneous defenses will now be controlled by his own elves.


    As for the military forces made of the other elves?


    Zhang Nu naturally won''t waste them either.


    After those military forces are properly reorganized, they''ll also be part of the Demon King army. They''ll be put to great effect in future battlefields.


    Zhang Nu waspletely swamped with work over the next few days.


    He spent all his time on the development of his territory and the reorganization of Giantree City.


    ...


    At the same time, 500 km away.


    Something rted to Zhang Nu was currently happening.


    Here stands a mighty looking city on a deste mountain.


    Its name is feared within a thousand kilometers: Berserk Beast City.


    "What?"


    "Failed?"


    "Gaim was killed!"


    An old orc, as fierce looking as a lion, heard the nightmarish news.


    He let out an enraged roar and a powerful wave of qi was released from his body, stirring up cutting tempest right in that room.,


    Cuts appeared all over the pirs, walls, and floors.


    The unlucky orc who reported the news was yed all over.


    Although he was covered in blood, he still didn''t dare to move a single muscle.


    "Damned Giantree City. Damned elves. My hatred won''t be quenched unless I kill all of you!"


    At this moment, a young orc stepped forth.


    "Father, from the information that we got back the reason why we lost this time is mainly because the assassination failed. Thus allowing Nancilia, who should have been killed, to work together with the Demon King, causing the elves to turn on our forces the moment the battle started."


    The old orc frowned, "You''re the one who rmended those four Heroes!"


    The young orc replied, "That''s where the problem came from. Those four Heroes have quite the fame among us and they''re very experienced in infiltrating Demon King territory. Given their strength, logically speaking, they shouldn''t have failed..."


    "I think the problem is with the Demon King. We should send out more spies and collect information about the Demon King and his minions."


    Given how things have progressed, this is the only way now.


    The old orc coldly spoke, "It looks like there are great differences in strength between individual Demon Kings. You need to get stronger as soon as possible."


    The young orc gave a confident smile, "I believe that it won''t take long before I can reach level 4, making me the furthest ahead by far among current Heroes."


    "Of course, an extremely strong Demon King appearing now isn''t a bad thing either. If I can kill such an extremely strong Demon King, then not only can I easily reach level 4, I''ll even be able to push my Berserk Beast Qi to a high rank of mastery!"


    The old orc was very satisfied.


    He has hundreds of sons.


    Of them, two of them are the most exceptional.


    One is Gaim, and the other is the one before him now.


    This son was originally slightly weaker than Gaim, but ever since he became a Hero a month or so ago, his growth has been terrifying with the support from Berserk Beast City.


    Currently, he has far surpassed Gaim, approaching the gate to level 4.


    The fastest way for a Hero to improve in strength is to kill Demon Kings.


    The stronger the Demon King killed, the greater the improvement gained.


    The old orc doesn''t understand the logic behind it.


    However, if Berserk Beast City were to gain another being capable of fighting against a level 4 Lord in addition to himself, then their might and influence would greatly increase!


    When that timees, what would Giantree City matter anymore?


    Everything within a thousand kilometers will all be ruled by Berserk Beast City!


    The old orc is just very concerned about the Demon King that has now appeared near Giantree City now. His instincts tell him that this Demon King is certain to be a major threat sooner orter if he''s not dealt with.

 Chapter 87

    Giantree City has already stabilized, so Zhang Nu immediately returned to Darkness Valley.


    Right now, he currently has 1.1 million gold on hand and he ns on spending it on structures and summonings.


    The first thing that he wants is obviously to upgrade his base.


    [Do you want to level up the Demon King Castle? Every level up costs "Castle Leveling Scroll" x1, darkness gems x50, steel x2000, stone x5000, wood x5000, gold x80,000!]


    So much materials required?


    That''s not cheap at all.


    That said, given that it''s the core of his territory, the castle still needs to be leveled up!


    The other materials are mostly easy, but darkness gems are one of the more rare types of gems, so 50 of them is not a small number.


    Thus, Zhang Nu contacted the Demon King Wang Shi.


    Currently, that guy is a famed gem supplier.


    Bloody Giant Wang Shi greeted him right away: "Bro, buying gems again eh? How much this time? Worry not, I''ll definitely give you the best market price!"


    Zhang Nu replied, "50 darkness gems!"


    Bloody Giant Wang Shi: "What? 50? That much!"


    Zhang Nu: "Can you do it? If not, I''ll have to look elsewhere for them."


    Bloody Giant Wang Shi: "Who says I can''t? I''m a top tier individual too, you know. Although darkness gems are a bit harder to get, given my current ability, it''s still very much possible."


    Zhang Nu did not waste any more words: "Name a price then!"


    Bloody Giant Wang Shi, "We''re old acquaintances, so it''ll be 2000 gold per gem. This is the best price already. Given the current market, there''s no way you can get this price from anyone else."


    2000 gold per gem.


    So 50 gems makes it 100k gold.


    Zhang Nu replied with a single word: "Deal!"


    Bloody Giant Wang Shi: "Give me two days!"


    The problem of materials has thus been resolved.


    That said, it will still take time until the gems can be delivered.


    Therefore, Zhang Nu first used the other blueprint.


    [Do you want to use "Blueprint: Lifespring" x1, gold 30,000, and water gems x50 to summon Lifespring?]


    This level 32 structure is rtively simple in terms of materials.


    Zhang Nu chose to ept without hesitation and ced the Lifespring right in front of the Demon King Castle. This will be the location of the central za for the future Darkness City.


    [Lifespring construction sessful!]


    [Lifespring]. Level 2 special structure. Within a radius of 5000 meters, all targets recovery speed +100%. Produces 10 cubic meters of lifespring water every day.


    Nice.


    The moment the Lifespring was summoned, the builders who were busy building Darkness City all felt refreshed and energized. Their stamina was being rapidly restored.


    This spring has an enormous area of effect. Zhang Nu is still under the effect of the spring even when he''s sitting inside the Castle.


    The Demon King Castle itself has a very strong strengthening effect on the Demon King, and now, with the additional effect of the Spring''s buff, it''s going to be near impossible for any Hero to defeat him here.


    Beyond that, this Spring also produces 10 cubic meters of Lifespring water.


    If it''s used to water nts, then not only can it boost the quality of the produce, it can also increase the production rate by 30 times!


    Zhang Nu''s level 2 farms already had a 15 times growth rate increase, so if the springwater is added in, then it can reach 45 times. That''s utterly broken!


    Of course, the springwater is limited in quantity.


    It''s not really worth it to use for normal crops.


    The main use is going to be for growing valuable resources.


    The springwater can also be directly drunk or used to brew potions.


    Zhang Nu considered the fact that he had recruited so many elves. Among elves, there are many individuals with the ability to make potions. Thus, in the future, they can be made into a potion making group. Not only can they supply him, but the potions can also be sold beyond the Forest or to other Demon Kings.


    Potions are quite a profitable business!


    This is especially true given that he now has the Lifespring, Tree of Life, and Spirit Field Farms. With them, Zhang Nu will never need to worry about materials for them.


    Next, Zhang Nu expanded the poption.


    He spent 500k gold to summon up 5000 soldiers in one go.


    His racial poption thus broke through the 5 digit mark to reach 11163 in total.


    Of them, there''s 2500 draconianborers, 1200 highborers, 100 draconian craftsmen, 6550 normal soldiers, 165 high soldiers, 15 super soldiers, 25 draconian battlemages, 5 mystic draconian battlemages, 2 draconian generals, and 1 draconian priest.


    The battle of Giantree City made Zhang Nu aware of certain issues.


    For example, the draconian priest''s ability to teleport soldiers isn''t strong enough.


    A single draconian priest''s teleportation field can only teleport a few hundred units at once, and the teleportation field, when set up, will only be in effect for an hour.


    In order to make up for theck in duration and effectiveness, the best way is to summon up a few more draconian priests.


    If he had two draconian priests, then that tactic would be much more flexible.


    For example, if he were to ce a draconian priest each in both Giantree City and Darkness Valley and have them both maintain a teleportation field, then there won''t be any more one hour time limit. Teleportations can be done at any moment, for as long as he wants.


    Or if he were to ce two priests in Giantree City at the same time and have them take turns recovering MP and activating teleportations, then he''d be able to double his army teleportation speed...


    As Zhang Nu thought of that, he summoned up 8 draconian generals and 2 draconian priests!


    Each draconian general costs 15k gold and each draconian priest costs 30k gold. He spent 180k gold with that purchase, but it''s not all that expensive for him.


    This way, he now has 10 draconian generals and 3 draconian priests!


    It''s not that Zhang Nu didn''t want to summon more draconian priests though. It''s just that a condition for summoning Draconian priests is that 3000 additional poption is required for each new summoning.


    With the current state of his territory, it could at most support 3 draconian priests.


    As for draconian generals, their requirements are far lower. They only require 500 normal soldiers or 50 high soldiers to generate an additional spot.


    This is pretty good though!


    After this new, huge round of summonings, the draconian army had explosively expanded.


    With the army made from those 10 draconian generals, 3 draconian priests, and nearly 7000 draconianbat units, it''s more than enough to take over a good section anywhere in the Chaos Forest, as well as being enough to intimidate any current faction within the Forest.


    Yet, this still isn''t Zhang Nu''s full force.


    Even without counting the misceneousbat units he has like skeleton soldiers or minotaurs, Zhang Nu currently has a summoned elven army of around 2500 in Giantree City. Add in Giantree City''s native elven army of around 7000 or so, this is another elite army of nearly 10,000.


    In summary, Zhang Nu''s current military might is already quite powerful.


    Although it''s still nowhere near enough to truly fight against actual countries, it''s at least capable of directly threatening any Forest City within the Chaos Forest. At worst, it''s still enough to easily take over a good section of the Forest.


    ...


    While Zhang Nu was being ambitious and wildly expanding his military, at the same time, constant sounds of joy andughter wereing out from inside the city lord''s main office for Giantree City.


    Three natural ckers who ended up fast friends at first sight were currently gathered there with a newly created deck of poker cards and were currently having a fun time ying.


    "Pair of eights!"


    "Pair of tens!"


    "Pair of kings!"


    "Hehe, that''s that!"


    Zhang Nu would certainly have been shocked if he was here.


    It''s because the three girls here are: Flower Demon King Chen Guoguo, city lord of Giantree City Nancilia, and the Hero yer Su Yan.


    A Demon King, a Hero, and a native city lord.


    The three of them were actually having fun together.


    And they looked like they were quite friendly at that.


    That''s a seriously strange scene there!

 Chapter 88

    Su Yan is Zhang Nu''s subordinate.


    Nancilia is one of Zhang Nu''s vassals.


    And Chen Guoguo is a Demon King. Although she''s nowhere near as powerful as Zhang Nu, she is technically equal to him in terms of status. The two of them were originally partners cooperating with each other.


    That said, she considers herself a huge fan of the boss Zhang Nu, so she basically is one of said boss''s subordinate''s too.


    She has been given permission to freely enter and exit Giantree City.


    Chen Guoguo was extremely honored by that.


    Normally, Demon Kings would be on their guard against one another.


    The boss allowed her to freely enter an important base of his.


    What does that mean? It''s unquestionably recognition and faith in her!


    Ever since Chen Guoguo came to Giantree City, she ended up getting acquainted with the Hero Su Yan and the city lord Nancilia.


    Although their statuses and factions are technically different, the three of them ended up getting along right away, and by now, they''re already fast friends.


    Beyond the fact that they personally got along, they each also made up for ces where the others werecking.


    Chen Guoguo is a Demon King yer. She has the Demon Kings'' chat and market abilities, so she could buy or sell materials that Su Yan might want for her, and she can also share various current information that might be useful.


    Su Yan is a Hero yer. She has an easy time moving about to any other city, so she can collect information and at the same time collect all kinds of resources in various ces. If she works together with Chen Guoguo to then sell those materials to other Demon Kings, the two of them would then be able to split the profits.


    Zhang Nu is obviously capable of doing this kind of enterprise too.


    The markets of Giantree City can be used to buy tons of resources like food, potions ingredients, various raw materials, etc. There are plenty of materials there that Demon Kings have shortages of.


    So long as they can buy low and sell high, the profits from that are pretty great.


    That said, Zhang Nu is limited in the amount of time and attention that he has. He doesn''t have the time to spend all day watching the Demon Kings'' Markets, nor does he have the time to haggle out deals with the merchants within the city.


    Thus, he simply left that kind of stuff to the Flower Fey Demon King, the Hero girl, and the young city lord to deal with. That way, they could earn some profits from it as well.


    "Guoguo, about the seeds, I already told the elders to help collect and buy them, so why don''t you just stay in Giantree City to rx and y for a few days!"


    Chen Guoguo was overjoyed at the news, "Thanksdy city lord!"


    The Flower Fey Demon King''s race has the ability to improve, develop, and produce seeds.


    Chen Guoguo thus needed more and better seeds to start with. Only then can she make even better super seeds with even better effects and higher value. This is her core specialty, as well as the reason why she''s so valued by the boss.


    One of her main goals here foring to Giantree City this time was naturally to collect the seeds for all kinds of rare and valuable nts and ingredients.


    This matter is obviously made far easier with Nancilia''s help. She can take advantage of the elves'' connections and sources and help the Flower Fey Demon King to get seeds from all around the Forest.


    "Stop calling me city lord!"


    "You guys should just call me Nancy!"


    The young city lord spoke, "Su Yan''s cards are really fun. Why haven''t I ever imagined that these little paper cards could actually be used for so many interesting little games!"


    The Hero girl Su Yan.


    Her raw power is the weakest among the three girls.


    That said, during all this time, she has been taking a draconian squad to run around everywhere to hunt and kill monsters, so she has improved quite a bit as well. By now, she has reached a high tier among level 2 Elites.


    When she heard those words, Su Yan grinned, "Ifdy Nancy likes it so much, then you can have this set of cards. We have lots more fun stuff still. Next time, let''s bring the boss in too. With the four of us, we''ll have just the right number to y mahjong."


    "What''s mahjong?"


    "Hehe. A little game where you create order from chaos!"


    Nancilia''s eyes sparkled.


    The basic life within a Forest City originally can be considered a wastnd for entertainment!


    While Nancilia looks like she''s around 13-14 on the outside, in reality, being an elf, she has actually been living in dullness for several decades now.


    She''s never seen board games, cards, or whatnot invented by humans from another world.


    She was immediately and intensely hooked, wanting to properly experience each and every one that she can.


    Nancilia also quite likes her two new friends.


    Although the other elves are quite friendly, due to her status as one who bears the potential to be queen, everyone tends to treat her with awe and respect. The appearance of this Demon King and Hero pair finally let her experience what it''s like to have normal friends for the first time.


    Su Yan and Chen Guoguo were having fun too.


    In their eyes, Giantree City is filled with gold and opportunities.


    For example, they can use the poker cards in their hands to open up a casino, and with it, they''d be able to earn money hand over fist from merchants and the various tribes all around the forest.


    There''s no way that the boss has the time or energy to bother with a lot of minor enterprises.


    Thus, they, as subordinates, can do it in his ce. They''d be able to earn even more gold for the boss, and they themselves would be able to enjoy a portion of the profits as well.


    Thus, the three ckers ended up ying cards the entire afternoon.


    Then the young city lord nned to take the other two all around Giantree City for a tour.


    However, at that moment, she felt an abnormal signal from the northeast.


    That''s where the Tree of Life is. Could something wrong have happened to the Tree? Nancilia turned vignt. The Tree has brought the elves a lot of good, so they must not allow anything to happen to it.


    She hurriedly rushed over to the Tree.


    It looked like a battle had urred here.


    Nancilia didn''t see any enemy corpses around, but there was an evil aura in the air that made her very ufortable


    "Miss Gu Yi, what happened here?"


    The Ancient Tree High Priest spoke, "A group of unknown elves suddenly appeared near the Tree, but they''ve already been destroyed without doing any damage."


    The young city lord let out a relieved sigh.


    The Tree of Life is where the army rotated out from Giantree City is based. Add in the level 3 Lord Ancient Tree High Priest watching over them, that''s more than enough to deal with any sneak attack.


    Although this particr sneak attack was not particrly powerful, it''s still enough to greatly concern the young city lord.


    The Flower Fey Demon King asked in confusion, "It''s one thing if the attack is from some foolish forest natives, but this is the home turf of the elves, so how is it that evil spirits have appeared here?"


    The young city lord frowned deeply, "The Tree of Life is located between Giantree City and the Giantree Forest, so those evil spirits could only havee from one ce."


    Su Yan was shocked, "Eh? In that case then, they came out from Giantree Forest? But isn''t that forest a forbiddennd of the elves?"


    The young city lord nodded, "Yes. That Forest was the earlier home of our race. Our ancestors had lived there for over a thousand years, and our duty for generations after generations was to keep guard over an ancient seal under the Giantree Forest.


    The magnificent looking Giantree Forest was originally an enormous seal.


    Nancilia''s tribe has settled here originally in order to keep guard over that seal.


    Three hundred years ago, however, a problem urred with the seal, which had brought forth a great disaster, causing enormous casualties among the elves of that time.


    Although the chief at the time had used their own life as the price and finally seeded in repairing the seal, the environment of the Giantree Forest was no longer suitable for habitation.


    It''s exactly for that reason that the elves left and then built Giantree City.


    This is the history behind the birth of Giantree City.


    The young city lord spoke with a frown, "When the elves left Giantree Forest, in order to prevent anything bad from leaving, they activated an enormous barrier over the Forest. Ever since then, no one from the outside could go in, and nothing from inside cane out either."


    "The barrier over the Giantree Forest has been weakening the entire time. Add in the powerful energy disruptions caused by the Tree of Life, a major problem may very well have urred with it already!"


    "This is a major threat to both the Tree of Life and Giantree City!"


    It can be said that the situation is bad.


    This elven branch was very powerful back when they were at their strongest, but by now, they''ve already declined by a great deal.


    They''ve long since lost the ability to repair the barrier.


    If the barrier over the Giantree Forest were topletely copse, while it would be hard to gauge the consequences, it''s one hundred percent guaranteed though that it would threaten the Tree of Life and Giantree City.


    Su Yan spoke, "Lady Nancy, what are you so worried about? Even if the current elves can''t deal with it anymore, we still have people above who can be called upon!"


    Nancy paused for a moment, "You mean his majesty the Demon King?"


    "That''s right. Giantree City is the boss''s territory now, so no matter what kind of demons or ghouls it is, any that dares to threaten this ce is basically making an enemy out of the boss!"


    Chen Guoguo nodded, "That''s right. I''ll help you PM the boss now. I have faith that the boss can definitely solve the problem!"


    That''s true enough.


    The elves have gotten used to relying on themselves, so Nancy almost forgot that she now has a powerful backer behind her!


    At this moment, she felt even more deeply that subordinating themselves under a great Demon King really isn''t a bad thing after all. Whenever there''s an emergency, he could be brought out to save them.


    Chen Guoguo is able to let Zhang Nu understand the situation right away via PM.


    He wasn''t surprised at the change with the Giantree Forest at all.


    Actually, back when he was building the Tree of Life, he had already noticed the problem with Giantree Forest. He also noticed that the barrier wouldn''t be able to hold on for much longer.


    This is an Overlord leveled zone!


    He''s never seen the kind before.


    This location has high exploration value.


    Zhang Nu was quite interested from the start, and he had nned to go exploring it soon for himself. Now that this incident has happened, he won''t be putting it off any longer.


    When the Demon King arrived, the entrance to the Giantree Forest was filled with an army of elves.


    The Tree of Life elves were mostly calm, but the elves of Giantree City were very worried. After all, thetter had a far better understanding of the secrets of the Giantree Forest.


    "Boss!"


    "Boss!"


    "Your Majesty!"


    The three girls came up to him.


    "Our armies are already assembled and prepared!" Nancilia spoke, "We can deploy at yourmand!"


    Zhang Nu thought for a moment before speaking, "The current situation is unknown right now, so the army should stay on standby for now. After all, the target''s just too big and the terrain isn''t very good for mobility either. For now, I n to first go in myself to check out the situation!"


    The young city lord found that quite logical.


    This ce has already be a forbidden area for the elves, and no one has gone in for 300 years now. Who knows what the situation within is like, so they can''t just recklessly deploy the army right away. Otherwise, it would only cause avoidable casualties.

 Chapter 89

    Zhang Nu selected 12 followers toe along with him.


    Nancilia, the Ancient Tree High Priestess and 10 elves of Giantree City.


    Nancilia and the Ancient Tree High Priestess are both level 3 Lords.


    They''re first ss powerhouses within Giantree Forest.


    As for the other 10 Giantree City elves, they''re all either elders or other elites, all of them being top contenders among level 3 Elite units. Some have even reached the strength of pseudo Lords.


    Zhang Nu led his squad past the barrier proper and began this adventure.


    Zhang Nu noticed that something was wrong the moment that he entered.


    The hundreds of enormous trees all around were all wilted and half dead. The ground too is barren of grass or any other life, being dry and cracked like a desert wastnd.


    This ispletely unlike what it looked like from the outside.


    So the barrier even had a beautification lens effect?


    Zhang Nu scanned a tree, and information popped up.


    [Elven Giant Tree]. A magical giant tree created by elves via secret methods. It has a nearly unlimited natural lifespan and can act as living space for elves as well as energy suppliers forrge scale magical formations. However, this tree''s life has long since been drained to its limits.


    These giant trees are enormous, just like the Tree of Life.


    However, they can''t actuallypare to the Tree of Life. They''re basically just the elven version of skyscrapers, their main purpose is just to act as residences.


    Of course, since they''re big enough, they can also absorb and store plenty of energy from the environment, so they''remonly used as "sr batteries" as well.


    The current hundreds of giant trees of the Giantree Forest not only provided living quarters for the elves, but also maintained an enormous seal.


    Zhang Nu didn''t see any information rting to the seal yet.


    Thus, he asked, "What''s the situation with the seal here?"


    Nancilia exined, "Our tribe has lived here for generations since several thousand years ago, and it''s all in order to keep guard over this Giantree seal."


    As she said that, she scratched her head.


    "The seal really is simply too ancient."


    "The seal had already existed here way back when our ancestors first arrived here."


    "I''m unsure of what the background is, but based on the tales passed down, the Giantree formation sealed up a portion of an evil god''s body. If the seal were to be destroyed, then it would bring forth cmity to the entire Forest."


    An evil god''s body?"


    Seriously?


    Before he even had a chance to properly process this information, the Ancient Tree High Priest gave a warning, "Enemies have appeared!"


    Zhang Nu had already detected it.


    It was dozens, maybe even up to a hundred partially transparent spirits.


    They suddenly dove out from the branches and trunks of the trees tounch a sneak attack.


    [Undead Elves]. Level 3 Elite... Skills: Death Arrow (D Rank), de of Rot (D Rank), Death Wail (D Rank), Undead Self-Destruct (D Rank), etc.


    Description: Formerly elves of the Giaintree Forest, due to having been corrupted by evil energy, they turned into evil spirits after death. They are strong at both range and melee, and they retained a small portion of their former intellect.


    Level 3 Elite?


    Undead monster?


    Nancilia gasped, "They''re those of my people who died!"


    "How did they turn into undeads!"


    The undeads didn''t all charge at them. A portion of them quickly closed the distance with des in hand, while the rest remained up in midair while forming bows and arrows to deal with the invaders.


    This proves that their intelligence hasn''tpletely disappeared yet.


    "Hah! Worthless tricks!" Zhang Nu spoke calmly, "These elves have suffered. Let us help grant them peace!"


    "Yes!"


    The Ancient Tree High Priest raised her staff.


    A green barrier blocked the Death Arrows.


    Before the undead were able to get any closer or do anything else, the Ancient Tree High Priest mmed her staff into the ground with both hands, and a light filled with holy energies immediately sted out in all directions.


    The undead elves, after being bathed in the light, let out a piercing screech before beingpletely disintegrated.


    This is the C ranked spell "Light of Purification". Not only is the area of effect for the skill veryrge, it can both remove negative status from those within the effect while at the same time being able to cause enormous damage to undead beings, especially the ghostly types.


    [You''ve in an undead elf. Gold +1200!]


    [You''ve in an undead elf. Gold +1200!]


    [You''ve in an undead elf. Gold +1200!]


    [...]


    When Zhang Nu saw the messages, he couldn''t help but nod in satisfaction.


    Level 3 Elite monsters are great!


    No matter how weak they are, any level 3 Elite monsters will yield at least 1000 or so gold in reward per kill.


    After their cast of Purifying Light, it instantly took down around 20 of them, which yielded him around 24k or so in just gold alone.


    It''s not just great, it''s practically a gold mine!


    For anyone else,ing here would be a major mistake.


    But for him, finding a zone this high leveled is not easy!


    These past few days, due to having wildly expanded his army, he spent a huge amount of gold. Thus, he''ll need to properly make up for his spendings with this gold mine here!


    Nancilia and the other elves hade back to themselves as well.


    The Demon King is right. Although they used to be their brethren, they''re already dead now. Rather than leaving them to continue to be controlled by evil, it''s better to instead release them from this existence and grant them peace!


    Thus, under Nancilia''s lead, the ten elves all acted as well and destroyed these undead elves in only a little bit.


    While these undead elves are level 3 Elites in terms of power, they''re not actually especially strong among level 3 Elite units in terms of power either. Thus, one can''t consider them to be particrly strong, and in fact, one can even say that they''re rather weak, rtively speaking.


    Yet, of those here, the 10 elves are all at least top ranked among those Level 3 Elite units.


    The young city lord Nancilia and the Ancient Tree High Priestess Gu Yi are even level 3 Lord units.


    The former is a major contender among those strongest level 3 Lord units. Thetter has great abilities especially effective against ghosts, necromantic beings. It can even act as support and help those on their own side to heal and recover.


    In this situation, Zhang Nu didn''t even need to personally fight at all. He could just leave his subordinates to help him grind the mobs.


    Thus, they dove into the depths of the Giantree Forest while at the same time clearing out the undead that tried to pop out from everywhere. That said, it didn''t take much time or effort before they wiped out hundreds of enemies.


    [You''ve in an undead elf. Gold +1200!]


    [You''ve in an undead elf. Gold +1200!]


    [You''ve in an undead elf. Gold +1200!]


    ...


    The gold numbers continued to rise.


    In just a little bit, while the Demon King hasn''t fought at all, he had already earned around 1.45 million gold.


    Zhang Nu kind of had no words.


    And of cmity? More like heaven!


    While the undead elves have very strong attack power, their defenses are actually extremely fragile andcking in strength, making them easily killed. Then there''s the fact that they''re quite numerous as well.


    Zhang Nu has never seen a ce like this before.


    For him, the more thates at him, the better.


    Of course, Zhang Nu didn''t dare to get careless either.


    He knew from his information message that this location is a level 3 Overlord zone.


    That means that this ce has at least one level 3 Lord unit to stay on guard. Against beings like that, even for Zhang Nu, it''s not something that he can be careless about. This is also why he decided to purposefully hide his strength.


    Otherwise, if this information gets leaked, his opponents would then have the chance to prepare for it.


    At that point, it wouldn''t be nearly so easy to deal with them.


    At this moment, in the center of the Giantree Forest, a crystal ball floated in the center of a dpidated temple.


    The figures shown through the crystal ball was that group of people constantly trying to kill those undead and are pressing arduously towards the deepest ce in the Forest.


    "Chief!"


    "They''ve already fallen into our trap!"


    "The elven haired elf is an immature Elf Queen-to-be."


    "She''s definitely the current leader of the tribe, but her strength isn''t as great as we imagined!"


    Two undeads with only bones left and wearing huge cloaks were currently speaking to a ck robed elf who was currently sitting cross-legged under the crystal ball.


    That ck robed elf waspletely withered and covered in wrinkles. His eyes werepletely crimson and had dark spots all over his face. One could tell that he was not a living person with just a look.


    "It''s been three hundred years."


    "Has our race really be this weak?"


    "Even an elf queen only has this much power?"


    The ck robed elf spoke emotionlessly, "That said, they''vee at just the right time. By draining the blood of a King, I will be able to recover back to my peak status. In addition, by watering the seal with a King''s blood, it can speed up the awakening of that great one below."


    "But..."


    A skeleton couldn''t help but speak up, "They also have a draconian among them. Since the start, he alone hasn''t fought at all. Even now, we still have no idea what he''s actually capable of."


    The ck robed elf was utterly dismissive toward those words.


    "No matter how strong he is, he''s at most a level 3."


    "Although my strength can''tpare to back when I was at my peak, I''m at least utterly confident in my ability to handle anyone within the realm of level 3."


    The two skeletons found that reasonable.


    Even that elf queen is only so strong.


    She isn''t even any stronger than the two of them, which is farckingpared to the chief.


    Besides, it''s only a dozen or so individuals.


    There''s no way that they''ll be of any threat no matter how strong they are.


    Just how strong coult that strange draconian be? Right now, the entire Giantree Forest is under their control, so a mere dozen individuals can''t possibly do anything. They''d be able to crush these intruders even if they were to simply pile on them with numbers!


    Given that, there''s no need to worry.


    They can simply open up the defensive lines and allow the intruders entry.


    The moment they get in deep, there''s no way that they''d be able to escape.


    Of course, this requires that they manage to get here with their lives in the first ce. There are several terrifying beings waiting for them on the way here still, so it''s unknown if they could even sessfully get here in the first ce.


    Should that happen, then they''d definitely regret it.


    All they can do is regret having underestimated their foes.


    How could they have brought so few people to try to tackle the forbiddennd?

 Chapter 90

    [You''ve in an undead elf. Gold +1200!]


    [You''ve in an undead elf. Gold +1200!]


    [You''ve in an undead elf. Gold +1200!]


    [...]


    From start till now, they''ve killed around 200 or so undead, and from them, received an enormous fortune of around 250k gold.


    That said, after fighting the entire way, everyone has gotten somewhat tired.


    The Ancient Tree High Priestess casted a "Quickened Recovery" on everyone to increase the speed of their stamina and MP recovery.


    "My lord, these undead elves seemed to be controlled by something!"


    "Yes, I''ve noticed too. They''re trying to lure us deeper in while at the same time grinding away our strength in order to prevent us from retreating."


    The undead elves have low intelligence, so this situation must have someone directing it from the back.


    Nancilia hurriedly spoke, "No wonder I kept feeling like someone''s watching us. There''s probably some sneaky guy currently watching us through a magic item or something!"


    Zhang Nu was somewhat surprised at that.


    He had the same feelings as well, only he just wasn''t all that certain.


    Nancilia''s instincts and senses really are quite amazing.


    She continued to speak, "Since we know full well that this is a trap, then let''s not keep going in anymore. Rather, we should instead go back and formte a strategy before bringing even more people in to deal with them."


    "There''s no need for that."


    Zhang Nu distributed a new batch of potions to the group. With the potions and the support from the Ancient Tree High Priestess, they won''t be so easily exhausted.


    He rather wants to see just who''s doing all this.


    Giantree City is his territory.


    It will bring great wealth to the Demon King in the future.


    No matter what it is, so long as they dare to threaten Giantree City, it''s the same as making an enemy out of him. Thus, it must be purged without the slightest trace remaining.


    Zhang Nu has the confidence to do so because he knew from the start that the strongest being in this ce is merely a level 3 Overlord. Thus even if they were to end up trapped and surrounded, he still has the confidence to be able to escape without harm!


    Since the Demon King so stubbornly insists on this, the others had no choice but to obey.


    Thus, the party continued moving forward deeper into the Giantree Forest.


    At that time, heavy footsteps rang out from in front of them. An enormous being over 30 meters tall came out from behind a nearby giant tree. It looked like a withered tree.


    It''s not like the Tree of Sorrows that Zhang Nu encountered in the Mine of Sorrows.


    This strange tree is a treant. It has four limbs and is able to walk about. It even has a recognizable face as well. It''s just that its entire body was covered with an aura of death.


    [Dark Treant Lord]. Level 3 Lord... Skills: Withered Earth (B Rank), Magic Drain (B Rank), Withering Beam (C Rank), Fell Stinger (C Rank), etc.


    The elves recognized it too.


    "It''s a treant. They''re originally natural allies of the elves, but this treant has already beenpletely corrupted by the evil miasma. A corrupted treant is very dangerous. For the sake of the forest, there''s no choice but to destroy it."


    As Nancilia spoke, she raised her hand, "Meteor Rain!"


    It''s a powerful B Ranked fire magic. Countless zing hot fireballs were summoned out of nothing and quickly shot toward the treant like a rain of meteors. Every single one of them had the power equivalent to a me Explosion Curse.


    Treants are naturally weak against fire.


    There''s no way a fallen treant should be able to withstand such a powerful fire attack.


    Yet, something that shocked the other elves urred.


    When those mes struck the treant, it was actually absorbed by the treant. Although it did do a bit of damage, the vast majority of the energy was simply absorbed.


    "What''s going on?"


    "How could that treant stand against fire?"


    The elves there were all quite surprised at the sight.


    The treant lord let out a roar and suddenly released a huge wave of deathly gray miasma. Wherever the miasma passed though, the ground dried up and disintegrated into sand, and the full effect covered an area hundreds of meters away.


    "Don''t get near it."


    "That''s a curse type attack skill!''


    This is the treant lord''s B Rank skill, Withered Earth. It''s able to attack all targets within several hundred meters, hitting everything caught with a curse that quickly withers them away until they die.


    The elves hurriedly backed away.


    The Ancient Tree High Priestess readied an attack spell and was about to counterattack.


    Zhang Nu once again interrupted, "Don''t attack it with magic. That guy has the ability to drain the energy of magical attacks."


    What?


    Absorb Magic?"


    But, how are they supposed to fight without using magic? They don''t have any strong warriors with them right now.


    "Allow me then!"


    Zhang Nu''s figure shed forward in a blur and flew up to the treant. The treant reacted very quickly and shot out a gray Withering Beam from its mouth.


    Although Zhang Nu didn''t fear an attack like that, he still dodged it with a Shadow Leap, reappeared behind the treant, and then viciously stomped down with the War Trample skill.


    With a huge bang, a huge portion of the treant''s body copsed and the enormous being fell.


    After the original treant lord was corrupted, it gained a powerful magical absorption ability, but its body turned rotten and fragile, making it far weaker to physical attacks.


    When dealing with monsters like that, it''s best not to use magic and directly hit it with physical attack instead.


    The treant lord''s Withered Earth can curse all targets that touch the ground, but it can''t take effect against Zhang Nu, who was in midair.


    "Roar!"


    The treant continued to shoot off Withering Beams without stopping while its heavy and clumsy arms swung and grabbed everywhere. However, it couldn''t hit anything other than afterimages in the air while it continued to take fierce strikes to its body.


    Nancilia''s group also saw all this.


    So the Demon King''s meleebat ability is this terrifying too?


    That speed, that strength. Paired with skills like Shadow Leam and War Trample, he was giving the treant a one-sided beatdown.


    As the enraged roars continued, the treant was finally unable to keep going and copsed like rotten deadwood.


    [You''ve in a Dark Treant Lord. Gold +30,000!]


    Zhang Nu was able to use purely physical attacks without going into dragon form to easily take down this Lord leveled monster.


    However, now''s not the time to act satisfied with himself.


    Just as the treant fell, more heavy footsteps rang out.


    Zhang Nu scanned the scene and discovered that five more treant lords hade out from behind the party. This is the first time he''s seen so many Lord leveled monsters acting together.


    "We''re leaving this ce!"


    Under Zhang Nu''s orders, the party did not tangle with the fallen treant lords.


    They quickly got away from the treants, but at that moment, in the Giantree Forest in front of them, a dpidated elven temple appeared before them.


    "You''ve finally arrived!"


    A croaking voice came from the temple.


    A ck robed elf stood along with two skeletons with him.


    The moment Nancilia saw that ck robed elf, she immediately showed a shocked expression, "I''ve seen your portrait. You''re Chief Arvis. How are you still alive?"


    Before she even finished speaking, hundreds of undead elves swarmed out from every single direction, followed by the five fallen treant lords who then arrived right after,pletely surrounding the dozen intruders.


    So there was an ambush after all!


    Nancilia had an ugly look on her face


    It''s because there really are simply too many enemies.


    What''s even more terrifying is that all the undead elves are very strong and the treants are even harder to deal with. Since they''ve been surrounded, their lines of retreat have beenpletely cut off.


    The ck robed elf coldly spolke, "I already have died. If not for the powers of that great one below, I couldn''t have be how I am now either."


    The elves here were all extremely shocked.


    None of them could have imagined that the mastermind controlling all those undead elves and fallen treants was actually their tribe''s former chief.


    Zhang Nu took a look, and the ck robed elf and his subordinates'' information appeared before him.


    [Fallen Elven Chief: Arvis]. Level 3 Overlord unit. Skills: ck Hole of Death (B Rank), Necromantic Cage (B Rank), Darkness Hellfire (B Rank), Undead Creation (B Rank), Teleportation (B Rank), Ice Age Strike (C Rank), Frozen Hand (C rank), etc.


    Description: Formerly a brave chief of the elves. He sacrificed his own life in order to repair the seal, but was corrupted by the evil power and was turned into a powerful zombie mage. His mind had thus been greatly transformed. Extremely dangerous.


    Strong, as expected!


    This is an Overlord leveled unit!


    Zhang Nu estimates that he might have been even stronger back when he was alive!


    In that case then, the elf branch of Giantree City really has seriously declined over these years. Otherwise, the difference between them now and three hundred years ago wouldn''t be nearly so huge.


    As for the two skeleton mages next to the elf chief?


    Those two aren''t normal skeleton mages. They''re created from two of the strongest elves from way back when by the fallen elf chief, and thus, they have the strength of level 3 Lords!


    Zhang Nu was quite curious.


    Just what is being sealed under the Giantree formation?


    Based on these elves, the being sealed must have great necromantic powers. Otherwise, there''s no way that it could have created such powerful undeads.


    Nancilia was greatly pained, "Chief Arvis. You sacrificed yourself to save our people back then. We don''t want to fight a hero like you!"


    "Hohohoho!"


    The ck robed elf let out a creepyugh, "I had thought that I didn''t fear death back then as well, but it was only when my will really was about to vanish that I realized that I didn''t actually have the courage to simply ept death. The so-called self sacrificing spirit was merely something that I''ve tricked myself into thinking."


    "The being below gave me another chance at life."


    "The current me only wants to keep living on!"


    "Your Elf King''s blood will allow me to recover back to when I was at my strongest. When the barrier over Giantree Forest fully breaks, I will retake control over the elven race and rule over the entirety of Chaos Forest!"


    Zhang Nu shook his head at that, "He''spletely fallen and corrupted. There''s no need to waste any more words with him. It''s just wasting time!"


    At that point, the undead elves and treant lords have gotten closer and closer.


    The ck robed elf sneared, "Since you know who I am, then you should face the truth. The few of you can''t possibly fight against me. There''s no point in resisting, so you might as well just ept your deaths!"


    Based on the fallen chief''s observations, he had judged that this party was no threat to him at all.


    Among the 12 elves, only two of them were slightly stronger. However, even so, they''re basically around the same level as the skeleton mages beside him.


    As for that draconian?


    Based on his battle with the treant, the fallen chief judged that he''s a powerful melee specialist.


    That''s quite normal too. The 12 elves are basically all mages. Since theycked the ability to protect themselves in melee, it''s not strange at all for them to bring a top ss melee specialist.


    However, that degree of power is nothing to the fallen chief.


    Even if they weren''t surrounded by his minions now, they''d have a hard time getting away alive now that they''ve gotten this far.


    "Are you done talking?"


    Zhang Nu stopped hiding his aura at this point. Powerful Dragon Fear exploded out in an instant, and the formless pressure sted out like a fierce tsunami, forcing all the elves and treant who have been approaching to all back away a couple of steps.


    "Dragon Fear?" The fallen chief spoke thickly, "I never expected that you had hidden some of your true power!"

 Chapter 91

    Dragon Fear is an ability of high ss dragons.


    Mid and low ss dragons don''t have the ability to use Dragon Fear.


    Plus, the Dragon Fear that this guy released was so fierce, to the point where it''s able to intimidate the undead elves and treant lords who had a small portion of intellect still remaining and make them freeze and take steps back.


    That shows that he''s definitely not a normal draconian.


    "Hmph. Even if you''re a high ss dragon, you''re still merely a level 3. That''s not enough for you to act arrogant before me!"


    The fallen chief quickly calmed down, "That said, I''ve never seen a high ss dragon capable of transforming into a draconian either. It''d be a shame to just kill you!"


    "If you kill these elves and present me with the Elf Queen''s blood, then I''ll ept you as a subordinate and allow you to follow me as I rule over the entire Forest!"


    The elves of Giantree City had ugly looks on their faces.


    The young city lord''s eyespletely dimmed.


    She had grown up hearing stories of this chief''s aplishments.


    She simply could not believe that the great chief who was willing to sacrifice himself for his people and go willingly to his death would end up being turned sopletely into such an evil viin.


    "There''s no need to feel bad."


    Arge hand dropped onto the young city lord''s head like it was petting a kitten.


    "That isn''t your Chief Arvis. It''s merely a zombie mage that stole his body and memories! If you truly have any respect for that chief, then defeat that shameful zombie!"


    The Demon King''s words reignited the light in the young city lord''s eyes.


    "Yeah. You''re right. That ugly zombie, how could he possibly be the chief!"


    The fallen chief was enraged.


    He mmed his staff to the ground.


    "You dare to spurn me? Then die with the rest of them!"


    An enormous cage sprouted out from the ground to imprison the group.


    [You''re under the effect of Necromantic Cage. -60 effectiveness to skills below C Rank. All stats - 20%!]


    What a powerful control skill!


    Magical energy erupted again.


    The fallen chief directly summoned up a ck hole which descended like the night, casting the entire area into darkness!


    [You''ve been attacked by ck Hole of Death. HP -10!]


    [You''ve been attacked by ck Hole of Death. HP -10!]


    [You''ve been attacked by ck Hole of Death. HP -10!]


    His HP was being quickly drained away.


    What a powerful necromantic attack magic!


    Even Zhang Nu felt the effects.


    His magical nullification doesn''t have much of an effect against this kind of spell.


    Although this level of DPS isn''t much for him, it''s extremely terrifying for the other elves. This is especially true for those who aren''t even Lord level yet, who would end up dying in less than 20 seconds of continuous exposure.


    It was merely two moves, and it was already far above what any Lord could possibly match.


    Is this the power of an Overlord?


    Nanciliaunched attacks against the ck Hole, but she was shocked to discover that it''s not a physical ck hole, so it couldn''t be destroyed via attacks!


    It has arge area of effect and it doesn''t absorb anything physical, only life force. Plus, it has no effect on undead units, so the undead elves and dark treants present aren''t affected at all!


    Yet, their group could only stay imprisoned in the cage and do nothing but watch as they''re being quickly sucked dry.


    "Forest Barrier!"


    The Ancient Tree High Priestess released a green pyramid shaped barrier that protected everyone within it. With the barrier resisting, the drain of HP slowed, but all it did was merely drag the time out longer.


    "Hahaha!"


    "You really are simply too weak!''


    "Is that all you have?"


    "The elves of these times are truly disappointing!"


    The fallen chief waved a hand an ck colored fireballs shot through the cage and sted the green barrier, causing the barrier to be quickly worn down.


    "Oh no!"


    "It''s necromantic hellfire!"


    "Quick, use purification magic to extinguish it!"


    It''s a kind of magic that uses life force for fuel. It can''t be doused using normal means, and even the slightest touch would cause it to spread and consume anyone unlucky enough toe into contact with it. Purification magic is the only way to extinguish it.


    "Kill every one of them other than the Elf Queen!"


    The undeads all around immediately started attacking.


    The fallen chief felt like there was no more point in the battle.


    He overestimated those guys.


    They were even weaker than he had thought.


    Yet, just as he was about to rx, suddenly a strange sensation washed over him. Just as he came back to himself from that moment of nking out, an unbelievably huge change had happened to the present scene.


    "What''s going on?"


    "What kind of power is this!"


    The fallen chief appeared within a deep void. It was as if he was in the abyss while at the same time floating in the depths of space.


    "Could this be... King''s Sanctum!"


    "You''re a King? No! Impossible! That''s impossible!"


    The fallen chief felt panicked like he never had before.


    Zhang Nu took a step forward.


    Abyssal Devour was released and instantly dispelled the Cage and Hellfire.


    The ck fog continued to envelop the ck Hole of Death up in the air and forcefully devoured the powerful necromantic energy of this powerful spell as well.


    "There''s nothing impossible about it!"


    He flicked a fingle and several dozen bolts of abyssal lightning shot out from all directions to st the fallen chief before he could react.


    The fallen chief had an arm blown off.


    After he raised his magic barrier, he attempted to teleport. However, he found that it couldn''t take effect. The creator of this space had already long since locked down the space-time here.


    There''s no mistake!


    This really is a King''s Sanctum!


    How else could it seal off space itself?


    Zhang Nu flicked a finger again and several dozen sts of lightning fell and instantly shattered the magic barrier. The fallen chief was struck by ten bolts of abyssal lightning and was sent flying over a dozen meters.


    "Enough!"


    "Stop attacking me!"


    "I surrender and submit!"


    The fallen chief couldn''t possibly defeat a king in his own Sanctum, not on his own at least. Therefore, he needed to buy time.


    If he were to gather all the power of his minions, then he''d have the confidence to make a fight of it even if it''s against a King.


    However, Zhang Nu didn''t give him the slightest chance. He simply continued to st the chief with lightning without stopping while continuously concentrating Dragon me in one hand.


    "You damned bastard!"


    "Did you really think that you''ve won?"


    The fallen chief wasn''t an Overlord unit for nothing. He withstood several dozen bolts of Abyssal Lightning, and although he was heavily injured from it, he still hasn''t lost the ability to fight.


    Countless amounts of ck Hellfire was summoned forth, and finally, the dozens of balls of Hellfire werebined into a huge fireball.


    His eyes slowly turned crimson like a beast of the underworld, "It will be either you or me then!"


    Zhang Nu shot out the fireball in his palm.


    The fireball of Dragon me that looked only the size of a person''s head shed with the mountain sized Hellfire fireball in midair and instantly let out a brilliant sh of light as bright as the sun.


    The ck Hellfire was instantly 99% vaporized.


    The heat of the Dragon me fell in an enormous wave.


    The fallen chief waspletely burnt to a crisp and fell from where he was in the air. There''s no way any living person could possibly survive that kind of injuries.


    However, Zhang Nu didn''t think that his foe waspletely dead yet.


    The fallen chief had firmly realized by now that there''s an enormous difference in power between the two of them. There was no way that he could possibly win against an opponent like that, so his only option now was to attempt a suicide attack.


    Self-destruct!


    The fallen chief gathered up all his power.


    Actually, even if he used a self-destruct, he still didn''t have the confidence to truly kill a King in his own Sanctum. However, it should at least cause him no small damage!


    Yet, just that moment, an enormous bolt of abyssal lightning fell.


    After being enveloped by a bolt as thick as an urn, how could the chief''s already burnt ck body possibly withstand such violent energy anymore?


    When the sh of lightning disappeared, that powerful Overlord leveled being waspletely disintegrated without the tiniest scrap remaining!


    [You''ve in a fallen elf chief. Gold +200k!]


    Is it over now?


    Zhang Nu let out a long breath of relief.


    He still had quite a bit of hellfire burning on his body.


    Those were fragments that identally spilled onto him during the face off just then. He thus casually released a wave of Abyssal Devouring to instantly absorb those bits of Hellfire.


    This is his first time fighting an opponent of that level.


    He had to admit, an Overlord leveled unit is far stronger than a Lord. However, it''s obvious that it''s still no match for this Demon King.


    Although it took some effort to beat, Zhang Nu did not think that such an opponent is much of a threat to him.


    After the fallen chief was dealt with, the two skeleton mages were each defeated by the young city lord and the Ancient Tree High Priestess.


    With that, the undead of the Giantree Forest had no one controlling them anymore.


    Be it the undead elves or the dark treants, any that had even the slightest scrap of intellect ran away in every direction depending on their individual abilities.


    Zhang Nu didn''t get any message about having sessfully conquered the zone though.


    This means that only when all the monsters living in the zone had beenpletely wiped out will he have satisfied the condition for conquering Giantree Foret. This was a bit of a headache for Zhang Nu.


    Well, whatever.


    It''s only at the level of being troublesome after all.


    Now that the most difficult enemy has been dealt with, the rest are merely an issue of time!

 Chapter 92

    "Where''s that zombie mage?"


    After the young city lord defeated an elven skeleton mage, she looked around the battlefield with surprise, but she wasn''t able to find the fallen chief''s corpse.


    "On the ground, in the air, pretty much everywhere. Look around on your own."


    The elves were all shocked.


    That was just way too unbelievable.


    They''ve all witnessed just how powerful the fallen chief was. Yet, a powerful being actually ended up utterly annihted, blown to smithereens.


    So the Demon King''s might is actually that terrible?


    Is this the might of a Dragon King?


    The elven elders felt like rejoicing. Thank goodness Giantree City chose to submit to this Demon King. Otherwise, they might have already been blown to smithereens as well.


    Zhang Nu spoke, "There are still a great number of undead and various monsters in this forest. In order to avoid it bing a threat to Giantree City and the Tree of Life, next, we''ll need to send in more hunting parties to purge them."


    Nancilia immediately spoke, "Don''t worry, leave it to us. We can definitely handle such minor matters."


    Zhang Nu was a bit disappointed at not being able to get the reward treasure chest right away.


    However, on second thought, the undead and monsters in the Giantree Forest are quite high leveled, so the rewards for defeating them are quite rich.


    Thinking about it in terms of profit, doesn''t that mean that the more there are, the better?


    Thus, Zhang Nu left the work of cleaning up to his subordinate army.


    He himself went over to the ruined temple that the fallen chief had lived in.


    Nancilia followed after the Demon King. She poked her head in, and when she saw an enormous crystal ball in the center, she immediately spoke, "Isn''t that the Omniscient Crystal Ball?"


    Zhang Nu walked over and grabbed the crystal ball.


    [Omniscient Crystal Ball]. Blue quality item. When enough MP is put into the crystal, it allows the user to observe everything within a hundred meters.


    "Not bad!"


    "This thing is quite useful."


    Although it does ovep a bit with the effects of certain detection type magic, it has an enormous range and the effect is stable too. Plus, anyone can use it, so it works especially well for cing in the Demon King Castle and having subordinates take shifts using it. This way, they''ll be able to monitor the entire area at all times and act as a quick warning system.


    After putting away the crystal ball, the Demon King and the young city lord continued forward.


    The temple was left to rot for three hundred years now, so it''s very dpidated and covered in dust. The wall carvings and statues were already ruined beyond recognition, so there''s not much of any worth left anymore.


    However, just then, Zhang Nu discovered a Goddess of Nature statue standing in the center of the temple. The Goddess was holding an utterly unremarkable staff covered in dust.


    Anyone else probably wouldn''t have paid it any attention. After all, the staff didn''t look special at all, so they''d just consider it an essory for the goddess statue.


    However, Zhang Nu saw past that, so he immediately took it and hummed in appreciation.


    [Elf King''s Scepter]. Gold quality special equipment. Magic damage +100%, cast speed +50%, MP +400, HP +400, all stats +40, training effectiveness +500%. This item is a bloodline equipment, only usable by one with the Elf King''s bloodline.


    This equipment''s stats were explosive.


    Even Zhang Nu, who never used equipment before, was a bit tempted.


    Unfortunately though, this thing is bloodline bound.


    If not for that, there''s no way that the fallen chief would have let such a powerful staff just gather up dust.


    If the fallen chief was able to use this staff, his powers would definitely be in apletely different league, and Zhang Nu would have needed to put in a lot more effort to deal with him.


    "This is..."


    Nancilia was drawn to it at first sight.


    She just felt like the staff was mysteriously calling out to her.


    Zhang Nu spoke, "This should be an important treasure of your race. I suppose that it has returned to its rightful owner now. Go ahead and take it!"


    With that, he casually tossed it over.


    The moment Nancilia caught it, a powerful burst of energy blew away every speck of dust on it.


    The head of the staff bloomed out like a flower, each petal blossoming out in the shape of wings and exposing a brilliant green gemstone in the center.


    The unremarkable looking staff now looked beautiful and magnificent.


    Nancilia also felt her bloodline resonate. She was overjoyed and immediately bowed to the Demon King, "This is the Elf King''s Scepter. It''s indeed extremely important to us elves. Thank you for returning it to us."


    The young city lord was greatly moved.


    This is a priceless treasure after all, yet the Demon King just tossed it to her without even giving it a second nce.


    Zhang Nu just in didn''t care though. For one, he never relied on equipment in the first ce, and for another, it''s not like he''d be able to use it anyways.


    As for selling it?


    That requires there to be someone willing to buy it in the first ce.


    Plus, after having this staff, Nancilia instantly got a lot stronger. She''s basically reached pseudo Overlord level right there and then.


    Since the Elf King''s Scepter can greatly increase the speed of an Elf King''s training and even increase the speed of her bloodline''s awakening, she''s probably not long from her breakthrough to level 4.


    Just then, the Ancient Tree High Priestess came over.


    "My lord, we found the entrance to the seal!!"


    The entrance to the seal isn''t far from the temple.


    An enormous altar shaped like a Mayan pyramid was built here.


    It''s possible to enter the altar, and a disturbing energy and aura wasing out from it.


    [You''ve been corroded by negative energy. HP -2!]


    [You''ve been corroded by negative energy. HP -1!]


    [You''ve been corroded by negative energy. HP -2!]


    Zhang Nu headed into the depths without caring and reached an enormous and tightly shut stone gate. An enormous amount ofplicated magical runes were carved on it.


    This stone gate and altar were extremely ancient.


    Its history is even more ancient than the elf tribe here, so it''s very likely that it wasn''t built by the elves.


    Zhang Nu looked at the stone gate, and the relevant information popped up.


    [Sealed Land]. Level 5 Overlord zone. Extremely high exploration value...


    Summary: "... This is an alternate dimensional seal gate. It links to abyrinth built in the alternate dimension."


    "A portion of a certain evil god''s power is sealed in the deepest part of thisbyrinth. Although this power has already greatly weakened , it''s still not something a mere mortal can resist or covet. This ce is extremely dangerous, so please explore with caution..."


    Zhang Nu was frozen in shock.


    Level 5 Overlord zone?


    That really is a terrifying existence.


    Zhang Nu had guessed that the seal under the Giantree formation is by no means simple, but when he truly saw the relevant information, it was still beyond his expectations. No wonder it needed the elves to keep guard over generations.


    "Your majesty, what happened? Is there an issue with the seal?"


    Just the slightest bit of the aura leaking out from the seal was enough to make Nancilia terrified.


    She was very worried. The disaster that struck the tribe 300 years ago was caused by an abnormality with the seal, so if any problem happened with the seal, then wouldn''t Giantree City end up affected


    Zhang Nu however spoke, "Don''t worry. The thing inside the seal spent a great deal of its energy during its awakening 300 years ago, so it''s so weak now that it can only slumber. It can''t possibly awaken again anytime soon."


    The young city lord let out a sigh of relief.


    Now isn''t the time to open the seal yet.


    It''s far too dangerous to do so with his current powers.


    Zhang Nu felt like he needed to be at least level 4 before he could possibly challenge this level 5 Overlord zone. For now, he has no choice but to just leave it alone...


    After they''re done looking at the seal, Zhang Nu went back.


    Zhagn Nu handed all the work of clearing the Giantree Forest over for Giantree City to do.


    Although the monsters in Giantree Forest are very high leveled, Giantree City had an army of nearly 10,000 camped right there. Plus, they have multiple level 3 Lords holding down the fort, so there won''t be any real issues.


    Not long after Zhang Nu got back to the Demon King Castle.


    Bloody Giant Wang Shi: "Your gems are ready!"


    Zhang Nu replied with satisfaction: "Thanks for your hard work. Let''s trade then!"


    The money and goods traded hands.


    After getting the materials, Zhang Nu leveled up the Castle right away.


    [Level up sessful!]


    [You''ve gained "High Demon King Castle"!]


    Leveling up the Demon King Castle cost a great deal.


    The change in appearance was quite shocking. The pitch ck and somewhat rustic looking castles now changed to be dark gold in coloration. It''s now both brilliant and threatening.


    This main color scheme is somewhat simr to the color of Zhang Nu''s scales. In fact, Zhang Nu suspects that the Demon King Castle''s style may be rted to the Demon King''s identity.


    The Castle is not only bigger and taller now, the most important part is that its stats have increased.


    [High Demon King Castle]. Entire territory''s production +80%. All units within a radius of 100km of the Castle +50% to all stats. Within the Demon King Castle, recovery speed +200%, all stats + 100%. -25% stats to all Heroes within the Castle. Castle Barrier can be deployed.


    As expected! Worth it!


    This effect is way too strong!


    First, the radius of effect for the Castle has increased.


    It went from the original 10km directly to 100km.


    It now affects the entire Darkness Valley. This even includes the army camped at Darkness Canyon. The unbelievable 50% increase to all stats is enough to explosively increase their fighting power!


    Other than the various explosive increases, the Castle now has a new "Castle Barrier" ability.


    Although it costs a somewhat great deal of gold, with such a tough barrier, it would allow him to sleep a lot better when he''s not home, especially when he''s out traveling far away.


    From now on, he won''t need to fear Heroes doing stealth raids anymore.


    Looking at things from that angle, the costs are quite reasonable.


    The Castle level up here is very much necessary.


    This expedition to the Giantree Forest had earned around a full 500k gold. This is an enormous and unexpected ie.


    This, he first spent 210k gold to hire 35 super soldiers.


    This way, he has an even 50 super soldiers now.


    These are top tier and flight capable level 3 Elite units. Don''t underestimate the power of the super soldiers.


    The differences between different units of the same level and quality can sometimes be enormous.


    Take skeleton soldiers and minotaur warriors for example. Both are level 1 Normal units, but thetter is capable of easily taking out five to eight skeleton soldiers.


    While the super soldiers are the same level as the undead elves of the Giantree Forest, in terms ofbat power, super soldierspletely outss the elves.


    50 super soldiers are enough to form a powerful force!


    Plus, after getting 50 super soldiers, it also grants him the ability to get a spot for the level 3 Lord unit "draconian marshal".


    This is also one of Zhang Nu''s goals here.


    He selected the longest serving of the 10 draconian generals, Zhang San, sent him up on the altar, spent 50k gold, and promoted him from draconian general to draconian marshal.


    Draconian marshals are top tierbatants among level 3 Lord units!


    They''ve nearly reached the power of pseudo overlords, possessing even better leadership abilities andbat skills. It''s more than enough to greatly raise the strength of his territory!

 Chapter 93

    [Draconian marshal: Zhang San]. Level 3 Lord unit. 800 HP, 450 MP, 90 Strength, 100 Constitution, 70 Agility, 55 Will. Loyalty 100% (Locked). Tiredness 10%. Hunger 10%.


    Skills: Golden Earth Drake Form (Talent Skill), Rampaging Dragon Qi (B rank), Rampaging Dragon Charge (B rank). Battle Dragon''s Aura (B rank), Qi Aura (B rank), Golden Dragon Scales (C rank), Damage Absorption (C rank), Earthquake (C rank).


    When he saw the draconian marshal Zhang San''s stats, Zhang Nu couldn''t help but remark, "So strong!"


    After Zhang San was promoted to draconian marshal, his outer appearance didn''t change all that much. The only thing is that his scales went from ck to an eye-catching gold in color.


    This is because the draconian general has the bloodline of an iron earth drake, while the draconian marshal has the bloodline of a golden earth drake.


    Although they''re both earth drakes, the golden earth drake is far above the iron earth drake. Thus, when they''re in dragon form, they are far stronger be it in terms of attack, defense, or recovery ability.


    Even so, Zhang San still hasn''t reached the Overlord level yet.


    However, if he were to encounter an Overlord unit like the fallen chief, then he would still have the ability to fight against one for a long time. Plus, the draconian marshal isn''t a singlebat type unit in the first ce. His myriad leadership skills can strengthen the power of an entire army.


    Therefore, even a real Overlord level unit may not be worth as much as a draconian marshal to Zhang Nu.


    For the sake of strengthening the draconian army, and especially in order to adjust the unit type ratios, Zhang Nu then summoned 1000 normal soldiers, promoted 170 high soldiers from them, using around 270k gold. Then he summoned 25 draconian battlemages and promoted 15 mystic draconian battlemages, using 170k gold.


    Finally, he summoned up 5 more draconian generals and 1 draconian priest using 105k gold.


    The racial unit poption has risen again, and now it has reached 12,000.


    The current makeup of the draconian army is as follows: 7289 normal soldiers, 200 high soldiers, 50 super soldiers, 35 draconian battlemages, 20 mystic draconian battlemages, 14 draconian generals, 4 draconian priests, and 1 draconian marshal.


    Zhang Nu turned mncholic.


    After another round of mass summoning, he doesn''t have much gold left anymore.


    The spendings went way faster than his earnings.


    Since his territory''s poption and army has expanded, the daily upkeep for maintenance has also continuously risen.


    Thankfully, he has the goblin farms.


    Right now, the farms are now running at full efficiency.


    With Chen Guoguo providing enough of a supply of seeds, not only can it feed the entire territory, it''s still also the greatest source of ie for the territory.


    Now that the Demon King Castle has leveled up, the production quality and efficiency has improved again.


    Zhang Nu did a quick calction. Even subtracting the various daily costs, just from the Darkness Valley area, the daily ie is approaching an enormous 100k.


    This number is not to be underestimated.


    After all, this is the pure profit after all the upkeep costs have already been subtracted.


    100k every day!


    10 days makes 1 million!


    Although he did go on a spending spree these past few days, it''s not like he''d run out of chances for earning huge amounts of money.


    A territory like Giantree City isn''t something that he can conquer every day, and a wild field zone like Giantree Forest isn''t something that can be found everywhere either.


    It''s basically all a matter of luck, and those chances are basically unstable.


    Thus, stable ie is the real path to pursue here.


    Right now, Zhang Nu is greatly looking forward to the future development of Giantree Forest.


    As a forest city, Giantree City has economic development value in and of itself. Plus, Giantree City has a great deal of elven citizens, most of whom have production skills, so they''re basically a treasure just waiting to be developed.


    Next is thend near the Tree of Life. Due to the Tree''s existence, all thatnd is now basically spirit fields. Those can be remade intorge scale farms, and the ie from the future production is not something that can be overlooked.


    If all those resources and poption can be properly developed and utilized, then the production ie from Giantree City would definitely be by no means inferior to that of Darkness Valley.


    Zhang Nu decided to speed up the incorporation of nearby tribal viges. This way, not only can it improve his control over the area, it also increases his territory''s poption.


    More poption means morebor force.


    Zhang Nu had taken a look. There''s a lot of nearby mountains with ore worth developing mines on. This includes gold and other rare ores.


    Rather than letting the various forest tribes fight and kill each other, it''s better to have them all work for the Demon King instead.


    Zhang Nu had nothing to do, so he opened up the chat menu and gave it a look. He wanted to see how the other Demon Kings have been doing.


    "The Heroes nowadays are acting way too arrogant."


    "Hahaha. What''s there to be afraid of? I just wiped out a hero party. Those n00bs dare to covet my territory!"


    "Demon Kings around the Thunderp Canyon, please sound off. Let''s do an offline meeting and form a Demon King alliance. We''ll kill the shit out of those Hero Guild bitches!"


    "Buying spirit field blueprint at high prices. Anyone with them, please PM me ASAP!"


    "Anyone in need of life gems? 2600 in total for 4 gems!"


    "Heroes raided my altar when I was out. My territory is already done for, and I''m now unfortunately a homeless Demon King. Begging for someone to take me in, please!"


    "..."


    After reading through it some, there are a lot of topics regarding Heroes.


    The conflict between Demon Kings and Heroes is heating up more and more.


    This is only natural. Demon Kings need to kill Heroes to level up, and Heroes need to kill Demon Kings to get Talents and get stronger quickly. The two sides are basically natural enemies.


    Due to not having found any useful information, Zhang Nu didn''t want to waste anymore time and instead opened up the PM functionality and sent a message to Subus Queen Han Kexin.


    Zhang Nu: "Queen, you there? Got any new blueprints?"


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "I do, but I''m only taking gold for them. I''m notcking in food right now, but I am really short on money."


    This Subus Queen is no slouch. Her personal might and her army is definitely one of the top among Demon Kings.


    There''s no way someone like that would be willing to rely on others to provide her food. She may have already created her own production and supply and is starting to be self-sufficient.


    Zhang Nu: "Money is no issue!"


    Subus Queen Han Keqin: "Nice. I''ll send you the information first then. Then you can tell me the blueprints you want and what you''re offering for them!"


    With that, she sent 10 blueprints in a single go.


    That girl really is quite rich in blueprints.


    Zhang Nu gave it a look. These blueprints are all pretty nice in terms of quality, but most of them aren''t all that useful for Zhang Nu. In the end, he only selected 2 of them.


    [Blueprint: Barrier Tower]. Level 1 blueprint. Costs 2000 gold, wind gems x5, Stone x500, wood x500. The sser may summon a Barrier Tower within their territory.


    [Blueprint: Detection Tower]. Level 1 blueprint. Costs 2500 gold, earth gems x5, stone x500, wood x500. The user may summon a Detection Tower within their territory.


    Those two blueprints are both for defensive type structures.


    After a Barrier Tower is constructed, it can create a 2000x2000 meter protective barrier.


    Zhang Nu thinks that it''s very useful.


    Although the Demon King Altar has the barrier thates with the Demon King Castle for protection, the goblin farms are stillcking in terms of protection. If there''s a raid from flying units, it would cause quite a bit of damages, and it would also disrupt production.


    A barrier protecting it will keep it safe in such cases.


    As for the Detection Tower, that''s even more useful.


    After this structure is activated, it''ll act like a radar and scan an area within a 10 kilometer radius. If any suspicious targets appear, then the Detection Tower will give an alert and allow the territory''s soldiers to be prepared.


    Zhang Nu still remembers his territory being infiltrated by the four Heroes not long ago.


    Those four Heroes were able to sneak into the Castle without alerting anyone. It was definitely a lesson for Zhang Nu.


    The enemy is in the dark while he''s in the light, so they''re hard to guard against.


    Just increasing the number of soldiers isn''t enough to guarantee the territory''s safety.


    Zhang Nu needs this kind of high quality early warning device.


    In the end, after a round of haggling with the Queen he bought the Barrier Tower blueprint for 18,000 gold and the Detection Tower blueprint for 45,000 gold.


    Both are very useful structures, so their prices definitely won''t be cheap. Even so, that''s not all that expensive for Zhang Nu.


    Since he also had all the materials, he was able to finish constructing them in minutes. Thus, the Darkness Valley territory is even safer now.


    Following that, over two days'' time, under the leadership of the young city lord and the Ancient Tree High Priestess, 5000 elven elites swept through the Giantree Forest and did a wholescale purge.


    [You''ve in an undead elf. Gold +1200!]


    [You''ve in an undead elf. Gold +1200!]


    [You''ve in an undead elf. Gold +1200!]


    [...]


    The young city lord and the elves are all the Demon King''s subordinates, and what a Demon King''s subordinates kill counts as the Demon King''s kills.


    The monsters of Giantree Forest were quickly cleared out.


    Over this process, Zhang Nu got nearly 600k gold.


    At the same time, he also got the message denoting his sessful conquest.


    [You''ve conquered the Giantree Forest. You gained a Mithril Treasure Chest!]

 Chapter 94

    It''s done, just like that?


    That''s pretty good!


    Zhang Nu came over to Giantree City by Teleportation Field.


    He has four draconian priests now and draconian priests'' Teleportation Fields can be freely linked up.


    One is staying in Giantree City, while another is staying in the Flower Demon King Chen Guoguo''s Myriad Flower Valley.


    No matter if something happens in Giantree City or over at Chen Guoguo''s, the Demon King and the Darkness Valley army will always be able to quickly reach them.


    Zhang Nu arrived at the Tree of Life.


    Nancilia was currently leading her elven army back from Giantree Forest.


    When she saw that Zhang Nu had shown up, she immediately happily ran up to him, "Your majesty, we finished our task. Giantree Forest is nowpletely safe!"


    Zhang Nu nodded.


    The enormous barrier has already been shut down now.


    The giant trees of Giantree Forest have already died, so they no longer have the power to maintain the barrier. Thus, the true appearance of the forest is now visible, looking utterly dead.


    Zhang Nu frowned.


    "Can the forest be healed?"


    The Ancient Tree High Priestess Gu Yi spoke, "My lord, although the life force of these elven giant trees have been exhausted, the majority of them aren''tpletely dead yet. If we use the power of Lifespring waterbined with the power of the Tree of Life, they should still be recoverable with time."


    Zhang Nu nodded, "Darkness Valley has Lifespring water. I''ll have someone send some over to help the forest recover as quickly as possible."


    When they heard this news, the elves of Giantree City all celebrated in joy.


    Giantree Forest is the homnd of these elves from 300 years ago. Some older elves still remember it, so they still have some sentiments when ites to thisnd.


    In no time at all, the Giantree City elves'' loyalty value shot up again.


    Zhang Nu told the young city lord, "Although the Giantree Forest seal is currently rtively stable, you must remain vignt and keep monitoring it constantly!"


    Nancilia hurriedly replied, "Worry not your majesty. I''ll send a squad of our elites to stay there permanently to monitor the seal every moment!"


    Now that the Giantree Forest barrier is gone, there''s no more defenses around it anymore. If the incident from 300 years ago happens again, then Giantree City and the Tree of Life would definitely end up affected. This would cause a huge amount of losses for Zhang Nu, so that''s something that Zhang Nu definitely doesn''t want to see.


    So long as the seal remains, it will continue to be a danger and threat.


    Zhang Nu only thought that he needed to level up as quickly as possible.


    A level 5 Overlord zone is extremely difficult to conquer, but so long as he reaches level 4, he''ll at least be able to give it a try.


    Next, Zhang Nu opened up his reward treasure chest.


    [You''ve opened a mythril treasure chest. Gained "gold" x350k, "Blueprint: Temple of Nature", "Level 3 Undead Structure Leveling Scroll", "Skill Stone: ck Hole of Death".]


    Zhang Nu noticed that while Giantree City is a level 3 Lord zone and Giantree Forest is a level 3 Overlord zone, based on these two treasure chests, the quality and quantity of the rewards from Giantree City was obviously higher. This shows that the zone level isn''t the only factor that determines the reward.


    That''s not particrly strange though.


    Giantree City normally has a permanent resident poption of over 100 thousand. The total general poption is over 200 thousand. It''s definitely a super huge gathering ce within the Chaos Forest.


    Compared to that, Giantree Forest is just a wild field zone, so it''s only natural that it can''tpare to the former.


    Although the reward is a bit lesser, it''s still by no meanscking.


    Besides the 350k gold, this time, there were three drops.


    [Blueprint: Temple of Nature]. Level 3 blueprint. Costs gold x120k, life gems x50, earth gems x50. You may summon a Temple of Nature within your territory.


    [Level 3 Undead Structure Leveling Scroll]. Costs gold x50k, undeath gems x50, wood x2000, stone x5000. You may level any level 2 undead structure to level 3.


    [Skill Stone: ck Hole of Death]. B rank skill. Learn condition: MP > 1000.


    They''re all pretty good.


    The Temple of Nature blueprint is a level 3 blueprint.


    Right now, level 3 structures are extremely rare among Demon Kings.


    Even a Demon King as powerful as Zhang Nu only has a Tree of Life. This Temple of Nature must definitely be something nice.


    As for the Undead leveling scroll?


    The House of Skeletons is a level 2 undead unit production structure.


    It can grant the territory over a thousand skeleton type units. However, now that the draconian army has been rapidly expanding, those skeleton soldiers have already be rather useless.


    Of course, by useless, it''s only in terms ofbat ability.


    Skeleton soldiers are still a perfectbor force.


    They don''t need to eat or drink, nor do they ever get tired. Their upkeep costs are extremely low, and every day, they''re responsible for unskilledbor like woodcutting and hauling. They''ve made quite a bit of contribution to the development of the territory.


    With a leveling scroll, it can level the House of Skeletons.


    This will also let Zhang Nu get even more and stronger skeleton type units.


    The final item is a skill stone. Treasure chests rarely drop skill stones. The vast majority of skill stones generallye from Heroes.


    This skill is extremely powerful.


    The fallen chief had used it before.


    It can cause continuous damage over arge area of effect. It does nothing against undead units, but is extremely damaging against normal life forms. Not even Zhang Nu''s Anti-Magic could stop it from continuously causing damage every second.


    He''s learning it!


    After using the skill stone, Zhang Nu gained this skill.


    [ck Hole of Death]. B ranked skill. Costs 100 MP to summon a ck hole that drains HP. It affects all targets within a diameter of 500 meters. Causes 50 necromantic damage every second. Costs 25 MP per second to maintain.


    This skill is quite nice, as he thought.


    50 points of necromantic damage doesn''t necessarily mean that it would definitely cause a loss of exactly 50 HP.


    This depends on the target''s resistance to necromantic magic. The actual damage caused would definitely not be quite that much, but given that it''s a continuous damage magic, it could umte up to quite a shocking amount of damage over time.


    Zhang Nu didn''t hurry right back to Darkness Valley.


    He still had a few things to do in Giantree City.


    Giantree City haspletely returned to peace by now. Although this has already be a Demon King''s city, the citizens of the City didn''t experience any real changes in their lives.


    They still eat when they should, drink when they should, and work and do business when they should.


    Zhang Nu felt like the time was about ripe.


    He ns to hire arge group of elven citizens and have them nt, make potions, and craft items for him. Beyond that, he also needs to hire a merchant caravan or two.


    Why does he need to hire merchant caravans, one might ask?


    It''s because Zhang Nu can''t just keep his business to just other Demon Kings.


    While there might be hundreds of millions of Demon Kings in this world, the problem is that the Demon Kings that Zhang Nu can contact are only the few hundred thousand on his server. Although Demon Kings have high demand for various resources, the market is still limited in the end.


    He has ambitions.


    Zhang Nu wants to extend his businesses over the entire Forest and even the empire level factions surrounding the Forest. That''s a super size market of billions or even more.


    This world is extremelyrge, with countless native nations.


    That market is what''s truly infinite in size.


    Although, through that process, he could collect even more information about the outside world.


    For the sake of conquering the great Forest in the future and even in preparation for conquering the neighboring nations, a Demon King with ambition must not be simply satisfied with his own backyard.


    "Your majesty!"


    "Miss Su Yan''s here."


    "She says that she wants to introduce a few merchants to you."


    Zhang Nu is currently in the Giantree City''s lord''s office. He was constantly reading through a registry of the elven citizens as well as the reports on merchants in the City. When he heard the young city lord''s report, he immediately put down the report in his hands.


    "Have here in!"


    "Okay!"


    The young city lord quickly ran off.


    After about five minutes, the Hero girl came in with three other individuals.


    When Zhang Nu saw those three people, a cold gleam came over his eyes.


    "Heroes?"


    For any other Demon King, unless a Hero pops up and reveals themselves, it''s very hard to determine if someone was a native or a Hero.


    However, Zhang Nu is different. No Hero is capable of hiding their identity before him, so he only needs a single nce to identify them.


    Actually, Zhang Nu was aware that there were a few Heroes in Giantree City who had slipped the.


    It is, after all, a city with a poption of around 200 thousand. There''s no way that he could personally line every single person up to check them over. However, the scraps left over were of no threat to him.


    The three individuals before him might be Heroes, but they''re only level 1s.


    Their strength is actually not even up to Su Yan''s level.


    They are a gnome, a lizardman, and a kobold. Of them, the gnome seems to be the leader of the three.


    "Mercy oh lord!"


    "We definitely won''t dare to act as your enemy!"


    "We might be Heroes, but we''ve never killed Demon Kings before!"


    Zhang Nu chuckled, "Obviously. If you were capable of killing Demon Kings, then there''s no way that you''d still be so weak."


    With that, he then turned to Su Yan.


    The Hero girl hurriedly introduced them, "The gnome is Rao Sai, the lizardman is Xiao Long, and the kobold is Xia Jun. While they are Heroes, they''ve been doing business the entire time and haven''t ever gotten involved with the battle against Demon Kings."


    "When they heard that the boss wanted to develop your own merchantpany, they had somehow actually gathered information and found me and asked me to introduce them to you!"


    Zhang Nu nodded in response.


    The three might be utterly weak, the fact that they, being Heroes, tried to contact a Demon King of their own ord means that they have quite the guts.


    Zhang Nu had no interest in killing three level 1 n00bs. He just asked, "Why did you want to coborate with me?"


    The gnome, Rao Sai gave an embarrassed grin, "Oh king, you saw it for yourself that our abilities and racial talents are super weak, so we can only muddle around on the bottomyer of Hero society. Plus, rather than fighting and killing, we''d rather earn money and live afortable life."


    The status of a Hero does have quite a few advantages, so it''s something that can be considered.


    The Demon King waved them off, "You can leave for now!"


    The three timidly got up in a very nervous mood. If the Demon King decided to not ept them, then they''d be dead for certain.


    "Su Yan, what do you think?"


    "I think we can give it a try." Su Yan spoke, "There are just way too many Heroes, and it''s not like they''re all tightly bound. Different individuals have different goals, so we can try drawing a portion of them in."


    That''s true enough.


    People areplicated after all, so it''s not like they''d really all die for the sake of a camp that they got randomly slotted into?


    Be it Heroes or Demon Kings, in the end, while they''re supposed to be on different sides, they''re not actually all that different deep down inside. So long as the pros outweigh the cons, it''s worth doing.


    Zhang Nu thought for a few seconds, "I''ll give you a new job."


    Su Yan immediately perked up, "A new job? Please order me as you like! I''ll definitely do my best!"


    Zhang Nu spoke, "Go help me find and test some Heroes and draw them to our side secretly."


    Su Yan was shocked, "Boss, do you mean to..."


    Zhang Nu nodded, "I n to create an order of Heroes loyal to me. Let''s name it the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes Guild!"


    Su Yan was dumbfounded.


    Just what''s going through the boss''s head?


    Why is a Demon King trying to build a Hero Guild?


    "Well? Is it too hard for you?"


    "No, not hard at all. I''ll take a trip to the various Hero guiles around. I should be able to pick out some suitable people."


    "The members of the Hero guild do not necessarily need to be strong, but it''s best if they have some good specialization. Beyond that, the most important factor is that they must be reliable!"


    Zhang Nu paused for a moment, "So long as you properlyplete this job, not only will I greatly reward you, the position of the guildmaster of the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes Guild will also be yours."


    Su Yan was excited.


    Is even a weak and slothful person like her able to be a Heroes guild guildmaster?


    Doesn''t that mean that her situation is about to turn around?


    That''s great!


    As she thought, following the boss is the path forward!

 Chapter 95

    Berserk Beast City.


    The city lord''s son, the Hero Tu Xiuming, had finished his preparations for his expedition.


    This is his ninth time subjugating a Demon King.


    The previous eight times were all exceptional sesses.


    This expedition is to deal with a very strong Demon King near Berserk Beast city. Based on the information he has, 30 Heroes have already fallen to him.


    Although this Demon King is strong, Tu Xiuming didn''t think much of it.


    This particr Demon King is merely a matter of course.


    The most important target that he had recently locked onto isn''t here, but over in Darkness Valley several hundred kilometers away.


    Currently, within a thousand kilometers around, the most famous Demon King around is none other than the dragon Demon King of Darkness Valley.


    Based on the reliable information that Tu Xiuming has, this Demon King haspletely taken control over the elves'' Giantree City. He''s never heard of any other Demon King who has done anything like that.


    Not only did he take over Giantree City, he had even destroyed Du Mingfeng''s Ironblooded Heroes Guild.


    Even Tu Xiuming''s elder brother from Berserk Beast City, the Master of Ten Thousand Gaim of the Berserker Army, ended up defeated and killed in Giantree City.


    All those aplishments are awe worthy.


    However, not only was Tu Xiuming not intimidated, he even felt unusually excited.


    The stronger and more dangerous the Demon King, the greater the reward they''ll yield, which corresponds to greater aid to his growth.


    As for his elder brother Gaim''s death?


    Heh, he was utterly unbothered, and in fact he even kind of wants to smile at it.


    The city lord of Berserk Beast City has around a hundred sons. Gaim and Tu Xiuming''s body''s previous self were the two most exceptional of those sons.


    Ever since Tu Xiuming descended as a Hero, he had rapidly grown in power via hunting Demon Kings, and he had already surpassed Gaim.


    And since Gaim has already died, doesn''t that mean that he''s the only choice left to be the heir of Berserk Beast City?


    Thus, not only does Tu Xiuming not hate the Demon King for killing Gaim, he even needs to thank the Demon King for doing the job for him!


    After the end of this Demon King subjugation, he''ll be personally taking on the dragon Demon King.


    As gratitude, he''ll grant the Demon King a quick death.


    "Boss!"


    "We''re done preparing!"


    At this time, two Heroes came over to him.


    Those two were both Tu Xiuming''s subordinates.


    The taller and skinnier one is named Feng Wan, a level 3 Hero. He''s very strong and is by no means any weaker than Wang Gang, who he had sent out before.


    The other, stockier and shorter one is named Fang Hou, a level 2 Hero. Although his level is a little lower, hisbat power is close to that of a level 3. He''s especially specialized in stealth and escape.


    Tu Xiuming ordered them, "You two head over to Darkness Valley and record the designs, geography, and military setup with a memory crystal. Hand it over to me when I get back."


    Feng Wan and Fang Hou nodded, "Don''t worry. We''ll definitely get the job done."


    Tu Xiuming emphasized again, "Make certain to be careful. Do not let yourself get discovered no matter what. Retreat the moment you''re noticed. You must not get into any conflict with the Demon King."


    Those two aren''t as informed as he is, so they don''t know just how strong the Demon King of Darkness Valley is yet.


    Tu Xiuming doesn''t have the time to exin too thoroughly either, so he made one more statement, "Even Wang Gang ended up falling there, so don''t go following him."


    When they heard that, the two Heroes reacted with rm.


    Wang Gan, Li Dingnan, Jin Ying, and Peng Sihai are some of Berserk Beast City''s most aplished and famed solo Heroes. Recently, there were rumors that they had died, and only now did they finally learn how they actually died.


    "Don''t worry boss!"


    "We''ll only scout!"


    "We''ll absolutely not get conceited and do anything extra!"


    "If the Demon King detects us, we''ll retreat right away. We definitely won''t take any risks!"


    Tu Xiuming nodded, satisfied, "Go then. So long as you properly finish this job, then when I take over Berserk Beast City, you''ll be guaranteed positions as Masters of Ten Thousands."


    "Yes!"


    The two Heroes rode on a drake beast.


    Drake beasts are a type of tamed beast produced near Berserk Beast City. Although its name has drake in it, it doesn''t actually have any rtions to dragons.


    Although it doesn''t have any draconic bloodline, as a level 2 wind type monster, they''re extremely fast and especially suited for scouting or raids.


    After the two Heroes have left, Tu Xiuming went to his personal squad.


    This is a squad formed of the most elite of Berserk Beast City. Their strength is such as there are few factions in Chaos Forest capable of rivaling them.


    "Move out!"


    "This time, I''ll have us finish this quickly!"


    "First we''ll eat up this appetizer, and then we can have the main course!"


    Tu Xiuming led his demon subjugation squad and went forth to his appetizer in great spirits.


    ...


    At the same time, after some testing and research, Zhang Nu finally epted Rao Sai''s group of three.


    The three of them became members of the Dragon''s Shadow.


    Dragon''s Shadow. Zhang Nu gave the Hero guild this name in order to represent that this Hero guild was born from beneath the shadow of the abyssal dragon.


    He hopes that this organization will spread all over the continent in the future to collect information and undertake tasks for the Demon King. To do all kinds of things that a Demon King himself may not find convenient to do himself.


    Every single Dragon''s Shadow Hero''s identity must be kept secret. After all, if the fact that they were working with a Demon King was exposed, then those Heroes will be unable to move among the Heroes anymore.


    Zhang Nu decided to support these three Heroes and have them form a merchantpany named the "Shadow Dragon Merchant Company". They''ll use Giantree City as their base to expand out and earn profits and gold for the Demon King.


    Of course, Zhang Nu is a person who understands caution.


    Although he did ept the three Heroes, he''s still not able to trust the three just yet. They still need to be observed a while longer.


    After the probationary period is over, they can be promoted up.


    Only this way can Zhang Nu invest in the Shadow Dragon Merchant Company and support them in growing without worry. Only then can he trust them to go out and devote their lives to him.


    After setting up those initial matters, Zhang Nu returned to Darkness Vally via draconian priests.


    He decided to use the blueprint and leveling scroll that he just got.


    He already had the materials for the Temple of Nature. After conquering Giantree City, he got quite a lot of life gems and earth gems, more than enough toplete this construction.


    As for the location?


    He ced it within Darkness City.


    [Temple of Nature sessfully constructed!]


    [All units have gained the Goddess of Nature''s blessing!]


    The instant the Temple of Nature was sessfully built, all of the Demon King''s units, be they in Darkness Valley, Giantree City, or even the nearby kobold vige gained a buff.


    [Goddess of Nature''s blessing lv1]. Special status. Max HP +10%, recover an extra 1 HP and 1 MP per minute.


    Instantly, the entirety of Giantree City practically exploded.


    The elves all felt the divine buff from the Goddess of Nature.


    "What''s going on? Why did the Goddess of Nature suddenly descend! What did we do that was so special?"


    Elves are naturally the Goddess of Nature''s most faithful believers.


    The fact that the Goddess''s power suddenly enveloped the entire Giantree City certainly made all elves overjoyed.


    Many elves even kneeled down and bowed to thank the Goddess''s grace.


    "This divine power."


    The elves closed their eyes to feel it more carefully.


    They all started shouting out in surprise, "It seems to being from the direction of Darkness Valley!"


    The young city lord, as a future Elf Queen, had sharper and more urate senses than any other elf. She was able to speak with confidence, "It''s definitely Darkness Valley!"


    Now, all the elves were stunned.


    The Demon King can''t actually be closely associated with the Goddess, right?


    Why else did the Goddess of Nature bless the entire poption of Giantree City though!


    This kind of thing has never happened before. It''s never even heard of in fact. It''s utterly inconceivable!


    With that, thest bit of reluctance in the elves'' mindpletely vanished.


    Doesn''t the Goddess''s mass blessing make it obvious? Giantree City going to the Demon King''s side is definitely the will of the Goddess, and thus the Goddess gave her acknowledgement!


    Zhang Nu could see the loyalty values of Giantree City''s citizens rise rapidly in leaps and bounds.


    This way, his position can''t even be called stable anymore.


    It can be said that if anyone tries to chase him out of Giantree City, the first to stand up in objection would definitely be Nancilia and her fellow Giantree City elves!


    Nice!


    Zhang Nu looked over the Temple of Nature''s effect.


    These temple type structures have very powerful effects.


    It can actually add a buff to all units while ignoring race or distance.


    Buffs have level differences.


    Level 1 is only the normal state.


    If he wants to increase the level of the buff, then he can make a sacrifice by spending gold.


    Zhang Nu learned that if he spends 20k gold as a sacrifice, then it will activate the level 2 buff. Spending 50k gold will activate the level 3 buff effect. Finally, the level 3 temple can go up to a level 3 buff at most.


    The higher the level of these buffs, the greater the effect by several times.


    However, the effect of a sacrifice will only endure for 24 hours.


    After the 24 hour period is over, it will revert back to the level 1 buff status unless another sacrifice is made.


    While Zhang Nu does have plenty of money, there''s no actual need to make a sacrifice every day.


    Only when it''s necessary, like when there''s about to be a battle, is there any need to spend tens of thousands of gold to make a sacrifice.


    This way, the entire army''s HP would be greatly increased, and they can even automatically regenerate HP and MP too. So long as this divine buff isn''t dispelled or disrupted, the fullbat strength of the army ispletely iparable.


    Not bad at all!


    The Temple of Nature is indeed a great structure!


    Then, Zhang Nu bought another batch of undeath gems from Bloody Giant Wang Shi. He took the leveling scroll and the materials and leveled up the House of Skeletons.


    [Note: You''ve leveled up the "House of Skeletons" to "White Bone Mausoleum"!]


    After the sessful level up, the level 2 necromantic structure House of Skeletons is gone, and what reced it is an even bigger, more magnificent, and spookier underground pce made of white bones. It''s name is now "White Bone Mausoleum".


    The White Bone Mausoleum generates an enormous amount of necromantic energy.


    Any undead creature that goes in will quickly have their soul fire replenished and be lively and energetic.


    As a unit production structure, the White Bone Mausoleum has even stronger summoning capabilities.


    The level 2 House of Skeletons had unlocked 1000 skeleton soldiers +100 skeletonmanders + 50 skeleton mages.


    The level 3 White Bone Mausoleum had unlocked 30,000 skeleton soldiers + 3000 skeletonmanders + 1500 skeleton mages + 500 skeleton giants + 100 skeleton generals.


    This number is kind of unbelievable.


    There are two new units unlocked.


    The skeleton giant is a level 2 Elite unit.


    The skeleton general is a level 3 Elite unit.


    There is no Lord level skeleton unit.


    The vast majority of undead units have this unique property. Their summoning cost is cheap, and their upkeep cost is inexpensive too. They''re very suitable for mass human wave tactics.


    Well, it''s fine if there''s no Lord unit.


    Zhang Nu doesn''t find this point regrettable.


    It''s not like hecks Lord units anyways, so what does it matter if he has one more or less. Rather, he''s actually quite satisfied with the skeleton quantity.


    A normal skeleton soldier costs 3 gold, so 30k skeletons will only take 90k gold to summon them all.


    These guys can very well be simply tossed on a battlefield to act as cannon fodder.


    It wouldn''t be painful no matter how heavy the losses are after all. Plus, besides just being cannon fodder, they can also be used as cheap and uiningbor.


    Although they''re not all that strong, this undead army still has value as a supporting element for the territory.

 Chapter 96.1

    The Temple of Nature and the White Bone Mausoleum.


    It''s easy to see how much those two new structures strengthen the territory.


    First, Zhang Nu spent nearly 90k gold to max out his 30k skeleton soldiers limit.


    These small units are cheap and have very low daily upkeep. Even at high numbers, they still won''t be too much of a burden on his economy.


    Just as Zhang Nu was considering how to strategically divide up thisbor force in order to get the most value out of them, the draconian priest Li Si came forth and reported, "My lord, our Detection Tower sent up an alert. Two targets suspected to be infiltrators have appeared nearby."


    "Infiltrators?"


    "Heroes again?"


    "The Detection Tower hasn''t even been built for more than a handful of days, and it already caught some rats?"


    Zhang Nu was quite satisfied.


    The Queen''s blueprint certainly was worthwhile.


    This Detection Tower really is something that every territory needs.


    It constantly scans the nearby area like a radar. So long as any units that haven''t been registered appear, it will immediately give an alert.


    As a level 1 structure, the Detection Tower''s ability isn''t perfect.


    If one has a strong enough stealth skill, then it''s possible to dodge the detection.


    However, maintaining stealth over a long period of time isn''t easy. The moment the skill is canceled, the user would be instantly discovered. This is also one of the strengths of the Detection Tower.


    Zhang Nu spoke, "Show me just who this is."


    Li Si had already activated the Omniscient Crystal Ball set in the castle''s throne room.


    Figures gradually appeared in the crystal. Two sneaking figures were moving about near Darkness City. It was obvious at a nce that they aren''t normal residents of the canyon, but rather two green-skinned orcs.


    There are no orcs in Darkness Valley.


    There are no orc tribes near Giantree City either.


    Those two likely have some rtion to Berserk Beast City.


    They''re approaching Darkness City carefully, so they don''t seem to be here to try to raid the Altar. They''re most likely scouts here to observe and gather information on the Demon King instead.


    The more information Heroes have before attacking a Demon King, the better.


    Information like the Demon King Territory''s unit types, force disposition, organization of forces, and the makeup and locations of defensive structures are especially important.


    Such information useful for strategy can lessen the losses from invasion.


    "Zhang San, go deal with the rats. Remember to leave one alive though."


    The draconian marshal Zhang San acknowledged the order and immediately charged out of the throne room in a blur.


    The two Heroes were sent by Tu Xiuming of Berserk Beast City.


    They entered Darkness Canyon via drake beasts, but the Valley has the magical fog from the Tower of Fog obstructing any observation, so they weren''t able to survey the geography or structures at all.


    "Shit!"


    "We''ve miscalcted!"


    "I can''t see anything!"


    "We really should have prepared potions of true seeing."


    "That or have learned a few higher leveled detection skills."


    "If this continues, not only would we be unable to get any information, we might even end up discovered by the Demon King''s minions. Let''s pull back for now!"


    The two were quite cautious, and they immediately reached an agreement.


    They nned to retreat and make preparations first.


    Who could have predicted, however, that a violent qi sh suddenly cut through the fog in front of them right at them. Both of the two were startled and barely dodged out of the way.


    "Who!"


    "Get out here!"


    Just as Feng Wan said that, a three meters tall draconian covered in golden scales came out from the fog. He looked down at the two orcs with eyes filled with ridicule and disdain.


    Feng Wan and Fang Hou were both struck dumb.


    That guy looked vicious and terrifyingly powerful!


    He''s a mid to high tiered level 3 Lord at the very least!


    He gives off a powerful pressure just standing there without moving. What a terrifying being, they''ve never seen such a thing.


    Fang Wan asked, "You''re the Demon King, aren''t you?!"


    Zhang San had no interest inmunicating with mobs, so he just grinned, showing his white teeth, making that grin look all the more vicious.


    The next second, the ded polearm shed forth.


    Fang Wan blocked it with his battleax.


    Then, with a ng, the ground around them sank down into a crater.


    The terrifying strength was as heavy as a mountain, forcing Fang Wan to vomit out a mouthful of blood.


    He''s a first ss elite Hero, and has dealt with quite a number of Demon KIngs before. Yet, he''s never been overpowered to such a degree, where he almost couldn''t even take a single blow. Yet, at just that moment, a wave of violent qi erupted from Zhang San''s body.


    Fang Wan''s breastte shattered like ss.


    The shockwave from the qi ripped apart the ground in every direction for three meters.


    Fang Wan''s HP dropped by nearly half. He knew now that there''s no way he''s a match for this terrible opponent. He also finally understood just why Wang Gang''s group died here.


    They guy is way too monstrous.


    He''s strong beyond reason!


    He''s definitely among the very top even among level 3 Lord monsters. He''s basically on the very ceiling among Lords.


    "Wait!"


    "I surrender!"


    "I''ll tell you everything!"


    Zhang San didn''t give him any chance though.


    Another two blows forced Fang Wan several meters back. Then, Zhang San covered himself in qi and, with a violent charge, sent Fang Wan flying before finally splitting the Hero in half with a swing of his de.


    The battle ended cleanly.


    [You''ve in a level 3 Hero. Soul +1!]


    Zhang Nu observed the entire battle through the Omniscient Crystal Ball.


    That Hero''s singlebat ability is about on par with Du Mingfeng''s, but he was defeated so easily here. The draconian marshal''s power was great, as expected.


    Based on Zhang Nu''s orders, one was killed and one was captured.


    Zhang Nu''s request that one be captured alive is, of course, for the sake of interrogation. This Fang Hou is only level 2, so he''d be rtively easier to keep under control as well.


    Besides that, a level 3 Hero is especially rare, so he will definitely kill them and harvest the soul whenever he encounters one.


    Zhang Nu immediately sacrificed the soul.


    [You sacrificed a level 3 Soul, gained x Talent Points] (T/N: The number got eaten by the raws I''m using again, so just pretend there''s an appropriate number here)


    After opening his status menu, he has reached 1102 Talent Points.


    Zhang Nu was overjoyed. He had just been worried recently due to havingpletely decimated the high leveled Hero poption near Giantree City, so he didn''t know where to find more prey.


    That''s solved now.


    This big EXP bundle that delivered himself right to his door got him enough Talent Points to go over the threshold.


    Zhang Nu spent 1000 Talent Points to activate his second level 3 Talent.


    [You''ve activated the level 3 Talent "Evil Dragon''s Descent"!]


    This skill is very powerful.


    It''s a transformation type skill.


    Although it costs a lot, after transformation, he can transform into an apocalyptic evil dragon. His skills will change and even greatly increase in power.


    Its boost to hisbat power is even greater than the Dragon King''s Sanctum.


    The King''s Sanctum is a signature ability, but when Zhang Nu uses it at his current power, the greatest effect from it is the crowd control ability that greatly weakens his enemies and suppresses their skills.


    Compared to that, Evil Dragon''s Descent is a direct boost in power.


    It explosively increases his destructive power and damage potential.


    AS for exactly how much that increase is, that''s something that Zhang Nu isn''t all that certain of right now either. He''ll need some research and testing before he can really answer that question.

 Chapter 96.2: .2 - Activating Evil Dragon’s Descent Part 2/2

    Zhang San and Li Si have returned.


    Li Si spoke, "He''s confessed everything."


    "He''s a highly ced member of Berserk Beast City''s Hero Guild. He was hired by a Hero who is one of the city lord''s sons'', Tu Xiuming, toe and collect information on us in preparation for an uing attack on our territory."


    "Is that so? So it''s Berserk Beast City as I thought!"


    Berserk Beast City.


    This orcish city doesn''t have much history behind it.


    Unlike the openness and diversity of Giantree City, Berserk Beast City is basically all orcs. The main reason why they were able to rise up in a few short decades to the point where their power overshadows that of Giantree City is because they''re actually basically fully militarized.


    Simply put, they basically survive via conquest, sacks, and raiding.


    Berserk Beast City has little productivity. They instead greatly encourage wars and raiding.


    They madly attacked the nearby tribes and raided other cities, including Giantree City. They fuel their wars with conquest. Their entire poption are soldiers and bandits, and all their properties came from taking them from others.


    This kind of expansionist policy also has a legendarily famous orc leading it.


    This is also why Berserk Beast City was able to get the status it now has.


    Berserk Beast City has been looking greedily at Giantree City for a long time now, so how could they possibly be willing to let a Demon King take control over Giantree City? This is on top of the fact that Zhang Nu had killed Berserk Beast City''s lord''s son, Gaim!


    Given Berserk Beast City''s way of doing things, there''s no way that they can simply let this be.


    Berserk Beast City should being at him again soon.


    Based on the information, Zhang Nu deduced that Berserk Beast City''s lord may have reached level 3 Overlord. He may even be stronger than the Giantree Forest''s fallen chief.


    That makes him a very strong opponent.


    This isn''t even mentioning the Hero Tu Xiuming.


    His body is that of one of Berserk Beast City''s eight Masters of Ten Thousand. He stared out with the strength of a level 3 Lord.


    Currently, having gained the status of a Hero, that guy''s also quickly growing stronger, so he may very well be just as strong as Berserk Beast City''s lord.


    In that case then, Berserk Beast City is not to be underestimated!


    Zhang San asked, "How should we deal with this prisoner?"


    Zhang Nu thought for a moment before speaking, "Let him escape."


    Zhang San was somewhat uprehending, "He had offended my lord though, so why do you permit him to escape? That''s letting him off far too easily!"


    Zhang Nu answered, "The power you disyed before them is enough to make them think that you''re the Demon King. By letting him return to report, it can work to draw them all out."


    The fact that the Demon King has the power of a King is something that only those who were drawn into the Sanctum before knows of.


    Du Mingfeng, Gaim, and the orcs with them had all been wiped out. There''s also no way that Nancilia and the various elven leaders would leak this information either.


    In other words, this is currently still a secret.


    Although this secret will end up discovered by others sooner orter, Zhang Nu still wants to take advantage of this information disparity while he still can.


    If the city lord of Berserk Beast City and the Hero Tu Xiuming knows that the Demon King has the power of a King, then there''s no way that they''d dare to lust after Giantree City and Darkness Vally.


    In fact, they''d instead do exactly the opposite and stay on the defense in order to keep Zhang Nu from attacking them.


    If that happened, then Zhang Nu would have no choice but to attack head on.


    Berserk Beast City has a powerful army. Their entire poption is militarized and they''re militarily stronger than Giantree City. Add in the fact that they are far away, even if Zhang Nu personally leads the army to attack, it would still be very costly for him.


    In that case then, wouldn''t it be better to draw them out to attack instead?


    Doesn''t Berserk Beast City want to swallow up Giantree City no matter what? Doesn''t the Hero Tu Xiuming want to destroy Darkness Valley? In that case, he might as well go along with their ns. Let theme!


    Zhang Nu would wee them!


    The Hero, Fang Hou, wasn''t imprisoned in the Dark Prison.


    It''s because there''s no way that he''d be able to escape if he was put in the Dark Prison.


    The draconians locked him into a temporary iron cage instead. There are also eight high soldiers guarding him, making it look like he''s under heavy guard.


    Zhang Nu knew that, given that guy''s capabilities, he''d definitely be able to escape somehow.


    Just as expected, Fang Hou was secretly overjoyed.


    "Thank goodness!"


    "They''re overconfident!"


    "The Demon King has rxed his guard against me!"


    "Now is my only chance to escape."


    Hisbat ability isn''t on Fang Wan''s level, but when ites to the power to run away, he''s definitely super first ss with very few Heroes being able to match hiim.


    He took a deep breath and activated the "Ground Dive" Talent Skill.


    The high soldiers just heard a nging sound as the cuffs and chains fell to the ground in the cage. However, the person imprisoned in the cage was nowhere to be seen.


    "No no!"


    "The war prisoner has escaped!"


    "Find and catch him, quickly!"


    The draconian high soldiers started yelling.


    Fang Hou had already escaped several hundred meters away via Ground Dive though.


    He then immediately activated Shadow Sneak. It''s a high leveled stealth ability, strong enough to let him avoid the vast majority of detection skills under C rank.


    Finally, several minutester, Fang Hou finally managed to get away to safety.


    He then took out the special whistle and blew into it hard. A drake beast descended from the sky, grabbed Fang Hou, lifted off, and headed out of the Valley.


    "That was way too close!"


    "I just managed to get out from the maw of death!"


    "Thank goodness I had these escape skills."


    Fang Hou''s tensed up heart finally rxed.


    This scout trip can''t really be called a sess. He hadn''t scouted out the structures of Darkness Valley, and he doesn''t know a thing about the military force disposition either.


    Thankfully though, he did manage to bump into the Demon King.


    Fan Hou''s memory crystal has alsopletely recorded the entire battle.


    He has faith that this bit of information was barely good enough as a report.


    After all, even the especially strong Fang Wan got taken out. He really lucked out in being able to get out alive. He can''t get too greedy here.


    He took another nce toward the direction of Darkness Valley and shivered in fear again.


    That Demon King is just too powerful and vicious!


    He just hopes that he won''t ever encounter something like this again in his life!**

 Chapter 97: The Hero and the City Lord of Berserk Beast City

    Deep within the barren mountains.


    Corpses were littered everywhere.


    Among the corpses were orcs and rock golems.


    A fierce battle had just ended here, and it was concluded with the hero''s demon subjugation army as the victor.


    "I did not expect such tenacious resistance!"


    "This rock golem demon king was stronger than anticipated!"


    The hero Tu Xuming was weary, yet his spirits were extremely high, "Though the battle was tougher than presumed, however, the rewards were also beyond expectations!"


    Several hero underlings seized the opportunity topliment him.


    "Congrattions, Boss!"


    "Ascend to level 4 in one go!"


    "There''s no doubt Boss is the number 1 hero of Chaos Forest!"


    "Boss, with the current growth rate of your strength, as well as having a powerful force like Berserk Beast City within your grasp, you might even rule over the entire forest in the future!"


    Tu Xiuming replied, "There will always be someone better and stronger. How many ces have you been to? Dering me as the number 1 hero of Chaos Forest was too much of an exaggeration."


    Although his words were modest, his eyes were gleaming with confidence and pride.


    The hunt this time has yielded Tu Xiuming a lot more Training Points than he expected. After pouring all the points into himself, he unexpectedlypleted a key breakthrough.


    There was no denying it.


    Tu Xiuming was very lucky.


    The body he reincarnated into was one of themanders, Master of Ten Thousand of Berserk Beast City, as well as the son of Grey, city lord of the aforementioned city. From the very beginning, he had already possessed the strength of a level 3 pseudo lord.


    After hunting numerous demon kings and obtaining multiple powerful talents, Tu Xiuming has stepped into the rank of a Lord without effort.


    Today''s battle has allowed him to grow even further and be a level 4 hero.


    He is confident that his current strength will not be inferior to that of the old city lord Grey.


    "I wonder how Feng Wan and Fang Hou are doing. With my current strength, I should be able to challenge the Dragon Demon King."


    The hero underlings once again engaged in ttery.


    "Don''t worry too much, Boss."


    "There''s no need for concern."


    "The Dragon Demon King is only level 3 at most."


    "That''s right. Demon Kings are different from Heroes, they can only start from scratch."


    "Boss has the full support of Berserk Beast City, destroying him would be a piece of cake. Then, Boss''s strength will certainly rise to a higher level."


    "......"


    Tu Xiuming had the same thought.


    He was already very powerful.


    The growth rate gained from killing ordinary Demon Kings was too slow for him. Only by hunting the apex Demon Kings can significant growth be achieved.


    Now.


    Within these hundreds of thousands of miles.


    The Dragon Demon King was the most valuable target.


    His territory was so vast that it even included Giantree City.


    This was beyond imagination.


    The reward from killing him would exceed all other Demon King killsbined.


    With that, there would be a chance to even surpass lord level and be an Overlord!


    ''By then, what''s an old city lordpared to me? The orcs have always obeyed the custom of ''The strong shall rule!'' I will be the new lord of Berserk Beast City!


    I must kill the Dragon Demon King!


    He will be my biggest stepping stone to the highest throne!''


    After returning to Wild Beast City.


    Feng Wan and Fang Hou have yet to return.


    However, there were several umon guests who were visiting.


    Tu Xiuming entered the castle of the city lord and was stunned at the sight of these visitors.


    These were all......humans!


    Humans rarely ventured into the Chaos Forest.


    This was his first time seeing humans after being transmigrated.


    These four humans were clearly not your average joes.


    The leader of the group was middle-aged, wearing a silver mail, a dark green cloak, and equipped with a sapphire-embedded sword on his waist. His presence exuded a sharp and cold atmosphere.


    This human''s strength could be on par with himself.


    This is Tu Xiuming''s first impression of this man.


    Grey, the old city lord, was surprised. "Your aura has suddenly strengthened so much! Did you break through to the fourth level ahead of time?"


    As these words came out.


    The four humans were all astonished.


    Tu Xiuming answered proudly, "That''s right!"


    The old orc roared inughter, "Hahahaha, as expected from my own blood! You are stronger than your brother Gaim. Berserk Beast City finally has a sessor!"


    Tu Xiuming haughtily asked, "And who are these people?"


    "Hahhah, please allow me to introduce myself. I am the chief knight of Count Kolo in the south of the Thunder Empire, as well as the deputy head of the Divine Sword Heroes Guild... My name is He Tianzong."


    As expected, he was from beyond the Chaos Forest.


    But unexpectedly, this human was also a Hero like him.


    Judging from his aura, he had simr strength like himself.


    ''Could it be that he''s also a level 4 hero?''


    The very thought made Tu Xiuming feel slightly unpleasant.


    What was the purpose of these people?


    The Chaos Forest was surrounded by three countries.


    These countries certainly had the ability and manpower topletely conquer the Chaos Forest. However, the cost of conquest and governance would be too high, and it was by no means a worthy acquisition.


    Besides.


    Three major forces.


    A situation of tripartite confrontation.


    A bnce of power has already been formed.


    The Chaos Forest existed as a buffer zone.


    Any country involving themselves in the conflicts of Chaos Forest would break the delicate bnce formed by tacit agreement.


    Tu Xiuming questioned directly, "What are your intentions here?"


    He Tianzong replied, "I was ordered to negotiate for cooperation from various forest cities and tribes."


    "What do you want from Berserk Beast City?"


    Tu Xiuming was very vignt. From his perspective, these were all his personal assets and properties. It was absolutely impossible for him to give up even the slightest bit of Berserk Beast City.


    "There is nothing for you in this city!"


    He Tianzong responded calmly,"The resources of Berserk Beast City are indeed scarce and poor. However, it is in possession of a valuable resource which is currently in surplus, even for you."


    "What?"


    "Warriors! Fighters!"


    He Tianzong continued, "The Count ns to invest in a forest city, and for this purpose, he needs to establish a forest coalition army. We wish the Berserk Beast City can supply us with twenty thousand elites."


    "Of course, in return, the Count will deliver arge number of weapons, equipment, food, medicinal materials, and any supplies you need to help you achieve better development. There will be more cooperation opportunities in the future."


    Why would an Imperial Count want to invest in a forest city?


    Not to mention spending a fortune to recruit warriors from various cities and tribes, just to form a forest coalition army.


    It smelled of conspiracy.


    Tu Xiuming was highly suspicious of the Count''s motives.


    The old orc city lord Grey was not a fool as well.


    Of course, he would not rashly agree to such a request.


    He Tianzong was not discouraged, "Our intentions have been delivered. I hope the city lord will consider our offers. Several cities are already interested in it and have joined the negotiation."


    This was a threat!!


    The Berserk Beast City may be jointly targeted if they did not ept the proposal.


    He Tianzong nced at Tu Xiuming again and said, "Fellow warrior, you are strong. You should consider joining the Divine Sword. With your strength, you can firmly sit in the top positions!"


    After expressing their intention of recruiting.


    The four humans hurriedly left the Berserk Beast City.


    They seemed to be busy, having many destinations to reach.


    The old city lord asked, "What do you think of this?"


    Tu Xiuming replied, "They want to build their forces and troops in the forest. They are definitely scheming something big. I''ve heard rumors from traders that the Sunset Empire and the Azure Water Federation are in constant civil strife, and only the Thunder Empire is thriving..."


    Just then.


    "Fang Hou has returned!"


    A subordinate came to report.


    Tu Xiuming was overjoyed at the news, "Let hime and meet me!"


    The very first thing Fang Hou said as he entered was, "Feng Wan is dead!"


    Tu Xiuming frowned.


    "What the hell happened? Exin!"


    Fang Hou immediately described everything he had encountered in the Darkness Valley in detail and finally took out the memory crystal.


    Within the memory crystal was the recording of Feng Wan''s death.


    Tu Xiuming and the old orc city master watched the recording attentively.


    Tu Xiumingmented, "Hm!! As expected of the apex Demon King, it has reached the level of pseudo Overlord. If there wasn''t a fortunate breakthrough this time, I''m not even sure if I can take him on. Now, it seems that it is the will of Heaven that he shall die by my hands!"


    "This is the murderer of Gaim!"


    The old city lord''s face clouded, his eyes were flickering with murderous intent.


    Tu Xiuming immediately pleaded: "Father, I''m requesting to dispatch the Berserker Corps and the Winged Beast Corps. Give me three days and I shall take down the Darkness Valley and avenge my brother!"


    "No!"


    The old orc shook his head.


    Tu Xiuming was puzzled.


    Grey said indifferently, "The situation in the Darkness Valley is unknown and a rash assault may lead to an ambush. Instead of attacking the Darkness Valley, it is better to take Giantree City directly."


    "What? Attack the Giantree City!"


    Tu Xiuming may not be as scheming as Du Mingfeng.


    But he was no fool.


    After some careful consideration.


    Giantree City has only been captured by the Demon King recently.


    It is precisely in a period when the morale of the people is unstable and their forces heavily depleted.


    There was no better time than to assault Giantree City right now. As for the Demon King, he wouldn''t be able to sit back and just watch.


    This could avoid having to battle within the Darkness Valley.


    "I will personally fight in this battle!" Grey''s fierce vindictiveness and killing intent surged around him, "Gaim must not die in vain! Giantree City will be ours! And all the elves will die!"


    Tu Xiuming rejoiced.


    The orc in front of him was not an existence that could be trifled with.


    Grey climbed step by step, from a chief of arge orc tribe, to the current city lord of Berserk Beast City. It was under his leadership that the Berserk Beast City prospered.


    This was a legendary figure.


    If Grey was joining the battle himself, this could only mean that he intended to go all out.


    The military strength of Berserk Beast City had always been superior to that of Giantree City. Now with the two powerhouses of a level 4 Lord and a level 3 Overlord participating in the assault, there is not a single doubt as to the oue of the battle against the crumbling Giantree City.


    The Dragon Demon King was destined to die.


    The Giantree City was bound to fall.


    Neither shall survive!

 Chapter 98: The Draconian High Priest and Preparation for War

    It had been three days since Zhang Nu allowed the hero to escape.


    However, there was no movement from Berserk Beast City yet.


    He could only wait patiently.


    Zhang Nu continued sending troops to attack the nearby tribes or forcing them to surrender.


    Currently, excluding Giantree City, there were as many as 31 small and medium-sized forces under his control.


    These forces had a poption ranging from a few hundred to over a thousand. Although they were quite insignificant, they had provided a lot ofbor force.


    The development of Giant Tree City was going smoothly.


    Even though the establishment of the caravan and the Hero Order could not bepleted in a single step.


    Nevertheless, dozens of acres of elf farms had been set up beside the Tree of Life.


    The scale of the elf farms would be astonishing in the future. Not only could it produce food, it could also be used for animal husbandry. The elf farms were nourished by the Tree of Life, its efficiency would beparable to that of a spirit field.


    To be honest.


    Just from the harvest of goblin farms.


    Zhang Nu had so much food and provisions that his granary was about to burst.


    Soon, the elf farms would start producing even more harvests. So, won''t the food and provisions just piled up and left to spoil? Zhang Nu hastily worked up three solutions to resolve this issue.


    First, increase food exports.


    The food and provisions would not be sold to Demon Kings exclusively. In fact, there were many cities and tribes in the forest thatcked food. Food has always been an important resource in this world.


    Second, increase the nting of other crops.


    If too much food was produced in a short period of time, morend could be allocated to grow medicinal crops or other fruits and vegetables.


    Third, increase the poption of his territory and the size of his army.


    For the next few days, Zhang Mu sessively recruited thousands of Draconian Laborers and Soldiers.


    The unit structure is as follows:


    Logistics: 7500 Draconian Laborers, 3000 High Draconian Laborers, 500 Draconian Craftsmen, totaling 11000.


    Army: 8800 Draconian Soldiers, 500 High Draconian Soldiers, 60 Super Draconian Soldiers, 50 Draconian Battlemages, 20 Mythic Draconian Battlemages, 15 Draconian Generals, 5 Draconian Priests and 1 Draconian Marshal. Nearly 10,000 in total.


    The total poption reaches 20451!


    Zhang Nu has met the recruitment criteria of the "Draconian High Priest".


    He sent Li Si, the draconian priest, to the altar and upgraded him into a high priest.


    [Draconian High Priest] Level 3 Lord unit, 600 HP, 1000 MP, 45 Strength, 50 Constitution, 55 Agility, 100 Willpower. Loyalty 100% (Locked). Fatigue 10%, Hunger 10%.


    Skills: Inferno Winged Drake Form (Talent), Blood Ritual (B Rank), Teleportation Field (B Rank), Healing Field (B Rank), Death Field (B Rank), Weakening Field (B Rank), All-Knowing Eye (C Rank), Thunderfall Curse (C Rank), me Explosion Curse (D Rank)...


    Most of them were the same as before.


    In spite of that, the skill level has been increased by one level. In addition, all of its stats have been greatly enhanced. More importantly, there was a change in its bloodline.


    The Draconian Priest was originally of the Abyssal Winged Drake bloodline.


    The Draconian High Priest, however, was now of the Inferno Winged Drake bloodline.


    The Inferno Winged Drake was an advanced species of the drake family. Not only did it have a more ferocious temperament, it also possessed a more terrifyingbat prowess.


    There was another matter especially worthy of attention.


    The Draconian High Priest has a brand new B Rank skill: Blood Ritual.


    [Rite of Blood] A B Rank skill, consumes 100 MP. It links all Draconian units within 1000 meters through the ritual, so as to achieve the effect of damage sharing. The maximum damage shared is 70%. It will consume 50 MP of the caster every second. The caster will be stationary during casting.


    The description of the skill may be confusing.


    In fact, it was very easy to understand. As long as the Draconian High Priest was casting this ritual spell, all Draconian units within the radius of 1,000 meters would have life sharing!


    This would mean.


    Even after a Draconian received a mortal blow.


    Through the effect of the ritual, Li Si could transfer most of the damage received to other Draconians.


    With this spell, a Draconian would most likely survive an attack that was supposed to be fatal.


    As for the transferred damage, since it could be evenly distributed to dozens, hundreds or even more Draconians, the damage would be instantly reduced to the minimum on average.


    This was an extremely terrifying skill!


    It was also a core skill unique to the high priest.


    The role of the Draconian High Priest was far greater than imagined, enough to greatly improve the survivability andbat capabilities of an entire army.


    However, this unit would really draw a lot of aggro if the enemy became aware of how the skill works.


    It would definitely be the target of concentrated attacks.


    In the future, it was best for Li Si to not fight in person and leave the frontlines to the Draconian Marshal, Zhang San. The Draconian High Priest, Li Si, should just stay in the backline and provide support in peace.


    Once this pair worked together.


    Even Zhang Nu would have a headache facing them.


    Just then.


    A soldier rushed in.


    "Master!"


    "Urgent report from Giantree City!"


    "There''s been movement from Berserk Beast City!"


    "A huge army is heading for Giantree City!"


    Zhang Nu was slightly taken aback at the news. He originally assumed that the Heroes would attack the Darkness Valley; he never thought that they would directly target Giantree City.


    However.


    Zhang Nu understood their motives after some thoughts.


    Berserk Beast City must have spected that the Giantree City, after undergoing continuous internal strife, being taken advantage of and conquered by a Demon King, would currently be in a state of instability and weakness.


    Berserk Beast City already had the ambition of annexing Giantree City in the first ce.


    This time, not only could they take the opportunity to capture the Giant Tree City directly, but also lure the Demon King out of the Darkness Valley, which would be easier to deal with.


    The orcs thought they knew the elves very well.


    The elves were a stubborn and extremely proud race. It was impossible for the elves to submit themselves to a foreign invader. Their rtionship with the Demon King would not be amiable.


    After Zhang Nu figured it out.


    He could not help but tough out loud.


    "So it seems."


    "This is no longer just a fight between Heroes and Demon King."


    "It''s now a war between two forest cities."


    "Oh well, this is fine. Better to finish everything in one battle than wasting time going back and forth."


    Zhang Nu would like to take this opportunity to test something.


    After pouring in so much time, money and effort into building his Draconian army, as well as strengthening his Draconian Marshal Zhang San and Draconian High Priest Li Si. He would like to see how well his army can do on the battlefield.


    Zhang Nu teleported to Giantree City.


    Due to the news regarding the invasion army of Berserk Beast City.


    Giantree City was in a state of great panic.


    After all, Berserk Beast City had been overpowering Giantree City in recent years. They only barely managed to mediate with the orcs when the Great Elders were still around.


    After experiencing such turmoil a while ago.


    With the death of several elders, including the eldest, the forces of Giantree City were extremely depleted. It would definitely not be an easy task to hold off the assault of Berserk Beast City.


    In terms of military strength.


    Giantree City is iparable to Berserk Beast City.


    In the end, even if they could repel the army of Berserk Beast City with the city barrier and various defense facilities.


    The casualties would be huge.


    And so.


    The personal arrival of His Majesty the Demon King himself.


    It put the elves of Giantree City at ease.


    The elves of Giantree City have long acknowledged the Demon King, who was suspected of having an affair with the Goddess of Nature. His presence has boosted the morale of the Giantree City army and made the elvenmoners gain a sense of security.


    The city lord of Berserk Beast City.


    He was undefeated.


    His bravery and ferocity were feared.


    One can only hope that the Demon King would be able to hold him back.


    Zhang Nu asked directly, "What do we know about the current situation?"


    "The Dragonhawk Riders from the Ancient Tree have just returned from their reconnaissance." Nancilia was very nervous, "I''m afraid Berserk Beast City is going all out this time!"


    All these years.


    Giantree City and Berserk Beast City have been at odds for many times.


    It was not the first time that the orcs have assaulted Giantree City.


    Before that, however, it was mostly ckmail and plundering for the purpose of simply trying to suppress and weaken the Giantree City as much as possible.


    This time, it was different.


    Nancilia continued, "From what we know, not only did Grey, the city lord of Berserk Beast, appear in person, but he brought along fourmanders with the rank Master of Ten Thousand! It''s a lineup we''ve never seen before!"


    Zhang Nu urged on, "What is the size of their army?"


    "Their number reached about 30000. They have sent out their strongest Berserk Beast army, including Berserker Corps, Wolf Rider Corps, and Winged Beast Corps!"


    The entire poption of Berserk Beast City was all fighters.


    30000 did not seem to be a lot or powerful.


    That was in fact incorrect.


    These 30000 were Berserk Beast City''s strongest military force.


    Almost all of them were elite units, and they were personally led by the city Lord and his four Masters of Ten Thousand.


    This time, the Berserk Beast City has sent out at least 70% of its forces


    It was no wonder why the elves of Giantree were so panicked.


    After understanding the situation, Zhang Nu was unfazed, and ordered Li Si, the high priest, "Teleport half of the Draconian army over here before dark."


    "As ordered!"


    Li Si immediately went to make arrangements.


    The forces of Giantree itself were not weak.


    Half of the Draconian army was more than enough.


    Zhang Mu calcted the time, and when the Berserker Beast army was almost there, he spent 50,000 gold coins to perform an offering at the Temple of Nature.


    [You havepleted the offering!]


    [Current Divine Skill Level: 3!]


    [Goddess of Nature''s Blessing lv3] Special status, +30% Max Hp, gain 5 HP and 5 MP recovery every minute,sts for twenty-four hours.


    This very instance.


    Every elf felt it.


    The divine blessing bestowed by the Goddess of Nature had suddenly amplified.


    The elves were surprised and delighted.


    Was it because of the Demon King again?


    What was his rtionship with the Goddess anyway!


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied with the Temple of Nature. A 30% maximum HP increase was not a small boost, it was enough to raise the strength of an army to another level.


    <em ss="chakra-text css-0">Why aren''t the Berserk Beasts here yet?


    Zhang Nu was getting a little impatient.

 Chapter 99.1: .1 - The Clash of Lords Part 1/2

    As the dawn broke.


    Giantree City was getting ready for battle.


    The city walls were full of elven archers and mages.


    Beneath the city wall, there were four to five thousand Draconian units standing by.


    And so, the Berserk Beast City army has arrived.


    The orc army was divided into three legions.


    The first legion, the Berserker Corp, numbered around 20000. It is the backbone of Berserk Beast City. They were all orc warriors with the Berserk talent, and have generally reached the rank of Elite.


    The second legion, the Wolf Rider Corp, about 7000 in numbers. Each wolf cavalry was carefully selected and paired with a giant wolf mount. Their offensive capabilities were very powerful.


    The third andst legion, Winged Beast Corp, estimated 3000 in number. This was their flying unit as well as their mage unit from Berserk Beast City. These orc mages paired with winged beast mounts possessed amazing mobility and destructive power.


    The orc army gave out a strong sense of oppression!


    An old orc with a face full of scars was riding upon a blood-red furred wolf. His gloomy yet ferocious gaze was staring dead ahead.


    "This day shall be the end for the elves of Giantree!"


    "Leave no survivors! Siege their city and ughter them all!"


    Orcs and elves have been at odds since ancient times.


    The old city lord even had a deep hatred towards the elves.


    Before the battle evenmenced, a n to massacre the city was made.


    "Father!"


    "The Demon King is just ahead!"


    "Allow me to face him!"


    The Hero Tu XiuMing has stepped out from the formation of Masters of Ten Thousand.


    "Very well, go ahead! If you can kill him before the battle even starts, the position of Berserk Beast City''s deputy city lord shall be yours."


    *Deputy city lord?


    Hah!


    After killing this Demon King, my strength will definitely grow immensely!


    By then, I don''t even need to be a deputy city lord.*


    *All of Berserk Beast City shall be mine!


    However.


    This is unexpected.


    The forces of the Demon King are very strong.*


    The average strength of the Draconian warriors was obviously stronger than the elite orcs from the same level, thus this army was definitely far more powerful than imagined!


    As expected from the most powerful Demon king within the vicinity, it seems that after upying the Giantree City, it has gained a lot of rewards, otherwise such a huge lineup would not be possible.


    As long as he could kill the Demon King in advance.


    The morale of the Demon King troops would copse.


    Therger the Demon King''s territory, the greater his influence and the stronger his strength, the more tempting the rewards would be after killing him.


    Tu Xiuming could not bear to stand for another second.


    He could not wait to kill him right this moment.


    Tu Xiuming pointed with his war spear, "Do you dare to step up and face me?!"


    After bing the Draconian Marshal.


    Zhang San''s appearance has changed greatly.


    Now, he was definitely the best looking one within the Draconian Army.


    His scales were of lustrous gold, glistening with elegance and grace. He stood out way too much and it was simply too easy to spot him at a nce.


    "You have a death wish? Allow me to oblige!"


    Zhang San was a Draconian of few words.


    He activated his B ranked skill - Rampaging Dragon Charge.


    Like a cannonball, heunched towards the Hero.


    "Not bad! But to fight against me, you''re still a bit short!"


    Tu Xiuming''s whole body petrified rapidly, it grew and bulked up in size. His stature is nowparable to a Draconian.


    This was a powerful talent obtained by killing the Rock Golem Demon King.


    It raised its defense, constitution, as well as various other stats drastically.


    "A mere level 3!"


    "Let me show you!"


    "The difference between our rank and strength!"


    Tu Xiuming simply attacked with his spear without even attempting to defend.


    He has grasped the strength of the Demon King in advance through intelligence. He was very confident that the Demon King''s attack simply could not threaten himself.


    As for the Demon King.


    He probably did not know he was facing a level 4 Hero.


    Otherwise, he would not have charged toward himself so recklessly. This is utterly inviting death!


    However.


    The very next second.


    A ferocious Qi shshed out.


    It instantly cleaved through the spear and hit the Hero''s body.


    Tu Xiuming was sent flying for six or seven meters, and plunged heavily into the ground. His crash created a huge crater in the terrain. He instantly spat out a mouthful of blood.


    "Impossible!"


    The karma came too fast, it was like a p in the face.


    Tu Xiuming waspletely bewildered.


    *Why is itpletely different from what I''ve imagined?


    How is it that his attack was so powerful?*


    Zhang San caught up while winding up his Qi, "If this is all you''ve got, then you may now die in peace!"


    During the conversation.


    Another sh arrived.


    Everyone at the scene was dumbfounded.


    Especially the Hero underlings under Tu Xiuming.


    "Bloody hell!"


    "What''s going on with the Demon King?"


    "He must have taken drugs!"


    "Isn''t he only at level 3?"


    "That''s right, he must be level 3, but why is he so strong?"


    Tu Xiuming lost his preemptive advantage due to his carelessness. He was currentlypletely suppressed by the Draconian Marshal. Although he has yet to be defeated, he was getting beaten into a mess.

 Chapter 99.2: .2 - The Clash of Lords Part 2/2

    Grey was furious at the sight and leapt forward.


    Under the relentless attacks of a level 3 Overlord.


    Zhang San was finally repelled and got slightly wounded.


    Grey, the city lord was dissatisfied, "You are too gullible! He obviously has amand-type skill that strengthens himself, and his current strength is not inferior to yours."


    But of course.


    The Draconian Marshal.


    As amander typebat unit.


    Not only did he possess incrediblebat prowess.


    He also had excellentmand-type skills.


    Among them, the most vitalmand-type skills were [Battle Dragon''s Aura] and [Qi Aura].


    The former enhanced the strength of the entire army.


    Thetter reinforced himself with the presence of the entire army.


    The Draconian Marshal had differentbat power during singlebat andrge scale battles. The more soldiers he led, the stronger he would be.


    For example.


    If he had the power topete with top Lords.


    After being reinforced by his army.


    Zhang San would basically have the strength of an Overlord.


    Grey had run out of patience, "Do not waste anymore time! This is a tough one to deal with, let''s finish him together!"


    Tu Xiuming originally wanted to put on a good show.


    He never thought the Demon King would be way stronger than he imagined.


    A failed attempt of being pretentious.


    He became enraged from the embarrassment.


    ''Forget it!


    It doesn''t matter!


    This Demon King is too powerful.


    I can''t handle it on my own.


    But now, he shall personally face the wrath of Berserk Beast City''s city lord.


    He''s dead!''


    Seeing this, Li Si, the Draconian High Priest, immediately unleashed his ritual magic and enveloped the entire field with Blood Ritual.


    A loud roar.


    Zhang San transformed.


    Instantly, he turned into a Golden Earth Drake.


    The Golden Earth Drake was 20 meters in length, its scales, as if forged in gold, majestic and domineering. It apparently wanted to fight the two orcs head on.


    "DIE!"


    Grey''s eyes were bloodshot.


    His Qi turned into a 10 meter de.


    Like a wave of sea, it crashed onto the Earth Drake.


    Grey had mastered his Qi to great sess ten years ago.


    His strength had long dominated his peers at the same level. Evenpared with other Overlords, he can at least rank in the middle. Grey was even stronger than Tu Xiuming!


    The power behind this blow was of a level 4 Lord.


    If it was hit directly.


    There would be only death or incapacitation awaiting the victim!


    -21!


    The Golden Earth Drake was driven back for a few meters.


    Only a few scales got damaged.


    It probably suffered some superficial injuries. But such little damage was far from severe, let alone a fatal threat.


    "How the hell is this possible?!"


    Now it was not only Tu Xiuming.


    Grey''s eyes were widened in disbelief.


    The Earth Drake was originally a species known for its superb defense.


    And the defense of a Golden Earth Drake was superior to that of a ck Iron Earth Drake.


    Moreover.


    There was also the Blood Ritual.


    More than half of the damage inflicted onto Zhang San was transferred, so even if it was an orc as strong as the city lord Grey, he could only do as much as a scratch.


    "Damn it!"


    "Just die!"


    Tu Xiuming made a move.


    Lighting entwined his spear.


    And thundered towards the Earth Drake.


    -3!


    If the Berserk Beast city lord''s attack was regarded as a scratch.


    The Hero''s attack could not even be considered a tickle.


    The Golden Earth Drake had a massive HP pool and it regenerated very quickly. Not to mention it was also blessed with the Level 3 Goddess of Nature''s Divine Art. They would not be able to kill the drake with this kind of miniscule damage, even if they fought to the end of time.


    Terrified!


    Shocked!


    Unbelievable!


    The morale of the orcs had fallen apart!


    It was their first time seeing the city lord''s attack fail.


    As for the Heroes?


    They were in more panic.


    "Game over, man! GAME OVER!"


    "How the hell do you fight this?"


    "The Demon King''s defense is too ridiculous!"


    "Is this the current strongest Demon King? It is hopeless!"


    "Even the city lord can only deal this much damage. I don''t think we can even break its defense. This is going to be a nightmare!"


    Grey was furious.


    His green skin turned blood red.


    Veins were rippling throughout his whole body.


    It was an advanced Berserk talent, [Blood Frenzy].


    The talent could significantly boost the strength of its user, but it would shorten its user''s life span as a price. It would not be used unless absolutely necessary.


    Grey couldn''t care less at this very moment.


    This Dragon Demon King was probably the toughest and most powerful opponent he has ever faced in his entire life, and it has incited his fury.


    ''No matter the cost!


    It must be taken down!


    As long as this Demon King is defeated.


    Giantree City will crumble!''


    Tu XiuMing also unleashed all his status skills, constantly strengthening himself, pushing his power to the extreme. He then charged towards the Earth Drake alongside Grey.


    Suddenly.


    Qi, lighting, me.


    Various energies collided in a frenzy.


    The orcs, the Heroes, the elves, and even the Draconians, were all stunned by the battle. The strength demonstrated by both parties was beyond reckoning.


    The Earth Drake kept enduring the fierce blows, one after another.


    With an abnormally massive HP pool, as well as regenerative power.


    It withstood everything.


    However.


    Although its defense was ridiculously strong.


    The Earth Drake''s means of attack was rtivelycking.


    Due to its enormous size, it was not flexible at all. In most cases, it could only defend passively and barely had opportunities to counter attack.


    In this case.


    No matter how high the defense was, or how fast the recovery was.


    It was only a matter of time before being defeated.


    The two sides shed for a couple of hundred rounds.


    The Golden Earth Drake has finally begun to show signs of exhaustion, but the two orcs were not much better, especially the city lord, Grey.


    In order to take down this terrible opponent.


    He had almost exhausted all his strength to maintain his Blood Frenzy.


    The side effects on his body were getting more and more severe. This would undoubtedly shorten a great deal of his life span, and his strength would be impaired for a long time after this battle.


    "AHHHHHH!"


    "You! Cover me!"


    "I''m going to finish him off with a final blow!"


    Not only did Grey not end his frenzy state.


    Instead, he intensified his berserking.


    Blood oozed from the skin all over his body, and started igniting and bursted into mes, making him as terrifying as a demon god.


    As Tu Xiuming witnessed the sight.


    He gave it his all to unleash the rocks.


    All to restrict the Earth Drake''s movement from every direction.


    "Scorching Blood Demon sh!"


    With a maniacal grin, Grey concentrated the mes formed from his blood onto his weapon. It finally shifted into a powerful zing light and sted onto the Earth Drake.


    -300!


    This was an Overlord ranked warrior.


    Who hysterically unleashed a blow that had cost him half of his remaining life span.


    Even with the Blood Ritual, it is inevitable that the attack would deal serious damage.


    The Golden Earth Drake let out a low roar.


    There was a huge wound on his body.


    Even with a recovery power as strong as his, Zhang San would not be able to recover in a short time. In fact, he was temporarily incapacitated at the moment.


    With this.


    The oue of this thrilling battle.


    Was finally decided.


    Grey was drenched in blood and lost his power to fight any longer.


    He shouted frantically: "Kill it now and take down the Giantree City!"


    Neither the orc city lord nor the golden drake could move, yet the Hero still retained hisbat power. He could take this opportunity to kill the dragon.


    "Victory!"


    "Hahahahaha!"


    "I''ve won!"


    "You are the strongest Demon King I''ve ever seen."


    "It is unfortunate, but it all ends now. Today, you will die by my hands!"


    Tu Xiuming was trembling from excitement.


    If it was not for the old city lord, Grey.


    He would not have been able to kill such a strong existence no matter what.


    Now a once-in-a-lifetime great opportunity was right in front of him.


    Such a powerful Demon King.


    How much reward would there be for killing him?


    A satisfied expression was also shown on the orc city lord''s face.


    Although he paid a heavy price.


    The final victory was his.


    He has not felt such fulfillment in decades.


    He recalled thest time he felt this way, it was his first battle shortly after he came of age, when he fought a group of powerful magical beasts for a day and a night.


    Even though he was seriously injured.


    But he survived.


    It was the same this time.


    He lost half of his life.


    But, even so, hepleted a counter-kill in a hopeless situation.


    As a warrior, there is nothing more intoxicating than this. The feeling of turning the tides, and triumphing over a powerful enemy at the line of life and death.


    And yet.


    Right at this moment.


    A loud apuse rang out.


    It left everyone present baffled.


    "Hahahaha!"


    "Splendid! Marvelous! That was truly wonderful!"


    "What a brilliant battle performance! This king has thoroughly enjoyed it!"

 Chapter 100.1: .1 - An Old Warriors Resolve Part 1/2

    Zhang Nu has been watching the show the whole time.


    He wanted to test the abilities of Zhang San and Li Si.


    To his surprise, he found thebination of Draconian Marshal and High Priest to be very powerful.


    In the end, both of them were only level 3 Lord units, yet their opponents were a level 4 Lord and a level 3 Overlord.


    Regardless of which aspect they werepared against, the disparity in strength was too great.


    Zhang Nu thought it would be good enough if the Draconian Marshal could hold on for just a while.


    Unexpectedly, Zhang San almost fought the two opponents to a stalemate by himself. And all the while, the High Priest only provided support and did not attack throughout the battle.


    Draconian Marshal.


    Draconian High Priest.


    Their capabilities were evident from this battle.


    They definitely would not be able to defeat an Overlord of the same level in a duel.


    However, in the event of arge-scale battle, when a Draconian Marshal or a High Priest joined in, their role and influence on the battlefield would far exceed an Overlord unit of the same level.


    Zhang Nu descended from the sky andnded in the middle of the battlefield.


    The Berserk Beast city lord, Grey was supporting his own body with his ax handle. It was difficult enough for him to be barely standing on his feet.


    As for the Hero Tu Xiuming, even though he was not seriously injured, the fierce battle just now had exhausted all his MP.


    In other words, both orcs have reached their limits.


    They thought they had finally attained victory after paying a huge price, but the development of the current situation was unexpected.


    "Who the hell are you!"


    Tu Xiuming wanted to step forward.


    Only to be immediately greeted by a burst of intense pressure.


    In an instant, he fell into a slight trance and dizziness.


    [You have been attacked by Dragon Fear, HP -20, stunned for 2 seconds, all stats have been suppressed.]


    Zhang San returned to his Draconian form.


    Although seriously injured, he still knelt on one knee.


    "Master, this one is ipetent. To have Master appear personally is my failure."


    He was no longer haughty and arrogant.


    All that remained were shame and remorse.


    The sight has caused everyone on the scene, especially Tu Xiuming and his Hero underlings to be startled.


    Why was this being, who has demonstrated terrible might, who has made everyone shudder in fear, treating this Draconian in front of him with such respect and humility?


    The crowd of Heroes carefully sized up Zhang Nu.


    Only then did they discover the difference between the Draconian Marshal and the Demon King.


    The Draconian Marshal was covered in lustrous golden scales, he was definitely the best looking one within the Draconian army. Such a prominent and eye-catching existence, of course he would be regarded as the leader by others.


    But when standing side by side with the real Dragon Demon King.


    The differences in appearance were still very distinct.


    The dragon scales of the Demon King were not as brilliant or shiny.


    However, each of his dark golden scales were enveloped by a dim luster, not to mention his enormous draconic wings and ferocious looking horns. Everything about him was domineering, intimidating, majestic, and brimming with kingly demeanor.


    The Draconian Marshal was obviously notparable to the real deal.


    The Heroes on the scene were petrified.


    They have grasped the truth of the situation.


    This shiny Draconian was never the Demon King.


    Everyone was fooled by the real Demon King. They have acted and performed like a buffoon for such a long time, and only now did they fathom the reality.


    The Heroes'' current emotions could not be described by mere words.


    Like a roller coaster, from being full of confidence at the beginning, to doubt, fear and panic, then to find hope at a turning point, only to be finally pummeled into the depths of despair.


    Supposing that.


    From the very beginning.


    The Demon King was only spectating.


    What was the point of everything they have done until now?


    If this shiny Draconian was not the Demon King, then why did he possess such ridiculous strength? A mere level 3 lord, fought toe to toe against two massive powerhouses?


    A mere subordinate of the Demon King had such trembling strength.


    What kind of spectacle would it be if the Demon King was to personally intervene?


    It was hopeless.


    Their minds have been broken.


    The expression on Tu Xiuming''s face was hideously twisted as if he had been force fed ten tons of shit, "No! This can''t be! You''re bluffing!"


    "Hahahahaha!"


    "You can''t fool me!"


    "You''re at the end of your rope!"


    "So you can only be bluffing!"


    Boom!


    His words came to an abrupt halt.


    Tu Xiuming was still standing on both legs.


    And yet, his upper torso was missing.


    [You''ve in a level 4 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1, skill stone +2!]


    Zhang Nu had fired a bolt of Hell Thunderme, which is his strongest conventional attack at present. It consisted of both Abyssal Lighting and Dragon me. It was fast, powerful and difficult to dodge.


    If Tu Xiuming was in his prime state, it was possible for him to dodge once or twice and entertain Zhang Nu for a while before inevitably dying.


    But in the battle with the Draconian Marshal just now, both his HP and MP were severely depleted. In addition to receiving a huge shock and his struggle in epting reality, the Hero''s only fate was to be killed in a single blow.


    Witnessing the scene.


    The city lord Grey''s eyes were bursting with wrath.


    Both the orcs and the remaining Heroes were extremely terrified.


    The Hero Tu Xiuming''s strength was second only to the city lord Grey. Even if slightly inferior, the disparity between their strength was miniscule at most, since the Hero has level advantage.


    However.


    Such an existence.


    A top level 4 Hero.


    Was instantly decimated by the Demon King in a blink of an eye.


    Half of his body was sted into smithereens.


    Not even his full corpse was intact.


    "Silence!"


    Zhang Nu put down his hands.


    He swept his gaze over the crowd andnded on the old city lord of Berserk Beast City.


    "Do you still think there''s a need to continue the fight? Submit now and I might consider sparing your lifes."


    "Submit?"


    "Hehehahaha"


    Grey sneered.


    He held himself up with difficulty, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was showing indications of entering frenzy mode once again. A beast-like growl escaped his mouth, "Never!"


    Zhang Nu was a little surprised.


    After all, when it came to this in the past, all he had to do was disy enough might to force his opponents to lose all their will to resist. Then, he would generously spare their lives. By then, there would be a high probability for the opposing part to simply submit to him.


    However, this old orc was very proud.


    He was extremely resolute.


    On one hand, he only had a few years left in him. There was no point in giving up his dignity as a warrior just to survive.


    On the other hand, he had gone step by step from a tribal chief to a city lord today. It could be said that the Berserk Beast City was built by his own hands. He had undergone a legendary life. How could he be willing to let all of these go?


    Grey held up his battle ax and let out a roar, "Come! Show me the true power of a Dragon Demon King!"

 Chapter 100.2: .2 - An Old Warriors Resolve Part 2/2

    "Very well."


    Zhang Nu did not push the issue further.


    There was a blood feud between Berserk Beast City and Giantree City.


    Grey had the blood of thousands of elves on his hands.


    Even if he forcibly took Grey under hismand, it would not be pleasant for the elves of Giantree City.


    "You are a true warrior!"


    "I shall fulfill yourst wish!"


    "You may witness my true power before your final breath!"


    Greyughed maniacally, "Hahahaha, the battle hasn''t even started yet. It isn''t certain who shall survive in the end!"


    He raised his battle ax and hysterically howled, "CHARGE!"


    The three armies of Berserk Beast became agitated.


    The Demon King may be insanely powerful.


    However, he was but one man.


    In terms of military strength.


    Berserk Beast City was far superior than Giantree City.


    Even with the troops brought by the Demon King.


    Berserk Beast City may not necessarily lose.


    The orc city lord has an extremely high prestige in the eyes of the Berserk Beast orcs. When they heard hismand, they were determined to fight.


    "Berserk!"


    Tens of thousands of Berserker Corp warriors went berserk.


    This berserker talent had two major benefits, the first was of course a significant increase in their stats andbat power. The second was that it was very effective in suppressing their inner fear.


    In times like this.


    It was undoubtedly useful.


    "Charge!"


    "Kill the Demon King!"


    "Whoever killed the Demon King shall be the next Master of Ten Thousands!"


    Tens of thousands of orcs swept forward.


    Their primary target was the Demon King, followed by Giantree City.


    Nancilia began to worry,"This is bad, His Majesty the Demon King is being encircled. The damned orcs couldn''t win against him, they are nning to overwhelm him with numbers!"


    The elves counterattacked.


    Arrows, magics, arcane arts.


    Various attacks rained down upon the frenzied orcs, yet it was unable to stop them.


    The Draconian Army also joined the battle. Although their number was small, they held their ground like a wall of iron. Not even the orcs could break through at the moment.


    Zhang Nu did not intend to waste anymore time.


    It was dangerous to fight against a cornered beast.


    The orcs have gonepletely mad. They knew it was impossible to stop a second wave of attacks, so they decided to put all their strength behind this wave of assault.


    There would be losses for every minute and every second wasted.


    Thus, he wanted to end the battle as soon as possible.


    He had no choice but to try out his newly mastered skill, [Evil Dragon''s Descent].


    The moment the Demon King unleashed the skill, his whole being disappeared into the thin air. Arge cloud of ck fog burst out, and like a volcanic eruption, it spewed into the sky.


    The very next second.


    The clear cloudless blue sky was suddenly overcasted with dark clouds, lightning shed and thunder rumbled.


    Countless ck fog gathered in the mid-air to form a ferocious giant dragon with a length of more than 100 meters.


    The dragon was an elemental.


    It did not have a corporeal form.


    However, its presence was overbearing.


    It was as if the dragon was constantly unleashing Dragon Fear, making it impossible for ordinary magical beasts or creatures with weaker will to even approach.


    This is the form of "Evil Dragon of Annihtion"!


    It was the strongest offensive skill within his level 3 talents.


    The "Evil Dragon of Annihtion" form was, to put it bluntly, an elemental form.


    In this form, Zhang Nu was close to being invincible. There were also changes in his various skills.


    The Evil Dragon form could spew draconic mes, summon thunder and lightning, and even cast its abyssal devouring skill.


    As a result.


    Zhang Nu gained three different forms of Evil Dragon.


    The first form: Devouring Evil Dragon,


    This was the current ck fog-like form. The whole being was made up of devouring-energy, which could absorb all kinds of attack. This form''s offensive power is slightly weaker, but it was indestructible, as it could resist various types of attacks.


    The second form: Inferno Evil Dragon.


    In this form, the whole body would beposed of draconic me, which was equivalent to an elemental dragon. However, instead of ordinary me, the dragon was formed by abyssal draconic mes.


    The third form: Thunderstorm Evil Dragon.


    The third form was simr to the Inferno Evil Dragon form, the only difference was the body would beposed of lightning. Not only was it the fastest form, it also possessed the highest explosive power.


    "What the hell is that?"


    "Quick! Attack!"


    Several hundred orc mages riding upon their winged beasts attempted to attack the Demon King with magic.


    But no matter how much the orc mages urged on, the winged beasts did not dare to approach. Suddenly, the Demon King''s enormous body dispersed into arge cloud of ck fog.


    Almost instantaneously.


    Dozens of winged beast riders were enveloped by the fog.


    When the ck fog gathered to reform the dragon.


    The unfortunate victims have already been consumed by the Evil Dragon.


    [You''ve in a Winged Beast Rider Mage. Gold +200!]


    [You''ve in a Winged Beast Rider Mage. Gold +200!]


    [You''ve in a Winged Beast Rider Mage. Gold +200!]


    [......]


    The orc mages, alongside their winged beast mount, were disintegrated within the Evil Dragon by its devouring-energy, leaving only some metal scraps falling onto the ground.


    "Oh no!"


    "Run!"


    "Our attacks were useless against it!"


    The remaining Winged Beast Riders fled quickly.


    Zhang Nu did not go after them. Instead, he switched his Evil Dragon form. The Demon King suddenly burst into mes and turned into a huge inferno dragon.


    He hovered and circled around.


    And with a dive, he swooped down from the sky.


    His target was the Berserk Beast city lord, Grey.


    In his flight towards Grey, he swept past the orc troops. Rolling dragon mes billowed wherever the dragon passed and the orcs were burned to char or ashes in an instant.


    [You''ve in an Orc Berserker. Gold +80!]


    [You''ve in an Orc Berserker. Gold +80!]


    [You''ve in an Orc Berserker. Gold +80!]


    [......]


    Grey, the city lord stood frozen in ce.


    He could only watch as the Inferno Evil Dragon, with a devastating momentum, incinerated everything and every orc within its way


    Eventually, the dragon dived towards him.


    Unstoppable.


    He was powerless to stop it.


    The difference was too great.


    So this is the true power of the Dragon Demon King.


    His death was imminent, yet Grey was somewhat relieved.


    After all.


    As a proud warrior.


    Death by old age or illness were both great humiliations.


    Only the fate of dying on the battlefield would suit a warrior.


    It would be an honor to perish under such tremendous power.


    The next instance, the inferno dragon arrived.


    Endless torrents of me flooded in.


    The dragon mes flowed like a raging river.


    The river continuously washed over the old orc warrior. His armor melted away and his body burned into ashes.


    [You''ve in the Berserk Beast city lord. Gold +25000!]

 Chapter 101: The Aftermath

    On the city wall.


    The elves were dumbfounded at the sight.


    The hundred-meter long fire elemental dragon was still rampaging on the battlefield, destroying everything it passes and wreaking havoc.


    The elements that formed the inferno dragon were definitely not ordinary mes.


    How could ordinary me have such tremendous power? Iron and steel melted like butter the instant the me came into contact with them.


    "His Majesty the Demon King turns out to possess such powerful skill!"


    Nancilia''s eyes widened in disbelief, "We''ve never seen His Majesty using this skill on us before! It seems that His Majesty was being merciful to us!"


    The might of this skill was too terrifying.


    It made even the allied elves break out into cold sweat with horror.


    The Demon King had attacked the Giantree City twice before. If the Demon King had used this move against them during that assault, the destruction would be simply unimaginable.


    Thinking about it.


    The way the Demon King treated the elves.


    It could be said to be very affectionate.


    But these orcs were not so lucky.


    Zhang Nu ran amuck back and forth several times.


    He had torn apart the terrain and gouged out several intertwining rivers on the battlefield. Except all that flowed in it was fire andva.


    Since he has no physical form after transforming into elemental form.


    The inferno dragon was very fast in its speed.


    In fact, the whole process only took half a minute.


    And yet.


    The orcs who were incinerated into ashes.


    And the orc were indirectly burned to death by the mes.


    Totaled at least 3000 in number.


    This number was probably not the final figure, as it was still rising rapidly. However, the Demon King did not continue to ravage the battlefield.


    He deactivated the skill.


    The me quickly shrunk and disappeared.


    Zhang Nu regained his physical state.


    He let out a long exhale, and felt a little tired, like an ordinary person who ran around a field for three or fourps.


    Not to the point of physical exhaustion.


    But he requires some time to rest.


    This was the first time Zhang Nu unleashed and experienced the "Evil Dragon''s Descent" skill.


    Judging from the test run''s results and the skill performance, it was apparent that the skill was an absolutely powerful and exceptional ability.


    After transforming into the Evil Dragon form.


    It was almost like entering into an invincible state.


    Regardless of physical or magical attacks, they would not cause any damage to the body on hit.


    With the three different forms of Evil Dragon.


    Not only did it possess high killing potential, it also had a wide attack range.


    The only drawback of this skill was that its exertion was too great.


    Zhang Nu had already felt some fatigueness after keeping it up for half a minute. He estimated that he could onlyst for a minute maximum each time he casted the skill.


    Even so.


    It was satisfying enough.


    Since Zhang Nu''s strength would continue growing in the future.


    His stats and MP would keep increasing and the time he could maintain the transformation would keep extending.


    Even if the skill''s effect could onlyst for a minute.


    It was still one whole minute of invincibility.


    It was more than enough to deal with most situations.


    Zhang Nu did not continue to participate in the ensuing battle. He dispatched his Draconian army, the Ancient Tree elf army, and the Giantree elf army to encircle and suppress the remaining orcs. After about half an hour, the battle waspletely over.


    Thirty thousand orc warriors.


    Nearly half of them were ultimately in.


    This battlepletely dismantled the main force of Berserk Beast City.


    Zhang Nu had even gained around ten million gold.


    Among them, about a million gold was from killing the orc soldiers.


    The quality of Berserk Beast City warriors is extremely high, almost all of them were elites, and the number of non-elite units was less than a quarter, which was why the reward was so substantial.


    In addition to this.


    Zhang Nu obtained 32 Hero''s Souls.


    Which included one level 4 soul, two level 3 souls, twenty-two level 2, and seven level 1 soul. There were also 5 skill stones that dropped.


    Quite an impressive haul.


    With these Hero''s Souls.


    Zhang Nu would have no issue activating thest level 3 talent.


    A highlight of this battle that was particrly worth mentioning was that with such a considerable amount of enemies in, thebat losses were so surprisingly low as to be almost negligible.


    Throughout the battle.


    The Draconian army were the vanguards leading at the forefront.


    They directly collided and fought against the orcs several times their number.


    When the battle concluded, only a dozen or so Draconian soldiers died, which was nothing short of a miracle.


    One of the major reasons why the Draconian army could perform such a miracle was due to the battle ending rtively quickly.


    Zhang Mu transformed into the Evil Dragon and the terrible might he disyed was so dreadful that even the berserking orcs feltplete despair. In the end, arge number of orcs surrendered.


    Thus, the battle ended swiftly.


    And thebat losses were naturally small.


    Secondly, it was due to the blessing of the Temple of Nature, Li Si''s Blood Ritual, as well as Zhang San''s leadership. Only with thebined efforts of these three could the casualty rate be contained at the minimum.


    This was a glorious victory.


    Not only did it thwart the Heroes'' efforts once again.


    The battle oue directly determined the fates of these two cities.


    Giantree City no longer had to worry about the orcs attacking anymore.


    Since most of the elites of Berserk Beast City were killed in the battle, and the remaining orcs were mostlymon soldiers, the city would not be able to stir up any trouble from now on.


    "Master!"


    "The prisoners of war are all under control!"


    "There were nearly ten thousand captives this time!"


    "We are currently teleporting and imprisoning the prisoners in the dungeons with haste."


    Zhang Nu nodded.


    There were too many prisoners this time.


    To prevent any situation from urring.


    It was better to lock them all in the dungeons.


    However, it was not a long-term solution for so many captives to be locked up in the dungeon. It would take a lot of food to feed them.


    Kill them all?


    It would be such a waste.


    The orcs had impressivebat prowess.


    And the orcs would not eat as much as the Draconians.


    Nancilia came to make a suggestion, "Your Majesty, Grey is dead and the Berserk Beast City no longer has a leader. There will be anarchy soon, we should take early precautions."


    The battle was won.


    The biggest threat to Giantree City was no more.


    The elves were definitely pleased.


    But along with joys, there were concerns.


    The orc tribes had little discipline and only obeyed the strongest. The sole reason as to why the twenty thousand orcs in Berserk Beast City could be brought together was because of Grey.


    If their ranks were dispersed, ording to the orcs'' nature, they were bound to be bandits and raiders. Most of them would move to the vicinity of Giantree City to loot and plunder the caravans and viges.


    The development of Giantree City would undoubtedly be greatly affected.


    And the various small tribes nearby would also suffer.


    "Don''t worry."


    "I''ll think of something."


    The Berserk Beast City was a level 3 Overlord city.


    As a Demon King, Zhang Nu would not give up conquering such a city. After all, the possible rewards from the treasure chest were too tempting.


    Zhang Nu took Nancilia with him.


    The two took a tour among the captives.


    Nancilia noticed that the orcs, who were usually rude and fearless, were shivering in fear in front of the Demon King.


    As expected.


    To tame a beast.


    One must be more ferocious and ruthless than they were.


    The young city lord was increasingly impressed by the Demon King.


    She finally understood.


    As to why Chen Guoguo worshiped the Demon King so much.


    Such a mighty Demon King.


    There was such a great sense of security being his subordinate.


    Zhang Nu''s eyes lit up as he spotted a special orc.


    [Berserk Beast City''s Master of Ten Thousand, Gru] A level 3 Lord unit.


    Description: One of the eight Masters of Ten Thousand from Berserk Beast City, the younger brother of city lord Grey. He had traveled to various ces when he was young, one of the very few orcs who have seen the myriad aspects of the world.


    There were four Masters of Ten Thousand who participated in this battle.


    Except for Gru here, the others have all died.


    This Master of Ten Thousand here named Gru was the younger brother of the city lord Grey, and had a decent reputation within Berserk Beast City.


    "That''s it!"


    "We can establish a new city lord for the Berserk Beast City."


    "Grey, the city lord is dead. His two most outstanding sons are also dead. There is no heir to the session of the city lord."


    "ording to the orcs'' custom of respecting the strongest, whoever has the biggest fist will be the boss. So the new leader could only be elected from the remaining Masters of Ten Thousand."


    "And we have a Master of Ten Thousand right here."


    Zhang Nu pointed out Gru.


    This Master of Ten Thousand was different from his brethren.


    From his description, this orc had traveled around and had a broader view of the world. Thus, he was more tactful and less stubborn, otherwise he would not have surrendered.


    Zhang Nu gave the elves an order to convince Gru for him.


    Zhang Nu wanted to rule over the Berserk Beast City through Gru, so as to achieve the ultimate goal of conquering the Berserk Beast City, as well as controlling the poption and various resources of the city as much as possible.


    It so happened that the young city lord was getting worried about not having any opportunities to perform.


    She immediately patted her chest and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured that the elders and I will get this done!"


    Leave the subordinates to take care of the small tasks.


    The great Demon King should not do everything himself.


    Zhang Nu was teleported back to the Darkness Valley through the High Priest. He wanted to sacrifice the Hero Souls on hand, it was of utmost importance for him.


    [You''ve sacrificed a level 4 Hero''s Soul. 1012 talent points gained!]


    This was only one soul.


    And to get a thousand talent points from it!


    As expected from a level 4 Hero''s Soul.


    This was only a Hero who just broke through level 4. If the sacrificed soul was from a stronger level 4 Hero, the talent points gained might be even more!


    The more Heroes like this, the better.


    Better give him a bunch of them right now.


    Zhang Nu spent 1000 talent points to activate thest level 3 talent.


    [You''ve activated the level 3 Talent "High Anti-Magic"!]


    [All level 3 Talents activated. Level up conditions satisfied!]

 Chapter 102: Level 4 Advancement

    [Level up sessful!]


    [MP +1600, HP +800, Strength +100, Agility +200, Constitution +100, Will +200, Dragon me, Dragon Fear, Hell Thunderme, Abyssal Devouring, Adamantite Dragon Body, Dragon King''s Sanctum, and Evil Dragon''s Descent''s skill effect increased by 10%......]


    Level advancementpleted!


    Significant increase in all stats.


    Zhang Nu was now officially a level 4 Demon King.


    He quickly checked his status.


    Name: Zhang Nu


    Level: 4


    Race: Abyssal Dragon (Demon King Race)


    Base Stats: 1600 HP, 3200 MP, 190 Strength, 380 Agility, 190 Constitution, 380 Will


    Level 1 Talents: Abyssal Draconian, Dragon me, Dragon Fear, Lightning Control, Beginner Anti-Magic


    Level 2 Talents: Adamantine Dragon Body, Abyssal Devouring, Hell Thunderme, Medium Anti-Magic.


    Level 3 Talents: Dragon King''s Sanctum, Evil Dragon''s Descent, High Anti-Magic.


    Level 4 Talents: Spatial Maniption (Inactive), Time Control (Inactive), Dragon God Physique (Inactive)


    Other skills: ck Hole of Death (B Rank), Fire God''s Blessing (B Rank), Magic Seal (C Rank), Shadow Leap (C Rank), Healing (D Rank), Blood Sacrifice (D Rank), Blessing of the Gust (D Rank), Earth Spike (E Rank), War Trample (E Rank).


    Talent Points: 25


    Everytime Zhang Nu leveled up.


    The boost in his strength was evident.


    The amount of level 4 talents was the same as level 3, being three of them.


    However, the difficulty in activating the talents had multiplied. Each talent now required 10000 talent points!


    This has given Zhang Nu a splitting headache.


    If he were to hunt level 1 or 2 Heroes for this, wouldn''t it be necessary to kill hundreds and thousands of them?


    Therefore, if Zhang Nu wanted to quickly activate his newly gained talents and bolster his power, then is it best to draw in the top Heroes, such as someone like Tu Xiuming who was a level 4 Hero.


    But a level 4 Hero.


    It would not be easy toe by.


    This time Zhang Nu yielded several skill stones.


    Among them, the one dropped by Tu Xiuming was the most valuable.


    [Skill Stone: Rock Golem Form], a B rank skill.


    This skill could transform oneself into a rock golem. It had low consumption and its effect couldst for a long period. The transformation would significantly enhance one''s physical and magical resistance, and it came with an ability to cast low rank earth type skills. The only drawback was that it would lower the user''s movement speed.


    The skill stone was quite good.


    However, it was of little value to Zhang Nu.


    His own defense was already formidable, and after obtaining the High Anti-Magic, it became even more difficult to hurt him with magic.


    ''Let''s keep it for now.''


    This level of skill stone.


    If it was to be sold in the Demon King''s trading tform, it should not be an issue trading a hundred thousand gold for it.


    Zhang Nu was not short of a hundred thousand gold at the moment, thus he could only keep it in his collection. The value of such skill stone should climb greatly in the future.


    The remaining skill stones were only rank C or D.


    They were allmon skills or spells.


    There was not one that Zhang Nu would consider worth a second look.


    Zhang Nu went and examined thetest unit types.


    With each level up of the Demon King, there would be an update for his unit types. This time was quite different from the previous ones.


    [Draconian Mastercraftsman] Level 4 Normal. Leveled up from Draconian Craftsman. They possess exceptional craftsmanship that reached acme of perfection. Costs 10000 gold per level up.


    [Draconian Warmonger Royal Guard] Level 4 Elite. Level up from Super Draconian Soldier. They possess incrediblebat prowess. Costs 20000 gold + 10 life gems per level up.


    [Draconian Mystic Royal Guard] Level 4 Elite. Level up from Mystic Draconian Battlemage. Costs 50000 gold + 10 dark gems per level up.


    [Earth Drake Grand Marshal] Level 4 Overlord. Level up from Draconian Marshal. They possess greaterbat andmanding capabilities. Costs 1000000 (one million) gold + 1 level 4 Hero''s Soul.


    [Sky Drake Archpriest] Level 4 Overlord. Level up from Draconian High Priest. They possess superior magic casting capabilities. Costs 2000000 (two million) gold + 1 level 4 Hero''s Soul.


    Without a doubt, the strength of the level 4 units was greater than imagined.


    At the same time, Zhang Nu noticed that the recruitment cost of level 4 units not only became exceptionally expensive, but also required other materials other than gold.


    Draconian War Guard, Draconian Mystic Guard.


    These were upgraded from basic units.


    Their only requirements were only gems, so it was still manageable.


    There were also no longer any requirements on the army or poption size for the summoning of Earth Drake Grand Marshal and Sky Drake Archpriest.


    However, it required Hero''s Souls.


    It also damn well had to be level 4 Hero''s Souls.


    This was simply a little too infuriating.


    Zhang Nu himself would like to get his hands on a few more level 4 Hero''s Souls.


    But of course.


    Although the summoning conditions were demanding.


    These two were both Overlord units.


    If the recruitment was sessful, any of these two existence could form their own independent forces within this continent.


    Right now.


    The only level 4 units Zhang Nu could recruit were Draconian Mastercraftsman and Draconian War Guard.


    Draconian Mastercraftsman did not require any special materials, but 10000 gold per summon was definitely not cheap either.


    ''Let''s summon five for now.''


    After a few minutes.


    Five somewhat aged looking Draconians came down from the Demon King altar and kneeled respectfully, "Greetings, my Master."


    "You may rise!"


    Zhang Nu took a look at their stats.


    Not only were the Draconian Mastercraftsmen superior versions of the Draconian Craftsmen, they were also proficient in strengthening, enchanting, and de-synthesising.


    In addition, their mastery and knowledge in the field of construction and forging were extremely high. As long as there were enough high quality materials, they could forge purple grade equipment.


    Zhang Nu did not have much use for equipment, thus there was little attention paid to them.


    However, in truth, there was a huge market for equipment.


    He had heard there were several Demon Kings who specialized in equipment production and trade. Their ability to make profit was no inferior to that of Zhang Nu''s goblin farm.


    Based on the level of the Draconian Mastercraftsmen'' various production skills.


    If they were situated in cities of various kingdoms from the maind.


    They would be absolutely capable of bing a local famous craftsman, earning hundreds of thousands of gold each year.


    In other words, even if Zhang Nu did not employ them himself and send them out to work in major empires asbor export. They could still earn a lot of gold for Zhang Nu and be treasured by the local royalties.


    Which is why even though the price was extremely high, it would definitely be worth it.


    Zhang Nu still had some life gems in hand.


    He decided to summon five more Draconian War Guards.


    Five Draconian Warmonger Royal Guards cost 100000 gold and 50 life gems. The prices were quite terrifying for mere elite units.


    Five Draconian Super Soldiers upgradepleted.


    [Draconian Warmonger Royal Guard] Level 4 Elite unit. 500 HP, 300 MP, 55 Strength, 44 Constitution, 56 Agility, 38 Will. Loyalty 100%(Locked). Fatigue 10%. Hunger 10%


    Skills: Instant Summoning (Talent), Raging Dragon Qi (B rank), War Dragon Formation (B Rank), Draconic Blood Awakening (C rank), War Drake''s Scales (C rank), Qi Impact (C rank), Magic Resistance (C rank), High Speed Healing (C rank), Aerial Scouting (D rank)...


    Super soldiers became royal guards.


    Their core abilities andbat style had not changed.


    In addition to the substantial increase in stats and skill levels, the biggest difference between the royal guards and the super soldiers was the two new skills.


    The first was the talent skill: Instant Summoning.


    The skill had to be passively triggered by Zhang Nu. The reason why royal guards were called as such, was due to their duty in protecting their master, and they must appear wherever and whenever when summoned.


    No matter where Zhang Nu would be.


    The royal guards would always be able to sense the summon.


    Zhang Nu only needed to issue themand.


    And the royal guards would be summoned to him in an instant.


    It was like a summoner mage''s summoned beast.


    However, each royal guard could only be summoned once a day.


    There was no denying this was a convenient skill.


    It was also the biggest distinction between royal guards and super soldiers.


    The second difference was the B rank skill: War Dragon Formation.


    The skill could not be activated alone. It could only be unleashed when there were three or more Draconian Warmonger Royal Guards present at the same time.


    Its primary function was to block or trap the enemy within the formation, thus suppressing the enemy who could be several times stronger than the royal guard squadron.


    The royal guards were responsible for protecting their Master.


    This skill could be deployed in crucial moments, allowing their Master to escape unscathed.


    Overall, Zhang Nu was quite satisfied with theprehensive abilities of the royal guards, and the trait of being able to be summoned instantly gave him a pleasant surprise.


    Unfortunately.


    The recruiting was too troublesome.


    He did not have many gems in hand right now.


    As for the Bloody Giant Wang Shi, although he was quite good in getting his hands on some gems, it would be difficult to meet Zhang Nu''s huge demand in the future by relying on his supply channel alone.


    Just then.


    Li Si came over and reported, "Master, there is news from Giantree City. Gru is willing to serve you and aid us in ruling the Berserk Beast City."


    "They managed to convince him that quickly?"


    "It just so happens that my work here is done."


    Zhang Nu got up and said, "I shall personally head to Berserk Beast City myself."


    This was a level 3 Overlord city. If the city was not conquered quickly, there would inevitably be unnecessary issues.


    ''Let''s hurry and get that treasure chest before anything else!''

 Chapter 103.1: .1 - Subjugation of Berserk Beast City Part 1/2

    The old city lord was defeated.


    The army was almostpletely annihted.


    The bad tidings were immediately brought back to Berserk Beast City by the Winged Beast Rider Mages who fled.


    It promptly led an unprecedented turmoil within the Berserk Beast City, and a fierce infighting took ce between the three remaining Masters of Ten Thousand.


    The final oue was the two defeated Masters of Ten Thousand left the city along with their subordinates.


    Gorr, the strongest amongst the three, had emerged victorious and taken control of the city.


    Right after Gorr became the new lord of Berserk Beast City, he urgently ordered the orcs to strengthen the defenses of the city, preparing arge number of arrow towers, heavy ballistas and setting up the defensive parameter.


    Although the forces of Berserk Beast City were severely depleted.


    Especially the elite forces who were almostpletely wiped out.


    However, the city possessed the advantage of treacherous terrains and the number of orcs residing within was still huge.


    Gorr believed that as long as he could put up ast-ditch resistance and repel the uing assault, he would officially be the lord of Berserk Beast City.


    This was his opportunity to soar to the top position.


    While Gorr was busyying out the city''s defenses, an orc soldier rushed over in panic.


    "Master of Ten Thousand..."


    Gorr responded with a hard p, "How dare you call me Master of Ten Thousand still? Do you want to die!?"


    The orc soldier had half of his teeth knocked out.


    He hurriedly corrected his words, and continued with a slurred speech,"Cwitywd! Mah lord! Dwagon! Thwer...ther...there''s a dragon!"


    Gorr''s eyes widened, before he could fly into another rage, a frightening aura enveloped the whole city.


    Gorr''s expression distorted, he picked up his battle ax and stormed out of the fortress. Before he could give out orders to his men, a huge and terrifying shadow hung over him.


    A dragon!


    There was really a dragon!


    And a massive one at that!


    After Zhang Nu advanced into level 4.


    The dragon form grew to a length of over 80 meters. His dark golden scales were now palm sized, and across the surface of every scale were mystical and intricate golden patterns, exuding a sense of mystery and pressure.


    The orcs attacked in haste.


    The heavy ballistas fired out ck iron bolts in rapid session.


    The ballista bolts were two to three meters long and were forged from precious ck iron. Paired with the firing force of heavy ballistas, these ck iron bolts could deal serious damage to most level 4 magical beasts.


    Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang!


    Sparks burst out from the collisions.


    The heavy bolts shattered on impact and bounced off one after another.


    These weapons had little effect on the massive dragon, the damage dealt was nothing more than being bitten by a mosquito.


    Boom!


    The dragonnded precisely in front of Gorr, creating arge crater.


    Smoke and dust permeated the air.


    And the silhouette of the massive dragon disappeared.


    Out of it came a three meter tall humanoid figure.


    Zhang Nu walked up to Gorr, the oppressive feeling he was giving off became even heavier. He stared down at the orc lord in front of him, whose legs were giving away from terror.


    "From today onwards!"


    "I shall be the master of this city!"


    "Those who obey shall live and prosper, those who don''t shall meet their demise. Live or die! Make your choice!"


    Gorr refused to ept this oue.


    His eyes turned bloodshot.


    "Fucking bullshit! I''ve only been the city lord for a single fucking day! No one can take the throne from me! Die!"


    His lust for powerpletely blinded his reasoning and overwhelmed his rationality.


    Gorr let out an angry roar and swung his ax at Zhang Nu.


    Just then, five Draconian Warmonger Royal Guards were instantly summoned to the Demon King''s side.


    "Kill him."


    Zhang Nu issued an order.


    Gorr was a level 3 Lord orc.


    Five level 4 Elite units were more than enough to deal with a single level 3 Lord.


    Moreover, the Draconian Warmonger Royal Guards were not ordinary Elite units. They activated their battle formation, which greatly strengthened each other''sbat prowess.


    After a dozen rounds of shing steel.


    Gorr was clearly suppressed.


    He finally felt the dread of dying.


    Compared to power and authority, it seemed life was weighted heavier in his mind.


    Gorr quickly pleaded for mercy, "I surrender....."


    "Toote!"


    Fiverge des wreathing in Qi, swiftlynded on Gorr.


    The self proimed city lord was then brutally dismantled by the five royal guards in front of the countless orcs, who rushed to the scene at the news of an attacking dragon.


    ''Not bad at all!!''


    For an elite unit, the royal guard''s strength was satisfactory.


    If five royal guards couldpletely crush a Lord unit of a lower level, or restrain a Lord unit of the same level. Then, what about fifty or even five hundred of them?


    The more royal guards there were, the more powerful the battle formation would be.


    The limit of this unit was boundless.


    There was no w with this unit, except for being a little too expensive.


    Zhang Nu unleashed a wave of Dragon Fear, and with his current level 4 strength, the range of Dragon Fear could easily cover most of the city.


    Dragon Fear was essentially a psychic attack.


    It affects all hostile entities within its effective range, as well as Zhang Nu''s specified targets. If the targets'' strength or psychic resistance were too weak, they would be critically damaged and fall unconscious.


    "Ahhhhhh!!"


    Some ordinary orcs were perhaps too close to the Demon King, and sustained exceptionally high damage.


    The orcs were struck with extreme fear and let out blood curdling screams. They started to bleed profusely from every orifice, dropped to the ground and died violently.


    [You''ve in an orc. Gold +10!]


    [You''ve in an orc. Gold +10!]


    [You''ve in an orc warrior. Gold +25!]


    [You''ve in an orc warrior. Gold +25!]


    [You''ve in an orc warrior. Gold +25!]


    [......]

 Chapter 103.2: Subjugation of Berserk Beast City Part 2/2

    A single wave of Dragon Fear.


    It took out nearly a hundred of orcs within the close vicinity. In addition, thousands of orcs inside the skill''s effective range had fallen unconscious on the spot, and even more orcs were in a temporary state of daze.


    This was a crowd control skill.


    It unexpectedly exerted the force of a mass destruction skill.


    This was something even Zhang Nu himself did not anticipate. It seems that after bing a level 4 Demon King, all of his skills have been greatly enhanced.


    While the orcs were still being disoriented by the Dragon Fear.


    Li Si descended from the sky andnded beside Zhang Nu. He deployed a teleportation field, and hundreds of Draconian units came through. Among them was an orc, it was Gru, the Master of Ten Thousand who surrendered.


    Zhang Nu said indifferently, "Let''s see your performance."


    Gru noticed the former Master of Ten Thousand, Gorr, who had been torn into pieces, as well as the orcs who were either copsed on the ground or outright dead.


    "Understood. Please rest assured, Your Majesty, this subordinate will not let you down."


    Gru had experienced the terrible might of the Demon King firsthand and knew there was no other choice for Berserk Beast City.


    It was better to submit than being razed to the ground.


    Gru was different from other orc leaders. When he was young, he had traveled across manynds, and even visited human capital cities. Thus, he had a deeper understanding and broader view of the world.


    Serving the strong would do no harm to the orcs.


    Gru stepped up and ordered the orcs to submit.


    He had a high reputation in the Berserk Beast City, and the orcs were trustful of him. He first tookmand of a group of Chiefs of Thousands, then instructed the same group to oversee the Captains of Hundreds.


    Eventually.


    Under themand and supervision of Gru.


    Hundreds of thousands of orcs submitted to Zhang Nu one after another.


    [165233 orcs have surrendered to you. ept?]


    Only 160 thousand orcs?


    The number was lower than Zhang Nu imagined.


    ording to his intelligence, It was understood that Berserk Beast City had a poption slightlyrger than that of Giantree City.


    Noticing that the Demon King seemed dissatisfied, Gru immediately exined, "Your Majesty, after Grey''s defeat, the three Masters of Ten Thousand fought among themselves. The two defeated ones took their soldiers with them when they left the city."


    That exined it.


    The two Masters of Ten Thousand each took away ten thousand troops with them.


    Furthermore, there were orcs who had secretly fled the city due to fear.


    In the end, only a little more than 160 thousand orcs left.


    No matter.


    Berserk Beast City was surrounded by barren mountains.


    It would be difficult to even find suitablend for farming.


    Although the food consumption of orcs was only a quarter of that of the draconians, it would still be a burden to feed them all if there were too many. 160 thousand was indeed not a small number.


    Zhang Nu epted their surrender.


    A notification appeared.


    [You''ve conquered Berserk Beast City!]


    [You gained Shining Mithril Chest x1]


    Berserk Beast City''s level was slightly higher than that of Giantree City. Although it had greater military strength, it did not have any defense facilities like city barriers or magic towers. So, the difficulty of both cities was roughly on the same level.


    Hence the rewards of both cities had the same modifier.


    However, the quantity of Berserk Beast City rewards should be slightly higher.


    Zhang Nu did not hesitate and opened up the treasure chest.


    [You opened the Mithril Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x 400000, "Blueprint: Temple of War" x 1, "Blueprint: Orc Base Camp" x 1, "Blueprint: Advanced Beast Pen" x 1, "Castle Leveling Scroll" x 1 , "Strength Crystal" x 10, "Constitution Crystal" x 10! ]


    As expected, there was a lot of gold in the chest.


    In addition, three blueprints were obtained.


    [Blueprint: Temple of War] Level 3 Blueprint. Costs gold x120000, wind gems x50, fire gems x50. You may summon a Temple of War within your territory.


    [Blueprint: Orc Base Camp] Level 3 Structure. Costs gold x150000, fire gems x50, dark gems x50, stone x10000, steel x10000, wood x10000. You may summon an Orc Base Camp within your territory.


    [Blueprint: Advanced Beast Pen] Level 2 Structure. Costs gold x40000, life gems x10, stone x1000, steel x1000, wood x1000. You may summon an Advanced Beast Pen within your territory.


    The Temple of War was a structure dedicated to the Goddess of War.


    It should be simr in effect to the Temple of Nature which was dedicated to the Goddess of Nature.


    When built, the whole army could be bestowed blessings.


    Very practical and worth building it.


    Thetter two were barrack-type buildings.


    The Orc Base Camp was definitely used for orc troops recruitment, which should include level 1, 2 and 3 units. While the Advanced Beast Pen was probably for summoning level 1 and 2 tamed magical beasts.


    The value of these three blueprints was definitely satisfactory.


    In addition, there was a Castle Leveling Scroll from the treasure chest.


    But, since Zhang Nu''s castle had already been upgraded before, it was not possible to level up the castle again using this scroll of the same rank.


    The only choice was to sell it to other Demon Kings.


    The scroll was an exceptional item, it should be able to fetch a good price.


    Lastly, there were these 10 Strength Crystals and 10 Constitution Crystals.


    These crystals were extremely valuable for stat growth, each of them could increase 10 corresponding stats. Zhang Nu used them all on himself without hesitation.


    [Strength +100 permanently!


    [Constitution +100 permanently!]


    This was a huge boost even for Zhang Nu.


    This batch of crystals was no less valuable than the blueprints.


    "My Master, all of the orcs have been gathered."


    Zhang San and Li Si came to report the situation.


    Now, it was time to seek out the rats.


    Zhang Nu roughly screened through gathered orcs, and found hundred or so Heroes who failed to flee in time hiding amongst the orcs.


    Most of these Heroes were weak.


    They were generally level 1 or 2.


    Zhang Nu took advantage of his cheat ability of seeing through hidden information to check the Heroes'' biography for their characters and personalities. Among them, those who were sinister, cunning or devious ording to their description were picked out and executed on the spot.


    As for the remaining Heroes, they were taken back to the dungeons by his Draconians.


    Maybe some of them could be recruited into the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes Guild in the future.


    Of course, there may still be some Heroes lurking in Berserk Beast City. After all, it would take Zhang Nu a lot of time to sift through hundreds of thousands of orcs one by one.


    Even if there were any who may have slipped through the.


    They were also unlikely to pose any threat to the Demon King.


    Zhang Nu decided to take his time and gradually sort out the orcs thereafter. Now, the utmost important issue that needed to be addressed at the moment was how to manage and utilize the orcs of Berserk Beast City.


    In the past, the Berserk Beast City looted and plundered for a living.


    They did not farm or produce at all.


    The orcs relied upon looting, robbing, piging and exhorting to make ends meet, which was the reason why Berserk Beast City was so notorious.


    Now that Zhang Nu has be the owner of this city.


    He did not wish for such practices to continue.


    Sooner orter, the entire Chaos Forest would be his territory.


    By allowing the orcs to continue their plundering, it would be no different than ransacking his own territory. Not only would it not create any value, it would also heavily affect development.


    This was not desirable.


    These 160 thousand orcs.


    They must look for another way of living.

 Chapter 104: The Ambitions of the Thunder Empire

    Within the mountain range of the dead,id the Scarlet Valley.


    Residing in the valley was arge Demon King''sir.


    Nearly ten thousand of Demon King minions dwelled within.


    Bai Hongzhuo was enjoying his dinner in his Demon King castle.


    As a vampire Demon King, he had no sense of taste, even gourmet food and feasts tasted like wax. The only delicacy he could enjoy was blood.


    The stronger the individual, the sweeter the blood.


    [You''ve in a level 3 Hero, Hero''s Soul +1]


    Bai Hongzhuo threw aside the poor Hero who had been drained of blood, licked his lips with satisfaction, and walked out into the hall from his bedchamber.


    In the hall, a group of people were waiting there.


    The leader of the group was no other than He Tianzong, the Hero from the empire, who had just been to Berserk Beast City not long ago.


    Heroes appearing in a Demon King''s castle.


    The vampire Demon King, however, did not seem to be bothered by their presence.


    The Hero He Tianzong smiled and asked, "How is it? Are you satisfied with this gift?"


    The Vampire Demon King replied, "Yes, yet it isn''t enough. Bring me five more level 3 Heroes! Then, I can break through to level 4."


    "You''re way too greedy!"


    He Tianzongughed, "We do have level 3 Heroes at hand, but they weren''t easy toe by."


    Heroes with such strength.


    If they could be recruited, the Divine Sword Heroes Guild would have done so already.


    Why would they give the level 3 Heroes to this Demon King?


    The vampire Bai Hongzhuo asserted, "Since you''re the one who wanted to cooperate with me, you should have shown more sincerity. If I don''t even have the strength of a level 4 Demon King, how can I help you rule over Chaos Forest?"


    "Indeed!"


    He Tianzong nodded.


    He pondered for a moment and continued, "I met a level 4 Hero who had just broken through in Berserk Beast City a few days ago. We n to observe him for now."


    Bai Hongzhuo''s eyes twitched slightly,"Level 4!? This is a big threat to me."


    He Tianzong reassured him,"Don''t worry, if he joins us, then naturally, he will be of no threat to you. However, if he''s disobedient and tries to stir up troubles. Then, for a level 4 Hero''s blood, even if he had just broken through, should suffice as five or six level 3 Heroes for you."


    Upon hearing this assurance, Bai Hongzhuo was satisfied.


    This Vampire Demon King was in a cooperative rtionship with the Divine Sword Heroes Guild.


    It was clear on disy.


    Heroes colluding with Demon Kings was by no means idental urrences or special cases.


    The world would always be bustling for profits.


    As long as there were benefits.


    A temporary partnership could be achieved between Heroes and Demon Kings.


    The Divine Sword Heroes Guild represented by He Tianzong, was a guild from the south of the Thunder Empire. They were nning to aplish a difficult mission.


    And the mission was to infiltrate and control the Chaos Forest for the empire.


    Although with the empire''s strength and resources, it was definitely not a difficult task to upy the Chaos Forest.


    However, during this process, the price to be paid would be too great.


    Even if the Chaos Forest was momentarily subjugated.


    This great forest was brimming with hundreds of races and tribes, their rtionships were intertwined like entangled roots.


    The human race would not adapt to the living conditions of the forest, and the cost of governance and maintenance would be extremely high, which would eventually drag down the national strength of the empire over time.


    Moreover, the Chaos Forest bordered both the Sunset Empire and the Azure Water Federation.


    The forest existed as a tacitly approved buffer zone for the three kingdoms.


    If the Thunder Empire tried to tantly upy the Chaos Forest, it would directly break the current geopolitical boundaries and threaten the other two kingdoms.


    Without careful management, the tension between the kingdoms would escte and boil over.


    And this forest would be the fuse for an inevitable war.


    In recent years, the Sunset Empire and the Azure Water Federation have been unstable due to internal affairs, while the Thunder Empire was flourishing. Naturally, the ambitions of the Thunder Empire gradually grew.


    If a direct invasion was not possible.


    What about indirectly controlling the forest?


    Demon Kings were simply meant to dominate and rule.


    Their appearance was an opportunity in the eyes of some higher forces of the empire.


    Count Kolo was one of them. He nned to form an alliance with a few Demon Kings, and use them to control the major cities of Chaos Forest.


    The Demon Kings have natural advantages.


    Without needing the empire to send troops, the Demon Kings themselves could summon up a huge army.


    They could quietly take over the entire Chaos Forest for the Thunder Empire without the other two kingdoms noticing.


    Once the Chaos Forest waspletely within the empire''s grasp.


    The Thunder Empire would then obtain arge strategic buffer zone that could be used for offensive or defensive purposes. The forest would serve as an absolute geopolitical advantage in the future conflicts with the two kingdoms.


    This was He Tianzong''s ultimate goal.


    He was trying rope in a few Demon Kings while killing the others.


    So far, among the Demon Kings that have been won over, Bai Hongzhuo was the most suitable candidate.


    Of course, Bai Hongzhuo could not be allowed to be overly dominant. The empire would be recruiting and supporting multiple Demon Kings simultaneously, in order for them to restrain and bnce each other out.


    Furthermore, there were many Heroes in the Chaos Forest.


    The Divine Sword Heroes Guild has already absorbed a number of members, and controlled many tribes through these Heroes, which would act as another counterweight to keep the Demon Kings under control. This was equivalent to adding anotheryer of insurance to their ns.


    As for the disobedient and uncooperative Heroes?


    Their souls could be just as a bargaining chip with the Demon Kings.


    These ns have been carried out in secret for a long time. Everything was going smoothly and right on track, the results should be evident soon.


    He Tianzong left the Vampire Demon King''s territory.


    Near the Scarlet Valley, a city was being renovated.


    This was originally a medium sized forest city with a total poption of only 80000. Now, it has been decimated by Bai Hongzhuo.


    The Divine Sword Heroes Guild and the Vampire Demon King were currently using this ce as a basis for arge forest city, or more urately, a fortress.


    Since it was close to the Scarlet mountain range, hence the name Bloody Fortress.


    It would be an important stronghold for the empire within the Chaos Forest, as well as the core headquarters of Divine Sword Heroes Guild in the future.


    In order to expand the army size of the fortress, He Tianzong not only asked for the resources of a few Demon Kings, he also went around enlisting and recruiting.


    It was for this purpose that he made a trip to Berserk Beast City a few days ago.


    He Tianzong was pleasantly content gazing at the increasingly strong and magnificent Bloody Fortress. With such a stronghold in hand, there would be no issue conquering the whole of Chaos Forest.


    "Deputymander!"


    "Urgent news!"


    "The city lord and the hero Tu Xiuming have been killed!"


    "Now the Berserk Beast City has fallen into the hands of a Demon King!"


    He Tianzong was appalled at the news, "Are you sure of this news? How is this possible!"


    Not long ago.


    He was still in Berserk Beast City and had met with the old city lord and the Hero Tu Xiuming.


    How was it that within less than a week did the two lose both of their lives? Even the Berserk Beast City has changed hands.


    "With absolute certainty!"


    The Divine Sword Hero continued, "Two Masters of Ten Thousand along with their troops were discovered by our men when they were fleeing to a nearby area."


    He Tianzong''s brows became tightly furrowed.


    "Berserk Beast City was not to be messed with!"


    "And yet, it fell to a single Demon King."


    "It seems that the strength of this Demon King was not to be underestimated."


    The Divine Sword Hero proposed, "Deputy head, since our task was to control the major cities of this forest anyways, why don''t we invite this Demon King to join us?"


    He Tianzong shook his head, "No."


    The Hero was confused.


    He Tianzong exined, "We need Demon Kings that can be controlled. Those who are either too weak or too strong won''t suffice, as they exist to forge the bnce mechanism we designed."


    "If we enlist a Demon King way too strong for us to control, it''ll be like raising a tiger. It''s going to bear its fang at us sooner orter."


    And so it was.


    The deputy head was very vignt against the Demon Kings.


    Divine Sword Hero: "What should we do then?"


    He Tianzong answered, "We can look for an opportunity to get in touch with the Demon King first. If the Demon King is willing to obey, then maybe we can include them into our ns."


    "And if they don''t?"


    "If they don''t? Then there''s no other way!"


    He Tianzong scoffed, "No matter how powerful the Demon King is, he is but only one. We''ve beenying out our ns for so long, there won''t be any difficulty in dealing with him."


    "Threats and uncertainties like this."


    "We must nip it in the bud before it grows out of control."


    The Divine Sword Hero immediately replied, "Understood! I''ll get right on it!"


    "Wait."


    "What else can I do for the deputy head?"


    "The two Masters of Ten Thousand of Berserk Beast City are homeless now, and we are in need of people. Go and bring them to me."


    "Understood!"


    The Divine Sword Hero left in haste.


    He Tianzong stared at the Bloody Fortress under construction. He was somewhat wary of the Demon King who upied Berserk Beast City, but he was not too worried.


    On one hand, the Divine Sword Heroes Guild have been carrying out their ns for long enough. Now they have be a force to be reckoned with within Chaos Forest.


    On the other hand, the Divine Sword Heroes Guild was backed by the Thunder Empire.


    Empire-level forces, even the weakest of which had a poption of hundreds of millions, were unimaginable colossuses for any Demon King.


    With such forces supporting the guild.


    There was nothing to be worried about.


    ......


    Meanwhile.


    Within Berserk Beast City.


    Zhang Nu was a little overwhelmed and frustrated.


    Unlike the elves who were meticulous and careful in their works.


    Berserk Beast City''s internal affair management was a bloody mess.


    This city was basically a pure orc city. No caravans dared toe here to trade and the foreign poption was extremely thin.


    As a result of this, the management was extremely sloppy.


    Even the most basic of poption registration did not exist here.


    Only the rankings of Masters of Ten to Masters of Ten Thousands.


    There were no administrative or managerial positions at all.


    Zhang Nu decided to bring in a Draconian Priest from the Darkness Valley.


    Draconian priests were the most intelligent beings among the Draconians and possessed strong internal affair capabilities, which should suffice to help Gru in managing this clutter of a city.


    Zhang Nu then left Berserk Beast City and flew around it.


    He wanted to gain an understanding of the terrain and resources in the vicinity.


    The reason why the orcs plundered for a living wasrgely due to the harsh environment where Berserk Beast City was located.


    Within the proximity of a hundred miles were almost all barren mountains.


    Although the terrain was extremely treacherous and easy to defend against assaults.


    It was not easy to live on such deste and parchednds.


    [Rot Wolf Canyon] Level 1mon area. Low exploration value...


    [Poisonous Thorns Woods] Level 1mon area. Low exploration value...


    [Rock Golem Canyon] Level 2 elite area. Average exploration value...


    [Undeveloped Fiery Copper Veins] Level 2 elite area. Moderately higher exploration value...


    [Undeveloped ck Iron Vein] Level 2 elite area. Moderately higher exploration value...


    After Zhang Nu took a look around.


    He found that the mountain range near Berserk Beast City, although arid and barren in appearance, seemed to contain a lot of ore deposits.


    The orcs'' jobs have been decided.


    The sixteen to seventeen thousand orcs would not starve now that they could mine for a living. At the very least, they could create enough value to feed themselves.


    Just then.


    One of the ore deposits caused Zhang Nu''s eyes to beam in surprise.


    [Undeveloped Large Gold Vein] Level 3 lord area. High exploration value.


    Description: This is arge gold ore deposit. It is rich in high quality gold, as well as rare adamantine, purple gold, etc. However, since there is no trace of civilization, arge amount of dangerous magical beasts gathered around this vicinity.


    A level 3 lord area was already rtively rare, not to mention it was a huge gold mine!


    ''These orcs are bloody idiots! These fools didn''t realize they were sitting on a mountain of gold! Instead they went into the trade of plundering!''

 Chapter 105.1: .1 - Giant Ant Nest, Mine for the Taking! Part 1/2

    The gold reserves were abundant.


    However, they were mainly distributed deep inside the mine and underground.


    Which also implied that if Zhang Nu wanted to mine the gold, he must build a mine first. That would require a lot of preparation time.


    Zhang Nu was not in a hurry.


    ''Let''s survey around first.''


    After circling around the gold mine, a peculiar area caught his attention.


    [ming Giant Ant Nest] Level 3 lord area. High exploration value.


    Description: These are a hive of Level 3 magical monsters dwelling near the gold veins. They have extremely high physical defense due to their imprable carapace. The ants also have a power and deadly fire attack ability. They are ferocious and brutal, killing everything that dares to approach their territory.


    The gold mine''s rating was Level 3 lord as well, probably because of the existence of this giant ant nest.


    The value of Level 3 lord monster area was already pretty significant.


    Furthermore, judging from the description, every single giant ant here was Level 3.


    This nest was the best Level 3 monster area!


    With so many monster ants near the gold mine, it would undoubtedly bring a lot of trouble to the mining operation.


    From the prompt message, the ant nest extended into every direction, deep into the mining area.


    Wouldn''t it be time and cost efficient by just taking out the monsters and transforming the existing ant nest into a mining facility?


    Zhang Nu descended onto the ant nest.


    Several ants were patrolling nearby and their sizes were as big as a cattle''s.


    [ming Giant Ant] Level 3 elite unit.


    Skills: Fiery Spit (C rank), Molten Acid Fireball (C rank), Powerful Bite (D rank), Carapace of Inferno (D rank), Scent Perception (D rank).


    The giant ants immediately detected the intruder and five jets of high pressure fire shot out.


    This was a me that could melt steel within ten seconds, enough to severely damage anyone without any magic or Qi protection.


    -0!


    -0!


    -0!


    Zhang Nu did not feel even a trace of the scorching heat.


    For someone with High Anti-Magic like him, these attacks were like a warm and gentle spring breeze caressing his face.


    With a snap of his fingers, a stroke of blood colored lightningshed out.


    [You''ve in a ming Giant An. Gold +1000!]


    [You''ve in a ming Giant An. Gold +1000!]


    [You''ve in a ming Giant An. Gold +1000!]


    [......]


    ''Level 3 elite monsters are awesome, the gold rewards were very generous!''


    Zhang Nu continued to stride into the nest.


    The nest passages of the giant ants were very spacious and sturdy, almostparable to a train tunnel. Even arge built man like Zhang Nu did not feel cramped at all.


    Click! Click! Click!


    Amidst the strange noises from all around, dozens of ming Giant Ants poured out.


    Hot scorching mes sted onto Zhang Nu continuously.


    The tunnels had limited space for movement, when the number of the giant ants wererge enough, their fiery attacks wouldpletely envelope the passages and erase any possibility to dodge.


    Nevertheless.


    -0!


    -0!


    -0!


    The attacks were not able to prate his defense at all.


    Intellect was not the giant ants'' strong suit.


    All they did was continue spraying fire.


    Zhang Nu discharged several strokes of lightning.


    These terrifying lightning attacks were like a sharp de, easily piercing through the ants'' imprable carapace, ripping their bodies apart.


    [You''ve in a ming Giant Ant. Gold +1000!]


    [You''ve in a ming Giant Ant. Gold +1000!]


    [You''ve in a ming Giant Ant. Gold +1000!]


    [......]


    Zhang Nu kept on going deeper into the nest.


    Everywhere he passed, ant carcasses were littered everywhere.


    Along the way, around 300 ants were killed.


    The gold rewards were up to 300 thousand by then.


    This was all too satisfying.


    Even if there was no gold mine, the gold rewards were certainly worth the trip.


    Zhang Nu was not one bit injured during the whole journey.


    The biggest loss was nothing more than a few bottles of potions for MP replenishment.


    To be fair, the ants were not weak at all, plus they had terrain advantage. Even if a team led by a few Level 4 experts invaded the nest, they would inevitably suffer heavy losses and casualties.


    Unfortunately.


    These unlucky creatures encountered a magic immune freak.


    Not only did Zhang Nu have High Anti-Magic, he was also in possession of the rare B rank skill, Fire God''s Blessing.


    So even if the fire attacks were stacked up hundreds of times, it still would not be enough to inflict even the tiniest bit of damage on him.


    In front of Zhang Nu was a wall of fire.


    He could sense arge number of giant ants behind the wall of fire, and some of them even had especially stronger aura.


    This must be the core of the ant nest.


    Zhang Nu walked straight through it.


    The wall of fire was paid no heed.


    Within the core of the nest was a chamber, littered with ant eggs and ming Giant Ants.


    One of the ants situated in the middle was especially massivepared to the others. It was guarded by two dark red giant ants twice the size of a normal ant.


    [Fiery Giant Ant Queen] Level 3 lord unit.


    Skills: Psychic Invasion (B level), Mind Lash (B level), Death Embers (C level), Extreme Heat Fire Wall, etc.


    [zing Giant Ant King] Level 3 elite unit.


    Skills: Molten Iron w de (C rank), me Charge (C rank), Death sh (C rank), Frenzied Self-Detonation (C rank)


    Zhang Nu suddenly felt a slight headache.


    [You are under psychic attack. HP -10!]


    [You are under psychic attack. HP -15!]

 Chapter 105.2: .2 - Giant Ant Nest, Mine for the Taking! Part 2/2

    The attack was inflicted by the ant queen.


    It had attempted to knock Zhang Nu out with its psychic attacks for a while now.


    But it was destined to be in vain.


    Although the resistance of Anti-Magic was quite ineffective against rare attributed attacks such as psychic, soul, time and space. However, psychic attacks from a mere Level 3 lord monster would never be able to threaten Zhang Nu.


    After all, while under Draconian form, Zhang Nu''s MP and Will stats were terrifyingly high.


    The two ant kings charged forward, their forelimbs were like red hot serrated saws, which were seemingly very deadly. The other giant ants also spewed fire to join the assault.


    "Futile efforts!"


    Zhang Nu took off into the air, weaved a stroke of Hell Thunderme onto his right hand and mmed his palm against the ant queen''s fat and cumbersome body.


    With a loud band, the ant queen exploded.


    [You''ve in a Fiery Giant Ant Queen. Gold +30000!]


    The moment the ant queen died, the remaining giant ants became panic stricken. Zhang Nu proceeded to unleash Dragon me, and swept the area with fire.


    ming Giant Ants had extremely high fire resistance.


    And yet, they still could not withstand Zhang Nu''s Dragon me.


    [You''ve in a ming Giant Ant. Gold +1000!]


    [You''ve in a zing Giant Ant King. Gold +3500!]


    [You''ve in a zing Giant Ant King. Gold +3500!]


    [......]


    [You''ve conquered the ming Giant Ant Nest. You gained "Magnificent Bronze Treasure Chest" x1!]


    Zhang Nu, as a one man army, wiped out the entire Level 3 Lord rank monster area!


    This was an incredible feat for the vast majority of Heroes and Demon Kings at the moment. Moreover, he did it without receiving any damage except for a few psychic attacks.


    Zhang Nu opened up the treasure chest.


    [You''ve opened the Bronze Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x300000, "Skill stone: Psychic Invasion" x1, "Fire Gem" x45!]


    A bronze grade treasure chest.


    Of course, it could not bepared with a mithril grade treasure chest.


    However, apart from the hundreds of thousands of gold, there was also a skill stone and arge number of gems, which were valuable.


    Especially the skill stone.


    The "Psychic Invasion" is a good B rank skill.


    It could be used for projecting one''s mind into the target''s psyche, causing psychic damage, influencing them, or even directly controlling them.


    But of course, the skill had a w.


    If one attempted to invade a mind that was far more powerful than its own, then there would be a high probability for a psychic bacsh.


    ''Not bad! Let''s learn it now.''


    This was a very useful skill.


    [Psychic Invasion] B rank skill. Costs 120 MP. Launch a psychic invasion upon a target. While maintaining the psychic invasion state, the skill consumes at least 20 MP per second.


    In the future, if Zhang Nu encountered a target much weaker than himself, he could directly control its actions without physically doing anything.


    After resolving the matters of monsters, Gru received an order from the Demon King.


    He immediately assembled a lot of manpower.


    Zhang Nu also had the Draconian High Priest, Li Si, send in a group of Draconianborers from Darkness Valley to transform the ant nest into a mining tunnel.


    In order for more efficient gold mining and effective management and control over the Berserk Beast City, Zhang Nu collected 50 dark gems from Bloody Giant Wang Shi and built the Level 3 structure ''Orc Base Camp'' directly within the basin close to the gold mine.


    There were numerous mine veins in this vicinity.


    It would be much more convenient to have this base camp.


    And since the camp was not far from the city, having a line of troops here directly under Zhang Nu''s control would be beneficial in governing Berserk Beast City.


    [Orc Base Camp construction sessful!]


    [You''ve unlocked the ability to summon orcish units!]


    [You''ve gained a new summonable poption: Orc Warrior +10000, Orc Berserker +5000, Orc High Berserker +2000, Orc Bloodwolf Rider +200, Orc Berserker Lord +1!]


    Level 1 normal 10000 units, Level 1 elite 5000 units, Level 2 elite 2000 units, Level 3 elites 200 units and a single Level 3 lord unit.


    Zhang Nu took a nce at the summoning cost.


    [Orc Warrior] Costs 15 gold.


    [Orc Berserker] Costs 300 gold.


    [Orc High Berserker] Costs 2000 gold.


    [Orc Bloodwolf Rider] Costs 10,000 gold.


    [Orc Berserker Lord] Costs 150,000 gold.


    Zhang Nu gained at least 700,000 gold just from the ant nest.


    He decisively spent 300,000 gold and recruited the Orc Berserker Lord, along with 10,000 normal rank warriors to establish the scale of the base camp.


    These orc warriors could be put to use in the mining operations, as well as Berserk Beast City''s defense duty.


    The next day, the orcs from Berserk Beast City led by Gru arrived at the camp and they were immediately stunned by the sight before them.


    "This...this...how?"


    Gru and the others were inplete awe.


    A huge, orcish camp had sprung up in a basin surrounded by steep mountains, and tens of thousands of orcs were upied nearby.


    The orcs were in full swing and had already started working.


    Draconianborers and craftsmen were busy constructing dwellings to provide amodation for theter orcs, as well as forging and crafting mining equipments and tools.


    All of these.


    It was difficult for the orcs from Berserk Beast City to believe.


    It was a day''s journey from here to Berserk Beast City.


    These Berserk Beast City orcs were hundred percent sure there was absolutely nothing here before but a barrennd filled with dangerous magical monsters and creatures.


    How did the Demon King do all these?


    Where did these orcse from?


    There was no reasonable exnation.


    As if everything appeared out of thin air.


    Demon Kings were really unfathomable and iprehensible beings.


    At the sight of these inexplicable feats, Gru felt deep reverence and fear at the time for the Demon King.


    A Draconian priest approached.


    "From today onwards, the primary task for your Berserk Beast City will be developing thisrge gold mine, as well as dozens of other mines of various sizes nearby."


    "Thirty percent of the golds and ores you produced will be reserved for the development of the Berserk Beast City and the improvement of the lives of the orcs. The remaining seventy percent will be handed over to the Lord!"


    "The earnings will be enough to double the ie of Berserk Beast City immediately. You should be able to live a better life than before. I hope you will not let the Lord down."


    Hearing this.


    Gru was ecstatic in his heart.


    He quickly knelt down on one knee.


    "Gru thanks His Majesty for his great kindness!"


    "The orcs will forever remember this debt!"


    Even the orcs, who were warlike by nature, did not want to live their lives on knife edge every day.


    Gru had a deeper understanding of the world.


    He knew that the old city lord''s development model was not sustainable in longer terms.


    It was all due to being unable to secure a stable source of ie for the city.


    Now, with the appearance of the Demon King, things have taken a turn for the better.


    It wouldn''t take long.


    Soon, the life of the orcs would improve significantly.


    Berserk Beast City could also be gradually reformed into a normal city.


    By then, the orcs would be grateful to the Demon King. Even if given the choice to return to their past lives, the majority of the orcs would be unwilling to do so.


    Zhang Nu had finished his work here.


    The remaining chores should be left to the subordinates.


    Now, he only needed to head back and wait for big piles of gold to be delivered to his doorstep.


    Just as he was about to leave Berserk Beast City.


    "My Lord!" A Draconian soldier came to report. "A Hero iming to be from the Divine Sword Hero Guild has requested to meet you!"


    A Hero?


    Divine Sword Guild?


    Never heard of it.


    Zhang Nu was somewhat surprised, "Hoho, this one has some nerves. Since he''s so fearless, I shall grant him an audience."

 Chapter 106: The First Contact with the Divine Sword Guild

    Several orcs brought the Hero in.


    It was a human male youth.


    Zhang Nu could not help being slightly taken aback.


    It was his first time encountering a human being.


    Nevertheless, it was nothing too surprising.


    The human race was the most bnced race. They were also thergest race on the continent.


    No matter if it was the number of countries, area of territories, poption size or the number of strong individuals, humans ranked first in every aspect.


    However, this world was just too vast.


    There would always be arge number of areas with no human activities.


    The Chaos Forest had fewer humans, but it was notpletely devoid of human beings. Some forest cities have some human merchants and adventurers as permanent residents, even Giantree City was said to asionally have human caravans stop by.


    Zhang Nu could tell at a nce.


    This Hero was from the Thunder Empire of the North.


    This is a Hero who belonged to the imperial forces.


    ''He is a Level 3 Hero...not bad.''


    The human youth introduced himself, "My name is Liu Qingcheng, an esteemed member of the Divine Sword Hero Guild, and I am very honored to be granted an audience with someone of your stature."


    "Hah! A Hero from a Hero guild, and yet you dare to stand before me. Not afraid I''ll just kill you on sight?"


    Facing the Demon King''s sharp question, Liu Qingcheng remained ever calm and collected, apanied with a demeanor neither too haughty nor humble.


    "Your Majesty is indeed extremely powerful, otherwise you wouldn''t be able to conquer Berserk Beast City. Killing me would be like squashing a bug with your strength. However...."


    His words paused briefly.


    "If you choose to kill me, it would be a deration of war against the Divine Sword Hero Guild! It would be an unbearable consequence, even for you!"


    Zhang Nu''s eyes narrowed slightly, "Are you threatening me?"


    Liu Qingcheng shook his head, "No, I didn''t have any intention to offend you, let alone threaten Your Majesty. I am merely stating an objective fact."


    "The Divine Sword is a Hero guild from the south of the Thunder Empire!"


    "Our guild possesses numerous powerful individuals, as well as the full support of the empire!"


    "To be an enemy of us, is to be an enemy of the great empire!"


    "Which is less than ideal for your current self!"


    "Only through cooperation can we achieve a win-win situation!"


    Zhang Nu was not one bit amused, "And what do you want?"


    Liu Qingcheng answered, "Our goal is to take over the entire Chaos Forest, and to do that, we need to gain control over all the forest cities."


    "We hope that you would entrust us with the ownership of Berserk Beast City and any other forest cities under your rule, and in return, the empire will generously grant you a substantial amount of food, equipment, and supplies!"


    Zhang Nu was a little speechless.


    This Hero really dared to propose with such absurd conditions.


    "I see. You''re asking me to hand over all my assets and properties, and then, you''ll only need to offer up some junk and scraps to humor me afterwards. Do I look like a bloody fool to you?"


    Liu Qingcheng took up an assertive tone, "We are very sincere in our proposal and even willing to sign a contract with you to ensure the deal will be honored in the future."


    Zhang Nu asked, "And if I refuse?"


    Liu Qingcheng frowned, "It will not be a wise decision. The empire is determined to take over the Chaos Forest. We are still willing to negotiate with you in a peaceful manner for now, but it doesn''t mean we are afraid to use a forceful approach!"


    "When it reallyes to that, with your solitary forces, you won''t be able gain anything but losing your life to your foolishness!"


    "Please consider the stakes in this matter!"


    "I highly advise you to rethink your choices."


    "Is it war or peace!"


    Zhang Nu sneered, "In the end, you''re just here to put on some air and patronize me. But you are but a mere coward who didn''t even dare to show up in person. Do you really think you can threaten me?!"


    Hearing this.


    Liu Qingcheng''s expressions changed, "What do you mean?"


    Zhang Nu sped his big hands over the Hero''s head as if he was squeezing a small chick. And with a little force, the Hero turned into a puff of smoke.


    "A mere illusion."


    "Think I''m so easy to fool?"


    Zhang Nu had seen through it right from the beginning.


    Liu Qingcheng never even walked in here.


    The only reason he dared to put on such an insistent attitude while being so calm was purely because the one who stood and spoke in front of Zhang Nu was only an arcane illusion. He himself was hiding somewhere safe.


    ''This kind of illusion.''


    ''It shouldn''t be able tost very long.''


    ''His real self is probably nearby.''


    Zhang Nu flew up into the air in an instant.


    He inspected around and found an invisible figure, the corners of his mouth formed into a mocking grin.


    ''Found you~''


    Right now.


    Liu Qingcheng had a hideous expression on his face.


    The illusion ability was his talent skill.


    Although the skill had nobative power, the illusion it created was extremely realistic. It was almost impossible to distinguish it from the real one through ordinary means of detection. This was proven to be true many times in the past.


    ''What''s going on today?''


    ''What gave it away?''


    ''Forget it! I can''t stay here any longer. I''ve collected more than enough information anyways. Time to withdraw!''


    As the thought came to his mind and he was prepared to leave.


    Suddenly.


    Liu Qingcheng felt a terrifying psychic force digging into his brain like a drill.


    B rank psychic magic: Psychic Invasion!


    Although Liu Qingcheng''s head was clear and his mind was conscious, he hadpletely lost control of his own body. He sank into absolute terror once he discovered this.


    "No!!"


    "Stop!"


    "STOP IT!!"


    Liu Qingcheng was controlled to start walking, and like a puppet on a string, he returned to the ce where he met Zhang Nu.


    But now.


    The Hero wet his pants.


    His face was full of fear and seized by dread.


    Zhang Nu showed contempt, "Where did your act of bravado go? If you''ve remained undeterred, I would have still respected you as a real man."


    At this time and moment.


    His very life was at the mercy of others.


    How could he still beposed?


    His audacity to act tough in front of the Demon King was solely founded upon his confidence in his illusion skill, thinking that Zhang Nu would never be able to find out where his real self really was.


    As an emissary of the Divine Sword guild.


    Liu Qingcheng had met many Demon Kings in the past.


    This was the first time his true self stood in front of a Demon King, and it was undoubtedly the most terrifying and powerful Demon King he had ever met. Until this moment, he still has not regained the control of his body.


    "Don''t..."


    "Don''t kill me!"


    "I was wrong! I apologize!"


    "We can still talk! Any conditions are fine!"


    "The Divine Sword is sincere. As long as you don''t hurt me, we can still cooperate and join hands to rule over Chaos Forest."


    Seeing the buffoon''s disdaining behavior.


    Zhang Nu could not helpughing out loud.


    "How can I be interested in cooperation when I see that the emissaries of your Hero guild are so pathetic like you? You want war? You shall have war!"


    Liu Qingcheng found out in horror that his hands were uncontrobly pulling out the short sword at his waist.


    Both hands then held the hilt the sword upside down, aiming straight at his own heart.


    He hurriedly shouted, "There are thousands of Heroes in our Divine Sword guild and we have reached cooperation with ten Demon Kings. Do you really want to stand against the entire Chaos Forest and Thunder Empire? Are you insane?! Stop it..Stop! PLEASE STOP!.....Ahhhh!!"


    A miserable scream.


    Liu Qingcheng had plunged the short sword into his heart with his own hands.


    His life was rapidly draining away and he fell to the ground with a scream. His face was full of fear and despair as he watched the Demon King walk down to him.


    A swirl of Dragon me fell on him.


    The Hero was reduced to nothing but charred ashes.


    [You''ve in a Level 3 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1. Skill Stone +1]


    As for the threat made by Liu Qingcheng.


    Zhang Nu did not even take it to heart.


    To be honest, for Zhang Nu, the more top Heroesing for him, the better. Afterall, it was too difficult to level up after Level 4. Without enough souls, he simply could not raise his level.


    Zhang Nu nced at the skill stone dropped by the Hero.


    [Mirror Image] B rank skill.


    ''Eh''


    ''This skill''


    ''Wasn''t it the one the pathetic Hero used''


    Zhang Nu immediately used the skill stone on himself.


    [Mirror Image] B rank skill. Creates a physical illusion that exudes the same exact aura as the original self. The illusion draws a minimum of 100 MP when created and costs an additional 10 MP per minute while active. The illusion will dissipate when the MP is exhausted.


    It was an interesting skill.


    Although the skill had nobative power, the physical illusion had a high degree of imitation, it could not be discovered even with advanced detection skills.


    As long as the user did not make a move against others.


    There was a high probability that it could fool just about anyone.


    No wonder Liu Qingcheng was so full of confidence.


    If Zhang Nu had not seen the hint from his cheat ability, he would not have seen through Liu Qingcheng''s illusion.


    But this is only a small episode for Zhang Nu.


    After the issue of the Hero was resolved.


    Zhang Nu ordered a Draconian priest to teleport him back to Darkness Valley.


    He decided to use the remaining two blueprints.


    ''Let''s build the temple first.''


    Zhang Nu ced the Temple of War right next to the Temple of Nature.


    The temple construction cost was very cheap for the current Zhang Nu.


    The gold cost was only 120,000 and the gems needed were also rtivelymon. All in all, the total cost was only about 200,000 gold.


    Compared to the function of the temple, such a small amount of gold was really insignificant.


    [Temple of War construction sessful!]


    [All units have gained the Goddess of War''s blessing!]


    The moment the temple appeared.


    Darkness Valley, Giantree City, Berserk Beast City, and even all nearby viges and tribes who pledged their allegiance to the Demon King received a brand new buff.


    [Goddess of War''s Blessing Level 1] Special status. Strength +10%, Constitution +5%, Will +5%!


    In the Giantree City.


    The elves were surprised to find out.


    Another divine blessing has appeared.


    Wasn''t this the power of the Goddess of War?


    But the elves did not worship the Goddess of War!


    The followers of the Goddess of War were usually orcs, half-orcs, some dwarves and other war-like races.


    Was this the doing of the Demon King again?


    Did he have an affair with the Goddess of War as well?


    But how could their rtionship be so great that even non-followers of the Goddess of War could be bestowed her blessings?


    Meanwhile, in the Berserk Beast City.


    The orcs felt the divine blessing of the Goddess of War.


    Their morale was instantly heightened and their loyalty greatly boosted.


    After Zhang Nu finished building the Temple of War, he continued to use thest Level 2 blueprint "Advanced Beast Pen".


    [Advanced Beast Pen construction sessful!]


    [You''ve unlocked the ability to summon tamed beasts!]


    [You''ve gained a new summonable tamed herd: Jungle Giant Lizards +30000, Quadruped Winged Beast +10000!]


    Jungle Giant Lizards. Level 1 normal. Costs 10 gold.


    Quadruped Winged Beast. Level 2 normal. Costs 400 gold.


    Advanced Beast Pen.


    It seemed pretty ordinary.


    Only two tamed beast units have been unlocked.


    Both of these beasts were normal units and theirbative power was pretty low. But this did not mean that they were worthless.


    Jungle Giant Lizards were good at carrying weights and they were capable of traveling throughplex terrains.


    They were excellent jungle transportation units, especially suitable for transporting cargoes and supplies.


    The Quadruped Wing Beast was simr in this case. This species of winged beasts was several timesrger than an ordinary winged beast. Although their figure was more cumbersome and lumbering, their ability for carrying loads was also stronger. These winged beasts were perfectly ideal for air transportation.


    Simply put, the Advanced Beast Pen could not increase the territory''s military strength by one bit.


    However, it provided the territory''s means of transportation.


    In the future, with the increasingly flourishing trade, as well as the progressively efficient resource extraction operations, these tamed beasts would be of great use.


    In short, they would not be useless at all.

 Chapter 107: The Predicament of the Elven City Lord

    Both the Forest Giant Lizard and the Quadruped Winged Beast were not expensive.


    But there was no need for a mass summoning.


    If tens of thousands of such beasts were summoned at once and their numbers were more than actually needed, then the expense of feeding them all would be very costly.


    The Forest Giant Lizards were so cheap, it was such a bargain.


    Instead of feeding and raising them for the long term, it might be better to just ughter them for their meat.


    What a pity.


    It turned out that this species of giant lizards'' meat was actually very sour, inedible and poisonous.


    Otherwise, for the price of 20 gold per lizard, summoning them specifically for ughter might not be a bad idea to make a fortune.


    The capturing of Berserk Beast City yielded a huge gain.


    Zhang Nu''s gold reserve has reached a whopping amount of 3 million.


    That was an outrageous amount of gold.


    If the other Demon Kings knew about it.


    They would probably go insane from envy and jealousy.


    For things such as gold, the more there were, the better.


    Zhang Nu also needed more diversified ie sources.


    There were currently three main territories: the Darkness Valley, the Giantree City and the Berserk Beast City.


    Darkness Valley was the primary base camp.


    There were numerous utility structures within.


    For instance, the two temples of goddesses, the White Bone Mausoleum, the Tower of Fog, the Barrier Tower, the Detection Tower, etc. All these structures required a lot of gold just for daily maintenance.


    In addition, the daily food consumption of 20,000 draconians, several thousands of goblins, plus some minotaurs was extremely substantial.


    Fortunately, the farms were doing well.


    The variety and quality of seeds supplied by Chen Guoguo were also improving.


    This had allowed the yield and the quality of the medicinal herbs and crops to rise steadily. Hence why the goods always maintained theirpetitiveness in the Demon King''s market.


    The profit it brought in not only covered the costs of the territory''s daily upkeep.


    The average ie it could generate daily was more than 100,000 gold.


    Furthermore, due to the increase in number of the craftsmen, especially the appearance of the Draconian Mastercraftsmen, has enabled the ores mined from mineral deposits to be crafted into fine equipment for sale. These sales also raked in an additional 8k to 10k of daily ie.


    This was a good start.


    In the future, with more and better ore supply, as well as higher manufacturing level of the territory, the ie generated from equipment sale would not lose out to herbs and food.


    The business and operations of the Darkness Valley were mature and stable.


    Now, both the Giantree City and Berserk Beast City were even more worthy of looking forward to.


    The Giantree City''s alchemist and botanist teams have just been established.


    A total of almost 10,000 elves have been employed and gradually invested into the fields of nting and medicine refining, which were about to usher in a spurt of development.


    As for the Berserk Beast City, which was still in need of rebuilding.


    It now also had a massive gold mine and dozens of various smaller mineral veins ready to be mined. As long as enoughbor was invested into the mining operations, the ie it could bring would not be inferior to that of the Darkness Valley.


    The structures of the organization have beenid out.


    All that was needed now was patience.


    Zhang Nu could live a good life of lying down and counting money just by making good use of his existing resources.


    However, even if one did not have to worry about the far future, the immediate risks could not be ignored, especially the two obvious and major risks in sight.


    The first one was the enormous seal of the Giantree City.


    The seal was still stable for now.


    But ultimately, it was still a giant time bomb.


    The creature within the seal was still so ferocious even in its current state.


    If that thing was allowed to break free, the consequences would be unfathomable.


    The second risk was the Divine Sword Heroes Guild.


    Zhang Nu did not doubt the words of the hero, Liu Qingcheng.


    The Thunder Empire was probably nning to secretly control the Demon Kings, and then indirectly control the entire Chaos Forest. The Divine Sword guild was their vanguard force.


    The scale and strength of this Divine Sword Hero Guild was far superior to the Iron Blooded Hero Guild, furthermore, they had the support of an empire behind the scenes. Zhang Nu must not be careless whilst facing them.


    After thinking it through, Zhang Nu decided to expand his army.


    This time, he took out 1.5 million gold at one go, recruited an additional 5000 Draconian Soldiers, then upgraded 500 of them into High Soldiers, and 100 of them into Super Soldiers.


    He continued to spend 150,000 gold to increase the numbers of his Draconian Generals by 10, and another 90,000 gold for 3 Draconian Priests.


    The current line up of Zhang Nu''s army was: 13300 Draconian Soldiers, 900 High Draconian Soldiers, 155 Super Draconian Soldiers, 50 Draconian Battlemages, 20 Mythic Draconian Battlemages, 5 Draconian Warmonger Royal Guards, 25 Draconian Generals, 8 Draconian Priests, 1 Draconian Marshal and 1 Draconian High Priest.


    Zhang Nu still had nearly 1.4 million gold left.


    But he did not intend to spend all of it.


    The remaining gold could be saved as a reserve fund, or spent part of it to purchase various supplies, especially gemstones which would be used inrge quantities in the future.


    Su Yan walked into the castle, "I carefully selected the first thirty members ording to your requirements.This is the list of the reserve members. Please take a look at it, Boss."


    Zhang Nu took a sweeping nce.


    Most of them were Heroes that got put in the dungeons.


    Only a few of them were recruited by Su Yan from the outside.


    Not a single one of them were Level 3. All of them were Level 2 Heroes. These potential members seemed a little shabby, but there were no other choices.


    Su Yan herself was only a Level 2.


    It was indeed difficult to invite reliable Level 3 Heroes at the moment.


    These reserve members, despite being only Level 2, generally had a special talent or a skill that made them well suited for intelligence work, reconnaissance and investigation, and so on.


    This was in line with expectations.


    "Not bad, that will do for now. Wait until I finish preparing the contracts. They will need to sign it to be considered an official member of the order."


    The Dragon Shadow Heroes Guild would be of great use in the future.


    The members of the guild could be few in numbers, but they must be absolutely reliable, and a contract must be signed, so as to be sufficient insurance.


    It was always appropriate to be cautious.


    Even if it would cost more.


    Zhang Nu then took out a skill stone, "This skill is for you."


    "This is...B rank skill Rock Golem Form!"


    Su Yan was startled in disbelief.


    The value of this skill was much higher than the previous ones.


    "This reward is just too much. I haven''t made many contributionstely."


    Zhang Nu replied, "it doesn''t matter. I''m nning on giving you another task. This one will be a little dangerous."


    Su Yan became enthusiastic, "What is it?"


    "Recently, a group of Heroes called Divine Sword Guild appeared in the Chaos Forest. They came from the Thunder Empire in the North. They are enlisting Heroes and even Demon Kings everywhere, which poses some threat and trouble for me."


    "I see!"


    "Boss wants me to investigate them?"


    Su Yan wiggled her fox tail, "Being a spy? It''s my specialty."


    Zhang Nu nodded, "The Divine Sword Heroes Guild is different from the previous Iron Blooded Heroes Guild. This one is much more powerful and has many strong individuals. You have to be careful! You can''t afford to be careless!"


    "Understood!"


    Su Yan felt exhrated.


    This was another great opportunity to gain some credit.


    Zhang Nu was now more assured about this Hero girl.


    Her ability and identity could easily gather information to prepare for the inevitable conflict in the near future.


    Next.


    Zhang Nu began to strategize against the seal in the Giantree forest...With his current strength, it would be a bit tough, but he could give it a try.


    He was still contemting it.


    A final decision had not yet been made.


    Chen Guoguo sent a private message, "Boss! You there? Something has happened to Nancy! You shoulde and take a look! She''s in a very bad condition right now!"


    Zhang Nu was at a loss, "Nancilia have always been in Giantree City, and there''s no enemies recently. What could have happened to her?"


    Chen Guoguo: "I''ve no idea. In short, she just fainted."


    Fainted?


    Could such a thing really happen?


    Was it because of illness?


    Could someone with a physique of an Elven King even get sick?


    He immediately called for his draconian priests and teleported to Giantree City.


    The Giantree City executives were in a state of disarray, they did not even have the time to send someone to inform the Demon King. They certainly did not expect the Demon King to arrive so soon on his own.


    Zhang Nu frowned, "What''s wrong with the city lord?"


    The third elder of the Giantree City exined, "Your Majesty, judging from the symptoms of the city lord, it is probably that the power of her Elven King''s bloodline has been awakened!"


    Zhang Nu did not quiteprehend this.


    He asked, "Is this a good or a bad thing?"


    "Well, it is certainly good news. Everytime an Elven King awakens, their strength will surge by leaps and bounds, but..."


    The third elder sighed, "The power of the city lord''s bloodline seems to be unusually strong, so much so that her body can''t withstand it. The current situation is very critical!"


    Zhang Nu entered the room, only to see the young city lord was lying in the room.


    She had a very painful expression, her eyes were firmly shut, her head was full of sweat, and her brows were tightly furrowed.


    The elves had never seen such a situation before.


    For a moment, they were at a loss as to what to do.


    Zhang Nu stared at Nancilia for a while.


    Suddenly a relevant prompt message popped up in sight.


    [Giantree City Lord Nancilia]...currently in a state of bloodline awakening. However, due to the overpowering bloodline power, the body is overwhelmed. Without the aid of the Elixir of Awakening, her life is at risk of dying.


    Zhang Nu''s eyes lit up.


    "Do you people know about the Elixir of Awakening?"


    The elders of the elves looked at each other. By the looks of their faces, they definitely have not heard of it.


    This was getting difficult.


    It was at this moment that the young city lord seemed to regain a trace of consciousness.


    She opened her eyes and saw a towering figure: "Ah, Your Majesty, why are you here...I''m sorry. I seem to have fallen ill, not even the tribe could do anything about it."


    Zhang Nu replied, "Don''t worry, you are my important subordinate. I won''t let anything happen to you. Just rest well, I''ll help you pull through this!"


    The young city lord was emotionally moved as Zhang Nu''s reached her.


    Unlike the anxious elders, the Demon King''s tone was firm and confident.


    This gave Nancilia a sense of anticipation and assurance.


    Zhang Nu suspected that there were two reasons for the current conditions of Nancilia. On one hand, she was far more powerful than most of the Elven Kings in history. On the other hand, her resonation with the Elven King''s scepter seemed to have stimted her bloodline, which was why she was awakening in advance.


    No matter what.


    She must be saved.


    Even if Zhang Nu put aside friendships.


    He could not let her die.


    Nancilia was not only the city lord of Giantree City.


    She was also a subordinate that would at least be a Monarch rank in the future.


    The Giantree elves had apparently lost their legacy and inheritance. Surprisingly, no one had ever heard of the Elixir of Awakening.


    With a mindset of just giving it a try, Zhang Nu contacted a particr Demon King.


    Zhang Nu: "Are you there?"


    Mysterious Witch Liang Bai: "Yes! Boss! How may I help?"


    Zhang Nu: "Do you know about a potion called Elixir of Awakening?"


    Among all the Demon Kings that Zhang Nu knew, Liang Bai was the one with the highest level and aplishment in the field of medicine and potion concoction.


    If even she did not know about the elixir, then the other Demon Kings could not hope to know anything.


    Zhang Nu could only look for a method from other sources.


    Mysterious Witch Liang Bai: "Oh, I know about the Elixir of Awakening. This type of potion is very rare. It can help some individuals with specific talents to absorb the power of their bloodline."


    Zhang Nu: "Can you concoct it?"


    Mysterious Witch Liang Bai: "Boss, don''t you underestimate me. I''ve never been beaten in the field of potion making. Even if it''s a super rare potion, it''s merely a piece of cake to me."


    What great news!


    Zhang Nu: "Then get me a bottle of this Elixir of Awakening, I''ll offer you a satisfying price for it."


    Mysterious Witch Liang Bai: "Boss, I can concoct the potion for sure. Money isn''t the issue either. However, the ingredients for the elixir are very rare and they are necessarily avable in the current market."

 Chapter 109.1: .1 - The Infernal Daemon and the Uninvited Guests Part 1/2

    A volcano came into Zhang Nu''s sight.


    It was an astonishinglyrge volcano, with a crater several kilometers in diameter. It was in an active state and was constantly spewing smoke and fumes. Every now and then, it erupted, spurting arge amount ofva into the air.


    Within the surrounding area of dozens of miles.


    Everything was covered by volcanic ashes.


    The ground was streaked with flowingva and scorch marks.


    [Cmity Volcano] Level 4 overlord area. High exploration value.


    Description: This is a volcano that has been active for tens of thousands of years. From within borned a terrifying Infernal Daemon. It has been entrenched here for thousands of years, incinerating all who are insolent enough to challenge it into ashes and cinders.


    "Here it is!"


    "The Infernal Daemon is slumbering in the volcano underneath."


    Han Kexin hovered in mid-air, "Its strength is on par with a Level 4 Overlord. Kill it and you''ll get your daemon heart."


    "This one is not easy to deal with. We need to n ahead, otherwise even with our joined efforts, danger will inevitably befall upon us."


    The daemon was no stronger than a Level 4 Overlord.


    Zhang Nu''s strength had reached Level 4 Monarch.


    After obtaining Evil Dragon''s Descent and High Anti-Magic.


    His strength was much more formidable than those who just entered the Monarch rank.


    Nevertheless, this was the Subus Queen''s home turf. Zhang Nu did not intend to steal the show and overtake her. Besides, ording to their agreement, Zhang Nu would only take the daemon''s heart while the treasure chest belonged to the Queen.


    On how they should approach this battle.


    She had the final say.


    He would just ck off however he could.


    Han Kexin continued, "The Infernal Daemon''s body temperature is extremely high, anyone within its 10 meter radius will suffer severe burns. Hence, it is almost impossible to defeat it in closebat, attempting so would be the same as suiciding."


    "It also has fire magic immunity, so it''s useless to attack it with mes. The mes would instead speed up its recovery. Its other types of magic resistance were also very high. Therefore, the best way to counter it is through ice magic."


    "In order to challenge this daemon, I''ve deliberately learned some ice magic spells. So, I''ll be handling control as well as damage outputter."


    Zhang Nu asked, "What about me?"


    Han Kexin answered, "There are arge number of Level 3 and Level 4 elite Magma Daemons in the volcanicke. Among them, there are even two or three Level 4 lord rank Magma Daemon Lords. They are not only capable of long range attacks but also deal tremendous damage."


    "My subordinates can only hold back the Level 3 and some Level 4 elites at most. The remaining daemons, especially the several Magma Daemon Lords, will be left for you to deal with."


    Zhang Nu nodded, "No problem."


    The assault began immediately.


    The two took the lead and entered the volcano crater.


    [You are under the effect of volcanic toxicity, HP -1!]


    [You are under the effect of volcanic toxicity, HP -2!]


    [You are under the effect of volcanic toxicity, HP -2!]


    [......]


    These toxic fumes.


    It was naturally produced.


    It did not contain any magical elements..


    Which was why even Zhang Nu took damage from it.


    But Zhang Nu did not concern himself with the toxic fumes due to its slow rate of damage. It even paled inparison to his own recovery rate, there was no way for the fumes to pose a threat to him.


    But that would be another story for ordinary troops.


    Such a hazardous environment could prove to be very dangerous for them.


    It was no wonder why Han Kexin could not bring too many troops with her. It would be over if the army got trapped here.


    Zhang Nu soon saw the volcanicke. Theke was over ten kilometers in diameter. Its entirety was just a boilingvake, with some small ck inds scattered in it.


    This scene.


    It was truly appalling.


    It was simply a hellish spectacle.


    Thevake was incredibly vtile.


    It was continuously emitting intense heat and spewing toxic fumes.


    The closer one got, the more vicious the fumes and mes became.


    Theva itself was constantly spewing forth and churning, and there were always waves of fire consisting of magma erupting or moltenva being spurted out.


    Ordinary folks would not be able to remain in this environment for even a second.


    The troops Han Kexin brought were buffed with fire resistance spells in advance, so they could withstand the heat for a short time. However, they would fall into danger if time went on longer, thus the battle must be resolved as quickly as possible.


    "Let me draw it out first."


    Han Kexin hovered 500 meters above thevake. As soon as she raised her hands, a burst of powerful energy erupted from within her body, turning into hundreds of razor sharp wind des and rained down theke.


    "RARGHH!"


    A harsh and fearsome roar echoed across the crater.


    A hundred meters wave of magma instantly surged forth in thevake.


    "The insolence...how dare you...barge into my domain!"


    A muddled and grating voice angrily cried out.


    From the volcanicke stood up a humanoid silhouette, it was a thirty meter tall figure.


    At first nce.


    It was as if a giant minotaur got magically modified.


    The daemon had bull-like horns, his stout body was rugged and covered in gnarly muscles. Scorching magma was flowing all over his being and his eyes were brimming with raging fire.


    The daemon was clearly in a state of immense anger right now.


    What a powerful creature.


    Not even Zhang Nu has ever seen such a monster.


    Zhang Nu immediately checked its stats.


    [Infernal Daemon] Level 4 overlord


    Skills: Rebirth from within the mes (A rank), Infernal Chains (B rank), Infernal Aura (B rank), Apocalyptic Rain of Fire (B rank), Infernal Scream (B rank), Fire Magic Immunity (B rank), Fire Absorption (B rank), etc.


    This series of skills had made even Zhang Nu all astonished.


    The Infernal Daemon even had an A rank skill.


    This "Rebirth from within the mes" skill was very powerful. When the Infernal Daemon was defeated, it would temporarily enter a dormant state. As long as there was enough fire attributed matter around him, it could trigger a resurrection effect and restore all HP and MP.


    But of course, the skill had a very long cooldown timer.


    It could only be used every few months.


    "I demand...your...death!"


    The Infernal Daemon gripped with both hands, a several hundred meter long magma chain was suddenly summoned into his grasp, and was ruthlessly flung towards Han Kexin in mid air.


    "Blink!"


    Han Kexin activated a instantaneous teleportation magic to dodge the chain and the rock wall behind her instantly got blown off arge chunk. The might of the magma chain was equivalent to a small meteorite impact. If one was directly hit by that skill, it was certainly an instant death.


    However.


    This attack from the Infernal Daemon had a long recovery time.


    Han Kexin swiftly rushed towards the daemon and unleashed her talent skill "Infinite Phantasm", which was a powerful offensive psychic ability.


    The ability itself did not deal any damage, but it could drag the target into a realm of phantasmal, hindering the target''s ability to distinguish reality from illusion.


    The Infernal Daemon was hit.


    Han Kexin''s level was simr to the daemon.


    Moreover, the daemon has low intellect, once he was caught in this control skill, the threat of his following attacks was greatly reduced.


    "cier de!"


    A huge ice cone dozens of meters in size struck the Infernal Daemon with staggering force.


    -???!


    Even if the Infernal Daemon was a Level 4 overlord monster with superb HP pool and defense, it was severely wounded by this blow.


    Han Kexin casted multiple charming type skills in rapid session, consecutively stacking various psychic and controlling effects on the daemon, making itpletely disordered.


    "I''ve got him under control!"


    "The Magma Daemons are appearing!"


    "You guys go and deal with them!"


    "Leave the big guy to me!"


    Zhang Nu was quite impressed by Han Kexin. It seemed that it was not a reckless impulse that Han Kexin dared to challenge the Infernal Daemon, the assault was thoroughly thought through and prepared.


    Just by the looks of this fight.


    She might just triumph over this monster.

 Chapter 109.2: The Infernal Daemon and the Uninvited Guests Part 2/2

    Zhang Nu could finally ck off with peace of mind. Right now, the subuses Han Kexin brought had already engaged with the Magma Daemons constantly emerging from the volcanicke.


    Zhang Nu discovered that the offensive power of the subuses were not very strong, but they all possessed psychic control type skills.


    Therefore, they had a strong advantage in one-on-one fights, especially against opponents of simr or inferior level.


    [Magma Daemon] Level 3 elite unit.


    [Greater Magma Daemon] Level 4 elite unit.


    [Magma Daemon Lord] Level 4 lord unit.


    The reason Han Kexin sought aid from a top Demon King like Zhang Nu was because she needed help dealing with these Magma Daemons.


    Her subordinates were fine against Magma Daemons, yet struggled against Greater Magma Daemons. If the Magma Daemon Lords joined the fight, they would no longer be a match.


    Within this volcano crater.


    There were several Magma Daemon Lords.


    There were also more than a hundred Greater Magma Daemons present.


    Han Kexin''s own troops could not handle this many.


    She could sense Zhang Nu''s strength was not inferior to hers. With such a powerful Demon King joining hands with her, she could ensure this operation was a guaranteed sess.


    Zhang Nu started making his moves.


    Abyssal Lightning continuously falling onto the daemons.


    The Greater Magma Daemons were outright blown up.


    [You''ve in a Greater Magma Daemon. Gold +4000!]


    [You''ve in a Greater Magma Daemon. Gold +4000!]


    [You''ve in a Greater Magma Daemon. Gold +4000!]


    [......]


    Han Kexin watched as Zhang Nu struck the daemons.


    Crude and brutal!


    Spectacr prowess!


    She nodded with satisfaction. She really did not misjudge the person, Zhang Nu''s strength was formidable. Today''s victory was secured!


    Han Kexin was reassured by the thought.


    She began to focus on tackling the Infernal Daemon.


    Zhang Nu was wandering around as if leisurely strolling through a park.


    It was just that everywhere he strolled by, lightning shed without cease.


    He specifically targeted the Level 4 elite greater daemons, since the ordinary daemons were restrained by the Queen''s own troops. Just then, a sh of mes impacted his body.


    -0!


    The one whounched the surprise attack was a Magma Daemon Lord.


    Seeing that the long range attack was ineffective, the Magma Daemon Lord drew a huge fiery sword of moltenva, charged towards Zhang Nu and shed down furiously.


    -0!


    Zhang Nu gripped the giant fiery sword that tried to cut him with his bare hands, and gradually lifted the sword away from his body.


    The Magma Daemon Lord was stupefied.


    No matter what, he was still a Level 4 lord.


    The might of this sh was more than enough to instantly kill an elite of the same level. Even a lord should not be able to withstand this strike with its own flesh and blood.


    And yet.


    This man.


    He first took the hit with 0 damage like a chad.


    And then crushed the moltenva sword with his bare hands.


    Finally, he punched straight into the Magma Daemon Lord, whose body had such intense heat it could melt steel. Countless lightning erupted from the daemon lord''s body, subjecting the daemon to suffer continuous damage.


    -1078!


    -1092!


    -1155!


    The Magma Daemon Lord exploded!


    A Level 4 lord monster, a being that could lead a force of its own if ced in any other monster area. It would take a team painstaking effort to even defeat it.


    However, in the hands of Zhang Nu.


    There was hardly any room for resistance.


    The daemon lord was instantly killed like a fodder.


    [You''ve in a Magma Daemon Lord. Gold +12000!]


    As expected from a lord rank unit.


    The gold reward was truly generous!


    Zhang Nu was motivated right away.


    Since he was already here, it would not be unreasonable to earn a little gold, right?


    Zhang Nu sped up his pace. One after another the Greater Magma Daemons were squashed, and two more Magma Daemon Lords fell under the ravages of lightning.


    With this round of ughter.


    More than 500,000 gold was gained.


    Eyeing around, he made a rough estimation that a total of 600,000 gold and above could be earned here.


    While Zhang Nu was busy sweeping the daemons and cashing in the gold, Han Kexin was progressing smoothly. Although her attack prowess was far inferior to the Infernal Daemon, the daemon was reallycking in intellect.


    Han Kexin kept attacking and maintaining her psychic control simultaneously.


    Using her several ice attributed skills to wear the daemon down, after a few dozen rounds, the Infernal Daemon could withstand it no longer.


    "cier de!" Another attack overflowing with powerful frost energy fell upon the Infernal Daemon. The surface temperature of his body quickly cooled and his giant figure began to crack rapidly. With a wailing howl, the daemon copsed into theva.


    "It''s done!"


    She quickly gulped down a few bottles of potions.


    Her MP was severely depleted and in urgent need of recovery.


    Han Kexin felt a little strange, "Why is there no notification of a kill?"


    Zhang Nu reminded her, "Do not let your guard down, the battle is not yet over! The monster is resurrecting! Hurry up and interrupt his skill!"


    Han Kexin was not aware of this.


    Only after being reminded did she notice the odd urrence.


    After the Infernal Daemon went down, it started to absorb the fire energy in the volcanicke, leaving the previously boilingva a lot cooler all of a sudden.


    ''It is true! It can indeed resurrect!''


    However, the resurrection process could be interrupted.


    Han Kexin could not help but to be a little terrified. It was fortunate that she received a reminder. She had already used up nearly all of her strength in the fight just now.


    If she had to fight the Infernal Daemon all over again.


    She was not confident that she could triumph again.


    Han Kexin began to gather her energy and aimed at the resurrecting Infernal Daemon.


    Just when she was prepared to deal the finishing blow.


    Suddenly.


    A pitch ck arrow shot out from nowhere.


    The arrow struck Han Kexin in the back.


    -200!


    Not only did the arrow deal considerable damage, it also drained what little remained of Han Kexin''s MP, disrupting her channeled skill.


    ''This is bad!''


    An ambush!


    Han Kexin cried out in disbelief.


    She did not even have to guess who did it.


    It was definitely those damned Heroes from Dark City!


    A dozen figures entered the volcano crater. The two leading the group was a dark elf equipped with a longbow and a warhammer wielding dark dwarf.


    "Hahahaha!"


    "Didn''t expect that! Didn''t you!"


    "Serves you right!"


    "You didn''t have much MP left now and you were hit by my Devouring Sealing Arrow. Even if you have immense power, you''re no longer able to use it!"


    ''Shit!''


    ''I''ve been careless!''


    ''How did the operation get leaked?''


    ''Did the Heroes nt their spies nearby?!''


    "Die!"


    The dark dwarf hurled his warhammer swirling in lightning.


    Han Kexin could not activate her instantaneous teleportation. She could only watch as the attack flew towards her head at an astonishing speed.

 Chapter 109.1: .1 - The Infernal Daemon and the Uninvited Guests Part 1/2

    A volcano came into Zhang Nu''s sight.


    It was an astonishinglyrge volcano, with a crater several kilometers in diameter. It was in an active state and was constantly spewing smoke and fumes. Every now and then, it erupted, spurting arge amount ofva into the air.


    Within the surrounding area of dozens of miles.


    Everything was covered by volcanic ashes.


    The ground was streaked with flowingva and scorch marks.


    [Cmity Volcano] Level 4 overlord area. High exploration value.


    Description: This is a volcano that has been active for tens of thousands of years. From within borned a terrifying Infernal Daemon. It has been entrenched here for thousands of years, incinerating all who are insolent enough to challenge it into ashes and cinders.


    "Here it is!"


    "The Infernal Daemon is slumbering in the volcano underneath."


    Han Kexin hovered in mid-air, "Its strength is on par with a Level 4 Overlord. Kill it and you''ll get your daemon heart."


    "This one is not easy to deal with. We need to n ahead, otherwise even with our joined efforts, danger will inevitably befall upon us."


    The daemon was no stronger than a Level 4 Overlord.


    Zhang Nu''s strength had reached Level 4 Monarch.


    After obtaining Evil Dragon''s Descent and High Anti-Magic.


    His strength was much more formidable than those who just entered the Monarch rank.


    Nevertheless, this was the Subus Queen''s home turf. Zhang Nu did not intend to steal the show and overtake her. Besides, ording to their agreement, Zhang Nu would only take the daemon''s heart while the treasure chest belonged to the Queen.


    On how they should approach this battle.


    She had the final say.


    He would just ck off however he could.


    Han Kexin continued, "The Infernal Daemon''s body temperature is extremely high, anyone within its 10 meter radius will suffer severe burns. Hence, it is almost impossible to defeat it in closebat, attempting so would be the same as suiciding."


    "It also has fire magic immunity, so it''s useless to attack it with mes. The mes would instead speed up its recovery. Its other types of magic resistance were also very high. Therefore, the best way to counter it is through ice magic."


    "In order to challenge this daemon, I''ve deliberately learned some ice magic spells. So, I''ll be handling control as well as damage outputter."


    Zhang Nu asked, "What about me?"


    Han Kexin answered, "There are arge number of Level 3 and Level 4 elite Magma Daemons in the volcanicke. Among them, there are even two or three Level 4 lord rank Magma Daemon Lords. They are not only capable of long range attacks but also deal tremendous damage."


    "My subordinates can only hold back the Level 3 and some Level 4 elites at most. The remaining daemons, especially the several Magma Daemon Lords, will be left for you to deal with."


    Zhang Nu nodded, "No problem."


    The assault began immediately.


    The two took the lead and entered the volcano crater.


    [You are under the effect of volcanic toxicity, HP -1!]


    [You are under the effect of volcanic toxicity, HP -2!]


    [You are under the effect of volcanic toxicity, HP -2!]


    [......]


    These toxic fumes.


    It was naturally produced.


    It did not contain any magical elements..


    Which was why even Zhang Nu took damage from it.


    But Zhang Nu did not concern himself with the toxic fumes due to its slow rate of damage. It even paled inparison to his own recovery rate, there was no way for the fumes to pose a threat to him.


    But that would be another story for ordinary troops.


    Such a hazardous environment could prove to be very dangerous for them.


    It was no wonder why Han Kexin could not bring too many troops with her. It would be over if the army got trapped here.


    Zhang Nu soon saw the volcanicke. Theke was over ten kilometers in diameter. Its entirety was just a boilingvake, with some small ck inds scattered in it.


    This scene.


    It was truly appalling.


    It was simply a hellish spectacle.


    Thevake was incredibly vtile.


    It was continuously emitting intense heat and spewing toxic fumes.


    The closer one got, the more vicious the fumes and mes became.


    Theva itself was constantly spewing forth and churning, and there were always waves of fire consisting of magma erupting or moltenva being spurted out.


    Ordinary folks would not be able to remain in this environment for even a second.


    The troops Han Kexin brought were buffed with fire resistance spells in advance, so they could withstand the heat for a short time. However, they would fall into danger if time went on longer, thus the battle must be resolved as quickly as possible.


    "Let me draw it out first."


    Han Kexin hovered 500 meters above thevake. As soon as she raised her hands, a burst of powerful energy erupted from within her body, turning into hundreds of razor sharp wind des and rained down theke.


    "RARGHH!"


    A harsh and fearsome roar echoed across the crater.


    A hundred meters wave of magma instantly surged forth in thevake.


    "The insolence...how dare you...barge into my domain!"


    A muddled and grating voice angrily cried out.


    From the volcanicke stood up a humanoid silhouette, it was a thirty meter tall figure.


    At first nce.


    It was as if a giant minotaur got magically modified.


    The daemon had bull-like horns, his stout body was rugged and covered in gnarly muscles. Scorching magma was flowing all over his being and his eyes were brimming with raging fire.


    The daemon was clearly in a state of immense anger right now.


    What a powerful creature.


    Not even Zhang Nu has ever seen such a monster.


    Zhang Nu immediately checked its stats.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    [Infernal Daemon] Level 4 overlord


    Skills: Rebirth from within the mes (A rank), Infernal Chains (B rank), Infernal Aura (B rank), Apocalyptic Rain of Fire (B rank), Infernal Scream (B rank), Fire Magic Immunity (B rank), Fire Absorption (B rank), etc.


    This series of skills had made even Zhang Nu all astonished.


    The Infernal Daemon even had an A rank skill.


    This "Rebirth from within the mes" skill was very powerful. When the Infernal Daemon was defeated, it would temporarily enter a dormant state. As long as there was enough fire attributed matter around him, it could trigger a resurrection effect and restore all HP and MP.


    But of course, the skill had a very long cooldown timer.


    It could only be used every few months.


    "I demand...your...death!"


    The Infernal Daemon gripped with both hands, a several hundred meter long magma chain was suddenly summoned into his grasp, and was ruthlessly flung towards Han Kexin in mid air.


    "Blink!"


    Han Kexin activated a instantaneous teleportation magic to dodge the chain and the rock wall behind her instantly got blown off arge chunk. The might of the magma chain was equivalent to a small meteorite impact. If one was directly hit by that skill, it was certainly an instant death.


    However.


    This attack from the Infernal Daemon had a long recovery time.


    Han Kexin swiftly rushed towards the daemon and unleashed her talent skill "Infinite Phantasm", which was a powerful offensive psychic ability.


    The ability itself did not deal any damage, but it could drag the target into a realm of phantasmal, hindering the target''s ability to distinguish reality from illusion.


    The Infernal Daemon was hit.


    Han Kexin''s level was simr to the daemon.


    Moreover, the daemon has low intellect, once he was caught in this control skill, the threat of his following attacks was greatly reduced.


    "cier de!"


    A huge ice cone dozens of meters in size struck the Infernal Daemon with staggering force.


    -???!


    Even if the Infernal Daemon was a Level 4 overlord monster with superb HP pool and defense, it was severely wounded by this blow.


    Han Kexin casted multiple charming type skills in rapid session, consecutively stacking various psychic and controlling effects on the daemon, making itpletely disordered.


    "I''ve got him under control!"


    "The Magma Daemons are appearing!"


    "You guys go and deal with them!"


    "Leave the big guy to me!"


    Zhang Nu was quite impressed by Han Kexin. It seemed that it was not a reckless impulse that Han Kexin dared to challenge the Infernal Daemon, the assault was thoroughly thought through and prepared.


    Just by the looks of this fight.


    She might just triumph over this monster.

 Chapter 109.2: The Infernal Daemon and the Uninvited Guests Part 2/2

    Zhang Nu could finally ck off with peace of mind. Right now, the subuses Han Kexin brought had already engaged with the Magma Daemons constantly emerging from the volcanicke.


    Zhang Nu discovered that the offensive power of the subuses were not very strong, but they all possessed psychic control type skills.


    Therefore, they had a strong advantage in one-on-one fights, especially against opponents of simr or inferior level.


    [Magma Daemon] Level 3 elite unit.


    [Greater Magma Daemon] Level 4 elite unit.


    [Magma Daemon Lord] Level 4 lord unit.


    The reason Han Kexin sought aid from a top Demon King like Zhang Nu was because she needed help dealing with these Magma Daemons.


    Her subordinates were fine against Magma Daemons, yet struggled against Greater Magma Daemons. If the Magma Daemon Lords joined the fight, they would no longer be a match.


    Within this volcano crater.


    There were several Magma Daemon Lords.


    There were also more than a hundred Greater Magma Daemons present.


    Han Kexin''s own troops could not handle this many.


    She could sense Zhang Nu''s strength was not inferior to hers. With such a powerful Demon King joining hands with her, she could ensure this operation was a guaranteed sess.


    Zhang Nu started making his moves.


    Abyssal Lightning continuously falling onto the daemons.


    The Greater Magma Daemons were outright blown up.


    [You''ve in a Greater Magma Daemon. Gold +4000!]


    [You''ve in a Greater Magma Daemon. Gold +4000!]


    [You''ve in a Greater Magma Daemon. Gold +4000!]


    [......]


    Han Kexin watched as Zhang Nu struck the daemons.


    Crude and brutal!


    Spectacr prowess!


    She nodded with satisfaction. She really did not misjudge the person, Zhang Nu''s strength was formidable. Today''s victory was secured!


    Han Kexin was reassured by the thought.


    She began to focus on tackling the Infernal Daemon.


    Zhang Nu was wandering around as if leisurely strolling through a park.


    It was just that everywhere he strolled by, lightning shed without cease.


    He specifically targeted the Level 4 elite greater daemons, since the ordinary daemons were restrained by the Queen''s own troops. Just then, a sh of mes impacted his body.


    -0!


    The one whounched the surprise attack was a Magma Daemon Lord.


    Seeing that the long range attack was ineffective, the Magma Daemon Lord drew a huge fiery sword of moltenva, charged towards Zhang Nu and shed down furiously.


    -0!


    Zhang Nu gripped the giant fiery sword that tried to cut him with his bare hands, and gradually lifted the sword away from his body.


    The Magma Daemon Lord was stupefied.


    No matter what, he was still a Level 4 lord.


    The might of this sh was more than enough to instantly kill an elite of the same level. Even a lord should not be able to withstand this strike with its own flesh and blood.


    And yet.


    This man.


    He first took the hit with 0 damage like a chad.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    And then crushed the moltenva sword with his bare hands.


    Finally, he punched straight into the Magma Daemon Lord, whose body had such intense heat it could melt steel. Countless lightning erupted from the daemon lord''s body, subjecting the daemon to suffer continuous damage.


    -1078!


    -1092!


    -1155!


    The Magma Daemon Lord exploded!


    A Level 4 lord monster, a being that could lead a force of its own if ced in any other monster area. It would take a team painstaking effort to even defeat it.


    However, in the hands of Zhang Nu.


    There was hardly any room for resistance.


    The daemon lord was instantly killed like a fodder.


    [You''ve in a Magma Daemon Lord. Gold +12000!]


    As expected from a lord rank unit.


    The gold reward was truly generous!


    Zhang Nu was motivated right away.


    Since he was already here, it would not be unreasonable to earn a little gold, right?


    Zhang Nu sped up his pace. One after another the Greater Magma Daemons were squashed, and two more Magma Daemon Lords fell under the ravages of lightning.


    With this round of ughter.


    More than 500,000 gold was gained.


    Eyeing around, he made a rough estimation that a total of 600,000 gold and above could be earned here.


    While Zhang Nu was busy sweeping the daemons and cashing in the gold, Han Kexin was progressing smoothly. Although her attack prowess was far inferior to the Infernal Daemon, the daemon was reallycking in intellect.


    Han Kexin kept attacking and maintaining her psychic control simultaneously.


    Using her several ice attributed skills to wear the daemon down, after a few dozen rounds, the Infernal Daemon could withstand it no longer.


    "cier de!" Another attack overflowing with powerful frost energy fell upon the Infernal Daemon. The surface temperature of his body quickly cooled and his giant figure began to crack rapidly. With a wailing howl, the daemon copsed into theva.


    "It''s done!"


    She quickly gulped down a few bottles of potions.


    Her MP was severely depleted and in urgent need of recovery.


    Han Kexin felt a little strange, "Why is there no notification of a kill?"


    Zhang Nu reminded her, "Do not let your guard down, the battle is not yet over! The monster is resurrecting! Hurry up and interrupt his skill!"


    Han Kexin was not aware of this.


    Only after being reminded did she notice the odd urrence.


    After the Infernal Daemon went down, it started to absorb the fire energy in the volcanicke, leaving the previously boilingva a lot cooler all of a sudden.


    ''It is true! It can indeed resurrect!''


    However, the resurrection process could be interrupted.


    Han Kexin could not help but to be a little terrified. It was fortunate that she received a reminder. She had already used up nearly all of her strength in the fight just now.


    If she had to fight the Infernal Daemon all over again.


    She was not confident that she could triumph again.


    Han Kexin began to gather her energy and aimed at the resurrecting Infernal Daemon.


    Just when she was prepared to deal the finishing blow.


    Suddenly.


    A pitch ck arrow shot out from nowhere.


    The arrow struck Han Kexin in the back.


    -200!


    Not only did the arrow deal considerable damage, it also drained what little remained of Han Kexin''s MP, disrupting her channeled skill.


    ''This is bad!''


    An ambush!


    Han Kexin cried out in disbelief.


    She did not even have to guess who did it.


    It was definitely those damned Heroes from Dark City!


    A dozen figures entered the volcano crater. The two leading the group was a dark elf equipped with a longbow and a warhammer wielding dark dwarf.


    "Hahahaha!"


    "Didn''t expect that! Didn''t you!"


    "Serves you right!"


    "You didn''t have much MP left now and you were hit by my Devouring Sealing Arrow. Even if you have immense power, you''re no longer able to use it!"


    ''Shit!''


    ''I''ve been careless!''


    ''How did the operation get leaked?''


    ''Did the Heroes nt their spies nearby?!''


    "Die!"


    The dark dwarf hurled his warhammer swirling in lightning.


    Han Kexin could not activate her instantaneous teleportation. She could only watch as the attack flew towards her head at an astonishing speed.

 Chapter 110: Playtime Is Over

    Under these current circumstances.


    Zhang Nu had two choices.


    The first was to halt and prevent the resurrection of the Infernal Daemon, but Han Kexin might get headshot by the iing hammer. Even if she survived that, it would severely wound her.


    The second was to immediately step in and save Han Kexin. However, the resurrection of the Infernal Daemon had entered its final stage. It was almost certain that they would have to fight the daemon all over again.


    Was there even a need to consider?


    Zhang Nu violently unleashed his power.


    A huge ray of lightning sted the warhammer away.


    With a p of his huge wings, he snatched Han Kexin away with lightning speed and instantly backed up hundreds of meters into a safe distance.


    "Fuck!"


    "Who the fuck are you!"


    "You dare to mess with our affairs!"


    Such a golden opportunity.


    It waspletely ruined by a guy who appeared out of nowhere.


    The Heroes were burning with a frenzy of rage.


    The ck dwarf took a good look at Zhang Nu and eximed angrily, "Damn! He seems to be a Demon King too! I didn''t expect the demoness to have enlisted a helper."


    The ck elf threatened, "We''ve never heard of you. Where the hell did you crawl out from as a nobody? However, we just want to kill the demoness today. This is none of your damn business! So better scram with your tail between your legs!"


    The Subus Queen was incredibly well known.


    Almost all the nearby Heroes and Demon Kings have heard of her prestigious reputation.


    Zhang Nu did not have any fame in this ce. Normally this group of Heroes would not have paid any heed to Zhang Nu and just killed them both together.


    Nevertheless.


    Although this nameless nobody was not worth worrying about.


    These Heroes were notpletely without perception or insight.


    Judging from the performance of this nameless Demon King just now, his capabilities seemed to be more than meets the eyes and it was possible that he was stronger than imagined.


    The demoness was wounded and her MP was depleted, but even so, she was not to be underestimated. The Heroes did not want toplicate the matters and bring unnecessary ramifications to themselves.


    If the nameless Demon King would leave on his own.


    Then might as well spare his life for now.


    "I''ll give you onest chance."


    The dark elf drew his bow and aimed at Zhang Nu, "Do not meddle in this affair. Our patience is limited. This demoness dies today, and if you dare to get in our way, we''ll just kill you both!"


    Han Kexin''s expressions are unsightly.


    Because she could feel it.


    The Infernal Daemon lying at the floor of the volcanicke had healed all of his wounds and he was emitting his terrifying aura once again!


    Everything was already toote!


    The Infernal Daemon had been resurrected!


    Han Kexin immediately said, "Listen closely, I can''t fight the Infernal Daemon again in my current state. Not to mention this group of Heroes aren''t as simple as they seem. They are all locally renowned lone wolf Heroes. Even if I got ambushed in my peak state, I would only have a 50 to 60 percent chance of winning against them!"


    "Under such disadvantageous situations, there''s no hope of winning."


    "I will order my subordinates to stall the Infernal Daemon and the Heroes. We''ll take the opportunity to retreat. Our priority is to survive!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''When there''s life, there''s hope.''


    Han Kexin had epted the fact that this operation had failed horribly.


    The current utmost importance was to be able to leave in one piece. As for killing the Infernal Daemon and conquering the Cmity Volcano, there was no need to think about it for now, she could only wait for another opportunity.


    "Fuck!"


    "You''ve been given a choice! Now we''ll do it the hard way!"


    "Brook no further dy! Let''s kill him as well!"


    The Heroes waited for a few seconds. But seeing that Zhang Nu did not respond to them, they naturally did not want to waste anymore time, because every second now was precious.


    They must not let the demoness recover any of her strength.


    They could not let her subordinates stall for them.


    The dark elf Hero took out a magical scroll and activated it. A huge barrier was unleashed overhead, sealing the exit of the volcano crater.


    From this moment on.


    The volcano became apletely enclosed area.


    Even if the Subus Queen regained some of her power, she would not be able to escape.


    As for the unknown pawn? Since he was so ignorant, it was only reasonable to take just a little more effort to kill them all.


    "No!"


    "These fools!"


    Han Kexin''s face paled.


    The Infernal Daemon was not even dead!


    Yet this bunch of idiots had sealed the exit!


    Now none of them would even have the chance to escape!


    Zhang Nu asserted, "Hey, Queen. This is different from what we''ve agreed upon. I''m only here to assist you. But now, the current situation ispletely out of my responsibilities, right?"


    "Besides, in our agreement, you''ve never mentioned the obligation to deal with Heroes. So, shouldn''t you say something?"


    What else could Han Kexin say?


    The Infernal Daemon was about to reemerge.


    It was impossible for her to hold it back in her current state.


    Without a powerful control ability to restrain the Infernal Daemon, the monster would be unstoppable once it started rampaging and devastating everything.


    Right now.


    They were trapped inside this volcano.


    There was no escape.


    It was a dead end.


    However, Zhang Nu still had the teleportation stone, and upon hearing his remark, Han Kexin thought he gave up on her and was nning to flee.


    "I''ve nothing to say for myself."


    "My nning was inadequate!"


    "The me for the failure of this operation lies with me!"


    "Indeed, you have no obligation to fight to the end with me...hurry up and use the teleportation stone to leave!"


    Han Kexin was wearing a gloomy and bleak expression, as if she was a maiden about to be betrayed and abandoned by a heartless man. She stubbornly gritted her teeth and stressed, "I won''t me you!"


    "Wha?"


    Zhang Nu was flummoxed.


    "Did I ever say I was going to run away?"


    Han Kexin was equally baffled, "Then what do you mean?"


    Zhang Nu exined, "What I''m trying to express is that you need to increase my pay! In addition to the daemon heart, I also want half of the treasure chest."


    "???"


    The Queen was utterly bewildered.


    What the hell was this guy thinking?


    Did he have a clear understanding of his current predicament or not?


    Why the hell was he still after the rewards?


    The situation had entirely gone out of control! Everyone was about to die!


    "I''ll just assume you agreed."


    The Infernal Daemon was beginning to resurface. At the same time, the idiot Heroes were slinging magics and arrows this way.


    No more time for nonsense.


    He immediately tossed the Queen away.


    With Zhang Nu''s terrifying strength, Han Kexin was instantly flung several hundred meters away like a cannonball andnded right next to the Subus High Priest, who hurriedly caught her master.


    "Abyssal Devouring!"


    Zhang Nu unleashed a spurt of massive ck mist, instantly devouring all the iing arrows and spells, the attacks were like a y oxen entering the ocean, never to be heard of again.


    "What!?"


    The Heroes were startled.


    The Demon King had dissipated their attacks effortlessly.


    This was not something an ordinary Demon King could achieve, and this Demon King was not a nobody. But where did he originate from? And why haven''t they ever heard of such a monster?


    "Sigh, so there''s no Level 4 Heroes."


    It was a little regrettable for Zhang Nu.


    "Nevertheless, 15 Level 3 souls though. Not a bad haul afterall."


    His words were suddenly interrupted.


    An earth shaking roar bellowed from the volcanicke.


    Once again, the Infernal Daemon''s huge figure emerged from theva, and it seemed that his aura and strength had all returned to its peak state. He furiously brandished his magma chains in both his hands, and let out a deafening howl.


    "Die...Die...All of you..DIE!!"


    A violent me storm swept through the entire interior of the volcano in a frenzy. Everyone could feel the terrifying intensity of power and might behind the storm.


    "What''s going on?"


    "How is it alive again!"


    "This is bad. Run! RUN! Get out of here!"


    The fifteen Heroes were horrified. However, the entrance of the volcano was sealed by the barrier and now they could not escape. They were really caught in a trap of their own making.


    "Too noisy!"


    Zhang Nu unfolded his wings, and without reserving any of his strength, hundreds of thousands of scarlet lightning bolts poured down like a heavy rainstorm.


    Boom Boom Boom Boom!


    The Infernal Daemon''s grand and imposing entrancested for less than two seconds.


    It let out a terrible and miserable scream. As if getting mowed by a machine gun from the front, every lightning bolt that struck his body created a huge wound.


    The entire volcano was illuminated by the scarlet lightning.


    After the round of wild assault ended, the Infernal Daemon waspletely riddled with wounds, and his aura was whittled down significantly.


    "Not dead yet?"


    Zhang Nu once again umted his power, his left hand smoldered with dragon mes and his rightnd swirled with lightning and thunder. He raised both his hands above his head, the two powers interweaved and fused together, eventually coalescing into an extraordinary energy.


    It had the rigorous speed of thunder and lightning.


    As well as the scorching heat of a me.


    The Infernal Daemon felt the threat of death from Zhang Nu. A frightened expression crawled its way onto his face, but it was toote to resist, or make a plea for mercy.


    A pir of lightning and me shed.


    As though a sharp de cleaving down.


    The fearsome wave of energy split open the Infernal Daemon from head to toe, along with the entire volcanicke.


    [You''ve in the Infernal Daemon. Gold +600,000!]


    It was done.


    Han Kexin was awestruck.


    The Heroes were even more dumbstruck.


    The Infernal Daemon was a dreadful existence.


    It had been entrenched in the volcano for more than a thousand years, causing countless challengers to despair. And yet, it could not even retaliate against this Demon King.


    "He''s actually this powerful!?"


    Han Kexin widened her eyes in disbelief, "How is he this powerful!?"


    The Queen was a very prideful person. She had been very confident that, among the other Demon Kings, though she did not dare to im to be the number 1 Demon King, she was at least one of the very top.


    Now that she had witnessed the power of this Demon King.


    Only now did she profoundly realize what a true Demon King really was.


    If Han Kexin was astounded, then the Heroes were more fearful and despairing at the moment.


    Who the hell would have thought that the nobody Demon King was even more formidable and vicious than the Subus Queen!


    Zhang Nu arrived in front of them in an instant.


    The dark elf Hero hastily begged for their lives, "Stop...please stop...we had no quarrel...you can''t just kill us like this!"


    "Does a Demon King need a reason to kill a Hero?"


    Zhang Nu chucked a ball of dragon me over.


    With a loud boom, the ball of me exploded. The swelling dragon me engulfed the fifteen


    Heroes in an instant, incinerating them into ashes.


    [You''ve in a Level 3 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 3 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1! Skill stone +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 3 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1! Skill stone +1!]


    [......]


    [You''ve in a Level 3 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1! Skill stone +1!]


    Zhang Nu had taken out the Heroes in one fell swoop.

 Chapter 111: The Awakening of the Elven King

    Zhang Nu promptly retrieved the heart from the Infernal Daemon. The daemon''s body was already as big as a building, hence the size of his heart wasparable to a car.


    How the hell could one concoct a potion with this thing?


    Zhang Nu was quite puzzled.


    But this was not a problem he needed to contemte.


    This was a genuine Level 4 Overlord daemon heart.


    The heart was the most valuable material of the entire daemon''s body. After all, for the daemons, their hearts were their source of strength and power. This ingredient was used in the crafting of many alchemical tools and magical potions.


    Without any hesitation.


    He contacted the Mysterious Witch Liang Bai.


    Zhang Nu gave her the daemon heart and paid an additional 100,000 gold.


    Of which 50,000 was more than enough to pay for the cost of other auxiliary ingredients, and the other half of 50,000 was considered as herbor fee for concocting the potion for him.


    To this.


    The Mysterious Witch dly agreed.


    As long as the materials were sufficient, concocting a single bottle of potion was nothing difficult to her. The minimumbor fee of 50,000 gold was enough to satisfy her.


    It was finally done.


    The young city lord was saved.


    Zhang Nu felt a lot more at ease.


    Meanwhile, the Subus Queen had gradually recovered through the use of potions. She immediately ordered her troops to eradicate the remaining Magma Daemons.


    Approximately 20 minutester.


    [You''ve conquered the Cmity Volcano. You gained "Mithminite Treasure Chest"!]


    Upon seeing the message.


    Both Zhang Nu and Han Kexin were quite thrilled.


    Because even for Zhang Nu, he had only seen Mithril Treasure Chests, but never a Mithminite Treasure Chest. This was the highest level treasure chest he had ever obtained so far.


    Han Kexin nced at Zhang Nu.


    Zhang Nu remarked, "What are you looking at me for? Hurry up and open it!"


    [You''ve opened the Mithminite Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x???, "Blueprint: Altar of Inferno" x1, "Blueprint: Lair of Magma Daemons" x1, "Skill Stone: Summon Magma Daemon" x1, "Fire Gem" x500!]


    Not bad!


    Not bad at all!


    Although the Cmity Volcano was a Level 4 overlord area.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, judging from the size of it, it actually was not very big. There was only a Level 4 overlord, three Level 4 lords, not even a hundred Level 4 elites, plus a few hundreds of Level 3 elite fodders.


    The scale was not very significant at all.


    But the reward certainly was.


    Han Kexin was pleasantly surprised.


    She initially thought today was going to be a disaster.


    Unexpectedly, not only did nothing happen to her, she also got such a big haul.


    Of course, Han Kexin also knew that it was all thanks to this strong supporter. Had he not stepped in to turn the tide, the consequences would have been unimaginable.


    Han Kexin eximed, "You choose. We agreed each of us will take one half and nothing more."


    Zhang Nuughed, "Straight to the point, is it? In that case, I want half of the gold, half of the gems and the Altar of Inferno blueprint."


    This dude was so brusque in his demands.


    It was still eptable if he took the gold and gems.


    But Altar of Inferno blueprint was a level 4 blueprint!


    Not even Han Kexin had seen such a high level blueprint, its value must have been remarkable.


    Although the treasure chest had two blueprints.


    But the other one was a level 3 blueprint.


    Level 3 blueprint was obviously much inferior in quality.


    However, Zhang Nu was not one without boundaries. At the very least, the blueprint he left for the Subus Queen, Lair of Magma Daemons blueprint was a barrack type blueprint.


    This implied if Han Kexin built this structure in her territory.


    She would gain the ability to summon Magma Daemon units.


    This would be of great improvement to Han Kexin. Since the Magma Daemons have incrediblebat prowess, she needed this blueprint more than Zhang Nu to enhance her own military strength.


    But the main reason why Zhang Nu did not choose the Lair of Magma Daemon over the Altar of Inferno was because he was more intrigued by thetter. Secondly, the Lair of Magma Daemon required to be set up in a special terrain. Moreover, the Magma Daemon units were not suitable forbat in Chaos Forest.


    In addition to this.


    Han Kexin obtained a high end B rank skill stone "Summon Magma Daemon". The skill allowed for the summoning of a variety of Magma Daemons to assist inbat.


    The skill was of little value or interest for Zhang Nu.


    But for her, it could significantly improve herbat power.


    After seeing Han Kexin was quick to agree on the reward distribution.


    Zhang Nu felt a little sorry. This was Han Kexin''s territory. Because of him, she sent troops ahead of her own nned schedule to assault the Cmity Volcano. As a result, even though the volcano had been sessfully taken over, he became the biggest beneficiary instead.


    There was a need to mention this matter.


    In addition to sharing the treasure chest reward.


    Zhang Nu had taken down three Magma Daemon Lords, arge number of Magma Daemons, as well as the Infernal Daemon himself. The kills alone yielded him a considerable amount of gold,parable to the gold from his share of the treasure chest.


    Furthermore, he had taken out 15 level 3 Heroes, hauling in 15 level 3 souls and 8 high quality skill stones.


    But the original purpose of himing here was just the daemon heart.


    Zhang Nu pondered for a while and took out the Hero''s Souls. He intended to share them with the Subus Queen aspensation.


    And yet.


    Han Kexin tly refused, "You killed the Heroes. I didn''t contribute to those killings, so these are your spoils of war. It''s not necessary to share them with me."


    "Are you sure you don''t want any of it?"


    "Do I look like a person that likes to take advantage of others?"


    Han Kexin irritably red at him, "Besides, I''m not short on souls at all. Mybat prowess may be inferior to yours, but it''s a piece of cake for me to collect souls."


    The main reason as to why she rose to level 4 so quickly was her subordinates, the subuses.


    The subuses were not onlybat units that can be deployed for battles, they could also manipte and enthrall others, making the Heroes toe walking right into their own deaths.


    Zhang Nu was impressed by Han Kexin.


    Back when they were doing business, they used to argue back and forth repeatedly over a few hundred gold. But now the souls he was offering were worth at least a hundred or even hundreds of thousands of gold, yet she refused without hesitation.


    This indicated that the Subus Queen also had principles.


    Zhang Nuter escorted the subus team back to the Demon Kingir.


    The Subus Queen asked, "It wasn''t easy toe here, and you''re nning to return already? Why not stay a while longer? There''s a lot of ces worth exploring around here, and there''s even thousands of Heroes in the Dark City for the hunting."


    "Nah."


    "I, too, wanted to remain here longer. But my territory is hectic with various affairs, and I also have some trivial issues to address."


    The Subus Queen nodded: "In that case, I won''t keep you any longer. I believe we''ll have the opportunity to work together again."


    Zhang Nu chuckled, "That''s a must, but before that, you''ll have to be even stronger!"


    Upon receiving these words.


    The queen almost exploded in a fit of anger.


    She had always been very proud and confident.


    Today''s events had been a serious blow to her pride.


    She did not expect Zhang Nu to actually provoke and irritate her further.


    This was simply intolerable!


    Yea, he could fight well! What was the big deal anyways!


    Time to leave!


    Sensing the Queen was about to burst into frenzy.


    Zhang Nu quickly activated the teleportation stone and left.


    The Subus Queen was unable to unleash her anger on him, so she could only swallow all her rage back in. She resentfully stomped her foot, "Just you wait and see! The next time we meet, I''ll give you something to be surprised about!"


    Zhang Nu returned to Giantree City.


    The light of the teleportation stone had faded.


    The number of usages had been exhausted.


    Zhang Nu found this item to be incredibly convenient. If only he could get his hands on more of these teleportation stones, he could travel across the continent in the future with ease.


    After all.


    Thews of physics of this world werepletely different from the ones of the previous world.


    The scale of this continent was toorge, and there was almost no border to speak of. Even if one possessed the strongest and fastest flight ability, it would be useless. Spacial abilities would be a must for traveling purposes.


    Not long after Zhang Nu returned.


    The Mysterious Witch Liang bi had finished concocting the potion.


    Nancilia gulped down the potion Zhang Nu brought back.


    She immediately felt the searing heat churning within her blood being dissipated. A warmth spread throughout her like a stream and was then absorbed by her body.


    Her HP.


    Her MP.


    Both gained a sudden and rapid surge.


    In Nancilia''s mind, an abundance of profound and sophisticated magical knowledge, experience, and techniques all appeared at once.


    These brand new magical spells.


    Those esoteric arcane knowledge.


    All of them had not been learned or even heard of.


    At the moment, however, these powers and knowledge were engraved in her soul as if she was borned with them.


    Nancilia''s body had also undergone some changes. Her original 13 to 14 year old appearance, suddenly experienced a spurt of growth, and was now 15 to 16 years of age.


    Right at this instance.


    There was also a change in the information disyed before Zhang Nu''s eyes.


    [Giantree City Lord Nancilia] Level 4 Overlord unit......


    Everything was as expected.


    With the help of the Elixir of Awakening.


    Nancilia was indeed able to absorb the power of her bloodline instantly.


    She went from a Level 3 lord to a Level 4 overlord in one fell swoop. And she''s not just any Level 4 overlord either, it was almost the ceiling of a Level 4 overlord!


    Whether it was Level 5 or the Monarch rank.


    She was merely one step away from it.


    With the current Nancilia, as long as she made good use of her abilities, Zhang Nu could make a safe estimation that she could solo three Infernal Daemons!


    All the effort spent was definitely not in vain.


    With Nancilia''s existing prowess, she sufficed to be a supreme lord that could dominate the entirety of Chaos Forest on her own.

 Chapter 112: The Altar of Inferno

    Zhang Nu carefully studied the stats of Nancilia.


    [Giantree City Lord, Nancilia] Level 4 overlord unit. 1000 HP, 2500 MP, 25 Strength, 105 Agility, 45 Constitution, 424 Will, Loyalty 99%......


    Skills: Elven King''s Bloodline (Talent), Elven King''s Elemental Covenant (A rank), Elven King''s Astral Shield (A rank), Elven King''s Sealing Art (A), Elven King''s Blessing Art (A rank), Instant Teleportation (B rank), Meteor Rain (B rank), Meteorite Arrow (B rank), etc.


    After the young city lord hadpleted her advancement.


    Her skills and stats have grown significantly.


    The amount of A rank skills she possessed was impressive enough. It even integrated multiple aspects ofbat - offense, defense, control and support.


    For the moment.


    Within the vicinity of Chaos Forest.


    There were very few existences that could rival her.


    And this was far from her limit.


    Nancillia was already tremendously strong at this point.


    She also had the power boost from her top grade equipment, Elven King Scepter.


    If she was pitted against the current Zhang Nu.


    She probably could still have a back and forth fight against him.


    At the very least, she couldst a couple dozen rounds without losing.


    Zhang Nu also noticed that the young city lord''s loyalty to himself had skyrocketed to 99% after this incident.


    This was nearing the level of die-hard loyalty.


    Only the directly summoned units could achieve absolute 100% loyalty. As a recruited subordinate, 99% loyalty was already the highest level of loyalty, and there was almost no possibility for treason.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty."


    The young city lord knelt down on one knee before Zhang Nu.


    Zhang Nu calmly asserted, "Rise. There''s no need to thank me. This is your own strength and power."


    The young city lord was immensely moved.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    In fact, after her bloodline was awakened.


    She gained a lot of new knowledge.


    Which included the ones regarding the Elixir of Awakening.


    She came to learn that the potion was extremely arduous to procure. There were very few who could concoct such a potion, not to mention one of the required ingredients was the heart of a Level 4 overlord daemon.


    It was hard to imagine.


    How did the Demon King achieve all these within such a short timeframe.


    Even for an existence like him, the amount of effort spent and price paid for the potion would be inconceivable.


    Nancilia became even more grateful at these thoughts.


    She continued, "Your Majesty, I''ve grown stronger. From now on, I shall stand by your side in the future and defeat all who dares to challenge you!"


    Zhang Nu replied, "Calm down for now. You''ve just had a breakthrough and gained some brand new power. It takes time to familiarize yourself with it."


    The present Nancilia would indeed be a powerful helping hand for Zhang Nu.


    He was nning to challenge the sealed gate within the Giantree Forest in a couple of days.


    With her assistance, the odds of sess would be elevated significantly. But for now, Zhang Nu shall wait until she has adapted to her new powers properly.


    Zhang Nu was preparing to leave.


    Then he ran into the Demon King Chen Guoguo.


    The Flower Fey Demon King was a close friend of the young city lord. She had been very concerned about thetter''s condition and had not even returned to her own territory for the past two days.


    "Nancy is fine now? That''s great news!"


    Zhang Nu nced and examined her, "You''re already at Level 3?"


    Chen Guoguo let out a chuckle, "Recently, I bought a few souls from the Demon King market. I just barely managed to reach Level 3, and I haven''t had the time to activate my talents."


    So that was how it was.


    It was not easy to purchase souls from the Demon King market.


    The soul itself was not a scarcemodity, but the demand was so great, it was simply bottomless. The Demon Kings would generally spend the souls on themselves when they get their hands on souls. Very few Demon Kings would be willing to sell the souls on the market.


    In order for Chen Guoguo to level up, she went and bought the Hero''s Souls from the market.


    Not only were the souls hard toe by in the market, the price was exorbitant and not one bit economical.


    Zhang Nu had considered that Chen Guoguo, for the sake of supporting him, had given up onrge-scale military construction. Even the security of her own territory was now the responsibility of the draconian army.


    In this regard, it was necessary topensate Chen Guoguo.


    This was not entirely out of benign.


    The higher the level of Chen Guoguo''s, the better the capabilities andpetence of hers, and quality and quantity of her units would also rise ordingly. In the long run, it would be a win-win development.


    "From now on, you shouldn''t acquire souls from the Demon King market anymore.


    Zhang Nu continued, "If you have a need for souls, just buy it from me. I''ll give you a 50% discount based on the average market price."


    ''50% off the average market price?''


    Chen Guoguo was bbergasted, "Is this really OK?"


    Zhang Nu nodded, "You''re currently working for me, therefore I won''t mistreat you. But, you should pay heed that these souls could only be used on yourself. Understand?"


    "Yes!"


    "I understand!"


    "Thanks for looking after me, Boss!"


    Chen Guoguo was overjoyed.


    She never did like all the fighting and killing. She was presently quite well off just by selling seeds. Coupled with the development of her own crops and animal farming industry, she had tens of thousands of gold ie per day, and the ie was still growing rapidly.


    She could be considered a wealthy woman amongst the Demon Kings.


    Other misceneous stuff such as blueprints, skill stones and equipment were all obtainable from the Demon King market. As long as one was willing to spend their coins, these items were easy toe by. Only the Hero''s Souls were difficult to acquire even with money.


    But now, everything went well for Chen Guoguo.


    She could now acquire souls from the Boss with a discounted price.


    With this, leveling up would be possible.


    Zhang Nu already had a lot of souls in hand and he had brought back another fifteen Level 3 Hero''s Souls from thest trip.


    And yet the sum of these souls were not even enough to activate a single Level 4 talent.


    Selling a small few of these souls to Chen Guoguo would have little impact on him. Zhang Nu took this as an opportunity to strengthen his subordinate.


    After returning to Darkness Valley.


    Zhang Nu took out the blueprint he had acquired this time.


    [Altar of Inferno] Level 4 Blueprint. Costs "Gold" x 500,000, "Fire Gem" x 500, "Stone" x 10,000. You may summon an Altar of Inferno within your territory.


    The cost of construction for Level 4 blueprints was truly expensive.


    Zhang Nu currently had plenty of gold and a couple hundreds of fire gems in hand. He went and bought some more fire gems from the market and so, all the required materials had been readied.


    Without any hesitation, an Altar of Inferno was constructed in the Darkness City.


    [Altar of Inferno construction sessful!]


    A 20-meter tall trapezoidal altar emerged in the territory, which appeared unremarkable on the outside and had no distinctive features.


    However, how could a Level 4 building be ordinary?


    Zhang Nu understood the function of the building through further investigation.


    There were many kinds of altars, hence the varying functions among the altar type buildings.


    As for the Altar of Inferno.


    It belonged to the strengthening and enhancing type altars.


    It could strengthen any unit from Level 1 to 4, granting the target unit the power of mes and a boost in their strength.


    To put it more bluntly.


    The function of this altar was:


    Normal units would be strengthened into elite units.


    Elite units would be strengthened into lord units.


    Lord units would be strengthened into even mightier lord units.


    The ceiling for the altar''s enhancements were Level 4 and lord rank.


    "This altar!"


    "It''s intriguing!"


    Zhang Nu decided to give the altar strengthening a try with his five Draconian Warmonger Royal Guards.


    The Warmonger Royal Guards were Level 4 elite units, and ording to the ability of the Altar of Inferno, it could theoretically strengthen them into Level 4 lord units.


    [The strengthening costs 120,000 gold. Proceed to strengthen?]


    It did seem a bit pricey.


    But for an elite unit to be a lord was a leap in quality.


    Even the Draconic Marshal Zhang San and the High Priest Li Si were only Level 3 lord units.


    If it did seed, then the 120,000 gold would be worth the money. After all, these units could be mass produced without any restrictions.


    "Strengthen!"


    Zhang Nu confirmed his selection.


    The altar immediately trembled.


    A ball of me engulfed the Warmonger Royal Guard that was receiving the enhancement. However, the raging fire did not burn or damage the royal guard. Instead, it entered his body through his pores for a continuous transformation.


    [Strengtheningpleted!]


    [HP +200, MP +80, Strength +15, Constitution +15, Agility +20, Will +10. Acquired a new skill: Inferno''s Might!]


    Zhang Nu noticed some changes in the Draconian Warmonger Royal Guard.


    His scales have turned fiery red and there seemed to be some vague sparks of ember in between his scales. The royal guard''s aura and grandeur were also visibly intensified.


    [Infernal Draconian Warmonger Royal Guard] Level 4 lord unit. 700 HP, 380 MP, 70 Strength, 59 Constitution, 76 Agility, 48 Will. Loyalty 100%(Locked). Fatigue 10%. Hunger 10%


    Skills: Instant Summoning (Talent), Raging Dragon Qi (B rank), War Dragon Formation (B Rank), Inferno''s Might (B rank), Draconic Blood Awakening (C rank), War Drake''s Scales (C rank), Qi Impact (C rank), Magic Resistance (C rank), High Speed Healing (C rank), Aerial Scouting (D rank)...


    To be fairly honest.


    The strength of this Warmonger Royal Guard had indeed surged significantly after the Altar of Inferno''s enhancement.


    Nevertheless, his strength could not be considered high among the lords of the same level. It could only be regarded as below average. This was still the result of strengthening his top Level 4 elite unit.


    If elite units with mediocre strength were used for strengthening, not only would the cost be even higher, the resulting strengthened units would be the weakest of weak among other lord units.


    Being the weakest of lords notwithstanding, a lord unit was still a lord unit.


    Even the most powerless lord unit would be stronger than an elite unit.


    Not to mention the Infernal Draconian Warmonger Royal Guards were not at the bottom in terms of strength. At least they were deemed to be only slightly below average among same level lord units, which was satisfactory enough.


    Since there was no restriction in summoning or strengthening. Hence, theoretically speaking, as long as there was enough gold, Zhang Nu could build a whole army of "Infernal Draconian Warmonger Royal Guards".


    Even if a single Warmonger Royal Guard was not too strong, but once such existence came in dozens, hundreds or even thousands, what kind of spectacle would that be?


    An army of lord rank monsters!


    Forget the others.


    Even Zhang Nu''s scalp tingled at the mere thought.


    As expected from a Level 4 structure, the Altar of Inferno.


    The immediate effect of its strengthening ability was truly astonishing!

 Chapter 113: Mystic Royal Guard & Su Yans Infiltration

    For the Demon Kings who did not possess strongbat units.


    The altar type structures would be very beneficial.


    Zhang Nu''s own units were already formidable.


    But even so, it could still be strengthened by structures such as the Altar of Inferno.


    However.


    There was a limitation on the altar''s enhancement.


    That was one single unit type could only harbor the power of a single altar.


    If Zhang Nu obtained something like "Altar of Wind" or "Altar of Water" to strengthen his Infernal Draconian Warmonger Royal Guards again, the newest enhancement would overwrite the old one. These strengthening powers were notpatible and stackable with each other.


    Secondly.


    If an enhanced unit was being upgraded at the Demon King Altar, the Demon King Altar would cleanse the altar enhancement from the unit.


    For example, if Zhang Nu strengthened a Draconian Super Soldier into an Infernal Draconian Super Soldier, and then sent it to the Demon King altar to be upgraded into a Warmonger Royal Guard. During the upgrade process, this super soldier would lose the altar''s power, Inferno''s Might. The unit would then need to be re-enhanced after the upgrade to be an Infernal War Guard.


    In that case.


    There was no need to strengthen the lower level units.


    It was only necessary to enhance the high level units.


    Zhang Nu sent the remaining four War Guards onto the altar for strengthening, making five Infernal War Guards in total.


    Five lord rank units.


    Thebative power was not to be trifled with.


    Combined with the special skills of the royal guards themselves.


    The five Level 4 lord units could appear right beside Zhang Nu at any time and take the enemies by surprise.


    However, five royal guards were not quite enough for Zhang Nu.


    Zhang Nu contacted the Bloody Giant Wang Shi.


    He nned to order 100 of life gems and dark gems each in one go. Due to the rarity of these two gems, they were more expensive.


    The current average price was 2,500 gold per gem.


    The price of 200 gems was totaled at around 500,000 gold.


    Not even Wang Shi could deliver that many gems all at once.


    He could only provide 20 life gems and 10 dark gems for now. The remaining gems would be delivered gradually in theing week.


    Zhang Nu still had some life gems in hand.


    So he took out the gems, plus an additional 200,000 gold coin, to recruit 10 more War Guards and spent another 1.2 million gold to enhance them all into lord units.


    With this.


    Zhang Nu now has 15 Infernal Draconian Warmonger Royal Guards.


    An entire squadron of 15 lord units. If they all strike simultaneously, even against an overlord of the same level, they could hold their own ground.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Furthermore, the War Guards have the skill, War Dragon Formation.


    The more royal guards there were, the stronger theirbat prowess.


    These 15 royal guards would be a mighty weapon under Zhang Nu''smand.


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied with the Warmonger Royal Guards'' strength and started to wonder how good the Mystic variant of the royal guards would be.


    The summoning requirements of a Draconian Warmonger Royal Guard were: a Draconian Super Soldier + 20,000 gold + 10 life gems.


    And the summoning requirements of a Draconian Mystic Royal Guard were: a Draconian Mystic Battlemage + 50,000 gold + 10 dark gems.


    In terms of summoning cost, Mystic Guards were more expensive than War Guards.


    Zhang Nu just happened to have sufficient materials in hand.


    So he picked one of the Mystic Battlemages and upgraded him into a Mystic Guard.


    [Draconian Mystic Royal Guard] Level 4 elite unit. HP 400, MP 600, Strength 29, Constitution 40, Agility 42, Will 60, Loyalty 100% (Locked), Fatigue 10%, Hunger 10%.


    Skills: Instant Summoning (Talent), Abyssal Drake Transformation (B rank), Abyssal Armored Drake Transformation (B rank), Abyssal Amphibian Drake Transformation (B rank), Mystic Dragon Barrier (B rank), zing Hammer (C rank), Freezing Hammer (C rank), Whirlwind Hammer (C rank), Lightning Hammer (C rank), etc.


    From the unit description, the Mystic Guard inherited the abilities of Mystic Battlemages, possessingbat capabilities to fight on naval,nd, and aerial terrains, as well as close and long rangebat, physical and magical damage, and myriad otherbat modes.


    This unit was extremely versatile.


    The individualbat strength of a Mystic Guard was slightly better than a War Guard.


    However, since the War Guards have a battle formation, so when their number wasrge enough, their overallbat strength would be greater than Mystic Guards of the same quantity.


    Mystic Guards did not have a battle formation, but they did have their Mystic Dragon Barrier royal guard exclusive skill. This skill could be utilized for protecting their master, or used to seal and trap their enemies. Simrly, the more Mystic Guards there were, the more powerful the barrier would be.


    The Mystic Royal Guard was sent onto the Altar of Inferno.


    [The strengthening costs 100,000 gold. Proceed to strengthen?]


    [Strengtheningpleted! HP +200, MP +80, Strength +15, Constitution +15, Agility +20, Will +10. Acquired new skills: Inferno''s Might, Fire-Based Attack Enhancement!]


    It was probably due to being stronger than War Guards, the Mystic Guard''s enhancement cost using the altar was lower.


    In this way, the creation cost of the two Infernal Royal Guards were actually quite simr.


    Presently, Zhang Nu was not short of troops. There were more than 10,000 elite elven troops in Giantree City, and elites in Berserk Beast City could form an army of at least 10,000 or 20,000.


    With the current territory size, there were more than enough troops to safeguard thend.


    Zhang Nu did not intend to expand his draconian army on arge-scale.


    He decided to take the route of building an army of elite and high-end units. He was set on creating more High Draconian Soldiers, Super Soldiers, Mystic Battlemages and the two variants of Draconian Royal Guards.


    But of course.


    It would not be easy.


    After all, the necessary investment was too much.


    Zhang Nu spent nearly half of the gold he had saved just from creating a dozen of these lord rank royal guards.


    Such an exorbitant expense was unimaginable for any Demon King.


    Many Demon Kings only maintain a small number regiments on a daily basis.


    Only when the need arose would they start to summon and pile up a mob of units and send in the low-end units as disposables.


    In the short term.


    It did seem to be more cost effective.


    Demon Kings had the ability to summon an endless horde of soldiers anyways.


    Yet it was not suitable for long term development. Only by making great efforts and spending resources to build elite and high-end units, could one solidify their foundation and march further.


    It would appear.


    Zhang Nu needed to acquire more gold.


    Not just gold, but also gems and other materials.


    Zhang Nu was aware that in order to gain more gold, he would need to invade, expand, upy more cities and take over more territories as well as resources.


    In the present.


    Within the vicinity of Chaos Forest.


    There was only one obstacle to this great Demon King''s expansion n.


    It was the Divine Sword Guild, or more urately, the forces behind them, which was the empire they represented.


    Zhang Nu wondered if there was any progress at Su Yan''s side.


    ......


    Meanwhile at the Scarlet Valley.


    Within the Bloody Fortress.


    He Tianzong''s expression was grave as he asked, "Are all this information confirmed?"


    A Hero of the Divine Sword hurriedly answered, "We have inquired as well as confirmed that both Giantree City and Berserk Beast City are indeed under control of the dragon Demon King from Darkness Valley."


    A few days ago.


    He Tianzong sent out a Hero, Liu Qingcheng, who was under hismand.


    Liu Qingcheng was a special emissary of the Divine Sword Hero Guild to make contact with various Demon Kings. He Tianzong initially sent him out with the intention to impose pressure on this dragon Demon King and force him to submit.


    Unexpectedly.


    They did not manage to put pressure on the Demon King.


    Instead, Liu Qingcheng got himself killed.


    He Tianzong immediately carried out an investigation on this Demon King. Only now did he understand the reason why the Demon King had the courage to defy the empire''s will.


    He had seized tworge forest cities.


    More frighteningly, when the Giantree City and Berserk Beast City were captured, they were not razed to the ground and became a ruined city. Instead, the city as well as its poption was very well preserved.


    The regrbat forces alone were more than 100,000.


    Not to mention the tens of thousands of elites who also submitted to the Demon King.


    No wonder he was reluctant to obey, the Demon King was sitting on so much authority. No one would be willing to part with such power and just hand it over if they were in his shoes.


    A senior member of the Divine Sword frowned, "Damn it all, we did expect him to be powerful, but not this unimaginably strong. This is going to be difficult."


    Another Divine Sword senior member nodded, "The strength of this Demon King is far beyond our manageable boundary, so recruiting is not feasible. We must get rid of this one as soon as possible!"


    "Agreed."


    "Though he is powerful."


    "But to face us is to face death itself!"


    The dragon Demon King was difficult and troublesome for the Divine Sword to handle.


    However, it was merely troublesome, and they might have to pay a price to deal with him. It was nowhere near enough to make them desperate.


    He Tianzong thought the same.


    With the support from the empire backing up the guild, the Divine Sword''s forces were interconnected with both the Heroes and Demon Kings.


    At the present, with the vampire Demon King Bai Hongzhuo as the leader, a total of eleven Demon Kings with adequate strength had agreed to the terms of Divine Sword as well as the empire and joined their ranks.


    They had also reached a cooperative rtionship with five more forest cities.


    The construction of the Bloody Fortress was undergoing smoothly.


    The whole n wasing together and it was near itspletion.


    No matter how powerful or influential the dragon Demon King was, he was but one man. What was he going to use to fight against the Divine Sword? Did he really think he could overturn the entire Chaos Forest on his own? That would be such an arrogant and naive thought.


    Just then.


    Another senior member reported.


    "Deputy chief, another group of forest Heroes joined the guild. This is the list of the reserve members, please have a look personally."


    He Tianzong nodded his head.


    Enlisting Demon Kings was only Divine Sword''s duty to the empire.


    In the end, they were still a Hero guild, and Heroes were the very foundation of their guild. After arriving at the forest, they have been working hard on recruiting elite Heroes into their rank.


    "Not bad!"


    He Tianzong swept through the list.


    There were a total of nine reserve members for this batch.


    Except for a few lone wolf type Heroes, most of them were native tribal chiefs, or one of the top executives within their tribes. They would prove useful for the Divine Sword in controlling major tribes and expanding their influence.


    "Huh"


    "Why is there a Level 2?"


    The ordinary reserve members were not not necessary for He Tianzong to personally oversee.


    The list of Heroes that could be presented in front of He Tianzong were all future elite members of the guild. Hence, eight out of the nine elite reserve members were already Level 3.


    Except for one.


    There was a Level 2.


    A Hero with only such strength could only be an ordinary guild member.


    "His name is Su Zhan, a lone Hero. Although he''s only a Level 2, he had reached the rank of a lord. His strength is slightly higher than the average Level 3."


    Heroes with higher levels were not always better.


    Some Heroes with high levels were actually very weak.


    Besides, some Heroes were not keen on raising their levels.


    After these kinds of Heroes obtained their talent points, most of them would rather use them to enhance their stats and skills. They would also seekrge quantities of skill stones to further improve their abilities.


    This sort of Heroes.


    Their levels might not be very high.


    But their strength was very well established.


    This Su Zhan was obviously one of these Heroes.


    He Tianzong granted direct approval, "Let them intern for a period of time. If there''s no issues, they can be promoted right into the elite group."


    "Understood."


    Su Yan was exhrated.


    She had infiltrated the guild sessfully.


    Ever since she got sent out by the Boss to investigate the Divine Sword Heroes Guild.


    She took a Winged Beast for her transportation tool, as well as utilizing her Hero status as a cover, and visited several forest cities before finally discovering the Bloody Fortress.


    Due to the amount of people who had already seen her in Giantree City.


    Su Yan decided to put on a guise for safety reasons.


    She initially wanted to transform into orcs, elves, and so on. But when she thought of the Boss''s reminder, she knew the Divine Sword would have many powerful individuals in their ranks. If her guise was exposed, she would be neck deep in trouble.


    After weighing the consequences.


    Su Yan decided on not changing her race.


    Instead, she took the form of a male Vulpine Hero.


    Since it was only the appearance and gender that were changed, it would be much harder for others to see through her disguise.


    She took on the name of Su Zhan.


    With this identity, she passed the examination test and became a trainee member.


    Not a single soul in Divine Sword suspected her, and with the identity of Divine Sword Hero, it was much easier for her to gather information.


    After a rough survey.


    She was flummoxed.


    Su Yan could have never imagined that the Divine Sword Heroes Guild would have suchrge scale forces.

 Chapter 114: The Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce

    In the Giantree City.


    There were 3 Heroes waiting for their notifications.


    Rao Jian the gnome, Xiao Long the lizardman, and Xia Jun the kobold.


    These 3 Heroes possessed mediocre talents, which in usual cases, would be tough to achieve anything outstanding with. However, they were fortunate enough to be chosen as the reserve members of the Dragon¡¯s Shadow Heroes Guild.


    The Dragon¡¯s Shadow was a special Heroes guild created by a great Demon King behind the scenes with the purpose of assisting the Demon King himself, gathering intelligence andmercial trading.


    Nevertheless.


    A reserve member was still only a reserve member afterall.


    The three always felt insecure regarding this matter.


    Now that so many days have passed, they fear that things might have taken a change. It was inevitable that the three were worried out of uncertainty.


    Just then.


    The Demon King issued an order to have the three enter the Darkness City and undergo their initiation ceremony.


    The three were ecstatic at the news.


    They hurried to the teleportation site of the Giantree City, where a draconian priest was permanently stationed there and was solely responsible for the teleportation.


    After verifying their identities, the priest activated the teleportation field.


    The three Heroes then arrived at the legendary Darkness City.


    The Darkness City wasid in the very heart of Darkness Valley.


    It was built by the great Demon King with a tremendous amount of time and effort. The scale of its currently developed area wasparable with that of the Giantree City.


    If one would use reconnaissance type skills.


    The yers would certainly be surprised to find that every single building here had their own stats.


    [Darkness City Walls] Level 3 Normal Structure. +50% sturdiness to all facilities within the city walls.


    [Darkness City Draconian Dwelling] Level 2 Normal Structure. +15% recovery speed, draconian residents receive additional +15% recovery speed.


    [Darkness City Advanced Warehouse] Level 3 Normal Structure. +20% warehouse space, -90% deterioration rate for materials of Level 3 or below.


    [Darkness City Advanced Arrow Tower] Level 3 Normal Structure. +50% field of view, +50% sturdiness, +50% range, +25% uracy.


    [Darkness City Grand za] Level 3 Normal Structure. Automatically cleans existing trash and dust, automatically repairs damage within 10%.


    [......]


    From the smallest structures such as wells and roads to thergest buildings like the grand za and the city wall.


    All of the Darkness City buildings came with their own stats.


    These normal rank buildings were not procured from blueprints, they were the fruits of the High Draconian Laborers¡¯ hard work, constructing day in and day out.


    These little bonuses should not be underestimated.


    Individually, they might not be significant.


    However, when viewed from an overall and long term perspective.


    Darkness City was definitely the most efficient andfortable city to reside in.


    When the great Demon King first designed the city, he aimed for aposite and multi-racial cohabitation city.


    Hence.


    In addition to the central area which was the draconian district.


    The overall style of the city was simr to the one within a movie from the Demon King¡¯s previous life, Zootopia.


    Zhang Nu designed the residential areas based on the different sizes and living environments of various species. From the smallest race such as fairies to thergest creatures like giants and dragons, every species would be able to make their home within this city in the future.


    The Demon King had an ambition to conquer the entire world.


    The main city should naturally be built with a goal of bing the world¡¯s central capital city.


    Along the way, the three saw not only the continuous rows of conventional buildings, but also the special structures including the temples of Nature and War, the Altar of Inferno, the Lifespring, the Tower of Detection, etc.


    There were not many people in the Darkness City at the moment.


    The primary inhabitants were still draconians.


    Still, the city was bound to be lively and prosperous in the future.


    The three Heroes approached and entered the intimidating Demon King¡¯s castle. It was tinted in dark golden tones, majestic as well as domineering, brimming with an imposing sense of oppression. Just the presence of the draconian guards posted within and outside the castle made their heart pound and their legs weak.


    They were too terrifying.


    Every single one of them were not inferior to the top-ss Heroes.


    This ce was virtually impregnable.


    How could any Hero break in?


    The three Heroes finally met the Demon King in the grand hall. They hastily prostrated themselves on the ground in obeisance, as if they were subjects being granted audience by their king.


    ¡°You may rise.¡±


    The Demon King spoke calmly.


    The high priest Li Si approached with three scrolls in hand.


    [Death me Contract] A special item. A contract constructed with the power of Death me. Those who vite the content of the contract will suffer a tremendous bacsh. The vitor''s HP will be permanently reduced by 50, and all their stats will permanently reduced by 20. At the same time, the vitor will be subjected to Death me devouring their body.


    This was a contract scroll.


    Zhang Nu was a vignt person.


    For these Heroes, he had to take extra insurance.


    For this purpose, Zhang Nu had spent nearly 300,000 gold coins to purchase thirty various contracts from the Demon King market, which every member who joined the Dragon¡¯s Shadow had to sign.


    Contract type items were not cheap.


    This kind of deed could only be done with deep pockets.


    But of course.


    The Dragon¡¯s Shadow Heroes Guild was not expected to be arge guild.


    If it was a guild with the size of tens of thousands of members.


    No one could pull off this kind of contract insurance on so many members, no matter how wealthy one was.


    Zhang Nu stated, ¡°Sign this contract. Be an official member of the Dragon¡¯s Shadow Heroes Guild and the Darkness City shall be your strongest backing.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    The three did not hesitate.


    They immediately signed the contract.


    From this moment on, they could not defy Zhang Nu''s orders, nor could they do anything to betray the Darkness City, or they would surely be devastated by the Death me.


    Zhang Nu was very pleased.


    This was thest batch of Heroes.


    If Zhang Nu were to include Su Yan.


    The Dragon¡¯s Shadow guild had 31 members in total.


    Except for Su Yan, who had the information of every Dragon¡¯s Shadow member.


    The others were uninformed about the size and scale of the Dragon¡¯s Shadow guild, nor do they know any other members other than their group.


    For safety¡¯s sake.


    The Dragon¡¯s Shadow members were connected and contacted through a single link.


    Even if there was a defection or something else went wrong, in the worst case scenario, only the members on the particr link would be affected. Hence, there would not be much of an impact on the guild.


    Zhang Nu asserted, ¡°Each and every group of Dragon¡¯s Shadow Heroes has their own tasks and responsibilities. Your group is assigned to develop the Dark Dragon¡¯s Chamber of Commerce into a bigger and stronger one.¡±


    ¡°Darkness City, Giantree City and Berserk Beast City have abundance of resources, as well as numerous craftsmen and alchemists. What we need now is a market!¡±


    Rao Jian said confidently, ¡°Please rest assured, Your Majesty. We were all used to be businessmen. The Dark Dragon¡¯s Chamber of Commerce will definitely dominate the markets of the major forest cities.¡±


    ¡°Not enough!¡±


    The great Demon King shook his head.


    The major forest cities of the Chaos Forest.


    These were supposed to be short or medium term goals only.


    Zhang Nu would take over every forest city in the Chaos Forest and the cities would belong to him sooner orter. Specifically dispatching people to seize their markets would be just a redundant act.


    The great Demon King eximed, ¡°I want a bigger, broader, and longer-term market!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The three Heroes¡¯ faces turned pale, ¡°Your Majesty, then what you want is¡­¡±


    Zhang Nu continued, ¡°I want the Dragon¡¯s Shadow Chamber of Commerce to be the top merchant guild in the continent. I want my caravans to travel to every profitable ce, establish stores in every profitable city and not just limited to making small fortunes in the Chaos Forest.¡±


    The three were appalled.


    The Demon King was actually this ambitious?


    Though they were shocked by his ambitions, they were also thrilled.


    The bigger and bolder the Demon King¡¯s ambitions were, the greater the investment would be, and the greater the chance for them to change fate and make a name for themselves. The three decided to seize the opportunity no matter what!


    Rao Jian, the gnome hurriedly requested, ¡°Please, Your Majesty, point us to a direction.¡±


    The great Demon King pondered a while and answered, ¡°The three major forces surrounding the Chaos Forests are the Thunder Empire, the Sunset Empire, and the Azure Water Federation. The Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce is only starting out, which is why we can only pick one of their markets to enter.¡±


    ¡°The Thunder Empire will be the first to be ruled out. This empire is extremely ambitious and is very likely to be at war with Chaos Forest in the future. They will definitely restrict anymercial activities from the forest.¡±


    ¡°The Sunset Empire is also not a good pick. This empire is militarily formidable, but theirmerce is not as flourished as the other two. They are also exceedingly conservative and xenophobic. They will not wee any races other than human beings.¡±


    ¡°Only the Azure Water Federation is the most suitable choice.¡±


    It was hard to make remarks on any other forces too far off from Chaos Forest.


    But, for the three closest major forces.


    Zhang Nu did some research and has some understanding of them.


    The Azure Water Federation was quite peculiar.


    It was a joint stateposed of nearly a hundred or so small and medium sized countries.


    In which the human poption only ounted for half of their total poption. The other half consisted of various races of thend, forest and sea.


    The country was very receptive to foreign traders.


    Furthermore, the country¡¯smerce was incredibly developed and mature.


    They had an abundance of inds, sea regions and well developed shipping facilities. It could be regarded as a hubmercial country and capable of trading with more than a dozen imperial forces from farther away.


    Whether it was to make a profit or acquire materials, the Azure Water Federation was the ideal choice.


    If the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce could gain a foothold and establish themselves in the Azure Water Federation, it would be the equivalent of opening a window to the wider world.


    By then, not only could one make a fortune, it was also possible to ess all kinds of resources to enable the strength of the Demon King, as well as his army to grow stronger.


    Rao Jian perked up and assured, ¡°Yes! Please do rest assured, Your Majesty. We will depart right away and we will not let you down!¡±


    Zhang Nu replied, ¡°I¡¯ve made preparations for your group.¡±


    As he spoke, fifteen draconian mastercraftsmen and a hundred regr draconian craftsmen stepped into the grand hall.


    In addition to these, there were ten super soldiers and five mystic battlemages who would act as their escorts.


    This was the initial team that Zhang Nu prepared for the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce.


    In addition to manpower, Zhang Nu provided another sum of money, a total of 100,000 Demon King gold coins, which was equivalent to a million of maind gold coins!


    This was not a small sum of money.


    It was more than enough for the three to recruit their own troops, as well as prate the markets of various cities to enter Azure Water Federation smoothly and establish a foothold there.


    That was exactly how potent this investment was.


    The Demon King¡¯s ambition and determination were unmistaken and could be viewed in crystal rity.


    Naturally, the three gained greater certainty and confidence.


    The Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce must be bigger and stronger.


    The three Dragon¡¯s Shadow members departed with their caravan team as well as their start-up capital.


    With such a powerful and solid backing which was the Demon King himself, the caravan would certainly be able to aplish great achievements.


    From this moment onwards, they realized that their fate had beenpletely rewritten.


    Who said Heroes could only seed through fighting and killing only? These three Heroes had made up their minds to prove the world with their actions that they could thrive with a different path.


    After the Dark Dragon caravan went on their way, Zhang Nu let out a sigh of relief.


    He had been busy with the affairs of the Dragon¡¯s Shadow guild for the past two days. Zhang Nu had been nting a number of pawns in the process, and the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce was thest pawn.


    In the long run.


    This particr pawn was the most valuable.


    Su Yan had sent back the information and Zhang Nu had received it.


    However, Su Yan had justpleted her infiltration on the Bloody Fortress, and only learned of the purpose of the Divine Sword Heroes Guild as well as the scale of their forces.


    As for the specific details, she still needed to carry out further investigations.


    The Divine Sword doubtless had Zhang Nu on their radar, but they have yet to formte a n to deal with time for the time being.


    Both sides were in a phase of quiet and stillness, like the calm before the storm.


    Since this was the case, if the enemy would not make a move, neither would Zhang Nu.


    Zhang Nu did not intend to strike the first blow.


    He would like to see what kind of tricks would the Divine Sword y.


    It would not be toote for the Darkness City to engage them after Su Yan made a thorough investigation about the Demon King Alliance and their relevant cities.


    Zhang Nu had considered that the situation for the following few days would likely be uneventful.


    And there should not be anything major urring within these few days.


    He then made an important decision to attempt getting rid of the seal in Giantree Forest.


    As the saying goes, one must quell the internal concerns before dealing with the external conflicts. The sooner such an internal issue was stamped out, the better.


    And as a Level 5 overlord area, it would be Zhang Nu¡¯s biggest challenge to date.

 Chapter 115: The Sealed Labyrinth

    The elven elders of Giantree City were greatly shaken.


    And the young city lord was in disbelief, "Your Majesty! You want to enter the seal of Giantree Forest? That''s too risky!"


    "For the sake of the people of Giantree City and the Tree of Life, I must take the risk."


    Zhang Nu continued, "Currently, the barrier of the Giantree Forest has ceased its function. As long as the issue of the seal isn''t solved, the Giantree Forest and the Tree of Life will continue to be under its threat."


    The elves were somewhat swayed.


    It was absolutely not necessary for the Demon King to do this.


    Even if the seal of the Giantree Forest became out of control.


    It would not pose any threat to the Demon King.


    The elves were emotionally touched by his devotion.


    They did not expect the Demon King to be willing to take such risks for the sake of the elves.


    "Still, we urge you to reconsider!"


    "Yes! There was no shortage of pioneers from the generations of our n''s forefathers who have ventured into the seal and attempted to remove the threat once and for all."


    "However, without exception."


    "None of them returned."


    The elven elders continued to persuade Zhang Nu.


    Zhang Nu calmly replied, "You do not need to worry about me. I can sense the existence within the seal has grown extremely weak and vulnerable after being sealed for ten thousand years. It is sufficient for me to deal with it with my current strength."


    Seeing that the Demon King had made up his mind.


    The young city lord immediately asserted, "I shall apany His Majesty the Demon King."


    The several elven elders'' faces turned green in fear at her statement. This little lordling was their future Elven King!


    Once she truly became the Elven King.


    With a raise of her arm and a rally call.


    Countless elves woulde running from all of Chaos Forest and even other ces to unite under hermand.


    This was their only hope of their n''s revival!


    The young city lord was very determined, "Elders, my mind is made up. There''s no need to persuade me. After all, my life was saved by His Majesty the Demon King. I can never watch His Majesty risk his life for elves on his own."


    The elven elders stared at each other with nk dismay.


    Ultimately, the elves were a kind natured race.


    The Demon King was going to risk so much for the sake of elves, disregarding his own life. If they continue to hinder the young city lord from aiding His Majesty, it would be too ungrateful of them.


    Looking at them like this.


    Zhang Nu could not help but to secretly judge them in his heart.


    The primary reason that he seeked to challenge the seal was still for the safety of his own territory, followed by his greed for the rewards of the Level 5 overlord area.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He could see through the information of the seal.


    It was because he had confidence that he did so.


    Disregarding his own life for the sake of the elven tribe?


    ''Please don''t be so self-indulgent and kid yourself.''


    The Demon King was not that noble as to self sacrifice.


    On the very same day, Zhang Nu took the young city lord to the seal of the Giantree Forest.


    "Are you prepared?"


    "I''m opening the sealed gate!"


    Nancilia nodded as she gripped the Elven King Scepter tightly in her grasp.


    The sealed gate was exceedingly strong and robust. It would be very difficult to destroy it by violent means. Only by unleashing the MP of a Level 4 overlord could the sealed gate be moved.


    Both the Demon King and the young city lord had the capability to open the sealed gate.


    Zhang Nu ced his hand on the giant gate and poured his powerful MP into its magical formation. The dim formation began to gleam brilliantly, and a gap appeared in the sealed stone gate.


    Soon after.


    The stone gate slowly parted.


    Beyond the gap was no ordinary space. It was a distorted spatial vortex from which an evil and sinister aura was emitted.


    [You are under the effect of a negative energy. HP -3!]


    [You are under the effect of a negative energy. HP -2!]


    [You are under the effect of a negative energy. HP -3!]


    [......]


    Zhang Nu learned in advance through the prompt message that the sealednd was not a ce with normal space. Hence, he was not surprised to see such a scene before him.


    The great Demon King and the young city lord stepped into the spatial vortex. After experiencing a short period of gravity loss, the two soon regained their sense of being down-to-earth.


    "Is this what the inside of the seal looks like?"


    Nancilia raised her Elven King Scepter, and a soft ray of light was released from it, instantly illuminating the surroundings.


    It was a massive ancient pce.


    A dark, deep, and vast corridor came in view before the two.


    Compared to the environment outside, the evil aura of the ce had been significantly amplified, which had elerated the loss of HP.


    [You are under the effect of a negative energy. HP -5!]


    [You are under the effect of a negative energy. HP -5!]


    [You are under the effect of a negative energy. HP -4!]


    Zhang Nu was losing his HP every few seconds even for a strong being like himself. If a weaker existence was here, they would notst more than a few minutes before being infested by the negative energy and dying.


    [You have been buffed with "Elven King''s Blessing"!]


    [HP, MP, and all stats +25%. Recovery speed +50%. Soul resistance has been significantly increased.]


    The young city lord waved her scepter.


    She buffed herself as well as the Demon King respectively.


    Zhang Numended, "What a powerful blessing spell!"


    The young city lord immediately beamed with joy and replied proudly, "Of course! This is an elven king spell. No ordinary elf can learn it!"


    This was an elven king exclusive A rank skill.


    It could raise the resistance towards any chosen attributed energy at will. Nancilia chose to increase their soul resistance and instantly achieved an immediate effect.


    Both of them were no longer losing HP.


    It turned out that the negative energy brimming in the sealednd, its nature was a rare, soul infesting energy. It was no wonder why Zhang Nu''s Anti-Magic was not effective.


    Anti-Magic.


    It was generally effective against magical elements.


    For example, wind, fire, water, earth, light, darkness, lighting, and so on.


    As for the rarer magical energy, such as psychic, soul, time and spatial attributed attacks, the Anti-Magic would have difficulty achieving the resistant effect.


    "Your Majesty! Look!"


    "There''s a mural on the wall!"


    "It seems to record the origin of this seal."


    Nancilia held up her scepter to illuminate arge wall.


    Zhang Nu swept through with a nce. There were indeed many murals as well as inscriptions, though most of them were mottled. He had never seen this kind of writing.


    When yers like him descended into this world.


    All of them automatically mastered the mainstreamnguage and writing of this world.


    However, these writings on the murals were obviously of a rarenguage, and were not in the scope of what they had mastered.


    "Can you understand these writings?"


    "These writings were in my elven king''s inheritance memories. This is a kind of sacrednguage specially used for rituals in ancient times. It is very rare nowadays."


    Zhang Nu was curious, "What''s written on it?"


    Nancilia briefly described the murals and the inscriptions, "It introduces the origins of Evil Gods. The general idea is that the otherworldly gods would sometimes descend into this world by ident. And that Evil Gods was the collective name for these otherworldly gods."


    "There is no regrity in the descent of these Evil Gods, and there is no regrity in the Evil Gods themselves. They canpletely disregard the order of this world, and because of this, it is called an unpredictable "special natural disaster" phenomenon.


    "This kind of natural disaster is very rare."


    "Throughout the historical records, there were only a few of them. But almost every time they ur, they would bring about a huge impact."


    "......"


    Otherworldly gods?


    This was the first time Zhang Nu had heard the concept of the otherworldly.


    Could it be that there were many worlds beyond this one?


    Zhang Nu suddenly recalled the rules of this Demon King game.


    It seemed that when a Demon King attained the conquest achievement, they could choose to obtain the qualification for the next round of conquest game, which could refer to other worlds, and all the worlds were actually connected in some way.


    If the Evil Gods of the other worlds could enter this world.


    Then was it possible for someone to enter theirs?


    No. This went too far.


    These were still too distant from him.


    It was worthless to ponder upon these issues now.


    Zhang Nu asked again, "What else?"


    Nancilia continued to interpret while reading as she walked, "Since Evil Gods were nigh impossible to kill, they could only be sealed to deplete their power..."


    "...as for the Evil God that was sealed in this pce."


    "It was an existence that was called "Eight-Eyed Evil God" during their time."


    "During that time, in order to sessfully seal it, they paid the price of at least tens of millions of valiant lives. It altered the national fortunes of the nine major countries, and profoundly affected the subsequent generations of this world..."


    Both of them were staggered.


    Defeating an Evil God would cost such a terrible and awfully heavy price!


    It was no wonder the descent of Evil Gods was called a special natural disaster. It was bothpletely unpredictable and tremendously destructive. It really was equivalent to a natural disaster.


    Nancilia continued, "The Evil God must be taken apart and sealed separately, and what was sealed in this pce was only a small part of the Eight-Eyed Evil God''s husk."


    Zhang Nu nodded his head.


    Although it was only a small part.


    It was still quite terrifying.


    Even after a long period of tens of thousands of years, the power of this Evil God had been weakened and depleted to the extreme, yet it still could make this area a Level 5 overlord zone.


    One could already imagine the reason why its descent had caused so many deaths.


    Nevertheless, since they were already here, something must be made clear. The information prompt message had never failed him.


    Since the prompt message had indicated that this ce was a Level 5 overlord area, then this area would not be anything else but, which also meant the strongest being in this area would not exceed that level.


    Hence.


    It was by no means unbeatable.


    Zhang Nu turned to Nancilia, "That''s enough, stop reading the murals. We''re not here for archaeology. These can be studied slowlyter."


    "Yes!"


    The young city lord withdrew her gaze.


    The two then made their way down the corridor.


    It did not take long before suddenly, the corridor ended.


    In their front, and to their left and right.


    A sealed stone door appeared on each side.


    Nancilia was puzzled, "Your Majesty, howe there''s sealed doors again? Which one should we take?"


    "This sealednd is abyrinth. These are the trap mechanisms to prevent intruders with malicious intents. The consequences will be grave if we choose the wrong door."


    Zhang Nu swept a nce as he spoke.


    The information of the sealed stone doors emerged.


    [Stone Door Trap] Behind this door is a storm formed by temporal turbulence. Once opened, the intruders will be caught in the turbulence and will be instantly pulverized and reduced to nothing by the power of space and time.


    [Stone Door Trap] Behind this door is the chaos void. Once opened, the intruders will be sucked into it, forever lost in the realm of chaos.


    [Sealed Door] This door is the only real sealed door.


    Zhang Nu read through the descriptions and broke into a cold sweat.


    Fortunately, he could see these informative prompt messages.


    These two traps were too vicious as they were built based on space and time. With their current strength, it would be certain death once they got caught in it!


    "Left!"


    Nancilia did not hesitate and immediately poured her MP into the sealed door.


    The stone door slowly opened and nothing out of the ordinary happened. To her great surprise, another corridor appeared before her.


    "Aye, Your Majesty! We seemed to have chosen the correct door!"


    "No shit! We''ll be both long dead if it''s the wrong one. Hurry up and move on."


    This sealednd seemed to be more dangerous than he imagined. Having sufficient strength was not enough to get through this ce.


    Zhang Nu did not know how much manpower and resources would have to be spent to construct such a ce.


    But it was definitely astronomical.


    And yet, such a formidable sealedbyrinth was only used to seal a small part of the Evil God.


    Verily, this was indeed not to be trifled at all.

 Chapter 116: The Sealing Chamber of the Evil God

    Unlike the first floor.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The second floor of the sealedbyrinth was much vaster.


    Five passages appeared before the Demon King and the young city lord. Within each passage, even more passages branched out from it, as though it was a giant intricate maze.


    Zhang Nu took a sweeping nce.


    [Labyrinth Passage 1] This is a wrong passage. Not only is it littered with traps, it will also lead intruders into a desperate end.


    [Labyrinth Passage 2] This is a wrong passage. A great number of dangerous monsters and fiends are trapped within, and the intruders will bepletely lost.


    [Labyrinth Passage 3] This is a wrong passage. It houses a spatial trap. Once the intruders are caught within, they will never reach the end of the passage.


    [......]


    [Labyrinth Passage 5] This is the only correct passage. A great number of magical mannequins were allocated within, please beware of their ambush.


    Zhang Nu led Nancilia forward.


    The second floor of the sealednd was not only abyrinth.


    It was also a moving maze that shifted and transformed every now and then. Some entrances would disappear inexplicably and some passages would suddenly appear out of nowhere.


    Fortunately, Zhang Nu possessed the ability to see information and hints.


    It had allowed Zhang Nu to never lose his way and always make the right choice.


    But just then.


    Numerous stone statues appeared ahead of them.


    [Magical Mannequin] Level 5 elite unit.


    Description: A humanoid mannequin crafted through magical means. It possesses powerful resistance and is able to withstand all sorts of magical damage.


    "Your Majesty!"


    "There''s something wrong with these stone statues!"


    "I can feel a vague fluctuation of magical powers!"


    Before Zhang Nu could even give a warning.


    The young city lord had immediately seen through the statues.


    "Not bad!" Zhang Numended her perceptive capability, "These are magical mannequins, presumably thebyrinth guards. They have strong resistance and can only be dealt with by physical damage."


    "Let me have them!"


    Nancilia raised the scepter in her hands and pointed.


    Suddenly, out of nowhere, countless dirt and debris started to form from the thin air. They were like mas to each other, converging and fusing together at an astounding speed, eventually shaping into a giant over ten meters tall.


    Zhang Nu was astonished as he witnessed the scene.


    "This is a...Level 4 overlord?"


    The monster casually summoned by the young city lord actually had such formidable strength? Even if it was a bottom tier overlord by judging from its aura, it was still an overlord rank existence anyhow!


    [Earth Elemental Overlord] Level 4 overlord unit.


    ......


    Skills: Giga Iron Fists (B rank), Earth Armor (B rank), Earth Shelter (B rank), Gravity Lockdown (B rank), Mortal Shockwave (B rank), Restorative Regeneration (B rank), Earth Spear (C rank), etc.


    When she noticed the Demon King''s surprised expression.


    The young city lord was pleased and proud, "Hehe, amazing right? I can also summon elemental overlords of different attributes!"


    Zhang Nu asked, "Is this the Elven King''s Elemental Covenant? I didn''t expect it to be so powerful. It''s truly worthy of being an Elven King''s exclusive skill!"


    This was an A rank skill "Elemental Covenant".


    With this spell, the Elven King could summon andmand elemental beings of various attributes at will. The strongest that could be summoned was an overlord rank elemental of the same level as the caster. The spell could be considered to be a very powerful summoning skill.


    Verily.


    After her awakening.


    The elven girl''s strength soared through the roof.


    Not only was her Elven King''s Blessing enhancement effect very potent, it could also significantly improve the resistance towards any one attribute. Her Elemental Covenant could be used for summoning a variety of elemental overlords based on thebat situation.


    So to speak.


    With these two skills alone.


    Nancilia herself was sufficient to face off the Infernal Daemon.


    The young city lord was eager to show off her brand new powers.


    She promptlymanded the earth elemental overlord to charge forward. As the magical mannequins were alerted, they unleashed various attacks in reply.


    The attacks were viciously strong.


    If it was any other ordinary Level 4 lord, they would not be able to withstand it.


    However, one of the most profound traits of earth elementals were defense and regeneration.


    The earth elemental overlord shouldered the attack and bulldozed into the midst of the mannequins to activate its "Gravity Lockdown".


    Immediately, the mannequins could no longer move or even budge an inch.


    The gravity seemed to have heightened hundreds or thousands of times.


    The earth elemental lord did not bother to engage with any fancy or shy attacks. It simply raised its fists the size of a small car and started swinging. Behind every mighty punch was the tremendous force of tens of thousands of pounds. With such devastating and ferocious physical force, the mannequins were instantly hammered into smithereens.


    [You in a Magical Mannequin. Gold +8000!]


    [You in a Magical Mannequin. Gold +8000!]


    [You in a Magical Mannequin. Gold +8000!]


    [......]


    The kill rewards filled up Zhang Nu''s vision right away.


    With the earth elemental overlord to attract aggro and mopping up the mannequins in the frontline.


    The two easily made their way to the very end of thebyrinth, where five more huge sealed doors appeared before them. Needless to say, only one of them was the correct one.


    Zhang Nu scanned over them.


    And instantly seen through the correct passage.


    His eyes were locked on the third sealed door.


    [Sealed Door] This is the only correct sealed door. Behind this door will be the third floor of the sealednd, "The Sealed Chamber". The environment inside is extremely treacherous, please make sure to be well prepared.


    "We''ve arrived!"


    Zhang Nu remarked, "The first floor is the sealed entrance, the second floor is the sealedbyrinth, and the third floor is the sealed chamber."


    "Which means, the true sealednd is behind this door, and the Evil God we''re looking for was sealed within this chamber."


    "It''ll be very dangerous inside."


    The young city lord visibly tensed up. She hastily took out four to five bottles of potion and hurriedly gulped them down to fully restore her MP and stacked up severalyers of buffs on herself.


    Only then did she puff up her chest and eximed, "I''m not afraid! Let''s go! I don''t believe the Evil God still had much strength left after being sealed for so many years!"


    "Do not underestimate it! Heed mymandster and do not act without my permission. Understand?"


    "Understood!"


    Zhang Nu opened the stone door.


    Almost instantly.


    An immense and chaotic aura erupted from within.


    The great Demon King and the young city lord sensed the aura and immediately suffered from an extremely sickening and ill sensation. They were incapable of describing the nature of this strange power.


    It could not be categorized as evil.


    Yet it was overflowing with disorder as well as chaos.


    [You are under the effect of a negative energy. HP -15!]


    [You are under the effect of a negative energy. HP -12!]


    [You are under the effect of a negative energy. HP -16!]


    [......]


    Zhang Nu''s HP was starting to drain again.


    Despite him still under the Elven King''s Blessing.


    If Zhang Nu was already in such a condition, there was no doubt that Nancilia was in a worse state. She could only apply another regenerative buff on herself.


    Otherwise.


    Even with her strength.


    There was no way for her to stay in such a hazardous environment for too long.


    Right now, the young city lord''s confidence was somewhat shaken. She initially thought that after being sealed for tens of thousands of years, the ancient Evil God was weakened to the extreme. Who would have thought that it still possessed such powerful aura and energy?


    "Don''t worry."


    "It''s just some kind of area of effect skill."


    "Although the Evil God isn''t as weakened as you thought, it won''t be so strong that we can''t deal with it. Let''s go!"


    The Demon King cheered up the young city lord.


    The two entered the third floor of the sealednd.


    As soon as Nancilia stepped in, she promptly sent out several hovering light res, which barely illuminated the chamber that was originally enshrouded by darkness.


    The sealed chamber was too massive.


    It was the size of several ser fields.


    In the center of the chamber stood a 100 meter tall altar. It was riddled with sealing inscriptions, bound by dozens of chains, and encased within a magical barrier.


    Except that at this moment.


    The surface of the altar was severely cracked.


    The sealing barrier had also long since dimmed.


    An indescribable sense of crisis arose with Zhang Nu. Something beyond the ne of ordinary life form seemed to be observing him.


    He locked his gaze onto the source of his dread.


    It came from the very top of the altar.


    It was a human head sized object that resembled a crystal ball. Presently, a fiery vertical pupil emerged on the crystal ball.


    Relevant information instantly popped up as Zhang Nu glimpsed at the eye.


    [Eye of the Evil God] Level 5 overlord unit. 1 HP, 35000 MP.


    ......


    Skills: Death Stare (A rank), Undead Creation (A rank), Evil God''s Aura (A rank), Confining Ray (B rank), Hell Flurry (B rank), Abyssal Gaze (B rank), Soul Extraction (B rank), Psychic Barrier (B rank), etc.


    Nancilia uttered in horror, "What is that thing? Its aura is so terrifying!"


    Zhang Nu answered, "That is the Evil God. More specifically, an eye of the Evil God."


    Nancilia was stupefied at the answer.


    She said in disbelief, "This massive seal in which my forefathers and ancestors painstakingly enacted, was all to seal one of the eyes of the Eight-Eyes Evil God!?"


    Although.


    There had long been hearsays within the Giantree tribe.


    The sealednd had sealed a part of the Evil God''s body.


    But Nancilia did not expect the so-called bodypart was actually just a giant eyeball. It just seemed too ridiculous.


    It was the reason for the corrupted chieftain.


    The disaster three hundred years ago was also its doing.


    How could a mere eyeball be so tremendously powerful? It wasparable to a legendary divine weapon!


    Upon seeing the prompt message.


    Zhang Nu let out a faint sigh of relief.


    The Eye of the Evil God was shown to have a HP pool, which indicated it was not indestructible. However, it was bizarre that it only had a single point of HP.


    A Level 5 overlord.


    Only had a single point of HP!


    And yet its MP pool had a whopping 35000 points!

 Chapter 117: The Battle Against The Evil Gods Eye

    The existence of Evil Gods.


    It was iprehensible and unfathomable.


    It was not so much a living being as a natural disaster.


    It could be categorized as a special and uncontroble natural phenomenon.


    The Eight-Eyed Evil God was long since vanquished back in ancient times.


    This eyeball was taken from its body and was sealed for tens of thousands of years, and yet it still remained freakishly "active".


    Furthermore.


    The eyeball had gained a state of mind and consciousness.


    It could sense the trespassing of intruders.


    It could even evaluate and react to the changes in the environment.


    This was too bizarre. Whose eyeball could still live on its own even after being gouged out? Did the eyeball be a being of its own?


    It was really difficult to grasp such a concept!


    Zhang Nu had never heard of such a thing.


    He thenmanded, "Let the earth elemental have a go at it!"


    The young city lord nodded.


    The Earth Elemental Overlord immediately charged towards the sealing altar.


    Therge eye on the altar promptly responded with an eruption of a burst of horrifying energy.


    -6840!


    The earth elemental was struck by some form of power.


    The mighty elemental lifeform was instantly eradicated.


    Within an instant, it was shattered into hundreds and thousands of pieces.


    Each piece in turn broke down into hundreds of thousands of smaller fragments.


    And each fragment continued to disintegrate into particles and dust.


    Infinite dposition.


    Until it vaporized.


    Not even a speck of dust remained at the end.


    "What''s going on? What happened! What did the eye do to my earth elemental?"


    It was too outrageous!


    Nancilia''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    She did not even notice when the attack was unleashed or when the attack was struck, and just like that, the earth elemental overlord that she summoned was no more.


    No matter what.


    The Earth Elemental Overlord was still a Level 4 overlord unit and it was well known for its defensive capabilities. How could it be decimated in a blink of an eye?


    Even Zhang Nu could hardly achieve such a feat.


    Zhang Nu frowned and exined, "It''s the Eye of the Evil God''s skill, Death Stare. This skill is nigh impossible to dodge once it''s activated."


    The Eye of the Evil God had many A rank skills.


    The most threatening one was probably the Death Stare.


    The skill would take effect the moment its line of sight made contact with its target.


    Unless one possessed the speed that was too much for even the eye to catch on, or just stayed beyond the skill''s effective range, the attack would be difficult to intercept. This skill might even be capable of insta-killing beings with levels higher than itself.


    "How do you fight something like that?"


    The young city lord felt helpless and despair.


    It was now in rity the reason why the eye was sealed up and the elves were told to watch over the seal for generations. This eyeball was just too dangerous.


    The two have yet to take further actions.


    The Eye of the Evil God erupted with another surge of intense energy.


    One after another hideous and contorted monsters, wreathed in undead aura, were created out of thin air. This was another of its A rank skills, Undead Creation!


    Zhang Nu scanned over these monsters that were just created.


    Their appearances were twisted and deformed, as if a mess of unknown corpses were haphazardly stitched and fused together. It was both disgusting and unnatural.


    [Aberrant Corpse Fiend] Level 5 elite unit


    ......


    Skills: Undead Howl (B rank), Grudge Eruption (B rank), Corpse Fiend Curse (C rank), Dissolving Corpse Toxin (C rank), Aberrant Contamination (C rank).


    "What are these creatures?"


    "I''ve never seen or heard of such undead before."


    Nancilia watched as hundreds of these Aberrant Corpse Fiend surrounded them from all sides. She could sense the chaotic energy within these deformed monsters.


    These were undoubtedly undead creatures.


    However, they were vastly different from the usual undeads.


    Not only their twisted and distorted appearances had a traumatic effect on one''s sanity, the aura and energy emitted from them also constitute a spiritual level of contamination.


    There were way too many of them!


    In addition.


    When the corpse fiends gathered, they began to devour and fuse with each other.


    After more than a dozen of them merged together, it eventually became a gigantic monster with a massive figure and even stronger contamination.


    [Aberrant Abomination Corpse Fiend] Level 5 lord unit.


    ......


    Skills: Undead Howl (B rank), Grudge Eruption (B rank), Abomination Curse (B rank), Aberrant Contamination (C rank), Terror Aura (C rank).


    The sense of oppression was too much.


    Although Nancilia had stacked a bunch of buffs on herself.


    But now she had to endure the pollution of the Eye of the Evil God''s aura on one hand, the contamination of the undead creatures'' Terror Aura and Aberrant Contamination on the other.


    She could not withstand it anymore.


    "Your Majesty, what shall we do?"


    Zhang Nu spoke after careful deliberation, "We''ll split up. These undeads are afraid of fire. Use your fire attacks against them, and destroy them as much as possible. Do not let them continue to merge."


    If these corpse fiends continue to merge.


    Eventually, it might even create a Level 5 overlord.


    The Eye of the Evil God was already a Level 5 overlord. If another Level 5 overlord was created, then this battle was destined to be a nightmare.


    Therefore.


    It must be stopped no matter what.


    The young city lord unhesitantly activated her Elemental Covenant once more.


    "Come to existence!"


    "Fire elemental!"


    Countless sparks and embers converged in the thin air.


    And a Fire Elemental Overlord with a figure of over ten meters tall was summoned.


    It promptly unleashed a terrifying torrent of me that ruthlessly scoured the surrounding areas, and a dozen or so Aberrant Corpse Fiends were immediately scorched.


    "Well done!" Zhang Nu eximed. "You''ll be in charge of holding back the undeads. Leave the giant eyeball to me!"


    As he spoke.


    Zhang Nu flew straight towards the Eye of the Evil God.


    The eyeball instantly responded by preparing another Death Stare.


    He already had concluded some insights after the previous trial with the earth elemental.


    The Death Stare was horrifying.


    Even he might not be able to endure such an attack.


    Furthermore.


    Once the skill was activated.


    The blow was instantaneous.


    There was no trajectory to track.


    It was impossible to dodge.


    And there was no defensive skill powerful enough to block it.


    But before the eye couldunch the Death Stare attack, it had a brief moment of power build-up. It needed to umte arge amount of MP to concentrate it into its pupil.


    This very process.


    Although extremely brief.


    It was enough for someone like Zhang Nu to react against the attack.


    A close analogy for this was, for example, a sharpshooting marksman was going to fire at a target.


    The target certainly could not perceive the speed of the bullet, nor could they block the destructive force of an iing bullet. However, one can read the motion of the marksman drawing their gun as well as pulling the trigger.


    At this point, the target should not attempt to even resist or stop the bullet that had left its gun barrel.


    Instead, one should stop the marksman before they shoot.


    Zhang Nu abruptly unleashed a burst of thousands of scarlet Abyssal Lightning bolts. All of them were aimed towards the eyeball. The whole sealing chamber was instantly lit up.


    The Abyssal Lightning was also an instantaneous skill.


    Zhang Nu gave it his all with his monarch rank strength.


    At such a close distance, with the speed of these lightning bolts, it could reach the eyeball in time andpletely destroy it just before it could finish casting its Death Stare.


    It only had a single point of HP.


    It could not take the lightning bolts on.


    Unsurprisingly, the Eye of the Evil God gave up on finishing its Death Stare cast, and instead deployed its B rank skill, Psychic Barrier!


    A tremendous amount of psychic power.


    Instantly formed a protective barrier around itself.


    This was a wless defensive skill.


    The skill could directly convert MP into a defensive barrier, nullifying the damage caused by any form of attack.


    In a sense.


    This was equivalent to turning its MP bar into its HP bar.


    After Zhang Nu''s series of lightning bolts hit the Eye of the Evil God, its MP pool was directly reduced by two thousand points, but its single HP point remained untouched.


    As expected, it would not be this easy.


    Although the Eye of the Evil God was sealed and suppressed to an extremely weakened state, hence the pitiful single HP point, its powerful and massive MP pool could effortlessly block any attacks.


    Nheless.


    Zhang Nu was not discouraged.


    He had learned through the information prompt message.


    The Eye of the Evil God had a fatal weakness.


    Despite the Psychic Barrier being a wless defensive skill, during its deployed state, the eyeball could not use any other skills simultaneously.


    Which was why he must not stop attacking.


    Zhang Nu incessantly summoned lightning bolts and lobbed dragonme fireballs one after another towards the eye. The MP pool of the Eye of the Evil God was further dropped by another two thousand.


    It was overwhelmed.


    It could not find a chance to counterattack.


    Its summoned undeads were being held back by Nancilia.


    At this point, the Eye of the Evil God could only stay passive and defend against the attacks. Its MP was being rapidly consumed as it was used to offset the attacks of the Demon King.


    On the appearance.


    Zhang Nu had the absolute advantage.


    In fact, the fight was not as simple as it seemed.


    In order to maintain the high rate of his barrage of attacks, Zhang Nu exhausted nearly half of his MP pool in a very short period of time, while the Eye of the Evil God only depleted a third of its total MP.


    At this rate.


    Even if Zhang Nu used up all of his MP.


    The eye could still have more than 10,000 MP left.


    It only required a split moment of opening and opportunity, and its fightful attack was more than enough to aplish a counter instant kill.


    It seemed that this was a war of attrition.


    And the loser was unmistakably the Demon King.


    If the Eye of the Evil God really possessed human-like intelligence, then its strategy at the moment must be the same. However, in the process of this war of attrition, the distance between the two became closer and closer.


    "Ha!"


    "Game over!"


    Zhang Nu still had a third of his MP left.


    He revealed a smirk and reached out his arms towards the Eye of the Evil God, activating his Abyssal Devouring skill.


    A mass of devouring energy enveloped the giant eyeball.


    The devouring energies were like leeches to an open wound, ittched on and attached itselves on to the psychic barrier and frantically drained its MP.


    The MP of the Eye of the Evil God was plunging downwards at an incredible speed.


    On the contrary, Zhang Nu''s depleted MP rose straight back up.


    The Eye of the Evil God became agitated and began to desperately radiate its Evil God''s Aura.


    [You are under the effect of a negative energy. HP -84!]


    [You are under the effect of a negative energy. HP -95!]


    [You are under the effect of a negative energy. HP -101!]


    [......]


    The HP drain was a tad bit too fast.


    Zhang Nu, however, instead of being flustered, he became even moreposed.


    The Eye of the Evil God could not move, nor had any closebat ability. It could only watch as its MP was drained at an extreme rate.


    It wanted to resist?


    Don''t be ridiculous.


    It only had a single point of HP.


    Just try to withdraw the barrier and resist if it truly dared.


    The Eye of the Evil God simply could not even buy itself even a second of counterattack opportunity. Its power was indeed formidable, but its tricks were all seen through by Zhang Nu.


    Right now.


    It could only radiate its aura as much as possible.


    It was attempting to constitute a threat to Zhang Nu with this.


    And yet.


    This amount of damage.


    It was not too high nor too low.


    At least it could not pose a threat to him in the short term.


    But instead, it was crystal clear that the Eye of the Evil God was at its wit''s end.


    Under Zhang Nu''s ferocious devouring.


    The psychic barrier began to rapidly shrink and fade.


    The huge MP pool of this eyeball had almost reached the bottom.


    Upon seeing this, Zhang Nu clenched his right fist, thunder and mes wreathed and fused into a radiant high density thunderme bolt.


    "Die!!!"


    His first hammered through the psychic barrier.


    -1!


    The Eye of the Evil God suffered a loss of HP. The entire eyeball was pierced by the thunderme bolt and the terrifying energy shattered it into smithereens.


    [You in the Eye of the Evil God. Gold +???]


    Seeded? That''s it?


    Zhang Nu was a little bewildered.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He did not expect things to go so well.


    Did this thing really just "die" like that?


    This did not make sense. It was thought that Evil Gods were supposed to be unkible, and it would take a lot more effort.


    In the end, it turned out to have gone a little smoother than expected.


    But of course, the major reason as to why he was able to defeat the Eye of the Evil God so easily was that it was too weakened.


    Ten thousand years of sealing.


    It had lost most of its powers and became extremely vulnerable.


    Otherwise.


    The oue of this battle could have beenpletely different.


    After all, it was the Eye of the Evil God.


    The very moment the eye was taken out, all the corpse fiends in the sealing chamber copsed. The endless Evil God''s Aura, as well as the chaotic contamination emanating from the corpse fiends, had finally dissipated.


    [You''ve conquered the Sealed Land!]


    [You gained "Gorgeous Mithminite Treasure Chest"!]


    Only until now.


    Zhang Nu was finally certain that the battle was won.


    After all, the conquering treasure chest reward was already handed out to him!

 Chapter 118: The Tower of Evil Eye & the Beholders

    Zhang Nu opened up the reward treasure chest.


    [You''ve opened the Gorgeous Mithminite Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x 1,800,000, "Level 4 Building Upgrade Scroll" x1, "Blueprint: Tower of Evil Eye" x1, "Blueprint: Beholder''s Lair" x1, "Dark Gem" x300, "Undeath Gem" x500!]


    The Sealed Land was dangerous and treacherous.


    However, in terms of scale, it was not veryrge.


    After Zhang Nu and the young city lord took out the group of mannequins, they did not encounter any other monsters and ran straight into the encounter with the Eye of the Evil God.


    Usually, in this case.


    The gold reward would be rtively lesserpared to other areas with the same level and rank.


    But the other types of rewards were still quite bountiful.


    [Blueprint: Tower of Evil Eye] Level 4 blueprint. Costs gold x800,000, undeath gem x300, dark gem x200, stone x10,000. You may summon a Tower of Evil Eye within your territory.


    [Blueprint: Beholder''s Lair] Level 4 blueprint. Costs gold x1,000,000, dark gem x500, stone x20,000. You may summon a Beholder''s Lair within your territory.


    There were no Level 5 blueprints included in the rewards.


    It was probably due to the extreme rarity of Level 5 blueprints.


    Even in Level 5 areas, the drop rate of these blueprints was low.


    Nevertheless, these two Level 4 blueprints acquired were not bad either.


    The former was simr to the Tower of Grudges, Tower of Detection, Tower of Barrier, etc., which were defensive and precautionary structures.


    However.


    The Tower of Evil Eye was a Level 4 building.


    Its functionality, effectiveness and power would be iparable.


    Thetter blueprint of Beholder''s Lair was obviously a barrack type structure and the value of a Level 4 barrack type building was extremely high.


    The treasure chest this time.


    Though it did not drop any Level 5 blueprints.


    But it did give a Level 4 Building Upgrade Scroll.


    This item could upgrade any Level 4 building into a Level 5, which could be considered to have indirectly obtained a Level 5 structure. This was more than enough to please Zhang Nu.


    "The Evil God has been taken out!"


    Nancilia was very thrilled and ecstatic.


    The seal had bound the Giantree tribe for eons and had wrought disasters upon them numerous times. Was it finallypletely resolved this time?


    "Wait!"


    "Something''s wrong!"


    Only now did Zhang Nu notice that after the Eye of the Evil God was blown to bits, its particles and fragments were still levitating in mid-air, and took the form of a mist-like mass.


    When the cloud of mists gradually coalesced.


    It reassembled into an eyeball once more.


    Nancilia was utterly horrified, "The Eye! It resurrected!"


    Zhang Nu shook his head, "No. It no longer possesses any power. This thing can''t pose any threat to us anymore."


    As he spoke, he grabbed onto the eyeball.


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr th§Ö b§Ö?t n§àv§Öl r§Ö§Ñd?ng §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>


    The moment Zhang Nu came in contact with the eyeball, the familiar bizarre and chaotic energy could be felt once again.


    [You''re under the effect of a negative energy. HP -5!]


    [You''re under the effect of a negative energy. HP -4!]


    [You''re under the effect of a negative energy. HP -5!]


    [......]


    The Eye of the Evil God no longer had any power, but its aura remained. It was still a very hazardous item for ordinary folks.


    [You''ve obtained the "Evil God Fragment" x1. Would you like to assimte it?]


    [Note: The Evil God Fragment is extremely powerful. After absorbing the fragment, you will gain the power of the Evil God. However, your talents, bloodline and physique will be permanently affected. Please make the choice after utmost consideration.]


    Zhang Nu received the information prompt.


    Evil God Fragment? This thing could actually be absorbed!


    Zhang Nu carefully observed the giant eyeball in his hand and examined it with his cheat ability for a more detailed description.


    [Evil God''s Eye] Orange grade special item.


    ......


    Description: This is a fragment of the Evil God that has be temporarily dormant. You may take the opportunity to absorb it and thus ripping the talents and strength of an Evil God for yourself. However, you will inevitably sumb to the powers of the Evil God and eventually transform and trigger mutations. Only a bloodline with divinity can counteract this side effect.


    Zhang Nu now understood.


    Evil Gods were nigh impossible to be truly andpletely vanquished.


    It was only temporarily inactive.


    This thing was currently an item and a material, but if left alone, it woulde back to life within three months.


    For Demon Kings and Heroes.


    The Evil God fragment could be absorbed directly.


    The function of this item was simr to skill stone but much more advanced.


    Skill stones could only grant users a single skill. Whereas the Evil God fragment had the potential to give its user a whole set of skills.


    Now, Zhang Nu only had to absorb this fragment.


    And he would be able to obtain the skills of the Eight-Eyed Evil God and even gain a portion of its talents.


    However.


    Of course there was a price to pay for something so great.


    There was the side effect of mutation and aberrations.


    It would still be somewhat fine if the one kept absorbing the fragments from the same Evil God. As long as all the fragments were collected, the probability was the user would eventually be the Evil God itself.


    But if fragments from different Evil Gods were assimted and their power collided within the user''s body, then the side effects and mutations would bepletely uncontroble. Who knew what kind of abomination or monstrosity one would turn into?


    All in all.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    This eyeball was of great value.


    It was the biggest haul of this expedition.


    But Zhang Nu did not intend to assimte it now, as the description had shown, the side effects were not insurmountable.


    Within Zhang Nu''s Level 4 talents, there was one named "Dragon God Bloodline". As long as the talent was activated, he could ess the potentials of the Dragon God.


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr th§Ö b§Ö?t n§àv§Öl r§Ö§Ñd?ng §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>


    First, acquire this divine bloodline.


    Then, absorb the Evil God fragment.


    Not only could Zhang Nu attain the power of the Evil God this way, he would be able to avoid its influence.


    With the divine bloodline, even if Zhang Nu absorbed fragments from multiple Evil Gods in the future, he would not turn into a freakish abomination or monster while preserving his original talents, which could be said to be the best of both worlds.


    "The Evil God is inactive now."


    "It will no longer constitute a threat to the Giantree Forest."


    Nancilia let out a long sigh of relief. She immediately ryed the good news to the elven elders, and the elves all cheered and bursted into tears.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty!"


    "Thank you for taking back the homnd of our tribe!"


    "The elves of the Giantree tribe can finally return to their homnd and live in peace!"


    Upon learning that the threat within the Giantree Forest was thoroughly settled, the elves were ecstatic and overwhelmed. Their loyalty to the great Demon King once again surged immeasurably.


    From now on.


    Not only could the elves live in Giantree City.


    They could return to the Giantree Forest to restore and rebuild their homnd.


    In the future, once Nancilia broke through to be an Elven King and the elven tribes from all over the world came to unite under her, the Giantree Forest could amodate at least two or three hundred thousands of elves, which was also a positive in Zhang Nu''s eyes.


    After resolving the issue.


    He returned to the Darkness City.


    Zhang Nu then began the preparations for constructing the new buildings.


    The "Tower of Evil Eye" and "Beholder''s Lair" were both very pricey to build, but they were not a liability to Zhang Nu, as the yieldings from the expedition were more than enough to cover the relevant costs.


    [Tower of Evil Eye sessfully constructed!]


    The Tower of Evil Eye was built within the Demon King''s castle.


    [Tower of Evil Eye] Level 4 building.


    Able to instantly reconnoiter all areas within a 500 km radius and detect all kinds of stealth units. Capable of inflicting violent psychic attack upon any target in a 50 km radius.


    Judging from the description.


    The Tower of Evil Eye was a defensive building integrated with both reconnaissance and offensive abilities.


    It could both reconnoiter and attack, and its recon range was up to 500 km, which was several dozen times that of a Tower of Detection!


    Its detection for stealthed and camouged units were also unmatched by the Level 1 Tower of Detection.


    In addition, the Tower of Evil Eye was also capable of carrying out super long range attacks.


    It could perform psychic attacks on any targets within its 50 km radius.


    The Tower of Evil Eye itself was not all tall or eye-catching. By cing it next to the Demon King Altar would be both concealing and safe. No enemies would be able to get to it easily.


    With it.


    The territory''s and the altar''s security were undoubtedly improved significantly.


    [Beholder''s Lair construction sessful!]


    [You''ve unlocked the ability to summon beholder units!]


    <strong><sub><i>§´h§Ö l§Ñt§Ö?t §Ñnd m§à?t §â§à§âul§Ñr n§àv§Öl? §Ñt l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm</i></sub></strong>


    [You''ve gained a new summonable poption: Beholder +50,000, Greater Beholder +10,000, Super Beholder +3,000, Abyssal Beholder +1,000, Beholder Lord +50, Greater Beholder Lord +10, Hellish Beholder Overlord +1!]


    This was a Level 4 barracks-type building.


    The strongest unit summonable was actually a Level 4 overlord unit.


    The beholder race was a species of daemon that was rtivelymon in the underground world as well as the abyssal realm.


    The strength and weakness of the beholders were very extreme.


    Their disadvantages were: low intelligence, slow movement, incredibly fragile, and weak defense. They were basically doomed if an enemy got close to them, even if the enemy was lower level than themselves.


    The advantages were: exceedingly long range perception, high attack power, and exceptionally long attack range. When encountering an opponent of the same level and rank, the beholder unit could usually detect the other party in advance, and instantly kill them.


    Zhang Nu took a nce at the price list.


    [Beholder] Level 1 elite unit. Costs 90 gold.


    [Greater Beholder] Level 2 elite unit. Costs 900 gold.


    [Super Beholder] Level 3 elite unit. Costs 5,000 gold.


    [Abyssal Beholder] Level 4 elite unit. Costs 20,000 gold.


    [Beholder Lord] Level 3 lord unit. Costs 40,000 gold.


    [Greater Beholder Lord] Level 4 lord unit. Costs 200,000 gold.


    [Hellish Beholder Overlord] Level 4 overlord unit. Costs 1,000,000 gold + 500 me gems.


    Overall.


    The beholder units were not expensive.


    In general, units summoned from barracks-type buildings were far less cost effective than the units of their own race.


    For example, the orcish and elven Level 1 elite units cost 300 gold, while the price of a draconian soldier was only 100 gold.


    In terms of overallbat strength.


    The draconian soldier was superior.


    The beholder, while being a Level 1 elite unit, cost only 90 gold, which was very affordable.


    And the main reason for being so affordable was.


    The beholders were not the same as the orcs and elves.


    Not only did they embody some extremely obvious weaknesses, their intelligence was little to none and were incapable of performing anyplex tasks, which was somewhat simr to the cheap undead units.


    But for Zhang Nu.


    The beholders were of great use.


    These magical creatures possessed incredibly long attack range and high attack power, which could be used as a long-range attack force.


    If the Darkness Valley, Giantree City and Berserk Beast City were equipped with arge number of beholders, they would suffice to greatly enhance the city defenses.


    Every single beholder unit.


    Was equivalent to a powerful sniper unit.


    It would definitely be the enemies'' nightmare!


    It could both scout and attack against ground and aerial targets. It was a very practical unit species. Furthermore, when the beholders were out ofbat, their daily consumption was very low as well!


    For Zhang Nu.


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr §Ñ b§Ött§Ör u?§Ör §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>


    The unlocking of beholder species was the perfect addition to his army.

 Chapter 119: A War Looms Nigh

    Within the Scarlet Valley.


    In the Vampire Demon King''s castle.


    A peculiar meeting was being held at the moment.


    The meeting participants included: the 12 great Demon King and 20 representatives of the empire.


    Among these representatives, nearly half of them were Divine Sword Heroes, whereas the 12 Demon Kings were those who had sessfully joined the empire''s ranks through negotiation.


    These Demon Kings were qualified to be enlisted by the empire.


    Though they might not be so strong as to dominate and tyrannize a region.


    They were not mere fodders as well.


    Among the 12 Demon Kings, there were 11 Level 3 Demon Kings, while the Vampire Demon King Bai Hongzhuo, had just seeded in ascending to Level 4.


    With such strength.


    Forget Chaos Forest.


    If he were ranked amongst all others Demon Kings.


    He would be one of the top.


    These 12 Demon Kings were meticulously selected from among hundreds of other Demon King candidates. Their race, talent, strength, potential and abilities were all superb.


    With the empire''s enlistment.


    They had received support from the empire.


    And were constantly given various resources.


    Including materials, gold, and even Hero''s Souls.


    It was impossible for the 12 Demon Kings to not grow and develop under these circumstances.


    It was believed it would not take too long before the Demon Kings would reach Level 4 one after another.


    When that moment arrived, taking over the entirety of Chaos Forest would be a breeze.


    Today''s meeting was rted to this very matter and two major issues were brought up.


    The first was the distribution of forces and territories.


    Nothing could be aplished without rules and regtions.


    For the empire, the Demon Kings under it must be neither too strong or too weak.


    In order to better bnce and distribute the forest region, there must be a clear segmentation of power and territories, so that the 12 Demon Kings could each upy arge area of territory. This was to make sure the Demon Kings would not invade each other, while keeping each other in check.


    The second issue, eradicating the threats.


    There were still many existing threats in the Chaos Forest.


    The Dragon Demon King of the Darkness Valley was the most concerning of all.


    Without receiving any backing or support from external forces.


    Not only did his influence expand.


    He had even taken control over tworge forest cities.


    This Dragon Demon King had naturally be the highest priority as he constituted a tremendous threat to other forest forces, as well as the empire''s n.


    He Tianzong began to brief, "Based on our investigations, the Chaos Forest has a total of 62 cities. Among them were 16rge cities with a resident poption of a hundred thousand and a total poption of around two hundred thousand, the rest are all small or medium cities."


    "In ordance with the empire''s n, we divided the territory of Chaos Forest into 18 parts. Each Demon King present can seize at least one share. Bai Hongzhuo, as the head of the Alliance of the Empire and the Demon Kings, also simultaneously being the strongest, can take an extra share or two."


    "As for the rest of the shares, they will be discreetly upied by the Divine Sword Heroes Guild on behalf of the empire. Any opinions regarding this arrangement?"


    The 12 Demon Kings reviewed the detailed scheme.


    They were all content with it.


    Afterall, by following this division n, each Demon King would be given at least arge forest city, along with two to three small or medium sized cities.


    To them.


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr th§Ö b§Ö?t n§àv§Öl r§Ö§Ñd?ng §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>


    It was simply irresistible.


    Without the support of the empire and itsrge amount of gold and materials, these Demon Kings would not be able to easily seize such arge forest city with their own capabilities.


    For these Demon Kings.


    Their priority was to gobble up the meat that was about to be delivered straight into their mouth first.


    As for whether to find an opportunity to turn against the empire, that would be something to be consideredter. There was no hurry at all for now.


    "Very well!"


    "No objections from anyone."


    "Then this matter is settled for now."


    "Next, let''s proceed to discuss the Darkness Valley as well as the Dragon Demon King."


    Upon hearing this topic.


    The atmosphere of the room turned serious.


    This was the most crucial topic for today''s meeting.


    The news regarding the Dragon Demon King upying tworge cities in a row had now circted in the Chaos Forest. Most of the hundreds of thousands of the Demon Kings scattered in the forest had now received this information.


    As for the 12 Demon Kings on the scene.


    Naturally, they were all well informed about this without exception.


    Bai Hongzhuo had just risen to a Level 4 Demon King. Currently, his ego was fit to burst with confidence, "What''s there to be afraid of? He''s a Level 4 Demon King, I''m also a Level 4 Demon King! And we are numerous! There''s absolutely nothing to be worried about."


    As he spoke.


    The other 11 Demon Kings nodded in agreement.


    However, He Tianzong asserted, "The Dragon Demon King has a solid and substantial foundation. We cannot afford to be careless. We mustunch an assault immediately to stop him from growing bigger and stronger."


    Bai Hongzhuo asked, "How do you suggest we fight?"


    He Tianzong replied, "Whether it''s the Berserk Beast City or the Giantree City, they both possess arge number of elite garrisons, as well as solid defenses. Especially the Giantree City, which has a history of over 300 years, boasts a very well established city defense system."


    "For us, not only are these 2 cities tough nuts to crack, but even if we do manage to conquer these cities, all we did was capture them. That is not in line with our goal of eradicating the Dragon Demon King."


    "So, instead of assaulting these 2 cities."


    "We should take Darkness Valley by surprise and attack it directly."


    "Once the Dragon Demon King''s main camp falls, be it Giantree City or Berserk Beast City, we won''t even have to fight to capture them."


    Both the Demon Kings and the Heroes nodded their heads.


    What He Tianzong proposed made perfect sense.


    The difficulty in sieging either Berserk Beast City or Giantree City were not to be trifled with.


    Although it was still very possible to capture them by force, it would have cost a huge price.


    Furthermore, it would dy the extermination of the Dragon Demon King.


    As opposed to assaulting the forest cities with a fully developed city defense system, it would be better to simply invade the Darkness Valley. The construction period of thetter was far more shorter, it was bound to have a few defensive ws in it.


    As long as the invasion was sufficiently quick.


    They could take down the Dragon Demon King''s base camp before the two forest cities could even react.


    By then, the Giantree City and the Berserk Beast City would no longer pose any threat. It would be a matter of time and course before the two cities joined their ranks.


    This was when one of the Demon Kings suddenly remarked, "But the terrain of Darkness Valley is treacherous, and its location is way too far for us. Once we make any movement, it is nearly impossible for the Dragon Demon King to be unaware."


    The other Demon Kings also frowned upon hearing these words.


    "That''s true. If the Dragon Demon King notices us in advance, he could make use of the terrain to hold us back."


    "Once the invasion drags out, the reinforcement from the Giantree City and Berserk Beast City will pin us in."


    "......"


    In regards to everyone''s concern on this matter.


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr th§Ö b§Ö?t n§àv§Öl r§Ö§Ñd?ng §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>


    Naturally, He Tianzong had already thought of it long ago.


    He spoke calmly, "That''s why we can''t use conventional troops. We have to assemble arge armyposed entirely of flyingbat units!"


    As the statement was made.


    The crowd''s expressions changed once again.


    An armyposed entirely of flight units?


    If that was the case.


    Then it would be a sure victory.


    Flight units had high mobility.


    Such units could arrive at the Dark Valley within a day, ignoring the treacherous terrain and its defensive advantages, andunch an attack on its core facilities at the first opportunity before the Dragon Demon King could react.


    The regiments of Giantree City and Berserk Beast City would not even have time to react.


    Even if the worst case scenario urred.


    And they were unable topletely take down Darkness Valley.


    With the mobility of flying units, they could also withdraw in time to minimize their casualties. By making Darkness Valley suffer severe losses was sufficient to significantly weaken the strength and influence of the Dragon Demon King.


    Bai Hongzhuo agreed, "This is a good approach, all of my vampire troops have the ability to fly. The Demon Kings present can also more or less provide some of their flying troops."


    The 12 Demon Kings did some calctions.


    Just bybining the flying units of these Demon Kings.


    They could assemble a flight unit army with the size of over 30,000 in number.


    With this army alone.


    Against a mere Dragon Demon King.


    It was absolutely more than sufficient.


    He Tianzong continued, "The Divine Sword Heroes had taken control over several winged-kin tribes, as well as a few harpy tribes. We could mobilize at least 5,000 winged-kins and harpies. Furthermore, I will be borrowing more troops from various forest cities."


    With those additional troops.


    That had to be nearly 50,000 in total.


    Although the army was a motley crowd, and most of them were just normal units. But, as flight units, they already had the advantage of aerial suppression.


    The number was sorge.


    It was nigh impossible to defend against.


    No matter how strong the Dragon Demon King was.


    No matter how good the defense facilities of Darkness Valley were.


    It was absolutely not possible to repel such an overwhelming blitz assault, especially when it was a surprise attack where the Dragon Demon King would be unprepared for.


    The scene during the invasion raid.


    Just by imagining it was appalling enough.


    It would not take more than a few minutes to raze the entire territory to the ground!


    Even if the Dragon Demon King was formidable, once his territory and his Demon King Altar werepletely demolished, he would not be able to stir up any troubles.


    "Since no one has any objection."


    "This matter is then decided."


    "This time, the Divine Sword Heroes Guild will also go all out on this assault."


    He Tianzong asserted, "I intend to send two Level 4 Heroes to join the raid."


    "In addition, half of the members of the elite group stationed at Bloody Fortress will also be sent out."


    "Hmph, even if the Dragon Demon King truly is all powerful. We will crush himpletely this time!!!"


    Two Level 4 Heroes?


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr §Ñ b§Ött§Ör u?§Ör §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>


    The Demon Kings were horrified and shaken.


    Level 4 Heroes were very rare nowadays.


    He Tianzong had actually nned to send out two at once. Half of the Divine Sword elite members would also join the battle, hence there must be at least twenty to thirty Level 3 Heroes!


    Such tremendous force.


    Was enough to deal with any of the Demon Kings in the room.


    Even the Level 4 Vampire Demon King Bai Hongzhuo should be extremely wary and afraid.


    He Tianzong already plotted to deploy such a huge flying army, and yet he still intended to send out numerous elites and powerful individuals of the Divine Sword guild.


    Themitment and determination shown here was extraordinary.


    Remarkable.


    Such unrelenting power.


    Such overwhelming force.


    Such a ferocious invasion raid.


    The Dragon Demon King would not have any opportunity to turn the tides.


    He Tianzong just wanted to take control over the Chaos Forest as soon as possible.


    Once he set a goal, he would spare no efforts!


    The operation was undoubtedly top secret.


    Su Yan, however, discovered the abnormality that night.


    There were all kinds of Demon King affiliates.


    They kept arriving from every direction.


    They did not enter the Bloody Fortress and draw any attention to themselves.


    Instead, they went straight towards the Scarlet Valley.


    It was assumed that they were heading to their of the Vampire Demon King to rendezvous.


    And these units were of different types and species, obviously hailing from several different Demon King territories.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Why are the Demon Kings bringing in troops?"


    Su Yan also noticed.


    All of them were flight units.


    She immediately suspected that the Demon Kings were secretly forming a flying army.


    Needless to say.


    This must have been nned by the Divine Sword Heroes Guild.


    Su Yan was well aware that the Demon Kings would not have brought in so many troops without any reason. They were certainly about to have a major movement.


    Currently, within this Chaos Forest.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    There were not many ces who were worthy of such drastic efforts.


    Su Yan had a bad premonition.


    This time the scale of this operation was too big, too overwhelming!


    Not to mention, they were all flying units.


    Not even Darkness Valley could withstand such an invasion, it would be exceedingly difficult to repel.


    Even if the Boss was truly so mighty and somehow managed to hold off the assault.


    Both the interior and exterior of the Darkness Valley, its infrastructures and facilities would all inevitably suffer severe damage. It would be such a devastating blow, thus causing a rapid decline on the territory''s construction progress.


    Su Yan hurriedly sent out her transmission bat to ry the information, so that the Boss could be prepared in advance.


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr th§Ö b§Ö?t n§àv§Öl r§Ö§Ñd?ng §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>

 Chapter 120: The Beholders

    Meanwhile, at the gold mine of Berserk Beast City.


    The Demon King assigned nearly a thousand of draconianborers and craftsmen to aid with the development progress.


    The draconians built the corresponding facilities, as well as forged a variety of equipment and tools necessary for mining for the orcs with utmost speed


    Because of this.


    The mining operation began much sooner than expected.


    The city lord of the Berserk Beast City, Gru was attentive to the development progress of the mines.


    These numerous mineral mines were the hope of the orcs being able to feed and support themselves, and lead a good life in the future.


    "City lord!"


    An orc hastily rushed into the room.


    This was Gru''s newly appointed Master of Ten Thousands.


    He was given the responsibility to manage the orc miners working in the gold mine.


    Gru hurriedly and anxiously asked, "How is it?"


    The Master of Ten Thousands answered with excitement, "City lord, the first batch of gold has been excavated without issues, and the quantity is far more than expected!"


    Gru was jubnt at the news.


    He went to inspect in person.


    Only when the dazzling, gleaming, and heavy chunks of gold nuggets came into his view, he dared to believe that this was not a dream after all.


    It turned out.


    The orcs did not need to loot and plunder.


    A heaping amount of gold could be just dug out from these damned and deste barren mountains.


    70% of the total output from the Berserk Beast City''s mining operations must be handed over to the Demon King, only the remaining 30% could be kept by Berserk Beast City as city ie. It did seem like a miniscule amount, but it was in fact the opposite.


    Gru had worked out the calctions.


    Just this batch of shared gold ie alone.


    Probably worth half a month of plundering for the previous Berserk Beast City.


    One should be aware that at present, this ie was procured from only investing a total of around 10,000 manpower into the excavations. In addition, the official mining operation had only been running for two or three days.


    Moreover.


    These 10,000 manpower.


    Their efficiency was not that high at the moment either.


    Afterall, the gold mine facilities were still in the midst of being constructed and installed.


    Based on the gold reserves.


    With the maturity of the mining operations and the expansion of its scale.


    Along with thebor forces fully put into excavation.


    Gru had no doubt that in the future, these ten thousand gold miners would bring in over eight, or even ten times more ie for Berserk Beast City than the prior plunderings and lootings ever could.


    The gold mine had very huge reserves.


    It could ensure the Berserk Beast City''s prosperity for ten to twenty years.


    Gru enthusiastically thought to himself, there were dozens of mineral deposits to be mined in the barren mountains near the Berserk Beast City, and the city had sufficientbor force to match as well.


    With the aid of the Demon King.


    It would not be problematic for the orcs to mine these resources.


    This would be the momentum for the Berserk Beast City to rise and prosper!


    The future of Berserk Beast City was to be a city with riches and abundance, where orcs could live a decent and prospered life without needing to fight, kill and plunder.


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr §Ñ b§Ött§Ör u?§Ör §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>


    They were truly blessed by the Goddess of War.


    It was also fortunate that the old city lord was no more, killed by the Demon King.


    Otherwise, how could he, Gru, be the city lord?


    Otherwise, how could Berserk Beast City have today''s changes and development?


    Gru hade to a realization that if the Berserk Beast City were to continue to develop and flourish, it had to resolutely abandon the hideous practices from during the old city''s era, and be firmly devoted to His Majesty, the Demon King.


    The gold was delivered to the Darkness City.


    [Gold discovered. Would you like to convert?]


    [Gold sessfully converted. Gold +64129!]


    Having received the gold.


    Zhang Nu felt pleased.


    Although to him now, a mere sixty thousand gold was not much. But the fact that the orc''s gold mining operation had only been running for a few days, and yet so much gold could be handed up indicated that the gold mine had great prospects ahead of it.


    As the mining operations matured in the future.


    It would bring in an additional daily ie of over 100,000 gold.


    This amount of gold was the ie that would be delivered into the hands of the Demon King. The Berserk Beast City only retained the remaining 30% of it, which still resulted in several tens of thousands of gold in daily ie.


    This was not a small amount of gold.


    The Chaos Forest was no thriving kingdom.


    The Berserk Beast City was even less of a developedmercial city.


    For a primitive forest city, and a bunch of unsophisticated and rustic bumpkins, such ie was beyond their wildest dreams.


    The orcs could use this ie to purchase food, supplies, equipment, and various food from Darkness City and Giantree City, as well as invest in their own industries, which was enough to allow all the orcs to live a life offort.


    When that timees.


    Berserk Beast City would no longer be a despised den of bandits, but rather a beacon for the orcs and the hope of their race, then the orcs from all over the forest would rush to join their ranks.


    Compared to Berserk Beast City.


    The potential of the Giantree City''s elves was even greater.


    The farm area near the Tree of Life was still expanding.


    Currently, it''s size and scale.


    Was no smaller than that of the goblin farms.


    In the future, it would be evenrger, with great potential and prospects.


    Several tens of thousands of elves had been organized to engage inrge scale nting, animal breeding, medicine production, and alchemy.


    The ie generated by the Giantree City for the Demon King was quickly catching up and was soon to match Darkness City, the main base. When the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce had opened up the market, there would still be a huge growth potential to be tapped.


    Just like Berserk Beast City.


    The Demon King would take 70% of the ie.


    This would still be enough to make Giantree City several times wealthier than before.


    Just then, the high priest Li Si came over, "Master, urgent information, there''s movement from the Divine Sword guild."


    Zhang Nu''s spirit perked, "They''re finally making a move? What are they nning to do this time?"


    Li Si reported the content of the intelligence.


    "ording to the information provided by Su Yan, there''s currently a staggering scale of flying units assembling in the Scarlet Valley near the vicinity of the Bloody Fortress."


    "Regarding this Scarlet Valley."


    "Su Yan had made a thorough investigation the other day."


    "That is air of a Vampire King, one of the earliest Demon Kings recruited by the empire, and has most likely broken through to Level 4."


    <strong><sub><i>§´h§Ö l§Ñt§Ö?t §Ñnd m§à?t §â§à§âul§Ñr n§àv§Öl? §Ñt l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm</i></sub></strong>


    "Now, more than ten Demon Kings have sent out their flying troops to converge in the Scarlet Valley. This servant believes that the Divine Sword Heroes are forming arge-scale aerial force!"


    Zhang Nu nodded and remarked, "Indeed, this is no small movement from them and the target seems very clear. There''s an 80% probability that they''re heading right over here."


    Why therge-scale aerial units only army?


    If they were assaulting Berserk Beast City, Giantree City, or any other ces.


    It was not necessary for the Divine Sword Heroes to spend so much effort to mobilize so many aerial forces. Even if they did deploy aerial forces to attack these cities, they should be apanied and paired with ground troops.


    Now, in this situation.


    It is possible that they were worried that the deployment of ordinary ground troops on arge scale would be difficult to conceal, bing easily detected and guarded in advance by the target, thereby losing the significance of the surprise attack.


    It might also be because the ce they were nning to assault had extremely treacherous terrain around it, and not easily essible to the ordinary ground forces.


    Taking all factors into consideration.


    It was likely they were aiming tounch a surprise raid on Darkness Valley.


    The intelligence from Su Yan was quite timely.


    Although the construction of the Tower of Evil Eye had made it impossible for the Darkness City to be raided, as long as the attackers were within 500km, they would be detected.


    However, the city might still suffer some losses due to inadequate preparations.


    But now.


    There was at least one whole day before they arrived.


    Zhang Nu had plenty of time to prepare.


    He had ordered for the farm barriers to be activated right away, the goblins in goblin town, along with the minotaurs in minotaur camp to seek shelter, and theborers who went out to gather wood and stones to return to the city at once.


    Furthermore, he deployed more elites in the vicinity of the vital facilities, including the Temples of Nature and War, Altar of Inferno, Beholder''s Lair, etc. to prevent them from being damaged in the uing battle.


    Zhang Nu was preparing for what needed to be prepared.


    And would protect what needed to be protected.


    He was confident in the strength of Darkness City.


    The Darkness City was home to the draconian legion, and had various facilities to aid in defending therge-scale aerial raid. Withstanding the uing assault would not be difficult.


    The only thing that was necessary to be considered.


    Was how to minimize the damage.


    Draconian soldiers did not have the ability to fly unless they reached the level of a super soldier. This meant that the Draconian Soldiers and High Draconian Soldiers would be easily restrained by enemy flying units and incapable of achieving their fullbat power.


    Under this situation.


    The only solution was to equip them with crossbows in advance.


    Or deploy arge number of mage units to deal with the aerial force.


    However.


    Compared to these measures, the Demon King had a better option.


    Zhang Nu then spent 900,000 gold to summon up 10,000 beholders.


    After the summoning waspleted.


    A group of strange and eerie beings emerged from the Beholder''s Lair. These magical creatures were rtively rare on the surface world.


    They did not possess a body, limbs, or even a brain.


    These creatures had a very simple body structure. They wereposed of a mass of tentacles and soft tissues that supported arge eye.


    They could move using their tentacles.


    But their speed wasparatively sluggish.


    At first nce, these creatures, although bizarre looking and a little empty headed, gave the impression of not being very strong or threatening. It would be a grave mistake if one would really think so.


    Zhang Nu took a look at its stats.


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr th§Ö b§Ö?t n§àv§Öl r§Ö§Ñd?ng §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>


    [Beholder] Level 1 elite unit.


    Skills: Beholder''s Beam (C rank), Slow Ray (D rank), Eye of Detection (D rank).


    As a Level 1 elite unit.


    It surprisingly had a C rank skill.


    C rank skills were usually only avable to Level 2 elite units.


    This Beholder''s Beam was the core ability of these beholders, with an attack range that could reach over a thousand meters away. It was incredibly fast and powerful, and if it directly hit its target, it could instantly kill an elite unit of the same level.


    Beholders were the ssic "fragile, low HP, low speed, super high attack" units.


    One or two beholders were not that scary or threatening.


    And yet, now, Zhang Nu had summoned ten thousand beholders.


    Who could withstand this!


    If these 10,000 beholders simultaneously focused their attack on the same target, the intensity of the attacks generated would definitely be above the power of an A rank skill, enough to severely wound a Level 4 overlord existence in an instant!


    But of course.


    Spending 900,000 gold.


    To summon up 10,000 beholders.


    Their purpose was not solely to deal with this invasion.


    These invading insects were not qualified for Zhang Nu to break the bank specifically for them. Zhang Nu originally had the intention to mass summon beholders anyways.


    The beholders were not suitable for battles in the wilderness.


    They were, however, particrly suitable to be distributed to territories, such as the Giantree City, Berserk Beast City, and various other towns and viges as a fixed-point scouting and defensive tower, which could effectively enhance the defenses of these ces.


    The strength of a beholder was not just in its strong and long ranged attack.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    With its big eye, it possessed remarkable vision.


    Not only could it see far, it could also detect stealth, and serve as an observatory and alerting function, which was also a great help to the security of the territories.


    Zhang Nu promptly issued an order.


    The 10,000 beholders squirmed sluggishly and they took several hours to be finally distributed to various positions in the Darkness City. The beholders began to stare at the sky with their single giant eye, standing by.


    Other than the ones who could fly.


    The draconian legion were no longer needed to actively engage with the enemies this time.


    As their primary mission was to assist the beholders inbat.


    After the deployments were done, Zhang Nu began to wait patiently. At midnight of the very same day, the Tower of Evil Eye found the targets.


    The Tower of Evil Eye was shaped like a tower with a giant eye. It directly projected the image seen through the eye as a holographic projection.


    This was a lot more advanced than an All-Knowing Crystal.


    Zhang Nu, as well as Zhang San and Li Si saw arge swath of flying units were taking advantage of the night sky to fly beneath the moonlight, and wherever they passed by was like a sea of overwhelmingly dark clouds.


    Li Si was a little astounded, "They''ve sent so many?"


    Zhang San replied with an excited tone, "They are all here to die!"


    Zhang Nu pondered and spoke, "Have the beholders standby for mymand. Do not let them attack as soon as they find the targets. Otherwise, the enemies would just flee in fear before the battle even fully begins."


    From the scale of it.


    There were 40,000 to 50,000 of them.


    Even though most of them were just fodders and small fries.


    The scale of this army was indeed not small at all.


    Zhang Nu reckoned this army was assembled by expending a huge amount of fortune from their own pockets.


    Which was why, after this battle, it would be difficult for the Divine Sword Heroes and the dozen Demon Kings to form another aerial unit army again in a short period.


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr §Ñ b§Ött§Ör u?§Ör §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>

 Chapter 121: The Night Raid

    "Get ready!"


    "The Darkness Valley is just ahead!"


    "Take advantage of the night andunch a surprise assault!"


    This joint army of the empire''s forces was now only a few dozen miles away from the Darkness Valley, and would soon arrive as per their speed.


    Theposition of this joint army was very mixed and diverse.


    Among them werebat units summoned by the Demon Kings, such as vampire warriors and harpies, as well as the native tribal warriors.


    The vast and dense mass of armies.


    Shrouding and spreading across the night sky.


    As if a thick cloud of darkness.


    As if a massive swarm of locusts.


    This army was not led by the Demon Kings themselves, but by dozens of elite Heroes from the Divine Sword Heroes Guild.


    The two individuals at the head ofmand.


    Their strengths were the most prominent.


    One of them was a winged-kin Hero with dual wielding swords and wreathed in lightning, which seemed to have highbat prowess.


    The other was a human Hero riding atop a griffin. She appeared to be a middle-aged woman in white robe, equipped with a crystal wand.


    The winged-kin Hero was named Cao Zuo.


    He was once a top lone wolf Hero in the Chaos Forest and had killed over a dozen Demon Kings by himself. He was unfathomably powerful and waster recruited by the Divine Sword guild.


    The human Hero was called Zhu Yan.


    He Tianzong had brought this Hero from Count Kolo''s territory and she was originally the vice president of the territory''s magic union. Zhu Yan was a powerful mage with the strength of a Level 4 lord.


    The two Heroes, whether it was the winged-kin Cao Zuo or the human Zhu Yan, they both represent the pinnacle ofbat power amongst the current Heroes.


    The strengths of these two.


    Was evenparable to the Deputy Head, He Tianzong.


    He Tianzong, as the paramount leader of the Divine Sword Heroes Guild in the Chaos Forest could not just simply lead the charge personally, which was why he sent these two Heroes.


    This opportunity.


    It was a pleasant surprise to Cao Zuo and Zhu Yan.


    Among the known Demon King powerhouses in the Chaos Forest, the Dragon Demon King of the Darkness Valley was currently the most formidable, both in terms of individual strength as well as the size and scale of his territory and army.


    The deputy head had given the two the opportunity to kill such a Demon King.


    This was definitely a generous favor.


    "Let me handle this Demon King! Dragons have exceedingly high magic resistance, it''s too dangerous for you!" said Cao Zuo to Zhu Yan beside him.


    "Who said mages can''t kill dragons?" Zhu Yan sneered, "You''re just saying that so you can im the kill and take the credit!"


    Cao Zuo retorted, "I''m just being kind. If you don''t listen, don''t me others when you fail."


    "Worry about yourself!", eximed Zhu Yan.


    "The Demon King is mine!"


    Zhu Yan wore a stiff expression without a sign of deference or giving in.


    Cao Zuo revealed a disdained expression, "Very well! We''ll see who''s better!"


    The two Level 4 Heroes had already begun topete in secret, afterall, the stakes and benefits from killing this Dragon Demon King was just too great.


    Not only could they yield arge number of training points.


    Which would allow them to break through to Level 5 in the shortest time frame.


    They could also, if luck were on their side, obtain one or even a few dragon talents that would benefit them for life. Who could resist such temptations?


    As for the danger of the mission?


    The Heroes never had any concerns about the danger.


    The entire operation, from the nning, to the secret meeting, and finally the thousand mile expedition overnight, only took two days.


    The Dragon Demon King could not have been on guard.


    Without any preparations, it was inevitable that the Darkness Valley would be reduced to ruins when assaulted by an overwhelming attack.


    There was only one uncertainty.


    It was whether they could sessfully kill the Dragon Demon King.


    The Demon King had even taken out the old city lord of Berserk Beast City, a Level 3 overlord existence. He was very likely an immensely powerful Level 4 Demon King.


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr th§Ö b§Ö?t n§àv§Öl r§Ö§Ñd?ng §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>


    However.


    For the Divine Swords guild.


    For He Tianzong.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Whether the Demon King could be killed or not was not of the utmost importance. As long as the Dragon Demon King''s base and his Demon King Altar werepletely destroyed, even if he survived, it would be irrelevant as he could no longer pose a threat to the empire''s n.


    "We have arrived above the Darkness Valley!"


    The human Hero, Zu Yan called out to the army with a magical voice transmission, "I will proceed to use a dispeling spell to lift the masking of magical fog in the valley, but the dispeling effect will onlyst for twenty minutes."


    "As soon as the fog dissipates, attack immediately! Do not hesitate!"


    "Keep in mind to prioritize demolishing the structures in the Demon King''s territory, especially his castle and altar!"


    "The first one to break into the castle will be rewarded with three C rank skill stones, and whoever can destroy the Demon King altar will be promptly rewarded with three B rank skill stones!"


    Upon hearing the bounty reward.


    The dozen of Heroes'' eyes turned bloodshot.


    Indeed, they did not possess the strength to confront this tremendously mighty Demon King alone.


    However, as the elite members of the Divine Sword Heroes Guild.


    Each of them still had the strength of a Level 3 lord on average.


    If they joined hands, they could definitely deal with several Level 3 overlords, or several Level 4 lords, which was undoubtedly a high-endbat power that should not be trifled with.


    Generous rewards would always rouse one to heroism.


    With such a high reward on offer.


    The dozen of Heroes would certainly rush to storm the castle, and frantically assault the altar like madmen.


    Even if the Demon King was powerful.


    He would not be able to defend against so many Heroes.


    Heroes were different from the native warriors, theirbat style, skills and talents were all varied and diverse. There would always be unforeseeable skills and techniques beyond expectations


    "Disperse!"


    Zhu Yan let out a loud shout.


    A B rank dispeling spell was unleashed upon the valley.


    A dispel type spell could eliminate any magical energy or effect in a targeted area.


    The Tower of Fog of the Darkness City was only a Level 1 building, and the magical fog it created posed no threat against a Level 4 mage who mastered arge-scale dispeling spell.


    Almost instantly.


    The fog-shrouded valley became visible under the moonlight.


    The Heroes and warriors immediately fixated on the Darkness City.


    The masses drew a sharp intake of cold air at the sight of the city. Who would have thought that the Demon King had built such a massive city in their forest.


    "The territory was more developed than we thought!"


    "It''s fortunate that we acted in time!"


    "Otherwise, once the Demon King bes even more powerful, it''s all over!"


    "Kill! ughter! Destroy! Massacre them all! Focus on the castle! I want all the buildings to be leveled and razed to the ground!"


    Within an instant.


    Tens of thousands of silhouettes.


    From the dark clouds, they dived straight into the valley.


    This sort of astounding spectacle was unimaginable in a standard ground battle.


    As a winged-kin, Cao Zuo possessed phenomenal speed. He led the charge and was the first to arrive above the Demon King Castle. Immense Qi condensed on Cao Zuo''s dual swords as he stabbed against the castle walls.


    And yet.


    With a loud bang.


    His blow was repelled.


    Cao Zuo''s expression darkened dramatically, "A barrier? Damn! This castle had been upgraded. It''s an advanced Demon King Castle!"


    Ordinary Demon King Castles did not have barriers.


    Only advanced Demon King Castles were protected by barriers.


    Although this barrier could be breached and shattered, it would take a lot of effort...Fortunately, there was enough manpower this time. This barrier alone would not be able to stop the alliance force.


    Countless alliance warriors.


    <strong><sub><i>§´h§Ö l§Ñt§Ö?t §Ñnd m§à?t §â§à§âul§Ñr n§àv§Öl? §Ñt l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm</i></sub></strong>


    Descended like a torrent of rain.


    In this instance, they had alle down right above the Darkness City.


    There were no formations or tactics among them, all units were free tounch their attacks, which maximizes thebat power and efficiency of flying units.


    "The Demon King was really unprepared!"


    As Zhu Yan saw the army had sessfully entered the airspace of the Darkness City, and yet the defense and counterattack from the Demon King''s side was sluggish, she revealed a triumphant smile, "Now he''s finished!"


    At this pace.


    Before the Demon King could react.


    The Darkness City would have long since been reduced to ruins.


    The castle would have also long since been turned into rubble when the Demon King finally began to organize a resistance effort.


    As the thought emerged in Zhu Yan''s mind, something unexpected happened. Almost simultaneously, the Darkness City shrouded in darkness and silence was suddenly lit up with tens of thousands bright shes.


    "What...is that?"


    The mass of warriors did not have the chance to contemte.


    At the very next instance.


    Tens of thousands of light beams fired in unison.


    The entire night sky was illuminated.


    The Darkness City became bright as day.


    The beam attacks had blistering speed, backed by even ludicrous offensive power. Within a split moment, thousands of alliance troops got struck and prated by the beams, screaming and crying as they fell from the sky.


    "How could this happen!"


    "What the hell is this?"


    The shocking sight left the alliance army startled and horrified.


    Because almost in an instant, a considerable amount of their previously arrogant and ego-inted fellow troops were cut down as if merely reaping some wheat.


    These beams had far reach, high power, and unparalleled precision.


    Some even prated and went through multiple targets.


    And yet, almost none missed.


    With just a single wave of attack, the army suffered heavy casualties and their once strong morale was deted like a popped balloon.


    "Run!"


    "Hurry!"


    "A second wave ising!"


    A Hero riding on top of a giant eagle realized in terror.


    Just three seconds after the first wave of attack, Darkness City lit up again in countless shes of light. The second wave of attack was charged up, and the second wave of attack was about to arrive.


    He hastily urged on his giant eagle in an attempt to escape this hellish nightmare.


    Toote.


    Countless beams of light illuminated the night sky once again.


    At least three of the beamsnded on the giant eagle in which the Hero was riding upon, two of them went straight through the eagle and struck the Hero behind.


    "AHHH!!"


    There was a miserable cry.


    The Hero lost his bnce.


    And he fell from a height of several hundred meters.


    In the blink of an eye.


    A heavy rain fell upon Darkness City.


    It was a rainposed of blood, numerous body parts and corpses that were prated and torn apart by the light beams. A thick stench of blood and gore permeated throughout every corner of the city.


    Two waves of attacks.


    Merely two waves of attacks.


    And the entire alliance forces hadpletely lost their spirit and resolve. At least tens of thousands ofbat units were ughtered, including seven to eight Heroes.


    Cao Zuo and Zhu Yan were stupified.


    This oue waspletely different from what was imagined!


    What exactly had the Demon King installed in the city?


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr th§Ö b§Ö?t n§àv§Öl r§Ö§Ñd?ng §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>


    Why was there such a dense and frightening rain of light beams?


    Before the Heroes could catch their breath from the second wave of attack, a third wave began to brew, and then it erupted. A series of dense and deadly beams blotted out the sky like a nket of light and weaved themselves among the alliance troops.


    "Fucking shit!"


    "It''s a trap!"


    "Retreat! Retreat! All of you retreat!"


    Cao Zuo was being locked on by six light beams, he unleashed a wave of Qi, dispersing the attacks and decisively fled the castle.


    This battle could no longer go on!


    The Demon King was obviously prepared for them.


    Furthermore, these monsters that shot those beams of lights were incredibly deadly against their air raid units!


    The mission had failed miserably.


    The Divine Sword had underestimated the Demon King!


    Not only did they underestimate the intelligence capabilities of the Demon King, they also misjudged the army and forces at his disposal. This was a hopeless operation that was doomed to fail!


    This was way too foolish!


    They were like moths to a me!


    Cao Zuo intended to slip away alone.


    As for how many of these fodders could escape and survive? That was no longer a concern of his. He had even lost faith and confidence towards the Divine Sword Heroes Guild.


    However.


    Just then.


    Cao Zuo had a sensation.


    His brain was in trance and he had lost control of his own body.


    [You''re under the effect of "Evil God''s Gaze", HP -100, stunned for 5 seconds!]


    [You''re under the effect of "Evil God''s Gaze", HP -100, stunned for 5 seconds!]


    "A psychic attack?"


    Cao Zuo was bewildered.


    At the present, he had already soared up to several hundred meters high in the air.


    What kind of psychic attack was this to still be able to pinpoint him!


    [You''re under the effect of "Evil God''s Gaze", HP -100, stunned for 5 seconds!]


    Cao Zuo was renderedpletely incapacitated, and quickly fell out of the sky. With a loud crash, hended on the za of Darkness City.


    There were beholders everywhere.


    They were constantly firing beams of light towards the night sky.


    Cao Zuo was struggling to pick himself up.


    He recalled that he still had a teleportation scroll.


    As things stood, there was no other choice but to use it to save himself.


    But then.


    [You''re under the effect of "Evil God''s Gaze", HP -100, stunned for 5 seconds!]


    "Shit!"


    "Enough! Is there any end to this?!"


    Cao Zuo was on the verge of a meltdown.


    He did not even have any clue of where this continuous psychic attack wasing from.


    It was then that a towering and burly figure strode up to him.


    The Draconian Marshal, Zhang San looked down at the half dead high-ranking Hero that was lying on the ground. He grinned, revealing his mouthful of white teeth and scoffed, "How dare small fries like you even attempt to wreak havoc upon Master''s territory?!"


    Cao Zuo cried in fear, "Demon King? Wait, don''t kill me! We can still talk!"


    The draconian marshal raised his giant de.


    And cleaved downwards.


    A big severed head rolled onto the square.


    Zhang San lugged the blood stained de on his shoulder.


    He gave the decapitated corpse that was still gushing blood a firm kick and knocked the body over.


    <strong><sub><i>§´h§Ö l§Ñt§Ö?t §Ñnd m§à?t §â§à§âul§Ñr n§àv§Öl? §Ñt l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm</i></sub></strong>


    Finally, he remarked contemptuously, "Wanting to meet Master? Did you really think you''re worthy enough?"

 Chapter 122: Activating the Divine Bloodline and Assimilating the Vile Fragment

    For this battle.


    Zhang Nu did not participate in the fight nor make any move.


    Nevertheless, he did not intend to miss the show.


    Zhang Nu was seated on top of the terrace of his castle.


    A row of fox-kin maids were standing by at his sides, each with fruits or confectionery in their hands, and a few bottles of excellent wine brewed by the elves were specifically opened for this asion.


    He was enjoying the spectacle of the battle.


    It was as if he was watching a 6D immersive movie.


    Along with the fine wine as well as the maid service, it was a pleasant and leisure experience.


    [You''ve in a Level 3 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 3 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1! Skill stone +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 3 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1! Skill stone +1!]


    [......]


    [You''ve in a Level 3 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 4 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1! Skill stone +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 4 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1! Skill stone +2!]


    [You''ve in a Level 3 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1!]


    [......]


    Zhang Nu''s yer interface was being bombarded with kill confirmation cues. One could vividly imagine the severity of this battle just by looking at the streams of prompts.


    Suffice to say.


    This was no longer a battle, it was a massacre. This was no battlefield, it was a ughterhouse.


    The beholders'' light beams continued to illuminate the night sky.


    One after another, the invaders were hit, screaming in terror as they fell out the sky.


    Death! Carnage! Despair!


    Lives were so fragile and feeble in ces like this.


    Zhang Nu felt this was the epiphany and pinnacle beauty of extreme violence.


    Within just twenty minutes.


    The battle was basically over.


    Zhang Nu stood up and swept a nce around his territory.


    The structures and buildings of Darkness City were virtually unscathed.


    The air, however, was brimming with a pungent odor of blood and charred flesh.


    The ground was littered with bodies and corpses of various species, including vampires, harpies, winged-kins, varying giant eagles and hawks, winged beasts, as well as other misceneous flying mounts.


    It was a spectacle reminiscent of an apocalypse.


    Zhang Nu muttered, "I thought these guys could more or less retaliate, but I didn''t anticipate the beholders to be this proficient in anti-air defense.


    The moment the ten thousand beholders began firing en masse.


    It nearlypletely devastated the fighting spirit and morale of the alliance army.


    The draconian legion had very few opportunities to engage the alliance troops, as only a minority of them was able tond and attack the beholders, the remaining majority were brutally mowed down by the beholder beams.


    The beholders'' attack range was just too far reaching.


    And it could unleash its beam attack every three seconds.


    However, the attack had a hefty MP consumption rate.


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr §Ñ b§Ött§Ör u?§Ör §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>


    Based on the beholders'' total MP.


    It could originally only fire its beam attack ten times or so in a row.


    But due to the buffing and amplification effects of the Lifespring, Demon King Castle and the Temple of Nature, they could attack for a total of at least twenty times.


    Ten thousand beholders.


    With each and every one of them attacking for twenty times.


    That would be 200,000 rays of beam attacks.


    In addition, beholders had acute precision in their attacks.


    When faced against such a high intensity and density barrage of deadly light beams, the alliance joint army had neither preparations nor ns.


    Which was why.


    Their defeat was inevitable.


    Zhang Nu reviewed the spoils of this battle.


    This time, the enemy quality was rather poor, with only one eighth of elite units among these forty to fifty thousandbat units, the remaining vast majority were only normal units.


    Though the quality wascking.


    The quantity made up for it.


    Zhang Nu had a haul of around 650,000 gold.


    80% of this joint army had perished in the Darkness Valley, only a few managed to flee the carnage and were being pursued by the super soldiers. These survivors doubtless would not be able to survive for long.


    Supposing that.


    Ordinary warriors and soldiers.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Still had some lucky survivors among them.


    Then the Heroes had facedplete annihtion.


    The Demon King would not possibly allow even a single Hero to flee. Using the Tower of Evil Eye, Zhang Nu locked onto the whereabouts of every single of these Heroes. Under such circumstances, it was impossible for them to escape.


    It was exactly how the two Level 4 Heroes, Cao Zuo and Zhu Yan were taken out.


    The Tower of Evil Eye could only attack one target at a time, but the attack it dealt was a high intensity psychic attack with a stun effect.


    With its exceedingly far attack range.


    Once the Level 4 Heroes were locked on.


    They were doomed without a doubt.


    Even the Level 4 Heroes were unable to escape, let alone the Level 3 Heroes. Since there were only a dozen or so Heroes in total, the Tower of Evil Eye could easily handle them one by one.


    From this battle.


    Apart from the obtained gold.


    Thirty one Level 3 souls and two Level 4 souls were also obtained, as well as 25 pieces of skill stones of various levels. This was a great and remarkable haul!


    The umted souls were now sufficient.


    During the takeover of Berserk Beast City, most of the souls, except for the Level 4 Hero, Tu Xiuming''s soul, were left untouched.


    Not long ago, when dealing against the Infernal Daemon in the Cmity Volcano, another fifteen Heroes were incidentally taken out, and fifteen Level 3 souls were obtained.


    Now, there were nearly 50 Level 3 Hero''s Souls in hand.


    Sacrificing a Level 3 soul could provide Zhang Nu with an average of 200 talent points or so.


    In other words.


    He did not even need to use the two Level 4 souls.


    As long as all the Level 3 souls were sacrificed, he would have enough to umte 10,000 talent points.


    To say the least.


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr §Ñ b§Ött§Ör u?§Ör §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>


    Zhang Nu was a little taken aback.


    He did not expect to have umted the sufficient amount of talent points so quickly.


    This operation of the Divine Swords Heroes was truly a timely rain for Zhang Nu!


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 3 Hero''s Soul. 210 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 3 Hero''s Soul. 208 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 3 Hero''s Soul. 202 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 3 Hero''s Soul. 222 talent points gained!]


    [......]


    Zhang Nu used up all the Level 3 souls in one go.


    Current talent points: 11,052!


    Zhang Nu found that not only did he receive his much needed 10,000 talent points, there was even a surplus of more than 1,000.


    Without further ado.


    He immediately activated the first Level 4 talent.


    The Level 4 talents were: Spatial Maniption, Time Control, and Dragon God Bloodline.


    The first two were extraordinarily rare space-time attribute talents, and under normal circumstances, Zhang Nu would prioritize these two.


    However, this was no longer the case.


    Zhang Nu needed the Dragon God Bloodline.


    So as to safely assimte the Evil God fragment without risk or repercussion.


    It was not safe to keep the Evil God fragment in hand.


    It might recover from its dormant state and resume its activity at any time, which was why it was better to absorb it as soon as possible to avoid potential disaster or hassle.


    [You''ve activated the Level 4 Talent "Dragon God Bloodline"!]


    [Your physique and talents have been enhanced. HP +50%, MP +50%, the four main stats +25%. High Anti-Magic has evolved into Supreme Anti-Magic!]


    Zhang Nu could distinctly feel it.


    His physical body had received an immediate enhancement.


    The High Anti-Magic had evolved directly into Supreme Anti-Magic, which could grant immunity even against A rank spells.


    What an immensely powerful talent.


    The Dragon God bloodline was truly remarkable.


    The amazing bloodline had a longsting effect and would grant additional enhancements with every advancement or ascension in the future, as well as foster and stimte the evolution of various talents.


    [Would you like to assimte the "Evil God Fragment"?]


    [The Evil God Fragment is extremely powerful. After absorbing the fragment, you will gain the power of the Evil God. However, your talents, bloodline and physique will be permanently affected. Please make the choice after utmost consideration.]


    With the foundation of the Dragon God Bloodline.


    Zhang Nu could boldly assimte it.


    He nced at the eyeball in his palm, and took a deep breath...


    In the next instance.


    The giant eyeball vanished.


    An eerie yet powerful surge of energy invaded his body from the palm. It was savage and aggressive as it rampaged throughout his entire being and flowed through his every limb and cell.


    It was attempting to overrun the body.


    It was attempting to upy every cell.


    However, the cells in Zhang Nu''s being emanated a strong repulsive force, making it impossible for this invasive energy to break in and take over.


    <strong><sub><i>§´h§Ö l§Ñt§Ö?t §Ñnd m§à?t §â§à§âul§Ñr n§àv§Öl? §Ñt l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm</i></sub></strong>


    Eventually.


    Each and every stream of the energy converged on his forehead.


    Zhang Nu felt a mild tearing pain.


    Then, a small slit appeared in the middle of his eyebrows.


    From the slit, a crimson red vertical eye emerged!


    The blood red pupil.


    It was rotating around in every direction.


    Whoever was gazed upon by this eye would immediately be contaminated and infested by the aura of Evil God.


    Not only would they feel a sinister and overwhelming pressure, they would also suffer a constant HP drain. Zhang Nu could now kill with just his gaze, simply by staring at his victims.


    This was overpowered.


    He gradually sensed and came to realize.


    He could now control this third eye.


    And could even see through the eye.


    Although the world in this eye was almost devoid of color, Zhang Nu could now view things previously inessible to the naked eye.


    [Evil God Fragment assimted sessfully!]


    [Your maximum MP +1000!]


    [You''ve activated a new talent: Eye of Death!]


    Zhang Nu freely controlled this third eye.


    He could make it disappearpletely or have it appear at any time.


    Zhang Nu could even transfer the eye to other parts of his body. Rather than an organ, it was better to categorize it as a special skill.


    After absorbing the Evil God fragment.


    His maximum MP had increased by 1,000 points.


    Although a thousand MP point was indeed substantial, it was definitely not the highlight of this talent.


    Zhang Nu opened up his personal interface.


    And looked at the introduction of this new talent.


    [Eye of Death] Talent skill. After activation, the user is immune to damage inflicted by necrotic energy. Consumes 100 MP per minute. The eye can convert the power of the Evil God, and unleash skills like "Death Stare", etc.


    This description was somewhat too generalized.


    It was utterly distinct from the usual talents or skills.


    The Eye of Death was an Evil God talent that was not fullypatible with thews of this world and therefore possessed many unexinable powers.


    The information presented by the interface.


    It could not interpret all the abilities of the Eye of Death.


    Zhang Nu needed to spend time researching, practicing, exploring and even cultivating to continuously uncover and develop the power and potential of the eye.


    Currently.


    This eye only came with one "Death Stare" skill.


    During his expedition to the sealed chamber, he had witnessed the Death Stare of the Eye of Evil God and left a profound impression.


    Unexpectedly.


    He himself could utilize this skill now.


    Not bad at all. With this eye, Zhang Nu''sbat methods and approaches had grown once more, and he obtained an additional instant kill move. His overall strength had greatly improved, and yet there was still a lot of room for future growth.


    The utmost importance was that.


    <strong><sub><i>§´h§Ö l§Ñt§Ö?t §Ñnd m§à?t §â§à§âul§Ñr n§àv§Öl? §Ñt l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm</i></sub></strong>


    Zhang Nu did not experience any uncontroble mutations in his body as a result of assimting the Evil God fragment.


    The Eye of Death was now just a special talent that could be freely deployed for Zhang Nu. He possessed the ability to exploit the power of Evil God, while ignoring its bacsh and side effects.


    This particr aspect was especially crucial for future development.

 Chapter 123: The Earth Drake Grand Marshal Rises

    The Eight-Eyed Evil God.


    There were eight eyes in total.


    These eyes were the sources of its power.


    Each eye represented a different power.


    Now, Zhang Nu had obtained one of them, the one that represented ¡°death¡±.


    Therefore, by activating the Eye of Death, the effect of ¡°Necrotic Damage Immunity¡± could be received.


    Zhang Nu¡¯s own magic immunity mainly affected elemental types, but against necrotic energy damage, though it had increased resistance, ultimately it was not entirely effective.


    However, with this eye.


    By the power of Evil God¡¯s Eye.


    One could almost utterly disregard necrotic damage.


    When dealing with specific enemies or circumstances in the future.


    This newfound ability might y a surprising role and prove to be a game-changer.


    This time.


    Zhang Nu acquired 25 skill stones in total.


    They were all of high quality.


    Among them, there were up to ten B-rank skills.


    Zhang Nu looked through the skill stones. Although the skill effects they provided were quite powerful, they were of limited help to him. However, he still picked out a few that were still rtively useful.


    Which were:


    [Advanced Dispel] B rank skill. Costs at least 100 MP. Dispels magical effects within the targeted range. Therger the radius, the more magic will be dispelled, and the greater the cost of MP.


    [Shade Stealth] B rank skill. Allows its user to enter a shade stealth state, avoiding various forms of detection. Under the stealth state, the skill consumes 80 MP per second.


    [Gift of Life] B rank skill. Passive skill. Upon mastering the skill, the user gains an additional 1000 maximum HP and can restore an additional 10 HP per minute.


    These three skills.


    The first was a dispelling skill, the second a stealth skill, and thest was a basic passive skill, which were still useful to Zhang Nu to some extent.


    Since it could still boost his overall strength, even by just a little.


    Zhang Nu naturally kept it for himself.


    As for the rest of the B rank or even lower ranked skills, some of them were Demon King¡¯s skills obtained by the Heroes after hunting Demon Kings, which were mostly worthless to Zhang Nu. He considered these to be better kept as collectibles rather than being utilized.


    From his perspective.


    These were merely trivial and useless skills.


    To other Demon Kings and Heroes, however, these were all rare and valuable skills that were not easy toe by.


    The souls that Zhang Nu used for his advancement were all Level 3 souls that he had umted over the past period of time.


    One of the greatest gains from his battle was the two Level 4 souls.


    Zhang Nu contemted.


    Even if he used up the two Level 4 souls, it would still be far from enough to awaken a second Level 4 talent.


    Thus, he simply took out a Level 4 soul along with a million gold, sending Zhang San onto the Demon King Altar, and upgrading the Draconian Marshal into an Earth Drake Grand Marshal.


    Soon after.


    A terrifying and overwhelming pressure.


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr th§Ö b§Ö?t n§àv§Öl r§Ö§Ñd?ng §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>


    Swept across the Demon King Hall.


    Zhang San hadpleted his evolutionary upgrade!


    His stature had grown from three and a half meters to over four meters, and his golden scales had be like gold-encrusted gilded ss, appearing semi-translucent.


    [Earth Drake Grand Marshal: Zhang San] Level 4 overlord unit. HP 3000, MP 850, Strength 220, Constitution 300, Agility 170, Will 155, Loyalty 100%(Locked), Fatigue 10%, Hunger 10%.


    Skills: Diamond Earth Drake Form (Talent), Rampaging Dragon Qi (A rank), Adamantine Dragon Scales (A rank), Battle Dragon¡¯s Aura (A rank), Qi Aura (A rank), Earth Aura (A rank), Rampaging Dragon Charge (B rank), Damage Absorption (B rank), Earthquake (B rank).


    Magnificent!


    From a Level 3 lord unit.


    Instantly upgraded into a Level 4 overlord unit.


    It was worth spending the 1 million gold and Level 4 soul.


    The current strength of the Earth Drake Grand Marshal Zhang San could be ranked at the very top even amongst the other Level 4 overlords. His might far surpassed the Infernal Daemon, and could even rival the young elven city lord, Nancilia.


    Taking a nce at Zhang San¡¯s skills.


    The amount of A rank skills he possessed was simply staggering.


    However, except for the active skill ¡°Battle Dragon¡¯s Aura¡±, the rest were all passive skills, and three of them were aura type skills.


    This indicated.


    Zhang San was not only an overlord rankbatant.


    He was also amander with immensely powerfulmanding type skills.


    The value of Zhang San to Zhang Nu, and especially to the entire draconian legion, was not limited to only a high-endbative force. When hundreds and thousands of troops were left under his leadership, the impact he would bring forth unto the battlefield would be unimaginable.


    The upgrade this time.


    Was truly astonishing.


    Unfortunately, there was not enough gold.


    Otherwise, Zhang Nu would have immediately promoted Li Si into a Sky Drake Archpriest.


    Earth Drake Grand Marshal and Sky Drake Archpriest.


    With thebination of Zhang San and Li Si, even if they encountered a monarch rank opponent, they would still be able to hold their own.


    The Archpriest was even more pricey than the Grand Marshal.


    To upgrade Li Si into a Sky Drake Archpriest, Zhang Nu was required to prepare 2 million gold and a Level 4 soul.


    Recently, Zhang Nu had earned a lot.


    But he had also spent a lot.


    Hence, he would have to put off upgrading Li Si for now.


    Grand Marshal Zhang San felt that his strength was unprecedentedly powerful.


    He unhesitantly requested to lead the army, ¡°My master, our enemy has suffered a disastrous defeat, their army is in disarray and their morale is low. This one requests to lead the charge to assault the enemy¡¯s base directly.¡±


    Zhang Nu was not one to dawdle and drag things out unnecessarily.


    The Divine Sword Heroes had hoped to take out the Dragon Demon King in a single assault.


    Even if they could not kill the Dragon Demon King, they could at least destroy the Darkness Valley, along with the Darkness City within. By then, the Dragon Demon King¡¯s forces would be greatly dwindled and diminished, even rendering him utterly powerless and devastated.


    They would have never expected.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    That the Darkness Valley would counter attack.


    The empire had yet to establish aplete defense system within the Chaos Forest, and theycked the psychological preparation to deal with an attack. Furthermore, the catastrophic defeat of their frontline would have a detrimental effect on their morale. There was undoubtedly no better time than now for a counter attack.


    <strong><sub><i>§´h§Ö l§Ñt§Ö?t §Ñnd m§à?t §â§à§âul§Ñr n§àv§Öl? §Ñt l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm</i></sub></strong>


    Zhang Nu began to issue themands, ¡°Li Si, go and recall the priests from all regions. Zhang San, gather the elite troops immediately. We will take down the Bloody Fortress!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Zhang San and Li Si had received their orders.


    Both of them were exceedingly thrilled.


    They promptly took action and carried out their orders.


    Zhang San was tasked to assemble the elites of the draconian legion.


    Li Si recalled the draconian priests across the Chaos Forest, including Berserk Beast City, Giantree City, Myriad Flower Valley, etc.


    When multiple draconian priests coordinated the simultaneous activation of their teleportation fields, they could allow the draconian army to be deployed onto the battlefield in the shortest time possible.


    Meanwhile.


    In the Bloody Fortress.


    He Tianzong and the empire representatives were waiting for news.


    ¡°Congrattions, Deputy Head He, for being able to n such a monumental operation within such a short timeframe. This time, victory is assured!¡±


    The empire official engaged in ttery, attempting to ingratiate himself with He Tianzong, ¡°As long as the operation eliminates this threat in one fell swoop, allowing the empire¡¯s n to be executed seamlessly, Duke Bachor will definitely highly praise you and Count Kolo for your efforts.¡±


    ¡°If everything goes as nned, you will be the actual ruler of the Chaos Forest in the future. Please look after us colleagues when that moment arrives¡±


    He Tianzong was verycent and pleased with himself.


    However, he was acting modest and disyed humility.


    ¡°The battle situation is still unknown, and there are still variables. We should stay vignt! It is not toote to celebrate until after the Dragon Demon King was in.¡±


    In fact, in his mind.


    This aerial raid operation was a sure sess.


    It was only a matter of fact whether it was aplete triumph or a minor victory.


    A minor victory was to destroy the Dragon Demon King¡¯s territory in the Darkness Valley, so that the Demon King¡¯s very foundation and forces were thoroughly razed to the ground. Whilst aplete victory would be killing the Demon King outright, ultimately removing him from this game.


    There was basically no doubt that a minor victory would take ce.


    An armyposed of nearly 50,000 flying units, enough to block out the sky.


    Against the Darkness Valley that did not have a barrierrge enough to cover the entire territory.


    In this situation, even if the forces of the Dragon Demon King were stronger than an army of fifty thousand, the hope of safeguarding the territory against this storm-like assault that would exploit every crack in the defense was almost zero.


    The only uncertaintyid in whether there could be aplete victory.


    From the intelligence gathered by He Tianzong, the Dragon Demon King was a being of immense power and was not to be underestimated. He previously defeated Tu Xiuming and the former city lord of Berserk Beast City, with overwhelming strength.


    He even had suspicion.


    The Dragon Demon King might have already be a Level 4 overlord or even stronger.


    Which was why He Tianzong did not personally take action.


    If the Dragon Demon King were to suddenly retaliate like a cornered beast, it would be extremely dangerous. And as the leader of this whole operation, he should not be greedy and take any unnecessary risks. Therefore, he handed the task to Cao Zuo and Zhu Yan.


    Of course, if they could kill the Dragon Demon King, that would be the best.


    Even if they failed, it would not matter. With their strength and the cooperation of the other Heroes, they would be at least able to restrain the Demon King.


    As for whether these two Level 4 Heroes would die or not.


    It was not something He Tianzong would give any thought to.


    To him, even the Level 4 Heroes were just high-level pawns. As long as the pawns could achieve their purposes and y out their roles, sacrifices were eptable.


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr §Ñ b§Ött§Ör u?§Ör §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>


    However.


    Just then.


    A Hero stumbled in, ¡°Deputy¡­deputy head¡­bad news!¡±


    He Tianzong¡¯s expression changed drastically, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Hurry up and out with it!¡±


    The Hero was sweating greatly, he gulped down a mouthful of saliva and reported with difficulty, ¡°The¡­the raid failed. We lost, and¡­it was a disastrous defeat!¡±


    ¡°What did you just say!¡±


    He Tianzong¡¯s eyes were about to burst from anger and disbelief, ¡°Failed? How can it fail? Don¡¯t you dare to shake the army¡¯s morale with your bullshit!¡±


    With a bitter smile, the Hero continued, ¡°How would I dare to bullshit about such matters? But some of the surviving soldiers have escaped and returned. We have fallen for the Demon King¡¯s trap!¡±


    Upon hearing the grave news, He Tianzong hurriedly rushed out.


    Currently, several hundred of defeated and retreating soldiers and warriors were arriving one after another.


    After He Tianzong learned about the situation, he felt as if he was doused with a bucket of cold water from head to toe, his vision darkened, and he almost fainted.


    From his perspective.


    The battle was a guaranteed victory.


    The probability of failure was negligible.


    Even if they encountered defeat, with such arge air force unit, all equipped with extremely high mobility, they should be able to save arge portion of such an army.


    But now, the reality was that this huge army had been almostpletely wiped out, and only less than one-tenth of the troops had miraculously escaped.


    This was not just a devastating defeat.


    It was a loud p to the face and an utter humiliation.


    ¡°Deputy head!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re done for!¡±


    ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    ¡°The Demon Kings were sure to waver!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s horrifying, too horrifying! We¡¯re not not a match for the Dragon Demon King! We should hurry and seek reinforcement from the Duke and empire!¡±


    ¡°......¡±


    He Tianzong exploded in anger, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    At this moment.


    The army¡¯s morale was inplete turmoil.


    The current situation was too dangerous.


    They must promptly look for a way to divert attention.


    He grimly said, ¡°The Demon King waspletely prepared for the ambush from the very beginning! But how did he know about the operation ahead of time?¡±


    A Hero immediatelymented, ¡°Could there be a spy? Maybe of the twelve Demon Kings was a mole sent by the Dragon Demon King!¡±


    ¡°No, all the Demon Kings responded positively to the operation and gave their all to this raid. I think the likelihood of the information leaking from the Demon Kings is not high.¡±


    He Tianzong enraged, ¡°There are probably moles in our guild. Hurry and check everyone who has just entered the Bloody Fortress recently. I will find this rat and tear them apart limb from limb!¡±


    Not long after.


    The Heroes came running to report.


    "Deputy head, we have found our suspect. It¡¯s Su Zhan, who joined the elite group reserve a few days ago, his previous records may have been fabricated!"


    <strong><sub><i>§´h§Ö l§Ñt§Ö?t §Ñnd m§à?t §â§à§âul§Ñr n§àv§Öl? §Ñt l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm</i></sub></strong>


    "And, he just suddenly disappeared, probably hiding."


    "Hmph! Then it must be him. The Bloody Fortress has a sealing barrier, this guy can''t escape now!"


    He Tianzong roared: "Find that rat! Now! I want him brought to me, and I want it done right now"

 Chapter 124: Su Yans Crisis

    After the night raid operation suffered a miserable failure.


    The Divine Sword Heroes initiated an internal investigation to uncover the rat within their ranks.


    Upon catching the wind of it.


    Su Yan quickly fled.


    The information and resume she submitted when joining the elite group reserves of the Divine Sword were mostly fabricated, and due to time constraints, her preparations were also quite crude.


    If the submitted resume was not closely inspected and scrutinized.


    The falsifications were not noticeable.


    But once suspected and thoroughly investigated.


    Many of its ws and inconsistencies would be inevitably brought to light.


    It was vital to not be so careless with espionage operations in the future. Su Yan was determined to learn from her mistakes and make sure to prepare more identities beforehand to prevent simr situations from urring again.


    Su Yan initially wanted to just escape the Bloody Fortress, but after the news of the failed raid returned, the fortress immediately imposed a curfew and went into a full lockdown.


    It was impossible for even Su Yan to escape.


    To temporarily hide within the fortress, she could only rely on her ability to continuously alter her identity and appearance while blending in with the crowd, waiting for an opportunity to retreat.


    However.


    After only being hidden for a few hours.


    She was discovered and her location pinpointed.


    Just as Zhang Nu remarked, the Divine Sword Heroes Guild had numerous powerful individuals, and among them, there must be some who were skilled in tracking and investigating. Once her identity was exposed, her situation became critical.


    To avoid being encircled, she backed herself into a corner.


    Just then.


    A figure appeared and approached her.


    It was a human, donned in a knight''s armor, a jeweled longsword was mounted on his waist, exuding a chilling and deadly aura.


    Upon seeing his face.


    Su Yan''s heart sank as if being dunked into freezing water.


    The figure was none other than the deputy head himself, He Tianzong.


    He Tianzong was very aware that even if the mole was caught, it would be of no avail to the disastrous failure.


    But he urgently needed this scapegoat to pacify the situation and cover up part of the responsibility for the failure of this operation, so as to reconsolidate the morale of the army.


    "You''re a follower of the Dragon Demon King?"


    He Tianzong drew out the longsword on his waist, "For a Hero to submit to a Demon King and willingly be his dog? Have you no shame?"


    A menacing and oppressive chill filled the air.


    Su Yan could feel it.


    The immense power of this man.


    He was a Level 4 Hero, and not the miserable sorts who forcibly broke through the level. His power had reached the peak of a lord, even infinitely close to that of an overlord.


    Su Yan, on the other hand, was only a Level 2.


    Though her strength wasparable to a powerful lord ranked.


    But the level gap between them was too massive, there was absolutely no chance of prevailing.


    Since the situation hade to this.


    There was no point in trying to weasel her way out of this.


    She might as well put on a fearless facade, "So what? Isn''t your Divine Sword mingling with Demon Kings as well? At least I was right to work under the one that is more powerful!"


    He Tianzong revealed a cold smirk, "Very well, it seems that you have prepared yourself to die. In that case, I shall oblige your wish."


    Su Yan hurriedly eximed, "Wait!"


    He Tianzong scoffed, "Oh, are you scared now?"


    Su Yan panicked as her eyes rapidly wandered around, "If you kill me, it won''t end well for you. Boss will definitely avenge me. He only needs to lift a finger, or even just a nce to kill you!"


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr th§Ö b§Ö?t n§àv§Öl r§Ö§Ñd?ng §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>


    He Tianzong began to gather his Qi and a cold mist began to permeate throughout the area, causing the ground within a dozen meters to rapidly freeze.


    Su Yan quickly continued, "If you are to stop right now, I might be able to rmend you to join our rank. It is much more promising than just staying in the Divine Sword Heroes Guild."


    "This is the most ludicrous joke I''ve ever heard!"


    He Tianzong felt disdainful at this assertion. Defecting to a Demon King? No matter how powerful or influential a Demon King is, what could they achieve?


    Before the might of the empire.


    All Demon Kings were nothing but insects!


    He Tianzong already had an imperial background, why would he need to defect to a mere Demon King? Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!


    "I know you''re trying to stall for time, but it''s meaningless. You don''t stand a chance against me."


    Negotiations had failed.


    "Shadow Bats!"


    Su Yan immediately unleashed her skill.


    She turned into five ck bats and instantly darted away in different directions. This was the talent skill she obtained after killing the Bat Demon King.


    Although the skill had nobat power.


    It was especially ideal for escaping.


    As long as any of the five bats escaped, the user could return to their original form.


    "Trifling tricks!"


    He Tianzong swung his longsword, the cold current converged around him, enveloping the surrounding space, causing the bats to freeze and fall.


    One of them turned back into Su Yan.


    [You''ve received an attack from "Frost Battle Qi"! HP -50. Movement speed reduced by 50%!]


    Shu Yan was shivering from the cold.


    This man''s battle Qi was really powerful.


    Su Yan had no hope of escaping. She stomped her feet, shattering the ice. Suddenly, her originally petite stature grew to a height of two meters, transforming herself into a towering golem.


    Rock Golem Form!


    With a powerful punch, Su Yan hammered towards He Tianzong.


    However, before the punch could even reach He Tianzong.


    The surrounding chilling and freezing battle Qi surged forth and swarmed towards Su Yan, enveloping the entire arm and encasing it in a thickyer of ice, which ultimately stopped the punch right before He Tianzong.


    "Futile resistance!"


    He lightly tapped the ice with the hilt of his sword.


    The massive arm of the rock golem shattered into pieces along with the ice.


    Su Yan was overwhelmed by despair. The two were two levels apart and the gap between their strength was just too great!


    There was no way she could win against such an opponent!


    If He Tianzong was not trying to capture her alive, he could have taken her life with ease just now.


    "You will pay for what you''ve done!", he dered as he brandished his longsword.


    "Frost-Sealing de!"


    He thrust forward with a stab.


    This stab would not kill Su Yan, but it would seal andpletely encase her in a prison of ice, allowing He Tianzong toter interrogate this rat in front of the army.


    He nned to pin the me on Su Yan and her information leaking for the operation''s failure.


    With this method, he could steer the fear and frustration of the army into anger. Then, by executing her in front of the masses, he could quell the unrest among his men.


    And yet.


    All of a sudden.


    The attack he built up and the frigid Qi around them vanished.


    He Tianzong was appalled and horrified to find a towering figure appearing abruptly before him.


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr §Ñ b§Ött§Ör u?§Ör §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>


    This huge figure was three meters tall, with dark golden scales and a pair of massive dragon wings. With just two fingers, the figure caught the de of the sword as if it was just a falling tree leaf.


    "Boss! It''s really you! How did you get here?"


    Su Yan eximed in surprise.


    He Tianzong froze in terror, "Dragon Demon King?"


    The Demon King revealed a menacing smile, "This is our first time meeting, deputy head of the Divine Sword Heroes Guild, you''re a little weaker than I thought."


    That statement was a bit of a gut-wrenching put down.


    However, Zhang Nu did only use two fingers to unleash the Abyssal Devouring skill, and effortlessly caught He Tianzong''s strike with just his bare hands.


    Which proved that this statement was not mere empty words.


    And the sight of it.


    Was enough to evoke fear in this Level 4 Hero.


    "Shit!"


    "But how?"


    "How did you get in here!"


    He Tianzong immediately disengaged and backed off, "Forget it, it doesn''t matter. I was getting concerned on how to deal with you. But now that you''ve delivered yourself to my doorstep, don''t even think about leaving!"


    He threatened, readying to summon his subordinates.


    No matter how immensely powerful the Dragon Demon King was.


    He could not possibly take on the forces of the entire Bloody Fortress by himself, right?


    Not only were there several tens of thousands of troops stationed in this fortress, there were also numerous Heroes and powerhouses dispatched by the empire, among which were other Level 4 Heroes.


    If they all struck altogether.


    Forget a mere Level 4 Dragon Demon King.


    Even a Level 5 overlord would be obliterated.


    He Tianzong did not even have time to signal for reinforcement when he suddenly witnessed a peculiar sight. A slit appeared in between the Demon King''s eyebrows and from within, a scarlet red and sinister eye emerged.


    [You''ve been corroded by the Evil God''s aura. HP -19. All stats reduced by 1 point!]


    [You''ve been corroded by the Evil God''s aura. HP -18. All stats reduced by 1 point!]


    [You''ve been corroded by the Evil God''s aura. HP -21. All stats reduced by 1 point!]


    [......]


    Just by getting stared at.


    His HP was rapidly declining.


    The stats were also afflicted with a temporary decrease.


    He Tianzong had never encountered anything as bizarre as this, but something even more unimaginable and iprehensible urred next!


    A surge of intangible energy.


    Instantly engulfed his entire being.


    [You''ve received an attack from "Death Stare". HP -9999!]


    Su Yan could notprehend what had just happened.


    She saw the Boss take a nce at the Hero, who then let out a terrible cry, followed by his body exploding and disintegrating into dust in the thin air.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "What''s going on?"


    "What in the world is this?"


    The Boss actually killed the Hero with just a nce!


    Su Yan previously thought that the phrase "if looks could kill" was just an exaggerated metaphor!


    But the Demon King demonstrated to her himself just moments ago, that not only could his gaze kill, but it could decimate someone so thoroughly that not even a single trace of him was left.


    This was just too absurd!


    He Tianzong was not just some nobody either.


    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm f§àr §Ñ b§Ött§Ör u?§Ör §Ö§ç§â§Ör?§Ön§ã§Ö</i></sub></strong>


    He was the deputy head of the Divine Sword Heroes Guild. But, if an existence like him could not even withstand a single gaze from the Demon King, how monstrously terrifying had the Demon King''s strength be now?


    [You''ve in a Level 4 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1! Skill stone+1!]


    Zhang Nu was taken aback by the frightening power of the Death Stare and even more so by its consumption.


    Just by activating it once.


    It was seemingly a casual and effortless move.


    But in reality, it depleted almost half of his total MP.


    The Eye of Death was also suffering from a sizzling pain and could not be used again temporarily.


    This skill was tremendously powerful, with its near instantaneous execution, the attack was nigh impossible to dodge. Death Stare was indeed a fearsome skill.


    Unfortunately, its consumption was also staggering.


    There was also a rtively long skill wind up and wind down.


    If the opponent was taken out with a single attack, that would have been fine. But if Zhang Nu missed, or the opponent survived, it would have exposed him to great vulnerability.


    This skill was obviously meant to be kept as a trump card.


    It should only be used during critical moments.


    Zhang Nu found that he did not have enough mastery over the Eye of Death.


    But with enhanced strength and continuous practice.


    He would eventually be able to control the eye with ease in the future.


    Or even develop new skills from it.


    Su Yan canceled her rock golem form, "Boss, howe you''re here?"


    Zhang Nu uttered, "Of course I''m here to siege the fortress. I just happened to find you to be cornered here, and you can''t even win against a small fry like him, you''re still too weak."


    Su Yan was this close from ripping her own hair out.


    Did he really just say that? Was that even something someone with a heart would say?


    What the hell did he mean by "can''t even win against a small fry like him"?


    He Tianzong was no small fry at all. If Su Yan even had half of his strength, she could walk among the Heroes with her head held high.


    So it turned out.


    The reason why Zhang Nu appeared here was because he wanted to replicate the method he used during the attack on Giantree City.


    Zhang Nu first used his Abyssal Devouring to erode the Bloody Fortress''s defense and create a breach.


    He had originally nned to bring the draconian priests into the very heart of the fortress and allow the priests to activate the teleportation fields to summon the draconian legion.


    However, he quickly discovered.


    This approach would not be feasible in the Bloody Fortress.


    The Bloody Fortress was equipped with a spatial interference formation.


    This kind of magical formation was verymon inrge cities in the civilized world.


    Almost all full fledged cities imposed airspace flight ban and spatial magic ban, mainly to guard against unknown invaders. For this reason, human mages had researched and invented spatial interference formation.


    When a city was set up with a spatial interference formation.


    All spatial teleportation magic would be rendered unusable.


    This was a vital security mechanism in all major cities.


    Bloody Fortress was a city secretly established by the Thunder Empire. Naturally, they possessed this kind of magical formation technology, and had of course deployed such a defense mechanism in advance. Therefore, attempting to use spatial teleportation to set up an ambush assault from the inside was no longer possible.


    Nevertheless.


    It did not matter.


    Li Si, along with the other priests, had activated their teleportation fields in the woods nearby. By now, Zhang San and the draconian legion should have finished teleporting.


    Although the ambush approach was no longer viable.


    The Bloody Fortress was not constructed for long.


    Its city defense system was not well established.


    <strong><sub><i>§´h§Ö l§Ñt§Ö?t §Ñnd m§à?t §â§à§âul§Ñr n§àv§Öl? §Ñt l?ghtn§àv§Ölw§àrld?§ã§àm</i></sub></strong>


    Given the strength of Zhang San and the draconian legion, even if theyunched a head on assault on the Bloody Fortress to take it down, it would not be a difficult task for them.


    With the fortress''s current defense, it had no hope in stopping them.

 Chapter 125: The Confrontation with the Vampire Demon King

    The draconian legionmenced their assault.


    The grand marshal Zhang San led the charge, with over twenty draconian generals following close behind. Theyunched a charge head-on towards the Bloody Fortress.


    The fortress guards were stupefied by the spectacle before them.


    A terrific earth drake with a body length of forty to fifty meters and covered in gold-encrusted diamond scales, leading more than a dozen ck iron earth drakes over ten meters long, charged towards the fortress with an astonishing speed and momentum.


    "What is this?"


    "Attack! Hurry and attack!" the guards shouted.


    The guards immediately attempted to halt their charge with a barrage of arrows and magic.


    And yet their attacks had little to no effect on the Level 4 overlord diamond earth drake, as if they were merely tickling it.


    After bing the Earth Drake Grand Marshal, Zhang San not only grew in size and had more grandiose scales, but also underwent many other changes.


    In his earth drake form.


    He developed a row of backward facing spines along the outer side of his limbs.


    Like a razor sharp de, these spines could effortlessly slice through anything that dared toe close.


    Additionally, a single horn three to four meters long had appeared on top of his head, which was not only incredibly sturdy, but also carried powerful effects that could dispel magic and prate armor.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Regardless of physical defenses, shields or barriers.


    None could withstand a head-on charge from Zhang San.


    The diamond earth drake attracted the vast majority of the firepower, yet was almost unscathed. It eventually rammed directly onto the Bloody Fortress''s defense barrier.


    With a loud bang.


    Like a sharp de piercing through cardboard.


    Zhang San easily breached the barrier with little resistance, instantly shattering arge chunk of the defense barrier, leaving Bloody Fortress exposed.


    "RAAAAWWWRRRRRRR!"


    The diamond earth drake let out a howling roar and charged forth once again, using its horn to break through the walls of the fortress. It took the lead in storming the interior of the fortress, drawing most of the firepower on itself.


    The earth drake species.


    They were innately tough and tenacious.


    Zhang San had undergone several evolutions and now possessed the physique of a golden diamond earth drake. His defenses had reached a level of unprecedented heights in which no ordinary Heroes could break through.


    The dozens of iron earth drakes followed Zhang San closely behind.


    The fortress guards abandoned their posts and fled in terror. Their defense line was no match against these ferocious behemoths.


    Before the fortress could mount up a proper resistance.


    The second wave of the draconian legion''s assault had already arrived.


    Hundreds of mystic battlemages who had transformed into winged drakes, along with hundreds of super soldiers made their way into the fortress through the breach and beganunching attacks from every direction.


    Lastly, there was the main force of the draconian legion.


    Thousands of normal soldiers, battlemages, and high soldiers rushed out from the woods like a raging ck torrent and stormed into the fortress with an unstoppable momentum.


    The entire fortress.


    Hadpletely fallen.


    Su Yan watched as mes were raging, swords and steel were shing everywhere in the battlefield. In this situation, it no longer mattered whether the Demon King personally intervened or not.


    Zhang San was invincible and a force to be reckoned with.


    Even if He Tianzong was alive, he would not be able to hold him back.


    Moreover, this siege mobilized more than twenty draconian generals, along with numerous draconian priests, including the high priest, Li Si.


    "The Bloody Fortress is finished!"


    Su Yan was thrilled, "Without this important stronghold, the empire won''t be able to easily interfere with the Chaos Forest anymore!"


    The Bloody Fortress was vital to their ns.


    If the fortress had finished its construction.


    Its sturdiness and defensive capabilities would be ten times stronger than it was now. Then, the empire would discreetly deploy arge number of elites to cooperate with the Divine Sword in order to take over the various forces of the Chaos Forest.


    At that point, it would not be easy to upy the fortress.


    Even if the draconian legion was mobilized.


    It would probably pay a heavy price.


    However, the Demon King acted swiftly and decisively.


    He got it done before the empire could intervene.


    "Leave it to Zhang San and Li Si, there''s nothing more to see here. Come with me." Zhang Nu beckoned to Su Yan, "I''m taking you to handle another matter."


    Su Yan did not quite catch what he meant, "What is it?"


    "Do you even need to ask? Since I''m here in person, how can I not pay a visit to my kins settled nearby?"


    Zhang Nu asked teasingly, "What? Do you not want to go? If you don''t, then forget it. I won''t force you."


    "Go! I''ll go!"


    "How can I not go!"


    "I must be there for this sort of affair!"


    Su Yan was overjoyed.


    Boss was determined to go the whole hog.


    He wanted to take care of the Vampire Demon King while he was at it.


    This was a great opportunity for her to have the Boss personally bring her along to kill a Demon King. It was clearly a disguised means of granting her benefits.


    If Su Yan still could not understand this.


    Then she was a massive fool.


    Zhang Nu could have dealt with the Bloody Fortress long ago.


    So why did he wait until today and even send Su Yan to go undercover? It was simply to find out how many forces of the Chaos Forest were under the empire''s control.


    He had now obtained the relevant information that he desired.


    Now, the purge could bemenced.


    Zhang Nu regarded the entirety of Chaos Forest as his potential territory.


    He would never allow the empire to dip their fingers in his territory. As for the twelve Demon Kings who had joined the empire, their existences must be wiped out, without exception!


    The Vampire Demon King Bai Hongzhuo would be the first to face his wrath.


    With the help of the empire.


    Bai Hongzhuo had already ascended to a Level 4 Demon King!


    Such a level of strength was still rtively rare among Demon Kings, it would be ideal for Zhang Nu to personally get rid of him.


    However, there were no rewards for a Demon King to kill another of his own.


    Which was why the fox-kin Hero was so ecstatically thrilled.


    It was apparent that the Boss was quite satisfied with her recent performance, so he intended to give her a great reward.


    ......


    Scarlet Valley.


    Within the Demon King''s castle.


    Bai Hongzhuo had long sensed that his troops had suffered heavy casualties.


    He immediately realized that the operation in the Darkness Valley had failed.


    "How could the raid fail?"


    "Damn! This is bad!"


    "I''ve lost almost half of my troops!"


    "Shit! He Tianzong swore the operation would seed, but it turned out to be a shitshow! I''ve suffered huge losses...I have to demand an exnation andpensation from the empire!"


    Among the twelve Demon Kings, Bai Hongzhuo had the most aerialbat units.


    Most of the elite units in the joint army that attacked Darkness Valley actually came from the vampires of Scarlet Valley.


    No wonder the Vampire Demon King was furious.


    Bai Hongzhuo had not even had the time to ask He Tianzong for an exnation.


    "Master!", his subordinate rushed in.


    "Bad news!"


    "The Bloody Fortress has been sieged!"


    "The defense line has copsed!"


    Bai Hongzhuo was utterly flummoxed. Not only did the assault on Darkness Valley fail miserably, now they were the one getting attacked now? What in the hell was going on?


    There was a saying.


    Without the lips, the teeth would be exposed to the cold.


    The Scarlet Valley and the Bloody Fortress were on the same boat, and the fortress was just right outside the valley.


    If the fortress was breached, Scarlet Valley would share the same fate very soon after.


    "Hurry!"


    "Gather the troops!"


    "Bloody Fortress must survive!"


    The several vampire subordinates promptly went to carry out his orders.


    All of a sudden, a voice rang out in the Demon King hall.


    "There''s no need to waste your efforts."


    "Bloody Fortress is already finished."


    "Now...you should worry about yourself."


    The Vampire Demon King, as well as his subordinates were startled.


    "Who''s there? Stop hiding! Show yourself!"


    Bai Hongzhuo unhesitantly entered hisbat state. His eyes turned bloodshot, revealing his blood-sucking fang, and his entire being was entwined with an aura of blood.


    Then, he saw it.


    Two figures appeared in the hall.


    One was a burly draconian, whose presence was exuding an oppressive atmosphere; and the other was a petite fox girl, who quickly hid behind the draconian.


    "Who the hell are you?"


    "Take a guess."


    Bai Hongzhuo''s eyes widened in realization, "You''re the Dragon Demon King of Darkness Valley?!"


    The Dragon Demon King nodded, "Correct."


    "You have a lot of guts!"


    "As if sneaking into my castle alone with a useless Hero wasn''t bad enough..."


    "...You dare to show yourself before me like this? Are you that eager to die?"


    Zhang Nu had killed many lonewolf Heroes.


    He had acquired multiple stealth skills such as Shadow Stealth and Shadow Leap.


    With his current strength, even having to bring Su Yan along, it was not difficult for him to avoid the troops outside as well as the low leveled alerting facilities such as the Level 1 Detection Tower.


    Zhang Nu replied calmly, "Don''t get me wrong, I sneaked in solely because I don''t like wasting my precious time in a garbage dump. I''m an efficiency oriented person and I like to get straight to the point."


    These two Demon Kings were both Level 4, and yet the Dragon Demon King was acting so contemptuously and arrogant towards Bai Hongzuo. So much so that his ego took a heavy blow from his attitude.


    "The audacity of this bitch!"


    "Kill him!"


    The vampire subordinates on the scene immediately moved to strike.


    These vampires who could stay by the Demon King''s side were naturally the elites amongst the elites. All of them were Level 3 elite units, some were even Level 4.


    They possessed astounding speed.


    Wrapped in an aura of blood.


    They arrived before Zhang Nu almost instantaneously.


    Seeing this, Su Yan hastily called out, "Boss! Be careful!"


    Zhang Nu formed a ball of dragonme in the palm of his hand, he then violently crushed the fireball within his grasp. As the dragon me exploded outwards, a small storm of ze was set off and the dragonme surged forth ferociously, engulfing the approaching vampires.


    "Ahhhh!"


    Agonizing screams and cries echoed across the hall, the vampires were burning alive and their flesh was charred. They fell to the ground, screaming and struggling, but the bodies became motionless after a short while.


    [You''ve in a Vampire General. Gold +12,000!]


    [You''ve in a Vampire Super Soldier. Gold +1,000!]


    [You''ve in a Vampire Super Soldier. Gold +1,000!]


    [You''ve in a Vampire Super Soldier. Gold +1,000!]


    [......]


    Bai Hongzhuo stared in disbelief, his eyes widened, "Impossible...Impossible! We''re both Level 4! This doesn''t make sense! How are you so much stronger than me?!"


    Vampires were not ordinary creatures.


    They were a type of blood kin that was a hybridization of undead and divine.


    Blood kins have very keen senses, proper intelligence, and resilient life force. But currently, they seemed so fragile and vulnerable before this opponent.


    "Now, it''s your turn!"


    Zhang Nu reignited his dragonme, "Don''t say I didn''t give you a chance. Whatever tricks you have under your sleeve, use it while you''re still alive!"


    The Vampire Demon King''s strength paled inparison to Zhang Nu''s.


    Even if he waspared against the Subus Queen, Han Kexin, who was also a Level 4 Demon King, there was a huge gap in power.


    While the vampire had considerably decent talents.


    It was not particrly strong.


    It was far behind the innate talents of an Abyssal Dragon or a Subus Queen.


    Not only did Bai Hongzuo not redouble his efforts to collect additional skills topensate for theck of strength, he was being foolishlycent and arrogant, believing that he was already a top Demon King. It was truly a short sighted and idiotic mindset!


    After a few brief rounds of exchanges.


    The Vampire Demon King had already been burnt into a human shaped charcoal.


    His face was full of shock and horror, but he was not dead yet and a breath of life still remained within him, all thanks to his tenacious vitality.


    "Stop!"


    "I surrender!"


    "I can submit to you!"


    "My strength can be valuable to you!"


    "I''m willing to be your subordinate! I can aid you against the empire''s forces!"


    Zhang Nu''s expression remained indifferent.


    He did not even nce at the Vampire Demon King.


    He simply made a gesture to Su Yan with a look.


    Su Yan promptly drew her short sword and walked up to Bai Hongzhuo.


    "Our Boss doesn''t need a self-righteous, arrogant, short-sighted frog in the well!"


    A smile lit up Su Yan''s face, "You can rest assured and move on to the next life. As for yourst wish, there is a way to fulfill it."


    "I will use your power to assist our Boss!"


    Bai Hongzhuo roared out in reluctance, "NOOO!!!"


    With a strike from the short sword.


    Thest blow was dealt.


    Piercing the heart of the Vampire Demon King.


    [You''ve in the Vampire Demon King!]


    [You gained ??? training points, Blood magic talent, and Blood Kin''s Physique!]


    After killing the Level 4 Demon King.


    Su Yan immediately received a prompt.


    The rewards for killing this Demon King was immacte!


    It was like a dreame true to her! She could even wake upughing in her dreams!


    She had received over 300 training points, which was equivalent to the cultivation achievements of an ordinary folk over several lifetimes. Moreover, she was incredibly lucky to receive two talents from the Vampire Demon King.


    The first one was Blood Magic, which was an advanced magic type exclusive to the higher blood kins.


    The second was Blood Kin''s Physique.


    Su Yan, as a Hero, would not turn into a vampire because of this talent. In spite of that, she would gain many beneficial features and stats bonuses that were present in the vampire''s bloodline.


    Suffice to say.


    Killing a single Vampire Demon King.


    Was more rewarding than killing a dozen ordinary Level 3 Demon Kings.


    If Su Yan ignored every other aspect and just dumped all the training points into leveling, she could immediately be a Level 3 Hero. However, her strength would be somewhatcking.

 Chapter 126: Aftermath of the Bloody Fortress

    After killing the Vampire Demon King.


    Su Yan demolished the Demon King Altar.


    [You''ve destroyed a Demon King''s Altar. You''ve gained a Demon King Treasure Chest!]


    [You''ve opened the Demon King Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Skill Stone: Blood Ignition," "Skill Stone: Blood Regeneration," "Skill Stone: Shadow Lurk," "Skill Stone: Bloody w," "Vampire Soft Armor," "Vampire Longsword," and "Vampire Medallion!"]


    The treasure chests awarded to Heroes could not provide currencies like gold or items like blueprints.


    However, it had a high chance of yielding skill stones and equipment.


    Without a doubt.


    The quality of this treasure chest was excellent.


    The skill stones and equipment within were top notch.


    Su Yan took the initiative to offer up the treasure chest to the Dragon Demon King.


    Zhang Nu took a nce, "Except for "Blood Ignition" and "Bloody w", consider everything else as your reward this time."


    "Thank you, Boss!" replied Su Yan jubntly.


    Zhang Nu had no need for equipment.


    It was useless to him.


    As for the two skills, one was a healing skill, the other was another stealth skill.


    Zhang Nu had simr ones in his collection of skill stones, and there were many others with very simr effect. Therefore, he lost interest in them and just simply rewarded the skill stones to the fox girl.


    He used up the two skills he had picked.


    [Blood Ignition], B rank skill. Temporarily consumes 1 point of maximum HP to increase the damage of attacks by 1 point. The recovery speed of the consumed vitality is corrted to the consumption ratio and physique attributes.


    This skill could significantly increase the damage output of a blow.


    Nevertheless, it came at the price of consuming maximum HP.


    The price was not permanent, but if too much was consumed at once, it would require a much longer rest to recuperate. If the user''s HP was overdrawn too severely, there might even be a risk of permanently losing a portion of the maximum HP.


    In the past.


    Gray, the old city lord of Berserk Beast City.


    Had severely injured Zhang San in his earth drake form during their sh.


    The skill he employed back then was simr to Blood Ignition.


    This type of skill had strong side effects, but in certain specific moments, especially in life and death situations, it could turn the tide of battle and result in aeback victory.


    But of course.


    In Zhang Nu''s eyes.


    Sacrificing one''s own life to empower their attack power.


    It was a reckless and undesirable act that should be avoided.


    It should only be used in a life and death situation when it was absolutely necessary.


    However, as the saying went, "One can never have too many skills." If one had yet to learn a simr skill before, there was no harm in learning one now.


    [Bloody w], B rank skill. Upon activation, each attack consumes at least 25 MP and adds 100 points of additional physical damage. Everytime a target is damaged, it will also drain a small amount of their HP.


    This was a w-typebat skill.


    It also came with a vampiric effect.


    Zhang Nu then led Su Yan out of the Vampire Demon King''s castle.


    Su Yan walked out to find herself greeted by a shocking scene. The Vampire Demon King''s territory was littered with bodies and corpses. Dozens of warmonger royal guards, as well as several mythic royal guards were standing among the bodies.


    It turned out.


    Before infiltrating the castle.


    Zhang Nu had summoned his royal guards to his side.


    He then issued a search-and-destroy order to the guards and had them deal with the Vampire Demon King''s forces outside.


    The royal guards were tremendously powerful, each and every single one of them possessed the strength of a Level 4 lord. The vampire troops were crushed and ughtered, they were forced to retreat and suffered heavy casualties.


    Soon after.


    Due to the death of the Demon King and the destruction of the altar, the remaining soldiers were banished andpletely vanished from the Demon King''s territory.


    Only dead silence remained in the area.


    At the same time.


    A prompt notification appeared.


    [You''ve conquered "Bloody Fortress"!]


    [You gained "Exquisite Mithril Chest" x1!]


    Zhang Nu had received the prompt of sessful conquering.


    Which indicated that the fortress battle was over.


    Zhang Nu took Su Yan back to Bloody Fortress.


    The draconian legion was cleaning up the aftermath.


    Li Si, the high priest reported, "Reporting to Your Majesty, we have captured the Bloody Fortress. Seventy percent of the defending army has been wiped out, and there are nearly ten thousand surrendered captives, with several thousands more who escaped. The super soldiers are currently on the pursuit as we speak."


    The Bloody Fortress.


    It had truly lived up to its name this time.


    The draconian legion nearly massacred the entire city.


    It was because Bloody Fortress was not an ordinary forest city.


    It was a military stronghold, where there were no civilians, only the Divine Sword Heroes and the armies who they recruited and enlisted.


    Which was exactly why.


    There was no need for mercy.


    It was for the best to purge the entire city.


    Li Si continued and asked, "Your Majesty, to prevent the empire forces from reusing the fortress, should we burn the city to the ground andpletely level this ce before heading back?"


    There were justifications behind the high priest''s proposal.


    The fact that the empire built a fortress here was enough to indicate that this ce had strategic value.


    The Bloody Fortress was only about 1,500 miles from the southern border of the empire, especially the territory of Count Kolo.


    Along this path, there were norge forces or dangerous areas, even the terrain was rtively t.


    Needless to say.


    This was one of the fastest routes for the empire to enter the Chaos Forest.


    If the Bloody Fortress was sessfully constructed and settled, the empire would be able to transport supplies and materials through the Kolo Province continuously, and the fortress would be an outpost for secretly controlling the Chaos Forest.


    From Li Si''s perspective.


    The draconian legion had limited forces and manpower.


    Darkness City did not have enough troops to be stationed in this ce.


    The city served no purpose to the economic development of the territory, hence, the best course of action was to raze and tten the stronghold rather than leaving it intact for the enemies.


    "No need!", asserted Zhang Nu.


    "Such arge fortress."


    "It probably cost a lot of manpower and resources."


    "It would be too wasteful to just destroy it like this."


    The Bloody Fortress was originally a small forest city.


    The Vampire Demon King Bai Hongzhuo had captured and taken over this city. However, due to his incapability of distinguishing between the Heroes and natives, he had feared that there were Heroes mixed in with the captives, which would pose a threat to himself. Therefore, he simply ughtered the inhabitants.


    This, in actuality, was not an extreme approach.


    Most Demon Kings would make a simr choice.


    Not every Demon King had "sharp eyes" like Zhang Nu, who could easily see through the identity of Heroes. For these Demon Kings, in order to prevent being assassinated, killing and collecting gold from the surrendered captives was undoubtedly the most effortless way.


    As for what happenedter in this forest city, there was no need to go into further details.


    The Divine Sword Heroes Guild then took over the city, recruited and raised arge army, and at the same time, transformed the city into the current Bloody Fortress.


    Defense Barriers.


    The defensive barrier, as well as various magical formations alone.


    Would require heavy investment to construct.


    Which was why Zhang Nu felt that it would be a pity to demolish it.


    In the long run.


    Zhang Nu and the Thunder Empire would definitely go for each other''s throat.


    Since the Bloody Fortress could be the empire''s outpost to control the Chaos Forest, why couldn''t it be a frontline stronghold for the Demon King to fight against the empire?


    Not only did Zhang Nu not intend to destroy the fortress.


    Instead, he nned to immediately deploy two to three thousand draconianborers and craftsmen to repair the fortress andplete the remaining construction as soon as possible.


    As for the fact that there were not enough troops from the Darkness City.


    That was never an issue.


    Zhang Nu was a Demon King, and if he ever ran out of soldiers, he could just summon more. Besides, even if the troops in Darkness City were insufficient, there were stillrge elite forces in the Giantree City and Berserk Beast City.


    The empire was an enemy of the entire Chaos Forest.


    The elves and orcs also had grudges against the humans of the empire.


    Zhang San then asked, "Your Majesty, what should we do with these prisoners of war? Most of them were mercenaries hired by the Divine Sword from various tribes."


    Zhang Nu remarked, "Send them to Berserk Beast City to mine."


    These prisoners of war.


    Were mostly normal units.


    Killing them would not yield much gold.


    These mercenaries hired by the Divine Sword were generally bear-kin, tiger-kin, orcs, and minotaurs, which were endowed with great strength, fitting to be sent to mining.


    With the Divine Sword Heroes dealt with.


    Zhang Nu returned to Darkness City with his legion.


    His next n was to exterminate the remaining eleven Demon Kings.


    The rest of these Demon Kings.


    They were all only Level 3.


    They were not particrly powerful.


    It was not necessary for Zhang Nu to get rid of them himself.


    He could just leave them to his subordinates.


    This Demon King subjugation operation would inevitably require the cooperation of Su Yan and the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes, which would also act as an opportunity to improve the overall strength of the Dragon''s Shadow.


    After returning to Darkness City.


    Zhang Nu summarized the gains.


    He hauled in a total of 700,000 gold coins from the kill rewards.


    Then, Zhang Nu opened the reward chest for capturing the Bloody Fortress.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    [You opened the Mithril Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x900,000, "Blueprint: Thunderfall Tower" x1, "Blueprint: Farsight Tower" x1, "Life Gem" x100!]


    Not bad at all.


    Two blueprints were obtained.


    Both blueprints belonged to the defense building type.


    The "Blueprint: Thunderfall Tower" was a Level 3 blueprint, which was a defensive structure that summoned thunder to strike its foes.


    As for the "Blueprint: Farsight Tower" was a Level 2 blueprint, which was a reconnaissance-type defensive tower that could spot targets from afar.


    The Darkness City already had the Tower of Evil Eye.


    This Level 4 building not only possessed a much longer detection range, but also had the features of surveince and offensive attack.


    Compared to that, the Farsight Tower was much inferior.


    Nheless, it was not worthless.


    Zhang Nu intended to install it in the Bloody Fortress.


    It could be used to monitor the frontline to prevent the empire''s invasion.


    In regards to souls.


    This time, Zhang Nu gained a Level 4 soul, twenty Level 3 souls, as well as several hundreds of Level 1 and 2 souls, which was procured from the fodders recruited by the Divine Sword Heroes from all around the forest. Although the scale was not small, it was not sufficient to activate any of the talents.


    Instead, Zhang Nu simply took out 2 million gold and the Level 4 Hero''s Soul, and sent Li Si onto the altar for his upgrade.


    [Sky Drake Archpriest], Level 4 overlord unit. HP 1600, MP 3000, Strength 65, Constitution 70, Agility 85, Will 400, Loyalty 100%(Locked), Fatigue 10%, Hunger 10%.


    Skills: Inferno Three-Headed Drake Form (Talent), Demon King Summoning (Talent), Spatial Teleportation (A Rank), Blood Ritual (A Rank), Teleportation Field (A Rank), Healing Field (A Rank), Death Field (A Rank), Weakening Field (A Rank), Prayer Ritual (B Rank), Instant Teleportation (B Rank), All-Knowing Eye (B Rank), Echoing Thunderfall Curse (B Rank), me Explosion Curse (D Rank)...


    Presently, the more manpower there was, the better.


    Zhang San and Li Si had both been promoted to Level 4 overlord units.


    They would be able to relieve Zhang Nu from a lot of trivial work now.


    After being upgraded into the Sky Drake Archpriest, Li Si now possessed even more rank A skills than Zhang San. His bloodline has also evolved from an Inferno Winged Drake into an Inferno Three-Headed Drake.


    The Inferno Three-Headed Drake was a rare subspecies of the Inferno Winged Drake.


    Now, in his winged drake form, Li Si would have three heads instead of just one. Hisbat prowess and abilities were also greatly enhanced.


    As for skills.


    Li Si obtained two additional special skills.


    One of which was "Demon King Summoning".


    Li Si, the Sky Drake Archpriest now had the ability to summon Zhang Nu, the Demon King himself.


    This was simr to Zhang Nu''s summoning of the royal guards. The difference was that the royal guards were forcibly summoned by Zhang Nu and had to obey his every order, whereas the archpriest had to follow the will of the Demon King after the summoning.


    In other words.


    Wherever Li Si went.


    Zhang San could arrive there in no time.


    In addition to this, Li SI gained a rank A "Spatial Teleportation" skill, which had a simr effect to the teleportation field, but much less of a hassle than the teleportation field.


    There was no need for preparing a magical formation in advance.


    It was more suitable for single target fixed point teleportation.


    For example, after the Demon King was summoned by Li Si, he could use the skill to send the Demon King back.


    Suffice to say.


    This was a very convenient skill.


    The cost of upgrading Li Si into a Sky Drake Archpriest was exorbitant.


    However, from the perspective of skill effects and strength improvement.


    Zhang Nu believed that the price waspletely worth it.


    With an archpriest in hand, its effect and usefulness might even surpass that of thousands of troops, and Zhang Nu''s control over the territory would be stronger than before.

 Chapter 127: Count Kolo

    Thunder Empire.


    This was a dynastic empire with a historical heritage of three thousand years.


    An empire that had experienced four changes of dynasty.


    The Thunder Empire covered 50 million square kilometers with a poption of nearly one billion. To maintain such a vast territory, a management system simr to a parallel system of counties and duchies was implemented.


    The emperor sat in the center of the empire, with self-governing duchies in the east, west, south, and north, each led by one of the four guardian Grand Dukes, along with various noble counties scattered throughout.


    The House Kolo.


    It was one of the noble counties in the southern territories.


    Count Kolo''s territory was located on the border of the empire, with five cities, a poption of 2.4 million, and several hundred thousands of empire soldiers. If this were on Earth, such scale and strength would be sufficient to establish a small country.


    However.


    In here.


    In this empire.


    A territory of such scale was nothing.


    Most of Count Kolo''s territory bordered the Chaos Forest and was the most deeply entrenched county in the forest among the others.


    It had a unique and privileged geographical environment.


    Since two hundred years ago, material and ve trading had been prevalent.


    Every year, arge number of mercenaries, adventurers, and merchants entered the perilous outskirts of the forest to try their luck.


    Some hunted monsters.


    Some searched for herbs.


    Or did business with the natives.


    ve traders and mercenaries often plundered the weak viges, capturing young and beautiful fox-kin women, rabbit-kin women, and even elves, as well as strong minotaurs and boar-kins to sell to customers in need.


    In summary.


    Despite being situated in the bordend.


    Kolo County was not deprived or poor, but in fact, quite prosperous.


    The current Count, "Seinberg Kolo", was hailed as the most talented swordsman in the Kolo family for the past two hundred years.


    At the age of thirty or so, he had achieved and attained one of the best swordsmanship skills in the region and was the object of admiration for countless youngsters.


    And yet.


    The Count.


    Now possessed a secret identity.


    But it was little known among the people.


    His other identity was: Su Wenhao, a Hero, the captain of the Divine Sword Heroes Guild and the head of Kolo Heroes Guild.


    About a month and a half ago.


    Su Wenhao formted a n to conquer the Chaos Forest.


    It gained the strong support of the southern Grand Duke Bachor.


    He sent his most capable assistant, He Tianzong, to carry out this important mission, while he himself worked behind the scenes to n and strategize.


    A month passed.


    The good news kepting in.


    The Divine Sword Heroes Guild was growing rapidly and flourishing.


    Not only did they recruit arge number of Heroes hailed from the forest, they also enlisted more than ten Demon Kings, including Bai Hongzhuo under the empire''s service.


    The construction of the Bloody Fortress was soon to bepleted.


    At this rate of development.


    The empire was bound to take control of the Chaos Forest without anyone noticing.


    Su Wenhao believed that if he could pull this off, his status in the empire would rise to a whole new level, giving him the opportunity to ascend to be among the top decision makers.


    Just as everything was progressing smoothly.


    And when the n was just about to enter the next phase.


    Without any warning.


    Bleak tidings were conveyed to him back to back.


    Bloody Fortress had fallen!


    The twelve Demon Kings were in one after another!


    All the members of the vanguard Hero squad were wiped out!


    Even the deputy head, He Tianzong, was nowhere to be found!


    In just a few short days, the situation had taken aplete turn for the worse!


    The Hero guild and the county spent a lot of time and resources, painstakinglyying out the n for more than a month, only for it to bepletely flopped in an instant, copsing thoroughly.


    The Divine Sword Heroes Guild...had failed!


    Su Wenhao was boiling in anger.


    "Damn it all!"


    "Useless idiots! Every single one of them!"


    Priceless vases and artworks in the castle were shattered all over the ce.


    Dozens of servants were groveling, cowering on the ground, trembling. In the past month or two, their master''s temperament had changed drastically, making him rather unpredictable.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It was no wonder Su Wenhao was so furious.


    After all, he had invested too much into this n.


    Leaving aside the members of the Hero guild, including He Tianzong, just from bribing the major forest cities and tribes, Su Wenhao had spent millions of maind gold coins worth of resources.


    In addition to this.


    In order to support the Demon Kings, including Bai Hongzhuo.


    Su Wenhao used the convenience of being the president of the Heroes guild to discreetly capture several high-leveled Heroes who were at odds with him, and sent their souls to these Demon Kings to obtain their favor.


    Otherwise.


    How else could this worthless scum, Bai Hongzhuo be a Level 4 Demon King so quickly?


    And now, because of the emergence of the Dragon Demon King in the Darkness Valley, the n that Su Wenhao had invested so much effort and resources toy out was destroyed and ruined.


    How could he not be outraged when something like this happened?


    However, Su Wenhao did not lose his mind in anger.


    He knew that getting angry would not solve any problems.


    Grand Duke Bachor attached great importance to the Bloody Fortress and had discreetly provided a lot of help. If all of this was lost, how could he exin it to the Duke of the South?


    An elder butler approached.


    "Master, the guild has finished the arrangement and is awaiting your arrival."


    Su Wenhao calmed himself down and his rage subsided for now.


    He then boarded a carriage drawn by four superior breed unicorns, and emerged from his magnificent and dignified count''s pce, driving on the wide avenue of Kolo City.


    Fifty fully armed knights of House Kolo, mounted on their war steeds and equipped with greatnces, were escorting the carriage in the front and back, paving the way for the count.


    Wherever the cavalcade passed.


    The subjects casted their awestruck nces.


    "Look!"


    "It''s the lord''s carriage!"


    "The lord''s knights and guards are so mighty and imposing!"


    "I also want to be the lord''s escorting knight!"


    "Stop dreaming! Someone like you want to be a knight of House Kolo? They are all one in a thousand elites, the best of the best, each with the strength to face off a hundred!"


    "......"


    Su Wenhao was an extremely individual.


    As an executive of an international corporation in the previous world.


    He had be a noble of the empire in this world.


    Not only did Su Wenhao possess immense strength, he also ruled a territory with a poption of 2.4 million. Every trip or traveling he took would attract numerous onlookers among themoners.


    The awe and fascination from their gazes.


    It used to bring him satisfaction and enjoyment.


    However, as time passed, Su Wenhao gradually became ustomed to this awe. Now, he believed that he was meant to be superior to others.


    In this empire.


    In this world.


    A mere county was too insignificant.


    It was nowhere near sufficient to satisfy his growing ambition.


    Su Wenhao desired even greater power, even higher authority, and an even more abundant and vast domain.


    Half an hourter.


    At the Kolo Heroes guild.


    The top brass of the four local Hero guilds were all present.


    Within Kolo''s territory, there existed thousands of Heroes, divided into four major Hero guilds.


    The Divine Sword Heroes Guild was the top among the four guilds, with more than a thousand Heroes, almost all of whom had reached Level 2.


    Those whom He Tianzong had brought along to the forest were only a part of the guild.


    Hence, even though the loss of the entire Hero squad had caused the Divine Sword guild to be greatly wounded, it was not a catastrophic blow.


    "Guild master."


    "Did something arise?"


    "Why did you summon us urgently?"


    The leaders of the other three major Hero guilds all looked puzzled.


    Su Wenhao, sat at the top seat with an expressionless face, "See for yourselves!"


    As his words stopped.


    He activated a memory crystal.


    This peculiar item could record both visual and audio information.


    This memory crystal was brought back by a deserter from the Bloody Fortress. When the crystal was activated, the process of the Bloody Fortress being attacked and breached was immediately presented before their eyes.


    "Ah!"


    "What the hell is this??"


    "How could the defensive barrier be so fragile?"


    The scene that was ying out before the leaders and senior members of the three major Hero Guild was a jolt to their senses.


    A golden diamond dragon ignored the dense attacks poured upon it and easily prated and breached the barrier, as if puncturing a piece of paper. Then, it continued forth with an unstoppable momentum, and pierced through the fortress walls.


    That terrifying temperament.


    That savage and ruthless menace.


    It made the Heroes feel as if they were personally on the scene.


    Everyone could not help but break out in cold sweat.


    After this massive dragon breached through the fortress, hundreds and thousands of draconic creatures and draconian units flooded into the fortress like a tidal wave, bringing forth destruction in their wake.


    These leaders and senior members on the scene.


    Suffice to say, they were all seasoned veterans and experienced.


    They were certain this was not just a monster wave.


    This was clearly an organized and premeditated operation led by a Demon King.


    Su Wenhao broke the silence, "This incident took ce in the Chaos Forest, and the location is just over a thousand miles away from Kolo City...".


    Upon hearing this.


    The three captains revealed a grim expression.


    Skyfire Hero Guild leader, Li Tianyan furrowed his brow and muttered, " I''ve recently caught wind of a powerful Dragon Demon King emerging from the Darkness Valley area of the Chaos Forest. Could it be the one in the image?"


    Quicksand Hero Guild leader, Huang Sha scoffed, "Isn''t that obvious?"


    Seven Stars Hero Guild leader, Qi Xing remarked, " Judging from the performance of this Demon King, I believe he''s at least a Level 4 overlord. Such strength is difficult toe by. Plus, considering his identity as a dragon race, we could almost be hundred percent certain."


    Su Wenhao nodded in agreement, "Do you know what it means for us to have such a powerful demon king born in the Chaos Forest?"


    The three captains felt a sense of great crisis.


    Li Tianyan said, "This is indeed a formidable and problematic threat to us, to Kolo, and even to the empire. I suggest that we send in the empire''s formal army to eradicate him immediately!"


    Su Wenhao retorted, "Bloody idiot. If it were that easy, why do I need to summon you all?"


    "The empire''s border troops are not under the control of a mere Count like me, only Duke Bachor has the authority to mobilize them!"


    "Moreover, once the Imperial army enters the Chaos Forest on arge scale, this movement will be almost impossible to conceal. What will the Azure Water Federation and the Sunset Empire think of this? This will surely lead to a series of even moreplex problems!"


    "We must resolve this matter by ourselves!"


    "I summoned the three of you here today, just to work out a strategy!"


    The three Hero captains were put in a difficult position.


    Huang Sha of the Quicksand guildmented, "Based on the power disyed by this Demon King, not only does he possess terrifying power at the level of a Level 4 overlord, but even among those with the same level of strength, he is probably an existence that stands atop all of them!"


    "I agree!", Qi Xing of the Seven Star guild concurred. "Although we are all Level 4, we are not even close to being a match for him!"


    At that moment.


    Li Tianyan of the Skyfire guild suddenly spoke up, "The strength of a Level 4 overlord is indeed enough to dominate and take over some areas of the Chaos Forest, but not necessarily the entire forest."


    Hearing this statement.


    The other guild leaders turned to him.


    Li Tianyan continued, "The Chaos Forest has dozens of forest cities, most of which are led by city lords of only Level 3 strength, but there are also some particrly powerful ones among them."


    Huang Sha immediately asked, "Are you talking about..."


    Li Tianyan resumed his exnation, "As far as I know, there is the Thundering City inhabited by the giant race in the western teau of the Chaos Forest, which can be regarded as the strongest force in the chaotic forest. If we can exploit these giants and turn them against the Dragon Demon King, it may be usible to take him down."


    Qi Xing also remarked, "Speaking of which, I''ve also heard that there''s dwarven n mountain cities in the endless mountain range of the east. These cities were built right inside the mountains, with tens of thousands of dwarves living within it. There may also be a Level 4 overlord existence among them!"


    "That''s right!"


    "Why not use these forces against the Dragon Demon King?"


    "Even if we can''t defeat the Dragon Demon King, we can at least weaken his strength or divide his forces, giving us a chance!"


    "But the giant and dwarf ns are very reclusive. Although they have a fierce temperament, they generally do not meddle with the outside world."


    "..."


    Su Wenhao was listening in on their discussions.


    ns and ideas gradually formed within his mind.


    He had no way to mobilize the formal army of the empire, but he did have some forces at his disposal, including the knights of the Kolo family and his own private army.


    These forces.


    Though they were not numerous.


    They were highly elite.


    Why not use the three major Heroes guilds, or the giant and dwarf ns, to suppress the Dragon Demon King, and then use his own forces to easily reim the Bloody Fortress?


    As long as the Bloody Fortress was in his hands.


    Then he could answer and exin to the Grand Duke Bachoor.


    As for the Dragon Demon King?


    Based on his disy of strength in the memory crystal, he was indeed immensely mighty, possibly one of the most powerful and top-ranked Demon Kings in the world at this stage.


    But Su Wenhao, with his current strength.


    As long as he was prepared, he should be able to contend with this Demon King.


    After all, as Count Kolo, he was a famous swordsmanship genius in the southern border of the empire, and his strength was on par with a Level 4 overlord!

 Chapter 128: The Dragon Demon Kings Decree

    Darkness City.


    In the Demon King''s castle.


    "My Master."


    Li Si approached to report, "The tribes controlled by the eleven Demon Kings and the Divine Sword Heroes have been wiped out."


    "Not bad!"


    "Impressive efficiency!"


    "What is the deployment situation of the Bloody Fortress?"


    Li Si immediately responded, "The five thousand soldiers and five thousandborers that you recruited have been transferred."


    "As for Berserk Beast City and Giantree City, they will each select five thousand elite troops, which will arrive soon and form the fortress defense army within these few days."


    After capturing the Bloody Fortress.


    They spent several days doing the aftermath work.


    Zhang Nu had constructed a Level 3 offensive building, Thunderfall Tower and a Level 2 scouting building, Farsight Tower for the fortress. Now, a strong fortress regiment was also soon to be established.


    He had nned to assign two draconian priests, eight generals and three thousand beholders to the Bloody Fortresster on.


    This would greatly enhance the fortress strength.


    It would be more than ten times stronger than when the Divine Swordmandeered it.


    The several thousands of beholders alone.


    They would be enough to hold the pass and prevent an army of multiple times their number from breaking through.


    This fortress should be a bridgehead stronghold to resist the empire''s advancement.


    Of course.


    With such deployment.


    Bloody Fortress would already be quite formidable.


    But if the fortress was needed topletely defend against an empire.


    Then it would be required to be further strengthened and reinforced with more defensive facilities and more powerfulbat units.


    However, this was no easy task.


    Maintaining arge army for a long period of time.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The expenditures could be very exorbitant and terrifying.


    Despite Zhang Nu''s strong financial foundation, if the military expenditures exceeded a certain threshold, it could even impede the development speed of the territory itself.


    Therefore.


    On one hand, it was necessary to exploit war to support war, and let the army itself create value that could cover the military cost.


    On the other hand, Zhang Nu needed to increase territory construction, constantly increasing its financial and resource production capabilities.


    Currently, the areas under the control of the Demon King included: Darkness City, Giantree City, Berserk Beast City, and Bloody Fortress.


    Plus, there were several dozen tribes and viges of various kinds, which, if viewed as a whole, were also of considerable size with a poption of tens of thousands of natives.


    Among them.


    Darkness City was the main base camp.


    And it would be developed into the capital city in the future.


    Giantree City and Berserk Beast City were the two closest cities, with the greatest potential for development.


    In terms of ie, the Darkness City earned the most but also spent the most.


    In addition to maintaining the various facilities and buildings, and the recent addition of over 10,000 draconian, the financial ie had decreased slightly, but the daily ie could still be maintained at around 150,000 gold.


    The daily contribution of the Giantree City had reached around 130,000 to 140,000 gold, which wasparable to that of the Darkness City. If the current trend persevered, it would soon surpass the Darkness City.


    Berserk Beast City had not been developed long.


    Its ie was naturally the lowest.


    Nevertheless, the profit realization of the gold mines was quick.


    Hence, it could contribute around 30 to 40 thousand gold per day.


    As for the affiliated tribes? The average daily output of these ces could basically be ignored.


    But of course.


    The ie mentioned above was purely from production.


    The real total ie was much more than that.


    Because for a Demon King, ie did not only source from production.


    The draconians, elves, orcs, and especially the major affiliated tribes, either for food or security reasons, dispatch people to hunt nearby every day.


    The process of killing monsters also generated gold for Zhang Nu.


    Adding it all up, it would be at least 20,000 to 30,000 gold per day.


    Zhang Nu''s total ie was easy to calcte, as he made over 300,000 gold every day.


    This was a substantial ie, more than enough to maintain his current development and dominate the entire Chaos Forest. However, it was still far from sufficient to resist the Empire, and there was still a lot of room for improvement.


    With this in mind.


    Zhang Nu opened the Demon King chat channel.


    He posted an acquisition message: "Purchasing Spirit Field blueprints and building upgrade scrolls with high prices. Those who have it can directly trade with me"


    After posting, he put out a purchase order in the trading area.


    [Blueprint: Spirit Field], purchase price of 180,000 gold per copy!


    [Level 1 Normal Building Upgrade Scroll], limited to 10 copies, with a purchase price of 20,000 gold each!


    [Level 2 Normal Building Upgrade Scroll], limited to 10 copies, with a purchase price of 80,000 gold each!


    [Level 3 Normal Building Upgrade Scroll], purchase price of 300,000 gold per copy!


    The Spirit Field was only a Level 1 blueprint, and if one was lucky enough, it could be obtained by conquering goblin tribes. However, it was now being sold on the market for exorbitant prices.


    Recently, several Spirit Field blueprints were sold at a price of around 150,000 gold each, which was more expensive than most Level 3 blueprints.


    Zhang Nu was wealthy and generous.


    Hence, the purchase was made at a price of 180,000 gold per copy.


    This was enough to make all the Demon Kings who held Spirit Field blueprints for sale to be tempted!


    After all, not all Demon Kings were able to farm. This was rted to their environment and the production units they could have.


    If Zhang Nu only had draconian units.


    It would be arduous and difficult for him to take the farming and crop production route.


    This was due to the draconians not having any nting skills, and without the guidance of nting skills enhancement, the Spirit Field nts were very likely to wilt, and the harvest would be much lower than expected.


    In addition to the Spirit Field blueprints, he also acquired arge number of structure upgrade scrolls.


    The purchase prices were 10 to 20 percent higher than market prices.


    This bold behavior of his caused a stir among the Demon Kingmunity.


    "Herees the Potato Demon King again!"


    "He''s actually buying new Spirit Fields!"


    "Hot damn! This big shot''s potato output is already crazy! Is it not enough?"


    "If he obtains a few more Spirit Fields, how much food and herbs will be produced? He must be nning to do the farming business until the end of time!"


    "Damn it! Objection! Having money doesn''t mean you can raise prices like this!"


    "Exactly, by suddenly inting the prices like this, how are others supposed to develop? If anyone has Spirit Fields, they should sell them to me!"


    "Those guys up there are both idiots!"


    "Don''t bother with them, Potato Boss!"


    "..."


    Despite the fact that the blueprint for the Spirit Field could be obtained in low-level areas, the overall drop rate was not high, making it in short supply for the Demon Kings.


    If Zhang Nu did not put out a tempting offer, how could he acquire them?


    Zhang Nu did not care about spending a few extra thousand gold coins and offered slightly higher prices than others. This was a market behavior and could not be considered as artificially inting prices.


    [Trade sessful, gold -20,000, you gained "Level 1 Normal Building Upgrade Scroll" x1!]


    [Trade sessful, gold -20,000, you gained "Level 1 Normal Building Upgrade Scroll" x1!]


    [Trade sessful, gold -20,000, you gained "Level 1 Normal Building Upgrade Scroll" x1!]


    [......]


    [Trade sessful, gold -80,000, you gained "Level 2 Normal Building Upgrade Scroll" x1!]


    Even though no one was trading Zhang Nu Spirit Field blueprints at the time being.


    There were plenty of normal building upgrade scrolls.


    He had received a total of eight Level 1 upgrade scrolls and two Level 2 upgrade scrolls, which cost him 320,000 gold.


    A Level 1 upgrade scroll could upgrade a Level 1 building into a Level 2.


    There were still many Level 1 structures within Darkness City, for instance, the five Tower of Grudges in the Darkness Valley, Tower of Fog, Tower of Barrier, Detection Tower, Dark Prison, and Minotaur Camp.


    Zhang Nu upgraded all five of the Tower of Grudges with the scrolls.


    Theprehensive strength of the territory was bound to increase significantly.


    The power of the Level 2 Tower of Grudges was several times greater than that of the Level 1 ones.


    With the five Level 2 Tower of Grudges and defending undeads in the canyon, even if the valley was sieged by therge tribes or even armies from other forest cities, they could easily stop the enemies outside the gates of the Darkness City.


    Next.


    Zhang Nu continued to upgrade the Dark Prison, Tower of Fog, and Minotaur Camp one by one.


    After these ces were upgraded, their functions remained the same, but undoubtedly became more powerful. For example, the Dark Prison could now imprison Level 4 units, and the dungeon space was twice asrge as before.


    Immediately after using a Level 2 upgrade scroll, the Tower of Fog was upgraded again.


    When the Tower of Fog was upgraded to Level 3, the coverage range of the mist barrier becamerger, not only affecting the invader''s vision, but also creating mirage-like illusions.


    Even if a B rank dispelling magic was casted on it, tThe range that could be dispelled became very limited.


    The Level 3 Tower of Fog was enough to greatly increase the security of the territory.


    As for the remaining Level 2 upgrade scroll, Zhang Nu used it on the Spirit Field without hesitation, upgrading the Level 2 Spirit Field of the territory to a Level 3.


    [Upgrade the Level 2 Spirit Field?]


    [The upgrade costs: "Level 2 Upgrade Scroll" x1, "Gold" x200,000, "Life Gem" x300, "Earth Gem" x200, "Water Gem" x100!]


    Zhang Nu was a little startled by the price.


    This was ten times more expensive than upgrading the Tower of Fog!


    Without a second thought, Zhang Nu gathered the materials and promptly upgraded it!


    [Upgrade Sessful!]


    [Spirit Field area +50%, growth rate +30%, Super Spirit Field +1 acre!]


    The energy in the soil of the Spirit Field grew further.


    The farm size reached 225 acres, and the growth rate was nearly twenty times that of the Level 1 Spirit Field, almost doubling inparison.


    Furthermore in the center of the Level 3 Spirit Field, there was a patch of field that was distinctive than others.


    This additional plot ofnd had a darker color, and each grain of its soil seemed to contain endless life energy.


    This was the "Super Spirit Field" that only appeared in the Level 3 Spirit Field. Despite its small size, its energy density was three times higher than that of the surrounding spirit soil.


    In an ordinary Spirit Field, crops could grow nearly twenty times faster than usual.


    But in a Super Spirit Field, the speed could reach a whopping sixty times as fast.


    A single acre of Super Spirit Field could feed an entire army.


    This area could be utilized specifically for cultivating rare medicinal herbs, especially those with long growth cycles of ten to eight years or more, or for precious crops with demanding growth environments and energy requirements.


    After upgrading the Spirit Fields, the cost of military expansion was greatly reduced.


    The ie of Darkness City could continue to develop and grow.


    Zhang Nu had not received any Spirit Field blueprints or Level 3 upgrade scroll at the moment. It was likely due to the rarity of these two items, and Zhang Nu would require some time and patience for these items to surface on the market.


    He himself had a Level 4 upgrade scroll in hand.


    It was a reward obtained in the Sealed Land.


    It could be used to upgrade the Altar of Inferno or the Tower of Evil Eye, but the cost of upgrading to the Level 5 was too high for him to afford at the moment.


    Moreover, the functionality of these two structures were sufficient for now.


    Rather than forcibly upgrading them, it was better to leave them be for now.


    After a series of upgrades, the Darkness City had be even more profound, but Zhang Nu''s gold and resources were running thin.


    The Demon King therefore decided to elerate the pace of annexation.


    Chaos Forest had dozens of forest cities within.


    There were also over a dozenrger cities, such as the Berserk Beast City and Giantree City.


    The conquest of every region by the Demon King brought forth arge yield of gold and rewards, not to mention the resources and poption of each conquered region were valuable in themselves.


    During this process.


    They could harvest souls from killing the Heroes.


    Zhang Nu immediately held a meeting, informed his subordinates of his ns and intentions, and ordered everyone to participate and act separately for greater efficiency.


    Upon learning his intentions.


    Everyone present at the meeting was taken aback by his mad idea.


    The city lord of the Berserk Beast City, Gru, could not believe his ear, "Your Majesty, you aim to conquer all the forest cities and dominate the entire Chaos Forest?!"


    Throughout history, the Chaos Forest had rarely seen the emergence of a dominant power.


    This was mainly due to internal and external factors.


    The internal factor was that the Chaos Forest was home to dozens of races, each with vastly different lifestyles, personalities, and cultures. Unless an overwhelmingly dominant force emerged, they would never submit to each other.


    The external factor was that the Chaos Forest was surrounded byrge empire-level forces for a long time. These powerhouses did not want to see the Chaos Forest unified, as the more disordered and chaotic the forest was, the safer it was for them.


    "My will is final!" dered Zhang Nu.


    "This forest has been in chaos for over ten thousand years, with endless tribal wars causing severe internal strife. It''s time to establish order!"


    To everyone''s surprise, the peace-loving and non-confrontational elven race was the first to voice their support.


    "I fully support His Majesty''s decision!" Nancilia eximed firmly, "The mayhem in the forest cannot continue like this forever! Someone has to step forth and put an end to this situation! I believe that His Majesty has both the strength and the qualifications to do so!"


    The young city lord had long anticipated that the Demon King would take this step.


    Although it came a little earlier than expected, she did not find it surprising at all.


    From a young age, her people had high expectations of her as a born elf ruler, believing that she would lead the revival of the elves and ultimately dominate the Chaos Forest.


    However, Nancilia was acutely aware.


    Even if she possessed the strength of a ruler, she did not have the capability to lead this forest.


    The elders'' excessive expectations of her were suffocating.


    Fortunately, the Demon King was here.


    He was the true and rightful emperor.


    The Chaos Forest had finally found its appropriate master!

 Chapter 129: Silver Spring City

    "His Majesty has already set the n in motion."


    "We must execute it to the fullest!"


    Gru asked, "Which target should we crush first?!"


    The elves were not afraid.


    Why would the orcs be?


    The current status and position of the Berserk Beast City today was carved out by their own hands, through war and bloodshed!


    If the Demon King had a need for warriors to charge into battles.


    Then the orc warriors would be the instrument of his will without batting an eye.


    Li Si opened a map and said, "Let this old one exin on behalf of His Majesty."


    The map was plundered from the Bloody Fortress, and it depicted the terrain and cities of the Chaos Forest in detail.


    It must have taken a lot of effort for the empire to map out the forest.


    "These are our next targets."


    "Thousand Fangs City, Magi Mojo City, and Silver Spring City."


    "We chose these three forest cities as targets mainly because they all have extraordinary influence in their respective regions."


    The city lord Gru nodded, "I know these three cities, their strength are not inferior to that of our Berserk Beast City and the Giantree City."


    Li Si resumed his exnation, "Our lord now has the allegiance of tworge forest cities. If we can take down three more, with five cities as the core, nearly one-third of the Chaos Forest will be enveloped by His Majesty''s magnificence."


    "And when that timees."


    "Within this area."


    "We won''t even need to mobilize troops. All medium and small-sized towns, as well as tribal viges, will alle under our lord''s control at the sight of our power. Almost half of the forces in the Chaos Forest will immediately fall into our lord''s hands!"


    "His Majesty''s unification of the Chaos Forest is just around the corner!"


    "..."


    There was an old saying.


    The supreme art of war was to subdue the enemy without fighting.


    The Demon King did not have the energy to conquer one tribe or city at a time, which would be highly inefficient.


    Instead, he nned to attack the most powerful and influential forces in the area.


    Then, use them as an example to make nearby forces surrender and submit.


    However, these three cities were not easy to deal with.


    Thousand Fangs City was an extremely unusual city dominated by ogres.


    Most ogres had low intelligence and a ferocious temperament, and it was theoretically impossible for them to gather a poption of over ten thousand and eventually form a forest city.


    Thousand Fangs City was a rather peculiar one.


    In addition to the nearly ten thousand ogres.


    There was also arge poption of gnomes.


    Gnomes, like goblins, were small and physically weak. But, they had exceedingly bright minds and were inherently cunning and shrewd, making them natural merchants.


    It was still unclear as to why so many gnomes could live together with so many ogres, and the gnomes might even have a more dominant position among them.


    Another example was the Magi Mojo City.


    This was a city of trolls.


    Trolls were amon race in the forest.


    Like orcs, they had green skins. Not only did the trolls possess strong physiques but also have a very high level of knowledge and mastery in alchemy.


    Troll alchemists, troll witch doctors, and troll hunters were all signature units of the troll tribes, and they were all exceptionally formidable opponents.


    And finally, the Silver Spring City.


    This was an elven city.


    Nancilia unhesitantly volunteered, "There''s no need for the use of force to deal with the elves in Silver Spring City. I should be able to persuade them."


    Zhang Nu nodded in approval, "If that''s the case, it would be best. You can give it a try, and if you seed, you will have done a great service."


    "Leave it to me!"


    The very reason for her confidence and assertiveness was solely due to her Elven King bloodline.


    And her bloodline had already begun to awaken.


    She was only one step away from bing the Elven King.


    The elves in Silver Spring City and the elves in Giantree City were different tribes of elves, but their race was the same, and they could not go against the will of the Elven King.


    Li Si then spoke up, "What about Thousand Fangs City and Magi Mojo City...?"


    Zhang Nu replied, "I''m going to personally pay a visit to Thousand Fangs City, so the rest of you can deal with Magi Mojo City."


    "Understood!"


    With the strategic n set.


    Everyone immediately went their separate ways.


    Nancilia was undoubtedly the most proactive.


    She did not want to see the elves of Silver Spring fighting against the Demon King. Putting aside the fact that she had already recognized the Demon King as the Lord of the Chaos Forest, even if she took a step back, the elves could not possibly be a match for the Demon King.


    No, no!


    This must be stopped!


    Otherwise, the young city lord would be in a difficult situation!


    Nancilia did not want to waste a single second. After returning to Giant Tree City, she immediately summoned the second and third elder to apany her on a trip.


    Once the two elven elders learned about the purpose of the city lord.


    They readily agreed without a second thought.


    To save time, the young city lord also made another trip to the Darkness Valley to seek aid from Li Si, the Sky Drake Archpriest.


    Silver Spring City.


    The journey to it was too long and arduous.


    Since the archpriest of the Demon King was more proficient in spatial magic than her, he could use space teleportation to transport them there and save a lot of time.


    With a sh of light.


    Nancilia and the two elderspleted the teleportation and found themselves in a tranquil forest.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The one-armed third elder was surprised, "Have we arrived already?"


    Nancilia replied, "There is always a degree of error in long-distance space teleportation. The farther the distance, the greater the error. We should be near Silver Spring City."


    After some reconnaissance.


    It was as Nancilia said.


    They confirmed that they were indeed close to Silver Spring City, in an area called the Silver Leaf Forest. Li Si''s teleportation had an error of several tens of miles, which fortunately did not affect the three of them much.


    The second elder of the Giantree remarked, "Since we''re not far from our destination, let''s move to the city before dark!"


    Nancilia shook her head in disagreement, "No, if we make the visit directly, it may arouse suspicion and attract unwanted attraction. It will bring us a series of troubles."


    The third elder lightly nodded, "The city lord is right. The Silver Spring City undoubtedly has forces of Heroes within. It''s best to make low-key contact to avoid any disturbances."


    Upon hearing the mention of the word "Hero".


    The second elder revealed a serious expression.


    The Giantree City had been nearly ruined by Heroes.


    Even their chief elder died in their hands.


    The elves of the Giantree City did not have a good impression of Heroes.


    The second elder pondered for a moment and said, "I know one of the elders in the Silver Spring City. I can enter the city first and find the city lord through this elder, then arrange a secret meeting with her. That should solve the problem."


    The third elder agreed, "Very well, let''s do it your way!"


    The young city lord also nodded, "Thank you for going through this trouble."


    The second elder smiled, "For the sake of our city lord, His Majesty the Demon King, and our elven race, this little trouble is nothing. Please wait here for my good news."


    After the second elder departed for the city.


    Nancilia inquired the third elder about the information regarding Silver Spring City.


    Although she already knew that there were some elven towns in the Chaos Forest, these elves did not have much interaction with each other, therefore she knew very little about Silver Spring City.


    The third elder exined, "The elven tribe of Silver Spring City migrated to the Chaos Forest only about two hundred years ago, and the current chieftain''s name is Marilyn."


    Judging by the name, the chieftain was clearly a female.


    The elven tribes were female-dominated.


    Females generally had longer lifespans and stronger talents than males, so among the ten leaders of an elven tribe, usually eight were female. There was nothing surprising about this.


    The young city lord asked, "Have you met with this chieftain Marilyn?"


    The third elder shook his head and said, "No, this chieftain is also rtively young, and it is said that she is a very proud and capable person."


    Two hourster after the second elder left.


    Nancilia sensed a magical fluctuation.


    Several figures teleported over using magic.


    She turned to look at the arrivals, and there were only two of them.


    One of whom was an attendant who dressed like an elven elder.


    While the other was a young, yet maturely alluring, and elegant female elf with a tall and shapely figure,as well as a head of pale golden flowing locks. She was donned in an elven-style silver armor, carrying a green longbow on her back.


    "Are you the chieftain Marilyn?"


    Nancilia carefully examined the elven city lord before her.


    Based on her attire and aura, she was likely a warrior specialized in martial arts, or maybe even an expert who mastered the arts of both magical and martial.


    With her beautiful sapphire-like eyes, Marilyn was also sizing up the young city lord.


    Despite not having a strong presence, and even appearing too approachable for a n and city lord, Nancilia had a peculiar aura.


    This particr aura.


    It was capable of suppressing other elves.


    It could evoke reverence from within their very souls.


    Marilyn''s eyes lit up with a glimmer of light, "The aura of the Elven King, what a powerful bloodline. You really are the inheritor of the Elven King!"


    It seemed that her perception was quite acute.


    Nancy cut to the chase, "I am here on behalf of the Demon King of the Darkness City to negotiate. We hope that the Silver Spring tribe can join our ranks and work together to establish order in the Chaos Forest!"


    The elven city lord''s face shifted into a stern expression.


    "The elves of the Silver Spring tribe are willing to pledge allegiance to the Elven King!"


    "But the Elven King represents the entire elven race, and it is too humiliating for us to serve under a Demon King. The Silver Spring tribe cannot ept this!"


    The young city lord''s face paled, "You cannot say that! You have not an inkling of the situation! Our Demon King was no ordinary Demon King!"


    "Chieftain Marilyn!"


    "Are you defying the will of the Elven King?"


    The second and third elders were obviously not pleased with her statement.


    The elvendy remained calm, "No, it is precisely because we are willing to pledge allegiance to the Elven King, hence we have an obligation to bring the Elven King back from her astrayed path."


    As she spoke.


    Marilyn stepped forth.


    Her Qi was emanating from her body and flickering through the air.


    The two elders of the Giantree City''s faces changed drastically upon witnessing this.


    They quickly shielded the young city lord behind them, "What are you trying to do?!"


    "What am I trying to do? Since the Giantree tribe had failed in sheltering the Elven King, why don''t you hand over the Elven King to Silver Spring City for protection?"


    Marilyn bowed slightly, "Please stay in Silver Spring City from now on, Nancilia. Our tribe will recognize you as the new tribal chief and city lord, and we swear to defend the dignity of the elven race!"


    The expressions of the two elders could not have been more ugly.


    They had never seen such an unreasonable elf.


    She wanted to take the young city lord away from them.


    And crown her as their new city lord.


    Nancilia never expected this to happen, even though she knew her elven king bloodline would be useful.


    But she never anticipated the exchange to escte like this.


    However, Nancilia did not sense any malicious intention from Marilyn.


    This elven chieftain was probably not an ambitious person who sought to hold the Elven King hostage.


    She probably really believed that Nancilia had been deceived by the Demon King and had been led astray, so she nned to use force to set things right.

 Chapter 130: The Contest Between Two Elves

    The young city lord''s expression grew serious.


    Although she knew that the chieftain Marilyn harbored no ill intentions.


    She could not allow her to have her way.


    Nancilia was very well aware despite having a strong power, her abilities in other aspects were barely mediocre and veryckluster, and shecked the ability to lead a tribe towards revival and prosperity.


    If she was to be taken by Marilyn and was forcibly made to be the leader of the elven race, it would only harm her people and the tribe would be led to destruction.


    This was the first time for Nancilia to volunteer to undertake a mission and she made a resolute vow inpleting the task.


    If she failed, the Demon King would be severely disappointed.


    Nancilia did not want to let him down.


    She thought for a moment and eximed, "Elders, you may step aside."


    "But..."


    "It''s alright, let me handle this."


    The two elders stared at each other and reluctantly stepped back.


    "Am I finally getting through? Be obedient ande with me, fulfill your destiny as a true Elven King!"


    The chieftain Marilyn revealed with a smile, "Leading our race to glory is your mission, one that has been predetermined since your birth."


    "I''m willing to make a bet with you!" Nancilia dered.


    The elven chieftain was slightly taken aback.


    She seemed sensitive to the word "bet".


    "A bet? What kind of bet? I love making bets with people, so what will the stakes be?"


    The young city lord plunged the Elven King''s scepter into the ground. "Let''s have a fair contest. If you win, I''ll go with you to Silver Spring City. If you lose, you''lle with me to Giantree City. What say you?"


    "Interesting!"


    The elven chieftain chuckled. "I have been recognized as the top talent of the Silver Spring tribe for hundreds of years, having reached the Level 4 in both magic and martial arts. Are you sure you want to challenge me?"


    The young city lord nodded. "Let''s do it!"


    The elven queen''s expression changed. "I didn''t expect you to be so confident. Very well, ready your scepter."


    Instead of her own Elven King''s scepter.


    Nancilia borrowed the second elder''s staff, "Since this is a contest, we should have a level ying field. I''ll use this equipment."


    Marilyn was displeased.


    This was the first time someone had looked down on her.


    Especially when it was someone who was merely a young foolish girl.


    Even she possessed the bloodline of the Elven King.


    She had yet to fully awaken her powers.


    She was not a true Elven King yet.


    This youngster was too arrogant and needed to be taught a profound lesson!


    "Watch yourself!"


    With a stomp of her foot, Marilyn turned into a blur and charged towards Nancilia. She drew her longbow with her left hand, and delivered a sweeping strike.


    Her bow had a peculiar design.


    The bowstring could be retracted.


    The ends of the bow wings had razor sharp des.


    It could be used as a dual-headed de in closebat.


    Nancilia sensed a vicious Qi approaching with an astounding speed, she swiftly unleashed a magic spell in response, summoning ayer of Starlight Shield to block the iing attack.


    Bang!


    Marilyn was pushed back several meters with a look of surprise on her face.


    "That''s a powerful magic shield. It seems that I''ve underestimated you. In that case, I won''t hold back anymore."


    As she spoke.


    The bow string popped out and reattached.


    Marilyn pulled the longbow.


    Her Qi coalesced into a bolt of powerful energy arrow.


    She suddenly made an abrupt and instantaneous movement and shot the magic shield from behind.


    "Impressive!"


    Nancilia was equally surprised as her.


    The appearance of the elven chieftain did not seem particrly old.


    And yet she had attained the strength of a Level 4 overlord.


    Which was not inferior to most of the other tribal chieftains among the elves.


    During the heyday of the Giantree Forest tribe three hundred years ago, the legendary tribe leader was also a Level 4 overlord before he was resurrected as an undead mage, causing his power to diminish.


    In addition.


    Marilyn was skilled in both magic and martial arts.


    She not only had exceedingly formidable Qi power andbat skills but was also proficient in using a variety of high-level magic, including instantaneous movement.


    Because of this.


    She was even more difficult to deal with than most other Level 4 overlords.


    Nheless, Nancilia was calm andposed. Afterall, her strength had reached the ceiling of Level 4 overlord.


    Even without the Elven King scepter in hand.


    She was not someone that an average Level 4 overlord couldpete against.


    Marilyn had shot several arrows, yet she was unable to break through the magic shield. She realized that in terms of MP and magical power, the other party was superior to her.


    Without any further deliberation.


    Nancilia finished casting her spell.


    "Spirit of the wind!"


    "I summon thee!"


    A wind elemental overlord summoned by the Elemental Covenant emerged before them, which instantly unleashed a torrent of hundreds of wind des, pouring towards the chieftain.


    "What the hell!"


    Marilyn was stupefied.


    She had witnessed summoning magic before.


    But she had never seen someone who couldmand an elemental overlord.


    The wind elemental overlord had incredible movement and attack speed, which was adequate to deal with an agile and elusive fighter like her.


    After thirty or forty rounds of shing.


    They were at a stalemate.


    "Spirit of the earth!"


    "Riseth to minemandeth!"


    Nancilia activated her Elemental Covenant once more.


    Countless dirt and debris converged and gathered in thin air, eventually forming an earth elemental overlord.


    Seeing this sight.


    Marilyn''s heart sank.


    How could creatures of such magnitude in power be summoned continuously? Could this be the true power of an Elven King?


    "Gravity Lockdown!"


    Right after being summoned, the earth elemental overlord activated its powerful area of effect skill.


    Within a hundred meters, trees copsed under their own weight one after another, the ground caved in. Gravity seemed to have been amplified a hundredfold, leaving Marilyn''s movements to be awfully difficult.


    The wind elemental overlord, however, remained unaffected. It raised and thrusted its wind spear towards the chieftain with an rming speed.


    This had left Marilyn no choice.


    She activated her instantaneous movement.


    Marilyn blinked out of the gravity lockdown''s radius.


    The two elemental lords immediately pursued her.


    When there was only one elemental overlord, Marilyn could still manage to hold her own and asionallyunched a few attacks towards Nancilia.


    Now, she was being overwhelmed by two elemental overlord.


    She was left with no room for retaliation.


    She could only focus on evasion and defense.


    The sole reason that the elven chieftain was still bitterly struggling in this contest was because she hoped that the young city lord''s MP would run out.


    After all.


    Maintaining the summoning of two elemental overlords would be no small cost of MP.


    "Spirit of the ice!"


    "Answereth mine call!"


    The temperature abruptly dropped by dozens of degrees.


    The earth beneath them was encased in ayer of ice.


    Another towering giantposed of ice emerged.


    Marilyn stared in disbelief, her eyes widened in shock.


    The ice elemental overlord raised its hands and was about to summon a blizzard.


    "I concede!"


    She wimped out.


    Nancilia was sweating profusely, sustaining and maintaining three elemental overlords was indeed a significant burden on her MP, but she was far from her limit.


    This young elven girl.


    Her strength was terrifying!


    Even without the Elven King scepter.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She still possessed such formidable prowess.


    If she had the scepter in hand, could she summon a fourth or even a fifth elemental overlord? Wouldn''t she be unparalleled among her peers of the same level?


    Nancilia waved her hand.


    And the three elemental overlord was unsummoned and disappeared.


    She returned the staff to the second elder and re-equipped her Elven King scepter, "Sister Marilyn, it appears that I''ve won by a fluke."


    Marilyn was still shaken from the fight, "No! Luck had no part in that contest. Even if we fought ten more times, the oue would not change. I humbly ept my defeat."


    However.


    Having that said.


    She eximed with an expression brimming with discontent, "You are obviously powerful and your strength, exceptional!"


    "Why do you serve under a mere Demon King?"


    Nancilia shook her head sternly, "You don''t understand. You don''t know him. You can''t even beat me just now. If His Majesty arrives in person, the elves of the Silver Spring City would be done for!"


    "What do you mean? Is he even stronger than you?"


    Nancilia revealed the truth inly, "His Majesty is the king of dragons!"


    "King of dragons?!"


    Marilyn was utterly appalled by this fact.


    Dragon itself was already a mighty being.


    If the Demon King truly was a king amongst dragons, then its power and might would be unimaginably horrifying. It was no wonder the young city lord would make such a statement.


    Nancilia continued, "Let alone the Demon King, I''m not even confident in defeating the two right-hand men of his."


    Zhang San and Li Si.


    The two lieutenants of the Demon King.


    Both of them were at the peak of Level 4 overlords.


    However, the young city lord was being modest.


    If it came down to a purely one-on-one fight.


    Nancilia still had a 60% to 70% chance of winning.


    It was true that Zhang San and Li Si were indeed formidable, but one of them was amander, and the other, a support. They were not units specialized in singlebat.


    "Nheless, the reason why I chose to join forces with the Demon King isn''t due to my fear for his immense power!", Nancilia asserted.


    "Even if he is incredibly strong, I would not have pledged my allegiance to him if I didn''t approve of him."


    Upon hearing her ims.


    Marilyn became curious about the Demon King.


    If he verily was a dragon king, then perhaps this would not be too uneptable.


    The status and rarity of a dragon king were indeed above that of a king of the elves.


    Nancilia then said, "Anyway, since you lost the bet, you have to fulfill your promise. Pleasee with me to Giantree City."


    Marilyn sighed, "I admit my defeat in the bet, but it doesn''t mean I''m willing to pledge allegiance to the Demon King!"


    Nancilia revealed a slight smile.


    She believed that as long as the other party was willing to follow her back, she had already seeded halfway.


    This elven chieftain was by no means weak. In fact, she could stand against two elemental overlords with her masteries over magic and martial arts.


    It would be great if she could join their ranks.


    Not only could Silver Spring City be subjugated without bloodshed.


    The Demon King would also have another fearsome warrior under hismand!

 Chapter 131: A Tour in the Giantree City

    Marilyn was brought to Giantree City.


    Now that she had learned of the identity of the Dragon Demon King, especially when the Demon King might very well be a king of the dragons.


    She was no longer overly against the young city lord''s defection to the Demon King. But that did not mean she had epted this fact yet.


    Hmmph!


    Marilyn wanted to have a look herself.


    What kind of charm was this Demon King bearing?


    To actually have the elves of the Giantree City to put aside their dignities and submit to him.


    As soon as she approached Giantree City, a soothing andfortable warmth enveloped her as if she was bathing in the hotsprings of Silver Spring City, her whole body rxed and her mood elevated.


    What''s going on?


    What''s this miraculous and divine energy?


    She followed the sensation to its source and eximed in awe, "Is this the legendary Tree of Life? But isn''t its cultivation method long lost? How can your Giantree tribe master such a technique?!"


    The Tree of Life was enormous in size, with distinctive features.


    It was easily visible to all the residents of Giantree City whenever they raised their sight.


    The Tree of Life had significant effects on living beings, especially elves, as it could greatly increase their lifespans and training speed.


    "This is the ultimate treasure of the elven race."


    "After the fall of the ancient Elven Empire."


    "The Tree of Life had vanished for tens of thousands of years."


    "I never thought I would see the mythical creation here."


    The elven chieftain was incredibly thrilled.


    But Nancilia uttered, "We do not possess such great capabilities. This is a gift from His Majesty, the Demon King, to the elves."


    "What? You must be joking! How can a Demon King have the Tree of Life?"


    Marilyn found it hard to believe and frankly ridiculous, "Besides, judging from the magnitude of this Tree of Life, it would take at least a hundred years to cultivate it to its current size. It''s damned impossible that it could have appeared within thest month!"


    The third elder of the Giantree interjected, "The city lord speaks the truth. You may ask any citizen of our city and they would attest that there was no Tree of Life in our city a month ago."


    While Marilyn was reluctant to believe it.


    Her intuition told her that it might be true.


    The elves of Giantree City had no reason to fabricate such an easily-disproved lie.


    Furthermore, if Giantree City had always possessed such a valuable elf treasure as the Tree of Life, it should have been widely known, and visitors would have flocked to the city. However, the Silver Spring Tribe had never heard of this matter.


    Which suggested.


    This ancient tree might have verily only appeared recently.


    Marilyn muttered to herself, "Could it be that the Demon King has received the favor of the Goddess of Nature? This Tree of Life is too much of a divine miracle!"


    Nancili chuckled, "To be honest, we all think that the Demon King might really have some kind of rtionship with the Goddess of Nature."


    Marilyn was flummoxed and stared out in disbelief.


    This statement was too sacrilegious.


    Nancilia continued, "Take a closer look at the residents of our Giantree City and how they differ from those of other ces."


    Suddenly, Marilyn eximed, "Why does every resident here have the power of the Nature Goddess in their beings?"


    "Hehe, you finally noticed?"


    The young city lord said proudly, "Giantree City has been blessed by the Goddess of Nature!"


    "And not just Giantree City either, but also those orcs in the Berserk Beast City. After they pledged allegiance to His Majesty the Demon King, they also received the blessing of the Goddess of Nature."


    Marilyn''s worldviews were slightly shattered.


    It was difficult to believe that the filthy and warlike orcs could also be blessed by the Goddess of Nature. It was simply outrageous!


    The young city lord took the elven chieftain for a stroll around the city, showing her that Giantree City was not forced to submit to the Demon King''s threat, but that every citizen here truly respected him!


    Afterall.


    Since following the Demon King.


    The environment of the Giantree City has beenpletely transformed.


    Under the blessings of the Tree of Life and the Goddess of Nature.


    Every elf resident in Giantree City is far superior to their previous selves, both in spirit and physical condition.


    "Greetings, city lord!"


    "Greetings, city lord."


    When the elves saw Nancilia.


    They all greeted her in a friendly manner.


    Marilyn noticed that hundreds or even thousands of elves were lining up in a long queue, their faces full of expectation, waiting for something.


    She could not help but ask curiously, "What are they doing?"


    Before Nancilia had the time to exin.


    A little elven girl who looked about eight years old called out, "Big sis, we are registering to be pharmacy apprentices. I want to be the Demon King''s pharmacist in the future!!"


    Marilyn was shocked.


    Such a young elf.


    She was willing to work under the Demon King?


    Nancilia exined, "The Demon King has established an elven pharmacy workshop in Giantree City, and has now hired over a thousand excellent elven pharmacists."


    Miley Milen was skeptical, "So many?"


    Nancilia said, "The Demon King supplies the sufficient raw materials, and the elves were only required to concoct the potions. This job allows the elves to receive generous rewards."


    Of course.


    The fact that the elves could receive such generous returns.


    It indicated that the Demon King''s profits were even more substantial.


    Marilyn was deeply puzzled, "Even with so many alchemy materials, but with thousands of elven alchemists producing tens of thousands of bottles of potion every day, how could so many potions be sold?"


    The market in Giantree City was way too small to digest all these products.


    If they were to depend only on the forest merchants.


    Let alone tens of thousands bottles of potions per day.


    Not even a few hundreds could be sold in a single day.


    Nancilia scratched her head and replied, "I''m not too sure about this. The Demon King only took a portion of it, and the other potions are stored in the Giantree City warehouse. Now we have a stock of several hundred thousand bottles of potions."


    It turned out.


    When the elven workshop produced potions.


    Zhang Nu only took a portion for personal use and to sell it on the Demon King''s market.


    He was storing the rest of it to be sold to the Azure Water Federation in the future.


    Although these were justmon potions.


    But they were all elf-made.


    Each and every single bottle of it was of exceedingly high quality.


    The young city lord concluded, "Anyway, the elves now have this high-paying job, and they can easily support themselves without having to venture out every day. We now have a lot of spare time and wealth to pursue music and art that we elves are fond of."


    As they passed by the potion workshop.


    Long lines of elves waiting in the queue could be seen.


    There were tens of thousands of elves in the Giantree City with the talent for alchemy.


    The Demon King epted all who came.


    As long as the workshop could still amodate them.


    All of them were wee to help.


    These elves started as apprentices and worked their way up until they had learned enough and became proficient in their concocting skills, at which point they could start working.


    Witnessing these elves brimming with fulfillment and hope.


    Marilyn''s heart was moved...She wondered if the elves in Silver Spring Valley would envy such a life!


    She had not expected that the Demon King''s influence on the elves'' life would be so significant.


    The young city lord continued, "In addition to potioneer, we also have many of our people who have be the Demon King''s cksmiths, alchemists, and botanists."


    As they spoke.


    The two of them toured around the Tree of Life.


    Surrounding the enormous tree.


    There were about seven or eight miles ofnd that had been tilted.


    The young city lord introduced, "This is Giantree City''s elven farm."


    Nurtured by the potent life energy of the Tree of Life.


    Thend within a dozen or so miles was endowed with the characteristics of Spirit Fields.


    Although its soil was not as good as the upgraded Level 3 Spirit Fields in the Darkness City, the area was immensely huge, muchrger than thebined area of eight or ten Spirit Fields.


    Proudly, the young city lord imed, "In the future, as long as this ce is fully developed, with the blessing bestowed by the Tree of Life alone, it will be enough to feed millions of our people!"


    Marilyn was awestruck, "So this is the power of a Tree of Life, it''s no wonder the ancient elves valued it so highly."


    Currently.


    Thousands of elves were barefoot and wearing straw hats, working and ying happily under the ancient tree.


    It was such a harmonious and peaceful scene.


    Marilyn was once again touched by what she saw.


    All those smiles were genuine, and even though she had biases against the Demon King, she could not deny that they were not being forced to work as agricultural ves.


    "Little City Lord!"


    "What brings you here?"


    A sweet voice came from above.


    And the flower fey Chen Guoguonded in front of the two.


    Nancilia revealed a smile, "Hehe, well if it isn''t Queen Guoguo!"


    "What a strange question you''re asking. As a city lord, it''s normal for me to inspect the territory. But what about you? Why are you here?"


    "I''m here to promote new seeds!"


    The Flower Fey Queen continued, "Most of your fields are empty. It''s such a waste. Would you like to try my newly developed meat seeds?"


    Nancilia was taken aback, "What? Meat seeds?"


    The Flower Fey Queen smirked, "This is mytest magic seed creation. All you need is to nt it in the soil, and it will grow meat. Not only does it taste no different from real meat, it''s also very nutritious."


    "Such seeds exist?"


    Marilyn was very intrigued by it.


    Elves did not eat meat much because eating a lot of meat meant killing a lot of animals, which could easily disrupt the bnce of nature.


    But if meat could be grown from the soil.


    Wouldn''t it be the same as fruit for the elves?


    This flower fey was really astonishing to have such capabilities in developing seeds. Could she be a great master of life magic and alchemy magic?


    "This is Flower Fey Queen Chen Guoguo, she is also one of the subordinates of the Dragon Demon King, as well as one of my three sworn sisters!"


    This was also a Demon King?


    It was hard to tell.


    Nancilia was very interested in Chen Guoguo''s meat seeds and decided to purchase arge quantity. After all, they were all one big family and she wanted to support her new product.


    Next.


    The young city lord led the elven chieftain on a tour of the Giantree Forest which was brought back from the verge of death and withering.


    She told the tales of the Giantree Forest, including the events from three hundred years ago as well as the corrupted tribe leader. Finally, she recounted the Demon King''s heroic deeds in saving the Giantree Forest and risking his life to challenge the Evil God for the safety of the elven tribe.


    Marilyn was dumbfounded upon listening to tales.


    By the time the tour was over, it was already dark outside.


    "We''ll end the tour here for today. If you''re interested, we can go to Berserk Beast City or even Darkness City tomorrow to have a look."


    Nancilia proudly stated, "These are all territories of the Demon King. Even the once brutal and ruthless orcs, since converting to the Demon King, are now mining all day and have turned away from their prior evil lifestyle."


    "As for tonight, let''s go to Su Yan''s bar!"


    The captain of the Dragon Shadow Hero Guild, Su Yan.


    She was now a Level 4 great Hero.


    She liked to stay in Giantree City when she was not on a mission.


    Darkness City was still too deste, full of ferocious and scary draconians, and Berserk Beast City is even worse, being dirtier and smellier.


    To live a better life in Giantree City.


    Su Yan opened a bar, as well as a gambling house and a theater specifically for travelers and merchants.


    Making money was secondary.


    Her goal was to bring over things from her past life.


    From chess and mahjong to tabletop games and dramas, her ideas were well received, greatly enriching the spiritual entertainment life of elves and merchants.


    Despite being the chief of an elven tribe.


    Marilyn had a peculiar hobby for gambling since childhood.


    She had never seen a ce as interesting as the Giantree City before.


    The various sights and spectacles she witnessed during the day dispelled all her worries.


    And now, the night''s music concerts, theatrical performances, and gambling with dice, poker, and mahjong became the final straw that broke her resistance.


    Although the Dragon Demon King was not at home to meet her in person, she had already made her decision.


    "Okay, enough talking. I ept on behalf of the Silver Spring City!" Marilyn dered.


    Nancilia was overjoyed.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She had finally convinced her.


    The Demon King would definitely be pleased with this oue.


    Silver Spring City was a Level 4 overlord region, with a scale no less than that of the Giantree City, and it had a higher level as well.


    Conquering such a vast force would undoubtedly offer a significant reward treasure chest!

 Chapter 132: Thousand Fangs City

    When Marilyn came to Giantree City, the Demon King was not present during her visit.


    He arrived right above the Thousand Fangs City.


    Observing and overlooking the city from a high altitude, soaring in the sky.


    The forest city was situated in a vast and open valley in.


    The relevant information was disyed in a prompt as follows:


    [Thousand Fangs City] Level 4 lord area. High exploration value.


    Description: This is a forest city dominated by the gnome race with the ogre tribe as its main force. This city is a force to be reckoned with.


    After eyeing over the details.


    Zhang Nu gained a basic understanding of the Thousand Fangs City.


    The city was home to 100,000 ogres and 60,000 gnomes.


    The ogres were one of the most terrifying and horrific forest species. They possessed a brutal temperament with low intelligence, skin that was impervious to weapons, as well as remarkably high magic resistance.


    Suffice to say.


    Every normal adult ogre could generally attain the strength of elites.


    As mentioned, the Thousand Fangs City had 100,000 ogres residing within, of which 70,000 to 80,000 were in between young adult and prime age. This was equivalent to 70,000 to 80,000 elitebat power.


    This fact signified that in the case of Thousand Fangs City unleashing its full strength.


    It would be more powerful than the Giantree Forest, and even more formidable than the Berserk Beast CIty during its prior glorious days.


    If Zhang Nu could subjugate this city, his influence in Chaos Forest would surge without a doubt.


    At the same time, Zhang Nu had noticed something.


    Not only were there 100,000 ogres inhabiting in Thousand Fangs City, but there were also several tens of thousands of gnomes living there. These two races could be said to be two extreme opposites.


    Ogres were dull, brutal, and powerful.


    Gnomes were weak, yet cunning and conniving.


    Thousand Fangs City had thergest gnome caravan in the Chaos Forest, and they frequently shuttled between various tribes, viges, and even forest cities, trading various goods and earning hefty profits.


    The gnomes then relied on these profits to buy arge amount of food to feed the ogres, who had enormous appetites, and in return, the powerfulbat prowess of the ogres could protect the fragile gnomes


    This was quite a peculiar symbiotic rtionship.


    Furthermore, these gnomes have lived with the ogres for a long time.


    And in order to better control them.


    The gnomes had specifically developed a suppressive agent to quell the ogre''s bloodthirstiness and aggressiveness, hence,pared to the ordinary ogre tribes or the solitary ogres in the wilderness, the ogres in Thousand Fangs City had a milder temperament.


    Not bad for a forest city.


    If the city could be conquered.


    Zhang Nu could recruit arge number of ogre warriors.


    As well as gaining a huge gnome caravan.


    Presently.


    Within Thousand Fangs City.


    The gnome city lord, Segon, had been having a tough time recently.


    The city was facing its biggest crisis since its establishment thirty years ago.


    In the past, the city had a clear division ofbor, with gnomes as the leaders and ogres as their enforcers and assistants, this rtionship had been stable for decades.


    But how could such arge city not have any Heroes?


    Ogre Heroes had intelligenceparable to that of humans, thus their intelligence was no longer inferior to that of gnomes. They were several times smarter than ordinary ogres.


    Currently, in Thousand Fangs City.


    There were at least dozens of ogre Heroes.


    The leading ogre Hero was the strongest ogre in the entire tribe, with the strength of a top Level 4 lord.


    Under these circumstances.


    The bnce of power in Thousand Fangs City had been disrupted.


    The ogre Heroes had no intention of being gnome vassals.


    They were constantly rallying the other ogres to join their cause andunch a revolution topletely annihte the gnomes, then they themselves would lead and rule over the native ogres of Thousand Fangs.


    As the city lord.


    Segon was at a loss.


    He could not and had no means to simply eliminate these powerful ogre Heroes. All he could do was to watch as their influence and forces continue to grow.


    As of now.


    The bad blood between the two parties was just waiting to boil over.


    Their rtionship was in serious tension.


    The threat of uprising loomed over the city.


    "City lord! We mustn''t hesitate any longer. We still have control over the majority of the ogres. We must extinguish this me of insurrection now, or it will be all toote!"


    The gnome, who had been urging the city lord, was the vice city lord of Thousand Fangs whose identity was also a Hero.


    Since there were ogre Heroes, why wouldn''t there be gnome Heroes?


    The ogre Heroes desired to seize control of Thousand Fangs City from the gnomes. The gnome Heroes were naturally reluctant to let them be.


    Therefore, they were urging the city lord to quickly suppress the rebellion and wipe out the ogre Heroes.


    Both parties were Heroes.


    Theoretically, they were of the same kind.


    But due to the difference of their interests and benefits.


    They had split into two distinct factions.


    This was human nature at work.


    Even if they inhabited different bodies, these Heroes could not escape from their human needs and greed, which was why a genuine unification was impossible.


    "This is not a trivial matter!"


    "We''ve already missed the best timing!"


    "If we do as you suggested, the strength and forces of Thousand Fangs will be severely diminished!"


    The city lord Segon did not make an immediate decision, "I need to think about it. Maybe we canpromise ande up with a co-governance solution."


    Upon hearing these words.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The gnome Hero was undoubtedly displeased.


    If the ogres were to take over the management, would he still be able to keep his position? This was uneptable!


    As he was about to dissuade the city lord.


    A horrific dragon roar suddenly resounded through the sky over Thousand Fangs City.


    "You''ve received an attack from "Dragon Fear". HP -30. Stunned for 5 seconds!"


    The gnome Hero was flummoxed.


    The entire city of Thousand Fangs was on alert.


    "City lord!"


    "Grave news!"


    "A dragon is attacking us!"


    Segon was dumbfounded.


    The internal affairs of Thousand Fangs City were already giving him a headache.


    How did they end up attracting a dragon?


    Was the city doomed to perish?!


    Before he even had the time to issue orders.


    The tremendous bolt of scarlet lightning.


    Like a stream of raging river, pierced through the city lord''s fortress, and the massive ring light utterly blinded their vision.


    What terrifying might!


    What kind of existence was capable of this!


    The city lord Segon was scared stiff, limping on the ground. His mind was nk, his first reaction was that he was as good as dead. But after a few seconds, his vision gradually returned.


    "I...I''m...alive?"


    The entire castle of the city lord was blown through.


    Lord Segon was horrified to find that there were many charred bodies littered in a disordered heap around him, including the gnome Hero who had been urging him on suppressing the rebellion just a few seconds ago.


    He lifted his head.


    The ceiling had been toppled over.


    The massive opening revealed a sky of dark clouds pressing down, with shes of bloody lightning incessantly pulsating. A dragon made of elemental lightning, with a body length of nearly two hundred meters, blinking and moving with an extreme speed in the sky above the castle.


    An elemental dragon?


    Dragonkind was already very rare.


    And elemental dragons were a theoretical species that should not appear on this continent even if they did exist.


    Segon did not have time to contemte.


    The blood-red lightning interwoven dragonunched another attack.


    No one could see its speed clearly, like a huge lightning bolt shing in an instant, and like a thunderous waterfall, it instantly swept through the ogre residential area of Thousand Fangs City.


    It was too fast.


    In the blink of an eye, hundreds of ogres were struck by the bloody lightning.


    Screaming in agony, they turned into charred remains in the scorching heat and violent electric currents.


    It was a nightmare incarnate!


    Some ogres attempted to put up resistance.


    However, physical attacks were useless against this powerful elemental life form and even magical attacks had very little effect.


    This lightning dragon was almost invincible.


    The defense of the Thousand Fangs City was virtually useless, and within a minute or two of its rampaging, the torrent of lightning had already stormed dozens of locations with its astonishing speed.


    Eventually.


    All of the lightning gathered and converged.


    Its elemental form was canceled, and in its ce was a majestic golden dragon, eight to nine meters long and covered in dark golden scales.


    The demon king had lifted his transformation.


    He revealed himself before the people of Thousand Fangs City.


    The twenty Inferno Warmonger Royal Guards and the ten Inferno Mystic Royal Guards were summoned. A total of thirty Level 4 lord units were standing guard around the dragon, each emitting a powerful and intimidating aura.


    "Who...are you?"


    Segon''s voice trembled uncontrobly.


    The dragon itself was horrifyingly powerful enough, and yet each of the thirty guards surrounding it also possessed terrifying strength!


    When did such a frightening force appear in Chaos Forest?


    Then, the majestic and overbearing voice of the Dragon Demon King echoed, "I am the king of the Darkness City, and the lord of Chaos Forest. Now, you are bestowed a chance to make a choice."


    "Either submit to me."


    "Or be burned into ashes."


    "You have one day to consider!"


    After the Demon King dered his intentions, he left with his subordinates.


    The king of the Darkness City...


    Could he be the Demon King of the Darkness Valley?


    Gnome merchants were very informative, and naturally, they had heard of the rumor of the Dragon Demon King''s impressive strength. What they did not anticipate was the extent of the Demon King''s extreme power.


    Segon asked in a heavy voice, "How are the casualties?"


    "City lord, our losses don''t seem to be as great as we imagined, but..."


    "But what? Speak frankly!"


    "All of the gnome Heroes'' and ogre Heroes'' strongholds in the city had been destroyed by the dragon, and almost all of the Heroes of Thousand Fangs were ughtered!"


    "What?!"


    Segon was shocked by the report.


    He could have never imagined that the most troublesome issues of the Thousand Fangs City would bepletely eliminated by the Demon King''s rampage.


    Zhang Nu had departed from Thousand Fangs City and took a rest nearby.


    Maintaining the form of Evil Dragon of Annihtion depleted too much of his stamina and MP. But with his blitz-like raid, his goal was perfectly achieved.


    He opened up his yer interface.


    And scanned through the prompts.


    [You''ve in a Level 2 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 2 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 2 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 2 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 2 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1!]


    [......]


    [You''ve in a Level 4 Hero. Hero''s Soul +1, Skill stone +1!]


    The purpose of Zhang Nu''s assault on the city was not only to threaten and intimidate, it was also to clear out the Heroes lurking in the city.


    With his cheat ability to acquire and see information.


    As well as his lightning fast speed from his Evil Dragon of Annihtion''s Thunderstorm form.


    Zhang Nu has struck at least dozens or so strongholds of Heroes in under two minutes, decimating around a hundred Heroes.


    The quality of the Thousand Fangs Heroes was satisfying.


    A single Level 4 Hero, 15 Level 3 Heroes, 43 Level 2 Heroes, and 60 Level 1 Heroes, totaled at 118.


    Needless to say.


    The result was remarkable.


    With the acquisition of this batch of souls.


    As well as the gains from the Bloody Fortress siege.


    Zhang Nu could almost activate another Level 4 talent soon.


    As for the subsequent response of Thousand Fangs City? Zhang Nu was not very worried about it.


    If it were the proud elf race or the short-tempered andbative dwarf or orcs, mere intimidation and threats might not work and could even rouse up resistance.


    However, the city lord of Thousand Fangs was a gnome.


    Gnomes were known for their cunningness, but they were also cowards.


    They were natural merchants, with no self-esteem, and only concerned about the profits and losses. Zhang Nu believed that the city lord and the executive gnomes of Thousand Fangs City would weigh out the pros and cons, ultimately making the correct decision.


    The very next day.


    Zhang Nu returned to the city.


    The ogres and gnomes of the city had alreadyid down their arms.


    Segon, the city lord had led dozens of gnome executives to respectfully kneel before the Demon King, "It is an honor for Thousand Fangs City to serve under Your Majesty. We are willing to offer up our city and our sincere loyalty to Your Majesty!"


    [179823 citizens of Thousand Fangs City have surrendered to you.]


    [You''ve conquered Thousand Fangs City!]


    [You gained "Gorgeous Mithril Chest" x1]


    Zhang Nu had received the submission prompt.


    He was very satisfied.


    The cowardly and profit-oriented gnomes, having witnessed the terror of the Demon King, did not have the courage to resist and even led the entire city to surrender without hesitation.


    The whole process only took two days.


    The Demon King did not spend a single soldier or gold.


    Yet he managed to conquer such arge forest city possessing strength surpassing Giantree City and Berserk Beast City.


    Now, with Thousand Fangs City in his hands, and tens of thousands of ogre brutes at his disposal, his influence would expand even further and envelope arge region of the Chaos Forest. The progress of his unification n was nigh unstoppable.

 Chapter 133: Gnome Magitek

    The gnome race.


    They possessed an abundance of practical knowledge and were always aware of current events.


    After all, they were a physically weak race.


    They did not have strong talents or robust physiques, and could only rely on their cunning minds and instinctive ability to seize opportunities in order to survive on this continent.


    The Thousand Fangs City was not weak at all.


    However, if they were to resist till the end, they might be able to hold out for a few days, but ultimately, they could not escape their fate of inevitable decimation.


    The gnome city lord had eyes and ears all over Chaos Forest.


    He had long known the event developments and changes of Giantree City and Berserk Beast City.


    He had even heard about the recent bloody massacre of the Bloody Fortress.


    The Dragon Demon King was not only much stronger than the rumors suggested, he also had a draconian legion with monstrousbat prowess, as well as orcish armies and elven armies under hismand.


    It would be suicidal to defy and attack him head-on.


    Death and failure were certain.


    The only chance of survival was to submit and serve.


    Zhang Nu transformed back into his draconian form for ease of movement. With a towering stature of over three meters tall, his imposing figure and aura were still as intimidating as ever.


    "You are indeed very smart, but since you have chosen to pledge allegiance to me, you must show your sincerity," he asserted.


    Segon immediately replied, "Since we have voluntarily be Your Majesty''s servants, the entire Thousand Fangs City belongs to you. All the wealth, resources, and even our lives can be offered to Your Majesty whenever you need them."


    Not bad!


    Zhang Nu then ordered, "Then bring out all the gold and gems!"


    Segon immediately instructed the ogres to open the city''s treasury and sent hundreds of gnomes to move all the stored treasures out.


    In no time.


    A golden mountain sparkling with gems appeared before them.


    The gold reserves of Thousand Fangs City were actually muchrger than that of Giantree City.


    However.


    That was within expectations.


    The elves of Giantree City were not adept at doing business.


    Although Giantree City looked prosperous and had well-developed infrastructure, it was not an incredibly wealthy city.


    On the other hand, Thousand Fangs City looked chaotic, and no traders dared toe to this ogre-infested ce to do business. However, gnomes were known as the most prominent forest merchants. They constantly roamed the corners of the forest, seeking business opportunities.


    Zhang Nu reached out and grabbed a handful of gold.


    With a crisp and pleasant sound of coins falling between his fingers echoed within the air.


    The standard maind gold coins slipped through his fingers.


    [Gold discovered. Would you like to convert?]


    [Gold sessfully converted. Gold +2,200,000!]


    The golden mountain vanished.


    Zhang Nu was secretly amazed.


    2.2 million gold.


    That would be equivalent to 22 million maind standard gold coins.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    This would be a significant sum of money for any forces.


    When Zhang Nu was extorting Giantree City.


    Giantree City could only muster up 5 million maind gold coins, and as it could deliver the sum immediately, it had to pay in installments.


    The gnomes were much wealthier than the elves.


    In addition torge amounts of gold, there were alsorge quantities of various materials.


    There were various attribute gems: 794 fire gems, 330 water gems, 613 wind gems, and 528 earth gems. In addition, there were also many rare gems such as light, dark, life, and undeath gems, totaling nearly 3,000 gems.


    Just this batch of gems alone was worth 2-3 million gold coins.


    Immediately after, Zhang Nu opened the reward chest.


    [You opened the Mithril Treasure Chest. You gained "Gold" x2,000,000, "Blueprint: Gnome Magitek Research Institute'''' x1, "Blueprint: Ogre Stronghold" x1, earth gem x300, wind gem x300, dark gem x200!]


    Thousand Fangs City was arge-scale city with many elite and high-level units.


    Thus, the amount of gold coins rewarded was more than that of the previous Level 4 overlord, or even Level 5 overlord areas.


    He had received two blueprints from the chest.


    [Gnome Magitek Research Institute] Level 3 Blueprint. Costs gold x250,000, fire gem x50, wind gem x50, dark gem x100. You may summon a Gnome Magitech Research Institute within your territory.


    [Ogre Stronghold] Level 3 Blueprint. Costs gold x80,000, life gem x50. You may summon an Ogre Stronghold within your territory.


    Unfortunately, there were no Level 4 blueprints.


    However, these two Level 3 blueprints were satisfactory.


    The Ogre Stronghold was a typical barrack type building.


    Zhang Nu nned to construct it near the Thousand Fangs City and summon a group of loyal ogres to better control and overwatch the city.


    As for the Gnome Magitek Research Institute.


    It was a very unique building.


    As a Level 3 structure, its construction cost wasparable to that of a Level 4 blueprint, indicating there was more than meets the eyes.


    The Demon King was very pleased.


    The gnomes were finally relieved.


    Although the many years of wealth umtion in Thousand Fangs City were offered up to the Demon King in one fell swoop, as long as everyone''s lives could be protected and preserved, this could be considered as paying protection fees.


    But, from now on, under the wings of this Dragon Demon King, Thousand Fangs City had no need to worry about safety issues anymore.


    Money could be earned again, but if lives were lost, it would be all over. Moreover, buying an extraordinarily powerful backer might not be entirely a bad thing.


    The gnome city lord hurriedly said, "Please, Your Majesty, allow us to give you a tour of the territory."


    Zhang Nu was quite intrigued by this city of gnomes and ogres. He was busy focusing on eradicating Heroes yesterday, but he could have a good look around now.


    Thousand Fangs City was segmented into two areas.


    The outer city area was vast, and the living environment was very rudimentary, without even walls or decent houses.


    This was where the ogres resided.


    The inner city was built with exquisite houses andplete with various facilities, it was evident that this was the living ce of the gnomes.


    The ogres had noints nor objections.


    If they were to leave the gnomes, with such a huge number, they would have no way to support and feed themselves. Besides, ogres were not picky regarding their living conditions.


    As they toured the city, the gnome city lord imed, "We gnomes are exceptional in doing business and we have over thirty forest merchant caravans, ready to serve under Your Majesty."


    In the aspect of trading and conducting business, gnomes were particrly skilled and were experts in such fields.


    But their ability to survive on the continent was not entirely dependent on their cunning and fickle minds.


    The gnome city lord continued, "Our race has developed a magical technology thatbines alchemy, formations, and magic. We call it magitek. This is our magitek cannon!"


    As he spoke.


    Two ogres pushed out a huge cylindrical object.


    This thing was very simr in appearance to the cannon from the previous world.


    [Gnome''s mest Magitek Cannon] Level 2 item. Consumes 1 fire gem for every shot fired. It can fire a mest shot towards its target with a 500 meter range causing up to 1000 points of fiery explosion damage, as well as an area of effect burning status.


    Very intriguing.


    Magitek was quite renowned in this world. It was said that during eras from eons ago, a time too ancient to study nowadays, there was an empire built upon a foundation of magical technology.


    After the ancient magitek empire copsed.


    The once prosperous magical technology declined.


    Currently, except for a few human kingdoms, only the gnome race mastered this technology. It was somewhat unexpected that the Thousand Fangs City could produce such a cannon.


    The cost for firing this weapon was exorbitant.


    However, each shot could deal a maximum of 1000 fire damage.


    Of course, these 1000 points were fixed damage values, not the actual damage value produced, which depended on the target''s defense resistance.


    If it was used to attack Zhang Nu.


    The damage would be 0, since Zhang Nu was immune to magic.


    Especially against elemental magic, not even a Level 5 overlord''s elemental attack would have any effect on him.


    The strength and force of a single shot from this magitek cannon.


    It was estimated to beparable to a spell attack from a Level 3 lord or even an overlord.


    Zhang Nu was impressed by these gnomes of Thousand Fangs.


    The city possessed such weapons, yet they surrendered and submitted to him instead of using it against him.


    A wise choice.


    The gnomes must have given it a lot of thought.


    Looking at the magitek cannon before him, Zhang Nu had a realization that the gnome race might be more useful than he had imagined.


    There was a saying.


    Science is the primary productive force.


    Not only could this magical technology be utilized for military purposes, but also for production. Even if it was just auxiliary functions, these technologies would definitely be able to create value no matter what.


    "Not bad!"


    "Your performance has pleased me."


    The Demon King suddenly eximed, "I am not an unreasonable, predatory Demon King. Which is why, today, I shall bestow a gift to Thousand Fangs City."


    [Consume "Blueprint: Gnome Magitek Research Institute" x1, "gold" x250,000, "fire gem" x50, "wind gem" x50, "dark gem" x100, to summon a Gnome Magitek Research Institute?]


    Zhang Nu hit confirm.


    The gnome city lord, Segon and the rest of the gnome executives were perplexed..


    The Demon King was preparing to give the gnomes a gift?


    But what kind of gift could the Demon King possibly give to the gnomes?


    Just then.


    Everyone felt a shadow loomed over them.


    Some gnomes turned to look and were baffled by the sight.


    "What is that?"


    "It looks like a magitek device!"


    "It seems to be a magitek airship!"


    "It really is a magitek airship! This is something that only existed in the ancient magitek empire!"


    The Gnome Magitek Research Institute was clearly different from the ordinary buildings.


    In appearance, it looked like a massive airship that was fifty meters long.


    However, it was different from the futuristic style of giant ships in science fiction movies.


    This giant airship was covered in magical runes, and even had ayer of magical shield, making it look even more fantasy-like.


    Its design was also not very scientific.


    It was incredibly bulky and did not conform to fluid mechanics. Pipes were constantly spewing out steam, and countless gears were nging as they turned.


    If it halted its movement.


    It would look more like a flying fortress with a steampunk style.


    The massive airship slowlynded on an open space in Thousand Fangs City.


    Several short gnomes wearing whiteb coats emerged and greeted, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"


    [Gnome Magitek Researcher] Level 3 normal.


    Description: These are gnome magitechie and although theirbat abilities are weak, they possess solid knowledge of magic and are valuable research staff for magitek.


    As the name suggested.


    The Gnome Magitek Research Institute.


    It was arge research institution that included extensive learning materials for magical technology, facilities for producing magical equipment, and experimental sites.


    To other races.


    This kind of facility might not be valuable.


    But to the gnome race who was dedicated to studying magical technology.


    The airship in itself was an invaluable treasure.


    The Gnome Magitek Research Institute was not a barrack-type building. The 50 gnome magitechie it came with were all precious researchers. Once they die, they could not be reced whatsoever.


    Zhang Nu asked, "Are you satisfied with this gift?"


    "Long live the Demon King!"


    "Long live the Demon King!"


    The gnome city lord, Segon quickly knelt down, and the apanying gnomes also hastily followed suit, fanatically worshiping the Demon King.


    The allure of this magitek airship was too great for gnomes!


    Gnomes were naturally obsessed with magitek creations.


    Even if one were to exclude the facilities and venues inside the research institute, just having a magical airship itself is a priceless treasure for the gnomes!


    This kind of miraculous magitek creation could only be found in the ruins of the ancient magitek empire.


    But how could such a ce be essible to the weak gnomes?


    Compared to this magitek airship, the gold and jewels that the Demon King took away were insignificant.


    The loyalty of the gnomes was rapidly surging.


    Zhang Nu nodded in satisfaction.


    He nned to set up an ogre stronghold nearby and summon a group of loyal ogre warriorster.


    With this, the forest city was secured.


    The importance of the Thousand Fangs City to the Demon King could not be underestimated.


    The gnome merchant caravans, ogre armies, and the gnome magical technology all had great development potential or value.


    The Bloody Fortress stillcked heavy infantries.


    Zhang Nu intended to send 10,000 of the strongest ogres to be stationed there.


    The defensive lineup of the Bloody Fortress would then be a formidable battalion consisting of a draconian legion of 5000, an orcish horde of 5000, an elven regiment of 5000, an ogre army of 10,000, and finally, several thousands of beholders.


    This was a terrifying force.


    This army would be more than capable of holding back the empire''s invasion and keeping the empire forces from ever stepping foot onto the fortress grounds.

 Chapter 134: The Heroes Are Back At It Again, Stirring Up Shit

    In the meantime.


    After the two-day tour.


    Marilyn returned to Silver Spring City.


    She immediately summoned the elders and called for an urgent meeting.


    The elven chieftain openly announced her intention to follow the young Elven King, join the ranks of Darkness City, and aid the Dragon Demon King to unify Chaos Forest, as well as bring peace and order.


    This decision of hers was too appalling.


    The several elven elders strongly opposed it.


    The elven tribe had no objections whatsoever in following the Elven King. But in regards to pledging allegiance to a Demon King, they were very reluctant and had difficulties epting it.


    However, Marilyn had a headstrong and stubborn personality.


    She believed in what she had seen with her own two eyes and what she had personally investigated and looked into. She simply overruled the objections and settled this discussion.


    The words of this meeting had spread from the council of elders.


    The elves of the Silver Spring were bbergasted and bewildered.


    They could not understand their leader''s decision.


    Why did she make such a shocking revolution?


    To have the elves ally themselves with a Demon King and other foreign races?


    The elves of the Silver Spring City were rmed by the news. If it were not for Marilyn''s umted prestige over the years, she would have been impeached and removed by the council of elders.


    Marilyn was mentally prepared for the dissent and bacsh.


    At first nce, this decision was indeed difficult to ept.


    Nheless, it was the correct choice.


    The unification of the Chaos Forest was inevitable. The elves of Silver Spring City should not defy this fate just because of their conservatism.


    Marilyn was confident.


    She still had enough umted prestige from the past years, and she could still hold back the internal pressure and protests for a short time.


    As for the future? When the elders and the people of the tribe visited the Giantree City and personally had a look at the city and the Demon King for themselves, they would surely no longer oppose the decision.


    At this moment.


    The Hero guild underground the Silver Spring City.


    Dozens of Silver Spring City Heroes gathered to hold an urgent meeting.


    "This is preposterous!"


    "Marilyn is preparing to defect to the Dragon Demon King!"


    "Do you guys think she''s been mind controlled?"


    "If the forces of the Demon King arrive, will there be any ce left for us to stand?"


    "Uneptable, we have to stop this! I would rather have Silver Spring City destroyed than letting the Demon King seed!"


    "......"


    The Heroes had sensed that the situation was grim for them.


    They started to n their escape routes.


    One of them stood up and suggested, "Let''s head north and join the Thunder Empire. The lord of the Kolo region in the south is a Hero."


    "This Count Kolo has recently been trying to instigate a conflict between the Dragon Demon King and the Dwarf n. He even offered a generous reward to the forest Heroes."


    "I think this is a good opportunity for us."


    As these words were uttered.


    The crowd of Heroes found these suggestions made sense.


    Those who had lived in Silver Spring City knew.


    That the elves and dwarves to the east were mortal enemies.


    This enmity sprouted two hundred years ago.


    When the Silver Spring tribe had just migrated to Chaos Forest, the elves and the dwarves did not get along.


    The initial spark of conflict was only a small dispute over territory.


    And yet, this small matter.


    Like a snowball rolling down the hill, it escted and grew out of proportion.


    Eventually, they fought.


    The elves were initially losing ground and were in danger of being driven out by the dwarves.


    However, a major mine ident urred, causing a significant loss of life among the dwarves and severely depleting their forces and strength. They were forced to stop their assault and abandon their advantage.


    The elves were finally able to catch their breath and promptly established a city.


    There was a widespread suspicion within the dwarves that the elves were responsible for the mining ident.


    This then led to conflicts between the elves and the dwarves for almost two hundred years, and instead of resolving the feud, the hatred for each other only grew deeper.


    In recent decades.


    The dwarven ns had be increasingly powerful.


    They had been seeking opportunities topletely drive out the elves.


    The Heroes had considered this n as a feasible one, as they could both prevent the Demon King from obtaining the Silver Spring City, as well aspleting the high bounty offered by Count Kolo of the southern Kolo region.


    However.


    While Silver Spring City was undergoing unforeseen changes.


    Zhang Nu had returned to Darkness City.


    He had learned of the news that Nancilia had sessfully persuaded the Silver Spring tribe chieftain.


    The Demon King was very pleased by her performance. This young city lord was still very much able to be of use, without her intervention, this matter would be very difficult to resolve.


    Elves were not gnomes.


    It was highly unlikely to force a surrender out of them.


    Although Zhang Nu had confidence in taking down Silver Spring City through violent means, however, in the process of battle, the vast majority of the elves would perish, ultimately only a broken city on the verge of death would remain.


    An oue like this would not serve anyone.


    ''The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.''


    Of the three target cities, one was already in hand, the other was close at hand, and thest one would follow suit soon enough. Zhang San had personally led an army to assault the city of trolls.


    This city was the weakest among the three targets.


    With the strength of Zhang San and the draconian legion, it was unlikely to have any variables to ur during the conquest of this city. This was essentially a sure victory.


    Zhang Nu patiently awaited the news without haste.


    In the meantime, he decided to sacrifice a batch of souls in hand.


    He gained a Level 4 soul and 21 Level 3 souls from Bloody Fortress, as well as 1 Level 4 soul and 15 Level 3 souls from Thousand Fangs City.


    Zhang Nu first sacrificed the 36 Level 3 souls.


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 3 Hero''s Soul. 212 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 3 Hero''s Soul. 209 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 3 Hero''s Soul. 221 talent points gained!]


    [......]


    After sacrificing 36 souls, he gained 7,560 talent points.


    Zhang Nu originally had only 1,052 talent points left.


    He now had a total of 8,612 talent points.


    He had two choices.


    He could sacrifice a Level 4 soul to get at least a thousand talent points or he could choose to keep the Level 4 soul and use Level 2 souls to make up the remaining talent points.


    Zhang Nu decided to keep the Level 4 soul.


    He had two Level 4 souls in his possession.


    One was obtained from killing He Tianzong in the Bloody Fortress, the other was from killing the head of the ogre Heroes in Thousand Fangs City.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    To a Demon King.


    Talent points were all the same.


    Level 4 soul was a rare high level Hero''s Soul.


    Rather than just exchanging it for talent points, it could be utilized as a material.


    Zhang Nu had a stock of over a hundred Level 2 souls, so even if he set aside some for Chen Guoguo, it would still be sufficient.


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 2 Hero''s Soul. 22 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 2 Hero''s Soul. 20 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 2 Hero''s Soul. 21 talent points gained!]


    [......]


    After going through 70 Level 2 souls.


    He gained a total of 1470 talent points.


    This had brought his overall talent points to 10082.


    Finally, Zhang Nu could activate another Level 4 talent.


    Zhang Nu''s remaining two Level 4 talents were both of the time and space attribute type. Such talents were exceedingly rare, and needless to say, incredibly important.


    After much hesitation.


    He activated Time Control.


    [You''ve activated the Level 4 talent "Time Control"!]


    [Time Control] Talent Skill. You have gained the ability to influence the flow of time in the surrounding environment. The higher the MP consumed, the greater your control over the flow of time will be. You can currently control up to ten times the flow rate.


    The effect of this skill was simple.


    Zhang Nu could speed up or slow down the flow of time in his surrounding environment.


    With his current strength, he could elerate or decelerate the speed of time by ten fold.


    In the future, as his level increased and his strength grew, his ability to control time would be more powerful, and the range of this skill would also expand.


    Without a doubt, this was a dynamic skill.


    Nheless, time was rtive.


    If the skill was used well, whether in offense or defense, it would be a godly technique, capable of turning impossible tides.


    "What an incredible talent!"


    "The power over time is more rare and precious than that of space."


    "Even throughout the continent, the existence of time magic talents is probably exceptionally rare and scarce!"


    But of course.


    Zhang Nu was far from beingcent.


    Currently, he was only at an entry level in his control over time.


    Zhang Nu opened up the Demon King Trading Channel and immediately saw several sessful transaction messages.


    [Trade sessful, gold -180,000, you gained "Blueprint: Spirit Field" x1!]


    [Trade sessful, gold -180,000, you gained "Blueprint: Spirit Field" x1!]


    [Trade sessful, gold -300,000, you gained "Level 3 Normal Building Upgrade Scroll" x1!]


    Zhang Nu''s spirits were lifted.


    Before he departed, he had put down the purchase orders and set the prices for it.


    After nearly three days, the processing fees alone had cost him tens of thousands of gold, and he had finally received two copies of Spirit Field blueprints.


    Apart from the Spirit Field blueprints.


    There was also a Level 3 upgrade scroll.


    These items were currently awfully rare and scarce.


    Even after Zhang Nu offered a price slightly higher than the market''s, it still took him so long to receive trades.


    He decided to temporarily withdraw his purchase orders and wait a few days before raising the price again to continue his search.


    Why did he not raise the price immediately, you ask?


    Because people were greedy.


    Zhang Nu believed that if he had just taken down his previous orders and immediately reced them with higher price ones, the sellers who were anxious to sell would no longer be in a hurry to do so.


    With the blueprints in hand, Zhang Nu unhesitantly expanded the Spirit Fields with it.


    Issues such as ''not enough farmers'' would never exist.


    Leaving aside the fact that there were enough elves residing in Giantree City for work relocation in Darkness City, there were still more than 100,000 elves in Silver Spring City.


    In the field of farming and nt cultivation.


    Elves inherently had high talents for it.


    While he was at it, he took a look at the current situation of the territory as well.


    During this period.


    The development of the territory was particrly fast.


    Both the size of thend and the poption had grown immensely


    Now, just the poption number of his draconian people was already close to 30,000.


    Among them.


    Logistics Corps: around 13,000 Draconian Laborers, around 5,000 High Draconian Laborers, around 2,000 Draconian Craftsmen, and around 200 Draconian Mastercraftsmen.


    Combat Corps: about 15,000 Draconian Soldiers, about 2,400 High Draconian Soldiers, ???? Draconian Super Soldiers, 100 Draconian Battle Mages, 30 Draconian Mystic Battle Mages, 25 Infernal Draconian Warmonger Royal Guards, 15 Infernal Draconian Mystic Royal Guards, 25 Draconian Generals, 10 Draconian Priests, 1 Draconian Marshal, 1 Draconian High Priest, 1 Earth Drake Grand Marshal, and 1 Sky Drake Archpriest.


    As for the other units.


    Excluding the undead units.


    The orcs, the elves, the ogres and the beholders came to a sum of around 20 to 30 thousand.


    This number was only the total of Zhang Nu''s directly affiliated troops. The size of his vassal troops and civilian poption was even more massive.


    The Berserk Beast City and Thousand Fangs City.


    The orcs and ogres were all fighters and warriors.


    Among the two, every single ogre was an elite unit.


    The totalbat power of the orcs, elves, and ogres reached a scale of around 100,000, which was a forceparable to a formal army of the empire!


    Suffice to say.


    There was no shortage of soldiers.


    He wanted to build a stronger supply system.


    He desired to obtain a bigger financial ie.


    There was no need to mass summon draconian units for the meantime.


    Zhang Nu decided to invest more to cultivate more high-end soldiers and implement the elite route.


    Of course.


    This would require money.


    In fact, lots of it.


    Fortunately, in terms of gold reserves, Zhang Nu had nearly 5 million in number.


    The financial growth of his several territories was also booming.


    He was still elerating the process of his conquest and upation, ultimately working towards the goal of unification of Chaos Forest.


    During this process, he could obtain arge amount of gold and resources, which was enough for him to establish an ace army.

 Chapter 135: Strife On Two Sides

    Because there was no shortage of gold yielded in Thousand Fangs City.


    Zhang Nu took out 1.25 million gold and upgraded 250 High Draconian Soldiers at once, bringing the total number of the Draconian Super Soldiers to as many as 600.


    These super soldiers were top-tier Level 3 elite units.


    Which were rare even in cities like Giantree City and Berserk Beast City.


    Zhang Nu continued to spend 400,000 gold coins to summon 200 Draconian Battle Mages, and then spent another 400,000 gold coins to upgrade 50 of these battle mages to Level 3 Draconian Mystic Battle Mages.


    Mystic battle mages were also top-tier elites.


    But due to their versatilebat style, proficiency in both melee and magicbat, as well as the ability to adapt to any terrain easily, theirbat prowess was slightly higher than super soldiers in terms of individualbat capabilities.


    Finally, he upgraded 5 of the mystic battle mages into Draconian Mystic Royal Guards.


    He then immediately sent them up onto the Altar of Inferno to be enhanced into Infernal Draconian Mystic Royal Guards.


    As of now, Zhang Nu''s royal guard squadron had 25 Infernal Draconian Warmonger Royal Guards and 20 Infernal Draconian Mystic Royal Guards.


    All of which were Level 4 lord units.


    With this squadron of royal guards alone.


    They were sufficient to hold their own against an elite formal army of ten or more times the number.


    Zhang Nu used the Level 1 and 2 building upgrade scrolls and spent several hundred thousand gold coins, along with arge number of life gems, earth gems, and water gems to upgrade the two newly constructed Spirit Fields to Level 3.


    With this, there were now three Level 3 Spirit Fields in the Darkness City.


    It was necessary to relocate several batches of elven civilians to manage and cultivate these fields, otherwise, it would be a waste to leave two Spirit Fields uncultivated and neglected.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Zhang Nu also had two advanced upgrade scrolls in his hand.


    One was a Level 3 upgrade scroll that he had just received, and the other was a Level 4 upgrade scroll that he yielded from the Sealed Land.


    However, he currently had no ns to use the Level 4 upgrade scroll.


    Upgrade scrolls of this level were too precious, it was not something that could be easily obtained through mary means and must be used wisely.


    As for the Level 3 upgrade scrolls.


    Although it was rtively expensive and rare, it was not difficult to acquire from the market as long as one had enough patience.


    He only had one Level 3 upgrade scroll.


    Yet there were many Level 3 buildings.


    Tree of Life, White Bones Mausoleum, Temple of Nature, Temple of War, Level 3 Spirit Fields, Gnome Magitek Research Institute, Orc Base Camp, Ogre Stronghold...


    After contemting for a while.


    If he had to choose based on cost-effectiveness.


    Upgrading the Tree of Life might be the best option.


    Afterall, the Tree of Life was exceptionally powerful and beneficial, and even as a Level 3 building, it possessed multiple functions and features. Wouldn''t its capabilities be even greater if it were to be upgraded to Level 4?


    Regrettably.


    The Tree of Life was a unique creation.


    The "Level 3 Normal Building Upgrade Scroll" in Zhang Nu''s hands could not be used on the Tree of Life. Even the Gnome Magitek Research Institute was considered a special building.


    These types of special structures.


    They could only be upgraded by even rarer special upgrade scrolls.


    After thinking it over, Zhang Nu finally decided to use it on the Spirit Field. Compared to the temples or barracks, the money tree was far more important.


    [The upgrade costs: "Level 3 Upgrade Scroll" x1, "Gold" x ???, "Life Gem" x 500, "Earth Gem" x 500, and "Water Gem" x 500!]


    The Level 3 upgrade for the Spirit Field actually cost ??? gold!


    Furthermore, it required 1,500 gems!


    The total cost of this upgrade was probably around 3 million gold!


    Zhang Nu had never seen such an exorbitant upgrade cost before!


    Nheless, considering the effectiveness of the Spirit Fields, he gritted his teeth and paid the price.


    [Upgrade sessful!]


    [Spirit Field area +80%, growth speed +50%. Super Spirit Field +10 acres!]


    The scale of the Goblin Farm suddenly increased by nearly twice, and the energy contained in the spirit soil received a significant boost once again.


    The crops growth speed of the Spirit Field was increased by over thirty timespared to normal crop fields.


    And the eleven acres of Super Spirit Field within the center had a crops growth speed around a hundred times faster.


    This could no longer be called a Spirit Field. The soil, especially the super soil in the center, could already be described as divine soil.


    For a long time in the future, the Demon King no longer needed to worry about basic supplies.


    With therge-scale expansion of the Darkness City farm, as well as the elven farm under the Tree of Life, and Chen Guoguo''s flower fey farm in the Myriad Floral Valley, Zhang Nu now had the ability to feed almost all the forest cities'' poption in Chaos Forest.


    If there were still things that Zhang Nu would worry about in the future.


    It would definitely be having too many resources that he could not sell in time!


    Zhang Nu had finally earned several million gold, and just like that, they were almost all spent.


    However, with the money generating Spirit Farms in hand, he was calm andposed.


    Rao Jian and his team from Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce had departed for quite a number of days.


    Assuming nothing unexpected urred in their journey.


    They should have arrived at the Azure Water Federation by now.


    Zhang Nu did not know if the tradingpany''s development was smooth or not. But fortunately, after taking over the Thousand Fangs City, he had incorporated thirty gnome merchant teams, which were enough to open up the internal market of the forest.


    However.


    Just as Zhang Nu was consolidating resources and busy nning his fortune-making scheme.


    Nancilia hastily rushed in and eximed, "Your Majesty! The elves and the dwarves are fighting!"


    Hearing this news, Zhang Nu was slightly taken aback.


    He wondered how the elves could be fighting with the dwarves since he had not heard of any dwarves near the Giantree City.


    Nancy quickly exined, "Not long ago, the dwarves of Ironheart Cityunched a surprise siege onto Silver Springs City, and now they have breached the city!"


    Ironheart City?


    Zhang Nu pondered briefly.


    Ironheart City was located in the eastern mountain range.


    And it was one of the forest cities of the Chaos Forest.


    It was arge city built by a dozen dwarven tribes and had a poption of tens of thousands of people. In recent years, it had been developing very well and was one of the mightiest forces in the entire Chaos Forest.


    Zhang Nu asked, "Don''t panic. Exin the situation."


    Nancy quickly answered, "After the chieftain Marilyn agreed to join under Your Majesty''smand, a rebellion broke out within Silver Springs City."


    "A rebellion?" Zhang Nu was surprised.


    The very first thought that came to his mind was even if there were stubborn factions that refused to join the Demon King,the reaction from the Silver Spring City would not be so radical and extreme.


    In the elven race, rebellion was exceedingly rare.


    And even if there was a rebellion, what did it have to do with the dwarves?


    Nancilia continued, "The guardian elf in charge of the city''s protective barrier and magical formation shut them down without authorization, and the guard forces of Silver Spring City were transferred away without permission, allowing a group of elite dwarves to storm Silver Spring City."


    Zhang Nu chuckled with a hint of anger behind his voice, "This is no rebellion. It''s probably the work of some Heroes who don''t want me to have Silver Spring City!"


    Nancilia reflected for a while.


    She felt something was amiss.


    This was definitely not something an elf would do.


    She thought of the previous guardian elf of Giantree City, Du Mingfeng. Only a Hero who was indifferent to his fellow tribesmen wouldmit such an extremely treacherous deed!


    "The situation is very grim!", urged Nancilia.


    "The chieftain Marilyn is trapped in her own city."


    Zhang Nu replied calmly, "Worry not, I''ll head there personally. While I''m at it, I''ll take over Silver Spring City as well."


    "Thank goodness!"


    Nancillia was relieved to hear that the Demon King was taking this matter into his own hands.


    Zhang Nu had just approached Li SI and before he could ask for a teleportation from him.


    Li Si brought urgent news, "My master, we''ve just received information from the west that may be unfavorable to us."


    Zhang Nu was a little annoyed, "What now? What is the situation in the west?"


    Li Si reported, "It is said that a treasure of Thundering City has been lost, and there are rumors in the forest that Your Majesty may have sent your men to steal the treasure."


    "The giants are fuming and have dispatched an army of giants to seek Your Majesty out and demand an exnation from Your Majesty."


    Nancilia was at a loss.


    "Preposterous! This is a set-up!"


    "How could the Demon King steal the giants'' treasure!?"


    "His Majesty has even given away priceless treasures such as the Tree of Life. Why would His Majesty be interested in the giant tribe''s junk!"


    Zhang Nu was not angered by this.


    Instead, he felt that something was at y here.


    Just then, Li Si spoke, "My master, I suspect that there are forces behind the scenes orchestrating these series of events. They are instigating conflicts on both the east and west sides, probably to distract Your Majesty''s attention and forces so they can carry out their conspiracy."


    Zhang Nu had also thought of this possibility.


    These matters were too targeted towards him.


    The timing was also too coincidental.


    Even someone without a bright mind could see that someone was behind all these.


    The first suspect that came to mind was the forces of the Thunder Empire.


    Especially the leader of the Divine Sword Heroes Guild who had yet to show his face.


    "These are merely smokescreens."


    Zhang Nu spected, "I believe their true target is the Bloody Fortress. Themotion caused by the dwarves and giants is just to draw my attention."


    However.


    It did not matter.


    Even so.


    Zhang Nu was not one bit worried.


    Although the ten thousand ogres had yet to arrive and be stationed at the Bloody Fortress.


    The fortress itself was heavily guarded.


    The grand marshal Zhang San was currently leading troops to deal with Magi Mojo City, but this city was the weakest of the three target cities, thus the oue should be decided soon.


    The Magi Mojo City was not far from the Bloody Fortress.


    After dealing with the Magi Mojo City, Zhang San could reinforce the fortress in a day to ensure that everything was secure and to minimize the risks of unforeseen incidents.


    As for the giants from the Thundering City,


    Zhang Nu nned to send Li Si to negotiate with them.


    After all, he really did not steal the giants'' treasure.


    This was purely the Heroes'' provocative tactic to sow discord. He would try to resolve the misunderstanding through negotiation first. If it failed, then he would act.


    Zhang Nu nned to go to Silver Spring City first.


    All things have their priorities.


    The matter of Silver Spring City being sieged by the dwarves was the utmost priority. Zhang Nu valued his elven troops and did not want to see too many casualties.


    Meanwhile.


    In the Kolo territory.


    Su Wenhao received a message through magical transmission.


    The n was proceeding smoothly as nned.


    The news greatly boosted his confidence.


    He summoned the leaders of the three major Hero guilds and dered, "Now that the Demon King is distracted, it''s a good opportunity for us to take action and strike!"


    The three guild leadersughed heartily.


    No one had expected it to be so easy.


    Especially the situation on the dwarves'' side, which was not part of their n. It seemed that luck was on their side.


    Su Wenhao continued, "I n to mobilize the Kolo family''s knights to capture the Bloody Fortress, but I cannot leave the territory. I ask for the aid of the three guild leaders. As long as the conquest is sessful, there will be a generous reward awaiting you all!"


    "Say no more, chairman!"


    "Leave it to us!"


    "With the three of us working together, and the support of the Kolo family, we can definitely take down the Demon King!"


    The three guild leaders were already powerful, and with the help of the Kolo family''s top warriors and knight regiment, they would have a significant advantage.


    For the three guild leaders, this was also a rare opportunity.

 Chapter 136: The Corrupted Dwarven Patriarch

    Silver Spring City had suffered heavy losses.


    The dwarves have upied the outer city area, destroying the defense barrier, magic towers, and various magical formations of Silver Spring City, causing the city''s defenses to copsepletely.


    Marilyn has now transferred the surviving elf city residents to the inner city area and activated the backup barrier, temporarily halting the dwarves'' advancement.


    "Elves!"


    "Your final days havee!"


    "Face the wrath of the dwarven hammer!"


    This is a short but exceptionally muscr and strong old dwarf, standing at just 1.5 meters tall, d in heavy armor, with a gray-white beard covering his face.


    His name was Stormbeard.


    The dwarven overlord of the mountains.


    The leader of the mountain dwarf tribe, and the city lord of the Ironheart City.


    The old dwarf wielded a battle-ax in his left hand and a hammer in his right, both weapons were dripping with blood. He wore a fierce and menacing expression on his face, and his eyes were red with bloodthirst, emanating an aura even more ferocious than that of an orc.


    "Come out!"


    Stormbeard struck with his hammer, a thunderous lightning crashed onto the barrier.


    Instantly causing a massive crack in the inner city''s barrier.


    The barrier could not hold on any longer!


    Marilyn immediately cried out, "We can negotiate terms. The Silver Spring tribe is willing to depart from here!"


    "Hahahaha!"


    "Toote!"


    "I shall offer hundred thousands of your elven souls to the Underground God!"


    "Then, the Underground God will bestow even more warrior blood upon the dwarves! My Ironheart n will be stronger than ever!"


    The old dwarf''s face was raving with madness!


    The other dwarves also had bloodshot eyes.


    "Kill! Maim! Rend!"


    "Massacre them all!"


    "ughter all the elves!"


    "Leave none alive!"


    "Glory to the Underground God!"


    The thousands of dwarves let out a frenzy and maniacal roar.


    The elven elder of Silver Spring City had an unpleasant and worried expression on his face. He uttered, "Oh no, city lord, the dwarves'' madness is even worse than ten years ago!"


    Dwarves were known for being short-tempered and were quick to resort to violence, butpared to orcs and ogres, they were a rtively peaceful race.


    However, this tribe of dwarves was excessively insane.


    There was a rumor that spoke of a gue of madness spreading within the mountains.


    When dwarves contracted this gue, although their intelligence remained normal, their character gradually became twisted, making them extremely bloodthirsty and ferocious.


    This peculiar situation had only emerged in thest two hundred years.


    After the great mining disaster in the Ironheart City.


    The dwarves started to worship an entity called "The Underground God", and it was from that point onwards that the dwarven madness began to emerge within theirmunity.


    Dwarves who had contracted the madness were even more powerful than before.


    However, they had also be increasingly unreasonable.


    Judging from the behavior of this old city lord, it seemed that they and their subordinates had beenpletely dominated by the desire for ughter.


    "Stormbeard!"


    "Wake up already!"


    "You and your people are falling into depravity!"


    Marilyn continued to reprimand, "You worshiped a demonic deity of unknown origins! That thing is the true culprit of that tragedy! Of your disaster! You dwarves are bringing destruction upon yourselves!"


    Stormbeard was immediately set off like a dynamite, fury crawled up to his face, "You DARE to nder the great Underground God?! I will tear you apart limb from limb! DIE!"


    In the next instance, Stormbeard''s body turned into a hue of red.


    His figure grew up to a towering height of three meters tall.


    Then, a fearsome storm hammer bolt mmed onto the already cracked barrier.


    The barrierpletely copsed, but the violent bolt of thunder showed no sign of stopping and continued to st towards the elven chieftain.


    Marilyn''s face paled.


    He''s too powerful.


    Stormbeard.


    Although he was beyond redemption and terminally ill, his current strength was beyond imagination.


    In order to buy time for the elven citizens to retreat into the safety of the inner-city barrier, Marilyn had single handedly held back the dwarven army and got severely wounded in the process.


    At this moment, she had no strength left to withstand such a violent strike.


    Despite her swift reaction speed, she could just activate her instantaneous movement ability to dodge the attack.


    But what about her fellow elves behind her? They would definitely suffer heavy casualties!


    Marilyn gritted her teeth, wrapped her body in Qi, and summoned a magical protective shield to withstand the dwarf''s storm bolt.


    With a loud boom!


    The magical shield was shattered.


    The storm hammer bolt, wreathed in lightning, struck her.


    Marilyn was sent backwards for ten meters. She used her Qi to cancel out the terrifying force of that strike. She spat out a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground helplessly, no longer having the strength to fight.


    "Hahaha!"


    "The elves are finished!"


    "Let''s start with you!"


    Under the old dwarf''s transformed form, his power had reached its peak, and his voice rumbled and echoed like thunder, striking fear into the elves.


    As he spoke, his ax was enveloped with a blood red glow.


    With his tremendous might, he cleaved towards the elven chieftain on the ground.


    "Nooo!"


    "Chieftain!"


    The elven elders and city residents cried out in despair. The insane dwarf lord was too fast, and there was no time to stop him in his tracks.


    Suddenly, a mysterious power enveloped the two tribe leaders.


    The thunderous strike of Stormbeard slowed down to a crawl, and the massive battle ax swinging towards Marilyn was intercepted by a towering silhouette that abruptly appeared.


    "What?"


    Neither tribe leaders couldprehend what happened.


    A burly figure with a domineering presence blocked the ax for the elf, and the raging energy on the battle ax was instantly absorbed, leaving no harm on him.


    "Marilyn!"


    The elven chieftain heard a familiar voice.


    As she turned around to look, she revealed a surprised face, "Nancilia!"


    The young city lord quickly helped the chieftain up and teleported them into the crowd of elves, saying, "We''ve finally caught up in time!"


    Marilyn quickly warned Nancilia, "Be careful, this dwarf is incredibly powerful, even you have to beware of him!"


    "Hehehe, don''t worry. His Majesty has decided toe personally. Do you think I still need to fight him myself?"


    "His Majesty?"


    The gaze of the elves fell on this majestic and imposing figure standing over three meters tall.


    Everyone had a sudden realization.


    This was the Demon King.


    The Dragon Demon King that their chieftain had pledged allegiance to.


    He had effortlessly withstood the attack of that powerful old dwarf, indicating his tremendous fortitude and strength.


    No wonder the proud chieftain was willing to bow her head to him.


    Although many elves had reservations about joining forces under the Demon King.


    There was one thing they could not deny.


    His strength had surpassed beyond their imagination.


    Perhaps his appearance here might be able to save Silver Spring City!


    This was the first time Marilyn had seen the Demon King himself.


    She did not expect the Demon King of the Darkness City would personally rush over to save the Silver Spring tribe.


    ''So this is the Demon King.''


    His aura was even more formidable than she thought.


    And he was more majestic and dignified than any draconian she had ever observed!


    Marilyn had visited Darkness City a few days ago and although she had not seen the Demon King, she had noticed other draconians.


    However, against the Dragon Demon King before her, even the high-ranking draconians like Sky Drake Archpriest and Earth Drake Grand Marshal evidently paled inparison.


    "Who are you!"


    "Why do you interfere?!"


    Stormbeard withdrew ten meters or so with a vignt expression on his face.


    "This is not an interference."


    The Demon King spoke calmly, "Silver Spring City is my territory, and the elves of Silver Spring City are about to be my subjects. You dare toy your hands on my subordinate. Are you prepared to face the consequences?"


    Stormbeard roared out inughter, "You think you can keep these elves from me? You are but a mere Demon King, you''re really overestimating yourself!"


    "Is that so? Try me."


    Stormbeard roared again, his stature growing to five meters tall, his muscles bulging, and even horns growing from his head.


    At this moment, instead of a dwarf, he was more of a daemon.


    "This is the power that the Underground God has bestowed upon the dwarves!"


    The old dwarf seemed to have lost all reason and shouted, "What gives you the confidence to oppose my might?!"


    Zhang Nu was a little astounded as he took a look at the dwarf''s stats.


    [Daemonized Dwarven Patriarch: Stormbeard] Level 4 Overlord


    Skills: Blood of the Fallen (Rank A), Thundering Force (Rank A), Lightning Hammer (Rank B), Tempest Hammer (Rank B), Iron Bones (Rank B), etc.


    Description: This is the leader of the corrupted dwarves who has absorbed arge amount of daemonic energy and bepletely corrupted. Although he possesses great power, he is also under the control of ancient daemons, with only madness and fanatical faith left in his mind.


    "Kill, kill, kill!" Stormbeard shouted.


    "Kill all the elves!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    All the dwarves present were infused with corrupted blood, entering a state of madness and expanding several times their size, turning into little blood-colored giants.


    How could the once pure and peaceful dwarves be contaminated like this?


    Zhang Nu shook his head, "What a pity."


    Just then.


    Stormbeard charged towards the Demon King.


    Zhang Nu immediately unleashed the Dragon''s King Sanctum, dragging all targets within a radius of one mile into his domain.


    "This is...the King''s Sanctum!"


    "He''s no ordinary dragon, he''s a Dragon King!"


    Everyone present, be it elves or dwarves, was flummoxed by the spectacle.


    Marilyn felt the suppression from surging from her surroundings within the domain and realized that what Nancilia imed was true. This Demon King was not an ordinary dragon, but a powerful and genuine king of dragons!


    And yet, judging from the strength of the aura he was giving off, the Demon King should be a Level 4.


    Why would a Level 4 possess the ability of a monarch?


    ording to the records of this continent for the past tens of thousands of years, every single monarch existence had at least reached the strength of a Level 5.


    Level 5 was the minimum threshold for a monarch.


    Instead of being dismayed by the fact that the Demon King''s level was lower than expected, Marilyn felt an unprecedented surprise and exhration.


    A Level 4 monarch.


    What did this signify?


    The Demon King''s strength still had enormous growth potential.


    In the future, he might even be a myth, or even an existence that would surpass the mythic rank!


    Such an individual.


    He was born to rule.


    Silver Spring City was right to follow his rule.


    However, Marilyn was oblivious to the matter that the Demon King was already approaching the rank of monarch when he was still Level 1 or 2, and when he reached Level 3, he had already obtained his King''s Sanctum.


    Otherwise.


    Her view of the world would crumble and copse.


    "You''re a Dragon King?! How is that possible!"


    Even the dwarven patriarch, who was on the verge ofpletely losing his sanity, felt a hint of fear at this very moment.


    He did not even realize what kind of existence he was currently facing.


    Zhang Nu''s King Sanctum, at this point, was entirely different from what he had when he was still Level 3.


    His King''s Sanctum was now more than twice as powerful as before, with a wider range of coverage and stronger suppression and restraint effects on enemies.


    Even a mighty Level 4 overlord.


    Their strength within this domain would be immensely diminished.


    And their HP and MP were constantly drained.


    Zhang Nu was calm and collected, "Nothing is impossible. Now, entertain me!"


    "Monarch?! So what! We have the bestowal of the Underground God!"


    "Charge! Kill him now!"


    "Glory to the Underground God!"


    The dwarven patriarch charged forward in a frenzy once more.


    Zhang Nu unhesitantly responded with a dozen thunderbolts.


    The old dwarf held up his weapon to defend himself, relying on his incredible strength and fortitude to withstand the barrage of more than ten abyssal lightning bolts.


    Needless to say, the dwarf truly possessed great strength.


    Yet, unfortunately, he was facing the most dreaded Demon King of the Chaos Forest!


    During the barrage of lightning bolts, Zhang Nu had already formed a bolt of Hell Thunderme. He then released a wave of Dragon Fear that swept over the dwarven patriarch at close range.


    "Damn!"


    The dwarf was struck by a wave of trance.


    He managed toe to his senses swiftly, but suddenly, an unprecedented sense of crisis enveloped him.


    A bolt of thunderme was fired towards him.


    Instantly shattered his hammer and ax.


    The dwarf patriarch was pierced through his body by a bolt of thumb-thick thunderme, and was forced to cancel his transformation, screaming in agony as he fell to the ground.


    "How could this be!?"


    "How could I be defeated?!"


    "I have the might bestowed by the Underground God!"


    The dwarven patriarch''s chest was burned through with a fist sized wound. His bones and internal organs had been carbonized, with mes still burning within him.


    Such injuries were beyond saving for a dwarf.


    Zhang Nu simply tossed a ball of dragon mes at him.


    Instantly, he was burned to charcoal.


    [You''ve in Daemonized Dwarven Patriarch. Gold +750,000!]


    This was a Level 4 overlord unit.


    If possible, Zhang Nu would not have killed him but instead recruited him as a subordinate.


    Unfortunately, he had assimted too much of the daemonic power and was too deeply corrupted. It would be difficult to restore him to his original state, so it was better to just end his misery.


    After all, a Level 4 overloud could generate a considerable reward.


    The other dwarves were all showing expressions of shock and fear.


    They had never thought that their invincible patriarch would be so vulnerable and insignificant before this Demon King, and they were still suppressed by the King''s Sanctum, thus they could not even disy half of their usual strength.


    Zhang Nu summoned the royal guards.


    Twenty-five Infernal Warmonger Royal Guards and twenty Infernal Mystic Royal Guards were instantly teleported to his sides.


    "Execute them all!"


    "Leave none alive!"


    Zhang Nu issued a cold-bloodedmand.


    These daemonized and corrupted dwarves were of little value, so instead of forcibly incorporating them, it was better to just initiate a thorough purging and take over Ironheart City while he was at it.

 Chapter 137: The Submission of Silver Spring

    Stormbeard, the chief patriarch of the mountains, the city lord of Ironheart, had been the undisputed strongest overlord in the region for decades.


    He had posed a threat to the Silver Spring City for many years.


    And he hade close to breaching the city with his powerful warriors several times.


    But, now, he died. Just like that.


    Taken down by the Demon King within just a few rounds of battle.


    The elves of the Silver Spring tribe were bewildered.


    Even a blind could see the fact that the Demon King had yet to unleash his full strength.


    And yet, he still managed to effortlessly destroy the dwarven patriarch in his mightiest form with just a flick of his finger.


    What magnitude of power was this? What terrifying might!


    Truly unbelievable.


    Before the elves could recover from their shock and the dwarves from their fear.


    The royal guards of the Demon King had already begun to carry out their given orders.


    The spear of a Warmonger Guard burned brightly with the hellish fury of the me daemon, increasing its power exponentially.


    With an astonishing lightning speed, the guard charged forth, and with a single blow, his Raging Dragon Qi pierced through three targets.


    On the other hand, a Mystic Guard hurled out several Lightning Hammer, before transforming into a zing wyvern, enveloped in immense heat, and diving into the crowd of dwarves.


    [You''ve in a Corrupted Dwarven Warrior. Gold +85!]


    [You''ve in a Corrupted Dwarven Warrior. Gold +85!]


    [You''ve in a Corrupted High Dwarven Warrior. Gold +900!]


    [You''ve in a Corrupted Dwarven Tribal Chief. Gold +50,000!]


    [......]


    The Demon King and his guards, numbering only a few dozen, forced thousands of elite dwarven warriors to retreat and scatter in defeat, unable to muster up any resistance.


    Even more frightening was the fact that they were trapped within the King''s Domain.


    Their attributes were greatly weakened.


    And many of their skills were sealed off.


    The dwarves could not even attempt to escape.


    In this situation, other than having the monarch deactivate the domain themselves, there were only two ways to dispel the king''s domain.


    The first was to defeat the monarch who casted the domain, and the second was to overwrite the domain with an even stronger one.


    ying a monarch within its own domain?


    Easier said than done.


    Thetter was even more difficult.


    For hundreds of years, there had been no second monarch level existence in the entire Chaos Forest.


    This dreadful existence was beyond the dwarves'' understanding.


    In less than 15 minutes.


    When Zhang Nu canceled his domain.


    The ground was littered with dwarven corpses.


    More than three thousand corrupted dwarves were ughtered.


    Among them, even the mostmon dwarven warriors were all Level 1 elite, and the proportion of Level 2 and 3 elites was not low either, even the lord units and Level 4 elites were not few in number.


    The total yield was 550,000 gold.


    Plus the 750,000 gold from Stormbeard.


    This battle earned Zhang Nu a total of 1.3 million gold.


    He was very pleased.


    This trip was worth it.


    Marilyn''s injuries have been partially recovered under the treatment of the elves.


    Facing the dwarven corpses all over the ce, the elves finally understood their chieftain.


    The Demon King was horrifyingly powerful.


    He definitely had the strength to advance and unify the Chaos Forest. If they resisted and opposed his will, the elves would not end up better than these dwarves.


    And now.


    The Demon King has saved Silver Spring City.


    The young Elven King was also his subordinate.


    What reason did they have to go against their chieftain?


    Seeing the ground piled up with dwarven corpses.


    The young Elven King could not help but frown.


    It was not because she was a saint and had a sudden conscience of feeling sorry for them.


    It was because she knew how united the dwarven n was.


    Now with their chief patriarch and numerous n members murdered, would the dwarves leave this grudge unsolved?


    She was afraid that from now on, it would be difficult for the dwarven forces and the Darkness City to reconcile.


    After all, although the dwarves were stubborn and possessed a tough temperament, they were not an evil race at their core. It was unexpected that for the sake of the elven tribe, the Demon King had made himself a mortal enemy of the dwarves.


    Having known the young city lord for so long.


    It was not difficult to read her simple mind.


    Zhang Nuforted her, "There''s no need to worry."


    "These dwarves absorbed the power of daemon, they had been long corrupted. There is no cure for them."


    "Even if the remaining uncorrupted dwarves find out that we''ve eliminated these fallen dwarves, they would not me us. After all, we''re helping them get rid of a menace."


    Hearing this.


    The young city lord nodded in agreement.


    She had acute perception and senses.


    Hence, she too noticed the daemon energy in the dwarves'' bodies.


    "How strange. How could these dwarves have such power?" she wondered.


    "It''s the Underground God!"


    The chieftain Marilyn came over, bringing along the elven elders and the high executives.


    She exined, "Two hundred years ago, a serious mining ident urred in the dwarven mines, which caused serious injuries and deaths among the dwarves who had lived in the mines for generations. The dwarves have always suspected that this disaster was caused by the elves."


    So that happened.


    No wonder the rtionship between the elves and the dwarves was so bad.


    Nancilia pushed the topic, "But what about the Underground God?"


    Marilyn replied, "This is a mysterious presence that the dwarves discovered deep in the copsed mine decades after the great mining disaster. Since then, the dwarves have been gued by madness. We suspect that this so-called Underground God is the culprit behind the mining disaster and the corruption of these dwarves!"


    "But the dwarves simply don''t trust the elves at all and won''t listen to any well-intentioned advice."


    "Now not only have theypletely sumbed to it."


    "They are even worshiping this false god!"


    The young city lord was incredibly furious.


    Without a doubt, this false god was the culprit of every tragedy that happened here.


    At this moment, Marilyn and the elven executives got down on one knee.


    "Oh great Demon King, we sincerely thank you for saving us. All the elves of the Silver Spring tribe are willing to follow the Elven King and serve under you!"


    [195,321 elves of the Silver Spring tribe have surrendered to you. ept?]


    [You''ve conquered Silver Spring City!]


    [You gained "Exquisite Mithminite Chest" x1!]


    The very moment the elves officially submitted, something unexpected happened.


    Every single Silver Spring elf was enveloped by divine powers.


    "What is going on?"


    "I feel the blessings of the gods!"


    "This seems to be the power of two deities, the Goddess of Nature and the Goddess of War?"


    "We swore allegiance to the Demon King but received the blessings of two goddesses. Does this mean... the Demon King is an existence recognized and approved by the goddesses?!"


    This was no different than a divine revtion!


    In that instant.


    The entire elven tribe fell on their knees in worship.


    Even the elven elders were deeply appalled.


    The elves prayed to the Goddess of Nature every day, and wherever there were elves, there were temples of the goddess. And yet, they rarely received a response from their goddess.


    And now.


    Just after announcing their allegiance to the Demon King.


    They were immediately bestowed with blessings from two goddesses.


    This was a clear indication that the Goddess of Nature recognized the Demon King and approved of the actions of the Silver Spring tribe.


    Even the Goddess of War.


    Whom the elves never worshiped, was now bestowing blessings upon them.


    This could only be described as a divine miracle.


    Zhang Nu saw that the loyalty of the elves had skyrocketed just as they had joined.


    It appeared that not only could temple structures enhance all units indiscriminately, but they could also effectively win over people''s hearts.


    Not bad.


    Not bad.


    This saved him a lot of effort.


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied with the result.


    Silver Spring was such a huge elven tribe.


    With nearly two hundred thousands elves.


    The poption was more than Giantree City.


    The Silver Spring City was actually quite easily conquered without much trouble or effort.


    This not only expanded the scope of influence.


    It could also create amazing value for him in the future.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Zhang Nu then opened up the reward chest.


    [You opened the Mithmimite Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x3,000,000, "Blueprint: Ancient Elven Sanctuary" x1, "Level 3 Special Building Upgrade Scroll" x1, "Life Gem" x1000, "Water Gem" x800, "Earth Gem" x800!]


    Silver Spring City was a Level 4 overlord area.


    The rewards obtained were higher than those of Thousand Fangs City.


    Not only did Zhang Nu receive up to three million gold coins, but also a Level 4 building blueprint and a Level 3 special building upgrade scroll.


    Level 4 buildings were generally of extremely high value.


    The Ancient Elven Sanctuary should be an auxiliary building that greatly enhances the power of the elves.


    To Zhang Nu, it would be immensely useful.


    Among all the subjects of the Demon King, the elves had thergest poption. If their overall strength could be generally improved, then the entire Demon King''s forces would also greatly strengthen.


    This should be a very good blueprint!


    In addition to the Level 4 blueprint, the most valuable item in the loot this time was the Level 3 special building upgrade scroll.


    Level 3 normal upgrade scrolls were already of extreme value.


    It would cost at least several hundred thousand gold coins to buy them in the Demon King market, and due to their extreme rarity, even if one has the coins, they still might not be able to acquire them.


    Now.


    This type of special upgrade scroll was ten times rarer than the former and was a valuablemodity that was exceedingly difficult toe by.


    Two hourster.


    Nancilia and Marilyn came to him to report the situation.


    Due to the death of the dwarven patriarch, the other attacking dwarven troops had scattered.


    However, they would definitely report back to Ironheart City of what happened here.


    Marilyn was worried.


    "Those insane dwarves will never take this lying down!"


    "Their revenge will be even crazier, and they might be mad enough to mobilize the entire tribe!"


    "The defense barriers and formations of Silver Spring City have already been destroyed! Under these circumstances, it would be impossible for us to hold them back!"


    Nancilia immediately suggested, "Your Majesty, I think all the elves of the Silver Spring tribe should be moved to Giantree City to avoid further conflict with the dwarves."


    Zhang Nu, however, replied, "The relocation is not urgent, and you don''t have to worry about the threat of the dwarves anymore."


    Nancilia asked in confusion, "Why?"


    "I came here specifically to solve the problem with the dwarves. It won''t take too much effort anyway," Zhang Nu uttered.


    Upon hearing the Demon King''s words.


    The two elves were deeply shocked.


    They could not believe that the Demon King was so nonchnt about such a big matter.


    What did he mean by "it won''t take too much effort"?


    "The tribes of the mountains aren''t easy to deal with!"


    Marilyn urgently spoke up, "Thisrge tribe isposed of dozens of dwarf tribes with tens of thousands of dwarf warriors. Furthermore, Ironheart City''s defenses are immensely robust, it would be very difficult to break through from the outside."


    Marilyn did not doubt the Demon King''s might.


    But she knew that dealing with dwarves with just brute strength alone was far from enough.


    Even with the help of the elves.


    The best oue would only be a pyrrhic victory where both sides suffer heavy losses.


    However.


    These words did not reach him.


    The Demon King was resolute.


    Whether it was Ironheart City or the dwarven mountain tribe, they had to be conquered.


    This was a massive Level 4 overlord settlement area with the scale of at least a poption of three to four hundred thousand.


    If he could take this ce down, he could not only eliminate a hidden danger but also gain astonishing rewards.


    "Don''t worry."


    "We don''t have to fight the tens of thousands of dwarven warriors head-on."


    Zhang Nu exined, "As long as we eliminate the source of the daemon power, the daemonic power in the bodies of these frenzied dwarves will go out of control!"


    Upon hearing this, Nancilia immediately understood.


    "Your Majesty wants to challenge the Underground God!"

 Chapter 138: Ironbeard

    The Endless Mountains.


    This was arge mountainous area in the eastern part of the Chaos Forest.


    It was also one of the forbidden areas in which the majority of the races dare not approach.


    In addition to the treacherous terrain and the vigorous activities of magical beasts in this area, the primary reason was the dwarves who had lived here since ancient times.


    Although the appearance of the dwarves might seem stubby.


    Theirbat prowess was even more incredible than that of an orc.


    Ironbeard.


    He was one of the sixteen chieftains of the Mountain n.


    The current patriarch, Stormbeard, who was also the lord of Ironheart City, was his great grandfather.


    Supposedly.


    Bing one of the chieftains at a young age, as well as his identity as the great grandson of Ironheart city''s lord should have earned Ironbeard a high status in the city.


    However.


    The truth was quite the opposite.


    Not only had Ironbeard not returned to the city for two years.


    He was a wanted individual in Ironheart City.


    Every day he was hunted by his former nsmen and had to lead his tribal brethren to hide like rats.


    At this moment.


    Ironbeard and a dozen of his loyal followers were being entrapped in a valley by hundreds of dwarves.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Ironbeard''s armor had been shattered, the battle ax in his hand had also been chipped and worn out, not to mention he had more than twenty injuries on him. He was already at the end of his rope.


    The leader of the pursuing dwarves questioned him in a loud voice.


    "Ironbeard!"


    "You were a son of the mountains!"


    "The descendant of the great patriarch, Stormbeard!"


    "Why did you betray your n? Your people? Why did you be a disgraced deserter?!"


    Ironbeard furiously retorted, "The true betrayer is Stormbeard! He forced our people to drink the blood of a false god, leading the tribe down a path of no return!"


    The dwarven leader angrily shouted, "The strength and prosperity of Ironheart Citye from the blessings of the Underground God. Daring to spheme against the great Underground God is a capital crime!"


    The other corrupted dwarves joined in, shouting.


    "That''s right!"


    "Where is ur traitor brethren''s hideout?"


    "Tell us now, and perhaps your sins can be alleviated!"


    "Dream on!" Ironbeard, defiant to the end, said, "My tribal brethren are safe and sound! You will never find out where they are!"


    "Damn it!"


    "Kill him!"


    "Death to all traitors!"


    The two groups of dwarves immediately shed.


    Ironbeard was one of the sixteen dwarven chieftains for a reason - he was incredibly powerful.


    But he was also very weakened at this moment.


    After a dozen rounds.


    Ironbeard managed to cut down tens of enemies in a row.


    But he was then cleaved down by the ax of the dwarven pursuers'' leader.


    He sneered at the dying Ironbeard, "This is the consequence of refusing the blessing of the Underworld God. If you had the power of the Underworld God like me, I wouldn''t have stood a chance against you as a chieftain."


    "Chieftain!"


    Ironbeard''s subordinates became desperate.


    "Hmph! Do it then! If I ever blink before the face of death, then I''m a coward!"


    Ironbeard gritted his teeth and roared out stubbornly, "Even if I die, I won''t be a puppet of a false god!"


    "Then I''ll execute you on behalf of Ironheart City!!"


    The dwarven leader raised his ax.


    Ready to give the unrepentant dwarf chieftain a final blow.


    But at that moment, a bolt of lightning descended from the sky and struck the dwarf''s head, instantly blowing it into smithereens.


    "What is the meaning of this?"


    Ironbeard had indeed not blinked.


    He witnessed the scene with an incredulous expression.


    It was not just the dwarven leader, but all of the pursuing dwarves had their heads exploded by the lightning bolts.


    And yet none of the Ironbeard''s subordinates died.


    Ironbeard was in disbelief and was somewhat bewildered.


    These dwarven pursuers were not weak, so what kind of terrifying power ughtered them all within a blink of an eye?


    What was even more appalling was that this power could identify and strike its targets urately.


    Allowing Ironbeard and his subordinates to survive unscathed.


    Such precise judgment and control, very few people in the Chaos Forest could achieve it.


    "May I ask which benevolent one came to my rescue?"


    Ironbeard was grateful and could not help but feel a sense of awe.


    The strength of this mighty savior might even rival Stormbeard.


    Just then.


    Three figures appeared before him.


    The Demon King emerged with his two elven subordinates.


    One of whom was a tall, golden haired elvendy, who then eximed, "Survivors? Let me take care of them for His Majesty!"


    As she spoke.


    She raised her bow.


    Ironbeard recognized her and was astonished.


    This elf was Marilyn, the chieftain of Silver Spring Tribe.


    She was a powerful figure capable of contending with Stormbeard.


    Why would she appear in this ce? And her bow was already aimed at him?


    Not to mention his current state of being severely wounded.


    Even in his prime, Ironbeard would not be able tost ten rounds against this powerful elven chieftain.


    "Stop!" The young Elven King stepped forth to stop her. "These dwarves are different. I didn''t sense any daemonic power from them."


    Having that said.


    She came closer to Ironbeard and casted a healing spell.


    Ironbeard could feel all the wounds on his body rapidly healing, and the injuries he had sustained over a dozen of days had greatly recovered in the blink of an eye.


    The young elf''s healing magic.


    It was unbelievable how potent it could be!


    Her strength was probably not inferior to that of the Silver Spring tribe chieftain.


    However.


    Two such powerful elves.


    They appeared by the draconian''s side as followers and had addressed this draconian as "Your Majesty." How terrifying of an individual was this draconian?


    Harnessing lighting bolts to massacre the dwarven pursuers in seconds.


    It was probably the handiwork of this draconian.


    "I didn''t think there were actually normal dwarves."


    The Demon King calmly asked, "How many untainted dwarves like you are left in the Endless Mountains?"


    Upon hearing this question.


    Ironbeard perked up with vignce.


    "Ironbeard, you don''t need to worry or conceal anything, because as long as it''s something I desire to know or investigate, there''s no one who can hide it from me."


    Being called out by his name.


    It was shocking to Ironbeard.


    This draconian was really unfathomable.


    He hesitated slightly and answered, "Out of the sixteen mountain tribes, only two or three tribes have consistently refused to drink the blood of the false god."


    "These dwarves have been constantly persecuted in recent years and can now only live their lives hiding in the mountains. I''m not sure how many are left."


    The dwarves remained wary.


    But for the Demon King, this piece of information was enough.


    "So do you want to save your people?"


    Ironbeard was stunned for a moment, "Of course, as long as I can save the dwarves, my people, I''m willing to pay any price!"


    "Good, I''ll give you a chance. As long as you''re willing to serve and follow me, I''ll help you eliminate the Underground God. Once the underground god is killed, all the dwarves who were daemonized will be eradicated!"


    Hearing this, Ironbeard couldn''t help but be dumbfounded, "You want to challenge the Underground God? That''s impossible to achieve! We''ve had people try before, but no matter how many people went, they all end up failing."


    Nancilia spoke up at this point, "Hmph, you don''t have an understanding of His Majesty. His Majesty can even square up with Evil Gods, let alone a daemon disguised as a deity?"


    "That''s right!"


    "We''re not afraid to let you know."


    "Your great patriarch, Stormbeard, is already dead!"


    "His Majesty decimated him with just one finger!"


    Marilyn continued, "The elves of our Silver Spring tribe have already followed the Demon King. Now, in the entirety of the Chaos Forest, only His Majesty has the capability to save the dwarves!"


    What?


    Stormbeard died?


    This crazy old dwarf.


    He was the city lord of Ironheart City for nearly a hundred years.


    He actually died like this?


    Died at the hands of a Demon King!


    Ironbeard decisively dered, "Very well, as long as we can eliminate the Underground God, as long as we can take back Ironheart City, we are willing to pay the price of submission and loyalty for generations!"


    At this point.


    Was there any other choice?


    The dwarves of the Mountain n were facing a crisis.


    This Dragon Demon King with unfathomable strength, and these two elven powerhouses, might be the only hope to save the Mountain n.


    Otherwise.


    Under the crazy pursuit of the corrupted dwarves.


    Their remaining untainted sparks would be extinguished.


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied with this result. He initially thought that the whole Ironheart City would have to be purged, but now it seemed that some could still be left alive.


    This was great news.


    The dwarves were not only impressive warriors.


    They were also prominent for their incredible forging and smithing skills.


    Owning a fine weapon forged by dwarves was the dream of countless warriors.


    If the Demon King could recruit a group of dwarves, even if it was only three or five thousand in number, the value creation would definitely exceed expectations!


    Most importantly.


    This would not dy any of his ns.


    Even without Ironbeard and these dwarves.


    Zhang Nu was still going to deal with the Underground God."


    Having Ironbeard joining in the operation would be beneficial.


    Zhang Nu soon arrived in front of Ironheart City.


    Ironheart City could not be seen from the outside. This city was located in the center of the Endless Mountains, and the entire city was built atop of arge mine leading into the underground.


    It could be said.


    That this was a city within the mountain.


    It was also an underground city.


    When Zhang Nu was standing before the towering mountains in front of him, he was immediately shown the hidden information prompt.


    [Ironheart City] Level 5 overlord area.


    Description: This is a forest city established by the 16 major dwarven tribes in the mountains. It is hidden under the Endless Mountains and only dwarves can find a way to enter......However, this dwarf city with a history of thousands of years is now shrouded in an unprecedented crisis. A terrifying monster from ancient times has taken control of it, and almost the entire dwarf race is under its control.


    Seeing this, the Demon King was a little surprised.


    Because the strongest warrior, the patriarch and the lord of Ironheart City, Stormbeard, only had the strength of a Level 4 overlord.


    But ording to the information prompt, Iron Heart City was a Level 5 overlord area.


    This indicated that the strongest being in this city had already reached the strength of a Level 5 overlord.


    Moreover, unlike the Eye of the Evil God in the sealednd, which was weakened to the extreme, this Level 5 overlord had been recuperating for nearly two hundred years since awakening from its seal, which might be a little more difficult to deal with than the Eye of the Evil God.


    Although the difficulty was slightly higher.


    It was still well within his challenge range.


    Nancilia was a little nervous, "The corrupted dwarves are all over the city. How are we going to get in?"


    There were too many dwarves.


    It was impossible to ughter one''s way in.


    Zhang Nu was prepared to use stealth infiltration methods to get in.


    Ironbeard suddenly spoke up: "Ironheart City has been established for more than two thousand years. There are various barriers and defenses, and it is almost impossible to break in."


    "However, in the past two thousand years, over a hundred secret passages have been secretly built, among which one can bypass the city area and directly lead to the lowest level of the mine."


    "The false god is hiding there!"


    Zhang Nu was very pleased with Ironbeard''s contribution to this information.


    Although he also noticed the secret passages through the information prompt of Ironheart City, he did not have the patience to look over them one by one.


    The group immediately took action.


    This secret passage was very confidential.


    Only the high ranking dwarves knew about it.


    The guards along the way were few. The Demon King did not even need to take action. The elves and dwarves could easily take them down.


    A few hourster, with almost no effort spent, the Demon King and his subordinates quietly arrived at the lowest level of the Ironheart mine.

 Chapter 139: The Ancient Blood Daemon

    In the present moment, the news of the city lord''s death spread like wildfire.


    The dwarves of Ironheart City were collectively furious.


    A massive army of dwarves were quickly assembled.


    Marilyn was rmed, "Damn! The dwarves are on the move!"


    The dwarves were unexpectedly swift on their mobilization.


    Tens of thousands of dwarves.


    If theyunched a retaliatory attack in full force.


    It was nigh impossible for the Silver Spring City to survive the full brunt of the assault.


    The two hundred thousand elven residents would be ughtered by the angry dwarves.


    Nancilia reassured her, "Worry not, Marilyn. His Majesty will intervene and all the difficulties will be resolved!"


    Marilyn''s concern was not without reasons.


    The elven chieftain had just been admitted under the Demon King''smand.


    She could not fully trust and depend on the Demon King like the young Elven King.


    What if the Underground God was too powerful or too tough to deal with, and the Demon King was unable to vanquish it?


    And what if the Demon King sessfully vanquished the Underground God, but the daemonized dwarves did not die off as expected?


    If any part of this n went wrong.


    The elves of the Silver Spring tribe would be endangered.


    Zhang Nu did not attempt to exin nor convince them. As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. He had the confidence to do so because of his ability to obtain information.


    This cheat-like ability had never failed him.


    "We''re here!"


    Ironbeard called out.


    A magnificent temple appeared before them.


    [Temple of the Blood God]......Description: This is a temple built by the corrupted dwarves, in which a powerful ancient Blood Daemon lurks.


    An ancient Blood Daemon?


    So it really was a daemon?


    Marilyn could sense a disturbing power in the surroundings and a strong and nauseating stench of blood permeating in the air.


    She took a few nces and observed, "There are many guards both inside and outside the temple."


    Ironbeard pointed out, "These are not ordinary dwarves. They were hand picked by the false god as its divine servants. The daemonic power within them is much stronger than that of their ordinary brethren."


    Zhang Nu quickly scanned the information prompt.


    [Blood Fiend] Level 4 elite.


    Description: Once the finest warriors of Ironheart City, their mad craving for the corrupted blood turned them into mindless puppets. They are nowpletely under control of the Blood Daemon and can be resurrected by it. They are exceedingly difficult to be thoroughly killed, but they can be sealed by ice magic.


    The ancient Blood Daemon had a routine to control the dwarves.


    It would first give the dwarves a taste of its benefits, such as healing diseases, recovering injuries, or increasing strength with blood consumption.


    As long as the dwarves epted the blood, they would unknowingly be addicted to it.


    From then on, the dwarves would be obsessed with the blood like a junkie, unable to extricate themselves from it.


    Over time, their minds would be corroded, and their thinking and mental states would be distorted. They would develop a fanatical fervor for the Blood Daemon, and even worship it as a god.


    In the end, they would be puppets, through and through.


    Just like the walking dead in front of them.


    Zhang Nu began to assign tasks, "You guys will deal with these divine servants and dy the reinforcements. I will go in and eliminate this false god as quickly as possible."


    "Understood!"


    "Then let''s move!"


    The group swiftly rushed towards the temple.


    "Who are you! How dare you trespass on sacred grounds! Or are you here to die!?"


    A dozen divine servants standing guard outside were rmed by the intruders. They all let out a low growl, their skin was torn, and they transformed into a daemon-like monster with a stature of five meters tall, a beefy physique and gnarly horns on their head.


    Marilyn sted one of the divine servants into smithereens with a single shot from her bow.


    Peculiarly, these meaty smithereens melted into pus and blood, turned into a trickle, and finally reformed into a divine servant again, and it started rushing towards them once more.


    "This is strange, why can''t we kill them?"


    "No, this is the work of the Blood Daemon. It''s reviving them at the moment of their death."


    Zhang Nu said indifferently, "With the false god alive, they are nearly invincible, but they can be sealed with ice elemental attacks."


    "Then let me handle them!"


    "Spirit of the ice, I summon thee!"


    Nancilia activated her Elemental Covenant, summoning an ice elemental overlord. Immediately, a chilling stream shrouded the divine servants, freezing them in ce one by one.


    Within a blink of an eye, the dozen divine servants were frozen into icy statues.


    The young Elven King eximed in surprise, "Your majesty, their weakness is indeed ice magic. Any attack with enough ice attribute energy can seal them frozen!"


    These creatures.


    They were definitely one of a kind.


    How did the Demon King manage to see through their weakness at a nce? Truly unbelievable.


    "Let''s not waste anymore time."


    "This ce will soon be surrounded."


    "Head inside and upy the temple first!"


    Zhang Nu led his three subordinates straight into the temple. There were still over a hundred divine servants stationed inside, all of them top-tier Level 4 elite warriors. However, they were easily suppressed by the magic of the Elven King and her ice elemental overlord.


    Just then, the rm was sounded.


    Hundreds and even thousands of dwarves madly rushed in from all directions.


    "I''ll leave this to you."


    "Hold back these dwarves and buy me some time."


    Zhang Nu immediately summoned his royal guards, the twenty Mystic Royal Guards immediately activated their Mystic Dragon Barrier, and a protective dome with the strengthparable to a city''s defense barrier was erected. The dome instantly enveloped the entire temple, blocking the hundreds of thousands of dwarves outside.


    Nancilia and Marilyn were both Level 4 overlords, along with dozens of Level 4 lord royal guards, they should be able to hold on for a long while.


    Zhang Nu entered a cave deep within the temple.


    [You are suffering from psychic erosion. HP -14!]


    [You are suffering from psychic erosion. HP -11!]


    [You are suffering from psychic erosion. HP -17!]


    [......]


    After entering the cave, Zhang Nu found that the space inside was muchrger than he had imagined. And when he reached the end of the cave, his field of vision suddenly opened up several hundred times, revealing a huge and gooeyke of blood.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Thiske was the source of the psychic erosion.


    [Ancient Extraterrestrial Blood Daemon] Level 5 overlord. HP 20000, MP 15000


    ......


    Skills: Soul Transfer Ritual (A rank), Blood Daemon Incarnation (A rank), Blood Temptation (A rank), Blood Boiling Rage (B rank), Dissolving Ocean (B rank), etc.


    Description: This is a mysterious Blood Daemon not of thisnd. It arrived in the Endless Mountains with a meteorite in ancient times. It woke up during the Ironheart mining disaster two hundred years ago after absorbing enough souls. It has now absorbed hundreds of thousands of souls and possesses almost unbeatable power.


    Ancient Extraterrestrial Blood Daemon?


    So it really was a daemon afterall.


    Zhang Nu was curious about the origin of this ancient daemon.


    ording to its description, it came from beyond thesends, and yet it was not categorized as a foreign Evil God, indicating that the so-called outer space still belonged to this world.


    Truth be told, Zhang Nu possessed very limited knowledge regarding this world.


    This world seemed to have numerous independent spaces and dimensions, separated from each other.


    Other than the vast continent beyond, there was the chaotic underground world, the mysterious abyssal dimension, and the homnd of this extraterrestrial Blood Daemon, the outer space.


    As for whether there are other spaces, Zhang Nu had no way of knowing for now.


    In any case, this world was even more exciting than he imagined.


    His view of the world was extremely limited as he was currently confined in this small Chaos Forest.


    He must speed up his pace and step out into the vast world as soon as possible.


    "You are mighty."


    "But still not powerful enough!"


    "Do you desire more power?"


    A tempting voice echoed from the bloodke. "Consume my blood, it will unlock your full potential. You shall gain a power a hundred times stronger than what you possess right now!"


    [You are under the effect of "Blood Temptation". Your "will" stat will decrease by 10% for 10 seconds!]


    "Come!"


    "Feast on my blood!"


    "This is your deserving reward for finding your way here!"


    Zhang Nu chuckled and took a step into the bloodke. The stinking pus and blood were churning around him, with countless faces of people floating onto the surface,


    Each and every single face here was a soul devoured by the Blood Daemon.


    Even in death.


    They could not find peace nor release.


    These victims of the daemon would forever be imprisoned in the sea of blood.


    The blood tried to engulf Zhang Nu.


    But as it approached him, a powerful force enveloped the space within several hundred meters, suppressing the blood within its effective radius.


    The tempting voice constantly emanating from the bloodke was weakened by more than 90%.


    "Monarch''s Domain??"


    "That''s impossible!"


    "How could you have a Monarch''s Domain?!"


    The voice from the bloodke revealed a hint of anxiety and unease.


    Zhang Nu suppressed the bloodke with his domain and immediately formed a bolt of thunderme to strike at the center of theke.


    In the center of the bloodke.


    Thereid a huge meteorite-like crystal.


    The wholeke was merely an incarnation.


    This extraterrestrial meteorite was the core of the Blood Daemon.


    Attacking theke would not threaten the Blood Daemon at all.


    Only by damaging the core would the ancient daemon be harmed.


    -899!


    The meteorite core of the Blood Daemon cracked under the strike of the thunderme bolt.


    "Arrrggghhhh! How dare you injure me! I will imprison your soul and repay you with unimaginable torture until the end of time!!"


    One after another.


    Blood corpses were summoned out of the bloodke.


    These blood corpses shambled towards Zhang Nu and exploded.


    [You have suffered an attack from the "Blood Daemon Incarnation", -88 HP!]


    [You have suffered an attack from the "Blood Daemon Incarnation", -95 HP!]


    [You have suffered an attack from the "Blood Daemon Incarnation", -91 HP!]


    The Ancient Blood Daemon really was something.


    Zhang Nu had rarely ever suffered such high damage since he descended unto this world.


    It seemed like these Blood Daemon incarnations could be summoned endlessly. If there were enough of them, even Zhang Nu, as powerful as he was, would be slightly threatened.


    However, the damage dealt by these Blood Daemon incarnations was necrotic damage.


    And since that was the case, Zhang Nu activated the "Eye of Death".


    A crimson vertical eye awakened and opened on his forehead.


    [You have been attacked by the "Blood Daemon Incarnation", HP+50, MP+50, all stats +1 for ten seconds!]


    [You have been attacked by the "Blood Daemon Incarnation", HP+50, MP+50, all stats +1 for ten seconds!]


    [You have been attacked by the "Blood Daemon Incarnation", HP+50, MP+50, all stats +1 for ten seconds!]


    [......]


    Zhang Nu was surprised to find that after activating the "Eye of Death", not only was he immune to all necrotic damage, he also gained an necrotic energy absorbing effect.


    After sending out a barrage of blood corpses for a while, the Ancient Blood Daemon noticed that something was amiss, and felt the corrosion aura of an Evil God.


    "The might of an Evil God!"


    "Who the hell are you!"


    Zhang Nu ignored his question and continued to hurl out thunderme bolts, causing constant damage to the Ancient Blood Daemon, whose HP was rapidly decreasing.


    The oue of this battle was already determined.


    The Ancient Blood Daemon could not hold back his anger anymore.


    It eximed, "I don''t care who you are, but we have no grievances or grudges. It is not necessary for us to fight to the death. If you''re willing to retreat, I can pretend that nothing has happened between us!"


    Zhang Nuughed, "You just dered you wanted to torture my soul day and night, and now as soon as you fall into disadvantage, you immediately want to settle things peacefully. Do you really think there''s such convenience in this world?"


    Upon hearing these words, the Blood Daemon was once again enraged.


    "Do you think you alone can threaten me?!"


    Zhang Nu resumed to strike at the core, after several attacks, the Blood Daemon only had a quarter of its total HP left.


    At this rate, the Blood Daemon would soon be vanquished.


    However.


    Suddenly.


    The bloodke began to boil.


    Countless souls evaporated in their own screams.


    The souls were converted into life force and seeped into the Blood Daemon''s core, restoring the cracks on the meteorite at an astonishing speed.


    [HP +1000!]


    [HP +1000!]


    [HP +1000!]


    [......]


    Each soul could restore 1000 HP to the Blood Daemon''s core, and within just a second, the creature was restored to full health.


    The Ancient Blood Demon said, "For two hundred years, I have collected hundreds of thousands of souls. I am immortal! Your strength is useless against me! There''s nothing you can do!"


    It turned out that the most powerful aspect of this Ancient Blood Daemon was its recovery ability!


    Such terrifying recovery ability and its almost unlimited blood-bag reserve made him invincible.


    Zhang Nu coldly sneered at it, "Is that so?"


    As he spoke, an invisible force enveloped the Blood Daemon.


    Time Control!


    The flow of time was slowed down by a factor of ten!


    Under normal circumstances, the Blood Daemon could recover from near-death to full strength in under a second, but now it would take ten full seconds to achieve the same effect.


    In other words, Zhang Nu used his time maniption ability to weaken the Blood Daemon''s recovery ability to one-tenth its original strength.


    "The power of time? This is impossible! How could a mere mortal like you wield such a tremendous power?" the Ancient Blood Daemon eximed.


    Zhang Nuunched a barrage of attacks towards the core, and the Ancient Blood Daemon''s HP dropped to less than one-third of its total pool.


    He did not want the Ancient Blood Daemon to pull off any more tricks.


    Thus, he gathered the power unto his Eye of Death and unleashed "Death Stare".


    "No!"


    "Stop!"


    The Ancient Blood Daemon cried out in agony.


    Under the terrible might of an Evil God,


    His HP pool hit the bottom.


    The core bursted into pieces.


    [You''ve in the Ancient Extraterrestrial Blood Daemon. Gold +2,100,000!]

 Chapter 140: Massive Yield From the Ironheart City

    Temple of the Blood God.


    Nancilia, Marilyn and Ironbeard were holding back the frantic onught of the corrupted dwarves pouring in from every direction.


    There were just way too many of them.


    For these fallen dwarves, the Temple of the Blood God was a sacred site of utmost importance.


    These corrupted and crazed dwarves had be too dependent on the foul blood that without the supply from the Temple of the Blood God, they could not even sustain their own survival.


    Which was exactly why.


    Whoever dared to touch the Temple of the Blood God, was a dire threat to the roots of these dwarves'' lives.


    Under these circumstances, it would be bizarre if the dwarves did not go crazy.


    Marilyn had been battling dwarves for many years, but even she had never seen such mad dwarves and was deeply shakened.


    These corrupted dwarves were ruthlessly charging and throwing themselves towards them without a hint of fear or doubt.


    The Mystic Dragon Barrier would not be able to hold against these suicidal dwarves for more than a few minutes.


    However, just as the group was ready to endure the full brunt of the assault, an unexpected scene urred before them.


    "Arghh! Arhhhhh! Ahhhh!"


    The corrupted dwarves were all screaming in agony simultaneously.


    One by one, they fell to the ground in pain, their body convulsing. Their corrupted blood was boiling away uncontrobly, and the energy it was releasing ultimately blew them into pieces.


    In a blink of an eye, the several thousands of dwarves surrounding the temple perished.


    Only foul pools of flesh and blood remained.


    "What just happened?"


    "This must be the doing of His Majesty!"


    "His Majesty has seeded! He defeated the Underground God!"


    Marilyn and Ironbeard were awestruck. They had only defended the temple for less than 5 minutes, and already the battle below was won?


    This was simply outrageous.


    Although they did not face the false god themselves.


    But they could all sense the terrifying power emanating from below the Temple of the Blood God, which was enough to bring them a suffocating sense of oppression.


    This False god had been entrenched in Ironheart City for nearly two hundred years, manipting and controlling hundreds of thousands of dwarves. This was not a feat in which ordinary monsters and demons could ever achieve.


    Hence, one could imagine how powerful this false god was!


    The few of them were actually mentally prepared to hold out for an hour, or even longer, to buy enough time and space for the Demon King.


    Half a minute passed, the majestic figure of the Demon King emerged from the underground of the temple andnded before them, seemingly unscathed.


    "Your Majesty!"


    "Have youpletely defeated it?"


    Zhang Nu nodded, "It was an Extraterrestrial Blood Daemon that hailed from ancient times, its lifeform and abilities were unique and peculiar. Fortunately, it was not invincible."


    After experiencing this battle, Zhang Nu had a thought.


    Even though the Blood Daemon and the Eye of the Evil God were both Level 5 overlords.


    The former adversary presented much less of a threatpared to thetter.


    Nheless, the Blood Daemon was much more difficult to deal with.


    The reason being its recovery ability was way too abnormal!


    As long as it was not instantly eradicated, it could immediately recover to full health in a blink of an eye.


    Even other monarchs would face incredible difficulty taking it downpletely.


    Zhang Nu used Time Control to slow down the flow of time, thus significantly impaired the recovery speed of the Blood Daemon, and finally finished it off with thunderme bolts and Death Stare.


    This battle remained a cakewalk for Zhang Nu due to the abilities suppression.


    The Eye of Death, once activated, could exempt and absorb all necrotic damage, while the Time Control could greatly lower the rate of its recovery speed. Under these circumstances, the defeat of the Blood Daemon was certain.


    After vanquishing the Blood Daemon, Zhang Nu obtained 2.1 million gold.


    Butpared to the rewards he would receive next, this amount of gold was insignificant.


    Since the Blood Daemon was the one that infused the dwarves of Ironheart City with its daemon blood.


    When Zhang Nu killed the daemon, the deaths of the dwarves caused by the uncontroble daemon blood were all attributed to Zhang Nu. The scale was appalling.


    He took a nce.


    He was stupefied.


    [You''ve in a Daemonized Dwarf. Gold+10!]


    [You''ve in a Daemonized Dwarf. Gold+10!]


    [You''ve in a Daemonized Dwarven Warrior. Gold+85!]


    [You''ve in a Daemonized Dwarven Warrior. Gold+85!]


    [You''ve in a Daemonized High Dwarven Warrior. Gold+900!]


    [You''ve in a Daemonized Dwarven Chieftain. Gold+50,000!]


    [......]


    Countless records shed before his eyes.


    It was impossible to keep up, even for him.


    After tallying up the total number of kills, it was around 273,500!


    The elite dwarven units made up a significant proportion of the kills.


    This massive harvest yielded a staggering 16.5 million gold!


    This sudden ie of such magnitudepletely stunned Zhang Nu.


    Not even he possessed this much gold before!


    Although it was a pity that over 270,000 dwarves had instantly perished like that, however, in exchange, the massive amount of gold gained was very pleasing to Zhang Nu.


    In other words, this was a huge win!


    At the same time, another prompt appeared.


    [You''ve conquered Ironheart City!]


    [You''ve gained "Shining Mithminite Chest" x1!]


    Zhang Nu was once again exhrated.


    Ironheart City was home to a Level 5 overlord, several Level 4 overlords, dozens of Level 3 overlords, as well as countless elite units.


    So inparison to the treasure chest in the Sealed Land of the Giantree Forest, which was also a Level 5 overlord area.


    The reward chest of this city was much better!


    A shining mithminite treasure chest.


    It was the highest quality mithminite chest!


    Without any hesitation, Zhang Nu immediately opened up the treasure chest.


    [You opened the Mithminite Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x5,000,000, "Blueprint: Soul Altar" x1, "Blueprint: Dwarven Castle" x1, "Holy Grail of Blood" x1, "Life Gem" x1000, "Dark Gem" x1000!]


    Another 5 million gold!


    This trip to Ironheart had earned a total of 23.6 million gold!


    Zhang Nu had somewhat expected the gold yield would be high, but not this ludicrous amount.


    In addition to this, two blueprints were obtained from the chest.


    [Soul Altar] Level 5 blueprint. Costs gold x5,000,000, life gem x2000, dark gem x2000. You may summon an Altar of Souls in your territory.


    [Dwarven Castle] Level 4 blueprint. Costs gold x450,000, life gem x300, fire gem x150, earth gem x150, light gem x100. You may summon a Dwarven Castle in your territory.


    Both blueprints were of exceptionally high quality, particrly the Soul Altar blueprint.


    It was a Level 5 blueprint!


    As of now, Zhang Nu did not have any Level 5 buildings within his own territory.


    Although he had never seen nor heard of such a structure, he believed that its function would not disappoint him.


    The Soul Altar was a type of altar building.


    Except for the Demon King Altar, the Darkness City only had the Altar of Inferno.


    ording to Zhang Nu''s understanding of altar buildings, this type of building had the ability to upgrade and strengthen oneself or its affiliated units.


    The me Altar was a Level 4 altar that was already capable of strengthening elite units to be lord units.


    The rarity and tier level of the Soul Altar were both above that of the Altar of Inferno


    Zhang Nu believed that the Soul Altar''s functionality would definitely be superior to that of the Altar of inferno.


    The other blueprint, the Dwarven Castle, was a Level 4 barrack-type building.


    As a Level 4 barrack-type building, the blueprint was very rare and valuable by itself.


    After this great disaster, the poption of Ironheart City had declined substantially.


    It was time to replenish the poption.


    In addition to the two blueprints, Zhang Nu also obtained equipment this time, which was quite surprising to him.


    Hero''s reward boxes were more likely to contain equipment, while Demon King''s reward boxes rarely contain equipment, skill stones, or other consumables.


    Zhang Nu took a look at the properties of the equipment.


    [Holy Grail of Blood] Orange quality special equipment. Spend 1000 MP to summon a cup of blood wine. Whoever consumes the blood wine, their life and death will be in the hands of the owner of the grail. The effect will only be effective against targets of up to Level 5.


    What incredible equipment.


    The Holy Grail of Blood was akin to an unlimited-use advanced contract.


    With it, Zhang Nu could summon blood wine to control the targets that require monitoring.


    If the target showed any betrayal or unfavorable behavior, they could be killed in minutes.


    It was effective for targets up to Level 5.


    Although it was an equipment, its effect was quite practical.


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied with this gain.


    Zhang Nu then began a series of aftermath work.


    First, he found that not all of the dwarves who drank the false god''s blood had died.


    Some of them were only severely injured and barely surviving due to only the miniscule amount of daemon blood existing in their veins.


    Although the daemon bloodbustion process could cause significant damage to their bodies, it was not enough to kill these sturdy people, only leaving them severely injured.


    After a rough tallying and estimation.


    There were nearly 20,000 of these dwarves.


    With the daemon blood in their bodies extinguished


    Their crazed thirst for blood, as well as their fanatical worshiping of the Blood Daemon vanished alongside it. The surviving dwarves all returned to normal.


    In other words, these dwarves could be saved.


    Moreover, ording to Ironbeard, there are still about thirty to forty thousand dwarves who fled the city due to their refusal to intake the false god''s blood.


    All together, Zhang Nu could recruit about fifty thousand dwarves.


    This number was surprisingly more than what Zhang Nu had expected, not to mention that he also obtained a Level 4 dwarven barracks building, which could provide arge poption for Ironheart City.


    As for the materials needed for the Dwarven Castle, it was very affordable for Zhang Nu at the moment.


    Zhang Nu directly built the Dwarven Castle within Ironheart City, in order topletely upy this ce and rebuild the dwarven city.


    [You''ve built the Dwarven Castle!}


    [You''ve unlocked the ability to summon dwarven units!]


    [You''ve gained a new summonable poption: Dwarven cksmith +25000, Dwarven Warrior +25000, High Dwarven cksmith +5000, High Dwarven Warrior +5000, Dwarven Forge Master +1000, Dwarven Super Warrior +1000, Dwarven War Elder +100, Dwarven Chieftain +5, Dwarven Overlord +1!]


    As expected from a Level 4 barrack building.


    This would increase the dwarven poption by over 60,000.


    Not only were there dwarvenbat units, but also arge number of dwarven production units.


    Zhang Nu scanned the price list.


    [Dwarven cksmith] Level 1 normal, costs 80 gold.


    [High Dwarven cksmith] Level 2 normal, costs 800 gold.


    [Dwarven Forge Master] Level 3 normal, costs 8000 gold.


    [Dwarven Warrior] Level 1 elite, costs 85 gold.


    [High Dwarven Warrior] Level 2 elite, costs 850 gold.


    [Dwarven Super Warrior] Level 3 elite, costs 8500 gold.


    [Dwarven War Elder] Level 4 elite, costs 30,000 gold.


    [Dwarven Chieftain] Level 4 lord, costs 200,000 gold coins + 100 fire gems.


    [Dwarven City Lord] Level 4 overlord, costs 1,500,000 gold + 1 Level 4 Hero''s Soul + 500 life gems.


    The prices for the dwarven units were not cheap at all.


    However, their capabilities were simply outstanding.


    Even thebat-oriented dwarves had excellent craftsmanship.


    Not to mention the dwarves specialized in production.


    Each one of them was a top-notch craftsman.


    If one were topare the Draconian Mastercraftsmen to the Dwarven Forge Masters.


    Draconian Mastercraftsmen were more versatile, They had mastery over enhancement, repairment, enchantment, forging, and construction, with construction being the strongest field.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Dwarven Forge Masters might not excel in any other fields, but their skills and talents in forging were the best of the best.


    With Ironheart City and Dwarven Castle, the manufacturing capacity, especially in the forging field, would soar tremendously. It would be more sufficient to forge equipment of utmost quality among the other Demon Kings.


    Zhang Nu continued to browse through his yer logs.


    He was particrly surprised to find that among the dwarves who collectivelybusted in Ironheart City, there were one to two hundred Heroes among them.


    All of whom were Level 2 or 3.


    None of them were Level 4.


    These Heroes were killed by the daemon blood within their bodies before they even get a chance to face the Demon King.


    Regarding this unexpected yield, Zhang Nu was both amused and exasperated.


    When these Heroes descended upon Ironheart City, they could not have been oblivious of the abnormality in their bodies.


    For Heroes, as long as theypleted one level up, they could eliminate most of the abnormal statuses, as well as disabilities, and thus resolve the daemon blood within their veins.


    However, they did not even attempt to correct their corrupted state in time.


    Instead, they continued to use foul blood to enhance their strength.


    In the end, they met their demise.


    No wonder they were all a bunch of weaklings.

 Chapter 141: The Dwarven Treasure Vaults & the Soul Altar

    The very next day, Ironbeard set out with his subordinates.


    He was going to recall and bring back the fled dwarves.


    Although the dwarves would return one after another in the next few days, the poption of Ironheart City was still too decimated to undertake reconstruction work.


    To solve the poption problem, the Demon King replenished nearly 20,000 people for Ironheart City through the Dwarf Castle.


    Including 10,000 Dwarven cksmiths, 5000 High Dwarven cksmith, 100 Dwarven Forge Master, 4000 Dwarven Warriors, and an additional Dwarven City Lord.


    Truth be told, Zhang Nu was very hesitant about whether or not to summon the City Lord.


    The cost of summoning a Dwarven City Lord was too high.


    It required 1.5 million gold, a Level 4 soul and 500 life gems.


    The strength of a Level 4 overlord was undoubtedly useful.


    However, Zhang Nu already had many subordinates with this level of power.


    It seemed a bit wasteful to pay such a high cost just to add a simple high-endbat power.


    But in the end, the Demon King still decided to summon him.


    What allowed Zhang Nu to make up his mind was not the incrediblebat prowess of a Level 4 overlord.


    The Dwarven City Lord was an extraordinarily powerfulbat unit, but more importantly, he was a top-notch master cksmith, whose skills far exceeded those of the recruited master cksmiths.


    Suffice to say.


    Amongst the entire dwarf poption and across the entire continent.


    The Dwarven City Lord would still be a peerless cksmith.


    And so, the Dwarven City Lord was summoned.


    He was a middle-aged dwarf of about the same age as Stormbeard.


    Although he was quite old, his physical condition was at its peak, and he had a much more stable andposed character and a wise mind than the average dwarf.


    To facilitatemanding and ordering him, Zhang Nu needed toe up with a name for him.


    And Zhang Nu did not like fancy names.


    He took a look at the Dwarven City Lord in front of him and was immediately attracted by the most prominent feature of the dwarf.


    The weapon held by the Dwarven City Lord.


    It was a huge iron hammer.


    The hammerhead was as huge as a truck wheel.


    The dwarf was only a meter and forty-five centimeters tall, yet he was carrying such a massive iron hammer on him, it looked very bizarre and eye-catching.


    "From now on, your name will be Zhang Dachui!"


    "Dachui, what a great name! It suits me! Thank you for bestowing the name to me, my master!"


    The dwarven city lordughed heartily.


    He was very satisfied with this name.


    Zhang Nu then checked the stats of Dachui.


    [Dwarven City Lord: Zhang Dachui] Level 4 overlord.


    Skills: Divine Avatar (A rank), Hammer of Destruction (A rank), Tempest Hammer (B rank), Iron Bones (B rank), etc.


    Description: This is a one in a million existence among the dwarven race. Not only is he a powerful warrior, an outstanding forge master, but also a magnificent and wise dwarven leader.


    Not bad.


    The exorbitant price seemed reasonable now.


    Zhang Dachui''s strength was at the level of a Level 4 overlord, about the middle tier amongst other overlord peers, enough to be apetent subordinate.


    He could also take the position as the new owner of Ironheart City.


    Commanding the entire dwarven race on behalf of Zhang Nu.


    Next, Zhang Nu ordered the dwarves to open the treasury of Ironheart City.


    The Ironheart City treasure vault.


    There were three in total.


    Each and every one of them was massive.


    The first vault was the resources treasury, mainly storing the dwarf''s gold, jewelry, crafts, luxury goods, and various daily necessities. The amount of gold stored within was staggering.


    There were an outrageous amount of gold bricks, all of them were the size of a b.


    They were all stacked up into a huge golden wall.


    Zhang Nu reached out and instantly received a prompt.


    [Gold discovered. Would you like to convert?]


    Without hesitation, Zhang Nu immediately proceeded with the conversion, and the golden wall before him disappeared into thin air in an instant, followed by a new prompt.


    [Gold sessfully converted. Gold +6million-ish?!]


    That was a whole six million gold!


    If converted into maind currency, this wall of gold bricks would be worth over sixty million!


    Zhang Nu looked around the treasure vault and realized that the gold was just a small part of the dwarves'' wealth.


    Each chest was filled with pearls, diamonds, and various luxurious treasures.


    These items were of no use to the Demon King, but if sold to the human society, their total value might be even higher than that of the golden brick wall.


    Zhang Nu never expected that a small mountain dwarven city would be hiding such vast wealth!


    Although this treasury was the public property of Ironheart City and did not represent the entire wealth of the Dwarves, it was already terrifyingly rich!


    Of course.


    Being awestruck by the dwarves'' wealth was one thing.


    In fact, if one contemted it, there was nothing strange about it.


    Ironheart City could be traced back to at least one or two thousand years ago.


    With such a long history and such a profound foundation, it was nigh impossible for the dwarves not to umte such massive wealth.


    One must understand that the dwarf''s treasure vault was almost as attractive to adventurers as a dragon''s treasure hoard.


    If one were to take that into consideration, the treasury''s wealth was actually lesser than expected.


    The main reason for that was because the dwarves are too reclusive. They were hardly proactive in dealing with the outside world, and they were not very good at doing business. The lion''s share of the profits probably went to the cunning gnome merchants.


    In addition.


    In the past two hundred years.


    Especially the past hundred years.


    Under the leadership of the corrupted patriarch Stormbeard, the dwarves had excessively pursued for raw power and madly indulged in daemon blood. Thus, the umtion rate of wealth had been greatly diminished.


    It was a shame.


    Otherwise, Zhang Nu could have gotten more.


    Although he felt slightly regrettable, he was not disappointed.


    The loot from this treasury was enough to cover the summoning cost of nearly 20,000 dwarves.


    The gold portion of the treasure had been taken by Zhang Nu.


    He could only look for a way to sell the remaining treasures.


    Zhang Nu did not overindulge in these sparkling diamonds and pearls, he still needed to continue visiting and scouring the other two treasure vaults.


    The second vault was the material treasury.


    It housed millions of refined iron blocks, copper blocks, monster materials, and over ten thousand gems of different attributes.


    Just these attribute gems alone.


    ording to the current market price for Demon Kings, they were worth about 18 million gold coins!


    If he was to take into ount the value of other materials, the total value of this vault would be on par with the first vault, except that there was not a direct way to realize it into gold.


    The third vault.


    This was the dwarves'' equipment vault.


    The dwarves were extremely skilled in forging and they loved it even more.


    What did they do when the vast amount of equipment forged could not be sold?


    Of course, they stored them all in the treasure trove, which contained at least hundreds of thousands of pieces of equipment, with even the worst ones being of green quality.


    It was just too shocking.


    Too spectacr.


    Although Zhang Nu had no need for equipment, it did not detract the equipment of its value.


    With this massive amount of weapons and armor, how much gold could be earned if he was to sell them all? Not to mention that some of these could be used by his draconian legion.


    With the excellently made dwarven equipment, the legion''sbat power could be directly raised by ten to twenty percent!


    This trip to Ironheart City.


    It had been truly rewarding.


    If Zhang Nu had not seen it with his own two eyes.


    He would not have believed that Ironheart City had such substantial treasure vaults.


    It could definitely be considered the wealthiest vault in the entire Chaos Forest.


    If the dwarves were not led astray, they would have had high hopes of bing the most influential forces in the forest.


    Ironheart City undoubtedly still had some small treasure troves or vaults here and there.


    Zhang Nu did not n to examine them one by one, as he already had the bulk of the treasure in hand. The rest could be slowly excavated by Dachui and his team during the reconstruction process.


    After he returned to Darkness City, Zhang Nu decided to construct the "Soul Altar".


    [Consume "Blueprint: Soul Altar" x1, "gold" x5,000,000, "life gem" x2000, "dark gem" x2000, to summon a Soul Altar?]


    Although the cost of constructing a Level 5 building was high, he could afford it with his current resources.


    Soon after, the construction of the Soul Altar waspleted.


    From its appearance, it looked like a Mayan-styled trapezoid pyramid, with a purple-ck color and various runes etched all over it, emitting a mysterious aura.


    Zhang Nu examined the functions of the altar.


    It had two primary functions: soul synthesis and soul baptism.


    The first function, soul synthesis. The Soul Altar could synthesize Level 1 Hero''s soul into Level 2 souls, Level 2''s into Level 3''s, then Level 3''s into Level 4''s, and so on and so forth.


    The synthesis process would not cause any loss, and the amount of souls consumed in the synthesis was rted to the quality of the souls used.


    For example, if Level 2 souls were used to synthesize Level 3 souls.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    If the quality of the souls were bad, 1 Level 3 souls would require 10 Level 2''s.


    But if the quality was decent, seven or eight Level 2 souls would suffice.


    Seeing this function, Zhang Nu''s eyes lit up.


    Forget the second function, this synthesis function alone was magnificent.


    As a Demon King''s level gradually increased, souls would be rarer and scarcer as resources and materials. Many advanced units and rituals required the consumption of souls.


    Until now, Zhang Nu had been reluctant to use Level 4 souls because the number of Level 4 warriors was too few.


    With this Soul Altar, Zhang Nu could be rid of many concerns.


    In the future, he could summon more high-level units like the Sky Drake Archpriest, Earth Drake Grand Marshal, or the Dwarven City Lord, which would significantly enhance the strength of his territory.


    In addition to this, there was the soul baptism function.


    The function was primarily reserved for the Demon King''s subordinates.


    Each baptism would consume souls.


    And the higher the grade of the consumed souls, the better the final effect produced.


    The main effects included: stimting potential, enhancing talent, optimizing physique, strengthening aptitude, and breaking through the bottleneck of a level.


    Theoretically speaking.


    Even a draconianborer with the worst talents possible could be upgraded into a monarch level existence, given enough investment of resources and souls.


    Creating a monarch level unit.


    This was one the core abilities of Soul Altar.


    Intuition told Zhang Nu that this feature would be very incredibly useful in the future.


    However, due to the limited souls and resources, it was difficult to invest on arge scale at the moment.

 Chapter 142: The Tree of Miracle

    The Soul Altar had great uses indeed.


    But it was not necessary to immediately make use of it in a hurry.


    Zhang Nu was only required to unlock one more talent to reach Level 5.


    For now, the limited souls he had in hand should be prioritized for his leveling.


    Subsequently, Zhang Nu took out 10 million gold and upgraded 500 High Draconian Soldiers into Super Soldiers all at once, bringing the total number of super soldiers to over 1100.


    He continued by spending 1 million gold to summon 1000 Draconian Battlemages, and then spent another 800,000 gold to upgrade 100 of them into Mystic Battlemages.


    This was one mass upgrade.


    The draconian legion''s high-endbat strength soared significantly.


    The super soldiers had powerful flight and maneuvering abilities.


    With over a thousand super soldiers and nearly two hundred mystic battlemages, this force was sufficient to deal with the empire''s formal army several dozen times its size!


    Zhang Nu also expanded upon his royal guard squadron.


    He first spent a total of 2.1 million gold to upgrade and strengthen 15 Infernal Warmonger Royal Guards.


    Then he spent an additional 1.5 million gold to upgrade and enhance another 10 Infernal Mystic Royal Guards.


    The Demon King''s royal guard squadron now had 40 Infernal Warmonger Royal Guards and 30 Infernal Mystic Royal Guards, for a sum of 70 Level 4 lord units!


    Afterpleting his myriad tasks in Darkness City, Zhang Nu teleported to Giantree City.


    After conquering Silver Spring City, he obtained a Level 3 special building upgrade scroll as a reward, which he intended to use on the Tree of Life.


    ......


    Meanwhile, Marilyn and the Silver Spring elders were visiting Giantree City and choosing their residence.


    Although Silver Spring City had a beautiful and pleasant environment, as well as plenty of therapeutic hot springs to nourish the body, it still paled inparison to the Giantree City.


    Under the nourishment of the Tree of Life and the Lifesprings, the elven giant trees in the Giantree Forest had mostly revitalized from the verge of death.


    For the elves, Elven giant trees were the most primitive, yet the mostfortable habitat to live in.


    Furthermore, Giantree City had a bustling city and elven holy relics like the Tree of Life, making it an immensely desirable ce to settle down.


    Giantree City was sufficiently vast.


    It would not be an issue even if the current poption doubled.


    The Giantree Forest could also amodate at least one or two million elves.


    It waspletely stress-free for the entire Silver Spring Tribe to move to Giantree City, and this matter had already been approved by the Demon King.


    After all, concentrating the poption was much more conducive to promoting and boosting production.


    As for the Silver Spring City, it would be an absolute waste to forgo it.


    There were not many forest cities in the eastern part of the Chaos Forest.


    The Demon King nned to transform the Silver Spring City into a more openmercial city, avable to dwarves, elves and other races. He intended to turn the city into themercial and trade center of the eastern region of Chaos Forest.


    The Silver Spring City had a satisfactory environment.


    Plus it was also located close by the dwarves'' Ironheart City in the Endless Mountains.


    The resources near the Silver Spring City, as well as the equipment and supplies produced by the dwarves in the Endless Mountains could all be bulk processed in the Silver Spring City.


    Although most elves had migrated out of the city.


    In the short term, Silver Spring City would definitely be much emptier and quieter.


    In the long term, it is possible that Silver Spring City would prosper even more than it did under the governance of the elves.


    "Everyone, feel free to move in and live here!"


    "The Giantree forest alone can amodate one or two million of our people!"


    "In the future, Giantree City will have plenty of room for expansion. We n to gather elves from all over the Chaos Forest, even those beyond it!"


    The young Elven King was providing the Silver Spring representatives an introduction to the city, as well as a briefing of their future ns.


    She herself had a look full of longing and anticipation.


    "Under the protection and support of His Majesty the Demon King, we will surely create the most prosperous, peaceful, andfortable elven utopia!"


    Marilyn and the Silver Spring elves nodded in agreement.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The Giantree tribe and the Silver Spring tribe were the tworgest tribes among the elven race in Chaos Forest.


    And now, the two major elven tribes have merged.


    The other elven settlements in Chaos Forest would soon catch the news.


    When they learned about the Tree of Life in Giantree City, and that the city was open to every elf, they would all flock to join the Giantree City.


    In the future, when the Elven King finally emerged, there would inevitably be a greatermotion.


    Not only just the elves of Chaos Forest, elven tribes from other regions would also surelye and join under the banner of the Elven King.


    By then, it might even be possible to establish an Elven Kingdom centered around the Giantree City.


    As all the elves present were filled with excitement and anticipation, suddenly an immensely powerful energy erupted from near the city.


    "What''s happening?"


    "Such an intense energy burst!"


    "Oh no! It''s the Tree of Life! Something must have happened!"


    The elves were all shocked and frightened when they sensed the source of the energy outburst, breaking out in cold sweat.


    Because the center of the energy eruption turned out to be the Tree of Life!


    It was no surprise that elves were mortified.


    The most essential and valuable asset of Giantree City was undoubtedly the Tree of Life. If the Tree of Life was destroyed or damaged by the wicked, it would unquestionably be a huge loss and a massive blow to the elves.


    But this should not happen!


    The Tree of Life was not only heavily guarded by the Giantree army but also the Ancient Tree army. It was the most strictly guarded area in the entire Giantree City.


    "Wait!"


    "Something''s not right!"


    "This energy burst doesn''t seem to be caused by destruction!"


    Nancillia began to carefully get a read of the energy and suddenly eximed in surprise and doubt, "Wow, what a powerful life energy! I can sense the life force of the Tree of Life is getting even stronger!"


    "I feel it too!"


    "What''s going on?"


    "Everyone, look.....The Tree of Life is different now!"


    The elves of the entire Giantree City were shocked by the astonishing scene before their eyes.


    The Tree of Life was growing rapidly with a speed visible to the naked eye, and had expanded by nearly 80 percent, making its already enormous size even more impressive.


    The Tree of Life towered over eight hundred meters tall, upholding a lush and verdant crown with a diameter of over a thousand meters.


    Golden magical patterns were flowing through the roots to the trunk and to every single leaf, emitting a vibrant and vigorous life force that affected a radius of dozens of miles around it.


    Giantree Forest.


    The giant trees in the forest, one by one, transformed from being wilting yellow into vibrant green ones.


    The giant trees had been slowly recovering from their wilting state over the past few days.


    ording to the elves'' n and estimation, it would take at least a year or two for them to fully recover.


    However, due to the surprising change in the Tree of Life, its emanating life force had instantly revitalized the forest, restoring its vitality.


    Nancilia along with the other elves were deeply astonished.


    Marilyn asked in disbelief, "What is happening to the Tree of Life?"


    The young Elven King murmured, "It seems like the Tree of Life is evolving!?"


    Evolving?


    "This is the Tree of Miracle!" eximed Marilyn, her eyes widened in amazement.


    ording to the ancient scriptures and records, the Tree of Life could evolve into the Tree of Miracle under some strict circumstances, which was a more powerful existence than the former.


    And if it evolved again...


    It would be the Tree of Eternal.


    It was said that during the heyday of the ancient elven empire, the entire empire was built around a Tree of Eternal as its core.


    It was the most glorious era throughout elven history.


    "Why did the Tree of Life suddenly evolve?"


    "I''ve no idea either", replied Nancilia.


    Nancilia was utterly baffled as to what caused the evolution of the Tree of Life, as it just seemed to be a miracle bestowed by the Goddess of Nature.


    "Oh! I know!"


    Nancilia suddenly thought of something.


    "The Demon King! It must be His Majesty! Only he is capable of such a feat!"


    The group of elves swiftly rushed to the Tree of Miracle.


    Just as the young Elven King expected.


    When they approached, a domineering and towering figure could be seen standing beneath the Tree of Miracle, examining the massive tree before him with a fairly satisfied expression.


    "Your Majesty!"


    The young Elven King immediately stepped forth.


    She eximed excitedly, "Did you perform all these miracles?"


    Facing the group of elves with faces full of admiration, Zhang Nuposedly answered, "You''re not entirely wrong. The level of the Tree of Life was a bit too low, so I upgraded its level by one. The effects were a pleasant surprise."


    Upgrading the Tree of Life cost a huge price.


    It took Zhang Nu one Level 3 special building upgrade scroll, 1.5 million gold, 2000 life gems, and 2000 earth gems in total.


    If he had not obtained arge number of gems in Ironheart City, he would not have been able to perform this upgrade.


    Nheless, after the upgrade, the Tree of Miracle''s functions and effects were significantly strengthened.


    [Tree of Miracle] Level 4 special building. Within a radius of 30 kilometers, +100% recovery rate for all units, -30% aging rate for all units, +200% training efficiency for elves, -60% aging rate for elves +50% attribute bonus for all elves, and elerated the growth rate of animals and nts.


    The beneficial effects were simply incredible.


    The impact of the Tree of Miracle on the elven race was immacte.


    Their overall stats increased by as much as 50%!


    This had greatly enhanced the strength and power of Giantree City.


    Furthermore, the training efficiency of the elven race was increased by 200%, and their lifespan was greatly extended, which meant the longer they lived here, the stronger they would be.


    Not only that, the effective radius of the Tree of Miracle was huge.


    The area of the Spirit Fields it created was also twice asrge as before.


    The size of the elven farm was not only greatly expanded, but the growth rate was also improved by 50%. Although it still could notpare to the Level 3 or higher Spirit Fields in Darkness City, its scale was simply astonishing.


    The significance of this upgrade was simply astounding.


    The Silver Spring tribe elves were stunned in awe.


    They even began to suspect that the Demon King was the incarnation of the Goddess of Nature, otherwise how did he manage to carry out such amazing and unbelievable things?


    In addition to the functional improvements, the Tree of Miracle unlocked three to four times as many elf units.


    In addition to the Level 1 to 4 elite units and lord units, the Tree of Miracle also unlocked a new Level 4 overlord unit, the "Miracle Archpriest".


    The Miracle Archpriest was an upgrade from the Ancient Tree High Priest.


    The required materials were: 1 million gold, 1 Level 4 Hero''s soul, 300 life gems, and 200 light gems.


    The Miracle Archpriest was not only a Level 4 overlord unit, she could also utilize and had fullmand over the power of the Tree of Miracle.


    Hence, within the effective range of the Tree of Miracle, she could exert a strength not inferior to that of a Level 5 overlord unit, while also possessing the ability to promote and enhance production.


    And therefore, even though she cost an exorbitant price, she was worth every penny.

 Chapter 143: The Fate of Magi Mojo City

    While the Tree of Miracle was rising in Giantree City with hundreds of thousands of elves cheering in excitement and euphoria.


    A city, nine hundred miles away.


    It was undergoing a ferocious and bloody battle.


    Zhang San, the Earth Drake Grand Marshal, led a force of nearly 8000 elite draconian troops, along with ten thousand strong orc army, in order to sessfully capture the Magi Mojo City.


    This was one of the three cities that the Demon King nned to conquer.


    Silver Spring City and Thousand Fangs City were already in his hands.


    The Demon King, however, had no intention to deal with Magi Mojo City personally.


    Magi Mojo City was the weakest of the three cities, with only 14 or 15 hundred thousand forest trolls. The overall strength of these forest trolls was also quite mediocre, thus it was more than enough to leave the city to his subordinates to deal with.


    As the Demon King''s influence expanded and the scale of his legion grew, he would surely have more and more cities and settlements under his control.


    He could not possibly be required to personally conquer each and every city in his way, right?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The status of the Demon King was that of a monarch, an emperor and a ruler!


    He was not amon soldier nor a general, charging in the frontlines.


    All he needed to do was to sit tight in his castle and patiently await the oue of the battles, as well as its spoils.


    In the future, most of the territories or cities that needed to be conquered could be fully delegated to the suitable subordinates. Except for a few tough nuts that might require personal attention, the Demon King would not need to take the matters into his own hands anymore.


    Zhang San began to try to coerce and persuade the Magi Mojo City to surrender and submit.


    After witnessing the powerful military strength of the draconian legion, as well as the terrifying might of the top tier Level 4 overlord, grand marshal Zhang San, the troll city lord already began to have thoughts of surrendering.


    Unexpectedly.


    The Heroes residing in Magi Mojo City threw a wrench into the surrendering n.


    They went and assassinated the troll city lord of Maji Mojo City.


    The surrender agreement that was imminently about to be made was destroyed and forfeited.


    The forest trolls then colluded with the Heroes in an attempt to continue the resistance against the Demon King''s legion.


    Zhang San was extremely furious.


    He decided to make an example of the Magi Mojo City.


    He wanted all the citizens and administrators of the other cities to witness what the consequences would be for them if they ever colluded with Heroes and attempted to oppose the Dragon Demon King.


    Dusk fell.


    The battle had basically just ended.


    Atop the ruins of the city lord''s fortress.


    The grand marshal Zhang San stood proudly with his battle spear in hand.


    The high ranking draconians, the marshals Wang Er and Zhao Wu, as well as the high priest Sun Liu, stood behind the grand marshal and gazed down upon the devastated city.


    Despite the battle took no small amount of effort.


    With the strongmanding capabilities and skills of the grand marshal Zhang San, as well as the aid of the blood ritual and various supporting buffs performed by the high priest, they did not actually pay too much of a price to attain this victory.


    Draconian marshal Zhao Wu was delivering a report, "Grand marshal, Magi Mojo City has been fully captured. We have ughtered about a hundred thousand forest trolls in the process, and the remaining several tens of thousands of their surviving kind are willing to submit."


    Another marshal, Wang Er suggested, "These forest trolls are cunning, fickle, and treacherous. They may not necessarily be sincere in their surrender. It would be better to eradicate them all and eliminate the trouble forever. Let the other cities witness the consequences that will befall them whenever one stands up against our master!"


    Just then.


    The high priest Sun Liu proposed a different approach.


    "We have already massacred a hundred thousand of their people. This is more than enough to set up an example. These forest trolls are proficient in alchemy and poison crafting. Our master may have some use for their talents."


    Zhang San pondered for a moment.


    Sun Liu''s words made sense and he had a point.


    Just executing them all in one go would be the easiest and most efficient method.


    However, it was not the most advantageous nor beneficial approach.


    As a loyal servant, he should not choose the easiest method to deal with the trolls.


    Instead, he should consider and prioritize the best interest of his master.


    Therefore, Zhang San issued amand, "Search and destroy every single troll who has ever had any contact with the Hero''s guild. Leave none of them alive. As for the others, send them back to Darkness City and imprison them within the dungeons. Our master shall decide their fate!"


    "Yes, sir!", the draconian marshals Zhao Wu and Wang Er immediately answered, after they received their orders.


    "Grand marshal!"


    "We have thetest military intelligence!"


    An ordinary draconian general rushed over to deliver an urgent report.


    "The human army will be arriving at the Bloody Fortress soon!"


    "Humans? Hmmph!"


    Zhang San sneered, "Finally, they''re here? It''s about damn time! We''re just about done with this city. Now we''ll go and deal with these pests for our master!"


    The Magi Mojo City was not far from the Bloody Fortress, the distance was about three to four hundred miles, which could be traveled within a day.


    The Demon King then entrusted the task of defending the Bloody Fortress to his grand marshal, Zhang San, which demonstrated his confidence and trust in him.


    Zhang San was incredibly thrilled at this.


    For him, this task must be executed wlessly no matter what.


    If this bunch of riff raff manage to force their master''s hands, under his watch no less, then it would be an indication of their ipetence and a great shame.


    Zhang San first gathered intelligence regarding the enemy forces.


    The humans had mobilized about 15 thousand troops this time.


    Yet only 5 thousand of them appeared to be well-trained elites.


    The remaining 10 thousand soldiers were mostly d in mish-mashed armor and armed with various weapons, resembling more of a mercenary toon than a formal army. However, there should be many Heroes blended within their ranks, and their strength ought to be quite formidable and should not be underestimated.


    Sun Liu imed, "With the current state of us priests, as long as we''re given half a day to rest and replenish, we''ll be able to teleport the legion over to the fortress."


    The humans had yet to arrive.


    There should be more than enough time.


    If they took the draconian priests'' teleportation field, Zhang San''s troops could easily arrive at the Bloody Fortress long before the human forces could.


    Instead, Zhang San shook his head, "That won''t be necessary!"


    As a high priest, Sun Liu possessed high intelligence, he immediately guessed what the Earth Drake Grand Marshal had in mind, "Grand marshal, are you nning to nk their forces from behind?"


    Zhang San answered, "Indeed, judging from the scale of these idiots, they have clearly underestimated the defensive strength and capability of the Bloody Fortress. Whether or not their reinforcement arrives, they cannot possibly have the means to breach the fortress. In that case, why do we still need to reinforce the fortress''s defenses?"


    The high priest and the two marshals nodded in agreement.


    The Bloody Fortress had long since ceased to be under the control of the Divine Sword Heroes Guild.


    In the past few days.


    The Demon King had sent over arge number of draconian craftsmen and master craftsmen using the priests'' teleportation fields.


    They had been working day and night to rebuild and reinforce the fortress, strengthening the defensive barriers and setting up myriads of defensive formations.


    In addition to that, a fortress army was specially established.


    The army included: 5000 draconian soldiers, 5000 elven elites, 5000 orcish elites, 5000 beholders, 10000 ogres, a Thunderfall Tower, and a Farsight Tower.


    At that moment, the ogres had arrived one after another.


    With the current defensive capabilities of the Bloody Fortress, unless the empireunched a siege with arge-scale formal army, it would be impossible for them to even sway the fortress.


    Nheless, the current situation was that humans only mobilized an army of less than 20 thousand men.


    Of which 10 thousand of these mercenaries were a mix of skilled and strong, as well as expendable fodders.


    The remaining 5,000 seemed like an exceptionally elite force, likely consisting of Count Kolo''s private soldiers.


    But with only this level of prowess, it was impossible for these humans to break through the fortress.


    Hence, there was no need for Zhang San to reinforce the fortress''s defenses.


    Why reinforce the fortress when they could go on the offensive?


    When the humans were repelled in their attempt to breach the Bloody Fortress, they would be forced to retreat. Zhang San intended toy an ambush along their retreat path.


    Since they hade all the way here, then stay here forever!


    Those who dared to challenge the great master must have the intention to risk their lives and heads behind.


    Zhang San opted not to take the draconian priests'' teleportation field, but rather led his troops to rapidly advance towards the fortress, and thenid an ambush for the human troops in the nearby mountains.


    ......


    Meanwhile.


    The leaders of the three major Hero guilds brought along their trusted and capable subordinates on this siege.


    Totalling 700 elite Heroes on the scene.


    All of these three leaders were Level 4 Heroes.


    The Heroes that they brought to this battle were all top notch Level 2 or 3 elite Heroes, each with powerful and varied abilities.


    In addition to the three leaders and their several hundred Heroes subordinates participating in the operation, there was also a massive army of up to 15 thousand men.


    Among their ranks, 5 thousand of them were d in armors, donned in cloaks, riding atop magical scaled war horses, and each equipped with a long spear. The imposing aura they exuded was incredibly awe-inspiring.


    This was no ordinary army.


    This was the elite knight order of the Kolo family.


    The warriors of the Kolo knight order were all elite units.


    There were 4000 Level 1 elites, 1000 Level 2 elites, and a total of 50 knight squads, each squad leader was at least a Level 3 elite, and the five knight captains were at least Level 4 elites. The knightmander possessed the strength of a Level 4 lord.


    There was no doubt about it.


    This was one of the most elite forces in the Kolo region.


    Despite their small numbers, their equipment was extremely exquisite, and all of them were well-trained inbat, having experienced many battles!


    It could be said that as long as it is not used inrge-scale warfare, the Kolo family''s knight order had always been invincible.


    In addition to the five thousand Kolo family knights who wereparable to the formal army of the empire, there were also 10,000 apanying warriors who were hired mercenaries.


    Although the mercenaries group was a mixed bag, they had rich experience in jungle warfare and were seasoned warriors who had tasted bloodshed.


    Thebination of the Heroes guild, Kolo''s knight order, and mercenaries group was undoubtedly very powerful, and they couldplement each other''s shorings perfectly.


    "We''re approaching the Bloody Fortress!" said Li Tianyan, the leader andmander of the Skyfire Heroes Guild.


    "Everyone be careful, the Demon King may have set up an ambush!"


    The leader of the Quicksand Heroes Guild, Huang Sha,ughed heartily, "What a load of nonsense! I heard that the Demon King is currently besieging the Magi Mojo City, and the dwarves to the east and the giants to the west are making mattersplicated for him. I don''t believe he still has the energy to take care of the Bloody Fortress."


    "That''s right!"


    "The Demon King has only had the fortress for a little over a week."


    The leader of the Seven Stars Heroes Guild, Qi Xing, said calmly, "I don''t believe the fortress can regain its strength in such a short time. I think we may have overreacted and over prepared this time."


    Li Tianyan said, "It''s necessary to be well prepared. After we capture the fortress, the Demon King is likely to show up. This will be our chance."


    Speaking of which.


    The three captains understood each other without saying a word.


    The main reason they helped Su Wenhao, the Count Kolo to capture the fortress was not only because Su Wenhao promised them a high reward, but also because they saw an opportunity to cooperate with the Kolo family knights to y the Demon King.


    For them, ying Level 2 or 3 Demon Kings was not exciting enough. Only taking down a Level 4 Demon King like the Dragon Demon King would be sufficiently thrilling.


    Moreover, among the current Level 4 Demon Kings, the Dragon Demon King was the most dominant and powerful. No matter the cost, no matter how heavy the price they would have to pay, if they managed to y him, they could immediately rewrite their fate and destiny.


    At that time, it would be a piece of cake to advance to Level 5.


    As long as they became Level 5 Heroes.


    Even facing Count Kolo. Su Wenhao, they would be on equal footing as Level 5 Heroes.


    After all, how many people in the world had the opportunity to advance to Level 5 at this point?


    "Prepare yourselves, everyone!" eximed Sairu Kolo, themander of the Kolo knights.


    "This battle is of utmost importance to Count Kolo!"


    "For the glory of the family, we must achieve victory at all costs!"


    Sairu Kolo drew his knight longsword, and a burst of energy emanated from his body, instantly enveloping everyone present.


    [You have received the "Knight''s Aura" blessing, +100 HP, +10 strength, +10 constitution!]


    "Amazing!"


    "It''s actually amander skill!"


    "The Kolo family''s knights are truly extraordinary!"


    The Heroes were amazed by Sairu''s disy ofmander skill, and their morale and confidence skyrocketed.


    They thought the Kolo knights were already formidable enough, but they did not expect such a powerfulmander!


    The mercenary army had also readied themselves for battle.


    The several heads of the major mercenary groups were all top-tier Level 4 elites, renowned figures in the Kolo region.


    With such a strong lineup, it was clear that Count Kolo was determined to reim control of the fortress.

 Chapter 144: Total Annihilation

    The Bloody Fortress had sighted the intruders.


    A huge protective barrier immediately enveloped the entirety of the fortress.


    Li Tianyan eximed in surprise, "They actually managed to fix the barrier!"


    The three leaders of the Hero guilds had all seen with their own eyes the spectacle in which the "Demon King" breached the fortress''s defenses.


    At that time, the "Demon King" transformed into a golden diamond earth drake andpletely shattered the barrier with overwhelming force, and then it proceeded to break through the fortress walls.


    It was reasonable to assume that the fortress barrier would be severely damaged.


    But how did the Demon King already repair the fortress barrier in less than ten days?


    Not only the fortress barrier, but even the damaged wall now looked restored, this was not supposed to be a small task.


    It seemed that the Demon King valued the Bloody Fortress with great importance.


    This might not necessarily be bad news.


    It was precisely due to how much the Demon King valued the fortress, as long as they captured it, there would be a good chance that the Demon King would personally appear in an attempt to retake the fortress. Thus, providing an opportunity for them to entrap and take down the Dragon Demon King.


    "Charge!"


    The mercenary groups on both wings were the first to advance forward.


    Their primary task was to provide cover for the rest.


    The Kolo knight order was the main force of this assault.


    Presently, the knights were gathering their Qi and formed a storming formation, following closely behind the mercenaries at a steady pace, seeming to be building up their momentum, readying to strike.


    The several hundreds of Heroes were not idling either.


    They were free to attack under themand of the three guild leaders.


    Thebat prowess of the Heroes was quite formidable, generally reaching the level of a lord of the same level, but their abilities and talents were far too varied and myriad. Hence, they simply could not be easily coordinated in battle.


    Instead of forcing the Heroes to fight in a rigid formation, they could better make use of their abilities and unleash their full potential through freebat.


    2000 meters, 1000 meters, the fortress did not react.


    1000 meters, 500 meters, the fortress did not react.


    400 meters, 200 meters, and there was still no retaliatory response from the Bloody Fortress.


    "Hahaha!"


    "Not even one bit of decent resistance can be seen!"


    "It seems like the Demon King isn''t prepared at all!"


    "Well, who can me him? After all, we arrived too quickly. He must be dumbfounded right now!"


    The Heroes were very excited.


    The army was already right at the doorstep of the fortress.


    Yet, not a single arrow or fireball wasunched their way.


    It was clear that they were being handed an easy victory.


    The leader of the Kolo knight order held up his long sword, gathering his Qi and focusing it into a ten-meter sword wave that he swung towards the defensive barrier that surrounded the fortress.


    During the process of the sword energy''s descent, every knight in the Kolo knight order contributed a bit of their Qi, allowing the sword wave to instantly surge into twenty meters in length.


    Themander of the Kolo knight order shouted, "Break!"


    With a loud shattering sound, the barrier above the Bloody Fortress was severed like a cracked mirror, creating a huge gap.


    The three Hero guild leaders were stunned.


    "Amazing!" they eximed in unison.


    ''So this is the strength of amander type powerhouse?''


    They were confident that they could defeat Kolo knightmander in a one-on-one fight.


    But under the circumstances where he had an army under hismand, it would be impossible for them to win.


    The level 4 lord Kolo knightmander, his strength was now infinitely close to the rank of an overlord!


    With such a powerhouse!


    With such a knight toon!


    Along with the experienced mercenaries.


    They could easily take over this Bloody Fortress.


    However, just when everyone breathed a sigh of relief and thought the battle was doubtlessly a sure victory.


    The Bloody Fortress suddenly erupted in a burst of light, and thousands of beams of light were shot out in a frenzy, faster and more precise than arrows and magic, like heavy machine guns sweeping across the battlefield and falling upon the Heroes and mercenaries.


    "Ahhhh!!!!"


    "What the hell is that!"


    "Help me! M..my leg! My leg is gone!!"


    A wave of beholder beams swept through, causing hundreds or even thousands of casualties in an instant.


    At the same time, elven arrows and magic followed suit.


    The peaceful battlefield of a moment ago was now shrouded in a rain of blood and violence.


    The Kolo knightmander was shocked and terrified, his vast experience told him that the situation had taken a turn for the worse!


    The enemy was not unprepared or defenseless!


    The sole reason they waited for the Kolo army to get so close to the fortress beforeunching a counterattack was purely to lure them deeper in order to annihte more of their enemies.


    This indicates that from the very beginning, the Bloody Fortress did not take them seriously.


    The dense barrage of arrows, magic, and terrifying beam attacks all demonstrated the fortress''s formidable defense.


    Just then, a deafening thunderp echoed through the battlefield.


    A bolt of lightning, as thick as a bucket, roared as it descended upon the knightmander.


    Quickly condensing his Qi, the knightmander countered with a powerful strike, but the sh of their attacks resulted in a violent explosion that shredded more than ten knights in the vicinity.


    "What a terrifying attack!"


    Despite sessfully blocking the attack, the knightmander''s body was burned and smoking, obviously indicating significant injuries.


    If not for hismanding skill enhancement, this knightmander would be fatally wounded or even dead.


    Evidently, it was the Thunderfall Tower that he was facing.


    A Level 3 offensive building ced deliberately by the Demon Lord within the fortress.


    The tower''s demonstrated power was even capable of taking down Level 4 lord units!


    "Retreat!" shouted the Knight Commander.


    "Everyone, fall back!"


    "Retreat!"


    Knowing the dire situation and the urgent need to retreat, the knightmander and his toon immediately turned around, their once imposing force now reduced to a hasty and chaotic retreat.


    As for the mercenaries?


    They were quicker to react.


    These seasoned veterans had already begun to flee the moment the first wave of beholder attacknded.


    "Kill them all!"


    "For our lord! For the Demon King!"


    "ughter all these filthy humans!"


    The gates of the Bloody Fortress opened, and a horde of massive armored ogres, fierce orc wolf riders, and agile and ferocious draconian soldiers poured out of the fortress.


    Meanwhile, elven archers, mages, and beholders continued to rain down arrows, spells, and beams on the fleeing enemy.


    When the Kolo army finally broke free from the hellish battlefield, their once 15,000 strong force had dwindled to a mere 6,000 to 7,000 survivors.


    "How could this happen?"


    "How can the Demon King''s army be so powerful?"


    "And why does he have so many troops stationed in the Blood Fortress?"


    "He should be preupied with the Magi Mojo City, the Ironheart City of the dwarves, and the giant''s Thunder City. Why can he still amass such a formidable army here?"


    "......"


    The knights of the Kolo family and the Heroes of the three major Hero guilds were all left in shock and despair, their morale crushed by the devastating defeat.


    Li Tianyan''s face turned grim, "We underestimated the size of the Demon King''s army. The troops he sent to attack the fortress were not his full strength, and far from it!"


    "Damn it!"


    "We fell for it!"


    "This is a devastating loss!"


    "It''s not safe here. We just barely shook off our pursuers. We cannot get stuck again. Let''s hurry back to Count Kolo''s territory!"


    "You''re right!"


    "Let''s go!"


    ......


    The Heroes, knights, and mercenaries dared not linger.


    The orc wolf riders were fast, and the draconian forces included flying super soldiers. Even among the elves, there were dragonhawk mages and archers.


    Every second of dy could mean an increased risk of danger.


    Now was not the time to rest.


    After a brief adjustment, the group immediately headed north.


    As long as they returned to Count Kolo''s territory, they would be safe within the empire garrison''s protection.


    Soon, they passed through a mountainous area.


    This was a necessary route to and from the Chaos Forest.


    If they took a detour, their journey would be extended several times.


    Fortunately, the terrain was not steep, so it would not impede the army''s marching speed.


    Upon seeing the mountains ahead, the Kolo knightmander suddenly had a bad feeling.


    He sensed that this ce was particrly ominous.


    But it was toote.


    The enemy forces appeared from all sides.


    Zhang San appeared in front of the remaining soldiers, apanied by two Dragon Marshals and a High Priest, with a sinister grin on his face.


    "Oh no!"


    "It''s the Demon King!"


    "We''ve been ambushed!"


    "But how can the Demon King be here?"


    "... "


    Zhang San heard several leaders of the Heroes exim in horror, one after another.


    He could not help feeling exasperated at the repeated misidentification-why did these guys always mistake him for the Demon King?


    To these soldiers, he was seemingly an unstoppable, overwhelming presence that only a Demon King could possess.


    Zhang San revealed a mocking smile.


    These ants had such a limited imagination.


    Only those who had never seen the vastness of the ocean would believe that the world was small, and only those who had never seen the starry sky would think the earth was vast.


    "You pitiful creatures," Zhang San mocked.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Your miserable lives end here."


    Zhang San leaped into the air, his body ballooning hundreds of times its original size in an instant, transforming into a dozens of meters long unicorn diamond earth drake.


    "Die!"


    Zhang San mmed into themander of the Kolo knights directly.


    The humanmander, who was strong, experienced, and had fought in many battles, had no strength left to resist at this moment and was instantly reduced into minced meat.


    Not to mention that his Qi was almost depleted.


    Even in his prime, the knightmander would have been no match for Zhang San. Although both weremanders, the difference in power was simply too great.


    "Kill them all!"


    Both draconian marshals, Wang Er and Zhao Wu, as well as high priest Sun Liu, all joined in the ughter.


    With hundreds of draconian super soldiers with flying abilities amongst thousands of draconian troops, escape was all but impossible for the remaining Kolo forces.


    ......


    In Giantree City.


    Under the Tree of Miracle.


    Zhang Nu opened his yer log and scanned through it, only to find that in just one day, he had received arge amount of reward information.


    [You''ve in a Troll. Gold +9!]


    [You''ve in a Troll. Gold +9!]


    [You''ve in a Troll Warrior. Gold +20!]


    [You''ve in an Elite Troll Warrior. Gold +90!]


    [......]


    [You''ve conquered "Magi Mojo City"!]


    [You gained "Shining Mithril Chest" x1!]


    Just by looking at the log, Zhang Nu knew that the draconian legion had gone on a killing spree in the Magi Mojo City.


    After the massacre of about 100,000 trolls, Zhang Nu earned a total of 1.92 million gold.


    The city was almostpletely wiped out in the process.


    Compared to Ironheart City, the Magi Mojo City''s strength was far weaker, with a lower proportion of elite units, with only one elite unit for every ten or twenty normal units.


    However, this was normal.


    As armies with an elite unit per capita were rare, and even rarer were races with such a high proportion of elite units.


    The trolls were on par with orcs and elves in terms of theirbat abilities, and in ces like Berserk Beast City and Giantree City, most of the residents were still regr units.


    The situation in Ironheart City was quite special.


    On the one hand, the dwarves were indeed strong, and on the other hand, the effect of daemon blood created tens of thousands of daemonized dwarven warriors, and all of these corrupted dwarven warriors were all elites.


    Among the 100,000 trolls killed, there were 372 troll Heroes.


    204 Level 1 fodders, 147 Level 2 elite Heroes, and 21 Level 3 powerhouses.


    Still, the legion had gone a bit too far in their killing spree and needed to be more careful in the future.


    Zhang Nu continued to scroll down.


    He came across thetest battle logs.


    [You''ve in a Human Mercenary. Gold +20!]


    [You''ve in a Kolo Knight. Gold +100!]


    [You''ve in a Kolo Knight. Gold +100!]


    [You''ve in a Human Mercenary. Gold +20!]


    [You''ve in an Elite Human Mercenary. Gold +90!]


    [......]


    [You''ve in a Level 3 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 2 Hero. Hero''s soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 3 Hero. Hero''s soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 4 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +1!]


    The entries indicated that the battles took ce in the Bloody Fortress.


    To his surprise, among the defeated warriors were three Level 4 Heroes, and the others were of equally impressive quality.


    With just these two battles, Zhang Nu had amassed an incredible seven to eight hundred souls, with over a hundred of them being Level 3 or higher.


    This was truly remarkable!


    His soul collection was now more than enough to activate a Level 4 talent, leaving Zhang Nu feeling ecstatic.

 Chapter 145: Level 5 Advancement

    This time, let alone just a single Level 4 talent, the souls might be more than enough to activate two Level 4 talents.


    It appeared that the breakthrough to Level 5 would be faster than expected.


    This was truly remarkable!


    Zhang Nu turned to the mature and elegant green-robed elven beauty by his side and said, "I entrust the Tree of Miracle''s care to you."


    The Miracle Archpriest. Gu Yi, replied with reverence, "Understood, my lord. Rest assured, I will dedicate my life to safeguarding the Tree of Miracle."


    The Miracle Archpriest was an upgrade from the Ancient Tree High Priest.


    Although the cost of upgrading the priest was high, the benefits of having a Miracle Archpriest were well worth it.


    Furthermore, the Level 3 Tree of Life was already very eye-catching, and once this lost elven sacred artifact was revealed to the world, it would undoubtedly attract many powerful forces who would be eager to obtain it.


    Not to mention a Level 4 Tree of Miracle, which contained immense life energy, would undoubtedly attract even more nefarious individuals.


    Therefore, increasing the power of defense was definitely a necessary measure.


    After the Tree of Life was upgraded, the number of positions for the Ancient Tree High Priests increased from one to ten.


    Zhang Nu then promoted the original Ancient Tree High Priest into a Miracle Archpriest.


    The Miracle Archpriest possessed the strength of a fourth-tier overlord and could also wield the power of the Tree of Miracle.


    Whether it was in Giantree City or the Giantree Forest.


    As long as it was within the area under the influence of the Tree of Miracle.


    Gu Yi, the Miracle Archpriest would be capable of single-handedly face off Level 5 overlord enemies.


    With her guarding the Miracle Tree, the Demon King could rest assured that it was well-protected.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Upon returning to his territory, Zhang Nu immediately began sacrificing souls.


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 3 Hero''s Soul. 211 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 3 Hero''s Soul. 214 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 3 Hero''s Soul. 202 talent points gained!]


    [......]


    The Demon King had over a hundred third-order souls, but Zhang Nu only sacrificed 48 of them.


    Even so, he broke the ten-thousand-point mark for talent points.


    [You''ve activated the Level 4 Talent "Space Maniption"!]


    [All Level 4 Talents activated. Level up conditions satisfied!]


    Zhang Nu sessfully activated thest Level 4 talent.


    Space Maniption, along with Time Control were both very rare spatio-temporal attribute talents.


    The effect of Time Control was to control the flow of time within a certain range, while Space Maniption allowed one to control space within a certain range.


    After obtaining the "Space Maniption" ability, Zhang Nu could perform short-distance space teleportation simr to instant movement. He could also use spatial power for offense and defense through spatial distortion and folding.


    Undoubtedly, this kind of ability had extremely high practical value.


    When Zhang Nu obtained thest Level 4 talent, he once again felt that the energy umted in every cell of his body had reached the critical point and was released like a nuclear explosion.


    [Level up sessful!]


    [MP +3000, HP +1500, Strength +200, Agility +400, Constitution +200, Will +400, Dragon me, Dragon Fear, Hell Thunderme, Abyssal Devouring, Adamantite Dragon Body, Dragon King''s Sanctum, Evil Dragon''s Descent, Dragon God Bloodline, Space Maniption, and Time Control have been greatly enhanced...]


    Finally, Zhang Nu hadpleted his advancement.


    He had officially be a Level 5 Demon King.


    This breakthrough was a significant milestone for him.


    Even before reaching the Level 3, Zhang Nu already possessed power that rivaled that of a monarch.


    Then, at the Level 4, he gained rare spatio-temporal attribute talents and the bloodline of the Dragon God.


    Now, he had broken through to Level 5.


    Level 5 was a crucial turning point.


    As the saying went on this continent, "there are no monarchs before Level 5."


    This meant that Level 5 was the minimum threshold for the monarch rank.


    Not all Level 5''s could be monarchs, but all monarchs must possess at least Level 5 strength.


    Now that Zhang Nu had crossed the threshold, he could now be rightfully called a Dragon King.


    However, in reality, this Dragon King had already surpassed the bottleneck of monarch-level strength.


    With his spatio-temporal abilities, Dragon God bloodline, and the power of the Evil God, he had already reached at least mythic-level power.


    After breaking through to Level 5, Zhang Nu''s strength and potential would be even more terrifying!


    He checked his status information to see the changes in his stats.


    Name: Zhang Nu


    Level: 5


    Race: Abyssal Dragon (Demon King Race)


    Base Stats (Excluding skill bonuses): 3100 HP, 6200 MP, 390 Strength, 580 Agility, 290 Constitution, 580 Will


    Level 1 Talents: Abyssal Draconian, Dragon me, Dragon Fear, Lightning Control, Beginner Anti-Magic


    Level 2 Talents: Adamantine Dragon Body, Abyssal Devouring, Hell Thunderme, Medium Anti-Magic.


    Level 3 Talents: Dragon King''s Sanctum, Evil Dragon''s Descent, High Anti-Magic.


    Level 4 Talents: Spatial Maniption, Time Control , Dragon God Bloodline


    Level 5 Talents: Abyssal Divine Realm (Inactive), Space-Time Dragon (Inactive), Immortal Dragon God (Inactive).


    Other skills: ck Hole of Death (B Rank), Blood Ignition (B Rank), Bloody w (B Rank), Fire God''s Blessing (B Rank), etc.


    Remaining Talent Points: 0


    Each time he leveled up, his strength would increase by arge margin.


    Currently, in his draconian form, Zhang Nu''s MP reached a whopping 6200 points, which was the original value without taking into ount the bonuses from the skills and equipment.


    In truth, with the amplification of the Dragon God''s Bloodline talent, Zhang Nu''s total MP pool had already exceeded 10,000 points.


    These stat numbers were from his draconian form.


    If he were to transform into his dragon form, his HP would easily surpass the threshold of 10,000 points.


    Along with his formidable defense, it was almost impossible for him to die.


    What gave Zhang Nu a headache was the activation requirement of his three new Level 5 talents.


    Undoubtedly, Level 5 talents were extremely powerful.


    However, as with every level advancement he had made so far, the difficulty for the next advancement was increased by tenfold.


    Activating each of the three Level 5 talents required 100,000 talent points, and it would be a significant hurdle to ovee.


    This was simply ludicrous.


    Even if he were to hunt down every single Hero in Chaos Forest, Zhang Nu doubted that he could sessfully level up from it.


    It could not be helped.


    After all, the poption of the Chaos Forest was limited, and the number of Heroes among them would not be too high.


    On the other hand, the empires with a poption of billions of people would have countless Heroes, including the possibility of extremely high-level ones.


    Wasn''t this just forcing him to head to various empires and start killing high-level Heroes on arge scale?


    Or perhaps create a hugemotion, such as capturing several princesses of the empire, to lure those Heroes toe to him.


    Zhang Nu shook his head.


    He decided to leave these matters aside for now.


    Even with his Level 5 strength, he was already considered a powerful figure on the continent.


    With his current strength, it was sufficient for him to protect himself.


    As for bing stronger, he could only take it step by step and gradually work it out.


    Zhang Nu sorted out his thoughts and went on checking the Demon King''s Altar to see if there had been any changes or additions to the draconian units.


    When Zhang Nu saw thetest updates, he was shocked.


    Two new units caught his eye immediately and held his full attention.


    For a moment, he could not believe his own eyes.


    [Earth Drake Sovereign] Level 5 monarch unit. Leveled up from Earth Drake Grand Marshal. It boasted a terrifying fighting power,mand skills, and the might of a monarch. Costs 10 million gold + 2,000 dark gems + 2000 earth gems + 3 Level 5 Hero''s soul. Your current territory may only possess a single Earth Drake Sovereign at a time.


    [Sky Drake Sovereign] Level 5 monarch unit. Leveled up from Sky Drake Archpriest. It possessed formidable magical powers and the might of a monarch. Costs 20 million gold + 2,000 light gems + 2000 fire gems + 5 Level 5 Hero''s soul. Your current territory may only possess a single Sky Drake Sovereign at a time.


    Upon seeing these two new units, Zhang Nu almost thought his eyes were ying tricks on him.


    But after carefully confirming it several times, he realized that it was indeed real.


    Monarchs!


    He could actually summon monarchs!


    Zhang Nu had been in this world for quite some time, and he was well aware of what a monarch-level existence meant to a poption.


    Monarchs not only had overwhelmingly powerful strength, but were also a highly symbolic banner.


    Nancilia, for example, was protected and cared for like a precious gem by the entire Giantree tribe from a young age due to her potential as an Elven King, allowing her to ascend to the positions of lord and chief even before reaching adulthood.


    For any poption, regardless of what kind of anarchy or mayhem they had experienced, the appearance of a monarch would immediately garner countless followers.


    Monarchs had an inherent strong cohesive power and authority.


    However, monarchs were extremely rare.


    This was also why Zhang Nu was so awestruck to see summonable monarch units appear!

 Chapter 146: True Dragon Units Unlocked

    Unlocking two monarch-level units was undoubtedly a great achievement.


    However, the cost was quite high, with an exaggeratinglyrge amount of gold and gems required.


    Not to mention both the Earth Dragon Sovereign and Sky Dragon Sovereign required Level 5 souls to summon...and it was not just a single Level 5 soul either.


    With that many Level 5 Heroes needed, it was arduous for Zhang Nu to go and look for them.


    Fortunately, Zhang Nu had the Soul Altar.


    In the future, he could obtain Level 5 souls by synthesizing lower level souls into higher level ones. This solved the issue at hand.


    Needless to say, the Soul Altar had proven to be incredibly useful.


    Zhang Nu then resumed checking for changes in his draconian units.


    He discovered that the basic unit types such as the draconian mastercraftsmen, warmonger royal guards and mystic royal guards no longer had any new advancement unit unlocked.


    In other words, these unit types had reached their utmost limit.


    Other than the summoning of the Earth and Sky Dragon Sovereigns, the Level 5 Demon King''s Altar also presented two additional new options:


    [Abyssal Dragon] Level 5 overlord. Costs 4 million gold + 1 Level 5 Hero''s soul.


    [Demon King''s Baptism] Costs 1 million gold. Allows the baptism of any unit, bestowing the target unit the strengthening results of 10 to 50 years of training. However, each unit could only undergo the baptism once within a period of ten days.


    Apart from the Earth and Sky Dragon Sovereigns, the Demon King''s Altar also unlocked a new unit, not as an advancement of any existing unit type, but as apletely unique unit: the Abyssal Dragon.


    Although Zhang San and Li Si belonged to the dragon-kind, they originated from the earth drake species and the sky drake species respectively.


    The new unit type, Abyssal Dragon, however, was a true and genuine dragon.


    While Zhang Nu himself also belonged to the dragon race, he was a Demon King amongst the dragons, which granted him unparalleled potential and ceiling for growth.


    An ordinary abyssal dragon, of course, could notpare to Zhang Nu''s exceptional strength.


    However, as the most revered beings within the dragon-kind, true dragons held a supreme status.


    Among the true dragons, the abyssal dragons were one of the most mysterious and terrifying subspecies.


    Even the most ordinary and mediocre abyssal dragon, once reaching adulthood, would naturally inhibit the might of a Level 5 overlord, and most would even stand out as exceptional among the other Level 5 overlords.


    Their mere presence exerted a natural suppression over other races, underscoring the elevated status of true dragons.


    From this moment onwards, Zhang Nu''s forces were no longer limited to lesser dragon-kinds, nor were they restricted to earth drakes and sky drakes only.


    For the first time, true dragons were now avable for summoning.


    This was, in fact, a significant and momentous breakthrough.


    As for the Demon King''s Baptism?


    It was not a unit type.


    Rather, it was a special ability that the Demon King obtained through the altar after reaching Level 5.


    In truth, there were always multiple paths for the Demon King''s subordinates to be stronger, aside from conventional evolution and advancement.


    The units summoned by the Demon King were no different from the regr natives or ordinary beings, except for their unwavering loyalty akin to imprinted thoughts.


    The native warriors could enhance their strength through learning, experience, and training.


    Zhang San, Li Si, Wang Er, Zhao Wu, Gu Yi, and the others under Zhang Nu''smand could also enhance their abilities through training.


    However, their progress was slow and the results were barely noticeable, especially whenpared to a Demon King''s rapid advancements.


    After unlocking the "Demon King''s Baptism" function, Zhang Nu could directly expedite the training of any target unit.


    A single baptism was equivalent to several decades of arduous training.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    However, the specific advancement in training varied depending on the race and innate talents of the unit.


    For long-lived species like dragons, giants, and elves, a single baptism could grant them several decades'' worth of training.


    On the other hand, for rtively short-lived species like humans, the bestowed training growth might only amount to a dozen years'' worth.


    In addition, even with the same number of years of training growth, the results would differ based on the individual''s innate talents.


    Units with exceptional talents and tremendous potential would experience significant advancements from a single baptism.


    In contrast, those with poorer talents and limited potential might not see as noticeable of an effect.


    Zhang Nu believed that the ability of the Demon King''s Baptism could be synergized with the Soul Altar.


    One could enhance one''s innate talent and potential.


    The other could expedite one''s training and bestow strength.


    Zhang Nu was extremely satisfied with the level advancement, whether it was the growth in his own strength or the unlocking of new units and abilities.


    With his power as a Level 5 Demon King and the ever-expanding territory under his control, even an empire-level force would find it far from easy to eliminate him as long as he did not actively seek his own demise.


    In reality, once Zhang Nu had achieved Level 5, the oue of the Chaos Forest''s unification was no longer in doubt.


    The surrounding factions had permanently lost any opportunity to eliminate the Dragon Demon King.


    Now, unless an empire mobilized its entire forces to besiege him, nothing else would pose a threat to Zhang Nu.


    However, the prospect of mobilizing an entire empire was no easy task.


    It not only carried the risk of significant decline in national power but would also face the threats of nearby formidable enemy factions.


    At present, despite the conflicts between Zhang Nu and the northern empire, it was evident that the empire''s attention and regard for him as the Demon King were clearly insufficient.


    Thus far, their interactions had been limited to that of a persistent border count.


    Zhang Nu discovered that after reaching the Level 5, not only did his abilities, talents, and units undergo changes, but there was also a change that had never urred before.


    In his yer interface, the number of Demon King channels increased from one to ten!


    This meant that Zhang Nu could now speak or trade simultaneously in ten Demon King channels.


    This not only expanded hiswork tenfold but also meant that the Demon King market had also grown tenfold.


    He could now easily acquire the blueprints, resources, and items he desired while significantly increasing his financial ie.


    It was worth noting that in the original Demon King channel, although Zhang Nu was thergest food supplier and held thergest market share, the market dynamics had already reached a stable state.


    With the three Spirit Fields in the Darkness City and the development of the super elven farms in Giantree City, it was certain that Zhang Nu would face a situation of excess production capacity in the future.


    The expansion of the Demon King channels to ten provided a significant short-term solution for alleviating the issue of excess production capacity.


    However, it was clear that this was only a temporary measure.


    For Zhang Nu, the food resources that could be consumed by the millions of Demon King territories were still limited.


    He still needed to explore the vast continental market worth billions or even trillions of consumers.


    Zhang Nu wasted no time and swiftly posted a message, simultaneously reaching all ten Demon King channels.


    Zhang Nu: "Looking to buy Spirit Field blueprint, along with Level 2 and 3 building upgrade scrolls with premium price. If you have top-tier blueprints, materials or other valuable items for sale, contact me through private chat!"


    Following his message, he posted a procurement list:


    [Blueprint: Spirit Field], purchase price of 240,000 gold per copy!


    [Level 2 Normal Building Upgrade Scroll], limited to 10 copies, with a purchase price of 100,000 gold each!


    [Level 3 Normal Building Upgrade Scroll], purchase price of 350,000 gold per copy!


    The Demon King channel 1, also known as the original channel, immediately erupted in excitement.


    "He''s here! He''s here! The Potato Demon King has arrived!"


    "The Potato Demon King is back with a hefty sum! Does he still need followers? I want to work for the boss!"


    "Offering 240,000 gold coins for a Spirit Field!? I can instantly earn tens of thousands of gold! The Potato Demon King is truly generous. Please ept my worship!"


    "..."


    At the same time, in the other nine Demon King channels:


    "Shit! Who is this guy?"


    "His name sounds like someone from Xia country!"


    "Bakayaro, I don''t care who you are, don''t you know the rules?"


    "Quick, cancel the trade order! You''re ruining the market, and you should know what I''m capable of!"


    "Wow, this unknown oppa seems like a hidden big boss?!"


    "..."


    In the other nine channels, it appeared that there were quite a few international yers, some of whom even threatened Zhang Nu.


    Among these Demon Kings, Zhang Nu did not have much reputation, otherwise, they wouldn''t have been foolish enough to openly threaten him.


    Ignoring the rackets, Zhang Nu nced at his reward chest.


    Recently, due to the continuous expansion of his territory, he had received several additional rewards. Among these unimed rewards, the highest level was from the Magi Mojo City.


    [You opened the Mithril Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x???, "Blueprint: Troll Alchemy Base" x1, "Earth Gem" x100, "Life Gem" x100!]


    Compared to otherrge forest cities, the strength of the Magi Mojo City could only be considered rtively weak.


    However, this reward was not bad.


    It was just that it paled inparison to the rewards of Thousand Fangs City and Silver Spring City, not to mention Ironheart City.


    As a result, Zhang Nu had two good blueprints in his hands.


    [Ancient Elven Sanctuary] Level 4 Blueprint. Costs gold x550,000, light gem x300, life gem x300, quality wood x20,000, quality stone x20,000. You may construct an Ancient Elven Sanctuary within your territory.


    [Troll Alchemy Base] Level 3 Blueprint. Costs gold x150,000, fire gem x50, earth gem x100, wood x10,000, iron x10,000. You may construct a Troll Alchemy Base within your territory.


    The former was obtained from the reward chest of Silver Spring City.


    The Ancient Elven Sanctuary was a functional building that could train elves quickly.


    Once they entered the sanctuary to train, they could learn the knowledge of the elven race and master various techniques such as nting, refining medicine, alchemy, forging, and magic or martial arts of ancient elves.


    Having such a valuable structure would have a subtle but umtive effect on the overall strength of the elven race.


    Given enough time, they would master various ancient elf knowledge, which would greatly benefit the development of his territory.


    As for the Troll Alchemy Base, it was also a functional building, but not limited to the troll race.


    Its function was to greatly increase the sess rate of alchemy and thus greatly increase the efficiency of alchemy production.


    The cost of building these two buildings was moderate, and at least for Zhang Nu, the resources required were insignificant.


    The value they could bring was not little either, so there was no need for too much consideration.


    Zhang Nu selected a location in the Darkness City to start the construction of the two buildings.


    After itspletion, Zhang Nu opened up his yer interface and swept a nce.


    [Trade sessful, gold -100,000, you gained "Level 2 Normal Building Upgrade Scroll" x1!]


    [Trade sessful, gold -100,000, you gained "Level 2 Normal Building Upgrade Scroll" x1!]


    [Trade sessful, gold -100,000, you gained "Level 2 Normal Building Upgrade Scroll" x1!]


    [......]


    [Trade sessful, gold -240,000, you gained "Blueprint: Spirit Field" x1!]


    Zhang Nu was surprised.


    The transactions had beenpleted so quickly!


    It was so convenient to acquire things now that the market had expanded!

 Chapter 147: Grand Duke Bachor

    In the southern region of the Thunder Empire.


    The teleportation field in Bachor City had been activated.


    A figure emerged in the middle of the teleporter.


    "Count Seinberg Kolo!"


    "Identity confirmed!"


    "Wee, esteemed Count, to Bachor City!"


    The sentry general, upon confirming the identity of the individual, immediately performed a standard knightly salute, disying a humble attitude. As he concluded his greetings, the general made a gesture to the several mages behind him.


    The barrier mages deactivated the defense barrier.


    Su Wenhao retained a stoic expression as he stepped out of the magical formation.


    Kolo territory''s n had utterly failed.


    Now, he had no choice but to brace himself and face Grand Duke Bachor, the ruler of the southern capital.


    A mixture of anger and helplessness surged within Su Wenhao''s being.


    The power of the Dragon Demon King far surpassed his imagination, as it had decimated the entire Korol family''s knight order, inflicting devastating losses. He was left with no option but to seek aid from the Grand Duke.


    An overwhelming sense of nervousness gripped him.


    Grand Duke Bachor, ruler of the southern capital.


    One of the four Guardian Grand Dukes of the empire.


    In the eyes of such a figure, he, a mere Count, was but a trifling ant, easily squashed at will.


    The Divine Sword Heroes Guild had suffered a catastrophic defeat.


    Surely, the Grand Duke would be highly displeased.


    Su Wenhao found it difficult to fathom the consequences he would face, but at this moment, he had no choice but to steel himself and face the Grand Duke.


    ncing at the guards stationed at the teleportation site, Su Wenhao instinctively activated a rank B appraisal spell.


    This advanced appraising skill could glimpse into the target''s level of strength, albeitcking intricate details.


    Su Wenhao''s expression changed, his eyes widened.


    [Sentry General of Bachor Teleportation Station] Level 5 overlord.


    [Barrier Mage of Bachor Teleportation Station] Level 5 lord.


    Su Wenhao was taken aback by the revtion.


    These were just a few guards stationed at the teleportation tform.


    Yet they possessed such terrifying power. It was beyondprehension!


    In this world, the utilization of spatial teleportation magic has be rtively mature. However, the construction cost of teleportation stations was exorbitant, and not all regions had the technological and material resources to build such facilities.


    Throughout the entire southern expanse of the empire.


    There were only five teleportation stations.


    Apart from this one in Bachor City, the remaining four were situated in strategic fortresses.


    Within the walls of Bachor City, the use of spatial magic was entirely prohibited. The teleportation station was the sole means of bypassing the formidable defenses and directly entering the city from the outside.


    Precisely because of this reason, the teleportation station served as a crucial gateway.


    Naturally, it required heavy military presence.


    Leaving aside the paramount posts such as the Sentry General and the Barrier Mage, even the ordinary sentry guards were at least Level 4 elites, all in ce to prevent any infiltration attempts through the teleportation station.


    Su Wenhao then walked out and left the teleportation station.


    The view of the Bachor City unfolded before him.


    Bachor City was thergest capital city in the southern region of the empire.


    The city bustled with life, its poption reaching a staggering eight million.


    Evenpared to the cosmopolitan cities of his previous life, Bachor City stood on equal footing, radiating a vibrant atmosphere that was second to none.


    With a sweeping nce, Su Wenhao took in the mesmerizing view of towering skyscrapers, shimmering magical towers, aerial gardens, and enchanting magical fountains---each brimming with splendor and a touch of fantastical beauty.


    Other than its marveling sights, Bachor City was also heavily fortified.


    Every street and za was vigntly patrolled and guarded by soldiers d in distinctive armor, proudly bearing the emblem of House Bachor.


    Su Wenhao was awestruck by the magnificence and sheer magnitude of the city. It truly befitted its reputation as one of the empire''s most prominent supercities, serving as the central hub of the southern region.


    Byparison, he, a mere Count, was like a rural bumpkin who had just stepped out of the countryside into the grandeur world.


    Before Su Wenhao could fully take in the awe-inspiring surroundings, a magical carriage suddenly appeared before him. An elderly man with silver hair, a benevolent countenance, and wearing the Bachor family crest alighted from the carriage.


    "Greetings!"


    "Count Kolo!"


    "I am the steward of Grand Duke Bachor."


    "Please, step into the carriage ande with me to meet the Grand Duke!"


    [Steward of Bachor Castle] Level 5 overlord.


    The corner of Su Wenhao''s eyes twitched at the information. To think that a castle steward concealed such formidable power, he was actually a top-tier archmage!


    The power and influence the Bachor family held were truly terrifying!


    "Yes, thank you!"


    Su Wenhao settled into the carriage.


    The magical carriage did not rely on actual horses to operate.


    The silver-haired Bachor steward uttered a spell.


    In an instant, the entire carriage was enveloped in a soap-bubble-like bubble. Floating with remarkable stability and remarkable speed, the carriage glided through the air towards their destination.


    Throughout the journey, Su Wenhao experienced no jolts or sensations of weightlessness. He could not even perceive the motion of the moving carriage.


    The old steward''s masterful control over magic was truly unfathomable.


    After approximately ten minutes, the carriage arrived and Su Wenhao was brought into the imposing Bachor family castle.


    The architectural marvel of a castle surpassed the scale of ordinary towns.


    [Knight of the Blood Lion Knight Order] Level 3 elite.


    [High Knight of the Blood Lion Knight Order] Level 4 elite.


    [Knight Captain of the Blood Lion Knight Order] Level 4 lord.


    As Su Wenhao was making his way in, he was greeted by a sight of many Bachor family knights adorned in blood-red heavy armor, resembling formidable iron giants.


    Themander of the Kolo knight order could only be regarded as a lowly knight captain if he was ced in Bachor''s family knight order.


    Su Wenhao had heard rumors about the Bachor family, boasting no less than six major knight orders, each consisting of thousands of knights. These knights were handpicked from a vast pool of candidates, ensuring that only the most exceptional individuals were chosen.


    These top-tier knights not only possessed at least the strength of Level 3 elite but also adorned themselves with exceptionally fine equipment, further enhancing theirbat prowess.


    What an incredibly and terrifyingly powerful force!


    As Su Wenhao ventured further inside, his trepidation grew with every step.


    [Archmage of the Bachor Mage Legion] Level 5 lord.


    [Duke Bachor''s Royal Guard Captain] Level 5 lord.


    [Guardian Knight of the Empire] Level 5 overlord.


    [......]


    Su Wenhao''s heart sank as he realized the immense power and influence held by the Bachor family. The oppressive atmosphere within the castle made him acutely aware of his own insignificance inparison.


    However, it was when his gaze fell upon a particr type of knight that his anxiety reached its peak.


    These knights wore no heavy armor but donned resplendent golden suits adorned with intricate magical patterns.


    With a single golden sword in hand, they were exuding an aura that seemed to suffocate all who beheld them.


    Just how formidable were these golden-armored knights?


    Su Wenhao knew it all too well.


    There were the Guardian Knights of the empire.


    They were entrusted with His Majesty the Emperor''s absolute trust. However, their numbers were incredibly scarce, apart from the Imperial ce of the Empire, only a few could be found apanying the Guardian Grand Dukes.


    Not only were the Guardian Knights the Grand Dukes'' formidable des, but they also served as the Emperor''s eyes for monitoring the four major duchies.


    "You''ve finally arrived."


    The Guardian Knight remarked with a sly smile.


    His tone was devoid of the expected respect one would show towards a noble of Su Wenhao''s status. Instead, there was a hint of contempt and disdain in his attitude.


    "Should I address you as Lord Count Kolo or Guild Leader Su Wenhao?"


    "You''re a Hero too!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Su Wenhao''s eyes widened in surprise.


    The Guardian Knight chuckled, his amusement evident, "Please step inside."


    Pushing open the massive doors, he revealed a grand hall the size of an athletics field before Su Wenhao''s eyes.


    Within the hall, a bustling scene unfolded. Bachor''s officials and nobles from various affiliated territories were engaged in discussions, presenting their reports.


    On a raised tform.


    Upon a magnificent throne.


    Sat a regal and imposing elderly figure exuding an aura of authority as majestic as a lion.


    Out of habit, Su Wenhao activated his appraisal skill.


    [Grand Duke Bachor] ??????


    Su Wenhao was utterly shocked to realize that he could not perceive anything, his appraisal skill failing for the first time.


    As if sensing his insolence, Grand Duke Bachor slowly opened his half-closed eyes, and his piercing gaze locked onto the reckless Count.


    In the next moment, Su Wenhao''s consciousness became hazy.


    When he regained his senses, the entire Bachor Castle had vanished.


    He found himself in a nightmarish battlefield, strewn with lifeless bodies and blood-soaked earth.


    ''What''s happening?''


    ''Is this some kind of illusion?''


    ''No! it''s no illusion!''


    [You''re under the effect of "Asura''s Domain". All stats have decreased. Skills below B rank are sealed. You will suffer continuous damage from the domain''s onught every second!]


    An arrow pierced straight through his chest.


    Su Wenhao realized that he could not evade at all.


    A second arrow, a third, a fourth---within moments, he was bombarded with a barrage of arrows, his HP rapidly diminishing.


    Immense pain and terror overwhelmed Su Wenhao as if being swallowed by a tsunami of agony.


    Although Su Wenhao had yet to personally experience a domain, he ought to have heard about it.


    He realized that this was no mere illusion, but a Monarch''s Domain!


    Grand Duke Bachor, one of the four Grand Dukes safeguarding the Thunder Empire.


    Ruler of the Southern Border, and the supreme authority of the Bachor duchy.


    Wycliffe Bachor!


    A genuine monarch level existence!


    "Please spare me, Your Grace!" Su Wenhao desperately pleaded.


    Finally, Grand Duke Bachor relented.


    Su Wenhao was abruptly returned to normal space, his body drenched in a deluge of blood. He copsed onto the floor of the grand hall, gasping for air in heaving breaths.


    In aposed tone, Grand Duke Bachor uttered, "Consider this a minor punishment. Should you dare to provoke me again, you will rue the day you set foot in this world."


    "Thank you for your mercy, Your Grace!"


    Grand Duke Bachor continued, "Regarding the matter of the Chaos Forest, your performance has left me thoroughly disappointed. I demand an exnation."


    Su Wenhao hastily replied, "My n was on the verge of sess, but at the final moment, it was thwarted by a powerful Demon King!"


    "A Demon King?"


    Grand Duke Bahol seemed unimpressed, "That is not a valid excuse. The empire is determined to annex the Chaos Forest. Thus, I shall grant you another chance."


    "You are hereby authorized to deploy the Third Legion of the Southern Border."


    "Within a span of fifteen days, you must eliminate the Demon King and reim the Bloody Fortress!"


    "Remember, you have a maximum of fifteen days. Should you fail me again, you should be well aware of the consequences."


    Upon hearing this, Su Wenhao was overjoyed.


    The Third Legion of the Southern Border, the empire''s formal army officially stationed near the Kolo territory.


    Although mobilizing the empire''s formal forces would undoubtedly attract attention from the Azure Water Federation and the Sunset Empire, thereby exerting pressure upon the empire, it was evident that the empire no longer wished to await opportune moments.


    At present, the Thunder Empire''s strength was at its zenith, while internal conflicts persisted within the Azure Water Federation and the Sunset Empire. This moment was the prime opportunity for expansion.


    With the might of the empire at his disposal, sess was undoubtedly within an arm''s reach this time!


    Grand Bachor then addressed, "Knight Gordes."


    The formidable knight who had granted Su Wenhao entry responded promptly.


    "You, too, are a destined Hero. I believe you would be interested in this Demon King, therefore I request that you apany them on this siege."


    The Guardian Knight promptly saluted and said, "Serving the empire is my duty. Please rest assured, Your Grace. With my personal intervention, no Demon King will be of concern!"


    Su Wenhao couldn''t hide his annoyance.


    After enduring countless hardships, he was finally on the verge of gaining control over the empire''s forces.


    And yet, it seemed fate had conspired to include this meddlesome individual.


    Serving the empire?


    What a nice way to put it!


    As if a Hero would truly be loyal to the empire!


    Clearly, this person was here to snatch the limelight and im the glory for themselves.

 Chapter 148: History of Azure Water Federation

    At this moment, within the Darkness City, the Great Demon King was thoroughly satisfied.


    Merely an hour after listing his trade orders, he had already received eight Level 2 building upgrade scrolls, two Level 3 building upgrade scrolls, and 2 Spirit Field blueprints.


    In addition topleting these trade orders.


    Zhang Nu had also been contacted by numerous Demon Kings who came to sell their blueprints, equipment, and skill stones, hoping to strike a deal.


    Zhang Nu had little interest in equipment and skills.


    In his possession, he held hundreds of skill stones, rendering anything below B rank unworthy of even a nce. Only top-tier skills could pique his curiosity.


    As for equipment?


    The dwarven treasury in Ironheart City had an endless supply!


    Zhang Nu would no longer have any trouble finding a market for them.


    However, unless it possessed the same caliber as the Elven King''s Scepter or the Holy Grail of Blood, even the finest equipment held little significance to him.


    Instead, Zhang Nu focused on acquiring attribute crystals that could enhance his stats, precious universal materials such as energy gemstones, as well as blueprints that could be useful.


    Unfortunately, the majority of the blueprints that the Demon Kings had to offer


    were ratherckluster in terms of both rating and quality.


    Zhang Nu found himself only able to acquire Level 1 blueprints, such as Detection Tower, Barrier Tower, various elemental assault towers, as well as utility blueprints like Dark Prison.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Given the current strength of the Dark City, these items were of little use.


    However, as the territory continued to expand and more cities and fortresses were established, these buildings could aid in enhancing defense capabilities across different regions.


    Just as Zhang Nu finished a batch of trades.


    The Hero girl, Su Yan, suddenly arrived at Darkness City.


    "Boss!"


    "I bring thetest intelligence!"


    "We have news regarding the members of the Dragon Shadow Hero Guild, as well as the representatives from the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce!"


    Zhang Nu jestingly remarked, "It''s been so many days since they left. If there''s still no news, I''d start suspecting they ran off with the funds."


    Su Yan crossed her arms, looking displeased, and retorted, "Boss, how can you say that? The people I rmended are trustworthy. There''s no way they would run off!"


    Zhang Nu chuckled.


    He was merely teasing.


    Three individuals, namely Rao Jian, were the leaders of the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce.


    They were being escorted by a squadron of draconians.


    If any of these three Heroes were to dare show any intention of absconding with the funds or even entertain such thoughts, it would undoubtedly result in their swift beheading by the draconian super soldiers apanying them.


    Zhang Nu inquired, "What is their current status?"


    Su Yan promptly responded, "Rao Jian and his associates have arrived in a region known as the Pale Moon Nation within the Azure Water Federation. With the initial capital provided by Boss, they swiftly secured a modest ind to establish their headquarters for the growing merchant association."


    "Because Boss dispatched draconian craftsmen and master craftsmen there, the construction of the association''s headquarters is progressing very quickly. They have already started establishing connections with the local market."


    "The market within the Azure Water Federation is of considerable size, brimming with a vibrant atmosphere ofmerce. As long as we can safely transport our goods there, selling them should be a breeze."


    "Moreover, the Azure Water Federation is rich in resources."


    "If we need any materials, we can inform the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce and use their established connections to procure the resources we want!"


    Zhang Nu nodded in satisfaction, "Not bad. Despite being in the early stages, being able to establish such a firm foothold swiftly is a good start."


    Seizing the moment, Zhang Nu posed another question.


    "How much do you know about the Azure Water Federation?"


    After all, Zhang Nu was a Great Demon King, and Demon Kings were known for their aggressive and conquering nature. If his influence became prominent, it would undoubtedly draw the attention and apprehension of major powers.


    Once the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce expanded its business, it would inevitably attract attention from various factions.


    If it were discovered that the merchant association had been aiding a Demon King in procuring resources, it could potentially put the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce in a disadvantageous position.


    Regarding the Azure Water Federation, Zhang Nu had only a limited and superficial understanding.


    But Su Yan, as the leader of the Dragon Shadow Heroes and the top intelligence agent under the Great Demon King, had undoubtedly conducted much more thorough research.


    Thus, upon hearing the question, she answered confidently.


    "The Azure Water Federation is a formidable power located in the southern part of the Chaos Forest,parable in strength to the northern Thunder Empire."


    "It has a long history, dating back six thousand years. Its founder, known as the Azure Water Empress, was a legendary female ruler."


    This was the first time Zhang Nu had heard of the Azure Water Empress.


    "An empress? If she held such a title, why didn''t she establish an empire?"


    Su Yan immediately rified, "The title of ''Empress'' is a posthumous honor bestowed upon her byter generations. During her lifetime, she never officially dered herself an empress."


    "I believe the Azure Water Empress was well aware of the unique environmental circumstances of her region, making it impractical to establish an empire."


    Hearing this, Zhang Nu nodded in agreement.


    Empires typically needed to fulfill two fundamental conditions for their establishment.


    Firstly, they required a homogenous or predominantly dominant single race. It was impossible to establish a centralized nation in a region where multiple diverse races were evenly matched and mutually hinder one another.


    Secondly, empires required a unified territory. The geographical terrain of the entire territory should not be overlyplex or vast, as it would hinder effective governance.


    The Azure Water Federation did not meet these two conditions.


    Su Yan provided a detailed exnation on this matter.


    "In fact, whether it''s the Thunder Empire in the north, the Sunset Empire in the west, or other empires on this continent, including the former Elven Empire, Orcish Empire, and so on..."


    "These empire powers were either established by humans, elves, or orcs, and in any case, they were created or dominated by a single race."


    "Based on the intelligence I''ve gathered, the Azure Water Federation does not have a single race with overwhelming superiority. Not only is it a diverse region with multiple races, but they are also spread acrossnd, mountains, and seas."


    "There arend-dwelling races, mountain races, desert races, and even oceanic races, with a significant proportion being the aquatic races."


    "Furthermore," Su Yan continued, "the Azure Water Federation''s territory is twice the size of the Thunder Empire."


    "Approximately twenty percent of the territory consists ofnd, while the remaining eighty percent is dominated by vast oceans, epassing countlessrge and small inds, as well as miniature continents. The highest points reach elevations of tens of thousands of meters, while the depths plunge into dark abyssal waters of hundreds of thousands of meters."


    "In such a geographical setting, the likelihood of establishing an empire is close to zero."


    "The Azure Water Empress, in order to prevent inter-kingdom conflicts, took it upon herself to establish the Azure Water Federation, which eventually incorporated dozens of kingdoms."


    "These kingdoms maintain their individual independence while adhering to a loose system of unity."


    Listening to Su Yan, Zhang Nu found it somewhat perplexing.


    If the Azure Water Federation was established over six thousand years ago by a legendary empress with her formidable power, then one would assume that the federation would copse immediately upon her passing.


    Somehow sensing the Demon King''s skepticism, Su Yan revealed the information she had gathered.


    "The reason the federation has been able to maintain stability for six thousand years is due to a legacy left behind by the empress."


    What a legacy!


    To have such power even after her death, suppressing the federation from copsing for thousands of years!


    Su Yan exined, "It is known as one of the most powerful contracts on the continent."


    "Legend has it that the empress risked her life to obtain this ancient contract from a long-forgotten relic!"


    "During her reign, she secured the signatures of the core families from dozens of countries and factions, binding them to this covenant."


    "Today, this ancient agreement, known as the Azure Water Covenant, serves as the very foundation of the federation."


    "The general content of the covenant is as follows:"


    "The signatories of the Azure Water Covenant must maintain independence from each other and refrain from engaging in hostilities. They must forever uphold an alliance with one another. Whenever a signatory is threatened by external forces beyond the federation, all covenant members must join forces to defend against themon enemy."


    "This covenant possesses an immense power."


    "It remains effective for countless years, never expiring."


    "There had been an instance in the past where one of the forces vited the Azure Water Covenant, only to have their entire families cursed and subsequently perish... Hence, no one dares to breach the terms of the covenant anymore."


    So that''s how it was.


    Zhang Nu was surprised to learn about this information, which he had been unaware of before.


    It seemed that Su Yan had truly done her homework and research.


    Zhang Nu then asked, "And where is this ancient covenant located?"


    Su Yan shrugged helplessly, "Boss, you''re giving me too much credit. How would I know such a thing? The Azure Water Covenant is the lifeblood of the Azure Water Federation!"


    Indeed, the entire federation was built upon this covenant.


    Having operated for six thousand years, the Azure Water Federation surely had faced countless internal conflicts and disagreements.


    If this covenant were to be broken, the restraints that held together the major kingdoms, factions, and families would be shattered.


    In that very instant, the entire federation would be turned upside down.


    This powerful entity,parable to an empire, would undoubtedly crumble without a trace.


    The Azure Water Federation was well aware of the importance of this covenant and would undoubtedly keep it hidden in the most secure and secretive manner.


    The current Dragon Shadow Hero Guild was only a mediocre intelligence organization.


    If Su Yan could reveal the location of the Azure Water Covenant, it would be incredibly absurd!


    Not knowing was eptable.


    Although the existence of this covenant provided a fatal weakness for the Azure Water Federation.


    The Great Demon King''s primary focus was ruling and managing the Chaos Forest.


    His main adversary was the northern Thunder Empire, and he had no intention of antagonizing the Azure Water Federation for now.


    Moreover, sowing chaos within the federation would yield no benefits for him.


    On the contrary, he hoped to establish trade connections between the various countries of the continent, with the Azure Water Federation as the central hub.


    Zhang Nu considered for a moment and said, "Regardless, to be on the safe side, the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce should avoid directly procuring goods through the Darkness City or any other cities."


    "We have a vast gnome merchant caravan under the Thousand Fang City''smand. I will have these gnomes establish a Gnome Forest Merchant Guild to serve as the intermediary between our guild and the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce."


    "Understood," Su Yan acknowledged.


    At that moment, hundreds of elves, including Nancilia and Marilyn, arrived in the Darkness City from the Giantree City.


    "Oh, Great Demon King!"


    "We have arrived!"


    "Where is the sanctuary?"


    Nancilia approached with anticipation written all over her face.


    Word had spread among the elves of the Giantree City about Zhang Nu''s n to construct a holy sanctuary for them.


    When they learned that they could learn ancient magic, martial arts, and other long-lost knowledge in areas such as alchemy, herbalism, cultivation, and formations, the elves could not help themselves but feel excited.


    The elven race had experienced a significant loss of ancestral knowledge, making this opportunity all the more appealing to them.


    Thus, Nancilia, Marilyn, and the elven elders all journeyed to the Shadow City to witness this marvelous sanctuary.


    Before long, their wishes were granted.


    A grand and elegant ancient hall stood before them.


    As the elvesid eyes on this structure, they could sense an overwhelming sense of familiarity emanating from it, as if the building had been used by elves for tens of thousands of years.


    "May we enter?"


    "Let''s go in!"


    The elves joyfully made their way towards the sanctuary.


    The Great Demon King suddenly interrupted, saying, "Nancilia, wait a moment."


    "Ah, Your Majesty, what is it?" Nancilia asked.


    "Come with me."


    Zhang Nu wanted to test his new Level 5 ability, the Demon King''s Baptism.


    This skill had the power to instantly enhance the strength of a unit. The higher the inherent talent and potential of the unit being baptized, the better the effect.


    After contemting his options, Zhang Nu realized that Nancilia, the little Elven King, possessed the highest potential and talent among them.


    Therefore, he decided to make her the guinea pig and the lucky recipient of this baptism, allowing her to be the first to experience its effects.


    Nancilia was taken aback, her expression filled with confusion.


    Although she was eager to visit the elven sanctuary, she understood that the Great Demon King had summoned her for an important matter.


    Without questioning further, she promptly followed him into the Demon King''s Hall.

 Chapter 149: Baptism of Nancilia

    Nancilia wore a perplexed expression on her face.


    She found herself brought onto the altar.


    The Demon King spoke, "Don''t be nervous. This isn''t anything bad. I intend to utilize my powers to baptize you."


    The young elf immediately interjected, "I''m not nervous. I believe Your Majesty wouldn''t do anything to harm me. But what does this baptizing mean?"


    Zhang Nu pondered and answered, "Well, how should I exin? Just think of it as a kind of blessing. I will use my abilities to help you enhance your strength and unlock your potential."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Your Majesty possesses such an extraordinary ability?!"


    The young elf widened her eyes in astonishment.


    Zhang Nu reassured her, "Now, let''s not waste any more words. Concentrate your thoughts, rx your entire being, and this will soon be over."


    As they spoke, the Great Demon King reached out his hand and ced it lightly upon the head of the young elf.


    Nancilia''s height reached no higher than the Demon King''s waist.


    Zhang Nu gently petted her head, as if caressing a small animal.


    At that moment, Zhang Nu received a prompt.


    [Would you like to spend 1 million gold to perform the Demon King''s Baptism on the target?]


    "Yes!"


    [The Demon King''s Baptism is now in progress...]


    Nancilia suddenly experienced a wondrous sensation.


    The Demon King unleashed a surge of formidable energy that instantly permeated her entire being. Every strand of flesh, every bone, every cell resonated with an indescribable harmony.


    Never before in her life had Nancilia encountered such marvel.


    In a brief instant, a seemingly imprable barrier that was hindering her breakthrough waspletely shattered.


    An unprecedented power.


    Something she had never even dared to imagine.


    In that moment, it awakened rapidly within her.


    Upon the Demon King''s Altar, a burst of radiant light erupted. The brilliance was so dazzling, carrying the majesty of a king, that even the draconian guards and priests present could not help but pale in the face of it.


    Fortunately, this immense power and its might were contained within the Demon King''s castle.


    Otherwise, it would undoubtedly have triggered a tremendous resonance in the environment.


    It might even cause peculiar celestial phenomena, thus rming the entire forest.


    [The baptism isplete!]


    Zhang Nu took two steps back, giving himself some distance.


    Nancilia, still with closed eyes, remained engulfed in a radiant aura. Waves of formidable energy, akin to relentless tides of the ocean, continuously emanated from her very core.


    Did she breakthrough?


    Nancilia was already a peak Level 4 Overlord.


    Now, having undergone the Demon King''s Baptism, it was not surprising that she had bypassed decades of arduous training. With her innate talent, breaking through the bottleneck seemed within the realm of possibility.


    Without dy, Zhang Nu examined her updated stats.


    Previously, Nancilia''s title was [Giantree City Lord: Nancilia]. But now, the prefix had undergone a change.


    [Elven King Nancilia] Level 5 monarch unit. 2400 HP, 4800 MP, 55 Strength, ??? Agility, 115 Constitution, 824 Will, Loyalty 99%......


    Skills: Elven King''s Bloodline (Talent), Divine Tree Domain (Talent), Omni-Magic (Talent), Elven King''s Aura (Talent), Elven King''s Elemental Covenant (Talent), Elven King''s Nature Pact (Talent), Elven King''s Astral Shield (A rank), Elven King''s Sealing Art (A), Elven King''s Blessing Art (A rank), Instant Teleportation (B rank), etc.


    Description: This is an Elven King, possessing unparalleled power and inheriting ancient lineage. However, the full potential of her bloodline remains untapped, awaitingplete awakening.


    ......


    It was done.


    Zhang Nu could not contain his smile.


    Even before performing the baptism on Nancilia, he had suspected that this ritual might help her break through the bottleneck and take the most crucial step forward.


    But he never anticipated it would go so smoothly, as if it were meant to be.


    Nancilia has ascended to the rank of Level 5 monarch.


    With her current strength and status, she would no longer be an inconspicuous figure anywhere on the continent.


    If there were any elven tribes in the vicinity, they would undoubtedly devote their loyalty to her without hesitation.


    She had the honor of bing the first monarch rank unit under the Demon King''smand!


    Nancilia slowly opened her eyes, looking at her hands in disbelief. It still felt somewhat unreal to her.


    "I... I''ve broken through?!"


    Zhang Nu affirmed, "Indeed, from now on, you are truly deserving of the title Elven King!"


    "How is this possible?!"


    Nancilia was utterly astonished.


    Although she had sensed before that she might be just one step away from the rank of monarch.


    Crossing that one step seemed an insurmountable challenge.


    It could have taken her ten or even twenty years of arduous training.


    And now, just because the Demon King bestowed his baptism upon her,


    Not only did her strength increase significantly, but also a dormant power within her bloodline was awakened.


    "Goddess above!"


    "This is beyond belief!"


    "It''s a true miracle!"


    The young Elven King could not contain her excitement and prostrated herself before the Demon King.


    "Your Majesty, I am forever grateful for your bestowals and blessings!"


    Zhang Nu chuckled and said, "Now that you are a monarch, you should refrain from performing such grand gestures casually. It doesn''t suit your esteemed status."


    The young Elven King responded, "Even if I have be an Elven King, I am still the Elven King under Your Majesty''smand. I will never forget your kindness."


    Not bad.


    She remained loyal even after bing a monarch.


    The investment in her was not in vain.


    As the Elven King rejoiced in her breakthrough, Marilyn and the elven elders also marveled at the miracle before them.


    They had entered the Ancient Elven Sanctuary.


    They had anticipated a wealth of books and tangible artifacts, vessels carrying the knowledge of the elven race.


    However, contrary to their expectations.


    The elven sanctuary was empty, devoid of anything.


    Perplexed, one of the elven elders wondered, "What could this mean?"


    "Our Majesty mentioned that the Ancient Elven Sanctuary is specifically prepared for elves. Even if other races were to enter, they wouldn''t be able to learn the knowledge of the ancient elves," Marilyn spected.


    "It is possible that this wisdom is not confined to written texts or tangible objects but exists in some intangible form."


    Upon finishing her conclusion, she closed her eyes and attuned themselves to the surroundings.


    She could sense that within the sacred sanctuary, an immense surge of spiritual energy permeated the air.


    Marilyn''s face beamed with delight, "Let us all enter a state of meditation and see what unfolds!"


    The elves took their positions, assuming a meditative posture.


    And as they began their meditation, something extraordinary urred.


    A flood of knowledge streamed into their minds.


    Marilyn''s astonishment grew as an abundance of magical knowledge, ancient spells, and long-lost arcane wisdom effortlessly materialized in their consciousness.


    Just as expected, the knowledge within the Ancient Elven Sanctuary transcended the need for sight.


    It could be directly essed through the power of the mind.


    This state of meditative learning surpassed the speed of conventional study by several magnitudes, truly a miraculous phenomenon!


    Ancient elven knowledge!


    Preserved wisdom that was almost lost to time!


    Marilyn and the elven elders rejoiced with unbridled excitement.


    The value of this elven sanctuary to their race was immeasurable, surpassing even the Tree of Miracle in the Giantree City. This could only be described as an invaluable treasure.


    Like a sponge absorbing water effortlessly, Marilyn swiftly assimted an ancient spell directly from the sanctuary. With dedicated practice, she would soon master this newfound magical ability.


    By the Goddess!


    Truly, this was a divine miracle!


    In the past, acquiring proficiency in a spell of the same level would take at least a year, even for someone as recognized as Marilyn, the prodigious talent of the Silver Springs tribe.


    How did the Demon King create such a wondrous sanctuary? With its aid, there were no limits to gaining formidable power and boundless knowledge!


    However, at that moment, Marilyn felt a throbbing ache in her head.


    She realized it was due to mental fatigue.


    While the sanctuary elerated knowledge transfer by several orders of magnitude, it also exerted a strain on the mind. It was best not to be too greedy, focusing on absorbing one piece of knowledge at a time.


    Gradually, the elven elders awoke.


    Judging by their expressions of astonishment, it seemed that every elf present had made significant gains.


    One elderly elder, moved to tears, eximed, "I never imagined that at my age, I would have the privilege to perceive the ancient elven heritage!"


    "The Demon King is truly magnificent!"


    "If not for the power of the Demon King,"


    "Our elven lineage would have long been severed."


    In that moment, in the hearts of these elves, the image of the Demon King became immensely benevolent.


    Their loyalty to the Demon King soared to new heights.


    Marilyn voiced her opinion, saying, "The Ancient Elven Sanctuary is an invaluable treasure for our elven kin. We should make full use of it. I propose that we seek the Demon King''s permission to have all our young and aspiring elves permanently reside in the Darkness City for the sake of their education."


    "That is a valid point!"


    "It''s hard for me not to support this idea!"


    "This is the hope for the glorious rise of our elven race!"


    The elves continued their discussion as they departed from the elven sanctuary. It was at that precise moment that the Demon King, apanied by the young Elven King, approached them.


    Marilyn caught sight of Nancilia in an instant and eximed, "Nancilia, you..."


    Nancilia made no attempt to conceal herself. After all, these individuals were her most trusted kin. Without hesitation, she unleashed a wisp of the Elven King''s Aura.


    "As you can see!"


    Nancilia''s face radiated pride. "After receiving the Demon King''s baptism, I have made a significant breakthrough. I''ve not only reached Level 5, but also gained the Monarch''s Domain!"


    If the Elven Sanctuary was already a tremendous surprise, then whaty before them now could only be described as sheer euphoria.


    Everyone knew that with the young city lord''s talent and aptitude, her breakthrough to be an Elven King was only a matter of time. But who could have imagined that this day would arrive so soon?


    "We thank you, Your Majesty, the Demon King!"


    "This favor shall be eternally engraved in the hearts of the elves!"


    "We are grateful for everything Your Majesty has done for the elves!"


    The elves gratefully kneeled before the Demon King.


    After all, the blessings bestowed upon the elves by the Demon King were plentiful. From the Tree of Miracle to the Ancient Elven Sanctuary, and now, aiding them in cultivating an Elven King ahead of time.


    With these three, how could the elves not flourish?


    "As you have chosen to follow me,"


    "I will naturally not mistreat my subordinates."


    Zhang Nu calmly stated, "In addition, although Nancilia has sessfully broken through, this matter needs to be kept temporarily confidential. Do not go around spreading the news."


    A Level 5 monarch had emerged and she was an Elven King to boot.


    Most importantly, this Elven King has actually allied herself with a Demon King.


    This will surely cause a great sensation.


    For the time being, Zhang Nu did not want to attract too much attention.


    Simrly, Nancilia''s breakthrough happened too quickly, and Giantree City was not prepared to amodate elves from various regions seeking refuge.


    Now, a grace period was needed to allow the elven race and the territory to adjust to this change.


    In the eyes of the elves, the Demon King is almost on par with a divine being. Thus, they regarded his words with the utmost reverence andpliance.


    Regarding the elves'' desire to migrate a group of their kin to Darkness City, Zhang Nu wholeheartedly supported the idea.


    He had been nning for it recently, as there was an abundance of Spirit Fields now, and the goblins could not keep up with the cultivation.


    Moreover, the Darkness City was too deste for the time being.


    Zhang Nu had always intended to gradually popte this capital city by migrating poptions from various cities and tribes.

 Chapter 150: Silver Giants of the Thunderclap City

    At this moment, Zhang Nu sensed a spiritual connectioning from Li Si.


    Li Si possessed the ability to summon the Demon King and also had the ability to establish a spiritual connection through a prayer ceremony.


    Several days ago, the Skydrake Archpriest had been dispatched by the Demon King on a crucial mission.


    Recently, rumors spread throughout Thunderp City, using the Dragon Demon King of pilfering their treasured artifact. In response, the city assembled an army of giants, intent onunching an assault on Darkness Valley.


    At that time, Zhang Nu was preupied with the dwarves in the east.


    And so, the Dragon Demon King sent Li Si to mediate and negotiate in his stead.


    However, despite their numerous attempts, each negotiation ultimately met with failure.


    The giants insisted on confronting the Demon King.


    Upon receiving Li Si''s report, Zhang Nu could not help but regard these giants as mentally challenged. Only a fool would believe that the Demon King had nothing better to do than to pilfer their treasure.


    But the timing could not have been more opportune.


    Now was the perfect time to handle this matter.


    To the west of the Chaos Forestid a teau shrouded in perpetual lightning and thunderstorms, earning it the name Thunder Hignds, with the magnificent Thunderp City residing at its heart.


    Legend has it that Thunderp City was the mightiest stronghold within the Chaotic Forest, renowned as the city of giants.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    If Zhang Nu truly aspired to unify the Chaos Forest, he could not circumvent Thunderp City, the city hailed as the epitome of strength.


    Currently, Zhang Nu had six major forest cities under hismand: Giantree City, Berserk Beast City, Thousand Fang City, Silver Spring City, Ironheart City, and Magi Mojo City. Their influence extended over nearly half of the Chaotic Forest.


    If he could capture Thunderp City, nothing would stand in his way of unification within the entire Chaos Forest.


    Other forest cities and races would have no choice but to yield to the overwhelming might of the Demon King, without needing even a fight.


    Moreover, as Zhang Nu hade to understand, the giants were even more reclusive and isted than the dwarves. They rarely engaged with other forest races.


    Their sudden emergence, driven by the loss of their treasure, was undeniably peculiar.


    Zhang Nu was genuinely intrigued.


    What kind of treasure could evoke such a reaction from the giants?


    In direct response to the summoning of Li Si, the Skydrake Archpriest, Zhang Nu vanished from the depths of the Darkness City and reemerged instantaneously in a vast expanse of forested ins.


    "My master!"


    Li Si knelt down on one knee.


    "This humble servant has failed to stop the giants."


    Zhang Nu reassured him, "There is no need for self-me. You have managed to dy them for this long, allowing me to attend to other pressing matters, is already amendable aplishment."


    He turned his gaze and dered, "Now, let me see what these giants are up to and what tricks they have up their sleeves!"


    The variety among the giants was vast.


    ording to ancient tales, adult individuals of the Titan Giants towered at heights of several hundred to thousands of meters, while some lesser giants stood merely ten to eighteen meters tall.


    At this moment, on the in before them, stood two to three thousand colossal figures. Their heights reached forty to fifty meters, resembling the size of a skyscraper from Zhang Nu''s previous life. For ordinary humans, their presence was overwhelmingly oppressive.


    These giants possessed distinctive features. Their skin had a silver-white metallic texture, and they emanated an energy aura with faint flickering lightning.


    This particr species of giants was known as the Silver Giants.


    They belonged to the higher echelons of the giant race.


    Silver Giants could survive for extended periods without eating, replenishing their bodies with energy absorbed from lightning. It was no wonder they chose to establish their city in the rtively deste Thunder Hignds.


    Zhang Nu took a quick nce.


    [Silver Giant Warrior] Level 4 elite


    Skills: Silver War Body (Talent), Thunderbolt Hurling (C Rank), Lightning Absorption (C Rank), Lightning-Driven (C Rank), Mountain-Moving Strength (C Rank).


    [Silver Giant Elder] Level 4 lord


    Skills: Silver War Body (Talent), Lightning Spear (B Rank), Thunderbolt Hurling (C Rank), Lightning-Driven (C Rank), etc.


    [Silver Giant Chieftain: Jin Kui] Level 4 overlord


    Skills: Silver War Body (Talent), Thunderous Armor (A Rank), Thunderous Lighting Spear (A Rank), Thunderbolt Hurling (C Rank), etc.


    ......


    Impressive indeed.


    The poption of Thunderp City was actually not substantial.


    At most, the entire city housed around forty to fifty thousand inhabitants.


    Yet, it was hailed as the mightiest city in the Chaos Forest,rgely owing to the indomitable prowess of the Silver Giant n.


    As one ascended the ranks of superior races, their reproductive capacities diminished, resulting in smaller poptions.


    However, their lower limit of strength was remarkably high.


    Thebat units of the Silver Giants exhibited remarkable bnce in their power. Even an ordinary Silver Giant Warrior possessed the astonishing prowess of a Level 4 elite.


    For other races, such a scenario would be unimaginable.


    Yet, Zhang Nu did not find it surprising.


    After all, the true dragons were stronger than the Silver Giants and had even fewer numbers.


    A mature dragon, at the very least, would be a Level 5 lord, whereas a mature abyssal dragon would be a Level 5 overlord at the minimum.


    It would seem then.


    The Silver Giants could not truly be ssified as a superior race.


    Nheless, Zhang Nu could not help but admire their imposing size and appearance.


    It would certainly add grandeur to the main gate of the Darkness City if he brought back a few to serve as guards.


    Their immense strength and ability to sustain themselves on lightning energy, without requiring copious amounts of food, made them perfect for heavybor as well.


    "So, you''re the Darkness City''s Demon Lord?", the voice of Jin Kui, the Silver Giant n chieftain boomed across the ins.


    "Hand over the treasure of Thunderp City!"


    Zhang Nu found the demand perplexing.


    "What treasures have you lost?"


    The chieftain seethed with anger. "Quit ying dumb! Surrender the Heart of the Ancient God from our Thunderp City immediately, or we will tten the Darkness Valley!"


    Zhang Nu retorted, "What Heart of the Ancient God? I have never heard of it. Do you have any evidence to prove that we took it?"


    Jin Kui eximed, "Other than you, dragon, no other race in the Chaos Forest can withstand the power of the Heart of the Ancient God!"


    "What kind of reasoning is that?" Zhang Nuughed. "It seems to me that you''re just looking for a fight!"


    "Stop with the nonsense!" Jin Kui snapped.


    "We don''t care about the details!"


    "The Heart of the Ancient God must be handed over, by choice or by force!"


    Jin Kui unreasonably dered, "If you can''t give us the Heart of the Ancient God, then Thunderp City will bepensated with the relic sealed within the Giantree Forest. Otherwise, the giant n will not relent!"


    Zhang Nu grasped the situation.


    The Heart of the Ancient God was likely a fragment of an Evil God.


    Initially, Zhang Nu believed that the giants had no evidence to prove that he, the Dragon Demon King, had stolen the Heart of the Ancient God. It seemed that they were being manipted by someone with ulterior motives.


    Because he had noticed something peculiar.


    Among these giants were a few Heroes.


    Knowing the nature of these Heroes, they would undoubtedly take advantage of the situation, inciting Thunderp City to confront the mighty Dragon Demon King, all for their own gain.


    However, the situation seemed to be far from simple.


    The fragment of the Evil God held special significance for them.


    Hence their eagerness and desperation to retrieve it.


    Even if they could not find the original piece, they would settle for a substitute.


    As an ancient race dwelling in the Chaos Forest for millennia, the giants were likely aware of the sealednd within the Giantree Forest, which held another fragment of the Evil God.


    Zhang Nu responded, "You can''t even enter the sealed area, and even if you manage to enter, it''s a path of certain death."


    "Even if by some miracle you survive, you won''t obtain the fragment of the Evil God... In short, I advise you to give up on this futile endeavor!"


    "Nonsense!" an enraged giant elder, who was also a Hero, retorted.


    "Chieftain, why waste words with him? Since he refuses toply, let us seize it by force and y this Demon King while we''re at it!"


    "That''s right!"


    "Seize it from him!"


    "We''ll take it by force!"


    "Crush the Darkness Valley!"


    A handful of giant Heroes took advantage of the situation and began rallying the others.


    The atmosphere grew tense as thousands of towering giants filled the air with a murderous aura. It was an intimidating sight, enough to make the faint-hearted tremble.


    Zhang Nu nodded. "Very well, since Thunderp City must be conquered for my unification, I shall seize this opportunity to deal with all of you!"


    "How dare you speak so arrogantly!"


    The giant chieftain bellowed, his fury unleashed.


    "Witness the might of the giants!"


    In an instant, he conjured a spear of lightning, hurling it with force. The spear transformed into a colossal bolt of lightning, as thick as a water barrel, tearing through the earth and striking the Demon King from several hundred meters away.


    -0!


    Zhang Nu remained unscathed.


    Mocking them, he remarked, "Is this the power of the giants? Truly disappointing!"


    Jin Kui''s expression froze in disbelief.


    Even a Level 5 overlord would never dare to directly withstand such an attack!


    Before they could make any further moves, Zhang Nu activated his spatial abilities.


    In an instant, he vanished from his original position and reappeared at the center of the crowd of giants.


    The giants were caught off guard, unable to react in time.


    Suddenly, a sensation of weightlessness enveloped them.


    By the time they realized what was happening, they found that the surrounding environment had transformedpletely! The forests, the sky, the earth --- all gone!


    Under their feet and all around them was nothing but emptiness.


    It felt as if they had plunged into an endless abyss of darkness or were adrift in the vast, silent expanse of the cosmos. Not only were their powers instantly suppressed and weakened, but even the simplest movements became arduous in this disorienting void.


    The giants'' massive size worked against them.


    They could not find any solid footing.


    The two to three thousand giants floated like massive balloons adrift in the air.


    "A domain skill!"


    "You''re a monarch!"


    The giants were overwhelmed with shock.


    Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined facing off against a monarch rank being.


    The giant Hero hastily shouted, "Do not be afraid, everyone! Even if he''s a monarch, he can''t possibly take on all of us alone. If we attack together, we can surely overpower and kill him."


    "Agreed!"


    "Attack together!"


    One after another, a barrage of lightning spears was unleashed relentlessly.


    -0!


    -0!


    -0!


    Admittedly, their coordinated assault was formidable. It could even inflict severe damage on a Level 5 overlord. Even for a monarch level entity like Zhang Nu, who was not particrly built towards defense, these attacks posed a considerable threat.


    However, unless these hundreds or thousands of attacks converged and simultaneously struck him, their efforts failed to cause even the slightest harm.


    "How is this possible?"


    "Our collective assaults have no effect!"


    The giants were once again astounded.


    In this round of coordinated attack, not a single bit of damage appeared on the target. Even if he was a monarch, this was simply inconceivable!


    "Is this all you''ve got?"


    "I''ve run out of patience with your little game!"


    Zhang Nu unleashed a sudden surge of power, harnessing the forces of space and time.


    He discovered that his spatio-temporal power could be directly integrated with his entire Monarch''s Domain, allowing him to manipte the spatial and temporal aspects of the domain.


    Under these circumstances, his power was at least ten times stronger than usual.


    "Spatial Confinement!"


    Zhang Nu''s mastery over the domain''s space caused it to fold and twist, creating massive cages that left the giants immobilized in an instant.


    "Time Deceleration!"


    Exerting his control over time, the silver giants suddenly seemed as if someone had pushed the slow-motion button. Their attacks and movements became incredibly sluggish.


    As they felt the overwhelming power of space and time saturating the entire domain, the giant chieftain despaired, "You can actually manipte the properties of your domain?! This isn''t just an ordinary Monarch''s Domain! It''s a mythic-level Divine Sanctum!"


    Jin Kui''s hope was shattered.


    If the Dragon Demon King was an ordinary monarch, the giants might still had a chance in standing their ground if they mustered their full strength.


    However, judging by the domain''s manifestations, this was no ordinary monarch level domain. It was a mythic level domain!


    In other words, the dragon before them was not just a monarch level dragon.


    He was a mythic dragon!

 Chapter 151: Dominion of Law

    Monarch''s Domain.


    Mythic Divine Sanctum.


    They were in fact the same ability.


    They both belong to the category of domain skills.


    The Mythic Divine Sanctum was an advanced version of Monarch''s Domain.


    The key distinction lies in their effects: the primary effects of the Monarch''s Domain were sealing, suppression, and group damage capabilities.


    The Mythic Divine Sanctum not only possessed heightened suppression and group damage capabilities but also wielded a special power that the Monarch''s Domaincked: the Dominion of Laws.


    But what did Dominion of Laws entail?


    In that world, every individual was subjected to thews of the world.


    Their mastery of spells and skills was built upon the existing framework of thesews.


    However, if they were thrust into a disordered or alien environment with an entirely different set ofws, their mastered spells would lose all effectiveness... No matter their level of expertise, even a powerhouse could swiftly be obsolete.


    However, when one truly mastered thews themselves, they would not be affected by changes in the environment.


    Even if they traversed to a different world, they could still possess immense power.


    Moreover, they did not need to learn or master spells.


    They could naturally tap into the power governed by thews.


    When a monarch dedicated themselves into an arduous training and profound understanding of their own powers, eventually attaining mastery over the forces of thews, it signified an ascension from being a monarch into a mythic being.


    Mythic level beings were exceptionally rare, more so than monarchs.


    Nheless, the power of thews also had varying degrees of strength.


    Most mythics could only assimte the forces of the four fundamental elementalws: wind, fire, water, and earth. Those who possess greater prowess could incorporate the rarer elementalws of light, darkness, and lightning.


    At a more advanced and distinctive level, there existed a possibility of merging the energyws of life and death, or harnessing the capabilities of the mind and soul. Such urrences had been incredibly scarce even throughout history.


    However, at that very moment, the silver giant were facing a mythic dragon.


    The Dominion of Laws wielded by the dragon were not that of elemental, nor did it stem from mental or spiritual prowess, or even the energies of life and death.


    It was a dominion over time and space!


    This dragon hadpletemand over time and space within its domain.


    It could precisely manipte every inch of space and control the flow of time with incredible precision. Such a power was unprecedented and unheard of.


    Currently, the Great Demon King stood suspended in the air.


    Countless silver giants were hovering around.


    All these giants possessed formidable strength.


    Even the most ordinary silver giant warriors boasted the strength of Level 4 elites. When engaged inbat, even a Level 4 lord would struggle to prove an equal adversary.


    The reason for this was simple.


    The silver giants possessed an overwhelming advantage with their physique.


    Standing dozens of meters tall with bodies impervious to des and bullets, they could move mountains and divert rivers with sheer brute force, even without relying on any special abilities.


    This was the suppression brought about by their advanced lineage.


    The various races within the Chaos Forest dared not to provoke them.


    But now, this formidable group of silver giants found themselves utterly defenseless before the Dragon Demon King, like insignificant insects that could be crushed at will.


    The overwhelming sense of powerlessness.


    The depths of despair.


    The crushing oppression upon them.


    Such emotions had never gripped the hearts of the silver giants before.


    After Zhang Nupletely disabled all of the silver giants, with just a thought, a flicker of teleportation light emanated from his surroundings, and the squadron of the Demon King''s royal guards appeared before him.


    "Annihte them!"manded the Demon King.


    Without the slightest hesitation, the dozens of the royal guards sprang into action.


    [You''ve in a Silver Giant Warrior. Gold +6000!]


    [You''ve in a Silver Giant Warrior. Gold +6000!]


    [You''ve in a Silver Giant Warrior. Gold +6000!]


    [......]


    [You''ve in a Silver Giant Elder. Gold +140,000!]


    [You''ve in a Level 4 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +1]


    [You''ve in a Level 4 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +1]


    [......]


    Under Zhang Nu''s control, the space itself transformed into cages, confining the giants and rendering them immobile.


    Furthermore, the flow of time within the domain was manipted, slowing down the silver giants'' speed by nearly tenfold, turning them into sluggish beings.


    However, strangely enough, the dozens of Demon King''s royal guards were unaffected by the altered time flow.


    It was as if their speed had been elerated tenfold.


    These individuals were already immensely powerful, and now their attacks, spellcasting, and movement speed were all enhanced by tenfold. Even the most ordinary warmonger royal guard among them could likely contend with a Level 4 overlord.


    In this dire predicament, the giants found themselves suppressed relentlessly, with no room for resistance.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The Giant n Chieftain, Jin Kui, could only watch in despair as his kin and trusted subordinates were swiftly ughtered, yet he was helpless to intervene.


    They were utterly powerless!


    There was not a slightest glimmer of hope!


    Even facing off a monarch, the silver giants would have normally charged forward with unwavering determination.


    But this was no ordinary monarch, this was a genuine mythic dragon!


    The Silver Giant n chieftain could never have fathomed the might possessed by the Dragon Demon King of the Darkness Valley. If he had known, he would never have dared to provoke him.


    Beings of such magnitude, not only within the Chaos Forest, but even across the vast continents, the numbers of such terrifying titans could be counted on one''s fingers.


    In the outside world, a mere dozen seconds passed, yet within the domain, several minutes had already psed, and the merciless ughter imed the lives of countless silver giants.


    The gold acquired had exceeded 3 million!


    That surpassed the bounty from decimating the Magi Mojo City!


    Though their numbers were few, their quality proved amazing indeed!


    For Zhang Nu, it was the first time he had wielded the power of spatio-temporal inbat. If he were to employ spatial maniption under normal circumstances, urately sealing off each silver giant without impeding his own forces would be nearly impossible.


    Yet, within the domain, Zhang Nu felt that every inch of space and time obeyed hismand.


    The utilization felt effortless and seamless,pletely at his whims!


    Was this the effect of mastering thews?


    At the very least, within his own domain, the Dragon Demon King felt godlike.


    Of course, suppressing an army of silver giants was no easy task. Sustaining the domain exacted a heavy toll on Zhang Nu''s MP, depleting it at an rming rate.


    Having in over eight hundred giants, and amassed a staggering fortune of five to six million gold coins, the Demon King released his domain''s grip, granting the giants freedom of movement.


    Though barely a minute had passed in the real world, they felt as if they had struggled in the depths of hell for countless years.


    Now, although free from confinement, theyy sprawled on the ground, utterly defeated.


    Their will to fight waspletely shattered.


    The giant chieftain, Jin Kui, hastily begged for mercy, pressing his head to the ground. "Great Lord, have mercy! We were foolish and will never dare transgress again!"


    A cold smile curled upon the Demon King''s lips.


    In an instant, he appeared before the giant chieftain, pressing him beneath his foot.


    "You all boasted of ttening the Darkness Valley. If I were to simply spare you now, wouldn''t it make me seem weak?"


    The Giants'' chieftain, towering over fifty meters, wept like a child, tears streaming down his face. The fright he had just experienced had shattered his dignity and pride.


    "We had no choice!"


    Jin Kui cried out, "Without the Heart of the Ancient God to suppress the Ancient Daemonic Lair, the entire Thunderp City would have suffered. We were desperate! We were left with no alternatives!"


    As expected, the Ancient God''s Heart of the giant n was not a mere trinket.


    It yed a crucial role in suppressing a dangerous region within Thunderp City. Now that it had been stolen, there was a risk of losing control over that area, posing a threat to the survival of the entire city.


    Zhang Nu was taken aback by this revtion. After all, the Giants were known for their formidable strength. What could instill such fear in them?


    Pondering for a moment, Zhang Nu vanished before the giant chieftain, his figure reappearing before a giant elder.


    This particr giant elder was one of the six Heroes, the only one remaining now. The other five had been dispatched.


    "I don''t need much deliberation to figure out that you and your group of Heroes are the ones who stole the Heart of the Ancient God," Zhang Nu questioned directly.


    "Tell me, where is it now?"


    The giant Hero was rmed by the Demon King''s knowledge of his identity.


    He hastily pleaded, "Great Demon King, spare me! I''ll tell you everything. Yes, we coborated with the Divine Sword Heroes Guild to steal the Heart of the Ancient God. However, it has already been taken out of the Thunder Hignds!"


    The Divine Sword Heroes Guild again?


    That seemingly fragment of an Evil God.


    Now it had fallen into the hands of the Divine Sword Heroes?


    Zhang Nu had not anticipated the far-reaching influence of the Divine Sword. It seemed their efforts in the Chaos Forest had not been in vain.


    As for these giant Heroes, why were they aiding Su Wenhao?


    Zhang Nu could not be bothered to ask.


    It was not difficult to guess the reasons behind the giant warriors'' alliance with Su Wenhao.


    It must have involved promising them benefits and support to help him be the city lord of Thunderp City.


    Furthermore...


    For these Heroes, stealing the Heart of the Ancient God and ming it on the Demon King was a perfect opportunity to incite Thunderp City to kill the Dragon Demon King. They could effortlessly exploit the immensebat strength of the giant n for their own gain.


    "It was you!"


    "You treacherous traitor!"


    The giant chieftain Jin Kui roared in fury. The silver giant n was known for its unity, and such betrayal had never urred before. They had never suspected their own kin.


    But now, the elder by his side had betrayed his own kin.


    Betrayed Thunderp City!


    The giant Hero pleaded in terror, "Great Lord, as long as you spare my life, I will help you retrieve the Heart of the Ancient God!"


    Zhang Nu chuckled, "No need to trouble yourself. I will personally retrieve it. As for you, you are of no use to me anymore."


    With that, a fierce surge of abyssal thunder and lightning erupted from the Demon King, enveloping the giant elder in an instant.


    "Ahhhh! Ahhhh!"


    Several agonizing screams echoed.


    [You''ve in a Level 4 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +2!]


    The giants were once again stunned.


    Their astonishment stemmed not from the death of another giant elder, it was the fact that the Demon King had unleashed the power of lightning to dispatch a silver giant.


    It was simply unimaginable to them!


    It must be noted that silver giants could feast on lightning. They possessed tremendous resistance against any form of lightning-based attack. Among all types of elemental damage, they were the least vulnerable to lightning.


    However, a single giant elder was effortlessly in by the Demon King''s lightning attack!


    This not only demonstrated that the lightning manipted by the Demon King was far from ordinary but also reaffirmed the terrifying power the Demon King possessed!


    "Great Demon King!"


    "It''s all a misunderstanding!"


    "We were deceived!"


    "As long as you can forgive me and our kin..."


    "We are willing to follow you and serve you!"


    Zhang Nu received a notification.


    [1665 silver giants have surrendered to you. ept?]


    The reason Zhang Nu did not exterminate all these giants was that he intended to recruit them. After all, their strength was indeed formidable.


    In addition to that, Zhang Nu desired Thunderp City.


    Once he obtained Thunderp City, he would control Thunder Hignds. And with control over Thunder Hignds, he would dominate the western region of the Chaos Forest. Thus, the majority of the Chaos Forest would fall into the hands of the Dragon Demon King.


    With matters progressing to this stage, his n to unify the Chaos Forest was nearly fulfilled. The most influential cities had already pledged their loyalty to the Demon King.


    Faced with this predicament, the other cities had no alternative but to submit or face annihtion.


    There existed no third option.

 Chapter 152: Submission of Thunderclap City

    The next day, a drake descended upon the Thunder Hignd.


    It was a mutated sky drake with three heads, its body enveloped in a deep crimson hue, and its scales were seemingly seeping with flowingva. A formidable aura emanated from its entire being.


    As it traversed thend, the drake''s presence echoed through the surroundings, causing nearby magical beasts to flee in a state of panic.


    Eventually, the drakended and assumed a humanoid form, revealing itself to be none other than the Skydrake Archpriest of the Darkness City.


    Li Si raised his staff and conjured a teleportation field. Within a few minutes, figures started appearing one by one.


    Nancilia emerged from the field, her eyes wide with awe. "Wow, is this the Thunder Hignd?"


    The Thunder Hignd was a part of the Chaotic Forest, a harsh and frigid region for the majority of races.


    However, for certain exceptional magical creatures and races, it served as an ideal homnd.


    Veiled in perpetual dark clouds, the Thunder Hignd thrived with an abundance of thunder elemental energy.


    Thunder and lightning crackled incessantly, posing a threat to those unustomed to its environment.


    Now, the Demon King''s legion from the Darkness City had arrived, apanied by a retinue of several silver giants.


    Among them were the city lord of Thunderp City and the chief of the silver giants, Jin Kui, a formidable Level 4 overlord.


    The Thunder Hignd, with its unique and picturesque scenery.


    However, the Demon King was not here for sightseeing. He arrived with his entourage at Thunderp City.


    In this world of diverse races, each race had its own customs, culture, and distinct dwelling ces.


    For instance, the elves preferred the treetop abodes, giving rise to elven treehouses.


    Dwarves, on the other hand, favored underground dwellings, resulting in cities like Ironheart, built around mining pits.


    The Thunderp City of the silver giants deviated significantly from traditional cities.


    It was situated amidst a mountainous teau, enveloped in swirling clouds. Thousands of peaks formed thendscape, each one sculpted into an elliptical spire.


    The housing of the giants was unlike that of humans.


    They preferred to carve their houses directly into the mountains, transforming thousands of small peaks into "mountain houses" where several to dozens of giants resided.


    All the mountain houses in this mountainous region collectively formed what was known as Thunderp City.


    Moreover, each house''s roof was meticulously shaped into a cone, adorned with materials that attracted thunder elements. Consequently, they constantly drew lightning strikes and absorbed the electric energy.


    At first nce, thousands of peaks of the hignd were arranged in perfect harmony, shrouded in thunderstorms and cascades of electric light, making it nigh impossible for outsiders to approach and creating a visually stunning impact.


    "So, this is the giant''s city?"


    "Truly a sight to behold!"


    By looking into hidden information, Zhang Nu discovered that Thunderp City housed a total of 48,000 Silver Giants, with only 30,000 of them being young adults.


    Needless to say, in terms of poption, Thunderp City fell shortpared torge forest cities like Ironheart City or Berserk Beast City, with their poptions reaching hundreds of thousands.


    In fact, the giant poption even paled inparison to some small forest cities.


    However, in terms of grandeur and territorial scale, Thunderp City surpassed them tenfold.


    Silver giants were considered an advanced race, and recruiting such a group of followers would prove invaluable in the future.


    Zhang Nu continued to lead his troops forward.


    At that moment, Thunderp City became alert of the Demon King''s presence, and hundreds, even thousands, of silver giants wielding thunder and lightning rushed out.


    "Chieftain?!"


    "They''ve captured our chieftain!"


    "Release our chieftain immediately!"


    Several hot-tempered silver giant elders were filled with rage, and dozens, even hundreds, of silver giants immediately gathered the power of lightning, ready tounch an attack.


    They had no fear of coteral damage.


    They were not concerned about harming their chieftain.


    Silver giants relied on powerful lightning attacks. Not only did these attacks possess a wide effective range and immense power, they also carried a paralyzing effect, disrupting the movements of their enemies.


    At the same time, silver giants possessed exceptional resistance to lightning.


    Thus, even if all the attacksnded around their chieftain, it would not cause any harm. Instead, it would indirectly replenish their chieftain''s strength.


    Upon witnessing this, Zhang Nu had no intention of taking action.


    However, Nancilia had immediatelypleted an incantation.


    With her instantaneous teleportation magic, she appeared with remarkable precision before the group of giants. Without waiting for the giants to initiate their attacks, she struck the ground with her Elven King''s Scepter.


    In the instant the Elven King''s scepter struck the ground, an abundance of grasses, nts, and flowers erupted like fountains, rapidly spreading in all directions within a radius of over five hundred meters from the center point.


    In the blink of an eye, the entire area was enveloped in a flourishing tapestry of nature.


    Within this range, all the Silver Giants found their bodies entangled by hundreds of serpentine roots that emerged from the ground.


    These roots not only suppressed their strength but also seemed to voraciously absorb their MP.


    The lightning gathered in the giants'' hands was immediately siphoned away.


    "What kind of magic is this?"


    "No, this isn''t just magic!"


    "This is a domain skill. She is an Elven King!"


    Nancilia had activated her Monarch''s Domain.


    Zhang Nu had observed that each monarch possessed a unique domain.


    His own Monarch''s Domain could cast opponents into a chaotic void, inducing weightlessness, disorientation, and diminished mobility. It could profoundly suppress their stats, seal their skills, and continually drain their HP.


    Nancilia''s "Divine Tree Domain" possessed its own binding effect, allowing her to replenish her own MP by absorbing it from her opponents. It could even weaken enemy attacks by absorbing their magical energy.


    Undoubtedly, although the form and structure were different, the Divine Tree Domain remained a formidable Monarch''s Domain.


    Zhang Nu believed that, evenpared to other monarchs, Nancilia''s domain was of top-notch quality and level.


    In just an instant, tens of hundreds of giant warriors were restrained. Among them were several giant elders.


    This was an extraordinary feat that left the silver giants astounded by the incredible power of this seemingly unremarkable elven girl.


    However, even more so than the power of this young Elven King, they were stunned by her identity.


    This young elf was a genuine Elven King, a true ruler of the elves.


    Even for them, the presence of an Elven King held tremendous significance and weight.


    Why would an Elven King appear in the Chaos Forest? And why would a mighty Elven King choose to make an enemy out of the giants? Is Thunderp City really going to confront an Elven King?!


    Setting aside the fact that dealing with an Elven King is no easy task, even if someone had the ability to eliminate this Elven King, would the silver giants of Thunderp City dare to take such action?


    If news of the Elven King''s demise were to spread, Thunderp City would immediately be the archenemy of the entire elven race, facing their furious retaliation.


    "Halt!"


    "Everyone, stop!"


    "Cease your attacks!"


    City lord Jin Kui hurriedly shouted, fearing that his people would underestimate the severity of the situation and risk offending the Demon King.


    And yet, currently, Jin Kui himself was also filled with immense shock!


    He had initially believed that the Dragon Demon King possessing the strength of a mythic level dragon was already an incredibly unbelievable fact.


    But he never expected that the Demon King had acquired a subordinate who was an Elven King!


    It was simply too difficult to believe.


    Monarch entities were dignified and great leaders!


    Beings of this caliber would not easily submit to others, and the elven race, in particr, had a strong sense of pride. This was truly inconceivable!


    As he had thought, the Demon King''s might was far greater than Jin Kui had imagined!


    Even without the Demon King personally intervening, thebined might of the Elven King and the draconian legion from Darkness City was already beyond what Thunderp City could handle!


    To align themselves with the Dragon Demon King was their only path forward.


    Jin Kui immediately dered with his booming voice, "All of you! Kneel!"


    "Chieftain!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Why?"


    "Why must we kneel?"


    Jin Kui continued to shout, "From this day forward, Thunderp City shall pledge allegiance to the magnificent mythic dragon, the Lord of Darkness City, and the supreme and illustrious Great Demon King!"


    As his words boomed across the scene, astonishment seized the giants of Thunderp City.


    A mythic dragon?


    What?!


    The silver giants struggled to fathom the magnitude of this revtion, as they had never contemted the existence of beings of mythic level.


    "A mythic dragon?!"


    Nancilia''s eyes widened.


    Could it be that His Majesty has already attained mastery over the Dominions of Laws and transcended into the realm of a mythic level powerhouse? If so, it would be truly awe-inspiring!


    Seeing that his people were still bewildered, Jin Kui was on the verge of losing his temper.


    These foolish imbeciles could not evenprehend in speech?


    The enraged silver giant chieftain bellowed, "Anyone who dares to defy my orders shall be expelled from Thunderp City and banished from the Thunder Hignds!"


    The giants were stunned.


    They had never witnessed their chieftain so enraged before.


    Several loyalist giant elders hurriedly knelt down.


    Seeing the elders kneeling, the Thunderp City warriors followed suit, and in quick session, thousands upon thousands of Thunderp City residents, like a cascade of falling mountains and toppling pirs, thunderously knelt en masse.


    Giants were truly astonishing beings.


    Even their kneeling and submitting appeared more majestic than others.


    It was as if thousands upon thousands of towering mountains had copsed before them, causing a small earthquake that could be felt for miles around.


    And then, at that moment...


    A notification arrived.


    [45342 silver giants have surrendered to you. ept?]


    [You''ve conquered Thunderp City!]


    [You gained Shining Mythminite Chest x1]


    Upon seeing the reward chest, Zhang Nu felt immensely satisfied.


    Thunderp City was actually a Level 4 overlord area, unlike Ironheart City, which was a Level 5 overlord city. In terms of level, Thunderp City was not as powerful as Ironheart City.


    However, the quality of the reward chest was the same level.


    This was because Ironheart City''s rank of Level 5 overlord was mainly boosted by the presence of a single powerful ancient blood daemon.


    In terms of the average strength of warriors and residents, Ironheart City was definitely inferior to Thunderp City.


    Zhang Nu swept a nce.


    The ordinary warriors of Thunderp City were all Level 4 elites, while the elders were all Level 4 lords, with several exceptionally powerful elders reaching the rank of Level 4 overlord.


    Even themon residents of Thunderp City, once they reached adulthood, had at least the strength of Level 3 elites.


    Although the giants of Thunderp City had lower poptionpared to the dwarves of Ironheart City, if they were to engage in a battle, considering the overall strength and excluding the ancient blood daemon, Thunderp City would definitely have the upper hand.


    Suffice to say, if it wasn''t for Zhang Nu''s advancement into Level 5, causing the silver giant chieftain to be bowled over by his demonstration of immense might, then even if the forces of the Darkness City attempted to forcibly take over Thunderp City, they would likely have to pay a hefty price.


    These giants were not to be underestimated.


    Not engaging in a battle and subduing them peacefully was the best oue.


    Zhang Nu had easily conquered this giant city without much effort!

 Chapter 153: Golden Giant

    Chapter 153: Golden Giant


    The city of giants was now in Zhang Nu''s hands.


    In an instant, Thunder Hignd became the territory of the Demon King.


    The influence of the Great Demon King now sessfully radiated throughout half of the Chaos Forest.


    With this formidable group of giants under hismand, the military strength of the Demon King received a significant boost.


    With the current power and forces, he could proceed step by step and gradually conquer the entire Chaos Forest without much difficulty.


    Zhang Nu was looking forward to it.


    ording to the game''s rules, seizing control of the entire Chaos Forest would undoubtedly reward him with a corresponding treasure chest.


    This treasure chest would be a product of the entire Chaos Forest map, promising rewards of unprecedented richness and exceeding all expectations.


    However, despite the decisive victory, there was still the task of tidying up, which would require some time and effort.


    Zhang Nu eagerly opened the reward chest from Thunderp City.


    [You opened the Mithminite Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x5,000,000, "Blueprint: Giant Altar" x1, "Blueprint: Tower of Lost Trials" x1, "Advanced Castle Upgrade Scroll" x 1, "Thunder Gems" x 3000, "Life Gems" x 1000, "Light Gems" x 500!]


    Five million gold, a top-tier reward indeed.


    This amount was equivalent to the gold coins found in the chest from Ironheart City, a city boasting a Level 5 Overlord and a poption of hundreds of thousands of dwarves. It was a satisfying haul from Thunderp City.


    There were also two blueprints this time.


    [Blueprint: Giant Altar] Level 4 Blueprint. Costs gold x500,000, thunder gem x200, life gem x200, quality stone x50,000. You may construct a Giant Altar within your territory.


    [Blueprint: Tower of Lost Trials] Level 4 Blueprint. Costs gold x2,000,000, light gem x1000, dark gem x1000, life gem x1000, undeath gem x1000. You may construct a Tower of Lost Trials within your territory.


    The first blueprint belonged to altar structures.


    Zhang Nu was already acquainted with altars, having several in his possession, including the Demon King Altar, the Altar of Inferno, and the Soul Altar. However, the Giant Altar was unique to Giants and held no utility for other races.


    As for the "Tower of Lost Trial" blueprint, Zhang Nu was quite puzzled regarding its purpose. Unfortunately, the prompt information failed to provide a clear description of its functionality.


    However, considering the high cost, the functionality must be anything but ordinary.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhang Nu was disappointed that he did not obtain a giant summoning barracks blueprint.


    If he had a giant barracks-type building, even if he lost batches of giant warriors, he could recruit more as long as he had the funds. The silver giants would be an endless resource at his disposal.


    It seemed that the more advanced a race is, the lower the drop rate of its barracks blueprints.


    Zhang Nu was grateful that he had controlled the casualties during the capture of Thunderp City. Fortunately, he did not excessively use force or engage in mass ughter of silver giants.


    Having tens of thousands of Giants was sufficient.


    Although he did not acquire the blueprint for the giant''s barracks, obtaining an Advanced Castle Upgrade Scroll was still a decent oue.


    It would enable him to further enhance his High Demon King Castle, granting it more powerful attributes, stronger defense, and expanded functionality.


    Overall, it was amendable harvest this time.


    To facilitatemunication with the giants, Zhang Nu transformed into his dragon form.


    The giants could immediately feel an overwhelming surge of dragon fear engulfing them.


    The three-meter-tall Demon King had vanished and was reced by a majestic true dragon spanning over 120 meters in length.


    "Your Majesty!"


    "It''s a true dragon!"


    "This is no ordinary dragon!"


    "No wonder the chieftain pledged allegiance to the Demon King!"


    "The Demon King is an Abyssal Dragon! Mentioned only in tales and legends!"


    "......"


    Some giants recognized the species of the Demon King. The Abyssal Dragon, as a mysterious branch of the true dragon lineage, was only found in ancient records and was rarely seen on the continent nowadays.


    Apanied by the giants, Zhang Nu entered Thunderp City, taking in the grandeur of the giant''s cityscape.


    "Where is Thunderp City''s treasure vault?"


    "Your Majesty, the giants'' treasure vault lies within the central mountain. We are prepared to offer everything from the vault to Your Majesty."


    "Then let''s begin with the gold!"


    Jin Kui awkwardly replied, "I dare not deceive Your Majesty. The giants do not have a tradition of hoarding gold, nor do we engage in trade with other cities or gnome merchants. As a result, the city doesn''t possess a substantial reserve of gold."


    What?


    No gold?


    Zhang Nu felt a twinge of disappointment.


    Despite having a long history, the giants were not wealthy like the dwarves. The main reason was that silver giants were not adept at production.


    Not being involved in production was one thing, but silver giants also had minimal food requirements.


    The mountain dwellings in Thunderp City were specially designed to capture abundant lightning every day.


    With the environment of Thunder Hignds, they could justze around at home and recharge without starving.


    In such circumstances, why would the giants engage in trade with gnomes?


    Besides, gnome merchants did not even dare to approach Thunderp City.


    These giants were colossal in size, neither working nor consuming much, andcking any particr hobbies or interests. They were truly a bunch of "couch potatoes"!


    Despite all this, Zhang Nu still made some gains. After all, the Giants had lived on the Thunder Hignds for thousands of years.


    Their treasure vault was quite substantial, although it did not contain gold, silver, jewels, or weapons. Instead, it housed various spoils of war.


    Among them, materials were the most abundant. While Thunder Hignds appeared deste, it was home to numerous high-level magical beasts, including some Level 4s and 5s. The giants had hunted down a considerable number of these threatening creatures in the past.


    Thunderp City had transformed these magical beasts into collectibles, umting a vast quantity over time. Various materials such as fur, bones, magic cores, and otherponents from high-level magical beasts, though not particrly useful to Zhang Nu, held significant value in themselves.


    All in all, it was still a decent yield.


    A group of war prisoners from the Magi Mojo City were held captive in the Darkness City. These trolls were skilled in alchemy and could be utilized in the future.


    In addition to the trolls, both elves and gnomes were adept at alchemy. The elves excelled in constructing magical formations, while the gnomes possessed knowledge of magical and scientific technologies.


    All of these productions required a significant amount of materials.


    Some materials could not be immediately obtained even with gold.


    Within the giant''s treasure vault, there were countless precious high-level materials. It was essentially a vast museum that could fulfill most production needs.


    The giants were extremely anxious, fearing the dissatisfaction of the Demon King. The chieftain hurriedly spoke, "Your Majesty, Thunderp City only has these resources. If you are not satisfied, I will immediately order our people to gather more."


    The Demon King replied, "Forget it. Although the treasure vault is not as abundant as I imagined, your attitude of surrender is eptable. I will give you a small reward."


    The Demon King had just upied this territory and had not yet plundered everything nor exploited the giants. Instead, he was preparing to reward them?


    Zhang Nu arrived at an empty space and took out the "Blueprint: Giant Altar", directly consuming the corresponding resources to perform the summoning.


    Rumble!


    The earth shook and the mountains trembled. A colossal altar, taller than any mountain within Thunderp City, emerged from the ground, leaving all the giants present in awe.


    The feat of raising a mountain from t ground.


    Some highly skilled earth magic users could pull off such a stunt.


    However, what appeared before all the giants was not an ordinary mountain. It was a mysterious structure exuding a divine aura.


    "What is this...?"


    The giant chieftain, Jin Kui did not recognize the formations and runes on the surface of the altar, but he could clearly sense that this altar seemed closely rted to the giant race.


    At that moment, the oldest elder of Thunderp City eximed with excitement, "This seems to be... the sacred altar hailed from the ancient legends of our race!"


    This elder was the eldest and most knowledgeable giant in Thunderp City. Despite his advanced age and declining strength, he stillmanded great respect among his people.


    "The sacred altar of the giant race?"


    Jin Kui wore a perplexed expression.


    "How is it possible that I''ve never heard of it?"


    "Of course, it was natural that the chieftain hadn''t heard of it. The sacred altar has long been lost to history. Even I have only heard tales about it," replied the elder, growing increasingly thrilled.


    He carefully examined it repeatedly, confirming that he was not mistaken.


    "The construction of the sacred altar is extremely difficult."


    "Only the ancient giant empire possessed such power."


    "The sacred altar can enhance a giant''s lineage and potential. However, activating the sacred altar requires a significant amount of resources. Only giants with the most potential, exceptional talent, or those who have achieved great deeds can have this honor."


    The silver giants were all moved by this revtion.


    But this ancient relic had long been lost.


    How could such a powerful existence, unknown even to ordinary giants, be summoned by the Demon King? It was truly unbelievable!


    No matter the circumstances, this was the sacred artifact of the giants.


    It could be called an invaluable treasure!


    Although Thunderp City''s current strength might not be enough to activate the altar, it did not diminish its significance in the hearts of the silver giants.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty!"


    "Thank you, Your Majesty!"


    The giant chieftain and elders knelt down, once again prostrating themselves collectively, causing the earth to shake with force.


    The giant''s loyalty was on the rise, averaging at around seventy percent.


    At least for the time being, there was no need to worry about their betrayal.


    However, the Demon King remained indifferent. "There''s no need to rush and thank me now. The rewards haven''t been distributed yet. You can express your gratitude when you receive them."


    What?


    Was this some kind of joke?


    He was gifting the ancient sacred altar to the Giants!


    Wasn''t that already considered a reward?


    In the eyes of the giants, this was already an enormous blessing!


    Then, Zhang Nu extended his dragon w and pointed at the chieftain Jin Kui. "Let''s start with you!"


    Before Jin Kui could react, the Demon King activated his spatial maniption talent, enveloping chieftain Jin Kui with spatial energy, causing him to disappear from his original spot and instantly reappear on top of the altar.


    [The strengthening costs 300,000 gold. Proceed to strengthen?]


    Three hundred thousand gold?


    It did not seem to be too expensive.


    After all, Jin Kui was a Level 4 overlord unit.


    Even using the Altar of Infernor to enhance a single Level 4 lord Warmonger Royal Guard would cost 120,000 gold. This was merely a little over twice the price.


    "Strengthen!"


    The altar shook violently, releasing a torrent of lightning bolts. These thunderbolts radiated a golden hue.


    The giant chieftain stood amidst the electrifying spectacle, his form engulfed in these lightning.


    [Strengtheningpleted!]


    [HP +1000, MP +500, Strength +200, Constitution +100, Agility +50, Will +50. Activated talents: Golden Physique, Demon Busting Golden Thunder!]


    Everyone was marveled at the sight.


    After absorbing the golden lightning, the giant chieftain underwent a remarkable transformation, his once silvery metallic skin reced by a resplendent golden sheen from head to toe.


    "Golden giant!"


    "This is the legendary physique!"


    The elder of Thunderp City was stunned. "His Majesty the Demon King actually activated the altar''s ritual, causing the chieftain to ascend into a golden giant!"


    "Unbelievable!"


    "Our n''s bloodline..."


    "It has dwindled over the generations."


    "For five thousand years, not a single golden giant has emerged!"


    The other silver giant elders echoed the sentiment, struggling to believe their eyes.


    Golden giants were undeniably rarepared to their silver counterparts.


    Only the silver giants with the best talent and the highest caliber had a minuscule chance of ascending into a golden giant through a specific training method.


    Legend had it that golden giants not only exhibited elerated training speed but alsomanded a unique power---golden thunder.


    This extraordinary lightning surpassed the might of ordinary bolts, exerting a profound suppressive effect on dark creatures and undead beings.


    Under simr rank and level, golden giants outshone their silver kin inbat, disying superior strength and prowess.


    Each golden giant was a symbol of pride within the giant race.


    The giants of Thunderp City never fathomed that one among them would ascend to be a golden giant!

 Chapter 154: The Demon Kings Gift to the Giants

    The giant chieftain, Jin Kui, felt it from within. He had undergone aplete transformation from the inside out.


    For decades, he had been stuck at the bottleneck of Level 4.


    Until this moment, there had been no signs of any breakthrough. Jin Kui had even resigned himself to the belief that this was the extent of his abilities in his lifetime.


    But just as the Demon King activated the Golden Physique talent within him, the bottleneck that had gued him for decades was suddenly shattered, unleashing the power that had been umting within him.


    In the next instant, an immense aura instantly swept through Thunderp City.


    Every giant in Thunderp City could feel it---the chieftain''s long-stagnant power had suddenly experienced an explosive breakthrough at this crucial moment.


    "This..."


    The elders of Thunderp City were stunned.


    Too many surprises and unexpected events stacked on top of each other.


    They werepletely flummoxed and temporarily lost the ability to process the situation.


    The chieftain had achieved a breakthrough.


    What did this signify?


    Thunderp City hadn''t seen a Level 5 giant in a thousand years.


    This meant that the giant n of Thunderp City would finally once again embark on a phase of remarkable prosperity.


    Moreover!


    The chieftain was still rtively young for a giant.


    Now, with the activation of the long lost Golden Physique talent by the Demon King, his future potential seemed boundless!


    Zhang Nu nced at Jin Kui.


    He noticed a significant change in Jin Kui''s information.


    [Golden Giant Chieftain: Jin Kui] Level 5 Overlord.


    Skills: Golden Physique (Talent), Demon Busting Golden Thunder (Talent), Thunderous Golden Armor (A Rank), Thunderous Golden Spear (A Rank), Indestructible Golden Body (A Rank), Demon Suppressing Aura (A Rank), etc.


    Even Zhang Nu was taken aback from his transformation.


    He had only known that the Giant Altar could bestow the ascension to a golden giant.


    But he never anticipated that upon bing a golden giant, the city lord of Thunderp City would achieve an immediate breakthrough.


    This was incredible news!


    Currently, among Zhang Nu''s forces, only a handful possessed the prowess of a Level 5 overlord.


    Aside from the Elven King Nancilia, who held the rank of a monarch, only the Miracle Archpriest Gu Yi, when harnessing the power of the Tree of Miracle, could reach a level where they could contend with or even surpass the might of a Level 5 overlord.


    A Level 5 overlord would not be an insignificant character, even if thrown into the Thunder Empire.


    They would be on par with the most enigmatic and powerful Guardian Knights of the Thunder Empire!


    The strongest opponents Zhang Nu had faced, such as the Eye of the Evil God and the Ancient Blood Daemon, were nothing more than Level 5 overlords. This alone demonstrated the immense power of a Level 5 overlord.


    Of course, Jin Kui had just achieved the breakthrough.


    There would be variations in the strength of Level 5 overlords.


    Compared to the Eye of the Evil God and the Ancient Blood Daemon, there was still a considerable gap in power.


    The giant chieftain knelt and expressed his gratitude, "Your Majesty, for bestowing upon me such a tremendous opportunity and granting me a new lease on life, I swear in the name of the Thunder God that I am willing toy down my life for you!"


    Jin Kui''s loyalty rapidly soared.


    At this moment, it was close to reaching ny.


    The loyalty of other giants also generally rose to seventy or eighty.


    Under normal circumstances, as long as loyalty exceeded sixty, the probability of betrayal was extremely low, and once loyalty reached seventy, it was almost impossible to betray.


    With eighty loyalty that represented a high level of loyalty. Ny and above signified unwavering loyalty.


    The loyalty of the elven race towards Zhang Nu was generally ny and above, and the loyalty of the Elven King Nancilia had already reached the maximum of ny-nine.


    Within just two days of pledging allegiance, this giant chieftain had already reached a level of unwavering loyalty.


    The speed at which his loyalty increased was quite astonishing.


    This could be attributed to Zhang Nu summoning the Giant Altar, activating his innate talents, and facilitating his level advancement, as well as the Demon King''s unquestionably terrifying power.


    The Demon King nodded.


    His next statement, once again shooked the giants.


    "You may step down."


    "Bring in the next one."


    Zhang Nu announced, "I will perform ten strengthening rituals for Thunderp City. You now have twenty minutes to select ten nsmen to step forth."


    The Demon King actually intended to continue the altar ritual?


    The senior elder of Thunderp City could not believe his ears. He was well aware that initiating the altar ritual was by no means an easy task.


    Performing the strengthening ritual for the chieftain was one thing, but the Demon King intended to perform sacrifices for other giants too?!


    Moreover, ten more times!


    Even in the most prosperous ancient giant kingdom, this was an extremely resource-consuming and extravagant act!


    The generosity of the Demon King towards the giants seemed a bit excessive!


    Zhang Nu had no idea how many resources were normally required to initiate the altar through conventional means, but for him, it was only 300,000 gold coins per strengthening.


    300,000 gold for one strengthening.


    3.3 million gold for eleven strengthenings.


    Was this cost high?


    At least for the current Zhang Nu, it could not be considered too high of a price.


    Zhang Nu nned to regrly provide ten slots of strengthening in the future, allowing the giants of Thunderp City to strive for these positions and dedicate their lives in his service.


    Not only would this create value, it would further bolster the overall strength of Thunderp City.


    Who else but the Demon King would reap the benefits?


    Soon enough, the giants reached an agreement.


    The ten fortunate giants chosen were all esteemed elders of Thunderp City, distinguished by their seniority.


    As a matter of fact, inparison to their younger and more vigorous elders, these senior elders had experienced a significant decline in their abilities.


    However, as long as they could undergo the transformation into golden giants through the ritual, their lifespans would be greatly extended, giving them the opportunity to return to their prime.


    From this perspective, it was evident that the giants were truly united as a n.


    Without any dy, Zhang Nu immediately performed the ten strengthening rituals, transforming all ten elders into golden giants.


    Among them, the most aged senior elder, not only instantaneously returned to his prime, but also achieved a breakthrough to Level 5, ascending to the rank of a Level 5 lord.


    Yet another one joined the rank of the powerhouses!


    At this point, the giants truly pledged their unwavering loyalty to the Demon King.


    Thunderp City now boasted eleven golden giants, and its potential for development and future prospects were iparable to the past.


    Furthermore, the Demon King made a promise.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    At regr intervals, he would visit Thunderp City to transform more exceptional giants into golden giants.


    This news greatly uplifted the spirits of the thousands, if not tens of thousands, of giants who received this series of good tidings. They were jubnt and overjoyed, behaving like five-hundred-ton children.


    In an instant, the young Elven King, Nancilia teleported to the side of the Demon King.


    "Your Majesty, I sense an aura of evil nearby!"


    Zhang Nu nodded. He, too, had sensed it.


    "What seems amiss in this vicinity?"


    Jin Kui, originally filled with extreme joy, grew solemn when he heard the conversation between the Demon King and the Elven King.


    "It''s likely that the Ancient Daemonic Lair is bing unstable again!"


    "Without the suppression of the Heart of the Ancient God, certain entities have begun stirring restlessly!"


    Curious, the Elven King asked, "The Ancient Daemonic Lair? What is that ce? Why have I never heard of it before?"


    Chieftain Jin Kui exined, "Since our ancestors migrated to the Thunder Hignds six thousand years ago, their has already existed. Its origins are incredibly ancient, and even our ancestors didn''t have a thorough understanding of it."


    Jin Kui then sought out the senior elder and had him exin the details of the Ancient Daemonic Lair.


    Only then did Zhang Nu and Nancilia grasp the whole situation.


    The Ancient Daemonic Lair was located near Thunderp City. It was a mysterious cavern whose connections to other ces were unknown to the giants. However, it would devour any creatures that approached its vicinity.


    Not only that, within thisir, countless undead and daemons resided.


    Despite the initial choosing of Thunderp City''s location as an excellent habitat by the ancestors of the silver giants, they were unable to migrate there due to the presence of their.


    It was not until three thousand years ago that a certain chieftain of the silver giants acquired the Heart of the Ancient God from an unknown source. With the power of the Heart of the Ancient God, they sessfully suppressed their, allowing Thunderp City to be established.


    Now, the Heart of the Ancient God had been stolen by a traitor.


    Without the suppression of the Heart of the Ancient God, the Ancient Daemonic Lair immediately showed signs of losing control!


    The young Elven King pondered for a moment and said, "I see. It seems to be a dangerous ce. Your Majesty, allow me to go and explore this cavern."


    Zhang Nu thought for a moment and replied, "This Daemonic Lair may be more than meets the eye. Let''s head in together and take a look."


    Upon hearing these words, chieftain Jin Kui was ecstatic.


    Despite having made significant breakthroughs and gaining some confidence to challenge their, he knew that there was no guarantee of resolving the hidden dangers within it. In fact, it was certain to be extremely perilous, with a low chance of sess and a high risk of losing their lives.


    But now, with the presence of two powerhouses, one being the Elven King and the other a mythic true dragon---what was there to worry about in solving this enormous threat to Thunderp City?!


    Suddenly, Jin Kui realized that among all the things he had done and decisions he had made in his life, pledging loyalty to the Dragon Demon King was perhaps the most correct and wise one.


    In just a few days, because of His Majesty the Demon King, Thunderp City and the giant n had undergone a tremendous transformation!


    The Dragon Demon King, the Elven King, the chieftain of the giant n, and dozens of giant elders arrived near Thunderp City, standing before a dark mountain range.


    "What a strong aura of evil!"


    "It''s no less formidable than the daemon of Ironheart City!"


    Immediately, Nancilia sensed the terrifying presence permeating the air. Even with her current strength, she knew she had to be on high alert.


    Soon, they arrived at the Ancient Daemonic Lair.


    It was located in a valley called the Daemon Sealing Valley. Within this valley stood a majestic and ancient temple. This temple was the giant n''s Daemon Sealing Temple, where the Heart of the Ancient God was enshrined. The entrance to the Ancient Daemonic Lairy beneath the temple.


    Zhang Nu could sense the aura emanating from the valley. Initially, he thought it might be a presence as formidable as the ancient blood daemon of Ironheart City.


    However, when he truly saw it, his expression suddenly changed for the worse.


    Nancilia noticed the change in the Demon King''s expression.


    Given her understanding of the Daemon King, she knew that he would not have reacted like this if it was just an existence simr to "Underground God".


    This indicated that the situation within the Ancient Daemonic Lair was even moreplicated than they had imagined.


    Nancilia immediately asked, "Your Majesty, do you sense something amiss?"


    The Demon King regained hisposure and replied, "This is not just air. It is a tomb. Thunderp City used the so-called ''Heart of the Ancient God'' to suppress it. But it seems that they may have inadvertentlyplicated matters!"


    Zhang Nu scanned through their''s information prompt once more.


    [Corrupted Ancient Tomb] Level 5 monarch area.


    Description: This is an incredibly ancient tomb from a powerful kingdom of Eld, where thirteen formerly monarch level figures wereid to rest.


    The ancient kingdom has long vanished into the currents of history and the passage of time, and this tomb of kings has been forgotten for tens of thousands of years...


    Due to the absorption of potent energy of an Evil God, the ancient tomb has undergone mutations, and the forgotten ancient monarch entities may soon descend upon the world in entirely new forms and identities...

 Chapter 155: The Ancient Daemonic Lair

    A Level 5 monarch area!


    This was unseen and unheard of!


    Zhang Nu had believed that within the Chaos Forest, the highest an area could reach was Level 5 overlord. Little did he know that a monarch ranked area existed.


    This discovery revealed a trove of hidden information.


    There were tens of thousands of words worth of content, enough to write a history book. Zhang Nu only skimmed through the key information.


    Jin Kui inquired, "Your Majesty, do you suspect something amiss with the daemonicir?"


    Zhang Nu replied, "This is noir, but an ancient tomb."


    "Once, a powerful and ancient race thrived here. Their kingdom spanning the Thunder Hignds and a portion of the eastern territories of the Sunset Empire."


    "At its zenith, this ancient kingdom boasted a poption of one to two hundred million, a glorious era that endured for over five thousand years. Eventually, it sumbed to the currents of history and time, leaving behind scarcely any traces, forgottenpletely."


    An ancient tomb?


    The revtion left everyone astonished.


    Yet, the existence of ancient civilizations itself did not surprise them.


    After all, on this vast continent, with near-infinite stretches of space and time, such kingdoms that flourished and perished, with their memory fading into obscurity, were too numerous to count.


    In fact, ancient ruins were scattered all over the continent. Ny percent of them could not be verified.


    Zhang Nu continued, "But this is no ordinary tomb. It is a royal mausoleum, the resting ce of more than ten mighty beings of the monarch rank."


    The Elven King and the giants were struck with awe.


    The bodies of these monarch entities were resistant to decay and harbored formidable power. Thus, they required special handling or burial methods to prevent potential threats or exploitation by malevolent individuals.


    During the prime time of this ancient kingdom''s grandeur, the royal tombs were revered as forbidden grounds, vigntly guarded by formidable forces.


    But now, this ancient kingdom hadpletely perished for tens of thousands of years.


    The Elven King immediately furrowed her brow and said, "Tens of thousands of years have brought about tremendous environmental changes. Under certain natural circumstances, it is indeed possible for the tomb to be corrupted, giving rise to numerous daemons and undead, transforming it into a massive daemonicir."


    However, the Demon King shook his head.


    "If that were the case," he said, "Then at most, it would create some regr daemons or undead creatures."


    "Even if the ancient monarch''s remains manifested into undeads, they would not reach the heights of power they had in life. While it poses a certain level of danger, it would not constitute a significant threat."


    "However," he continued.


    "The situation here is far from being so simple."


    The Elf King asked, "Are there other variables at y?"


    The Demon King revealed, "Three thousand years ago, in order to construct the Thunderp City, the giants sought out a relic known as the ''Heart of the Ancient God'' to suppress the ancient tomb. Unfortunately, it has led to grave consequences."


    Upon hearing this, the giants exchanged concerned nces.


    Jin Kui nervously spoke up, "Your Majesty, but the Heart of the Ancient God has been effective in stabilizing the daemonicir all this time."


    "Heh, the so-called Heart of the Ancient God is none other than a fragment of an Evil God. Based on my understanding of such fragments, they are inherently extremely dangerous," the Demon King replied.


    The young Elven King shuddered in realization. "What? Your Majesty, is this true? The Heart of the Ancient God is actually an Evil God fragment?"


    As a member of the Giantree tribe, she was all too aware of the horrors associated with these fragments. They embodied an undying divine essence, incapable of beingpletely annihted, and possessed the ability to regenerate themselves.


    Even when the Eye of the Evil God was sealed for tens of thousands of years, it still possessed powerparable to that of a Level 5 overlord. An unsealed fragment of an Evil God itself was a catastrophic existence!


    "But why hasn''t it revived and reawakened in the past three thousand years?" questioned the Elven King.


    "The reason lies within this ancient tomb," Zhang Nu rified Nancilia''s confusion. "The power of the Evil God generated by the fragment has beenpletely absorbed by this tomb."


    "The Heart of the Ancient God suppresses the creatures within the daemonicir."


    "And in turn, their suppresses the revival of the Evil God fragment."


    "This, in essence, created a paradoxical situation, where two negativesbine to form a positive oue. However, this is by no means a permanent solution. Instead, the risks umted over time, ultimately transforming into an unpredictable time bomb."


    "Now, with more than a dozen ancient monarch entities involved," Zhang Nu concluded, "unimaginable mutations are taking ce."


    Upon hearing the words of the Demon King, the giants were ovee with despair.


    The fate of Thunderp City was already hanging by a thread, teetering on the edge of destruction. Without the warning from the Demon King, this ticking time bomb would inevitably explode, reducing the entire city to nothingness.


    "This is a grave situation!" Nancilia''s expression turned solemn.


    "If this ancient tomb''s influence was limited to the hignds three thousand years ago, it has now be a threat to the entirety of the Chaos Forest!"


    Having full faith in the words of the Demon King, the Elven King had no doubts. If the Demon King sensed a terrifying change, Nancilia would not question it.


    With over a dozen monarch corpses absorbing vast amounts of the sinister power of the Evil God, who knows what kind of abominations might be created? Nancilia believed that even if she were to intervene, she might not be able to handle them.


    Once these monstrous creatures of these corrupted monarchs emerged, not only Thunderp City would suffer devastation, but the Chaos Forest as a whole would endure a great cmity.


    "Demon King, Your Majesty," Nancilia implored.


    "I beg you to save Thunderp City! The ancestors of the giants could never have foreseen such dire consequences!"


    Dozens of giant elders fell to their knees at her words.


    If there was anyone in the Chaos Forest who could save Thunderp City and the Thunder Hignds, it would be the Demon King standing before them.


    In truth, the Demon King could not help but be intrigued by an area of the monarch rank.


    However, the information prompt indicated that this colossal ancient tomb was of an immense scale, infested with undead and monsters too many to be exterminated overnight.


    "There''s no need to worry," the Demon King reassured them.


    "The corrupted monarchs have yet to fully awaken. Let us first enter and deal with the troubles on the outskirts."


    With his entourage, the Demon King ventured into the Daemon Sealing Temple, breaking the ancient seal of their.


    A potent wave of malevolent aura surged forth.


    [You are being corroded by corrupted energy. HP -0!]


    [You are being corroded by corrupted energy. HP -0!]


    [You are being corroded by corrupted energy. HP -0!]


    This aura was no less formidable than the one in the firstyer of sealednd in Giantree Forest.


    However, with Zhang Nu''s current strength, even without the Elven King''s buff, he would not suffer the slightest bit of damage.


    However, this aura posed a grave threat to the ordinary giant elders and giant warriors. An ordinary giant warrior wouldst no more than fifteen minutes in the daemonicir, and even the giant chieftain, Jin Kui, as powerful as he was before ascending into a golden giant, could only endure for an hour at most.


    This is precisely why the Giants had never ventured into the depths of the daemonicir.


    "We actually withstood the aura of the daemonicir!"


    Jin Kui, and the other eleven golden giants were astonished to discover that since their ascension into golden giants, the influence of the daemonicir on them had been significantly weakened.


    Golden giants possessed a strong resistance to evil. Dark attribute energy, undeath attribute energy, and other negative attributed powers were less likely to threaten golden giants.


    The giant chief activated his newfound ability.


    "Demon Suppressing Aura!"


    [You''ve been buffed by Demon Suppressing Aura. +50 evil damage type resistance. +100 damage against targets of dark, undead, demon and daemon types!]


    All the giants received the buff from the aura.


    Even the ordinary silver giants felt the diminishing effects of the corrupted energies.


    The giants were filled with joy and excitement. With their n chieftain now a Level 5 overlord golden giant, he possessed the capability to lead his people in exploring the treacherous depths of the daemonic cavern!


    This was unprecedented in their history.


    The corrupted monarchs'' ancient tomb was farrger than imagined.


    Its vast expanse could easily amodate a modern metropolis teeming with millions of inhabitants, offering a glimpse into the unparalleled prosperity of the ancient kingdom that once thrived there.


    However, at this moment...


    The ancient tomb was saturated with malevolent energy.


    Natural caverns abounded in every corner, brimming with the essence of daemons and undead.


    Conquering this ce would require theplete eradication of all the creatures within, a task that couldn''t be achieved in a short time.


    This was the biggest dungeon Zhang Nu had ever seen.


    However, he did not intend to venture directly into the deepest depths this time.


    His n was to first help Thunderp City in resolving its immediate crisis.


    The responsibility of guarding and clearing the Ancient Daemonic Lair would be entrusted to the giants. Once the outermost creatures were mostly eliminated, Zhang Nu would then confront the final boss.


    The group entered the depths of the daemonicir. Its surroundings resembled natural caves.


    Numerous blood vessels and vein-like tissues covered the ground and walls, serving as conduits for the corrupted monarchs to absorb the energy of the Evil God fragment over the past few thousand years.


    The Elven King sensed the presence of many advancing figures and immediately warned everyone, "Be on your guard!"


    "Something''s approaching!"


    "Their strengths are formidable!"


    Dozens of towering figures emerged from the shadows ahead.


    They were colossal headless knights, standing at an impressive height of eight meters.


    [Gravekeeper Knight of the Ancient Monarchs] Level 5 elite.


    .......


    Skills: Death Charge (B Rank), Death Wail (B Rank), Dark me Empowerment (B Rank), etc.


    ......


    Description: These undead knights were once the loyal protectors of the ancient monarch entities. Impervious to decay andcking any trace of sentience, they are the most faithful guardians of the tomb, tasked with ying any intruders and transforming them into sacrificial offerings for the royal mausoleum!


    Headless guardian knights.


    They swept forward like a hurricane.


    Mounted upon colossal skeletal steeds, engulfed in swirling ck infernal mes, they charged towards the group with an astonishing momentum.


    In the past, when faced with such guardians, the giants could only evade their onught.


    These foes were already difficult to deal with, especially in their own home turf.


    However, seizing the moment, Jin Kui stepped forward resolutely, summoning a radiant spear of golden thunder.


    "Your Majesty, no need to intervene!"


    "Allow me to handle them!"


    In an instant, one of the colossal headless knights was pierced by the golden thunder, disintegrating along with its skeletal steed into a pile of decaying filth.


    [You''ve in a Gravekeeper Knight of the Ancient Monarchs. Gold +15,000!]


    The other giants swiftly joined the fray.


    [You''ve in a Gravekeeper Knight of the Ancient Monarchs. Gold +15,000!]


    [You''ve in a Gravekeeper Knight of the Ancient Monarchs. Gold +15,000!]


    [You''ve in a Gravekeeper Knight of the Ancient Monarchs. Gold +15,000!]


    [......]


    Fifteen thousand gold per kill.


    The money was flowing in abundantly!


    As Zhang Nu observed the spoils, a realization dawned upon him. While Thunderp City mayck fertilends and abundant mineral resources, Thunder Hignds possessed a distinct advantage - an extensive poption of high-level magical creatures and numerous ruins simr to this ancient tomb, harbored hidden underground chambers.


    Instead of engaging in farming and mining, the giants could focus their efforts on hunting these magical creatures and forge their own path of production.


    Not only could they contribute to the Demon King''s ie, but they could also supply materials to the Demon King''s organization.


    "We did it!"


    "We''ve emerged victorious!"


    "Who would have thought it would be this effortless!"


    The giants were filled with exhration. In the past, even oveing a group of headless knights would have been a daunting and costly endeavor.


    Yet now, they had ovee them with ease.


    Apart from their overwhelming power gained from their increased levels, the primary reason for their triumph was the unique nature of the Demon Busting Golden Thunder. It possessed the ability to deal nearly double the damage against evil-type creatures.


    The golden giants had be the nemesis of these creatures!


    The Demon King and the Elven King had yet to intervene, and already the thirty-five headless knights had been dispatched by the giants.


    "Well done!"


    "Let us press onward!"


    "This path leads to the entrance of the ancient tomb!"


    "The source of the evil powermanding the undead knights to attack the outside world is right here."


    "Once we vanquish it, we can ensure a temporary respite for Thunderp City."


    The group continued to venture deeper into the depths of the daemonicir.


    The blood vessel-like semi-living tissues became increasingly abundant.


    Everyone felt that they were not entering a cavern but rather the internal world of a colossal superorganism. The sensation was truly eerie.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    They had vanquished about a hundred more headless knights.


    Suddenly, the field of vision expanded five to six times its previous size.


    Before their eyes appeared an indescribably hideous monster, the source of the veins and living tissues that permeated their.


    At first nce, it resembled a gigantic heart with a diameter of hundreds of meters. Its surface was not only encased in writhing, pulsating living tissue but also emitted a sinister glow, causing intense difort in anyone who drew near.


    [You''ve been subjected to mental erosion. HP -3!]


    [You''ve been subjected to mental erosion. HP -2!]


    [You''ve been subjected to mental erosion. HP -4!]


    Zhang Nu remainedposed, unaffected.


    He nced at the information about the monstrosity.


    [Malignant Tumor of the Ancient Monarchs] Level 5 overlord.


    ......


    Skills: Sacrificial Offering to the Ancient Monarchs (Talent), Unlimited Proliferation (Talent), Devourer of All (A Rank), Death Maniption (A Rank), Mutating Parasitism (A Rank), Touch of Evil (A Rank), etc.


    ......


    Description: Once the central altar of the royal mausoleum, it gradually absorbed an excess of negative energy and underwent a mutation influenced by the power of the Evil God. Eventually, it gave birth to an exceptionally rare daemonic monstrosity. Not only does it possess tremendous power, but it also serves as a conduit, channeling power to the ancient monarchs...


    Witnessing the sight of this organ-like monstrosity, let alone the young Elven King and the giants, even Zhang Nu was deeply shocked.


    This creature had originated from a corrupted altar.


    Zhang Nu had thought that the existence of extraterrestrial blood daemon was already peculiar enough. Yet, whenpared to this colossal tumor, the blood daemon seemed almost mundane.


    Just how many eldritch-like and enigmatic species existed in this sted world?

 Chapter 156: The Malignant Tumor

    "Wha..."


    "What the hell is this thing?!"


    The Demon King exined, "This is the sacred altar once used by the ancient kingdom to honor their predecessors."


    An altar?


    Everyone was taken aback.


    How could an altar end up like this?


    "After the royal mausoleum was abandoned, the altar continued to operate. The headless knights relentlessly ughtered any intruders who dared approach the tomb, offering their souls and flesh as sacrificial tributes."


    "And that''s why their devours all life in its vicinity. Those creatures or individuals devoured by their unwittingly be sacrifices for the ancient tomb."


    The headless knights guarding the tomb had no sentient thoughts. They purely acted based on their ingrained instincts.


    Year after year.


    Millennium after millennium.


    They relentlessly hunted sacrifices, umting immense power for the altar.


    This amassed power, diverse and mottled, gradually became corrupted, gradually enticed and nurtured a multitude of undead and daemons around the tomb, culminating in the creation of this colossal daemonicir.


    Thunderp City utilized the Heart of the Ancient God to subdue and suppress the ancient tomb.


    The Evil God''s power rendered the headless knights and various creatures unable to approach.


    During this process, Thunderp City enjoyed a period of stability and development. However, the daemonicir continuously absorbed and transformed the power of the Evil God.


    The altar itself was already infused with immense and chaotic energy, but after being influenced by the Evil God''s power for three thousand years, it gradually underwent a grotesque and malignant transformation, giving rise to this tumor-like abomination.


    Numerous such tumor-like monstrosities were scattered throughout the ancient tomb. They not only nurtured the corrupted ancient monarchs but also served as its hearts.


    If these corrupted altars were not eradicated, the ancient monarchs would not only be difficult to kill but would also have an endless supply of power in its disposal, making the task of vanquishing it extremely challenging to ovee.


    Among them, the tumor on the main altar stood as the most formidable.


    It also resided closest to Thunderp City.


    The daemonic presence that the Elven King sensed in the Daemon Sealing Valley was actually emanated from this massive monster tumor. It misled her into believing that this was the boss of the daemonicir.


    If they could eliminate it, the crisis in Thunderp City would be temporarily resolved.


    Previously, some giants still had doubts about the Demon King''s omniscience as they still held a hint of instinctual skepticism.


    But now, seeing is believing. They bore witness to this unimaginable and mind-bending monstrosity, and finally realized the true extent of the Demon King''s strategic genius and unparalleled foresight.


    Truly terrifying!


    Who could have imagined that the Heart of the Ancient God would give birth to such a monstrosity?


    And this monstrosity was merely an intermediary. The vast majority of the Evil God''s power had been devoted to the corrupted ancient monarchs. Who knew what the ancient tomb looked like then?


    Suddenly.


    [You''ve suffered a psychic attack. -51 HP!]


    Zhang Nu felt a wave of dizziness as he was struck by a powerful psychic attack from the malignant tumor. The psychic attack was quite ferocious.


    The giants on the battlefield cried out in agony. While the golden giants managed to withstand the assault to some extent, the other silver giants elders were instantly gravely wounded.


    The sheer strength of the psychic force was overwhelming. It targeted everyone indiscriminately and the silver giant elders were on the brink of death.


    In the face of this dire situation, the Elven King was taken aback. She was preparing to invoke the power of the Elemental Covenant, but before she could unleash it, the Demon King swiftly intervened.


    Zhang Nu''s expression turned cold as he opened his vertical eye and locked his gaze onto the malignant tumor.


    -15201!


    Death Stare!


    The power of his Eye of Death was amplified after his recent level advancement. Its potency had at least doubled, delivering a devastating blow.


    Under the immense force of this lethal attack, the colossal tumor erupted in a violent explosion, disintegrating the majority of it into dust, while its remaining flesh turned into a cloud of pulverized remnants that scattered in all directions.


    "The sheer power... it''s unbelievable!"


    The Elven King stood in awe.


    With a single piercing gaze from the Demon King, the monstrous tumor exploded, obliterating it into scattered fragments. He decimated this terrifying entity with ease!


    An instant kill! On a Level 5 overlord creature!


    It was an astounding disy of dominance!


    "Don''t let your guard down, it''s not finished yet," Zhang Numanded. "All silver giants, retreat immediately! Jin Kui, work with the Elven King to hold off the approaching minions. I''ll take care of this abomination!"


    "Understood!"


    The group swiftly organized their efforts.


    The silver giant elders received urgent healing from Nancilia. Having barely escaped with their lives, they dared not linger and quickly withdrew.


    The tumor monster utilized indiscriminate area attacks, thus quantity held little significance against such horrifying monstrosity. If not for the Demon King''s swift intervention, their fate would have been sealed!


    Meanwhile, apanied by the sound of galloping hooves, over two hundred gravekeeper knights suddenly emerged from all directions through the passageways.


    Each one exuded a menacing aura, engulfed in eerie dark mes. They were all Level 5 elites, and among them, several stood out as exceptionally powerful, boasting the strength of Level 5 lords. The sight was truly fearsome.


    "Divine Tree Domain!"


    The Elven King activated her Monarch''s Domain, dragging all the approaching gravekeeper knights into the ethereal realm of her domain.


    "Attack now!" bellowed Jin Kui in a frenzied state.


    Seizing the opportunity presented by the Elven King''s suppression of the gravekeeper knights, the golden giants swiftly summoned bolts of golden lightning, unleashing them upon these powerful undead warriors.


    [You''ve in a Gravekeeper Knight of the Ancient Monarchs. Gold +15,000!]


    [You''ve in a Gravekeeper Knight of the Ancient Monarchs. Gold +15,000!]


    [You''ve in a Gravekeeper Knight Commander of the Ancient Monarchs. Gold +24,000!]


    [......]


    At that moment, Zhang Nu''s attention was drawn to a disturbing sight.


    The mangled masses of tumor and rotting flesh were writhing and squirming on the ground. It became apparent that this monstrosity, despite being struck by the Death Stare, had not been entirely vanquished.


    Instead, the disintegrated remnants of flesh began to pulsate and transform into grotesque and misshapen creatures, some scuttling along the ground while others took to the skies.


    To his astonishment, among them were some particrly powerful creatures, reaching the strength of Level 4 to 5 lords.


    The malignant tumor possessed an ability of Unlimited Proliferation. Unless it was utterly annihted or its MP waspletely drained, it proved incredibly difficult to kill it for good.


    Even if a fragment of flesh or a fraction of its MP remained, it could resurrect itself, regenerating through the proliferation of its severed flesh.


    Zhang Nu had just emptied the HP of this monster in an instant, but they still retained an ample MP pool. Thus, even when their HP reached zero, they could rapidly regain a trace of vitality, followed by aplete resurrection.


    Truly a troublesome foe!


    The malignant tumor seemed to have developed some level of intelligence.


    It abandoned its assault on others and concentrated all its forces on attacking the Demon King. Countless abominations formed from the fragments of flesh were converging upon Zhang Nu with frenzied determination.


    This posed a grave danger.


    From the information prompt, the malignant tumor possessed a peculiar Mutating Parasitism skill. It could infest its chosen host, subjecting them to its control and corrupting them until they were ultimately devoured and assimted into the tumor itself.


    Zhang Nu made no attempt to evade it.


    He allowed the tumor''s flesh to devour him entirely.


    In the span of an eyeblink, the towering figure of the Demon King becamepletely enveloped in the twisted and pulsating mass of the malignant tumor, forming a grotesque mountain of throbbing flesh.


    However, just when the daemonic abomination believed its attack had seeded, convinced that its opponent was doomed to be digested and assimted.


    It was horrified to discover that every cell and inch of flesh of the Demon King was impervious, as if encased in imprable armor.


    Its parasitic and assimtion attempts were futile, unable to take effect.


    Zhang Nu''s lips could not help but to curl into a sinister smile.


    "My body can absorb even the fragments of an evil god. You think you can corrupt me with your pitiful existence? Howughable!"


    The daemonic tumor grewcent, only to realize that something was amiss.


    However, it was already toote.


    The Demon King unleashed a terrifying surge of draconic mes, instantly reducing the fleshy mountain to charred ashes.


    A few fragments of flesh attempted to escape through the intricatework of blood vessels and sinew, but Zhang Nu swiftly extended his hand, pressing it onto the surface teeming with semi-active blood vessels.


    "Abyssal Lightning!"


    Crimson lightning erupted, surging from the ground to the walls and spreading in all directions. The vascr tissues spread throughout the cavernousir served as conduits. In the blink of an eye, the lightning permeated the surrounding space, incinerating everything in its path until nothing remained but charred remnants.


    [You''ve in a Malignant Tumor of the Ancient Monarchs. Gold +2million!]


    This incredibly formidable Level 5 overlord daemon met its demise at the hands of the Demon King.


    The giants stood in awe, their mouths agape, as they witnessed the cavern being reduced to charred ruins by the overwhelming power of the Demon King. Once again, they were reminded of the terrifying might of their ruler.


    With the demise of the tumor daemon, the malevolent aura in the vicinity dissipated. Thunderp City no longer had to worry about being tainted by evil.


    Nancilia and the golden giants swiftly dispatched the remaining headless knights. These gravekeepers had contributed a total of over five million gold, while the evil tumor had amassed two million. Altogether, they had reaped a bountiful harvest of over seven million gold.


    Such gains were highly satisfying.


    Expressing his gratitude, Jin Kui said, "We are indebted to Your Majesty for your intervention. Without it, even with the strength of the giants, confronting such a formidable creature would have been nigh impossible!"


    Forget Thunderp City''s former strength; even with his newfound might as a golden giant, possessing the equal strength of Level 5 overlord to the tumor monstrosity, there was still a considerable gap between him and the monster. If they were to engage in a direct confrontation, their chances of victory would be slim, let alone killing it.


    Zhang Nu responded, "Thunderp City is temporarily safe."


    "Your next task is to clear the nearby caverns around the royal mausoleum and eliminate the other smaller tumor demons."


    "Remember, do not enter the tomb without caution. If there are any signs of the corrupted ancient monarchs awakening, inform the Darkness City immediately. Understood?"


    The giants nodded in acknowledgment, fully aware of the gravity of the situation.


    Jin Kui replied, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty!"


    Zhang Nu nodded with satisfaction. The tomb of the ancient monarchs was of immense scale and could not be conquered in one fell swoop. However, this presented a golden opportunity for greater rewards.


    Therger the scale and the more creatures within, the greater the profit.


    After all, the active daemons and undead inside the tomb were all elite beings ranging from the Level 3 to 5, offering substantial rewards in terms of gold.


    The next task for Thunderp City was to clear out these fodders. With the strength of the giant n cheiftain''s Level 5 overlord and the abilities of the other golden giants, as long as they remained discreet and avoided provoking the ancient monarch, there should not be any issues.


    For such trivial matters, the Demon King could not be bothered to intervene personally.


    The most important task at hand was to unify the Chaos Forest.


    With Thunderp City now secured, there were virtually no obstacles remaining, and it was time to elerate the progress of this endeavor.


    ......


    Meanwhile.


    In the territory of Count Kolo, the Thunder Empire army was rapidly assembling.


    This time, Su Wenhao was brimming with confidence, believing that capturing a mere Bloody Fortress would be a straightforward task, especially with the might of the empire''s official forces and the Divine Sword Heroes Guild at his disposal.


    He could not fathom any reason for failure.


    Moreover, with the backing of the empire, challenging the Dragon Demon King seemed like an achievable feat.


    This ursed Demon King had inflicted such devastating losses upon him that he yearned for nothing less than theplete annihtion of the monster as retribution for his grievances.


    "Count Kolo!" Su Wenhao was in the midst of nning when a knight d in golden armor, radiating immense power, approached him.


    "What are you here for?"


    Su Wenhao''s expression turned cautious. The man before him was dispatched by Duke Bachor, overseeing his actions.


    Huang Hui, a Hero, a guardian knight of the empire, and possessing the strength of a Level 5 overlord.


    "You''ve worked hard. I shall personally take over this operation. Just sit back and wait for victory obediently. After all, charging into battle is too undignified for a noble of the empire."


    "What did you say?!"


    "Captain Su, is your understanding ability wed?"


    Suppressing his anger, Su Wenhao coldly replied, "I''ve devoted countless efforts in the Chaos Forest, and paid a great price to obtain the authority tomand the Imperial Army. With just a few words, you want to snatch my achievements. It seems youck respect."


    "Heh heh!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Huang Hui chuckled superficially. A tremendous pressure suddenly engulfed the area and Su Wenhao was forcefully pushed against the wall by an invisible force.


    The terrifying aura of the guardian knight overwhelmed him, like a mountain pressing down, making it difficult to breathe. His face turned pale.


    "The difference between you and me," Huang Hui stated.


    "Do you really trulyprehend it?"


    "Not to mention your pathetic strength of Level 4, even if you were to break through and advance right now, you would still be no match for a guardian knight!"


    Huang Hui coldly stated, "In the end, strength is what matters in this world. Just because you''re addressed as a count, don''t fool yourself into thinking you''re something special!"


    "Stick by my side, watch as I y the Demon King, and perhaps you''ll get a taste of the spoils. We''re all adults here, it''s time to see the bigger picture rather than acting on impulse."


    With that, he turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing with arrogance.


    Su Wenhao felt the weight of the pressure gradually lifting, but his face alternated between flushed and pale, disying a mixture of anger and humiliation.


    A profound sense of shame engulfed him.


    Although he was extremely unwilling, he had to admit that Huang Hui was right. Might makes right, and it was a universal truth in all realms.


    The guardian knight was undeniably powerful! Even among the Level 5 overlords, he stood at the pinnacle.


    This despicable fellow was luckier than him.


    With the backing of the Southern Grand Duke and his esteemed position as a guardian knight, what chance did he have topete? However, this did not mean that all hope was lost!


    Silent and determined, Su Wenhao returned to the confines of his castle. He entered a hidden chamber, carefully unlocking a sealed box that contained a mysterious object within.


    As the box creaked open, a ck, crystal-like object the size of a ser ball, resembling a heart,y silently before him.


    A terrifying aura filled the room.


    [Fragment of the Evil God] Orange quality special item. Assimble.


    [The Evil God Fragment is extremely powerful. After absorbing the fragment, you will gain the power of the Evil God. However, your talents, bloodline and physique will be permanently affected. You may lose some of your existing abilities. Please make the choice after utmost consideration.]


    This was the "Heart of the Ancient God" from Thunderp City!


    A ruthless gleam shed in Su Wenhao''s eyes. "Huang Hui, just wait and see. What''s so impressive about being a guardian knight? You dare to steal my credit and the Demon King. There wille a time when you regret it!"


    With a determined heart and gritted teeth, Su Wenhao made his decision.


    "Assimte!"


    The next moment...


    "Ah, ahhh!"


    Su Wenhao let out a desperate and agonized scream as a pain that tore through his physical body and soul engulfed him.

 Chapter 157: The Summoning of an Abyssal Dragon

    Zhang Nu returned to the Darkness City, where the main city was gradually bustling with activity.


    The city''s infrastructure had been improving, attracting more and more people. It was now a hub of opportunities, whether in terms of production or employment.


    For instance, there were three advanced farms in the Darkness Valley.


    The Goblin Farm, the first andrgest among them, had expanded its operations and employed a staggering fifteen thousand goblin workers. These goblins were relocated from goblin viges near Giantree City, Berserk Beast City, and the Darkness Valley.


    The Goblin Town within the Darkness City had transformed into thergest goblin utopia in the forest.


    It was astonishing to see how a seemingly insignificant and inferior race like goblins could generate millions of gold''s worth of production value every day.


    The goblin poption had be an essential part of the city''s economy and development.


    However, even with fifteen thousand goblins, they could only fully develop one Level 4 Spirit Field Farm and were unable to handle the establishment of two new farms.


    The Demon King had no choice but to recruit skilled nting races from the forest or directly transfer elven nting experts from Giantree City.


    Due to the allure of the Ancient Elven Sanctuary, five thousand elves had already relocated to the Darkness City within a few days.


    The gnomes from Thousand Fangs City and the dwarves from Ironheart City also decided to send a portion of their people to the Darkness City to facilitate production.


    The Demon King''s territory extended beyond Giantree City, Berserk Beast City, Thousand Fangs City, Ironheart City, Silver Spring City, Magi Mojo City, and Thunderp City. It epassed dozens of medium torge tribes and hundreds of small tribes and viges.


    Each tribe consisted of various races, ranging from the powerful tigerfolk, bearfolk, wolffolk, orcs, minotaur, boarfolk, lizardfolk, snakefolk, to the weaker goblins, kobolds, fox-kin, rabbit-kin, and sheepfolk.


    There were almost all races and tribes imaginable under the Demon King''smand.


    The main city was currently epting applications for citizenship, as the Demon King nned to create the first-ever city thatbined multiple environmental and terrain structures to amodate the coexistence of various races.


    In the near future, as long as they were citizens or dependents of the Demon King, regardless of their background or origins, as long as they met the criteria, they could apply to join the Darkness City.


    Zhang Nu firmly believed that the Darkness City would prosper soon.


    During the process of conquering Thunderp City, Zhang Nu obtained quite a significant harvest.


    He brought back over 14 million gold alone.


    The earning capabilities of each major territory and business were also continuously increasing.


    Currently, thebined profit from various production activities, hunting expeditions, andmercial ventures amounted to approximately one million gold per day.


    In other words, even if they did nothing, they would still earn millions of gold coins every day. This was the advantage of expanding territory and increasing the size of their forces.


    However, Zhang Nu was well aware that this was far from the end. The potential for future growth was much greater than the current ie.


    For example, the newly subdued giants.


    They cleared monsters in the daemonicir and hunted nearby magical beasts every day. Even while ensuring their own safety, they could bring in profits of at least several hundred thousand gold per day.


    Another example was elven farms in Giantree City, the application of Thousand Fangs City''s gnome magitek, and the dozenrge-scale mines awaiting development in Berserk Beast City.


    Lastly, there was the expansion of new markets by the Shadow Dragon Chamber of Commerce.


    If the Demon King sessfully integrated and fully developed these resources while sessfully essing the external markets, earning a mere one million gold per day would be an understatement. It could easily be multiplied tenfold or more.


    This fixed ie was earned passively, unlike grinding monsters in dungeons.


    Stable and reliable.


    Zhang Nu checked and found that he currently had nearly 20 million disposable gold.


    He decided to continue purchasing blueprints and resources from the major Demon King Markets while conducting a new round of construction and recruitment in his territories.


    First and foremost, he nned to upgrade the castle. One of the greatest rewards he obtained from Thunderp City''s reward chest was a castle upgrade scroll.


    [Upgrade the Demon King Castle? The upgrade costs "Advanced Castle Upgrade Scroll" x1, "gold" x1.5 million, "dark gem" x1000, "wind, fire, water, earth gem" x200 each, quality iron x20,000, quality stone x20,000, quality wood x20,000!]


    After looking at the required materials, Zhang Nu realized that this upgrade would note cheap, mainly due to the significant amount of gems needed. ording to the current market prices, just a thousand dark gems alone were worth at least 2 million gold!


    However, it did not matter.


    As a Great Demon King, he had an abundance of wealth. Compared to the benefits of castle upgrading, this expense was negligible. What''s a little expenditurepared to the advantages of upgrading the castle?


    [Castle upgrade sessful!]


    [Congrattions. You''ve gained Demon Dragon Castle!]


    [Demon Dragon Castle] All territory''s production +100%. Within a radius of 100 kilometers from the castle, all units'' stats +70%, aging speed -50%, recovery speed +50%, training speed +100%. Within the castle, space +50%, Demon King''s recovery speed +300%, stats +100%. Heroes who enter the castle, stats -35%. Gained dualyered castle barrier.


    Almost instantly after the upgrade waspleted, all the Demon King units received a brand-new buff.


    "My power has increased!"


    "My fatigue has disappeared!"


    "Oh, my training speed and recovery speed have improved. What''s happening?"


    "Stupid! Of course it''s the blessing of the Demon King to the citizens of the Darkness City!


    "The Demon King is truly mighty!"


    "Long live the Demon King!"


    "......"


    Indeed, there was a reason for its high value.


    The amplification effect of the Demon Dragon Castle was on par with that of the Tree of Miracle. Moreover,pared to the effects of the Tree of Miracle, which only benefited the elven race, the castle buffs in the Darkness City were for everyone.


    Once they arrived in the Darkness City, their power would instantly skyrocket. Various attributes would significantly increase.


    Furthermore, there were additional benefits such as increased lifespan, elerated training speed, and improved production efficiency.


    This city, crafted by the draconian, would truly live up to its reputation.


    Buffs were everywhere to begin with. Every building, even the squares and roads, had special effects.


    Now, with the castle''s amplification, it could be called a city of miracle buffs. For the native residents, each citizen qualification was a tremendous blessing.


    Aside from the enhanced functionality, the Demon King''s castle underwent significant changes. The location of the castle suddenly rose by 500 meters. The entire castle took on a more majestic and oppressive appearance, with its various facilities more perfected, as if tailored specifically for Zhang Nu.


    "Not bad!"


    Zhang Nu stood on the castle balcony, taking in the entire Darkness City and the entire Darkness Valley below. The feeling of reigning over the world and overlooking thend was satisfying.


    After upgrading the castle, Zhang Nu proceeded to use another blueprint obtained from the reward chest of the Thunderp City.


    This blueprint corresponded to a building called the "Tower of Lost Trials". It was indeed a mysterious structure, but it seemed far from simple.


    After paying a hefty fee, the trial tower emerged within the city.


    Zhang Nu immediately used his cheat ability to carefully examine the relevant information.


    The purpose of this trial tower was very simple.


    It allowed his subordinates to enter and undergo trials. There were risks involved in these trials, including the possibility of casualties. However, if the trials were sessfullypleted, the increase in strength would be remarkable. There was even a chance for low-level units to directly evolve into high-level units.


    For example, Zhang Nu could send a group of ordinarybat units to undergo the trials. Although there might be some casualties, a portion of the ordinary soldiers could directly upgrade to high-level units through the training during the trials.


    It was a cultivation artifact, a building that could consistently produce advanced units.


    Although it was not as quick and convenient as manual upgrades, the overall cost was much lower than direct upgrades.


    For high-end units, such as the native powerhouses at the lord and overlord ranks, the Tower of Lost Trials could also serve as a sacred ce for rapid training.


    Despite the risks involved, the potential gains outweighed the risks.


    After understanding the effects of the trial tower, Zhang Nu realized that it would be extremely useful for the territory. However, there were two limitations to the trial tower.


    The first limitation was that a maximum of only one hundred trials could be conducted per day.


    The second limitation was that as a Level 4 building, it could only ept challengers up to Level 4 overlords. Those beyond this level, such as the Demon King, Elven King, and giant chieftain, would not be able to participate.


    Although it was somewhat regrettable, Zhang Nu still felt that building the trial tower was highly worthwhile. It would save a significant amount of gold, allowing his units to evolve on their own and elerate their training speed.


    As time went on, the value it created would only increase.


    Afterpleting the upgrades and construction in the territory, Zhang Nu began considering adding new unit types to the territory. However, summoning high-level units required the consumption of souls.


    While Zhang Nu thought about upgrading Zhang San and Li Si to be Earth Drake Sovereign and Sky Drake Sovereign, the cost was too high, and it was not the right time yet.


    In the end, Zhang Nu''s attention was drawn to a brand new unit unlocked by the Level 5 advancement, the Abyssal Dragon.


    This new Level 5 unit belonged to the same subspecies as Zhang Nu.


    Zhang Nu nced at the summoning requirements.


    [Abyssal Dragon] Level 5 overlord. Costs 4 million gold + 1 Level 5 Hero''s soul.


    The price was actually not expensive. The main issue was the high requirement for souls.


    Although Zhang Nu had a considerable reserve of souls, it was not enough to fully awaken any of his Level 5 talents. However, it was more than enough to summon a dragon.


    After some thought, Zhang Nu took out six Level 4 souls and synthesized them into a Level 5 soul at the Soul Altar.


    Zhang Nu expended the soul and gold coins to summon an Abyssal Dragon!


    "HWOOOOAAAARRR---!"


    A fierce dragon aura burst forth from the Demon King''s Altar, leaving the draconian soldiers guarding the area in awe.


    In the next moment, apanied by a teleportation light, a majestic dragon over 80 meters long, covered in pitch-ck scales, appeared upon the altar.


    Zhang Nu immediately checked its attributes.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [Abyssal Dragon] Level 5 overlord.


    ......


    Skills: Draconian Form (Talent), Abyssal Dragon me (Talent), Lightning Control (Talent), Dragon Fear (Talent), High Anti-Magic (Talent), Dark Dragonic Tongue Magic (Talent), Dark Invasion (A Rank), Dark Devour (A Rank), ck Hole of Death (A Rank), Undead Creation (B Rank), Shadow Stealth ( B Rank), etc...


    Description: This is a mature Abyssal Dragon of the dark element, possessing innate powerful dragon me and thunder abilities, as well as exceptional talent in dark magic, making it extremely formidable inbat...


    Zhang Nu was amazed to discover that this dragon possessed five same innate talents just like himself.


    However, the Abyssal Dragoncked the other talents that Zhang Nu possessed, such as Abyssal Devouring, Evil Dragon''s Descent, and Adamantine Dragon Body.


    It seemed that Abyssal Dragon me, Abyssal Lightning, Dragon Fear, Draconian Form, and High Anti-Magic were the standard first-tier talents for Abyssal Dragons, possessed by almost all of them. But the higher-tier talents were missing in these dragons.


    Furthermore, it appeared that Abyssal Dragons had variations in their attributes.


    The Abyssal Dragon summoned by Zhang Nu had random attributes.


    This particr Abyssal Dragon had pitch-ck scales, other than the five major dragon talents, it also had the talent of "Dark Dragonic Tongue Magic," indicating its mastery of dark magic as a ck dragon.


    "Greetings, my Lord!" The Abyssal Dragon immediately flew down from the altar, its massive and majestic body bowing in submission.


    Zhang Nu said, "From now on, you shall be called Long Yi!"


    The Abyssal Dragon immediately replied, "Thank you, master, for bestowing me a name."


    The first dragon was thus named Longyi. There was no limit to the number of dragons that could be summoned. If more dragons were summoned, they would be named Long Er, Long San, Long Si, and so on.


    The Demon King was quite satisfied with his Abyssal Dragon.


    This dragon possessed formidable strength, at least reaching the peak overlord. It was capable of contending against monarch level beings for a certain period and was undoubtedly a super elite force at the moment.


    With a little training, such as undergoing a few baptisms, there was a possibility of a breakthrough in the future.

 Chapter 158: Tower of Lost Trials

    The next day.


    Marilyn once again arrived at the Darkness City with the intention of studying at the elven sanctuary, as she usually did.


    Ever since the Demon King constructed the Ancient Elven Sanctuary in the main city, she had sessfully mastered several new magic spells that significantly aided her growth in strength.


    The sanctuary was incredibly powerful, leaving her eager for more. Marilyn was a fanatic when it came to training and possessed an exceptional talent for it. With the elven sanctuary, she was confident that she would be one of the top elven powerhouses.


    However, the moment she stepped into the main city, Marilyn could not help but notice that something was different today.


    While the main city''s energy field would usually provide a significant enhancement to the Demon King''s subjects who entered it, today''s buff amplification was particrly exaggeratingly potent.


    It was on par with, or even slightly surpassed, the Tree of Miracle''s power.


    This left Marilyn feeling incredulous. She followed the source of this power and immediately noticed the newly upgraded Demon King''s Castle.


    The Demon Dragon Castle stood tall and dominant, ruling over the Darkness City. Its oppressive aura and the continuous emanation of energy could be felt clearly from every corner of the Darkness Valley.


    "Incredible!"


    "The castle has undergone such a massive transformation!"


    "It seems that the Demon King has once again done something astonishing!"


    Marilyn could notprehend the reason behind the changes in the Demon Dragon Castle when her attention was suddenly drawn to a previously unseen tower-like structure.


    This tower, enveloped in a dull gray color, appeared in and unremarkable at first nce.


    However, it exuded a mysterious atmosphere that piqued Marilyn''s curiosity, making her eager to explore its secrets.


    Marilyn noticed several draconians lining up to enter the tower. Unable to contain her curiosity, she approached a draconian general who was maintaining order on-site to inquire about the situation.


    "This is thetest trial tower created by His Majesty. It can aid those who participate in the trials to awaken and enhance their potential, thereby increasing their strength," exined the general.


    "Is it really that amazing?" Marilyn was greatly surprised. "Can I give it a try?"


    "Our master has ordered that chieftain Marilun, as one of the esteemed individuals, has priority ess to the trials. As long as there are avable slots, you can enter whenever."


    However, the draconian general pondered and added, "But please be cautious, chieftain Marilyn. The trial tower has its benefits and uses, however it also carries certain risks."


    "Hehe, it''s just a trial tower, what kind of danger could it pose? I''m more curious to see if it''s truly as miraculous as you said!" Marilyn eximed with a smile.


    After registering, Marilyn stepped into the trial tower.


    Suddenly, darkness enveloped her vision. She found herself in a realm that felt both partially real and partially ethereal. As her sight cleared, she found herself standing in a stone pce.


    Simultaneously, a spiritual message devoid of any emotion was transmitted to her.


    [The trial is about tomence!]


    [The trail theme is being randomized...]


    [Theme confirmed.]


    [Prepare yourself, trialist.]


    [The trial for this session: Trial of Mirror!]


    Perplexed, Marilyn was taken aback when a mist gradually coalesced at the center of the stone pce, forming the graceful figure of an elegant and slender elf with pale golden hair.


    She exuded a mature and poised aura, embodying the qualities of both a leader and a formidable warrior. Adorned in leather armor and carrying a longbow, her face remained devoid of any expression.


    "This... this is me?!"


    Marilyn was astonished.


    The elf formed within the stone pce was an exact replica of herself!


    "Could it be that the so-called Trial of Mirror is a mirror match against an identical version of myself?"


    Before Marilyn could react, the mirror image teleported directly behind her.


    She felt a surge of magical energy, an arrow of astonishing speed slicing through the air, hurtling towards her back, triggering a strong sense of danger.


    "Oh shit!"


    "This is no ordinary mirror image!"


    Marilyn quickly activated her evasive skills, realizing in shock, "This mirror possesses all of my abilities, even my level and strength... It''s a perfect replica!"


    Furthermore, this mirrored elfcked emotions.


    She remained entirely focused, undistracted, which put Marilyn at a disadvantage.


    Two identical figures immediately engaged in a fierce battle, shing and exchanging blows for over three hundred rounds without a clear winner.


    Marilyn''s MP was depleted.


    Her body was covered in bruises and wounds.


    Marilyn finally could no longer dare to underestimate the trial tower.


    In the end, relying on her unwavering determination and a daring strategy, Marilyn achieved a narrow victory.


    "I won!"


    "Hahaha!"


    "I emerged victorious!"


    "A phony will always be a phony!"


    Marilyn was ovee with excitement.


    It felt as if she had ovee countless challenges in a video game, experiencing an unprecedented sense of aplishment and joy!


    [Trialplete!]


    [Performance evaluation: Excellent!]


    Suddenly, energy surged from her surroundings, swiftly entering her body.


    Not only did it heal her injuries, but it also ignited Marilyn''s potential. She felt a significant boost in her HP, MP, strength, and constitution!


    Marilyn was originally at the midpoint of Level 4, but this trial not only enhanced her stats and potential, but even her power level approached thete stage of the level 4. The progress was incredibly remarkable.


    "This is incredible!"


    "It''s truly incredible!"


    "Our Demon Lord is omnipotent!"


    "To be able to create such magnificent trials!"


    "It''s so fun and thrilling, and it enhances my strength!"


    "With something like this, there''s no doubt I can be super powerful!"


    "The trial themes are randomized, and there should be many other trial themes besides the mirror trial, right? I must try them out!"


    "..."


    In reality, the previous trial was extremely dangerous.


    A single misstep could have resulted in severe injuries, or even the loss of life. Any normal person would have felt fear and trepidation after such an experience.


    However, Marilyn not onlycked fear but was instead filled with enthusiasm, determined to challenge again.


    The second trial - Trial of Infernal Daemon.


    The third trial - Trial of Battlefield.


    The fourth trial - Trial of Night.


    The fifth, the sixth...


    Marilyn seemed like a masochist, enduring injuries after every trial, only to be healed and immediately apply for the next one.


    Throughout this process, her stats improved rapidly. Although her cultivation did not experience a significant breakthrough, her prowess grew significantly.


    If the Ancient Elven Sanctuary was a ce for acquiring knowledge, then the Tower of Lost Trials was a ce for honing practicalbat skills, forging oneself into a stronger being in the face of life and death.


    Inside the Demon King''s Castle, Li Si was reporting on the trials from the previous day.


    "Based on our test results from the trial tower yesterday"


    "Normalbat soldiers have a 100% chance of advancing to highbat soldiers after one trial, but highbat soldiers need to pass at least two trials to evolve."


    Zhang Nu nodded, "Well done. In terms of cost-effectiveness, it seems more advantageous for the high soldiers to participate in the trials. What is the probability of passing the trials?"


    Li Si replied, "It''s about 50%."


    Frowning slightly, Zhang Nu asked, "Only 50%? What about the casualty rate?"


    "If the trial fails, there is a 90% chance of severe injuries and a 10% chance of fatality."


    A 10% fatality rate?


    While the potential losses could be significant withrger numbers, it was still within an eptable range for him. After all, this was a way to improve the strength and quality of the draconian legion.


    Super soldiers who evolved through the trials were likely to have overall higher qualities than directly summoned super soldiers.


    This approach would not only save him a considerable amount of resources but also contribute to the advancement of his draconian legion.


    Suffice to say, it was a win-win situation.


    Just then, a visibly concerned draconian general rushed in to report.


    "Your Majesty, there is an urgent matter. Chieftain Marilyn of the Giantree City has undergone eight consecutive trials in the trial tower!"


    "What?"


    "Is this elf a masochist?"


    "Summon her to me immediately!"


    Ten minutester, the elvendy appeared before the Demon King.


    Marilyn looked embarrassed as she said, "Your Majesty, I apologize. I was not aware that there is a limit to the number of trials avable in the trial tower each day!"


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Nu also felt frustrated.


    The trial tower only allowed a maximum of 100 trials per day. Even if they were all allocated to the draconian soldiers, it would only produce a maximum of 25 super soldiers daily.


    While this rate was not necessarily slow, considering that they could potentially produce 750 super soldiers in a month, it was still a significant expense to create them.


    Truthfully speaking, the rate of super soldier production could not be considered slow. After all, there would be 25 of them in a day, 250 in ten days, and 750 in a month.


    Draconian super soldiers were not cheap units by any means, this production method could save a substantial amount of resources.


    However, Zhang Nu could not allocate all the trial opportunities to train regr soldiers. Individuals like Marilyn, who had an insatiable appetite for training, could easily monopolize a significant portion of the avable trials.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    This situation was truly infuriating.


    Suddenly, an idea struck Zhang Nu.


    He remembered that he had a Level 4 Upgrade Scroll in hand. Why not use it to upgrade the trial tower from Level 4 to Level 5?


    The Tower of Lost Trials, while currently useful for training and developing subordinates, had the potential for even greater value. Its current capabilities were not yet strong enough, but with an upgrade to Level 5, it would surely be a game-changer.


    Marilyn, feeling guilty for potentially angering the Demon King, panicked and quickly pleaded, "Your Majesty, I take full responsibility for my actions. It''s my fault, and any punishment you deem appropriate, I will ept."


    Marilyn began to worry that she had displeased the Demon King.


    Shit, now she has done it.


    The elven chieftain panicked and quickly pleaded, "Your Majesty, I take full responsibility for my actions. It''s my own fault and it has nothing to do with my fellow tribesmen, any punishment you deem appropriate, I will ept."


    However, Zhang Nu decided to let this incident slide, "Forgot about it this time."


    As the saying went, ignorance is bliss.


    Instead of reprimanding the tribal leader, he looked at Marilyn and asked, "Have you already reached theter stage of Level 4?"


    "Yes!" Marilyn replied with confidence.


    The trial tower was indeed invaluable.


    Even if Marilyn were to be deprived of her trial privileges, with her current level, natural talent, and the amplification effect of the Tree of Miracle on training speed, she was certain to break through to Level 5 within a decade.


    "Come with me", Zhang Nu uttered.


    Marilyn was then sent to the Demon King''s Altar.


    The Demon King proceeded to perform the Demon King''s Baptism on Marilyn. Instantly, she felt her level progression skyrocketing, effortlessly breaking through the bottleneck.


    [Silver Spring Elven Chieftain] Level 5 overlord.


    Zhang Nu was highly satisfied with the effects of the baptism. He had casually created another powerhouse subordinate of Level 5 overlord rank.


    Marilyn waspletely astonished by the series of changes that had urred. Instead of reprimanding her, the Demon King had personally bestowed the baptism upon her.


    It was said that within the entire elven race, only the Elven King received such treatment. Marilyn became the second elf to be baptized by the Demon King.


    Marilyn could clearly feel her training advancing several decades in an instant, effortlessly breaking through the Level 4 bottleneck and even making significant progress in the realm of Level 5.


    It was truly miraculous!


    Unbelievable!


    Marilyn immediately knelt down in gratitude. Her loyalty increased from 90 to 95.


    Thank you, Your Majesty, for nurturing me. I will cherish this power and assist the Elven King in managing the elven race and serving Your Majesty faithfully!"


    Satisfied, Zhang Nu nodded. "You may leave now."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    Marilyn, filled with fanatical admiration for the Demon King, finally understood why the Elven King was so fiercely loyal to him.


    Having reached Level 5, it was undoubtedly uplifting news.


    The strength of the elves in the Giantree City had significantly improved once again.


    Marilyn could not wait to share this joy with her fellow tribesmen.


    Zhang Nu took out his cherished "Level 4 Building Upgrade Scroll" and no longer hesitated to use it directly on the trial tower.


    [Upgrade the Tower of Lost Trials? The upgrade costs "Level 4 Building Upgrade Scroll" x1, "gold" x3 million, "light gem" x1000, "dark gem" x1000, "life gem" x1000, "undeath gem" x1000!]


    It was expensive.


    Incredibly expensive!


    Zhang Nu''s collection of precious gemstones was almost depleted!


    However, considering the more powerful trial tower could potentially save millions in gold for upgrading units in the future, it was a small price to pay.


    The gems were gone. But they could be collected and purchased again.


    The trial tower had to be upgraded to Level 5.


    [Upgrade sessful!]


    [Tower of Lost Trials has been sessfully upgraded!]


    The difference between a Level 5 building and a Level 4 building was not just a single level, but a massive leap.


    The Level 5 trial tower offered significantly enhanced benefits. Previously, advancing from a draconian high soldier to a super soldier required at least two trials. But now, with the Level 5 trial tower in ce, a single sessful trial was all it took for a high soldier to evolve.


    In addition, the Level 5 trial tower had an increased daily trial limit of one thousand, and it was opened to all units below Level 5 to participate in the trials.


    This was truly a game-changer.


    With such a formidable structure, Zhang Nu could effortlessly transform all his advanced soldiers into super soldiers within a short span of time.


    The savings in terms of gold expenditure would undoubtedly outweigh the initial investment.


    Before Zhang Nu could fully look into the new benefits, he received a private message from a familiar face and a loyal customer, the Subus Queen Han Kexin.


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "Since when did you reach Level 5?"


    Zhang Nu: "???"


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "Hmmph! Stop ying dumb! I saw your listing in the trading market of another Demon King channel!"


    So that''s how it is.


    Cross-channel trading was a privilege reserved for Level 5 Demon Kings.


    Zhang Nu: "Oh, so you''re also Level 5 now?"


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "I was nning to surprise you, but once again, you beat me to it. How frustrating!"


    Zhang Nu: "Why botherpeting with me?"


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "No, I refuse to ept defeat. You''re just temporarily ahead, but I will surpass you for sure."


    Zhang Nu was speechless.


    How strong was this woman''spetitiveness?


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "Anyway, let''s not dwell on that. The more we discuss it, the more frustrated I be. I just got my hands on an extraordinary item that I thought might interest you. Want to take a look?"


    Zhang Nu: "No need to ask. Show it to me first. As long as the item is exceptional, money won''t be a problem."


    Han Kexin''s items were always top-notch. Afterall, they were both influential figures with extensive experience.


    If she imed it was an exceptional item, it certainly wouldn''t be something ordinary. How could Zhang Nu not be interested?

 Chapter 159: The Tower of Teleportation

    The Subus Queen, Han Kexin did not beat around the bush.


    She sent a blueprint to Zhang Nu.


    [Tower of Teleportation] Level 4 Blueprint. Costs "gold" x10,000, "space gem" x100, "thunder gem" x1000, "earth gem" x1000, quality stone x10,000. You may construct a Tower of Teleportation at any location.


    Upon seeing this, Zhang Nu''s eyes lit up.


    It truly was an exceptional blueprint!


    Zhang Nu''s draconian priest possessed the ability of "Teleportation Field".


    However, this teleportation field had its limitations. Depending on the draconian priest''s power, the teleportation distance could range from several hundred to several thousand miles.


    The further the teleportation distance and the more targets to be teleported, the greater the MP consumption for the priest.


    Currently, within Zhang Nu''s territory, the highest consumption of MP potions undoubtedly came from the deployed draconian priests throughout various locations, with each priest consuming one to two hundred bottles daily.


    However, being worked from dawn till dusk, the teleportation capabilities of the dragonian priests would eventually reach their limits.


    As Zhang Nu''s forces grew and his territory expanded, the teleportation capacity of the draconian priests was no longer sufficient.


    The Tower of Teleportation was a different story. Although it had a higher cost of use, its teleportation ability was incredibly powerful.


    The first was area teleportation, allowing the tower to conduct imprecise teleportation within a certain radius. Although deviations were possible, it would not require specific teleportation nodes.


    The second was fixed-point teleportation, which had no distance limitations but necessitated the use of another Tower of Teleportation as a designated anchor.


    The Subus Queen, Han Kexin asked, "What do you think?"


    Zhang Nu replied, "Hmm, it''s an exceptional item. I''ll offer one million gold coins for it!"


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "Are you joking? This is a Level 4 blueprint, Level 4 blueprint, I repeat, a Level 4 blueprint! Are you trying to anger me to death so you can just inherit the blueprint?"


    In the current market, as long as they were somewhat decent and not overly mediocre, a Level 4 blueprint would start at a minimum value of one million gold!


    Not to mention a Level 4 blueprint of such high practicality.


    Zhang Nu: "Then let''s make it two million!"


    Han Kexin: "Hmph, forget it. It''s at least six million!"


    Zhang Nu: "What? Six million? You might as welle and rob me!"


    Han Kexin: "I''ll give you a little discount. It''s a fixed price of five million gold!"


    Zhang Nu: "Three million! That''s the most I can offer. Perhaps in the future, these blueprints do have the potential to appreciate to five million, but currently, there aren''t many Demon Kings capable of paying three million gold coins."


    That was the in truth.


    Three million was nothing to Zhang Nu, whose territories could yield a few million gold coins in ie over the course of two to three days.


    However, for most Demon Kings, it was practically an astronomical price!


    Even for top-tier Demon Kings like Han Kexin, whose number could be counted on one hand, it was not easy to immediately procure three million gold. Such an amount would easily strain their resources and impede short-term development.


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "The final price is 3.5 million!"


    Zhang Nu pondered for a moment: "Deal."


    Indeed, this price was quite attractive. Not to mention the significant usefulness of the blueprint.


    For Zhang Nu, losing 3.5 million gold would have no impact on the development of his territory whatsoever. Therefore, even as a medium to long-term financial investment, this price was entirely manageable.


    He paid the money and received the blueprint.


    Zhang Nu was extremely satisfied. It was a win-win situation for both parties.


    For Han Kexin, being able to replenish 3.5 million gold coins in one go would greatly alleviate her financial situation. She could construct multiple advanced buildings or recruit an elite army, thereby enhancing her ownpetitiveness.


    Zhang Nu noticed something about the materials required for the teleportation tower construction.


    There was something called the "Space Gem".


    Such gemstones were exceptionally rare. Zhang Nu had hardlye across them in the market.


    He consulted with the Bloody Giant Wang Shi and learned that a space gem was worth at least 20,000 gold. In other words, this material alone would cost 2 million gold.


    It was an exorbitant price.


    Nevertheless, the construction had to proceed.


    Zhang Nu promptly paid the deposit, entrusting the task of acquiring the gemstones to the Bloody Giant Wang Shi.


    To Zhang Nu''s surprise, just afterpleting the transaction, Subus Queen Han Kexin sent him another message.


    "Oh, by the way, I have another teleportation tower blueprint. This time it''s priced at 6 million gold, not a penny less. Do you want it or not?"


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Nu was taken aback.


    Two sets of Tower of Teleportation blueprints? If that was the case, why didn''t she offer them together?


    After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Nu quickly grasped the situation. It seemed that this cunning Subus Queen had yed a little trick on him! She initially sold him the first blueprint at a reduced price, only to immediately attempt to sell the second one.


    If one teleportation tower could achieve a functionality rating of 100, then having two towers would not be as simple as 100 + 100 = 200.


    A single teleportation tower enabled range teleportation and vague teleportation. However, it was only when possessing at least two teleportation towers that the true potential of precise positional teleportation could be unlocked.


    Positional teleportation.


    Bypassing any distance.


    Pinpoint uracy.


    These benefits greatly boosted its value multiple times over.


    No wonder the Subus Queen had the audacity to raise the price so significantly.


    She knew that Zhang Nu would definitely buy it. Among the known Demon Kings, only the Dragon Demon King had the financial and operational capabilities to acquire two sets of blueprints simultaneously.


    Zhang Nu: "Aren''t you afraid I won''t make the purchase?"


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "You have no reason to decline. At worst, I can keep it for myself. Either way, I won''t be at a loss."


    Zhang Nu: "Well said. Looks like you''ve got the upper hand this time!"


    Demon Queen: "Hahaha! Now you know what it feels like to be taken advantage of. Karma has its way, you know?"


    She truly had a petty nature.


    However...Business was business. There was nothing more to be said.


    As for the second set of teleportation tower blueprint, it did hold that value.


    Zhang Nu nned to construct a teleportation tower outside the Chaos Forest. With that, his future expansion and influence beyond his territory would be much easier.


    Zhang Nu: "Very well, I''ll let you have a small advantage this time. However, I don''t currently have that much money. I''ll need three to four days to make the necessary preparations. Just make sure not to sell the blueprint to someone else."


    Subus Queen Han Kexin: "You can trust me! I value my reputation, after all!"


    Even if she was determined to sell it. Who else could afford such a price?


    Teleportation towers were crucial and pivotal facilities.


    The Subus Queen would not simply sell them to a Demon King whose background and intentions were unknown, for fear of future risks. However, she and the Abyssal Dragon King had a deep understanding of each other.


    Originally, Zhang Nu had around 20 million or so of disposable gold.


    However, summoning the Abyssal Dragon, Long Yi, cost 4 million gold. The baptism of Marilyn required an additional 1 million. The construction and upgrading of the trial tower, as well as the castle''s upgrades, incurred substantial expenses.


    Now he truly found himself short on funds!


    Nevertheless, that was not an issue for him.


    Zhang Nu only needed to trade some of the dwarven treasury''s equipment and jewelry or tap into the million-dose potions stored in the Giantree City''s warehouse. Within a short time, he could easily amass the necessary funds.


    However, just then, Li Si rushed over with a sense of urgency. "My master, there''s movement from the empire again!"


    Zhang Nu paused and asked, "How many this time?"


    Li Si replied, "The scale is massive, and we don''t have an exact count yet. But judging by the overall magnitude... it''s at least several hundred thousand troops!"


    Several hundred thousand?


    A count could not possibly afford to maintain such a colossal private army. Without a doubt, it must be the empire''s formidable official army stationed under Count Kolo''smand.


    The Thunder Empire''s official army was incredibly powerful. It was a force that could not be underestimated!


    Yet, Zhang Nu could not help but let out a chuckle.


    It seemed that the Thunder Empire, until this moment, still failed to take Chaos Forest seriously.


    The emperor might not even be aware of the existence of a Great Demon King like him beyond the southern borders, within the depths of the Chaos Forest!


    Oh, the arrogance of the humans!


    Once more did they fail to grasp the gravity of the situation!


    Zhang Nu said, "As long as the Thunder Empire doesn''t mobilize its full force to besiege the forest, it won''t pose a significant threat to us. I want you to head to the Bloody Fortress with Zhang San immediately."


    "Understood!"


    "Please rest assured, my master!"


    "We will crush the empire''s morale!"


    Zhang San and Li Si immediately set off to the frontlines.


    Zhang Nu''s thoughts turned to the empire''s actions. He found it rather amusing that such a vast empire would only send a mere ten to twenty million troops. It was clear they underestimated his own strength as a Demon King.


    However, this situation presented an opportunity.


    He was in need of funds, and as a Demon King, warfare and conquest were his most lucrative endeavors.


    Although Zhang Nu did not n to personally join the battle, he would not underestimate the enemy. After a brief thought, he called out, "Long Yi."


    Emerging from the shadows was a draconian, almost the same height and appearance as Zhang Nu. However, Zhang Nu''s temperament and appearance were more domineering and majestic.


    Furthermore, their dragon scales were noticeably different.


    The scales of the Demon King had a dark golden surface adorned with intricate natural runes that were barely discernible to the naked eye, enveloped in a faint glow. On the other hand, Long Yi had pure ck obsidian-like dragon scales.


    Even though they belonged to the same race and shared striking simrities, a mere nce would reveal who held the position of authority.


    Zhang Numanded, "Long Yi, make your way to the Bloody Fortress and assist Zhang San and Li Si in repelling the Empire''s invasion."


    "Understood!"


    Long Yi was filled with excitement.


    He never expected to have an opportunity to prove himself so soon after his arrival.


    He was eager to showcase his abilities, and this was the perfect chance!


    ......


    Count Kolo''s territory.


    The empire army was fully prepared, ready for action.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    This was the Third Legion of the Southern Border. The entire legion consisted of 200,000 soldiers, nearly all of them well-trained elites. As a legion, it was inevitable that there would be a diverseposition of troops.


    There were light and heavy infantry, cavalry, flying units, mage units, archer units, healer units, specialized defensive barrier units, as well as auxiliary teams and special forces to adapt to various battlefield situations.


    In short, a true official army must be versatile andprehensive. Their strength was on apletely different level from a ragtag group.


    The Thunder Empire''s southern border had been peaceful for a long time, and suchrge-scale military operations at the legion level had not urred for at least a decade.


    Their objective this time was the Chaos Forest. The mission was to capture the Bloody Fortress.


    Unlike previous minor skirmishes with disorganized forces, this was a real war!


    "My lord, our soldiers and warriors have all assembled and are ready to execute the will of Duke Bachor and the Empire!"


    Themander of the third legion was a middle-aged man with a rugged and chiseled face. As a legionmander, he naturally possessed formidable strength.


    Huang Hui said, "We don''t have much time. I hope to deliver the news of our victory to Duke Bachor within five days!"


    "March!"


    Meanwhile, in the rear of this army, several hundred Divine Sword Heroes were disgruntled.


    "Damn it!"


    "Why does this guy have the right to seizemand?"


    "Duke Bachor clearly gave the authority to our captain."


    "Hey, you know nothing? He is a guardian knight!"


    "Guardian knights are the most trusted knightly order by the emperor. In urgent situations, they have the right to takemand from local nobles."


    "Moreover, this Huang fellow is a guardian knight from the Grand Duke Bachor''s side. Whom do you think the Southern Border Duke trusts more?"


    "In other words, if we win this battle, all the credit goes to him, but if we lose, our captain will take the me."


    "Hush, herees the captain!"


    "Everyone, shut your trap."


    "......"


    Su Wenhao appeared among the Divine Sword Heroes.


    However, his appearance today was rather strange.


    Despite the scorching sun and unbearable heat, the count draped himself in arge, ck cloak that almostpletely enveloped his figure.


    Furthermore, the members of the Divine Sword Warriors noticed that their captain''s aura seemed off. A hint of aggression, terror, and icy coldness emanated from him, causing an unsettling feeling among the Heroes, as if they were in the presence of an imminent danger.


    What could have happened?


    Why has their captain undergone such a dramatic transformation?


    This peculiar and eerie appearance was undoubtedly a result of Huang Hui''s appearance, and the Divine Sword Heroes exchanged confused nces, each harboring their own thoughts.


    Su Wenhao slightly raised his head.


    Underneath the hood, his eyes were colder than a venomous snake, but a malicious grin formed on his lips. In a dry and hoarse voice, he said, "Guardian knight? Let''s see about that!"

 Chapter 160: A Step Forward Towards Unification

    The next day.


    Zhang Nu found himself in the Tower of Lost Trials, engaged in a Mirror Trial.


    With Death Stare, he swiftly dispatched his own mirror image.


    [Trialplete!]


    [Performance evaluation: Perfect!]


    [You''ve gained Trial Enhancement. HP +50, MP+50, Strength +10, Agility +10, Constitution +10, Will +10 permanently!]


    [You''ve already obtained 10 Trial Enhancements!]


    [Your body has developed resistance to the power of the trials. Subsequent enhancements within the next seven days will be significantly weakened or rendered ineffective!]


    Level 5 trials proved to be exceptionally powerful. Even a Great Demon King such as him could still benefit and gain improvements through the trial tower.


    But of course, as a Demon King, he did not need to train. Instead, he relied on the sacrificial consumption of Hero''s souls to fuel his growth. Therefore, there was no concept of training progress for him.


    However, after each trial, all his stats would increase. Although the individual increments were not significant, the cumtive effect was considerable.


    Zhang Nu hadpleted a total of ten trials.


    As a result, he had umted a permanent increase of 500 HP, 500 MP, 100 strength, 100 agility, 100 constitution and 100 will.


    The Tower of Lost Trials possessed two distinctive characteristics.


    The first characteristic was that the trials matched the strength of the challengers. Weaker individuals faced rtively easier challenges, while the powerful encountered more difficult ones. In other words, the trials were tailored to their capabilities.


    This indicated that the trial tower scanned and analyzed the participants'' stats, talents, and abilities, creating trial scenarios that were in line with their individual capacities.


    However, there were exceptions to this rule.


    The Trial Tower suffered from a bug as it was unable to scan, analyze, or replicate certain advanced abilities.


    Powers derived from the Evil God or abilities rted to spatio-temporal maniption, for example, fell into this category.


    Due to this bug, Zhang Nu, found his ten trials devoid of any real difficulty. For him, the trial tower was never a ce of arduous torment but rather a rxed environment to bolster his stats.


    The second characteristic was that it was impossible to endlessly strengthen oneself in the trial tower.


    The strengthening process within the tower had a limit. Every seven days, a maximum of ten instances of trial enhancement could be absorbed. If the limit was exceeded, the effects would significantly weaken or even be ineffective.


    This was only natural. In this world, there were no miraculous elixirs or godly artifacts that could provide infinite strength.


    If the trial tower allowed unlimited enhancement, who in the right mind would still give a damn about army building?


    Zhang Nu could simply hoard all the trial instances for training, participating in a thousand trials every day and umting hundreds of thousands of trials within a year or so. It would mean instant godhood without any effort.


    The strengthening bestowed by the trial tower was essentially a form of energy enhancement.


    It was akin to attribute crystals. When too much of this enhancement energy was absorbed and integrated in a short period, resistance would naturally develop.


    Hence, the limitation on the number of enhancements per week was set, likely with a maximum threshold.


    Overall, it was still remarkable.


    After ten rounds of enhancements, Zhang Nu had already obtained a considerable amount of stats.


    If he could go through another ten or even more rounds, the enhancement effect alone would be worth millions of attribute crystals.


    After leaving the trial tower, Zhang Nu summoned some of his key subordinates to his Demon King''s castle.


    Among them were the elves Nancilia and Marilyn, the dwarves Zhang Dachui and Ironbeard, the gnome Segon, the orc Gru, and some others.


    Except for the Ironheart City Lord Zhang Dachui, none of them were summoned units. They were all subordinates acquired through submission, and they were now fiercely loyal to the Dragon Demon King.


    The Demon King spoke, "From today onwards, your mission is to visit various cities on my behalf and convince them to submit to me."


    The Elven King promptly assured, "Your Majesty, you can entrust this mission to us without any worries."


    "The Chaos Forest has been in turmoil for far too long."


    "This time, it must be unified!"


    Marilyn chimed in, "Yes, Your Majesty, rest assured. We will definitelyplete the mission, and you can await our good news in Darkness City!"


    The orc city lord, Gru boldly proimed, "Whoever dares to defy the will of His Majesty shall be annihted by the two hundred thousand orcs of the Berserk Beast City!"


    These subordinates were brimming with enthusiasm, each eager to showcase their capabilities.


    Zhang Nu was pleased with their attitude. He entrusted frontline battles to capable subordinates like Zhang San, Li Si, and Long Yi, while assigning the task of subjugating the forest cities and major tribes to the elven, dwarven, gnome, ogre, and giant factions.


    As the Great Demon King, Zhang Nu could nowfortably oversee operations from the rear.


    The forest cities and tribes would be persuaded to submit peacefully if possible. But if diplomacy failed, they would resort to intimidation and threats. And if all else failed, they would unleash a military assault.


    But what if the other party proved to be unyielding?


    In that case, there would be no alternative but to resort to extreme measures!


    Raze the cities and annihte the tribes!


    In any case, no force would dare obstruct the Demon King''s ns. He preferred not to act openly unless confronted by enemies his subordinates could not handle.


    However, considering the current strength of the Darkness City and thebined forces of his subordinates, the probability of such an event was quite low.


    Zhang Nu dered, "Your dedication and contributions will not go unrewarded. They shall bring abundant benefits and privileges to your tribes, even granting you the opportunity to receive my personal baptism."


    The crowd was exhrated.


    They wholeheartedly believed that by following this Demon King, their tribes would prosper and grow stronger.


    As for the Demon King''s baptism, not only would it instantly ascend their power to a whole new level, but it was also a tremendous honor worth striving for.


    Before long, everyone had been assigned their respective tasks.


    Nancilia, Marilyn, Zhang Dachui, Ironbeard, and others held influential positions, particrly Nancilia, the Elven King. They were entrusted with the crucial task of persuading the major forest cities.


    Segon, the gnome, and Gru, the orc, were responsible for subjugating smaller cities and tribes. Segon, as the gnome city lord of Thousand Fangs City,manded over thirty gnome merchant caravans and hadprehensive knowledge of various towns and viges.


    The rise of the Dragon Demon King was no longer a secret.


    The forest cities and tribes were already filled with fear and anxiety.


    Once they learned that even Ironheart City and Thunderp City had pledged their allegiance to the Dragon Demon King, and that the Demon Kingmanded hundreds of thousands of ogres, several hundred thousand orcs, several hundred thousand elves, and tens of thousands of giants, not to mention an Elven King, anyone with a sound mind would not choose to oppose them.


    The young elven king and the others immediately set out to fulfill their missions.


    Zhang Nu then summoned two special subordinates, the Hero Su Yan and the Flower Fey Demon King Chen Guoguo.


    "Boss!"


    "Big shot!"


    "What do you need us for?"


    Zhang Nu got straight to the point, "Besides the native forces in the Chaos Forest, there are two other forces that cannot be overlooked: the Demon Kings and the Heroes."


    Chen Guoguo and Su Yan exchanged nces.


    Su Yan immediately spoke up, "Boss, are you nning to deal with the remaining Demon Kings and Heroes? This is a perfect opportunity for the Dragon''s Shadow Hero Guild to enhance their strength through this cleansing operation!"


    "As far as I know, there are still at least hundreds of Demon Kings in every corner of the Chaos Forest."


    Zhang Nu responded, "Whether they are Demon Kings or Heroes, as long as they have value and are willing to sincerely submit and be affiliates of the Dark City, there is no need to exterminate them all. I brought you two here to discuss this matter."


    If extermination was the goal, then the task would be much easier.


    Zhang Nu could simply lend his Demon King''s royal guard squadron to Su Yan. She could lead the members of the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes along with this powerful squadron to visit each and every Demon King''s stronghold, obliterating them in the process.


    Wouldn''t that just easily solve the issue?


    However, not all Demon Kings and Heroes were driven by ambitious desires.


    Chen Guoguo had neverid siege to tribal viges and she had never entertained thoughts of dominating the world.


    In reality, as long as the Demon Kings were willing to submit to him, willingly ept military supervision, and voluntarily restrict the size of theirbat units, they could continue to live and thrive here.


    This was not out of kindness on Zhang Nu''s part, his motives were also rooted in self-interest.


    The Demon Kings held intrinsic value.


    Each Demon King had the ability to summon unique troops. Furthermore, different races possessed distinct capabilities.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Take for instance, Chen Guoguo, the Flower Fey Demon King. Having recently ascended to the fourth rank, she had unlocked remarkable units such as Flower Sprites and Flower Fairies. These units boasted exceptional cultivation abilities.


    Zhang Nu had yet to fully exploit the agricultural potential of the Darkness City and the Giantree City.


    He still possessed several blueprints of Spirit Field and had continued to make more acquisitions in the Demon King market. The future prospects for farms and cultivation would undoubtedly be vast.


    Even if he were to recruit all the elves and goblins of the Chaos Forest, it would still be insufficient to meet the demands of farming, alchemy, and other production tasks concurrently.


    Thus, consequently, wouldn''t this lead to a significant waste?


    As a result, Zhang Nu and Chen Guoguo formed a strategic partnership. The two Demon Kings devised a n to jointly invest in arge number of farms.


    Zhang Nu would provide the necessary funds,nd, and strong protection, while Chen Guoguo would contribute the seeds and summon Level 3 and 4 Flower Sprites and Flower Fairies.


    For a Demon King, as long as they had the gold, and as long as they could sustain the resources, they could summon followers without any restrictions.


    This meant an endless supply of poption,bat strength, and productivity!


    With these top-tier cultivation masters nurturing the farnds, the yield of the Spirit Fields would significantly increase beyond their previous limits.


    Ultimately, the harvest would be divided between Zhang Nu and Chen Guoguo in a 60:40 split, ensuring a mutually beneficial arrangement.


    Zhang Nu would receive 60% of the proceeds, while Chen Guoguo would im 40%.


    With the gold she earned, Chen Guoguo could purchase souls from Zhang Nu at internal prices, or acquire skill stones and other building blueprints she needed from the Demon King market.


    In this method, even if she did not recruit a singlebat unit, Chen Guoguo could thrive in this world, enjoying a level offort ten or even a hundred times better than other Demon Kings.


    She would then have a real chance to ascend to Level 5 or 6, bing a prominent Demon King who rose to power peacefully.


    This demonstrated that cooperation and mutual benefit among Demon Kings was possible.


    There were strengths and advantages unique to each race. Even the seemingly feeble Goblin Demon King, once they sincerely submit and ept regtion, drinking the blood wine from the Holy Grail, holds significant value.


    Therefore, Zhang Nu had a simple n.


    He said to his two subordinates, "I am nning to establish a Demon King Alliance specifically for recruiting Demon Kings who are willing to relinquish their sovereignty and be vassals of the Darkness City. Chen Guoguo, I want you to manage this alliance."


    Chen Guoguo fluttered her wings and looked surprised, saying, "Oh my, I''ve unexpectedly been promoted! So now I''ll be the big leader of the Demon King Alliance!"


    However,cking confidence, she expressed some doubt, "But... can I truly handle this job?"


    Zhang Nu reassured her, "If Su Yan can sessfully lead the Hero guild, there''s no reason why you can''t excel as the Leader of the Demon King Alliance."


    Su Yan chimed in, supporting Chen Guoguo, "Absolutely! With our boss backing us up and with the assistance of little Nancy city lord, even a mere ''salted fish'' can soar to great heights. So, don''t worry!"


    "Well, I will do my best!" Chen Guoguo nodded.


    Zhang Nu continued, "There''s no time to waste. Both of you should mobilize immediately. I will lend you my royal guard squadron, and together, you will survey all the Demon King territories in the Chaos Forest."


    "The royal guard squadron!" Su Yan eximed with joy. "That''s fantastic! With this opportunity, I can train the members of the Hero guild. After all, apart from me, there isn''t a single Level 4 member in the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes Guild."


    The task had been delegated, and it was now up to them to figure out how to execute it.


    With numerous Demon Kings in the Chaos Forest, most of them would be unwilling to surrender.


    However, this would work in favor of Su Yan and the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes, who could benefit from the situation as they collect the valuable resources and skills.


    After Su Yan and Chen Guoguo left, Zhang Nu suddenly noticed that his yer log interface had been continuously refreshing with various battle logs since a while ago.


    [You''ve in an Empire Soldier. Gold +70!]


    [You''ve in an Empire Soldier. Gold +70!]


    [You''ve in an Empire Soldier. Gold +70!]


    [You''ve in an Empire Mage. Gold +100!]


    [You''ve in an Empire Knight. Gold +150!]


    [......]


    Zhang Nu did not even need to specte any further.


    It seemed that the Bloody Fortress was already embroiled in battle.


    Just the day before, he had received the news of the empire''s army and had promptly dispatched Zhang San, Li Si, and Long Yi to the frontline.


    Unexpectedly, the Bloody Fortress was already being sieged by the empire''s army.


    These guys acted quite swiftly!

 Chapter 161.1: The Siege on Bloody Fortress (part 1)

    Dusk settled, casting a blood-like hue across the sky.


    A massive army, numbering in the tens of thousands, moved across thend like a swarm of ants with perfect discipline and synchronization.


    At the forefront of the army rode Huang Hui, astride a majestic alicorn. His golden armor gleamed brightly, emanating a powerful aura that kept nearby magical beasts at bay, preventing them from approaching.


    However, Huang Hui furrowed his brow as he looked ahead. A disheveled and scattered group of soldiers was returning, led by none other than the legionmander.


    Huang Hui''s expression turned displeased. "It seems our surprise raid has failed!"


    Prior to their departure, Huang Hui had believed that catching the enemy off guard would work in their favor. He had dispatched a squadron of light cavalry tounch a swift, nighttime assault, hoping to seize the fortress while it was least prepared.


    Even if they had not managed to conquer the fortress, causing some disruption and confusion would have been advantageous for their main forces, while also serving as a test of strength.


    For this reason, the legionmander had personally led the operation, mobilizing nearly ten thousand troops in total.


    At this moment, the legionmander''s advanced magical armor was shattered into scrap metal, and he had sustained four or five deep wounds. It was evident that the battle had been perilous.


    Huang Hui asked, "How is the fortress defense? Approximately how many enemies are there?"


    The legionmander, in a disheveled and frightened state, replied, "My Lord, the Bloody Fortress was well-prepared and had a muchrger garrison than anticipated."


    "This fortress is equipped with long-range surveince facilities, which detected our army from a considerable distance. It also has several formidable magical assault structures capable of unleashing widespread thunderbolt attacks."


    "In addition, within the fortress, there are five to ten thousand beholder creatures. These creatures possess a remarkable attack range of up to a kilometer. Their destructive power is astonishing. Even this humble one would struggle to withstand their concentrated attacks."


    "......"


    "ording to my reconnaissance, the Bloody Fortress is garrisoned by tens of thousands of troops."


    "Among them are elves, orcs, ogres, and umonly seen draconians. Their warriors are no less formidable than the empire''s official forces!"


    That many?!


    Huang Hui was both shocked and frustrated.


    Su Wenhao, that useless fool, had been shing with the Dragon Demon King for so long and still had not gathered any urate information about the strength of the Demon King''s forces.


    No wonder his previous attempt tounch a cavalry attack on the fortress with his family knight order ended inplete disaster.


    The legionmander expressed his concern, saying, "The Demon King seems prepared to defend the fortress with all his might. Although our army outnumbers them four or five times, the Demon King''s forces have the advantage of defensive terrain. If weunch a full-scale assault, even if we manage to win, the empire soldiers will suffer heavy casualties."


    Although the surprise attack ended in a disastrous failure, what worried the legionmander the most was not whether they could defeat the enemy but rather the potential damage it could inflict upon the third legion.


    Indeed, while the Demon King''s Legion was formidable, the legionmander still believed that the empire army had the upper hand. Over 80% of the empire''s official soldiers had reached the rank of elite, and their vast numbers and strength were undeniable.


    Aplete defeat seemed highly unlikely.


    However, capturing the Bloody Fortress would be an arduous task. If they insisted on taking it by force, they would inevitably suffer significant losses.


    And the siege oue would result in a hard-fought victory.


    Huang Hui said, "It doesn''t matter. Even though the surprise attack failed, it''s of no consequence. General, you have gathered enough intelligence on the enemy for me!"


    "But now, I''m here!" he continued, "They are not worth worrying about! And they will be of no threat to us!"


    The next day, the empire army, like a tidal wave, arrived near the Bloody Fortress. They halted about four or five miles away, out of range of the beholders'' attacks.


    It was both a secure position and an intimidating disy.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A colossal force of nearly two hundred thousand soldiers stood assembled. d in standardized armor and wielding uniform weapons, their banners billowing in the wind, the thunderous beat of war drums filled the air. The shimmering glow of magical shields cascaded in a mesmerizing disy. The sheer magnitude of their numbers alone created a profound impact and an overwhelming sense of oppression.


    Unlike the previous endeavor, this time the empire wasmitted to taking the Bloody Fortress.


    The legionmander proposed, "I suggest deploying a full defensive stance to withstand the onught from the onught from the beholders and elven mages. Once our main force breaches the barrier and sessfully prates the fortress, we can effortlessly overwhelm them with our numerical superiority."


    However, Huang Hui held a contrasting view.


    "Why the rush?" he questioned.


    "Capture the leader first."


    "As long as we can kill the Demon King."


    "Why should we fear theseckeys?"


    "You all stay here. I''ll head up and give it a try."


    He guided his flying steed and descended to a spot 2,000 meters in front of the fortress. As he dismounted from his horse, he immediately began to taunt and provoke.


    "Dragon Demon King!" he bellowed.


    "Don''t hide like a coward!"


    "I know you''re inside the fortress!"


    "Can you see it?"


    "This is the empire''s official army!"


    "Each one of us is an elite unit!"


    "Hahaha! Are you starting to feel despair? Are you trembling with fear? That''s right! You have no chance of winning!"


    "In front of me, in front of the empire, you''re nothing but a joke! You''re an insignificant, ridiculous clown!"


    "For a mere Demon King, you''ve assembled an impressive army, but its size is nothingpared to the might of the empire!"


    With these words, Huang Hui unsheathed his sword.


    "A game without suspense isn''t any fun!"


    "Now, I''ll give you all a chance."


    "As long as someone cane out and defeat me, the empire''s army will temporarily withdraw, granting you some respite!"


    The legionmander immediately understood the intentions of the guardian knight. To serve as bait and lure the enemy out of the fortress, should the Demon King truly fall for the ploy, it would cost them their greatest advantage.


    The gates swung open.


    Thousands of draconians swiftly deployed from within the stronghold to its outskirts.


    Magnificent! It actually worked!


    The Demon King fell right into the trap!


    How foolish.


    Could the Demon King truly believe that he, alone, could contend against the guardian knight?


    The legionmander had information about the Demon King.


    The Demon King''s power merely reached Level 4. Within such a short span of time, it was highly unlikely for any significant breakthrough to ur.


    Even if their strength did improve, when facing someone of the guardian knights''s calibur, the gap in strength would still be insurmountable.


    "You boastful fool! Daring to spout such arrogant words! You know nothing of true power, but you won''t have another chance to learn."


    At that moment, Zhang San activated all of his aura skills and leaped forward.


    "Die, fool!"


    Zhang San, the Earth Drake Grand Marshal, possessed the pinnacle power of Level 4 overlords.


    With the draconian legion buffing auras at full strength, Zhang San was capable of facing even Level 5 overlord units. Furthermore, Li Si''s Blood Ritual empowerment nearly made him invincible.


    A thunderous roar shook the air.


    A colossal, dozens of meters long diamond earth drake emerged.


    Zhang San had swiftly transformed into his earth drake form and charged straight at Huang Hui.


    "Demon King!"


    "It''s the Dragon Demon King!"


    "What a fearsome presence!"


    "Does the Demon King really think he can stand against the guardian knight? How foolish!"


    The empire legion generals had witnessed the memory crystal recording of the Bloody Fortress. They recognized this terrifying earth drake, the very same one that had led the charge to breach the fortress. To their astonishment, he had now brought his entire race''s forces out of the fortress.


    Wasn''t this the perfect opportunity to surround and defeat them?


    "A golden opportunity!" eximed a high-ranking officer. "We must seize this moment andunch an immediate attack!"


    All eyes turned to the legionmander, awaiting his decisivemand.


    The legionmander responded, "There''s no need for us to intervene."


    A general questioned, "Why? This is a golden opportunity!"


    Themander exined, "The moment the Demon King is exposed before the guardian knight, he is doomed to have no chance of survival."


    "Is it true?"


    "Is the guardian knight truly that terrifying?"


    "The Demon King has nearly five thousand draconian warriors with him!"


    Themander smirked, "It''s useless. Just watch closely. You won''t have many chances to witness a guardian knight in action!"


    Huang Hui erupted with a radiant aura, the light gathered and coalesced around his body, forming a solid barrier of light.


    In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a towering giant, standing ten meters tall.


    This giant donned golden runic armor, wielding a colossal nine meters sword. His imposing presence was awe-inspiring, every inch of the giant was formed with his Qi.


    "There it is!"


    "The Guardian Golden Form!"


    "It''s the signature skill of the guardian knights!"


    The legionmander''s face was filled with fervor.


    The "Guardian Golden Form" was undoubtedly an immensely powerful A ranked transformation skill. In this state, the guardian knight would temporarily gain advanced magic immunity and a substantial increase in both attack and defense capabilities.


    The golden greatsword ruthlessly struck the diamond drake''s body.


    Boom!


    Qi erupted!


    Transforming into a ferocious storm!


    It tore away arge chunk of the ground.


    The diamond earth drake was sent flying, tumbling several times before regaining its footing. Although some scales cracked, it had suffered minimal damage.


    "Truly formidable!"


    "It barely received a scratch!"


    Huang Hui''s voice rumbled like thunder, "Not many Level 5 overlords could withstand this blow and survive!"


    "No wonder Su Wenhao was left in such a sorry state by your forces. The Divine Sword Heroes are truly outssedpared to you."

 Chapter 161.2: The Siege on Bloody Fortress (part 2)

    This person!


    Too powerful!


    Zhang San felt an unprecedented pressure!


    Even with the full effect of hismand skill, and the archpriest''s Blood Ritual diverting a significant portion of the damage, this strike alone...


    While it might not have been enough to im Zhang San''s life, it would have certainly inflicted substantial wounds upon this diamond earth drake.


    Zhang San realized that, given his current strength, defeating his opponent seemed unlikely. However, the guardian knight also faced significant challenges in trying to defeat Zhang San in his present state.


    Transformation skills would usually consume an astonishing amount of energy.


    Why not use the advantage of his superior defense to buy time?


    Let the opponent''s strength gradually wane, and then seize the opportunity to turn the tide.


    Of course, even if the worst-case scenario urred, it would not have mattered. Because even in the worst-case scenario, there was still a true dragon overseeing the Bloody Fortress.


    Long Yi, like his master.


    He was an Abyssal Dragon.


    The ceiling of Level 5 overlord units!


    He could hold his own against even a monarch.


    Dealing with the guardian knight was well within his capabilities. With the Abyssal dragon stationed at the Bloody Fortress, the likelihood of the empire army before them breaching its defenses was nearly nonexistent.


    There was no need for concern.


    Zhang San unleashed his ferocitypletely.


    The diamond earth drakeunched another attack.


    The golden-armored giant and the diamond earth drake engaged in a fierce battle for twenty or thirty rounds, leaving behind a trail of upturned soil, shattered stones, and a deeply scarred earth.


    It was truly terrifying!


    The legionmander couldn''t believe it. "The Dragon Demon King and the guardian knight are at least one level apart. Even with hismand skill to enhance his strength to match an average Level 5 powerhouse, it''s still impossible for him to hold on until now!"


    "Something''s amiss!"


    "This doesn''t add up!"


    "There''s definitely something wrong."


    Of course, Huang Hui also sensed the anomaly.


    He noticed that a significant portion of the damage he inflicted on the diamond earth drake would always be swiftly transferred elsewhere. Moreover, the diamond drake''s defense was already absurdly high, which prevented Huang Hui from delivering any decisive blows.


    On the contrary...


    Huang Hui was astonished to realize that his MP had been depleted by more than half. If he were to maintain his transformation and continue fighting for another thirty to fifty rounds, there was no guarantee that he could kill the earth drake.


    In fact, he was starting to feel overwhelmed himself.


    "I see! So, that''s how it is!"


    "There''s some form of ritualistic magic at work!"


    "It''s rendering arge portion of my attacks ineffective!"


    Huang Hui finally unraveled the trickery and immediately focused his attention on the archpriest, Li Si.


    "Hahaha!"


    "No wonder it''s been so difficult!"


    "But it ends here!"


    With a powerful strike, Huang Hui once again forced the diamond earth dragon back, then he plunged his giant sword into the ground. The golden armor that enveloped his body disyed visible cracks, unleashing a brilliant radiance.


    "Arcane Shatter!"


    Huang Hui detonated the body of the golden-armored giant. A powerful shockwave and intense light instantly enveloped an area of several hundred meters. Although the damage inflicted was not substantial, it had a potent dispelling effect.


    "Oh no!"


    Zhang San realized it.


    In an instant, all the effects of his aura and the ritual enchantments were nullified. The enhancements that had bolstered his strength vanished. At this moment, his strength reverted back to its fundamental state, that of a peak Level 4 overlord.


    "Game over!"


    "Now, die!"


    The golden longsword cleaved through the air, unleashing a ferocious wave of Qi.


    Huang Hui had observed that after their intense battle, the diamond drake''s scales had weakened considerably, and its HP had been drained by more than a third.


    Under the weight of this all-out assault, even if the diamond drake managed to survive, it would undoubtedly be left heavily wounded.


    He had to admit it.


    This diamond earth drake was incredibly tenacious.


    But the gap between them was too vast.


    In the end, victory still belonged to him!


    After killing the dragon, he would obtain the formidable talents of the Dragon Demon King, and his future strength would undoubtedly skyrocket!


    However, at that critical moment.


    From the distant Bloody Fortress, located two kilometers away. A malevolent ray of beholder eye beam was suddenly unleashed.


    This attack stood in stark contrast to the other beholder''s, emanating a deep, purplish-ck hue and possessing an amplified potency several hundred times greater.


    "Shi..!"


    Huang Hui was instantly ovee with dread.


    A beholder beam''s attack range was about a thousand meters. His current position was clearly outside the range of the eye beam attack.


    Huang Hui could not even imagine that there would be an attacking from the fortress.


    Having relinquished his transformation as the golden-armored giant and channeling all his Qi into an attack, Huang Hui was now left defenseless.


    Boom!


    A loud bang!


    Huang Hui was sent hurtling dozens of meters away and his body was almost pierced through.


    Even if he did not sumb to death, his wounds were severe enough to render him incapacitated temporarily. This sight left the entire empire armypletely flummoxed.


    "No!!"


    "The knight has been ambushed!"


    "Charge! Rescue the lord!"


    The legionmander swiftly issued the order, and several high-ranking officers with teleportation abilities rushed to Huang Hui''s side to extract him from danger.


    Meanwhile, the rest of the troopsunched a hasty counterattack to provide cover.


    Under the relentless assault of countless beholders'' eye beams, the empire army suffered heavy casualties, leaving thousands of bodies strewn on the battlefield. Disheveled and in retreat, they fell back twenty miles to regroup and recover.


    And just like that, the initial onught of the empire''s official army had been dramatically thwarted.


    But today, it was not Long Yi, the fortress guardian, who had dealt the crippling blow to Huang Hui.


    It was the Demon King''s summoned "Hellish Beholder Overlord" , the most powerful entity that could be conjured from the Beholder''s Lair.


    Despite being a beholder, it was a Level 4 overlord. Its sheer offensive might was capable of swiftly decimating a typical Level 4 overlord unit, and even a Level 5 overlord would likely suffer severe wounds.


    This beholder overlord had a range extending over ten thousand meters. It had been biding its time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike unexpectedly.


    Caught off guard and defenseless, Huang Hui bore the brunt of the attack. The fact that he managed to cling onto his life was truly a stroke of luck.


    Suffice to say, it became evident that the empire army had gravely underestimated the true power and contingency ns of the Demon King entrenched within the Bloody Fortress.


    ......


    That night, inside the empire army camp...


    "Damn it!"


    "This grudge will not go unanswered!"


    "I swear I won''t rest until I''ve avenged this!"


    Huang Hui''s condition was dire, to say the least.


    The attack from the Level 4 overlord beholder had not only inflicted devastating damage, but it also carried a curse and venomous effects, leaving him weak and feeble.


    In the midst of this, the guards surrounding him suddenly dispersed.


    A figure cloaked in ck stepped into the tent.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Hehehe, look at you, lord knight, in such a pitiful state!"


    "Su Wenhao, you dare show your face here? Who do you think you are? Even the likes of you dares to mock me?"


    "Open your eyes wide and take a good look!"


    With a swift motion, Su Wenhao removed his massive cloak.


    Huang Hui''s pupils shrank, a look of sheer astonishment on his face. "You... you..."


    Su Wenhao, at that moment, was no longer human.


    His entire body was covered in blood-red tumors, and his left hand had morphed into a grotesque structure reminiscent of octopus tentacles.


    "Guards!!"


    Huang Hui realized his impending doom.


    The grotesque tendrils, covered in pulsating blood tumors, effortlessly pierced his heart. In a matter of moments, Huang Hui''s body withered, drained of its blood, strength, and very soul by the abomination before him.


    Simultaneously, this monstrosity known as Su Wenhao experienced a surge in power, as the blood tumors covering his form swelled and grewrger.


    "Now, do youprehend?" Su Wenhao''s voice dripped with malice. "I''ve fused with an ancient deity, and now I am on the path to bing a new god!"


    His tendrils continued their macabre feast, sucking the life essence from the knight''s flesh.


    "You, insignificant mortal, and that ursed Demon King, are mere nutrients for my ascension!"


    "No... No..."


    Huang Hui''s voice gradually waned.


    His soul was consumed in its entirety.


    In the end, his entire body shattered and crumbled into dust.


    Su Wenhao donned his ck cloak once more and stepped out of the army camp.


    He announced an imperative message to the entire army, "The revered guardian knight lord has tragically sumbed to his grievous wounds. Henceforth, Count Kolo shall assume directmand of the forces!"

 Chapter 162: Su Wenhao, the Evil God Monstrosity

    The next day, on the fortress walls, Zhang San and Li Si watched as the Imperial Army regrouped andunched a renewed assault.


    Under themand of the legionmander and various officers, the empire''s forces formed multiple attack formations, advancing steadily and methodically.


    "Hah."


    "No more tricks this time."


    "They''re attempting to overpower us with sheer numerical advantage."


    Li Si chuckled, "There are quite a number of them this time. The pressure on us is fairly immense!"


    Zhang San sneered, "Do they really think they can seize the fortress? They''re just here to die!"


    Zhang San was bold and arrogant by nature.


    However, that didn''t mean he would be careless orcent. To him, the task entrusted by his master was sacred. He would fulfill it even at the cost of his life. Zhang San would not ck in the defense of the fortress.


    He held unwavering confidence in the fortress legion.


    That was why he maintained hisposure even when faced with enemies outnumbering them several times over.


    The currentposition of the fortress legion consisted of 10,000 draconian soldiers, 6,000 orcs, 6,000 elves, 8,000 beholders, and 10,000 ogres!


    In terms of total numbers, they had a force of merely 40,000 battle units.


    The empire''s army, despite their previous defeat, still possessed a fighting force of 180,000. The difference between the two sides was more than fourfold, clearly not on the same scale.


    Nheless, quantity alone is not the sole factor to consider. Withoutparing the quality, numbers would be meaningless.


    Although the empire''s official forces were elites, over 90 percent of them were merely Level 1 units, with a minimal proportion of officers in Level 2 and 3.


    In contrast, to address the crisis at the fortress, Zhang San and Li Si temporarily reassigned a significant number of Level 2 and 3bat units to reinforce the fortress. Just the number of Draconian Super Soldiers alone exceeded a thousand.


    Moreover, they brought in High Orc Berserkers, Elven Dragonhawk Mages, a variety of powerful high-level beholders, and even a Level 4 overlord Hellish Beholder Overlord.


    The strength of the fortress legion was much stronger than it appeared.


    It was already not inferior to the empire''s official army while also possessing the defensive advantage of using static defense tactics.


    In terms ofmanders, apart from Zhang San and Li Si, there were three Dragon Marshals, two High Priests, twenty Draconian Generals, five Draconian Priests, and the most formidable of them all, an Abyssal Dragon, Long Yi.


    Whether in terms of soldier quality or the strength of themanders, there existed a significant disparity between the two sides.


    That was why Zhang San was filled with absolute confidence.


    Despite both being subordinates summoned by the Demon King, Zhang San and Li Si possessed distinct and vibrant personalities.


    Zhang San exuded a reckless and audacious nature, while Li Si embodied a calm, reserved demeanor coupled with a keen intellect, likely influenced by his priestly background.


    He gazed at the steadily advancing empire''s forces and stated, "They are about to enter the range of the beholders units. Prepare the beholders for an attack. Ignore the infantry formations in front and prioritize targeting the healers, mage units, and aerial troops."


    The beholders stood poised, ready for action.


    The imminent sh of battle was on the horizon.


    Suddenly, a faint red mist drifted from the empire''s formation.


    This inconspicuous red mist actually permeated through the protective barriers of the fortress, spreading into arge portion of the Bloody Fortress, and soon enough, it had caused strange phenomena to ur.


    "Ah!"


    "Something''s not right!"


    "My mana is malfunctioning."


    "I can''t seem to cast my magic!"


    The first to detect the anomaly was an elven mage. After inhaling the peculiar red mist, she found her MP tainted and temporarily unusable.


    And she was not alone. The second, the third, the fourth...


    This peculiar phenomenon rapidly spread among the people, affecting hundreds and thousands of fortress guards.


    The impact on warriors was rtively minimal, while the mages bore the brunt of the effect. Among them, the lower-level mages, especially the Level 1''s and 2''s, were severely affected. Their MP became disrupted by a highly contaminating aura, rendering them incapable of wielding any form of magic.


    However, the likes of Li Si and other high-level mages remained unaffected. They attempted to mitigate the issue by employing purification magic, only to discover that its effectiveness was far from satisfactory.


    "The enemy is within range!"


    "Why aren''t the beholders attacking?"


    "Damn it, even the beholders have been tainted! They are unable to attack!"


    This revtion startled everyone. The beholders were a crucial defensive force.


    At such a critical juncture of the decisive battle, the collective failure of the beholders and mage units would leave the fortress defenseless, allowing the enemy to advance unhindered.


    "Fire the arrows!"


    "We can''t hold them back!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "The enemies are approaching the barrier!"


    The situation in the blood-soaked fortress became perilous. Zhang San had not anticipated such a bizarre turn of events.


    The pale red mist possessed an enigmatic power that defied known magical energies. Dispel magic and purification spells proved ineffective.


    "Who the hell is it! Who''s responsible?!"


    Zhang San''s expression twisted into a ferocious re as he quickly surveyed the area.


    Eventually, his gaze settled upon a peculiar figure draped in a ck cloak, standing at the heart of the enemy formation.


    The red mist continued to emanate relentlessly from the figure''s robe.


    Zhang San bellowed, "Target acquired! Take him down now!"


    Li Si immediately telepathicallymanded the towering presence of the Hellish Beholder Overlord, the Level 4 overlord of beholders. The colossal orb swiftly pivoted its massive iris towards the enigmatic figure.


    Zwoosh!


    A formidable beam of power surged forth, traversing vast distances in an instant, aimed unerringly at the cloaked individual.


    The empire''s legion, forewarned and prepared, acted swiftly. Thousands of mages harmonized their incantations, conjuring forth a monumental magical shield that intercepted the Beholder Overlord''s assault.


    In the midst of this intense sh, the empire''s forces breached the fortress''s protective barrier, their forces surging forward.


    Reacting swiftly to the breach, the defenders within the fortress mobilized their defenses.


    They immediately dispatched an army of ogres to counter the assault. These towering creatures, with their immense size, brutish ferocity, and tough hides, charged out of the fortress. With each swing of their colossal hammers, Imperial soldiers were sent sprawling through the air.


    The ogres disyed immense strength and resilience. However, theycked the support and cover provided by the mage units. In contrast, the Imperial army swiftly engaged their mage forces in the battle. The mages skillfully employed magic to control and restrain the ogres, providing vital healing spells to tend to the wounded and unleashing devastating offensive magic to aid the assault.


    "Bloody hell!"


    "Our situation grows dire!"


    "We need to stop that man!"


    Zhang San and Li Si simultaneously assumed their drake forms.


    Zhang San transformed into a Diamond Earth Drake, leading a group of several Golden Earth Drakes and nearly twenty ck Iron Earth Drakes, charging recklessly into the enemy formation, causing chaos and destruction.


    Li Si transformed into a Three-Headed Drake, leading a squadron of Winged Drakes tounch relentless assaults on the ck-robed figure. The ferocious dragon me they unleashed incinerated hundreds of soldiers in its path.


    However, Zhang San quickly found himself surrounded and trapped, unable to break free from the encirclement. Meanwhile, Li Si struggled to approach the ck-robed figure due to the formidable defense formed by Su Wenhao''s mage corps and archer corps.


    The mages demonstrated their mastery by effectively defending against the attacks of the ogre and the beholder overlord, while simultaneouslyunching counter attacks against the approaching winged drakes.


    "Hehehe!"


    "Hahaha!"


    "Do you see it now? This is the extent of my power!"


    Su Wenhaoughed maniacally, raising his hands high. Crimson blood mist emanated from his body, carrying the corrupting essence of an Evil God. The mist effortlessly tainted the MP of the lower-level units, rendering them vulnerable.


    "Demon King!"


    "This time, you''re doomed!"


    "Let''s see how you can turn the tide now!"


    Zhang San, as the Diamond Earth Dragon, found himself besieged by thousands of mounted infantry. Even with his formidable strength, he struggled to make any progress, enduring relentless attacks.


    Su Wenhao reveled in his triumph, feeling an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.


    With his own power, he single-handedly weakened at least 70% of the defenses of the Bloody Fortress, a feat that had been unimaginable to him before. The power of the ancient god was undeniably immense.


    Just by assimting a single fragment of the Evil God, he had gained such horrifying strength.


    But what if he were to assimte two, three, or even more shards of the Evil God? Su Wenhao caught a glimpse of an extraordinary path of unparalleled power, unlike any other.


    However, at that moment, Su Wenhao felt perplexed.


    Was the Diamond Earth Dragon truly the Dragon Demon King?


    He lifted his gaze towards the sky, where the crimson Inferno Three-Headed Drake wreaked havoc with its three heads, spewing mes that caused countless casualties. Its destructive power far exceeded that of the Diamond Earth Dragon.


    What was going on?


    The mutated Three-Headed Drake seemed to possess strength surpassing that of the Diamond Earth Dragon.


    Was it possible for the Demon King to summon subordinates of equal power?


    But it no longer mattered. Today, they would all meet their demise!


    The empire army''s advantage grew stronger and stronger, and just as they were on the verge of breaching the fortress, a terrifying dragon fear swept through.


    The empire soldiers were thrown into dizziness, the incantation of the mages was also disrupted. Simultaneously, a blood-red abyssal lightning tore through the sky, striking the earth with devastating force.


    Su Wenhao was directly hit.


    The mages surrounding him were caught in the aftermath. They let out anguished cries before falling lifeless, instantly obliterated.


    "What''s going on?"


    "What is this!"


    It was a dragon unlike any they had seen before.


    Enormous in size, it stretched over eighty meters long, its entire body adorned with jet-ck scales, exuding an aura of dominance over darkness and death.


    [Abyssal Dragon] Level 5 overlord.


    Su Wenhao, utilizing his appraising skill, discerned the opponent''s strength. His expression shifted, transformed, and eventually twisted into a state bordering on madness.


    "Hahaha!"


    "So, that''s how it is."


    "I understand now! I understand it all!"


    "You are the true mastermind behind everything, the real Demon King!"


    "No wonder there were always unexined events and misinformation in the past. Now it all makes sense... You''ve been hiding so well!"


    "No wonder we suffered such devastating defeats in the past!"


    "Who could have imagined that there was a Level 5 Demon King lurking in the Chaos Forest?"


    "But what does it matter? I have forced you out of hiding. It seems even the formidable Dragon Demon King finds himself in a desperate situation today!"


    The dragon emitted a voice of authority, "All I see is an arrogant insect. I shall end your pitiful, insignificant life!"


    "Kill me? Are you capable of killing me?!"


    Su Wenhaomanded loudly, "Forget about the fortress for now, dispose of this dragon!"


    The mages by his side immediately sprang into action, unleashing a torrent of magical attacks like rainfall.


    -0!


    -0!


    -0!


    The Abyssal Dragon possessed advanced magic resistance. This level of magical assault, unless concentrated to a single point, posed no threat no matter how abundant it was.


    "ck Hole of Death!"


    The dragon summoned a colossal ck hole, an ethereal void that had no impact on physical matter, but radiated an overwhelming aura of necrotic energy. In an instant, it enshrouded a vast area with a diameter of hundreds of meters.


    [You''ve been struck by the ck Hole of Death. -80 HP!]


    [You''ve been struck by the ck Hole of Death. -80 HP!]


    [You''ve been struck by the ck Hole of Death. -80 HP!]


    [......]


    Su Wenhao felt his life force rapidly depleting, while the surrounding mages sumbed one after another. Within moments, hundreds, even thousands of them had fallen, showcasing a chilling efficiency...


    "What fearsome magical defense!"


    "What formidable magical power!"


    "You are truly ten times stronger than the Diamond Earth Drake!"


    Despite losing over half of his remaining HP within a brief span, Su Wenhao wore an increasingly deranged expression, seemingly devoid of fear or concern.


    "Undead Creation!"


    Long Yi unleashed yet another spell, as an Abyssal Dragon of darkness and death, he excelled in both dark and necromantic magic. With his innate talent for Dragonic Tongue Magic and the immense MP reservoir of a dragon, his effects surpassed those of mages at the same level.


    In the blink of an eye, the mages and soldiers drained of life by the ck Hole of Death rose from the ground, transformed into controlled zombies, andunched an attack towards Su Wenhao in the center.


    In an instant, under the swarming horde, he found himself surrounded by a zombie tower of bodies.


    Su Wenhaoughed heartily, "Come, all of you,e! It''s time for you to witness the full extent of my power!"


    Suddenly, Su Wenhao''s body bursted.


    He morphed into countless tentacles that interconnected the zombies, voraciously sucking the flesh and blood from their bodies at an astonishing speed. From this mass of corpses, a monstrous entity emerged, towering like a small hill.


    This abomination stood fifteen meters tall,posed of putrid flesh, bloody tumors, and gnashing tendrils. Though resembling a human form, its features were twisted and grotesque.


    From the creature emanated the ominous aura of an Evil God. This highly corrupting energy affected a multitude of imperial soldiers, causing many to shriek in pain and copse, blood streaming from all of their orifices.


    Su Wenhao could not afford to care about them anymore.


    Once transformed into this monstrosity, his sanity all but vanished.


    He only desired to confront the Abyssal Dragon before him.


    Long Yi was taken aback, "Is this the result of devouring the fragments of the Evil God? I never expected it to be this severe!"


    Since Su Wenhao had transformed into the Evil God monstrosity, his power had experienced an enormous surge, surpassing even the formidable Golden form of Huang Hui, the guardian knight.


    "Die!"


    The Evil God monstrosity unleashed numerous tentacles, attempting to capture the Abyssal Dragon hovering in mid-air.


    Long Yi countered with a barrage of Abyssal lightning, effortlessly repelling the tentacles.


    "I must end this swiftly!"


    Long Yi released a powerful surge of dragon fear, first subduing the nearby empire soldiers.


    He then swiftly descended, unleashing a scorching torrent of Abyssal Dragon me upon the Evil God monstrosity, instantly carbonizing a significant portion of its body.


    The monstrous shrieks echoed madly from within the Evil God abomination.


    These ear-piercing cries carried an intense psychic assault, causing unfortunate empire soldiers to copse like mowed wheat.


    Long Yi, too, suffered significant injuries, blood dripping from his draconic eyes.


    Yet, he dared not relent, unleashing a relentless torrent of Dragon me until the mes consumed the entire body of the Evil God monstrosity, reducing it to charred remains from head to toe.


    With a mighty sweep of his tail, a devastating force crashed upon the scene. The Evil God monster was shattered, reduced to scattered ashes.


    At the same time, hundreds of Thunderp City giants were teleported to the rear of the battlefield.


    "Kill, kill, kill!"


    "For the Majesty of the Demon King!"


    "These damned humans shall perish!"


    Jin Kui, the giant chieftain with the strength of a Level 5 overlord, wielded a golden thunderous spear and charged into the empire forces, inflicting dozens, if not hundreds, of casualties in an instant.


    Simultaneously, as Su Wenhao met his demise, the fortress mages and the beholders, who were under the influence of the Evil God, immediately regained their senses.


    Beams of beholder rays and torrents of magical attacks rained down upon the disoriented empire soldiers, much like a relentless downpour.


    The legionmander''s face turned ashen, realizing the gravity of the situation. "It''s over."


    In the blink of an eye, the Dragon me swept forth, reducing him to mere ashes amidst the sea of mes.


    ......


    Meanwhile, within the confines of the Darkness City''s castle, Zhang Nu loungedfortably, attended to by his fox-kin servants. He leisurely savored the exquisite elven wine, holding a book in his hand, reveling in a carefree lifestyle.


    At that moment, his yer interface abruptly exploded with notifications. He casually nced at them but was taken aback.


    [You''ve in an Empire Soldier. Gold +70!]


    [You''ve in an Empire Soldier. Gold +70!]


    [You''ve in an Empire Mage. Gold +100!]


    [You''ve in an Empire Knight. Gold +150!]


    [......]


    [You''ve in an Empire Soldier Captain. Gold +200!]


    [You''ve in an Empire Mage Captain. Gold +500!]


    [You''ve in an Empire High-Ranking General. Gold +20,000!]


    [......]


    [You''ve in a Level 5 Hero. Hero''s soul +2, Evil God''s fragment +1!]


    [......]


    [You''ve in the Legion Commander of the Third Legion of the Southern Border. Gold +350,000!]


    [You''ve in a Level 3 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 3 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +1!]


    [......]


    Zhang Nu was dumbfounded.


    Especially by this particr notification: [You''ve in a Level 5 Hero. Hero''s soul +2, Evil God''s fragment +1!]


    Level 5 Heroes? There were Level 5 Heroes in that siege?


    And what in the world were those two souls?


    Moreover, he did not obtain skill stones from the kill; instead, he obtained an Evil God''s fragment!

 Chapter 163: Source of Corruption

    As if sensing something, Zhang Nu extended his left hand and a dark crimson mist materialized from the void, eventually condensing into a tangible object within his palm.


    It was a peculiar object, roughly the size of a ser ball, with a red-ck coloration. From its structure, it resembled a heart.


    Without needing to look, Zhang Nu already knew what it was.


    [Fragment of the Evil God] Orange quality special item. Assimble.


    [The Evil God Fragment is extremely powerful. After absorbing the fragment, you will gain the power of the Evil God. However, your talents, bloodline and physique will be permanently affected. You may lose some of your existing abilities. Please make the choice after utmost consideration.]


    This was none other than the "Heart of the Ancient God," which had suppressed the corrupted monarchs'' tomb for three thousand years in the Thunderp City.


    As expected, the Heart of the Ancient God was an Evil God fragment.


    Due to its divine nature, it was nearly indestructible and could only be sealed away.


    If the Demon King or a Hero obtained an Evil God fragment, they could choose to harness and absorb it, thereby gaining immense power while also bearing the rted side effects.


    Activating his information gathering ability, Zhang Nu delved into a more detailed understanding of the object.


    [Source of Corruption] a fragment from the primordial Evil God known as the "Source of Cmity." This malevolent god had once unleashed horrifying cataclysms across the continent, resulting in immense casualties and requiring the sacrifice of numerous powerful individuals from ancient empires to seal it away.


    Zhang Nu discovered that this Evil God fragment had a different originpared to the "Eye of Death".


    The Eye of Death originated from a being known as the "Eight-Eyed Evil God." Possessing eight eyes, each eye represented a distinct power, with the Eye of Death primarily embodying the power of death.


    However, this particr Evil God fragment hailed from another Evil God known as the "Source of Cmity."


    It was rumored that this very god was the very source of various terrifying disasters and cmities. When the Evil God was defeated, it was fragmented and sealed away in multiple pieces. Each fragment represented a specific cmitous power derived from the Source of Cmity.


    Each power was unique in nature.


    This particr Evil God fragment was named the "Source of Corruption."


    This fragment harbored an immensely contaminating power of Evil God capable of corroding the mind, soul, and physical form of living beings.


    Zhang Nu spected.


    After obtaining the Heart of the Ancient God, the leader of the Divine Sword Heroes Guild could not resist the allure of the Evil God fragment and chose to absorb it directly. This exined why, upon killing the Level 5 Hero, Zhang Nu was able to acquire the Evil God fragment from his body.


    However, such an action was incredibly risky and reckless.


    While the Evil God fragment could greatly enhance the power of a Hero or Demon King, it also came with significant side effects that were irreversible.


    Acquiring the Evil God''s innate abilities would undoubtedly impact one''s personal growth and innate talents. Not only would the physical body undergo severe distortions, but even the mind could be influenced, potentially undermining future growth potential.


    Continued absorption of Evil God fragments could lead to two possible oues.


    If one chose to absorb only fragments from the same Evil God, they would eventually undergo aplete transformation, bing the specific Evil God themselves upon collecting all the fragments.


    However, if fragments from different Evil Gods were absorbed, allowing the unrestrained influence of various powers of Evil Gods on the body and soul, the eventual result would be a grotesque, twisted, and unrecognizable monstrosity or an unpredictable mutated Evil God, or even potentially leading to their outright copse and dissolution of their form.


    Zhang Nu disliked the unknown and uncertainty.


    He desired to be in control of his own transformations.


    Therefore, after obtaining the first Evil God fragment, he refrained from immediate consumption. Instead, he patiently waited until he activated the "Dragon God Bloodline" and fortified his own foundation before assimting it.


    In doing so, although he could not experience a rapid surge in power, he preserved all his growth potential and innate talents, while also avoiding bodily instability and distortion.


    Moreover, with such a solid groundwork established, Zhang Nu could now absorb different Evil God fragments without hesitation.


    [Evil God Fragment assimted sessfully!]


    [Your maximum HP +2000!]


    [You''ve activated a new talent: Source of Corruption!]


    While the HP boost was of secondary importance, the controlled essence of the Evil God''s power became a unique innate talent. Typically, innate talents tend to strengthen alongside overall growth and development.


    Therefore, upon absorbing the Evil God fragment, with each subsequent level-up, Zhang Nu''s Evil God power and attributes would be further enhanced.


    [Source of Corruption] Talent skill. Upon activation, grants immunity to all toxins and curses, allowing the conversion of his own HP into Evil God power, enabling the use of abilities like "Corrupted Blood."


    Simr to the Eye of Death, the description of Evil God''s talents was vague. The Evil God talent obtained from the fragment was an ability that could continuously grow and be developed, unrestricted to a single skill.


    "So this is the Corrupted Blood!"


    Zhang Nu converted a portion of his HP, causing a mist of blood to materialize in his palm. Although inconspicuous in appearance, the Evil God power it contained could corrode the mind, soul, flesh, and even magical items, resulting in effects such as sealing, cursing, and harm.


    Impressive!


    Yet another formidable ability!


    With this power, Zhang Nu''s ability to incapacitate his foes became even more potent. He could easily render powerful equipment properties ineffective, deprive mages of their spellcasting abilities, and cause the physical bodies of warriors to crumble, leaving them defenseless. It was truly terrifying.


    Several hourster, Zhang Nu received a victorious report from the Bloody Fortress.


    True to expectations, Zhang San, Li Si, Long Yi, and the others did not disappoint the Demon King. They emerged victorious against an entire empire legion, decimating at least half of their forces.


    Taking the time to thoroughly analyze the gains, Zhang Nu was astounded.


    In this battle alone, the amassed amount of gold was a staggering 11.87 million!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Despite some casualties and damages sustained by the Bloody Fortress, even after ounting for the necessary repairs, the ie from this battle still soared into the tens of millions of gold coins!


    It was an extraordinary achievement.


    In addition to this substantial financial windfall, Zhang Nu obtained 2 Level 5 souls, 8 Level 4 souls, 55 Level 3 souls, 267 Level 2 souls, and 76 skill stones.


    The Divine Sword Heroes Guild was utterly vanquished! From the leader, Su Wenhao, down to every single member of the elite corps, none survived!


    This formidable Hero guild, alongside the colossal empire legion, met their ultimate demise at the Bloody Fortress.


    The oue of this battle would undoubtedly send shockwaves through the forest, further elevating the Demon King''s reputation.


    It was not difficult to imagine that even the empire would be shaken by the news. At that time, not only the Grand Duke Bachor in the southern region but even the emperor himself would begin to take notice of the situation in the Chaos Forest.


    For the Demon King, this confrontation with the empire had only just begun. Zhang Nu felt extremely satisfied with the gains from this battle.


    He took out a staggering sum of 6 million gold, preparing to buy the second teleportation tower blueprint from the Subus Queen, Han Kexin. This blueprint was of great importance to him, and he wanted to secure it as soon as possible.


    Han Kexin was taken aback and eximed, "Are you kidding me? It''s only been a few days! How did you manage to raise such arge amount of money in such a short time?"


    Although Zhang Nu was a wealthyndowner, it was still astonishing to gather such a significant amount of money in such a short period.


    Zhang Nu replied impatiently, "Enough chit chat, let''s make the trade."


    But Han Kexin halted him, saying, "Hold on a moment."


    Zhang Nu asked, "What''s the matter? Are you nning to raise the price?"


    Han Kexin scoffed, "Hey, I''m a renowned Demon King. I wouldn''t stoop so low to do something like that."


    "Then what are you waiting for?"


    "I''m thinking of lowering the price by 1 million gold."


    Upon seeing this, Zhang Nu felt surprised and immediately asked, "Heh, so what are the conditions? Don''t tell me you have suddenly discovered your conscience."


    The Subus Queen, Han Kexin, replied, "Hmph, you better examine your own conscience first. My conscience is intact. Why would I have a need to discover my conscience?"


    She continued, "Here''s the deal. Once your teleportation tower is built, how about we establish a mutual connection and positioning?"


    As it turned out, the Subus Queen wanted to connect her territory with Zhang Nu''s teleportation tower.


    In doing so, whenever Zhang Nu used the teleportation tower, he could easily visit the Subus Queen''s domain.


    Likewise, the Subus Queen could use the teleportation tower to visit the domain of the Abyssal Dragon King. This arrangement would deepen the cooperation between the two Demon Kings.


    In the future, Zhang Nu could develop his resources in the underground world through the Subus Queen, while Han Kexin could ess the continent through the Abyssal Dragon King for resource acquisition.


    Although the territories of the two Demon Kings were extremely far apart, they could not possiblypete or encroach upon each other.


    However, connecting their territories through the teleportation tower still required a high level of mutual trust, as one should always be cautious.


    After careful consideration, Zhang Nu felt that it would not be a major issue. Despite the Subus Queen being a top-tier Demon King, the gap between her and himself was quite significant. If he was not afraid of her, then he had little reason to worry.


    As long as they established specific agreements and implemented necessary teleportation security measures, the two Demon Kings could cooperate seamlessly, with the benefits outweighing any potential drawbacks.


    "No problem!" Zhang Nu continued, "So, how many teleportation tower blueprints do you have?"


    The Subus Queen replied, "None left. I only had three, and I nned to use one myself. I sold the other two to you."


    So that''s how it was.


    If she was not in dire need of money, the Subus Queen would not have sold them.


    For a Demon King, the more teleportation towers, the better. A single teleportation tower can only be used for one-way regional teleportation.


    It was no wonder the Subus Queen willingly reduced the price by one million gold to obtain the teleportation coordinates from Zhang Nu''s side.


    The transaction waspleted, with Zhang Nu paying 5 million gold coins and sessfully acquiring the second teleportation tower blueprint. It was definitely worth it for him.


    Considering his current territory''s profitability, 5 million gold only amounted to approximately five days'' ie, while an additional teleportation tower held significant value.


    Of course, the construction cost of teleportation towers was extremely high.


    One of the main reasons the Subus Queen sold two blueprints was that she did not have sufficient gold and resources. Building a tower was already a considerable stretch for her. Even for Zhang Nu, it was not a small expense. The total cost of constructing a tower exceeded the price of the blueprint itself.


    After careful consideration, Zhang Nu decided to build one teleportation tower next to the Darkness City and construct a small teleportation fortress specifically for the tower.


    As for the arrangement of the other teleportation tower?


    Unlike regr buildings, teleportation towers did not need to be within the territory. They were allowed to be built anywhere. Zhang Nu certainly would not ce it within the Chaos Forest. The Chaos Forest was not toorge, with a total area of over five million square kilometers. It was not necessary to build a tower in such a close range. It should be ced outside the Chaos Forest.


    The Thunder Empire and the Sunset Empire were both unsafe options and did not align with his interests. Although they had high military value, Zhang Nu''s current military strength was sufficient for self-defense, butunching an offensive against an empire would be too strenuous. Additionally, the transportation capacity of a Level 4 teleportation tower was limited.


    After pondering over the options, Zhang Nu made a decision. He would ce it in the Azure Water Federation.

 Chapter 164: Earth Drake Sovereign

    The Azure Federation had arger area and poption than the two empires.


    However, as a loose coalition of dozens of kingdoms and hundreds of factions forcibly assembled, it suffered from internal power struggles and poor control. Nheless, with a vast market to explore, it was currently the most reasonable direction for development.


    A few dayster, the Bloody Giant, Wang Shi, sent a message that the first batch of ordered space gems had arrived. Zhang Nu immediately paid the remaining 2 million gold for the purchase.


    He chose to build the teleportation tower near the Darkness Woods. The tower could not be directly established in the core city area because anypse in defense could pose a significant threat to the territory.


    The chosen location was several dozen miles from the Darkness City, and there were ns to build a Darkness Fortress nearby for the future deployment of Darkness City''s troops.


    Now, cing the teleportation tower there allowed the Darkness City''s military to quickly respond in case of emergencies in nearby cities. Additionally, with the teleportation tower established near a military fortress, it provided better protection and surveince capabilities.


    Boom!


    Amidst intense energy fluctuations, a magnificent tower adorned with intricate runic formations emerged. It was pure white and exuded an exquisite charm.


    Zhang Nu quickly familiarized himself with the detailed capabilities of the teleportation tower.


    The Level 4 teleportation tower had a regional teleportation coverage radius of 5,000 miles, more than enough to cover the core area of the Chaos Forest.


    However, this type of regional one-way teleportation was not 100% urate. The teleportation deviation could range from a few miles to tens of miles, with greater uracy for shorter distances andrger errors for longer distances. This was a slight drawback, but it would not have a significant impact.


    The Level 4 teleportation tower could operate one hundred teleportation fields simultaneously. If the number of targets exceeded one hundred, they would have to wait in line. Nheless, the teleportation speed was fast, with each teleportation process only taking five to ten seconds toplete.


    While the transport capacity was not ideal forrge-scale military operations, it was sufficient for daily use. In the event of an urgent military action involving a force of tens of thousands, it would be difficult to gather and transport them quickly without the assistance of draconian priests.


    Of course, this problem could be resolved. As long as the teleportation tower was upgraded, both the teleportation capacity and efficiency would greatly increase.


    The most crucial aspect of the teleportation tower was its pinpoint teleportation function, which not only achieved 100% uracy but also disregarded spatial distances. But of course, this required the coordination of multiple teleportation towers.


    At present, Zhang Nu only had one teleportation tower, his second teleportation tower, as well as the teleportation tower of the Subus Queen Han Kexin, had not yet been constructed.


    He then opened the yer interface, and several notification messages popped up.


    [Taurus City and its 100,000 minotaurs are seeking affiliation under your banner. ept?]


    [You''ve conquered Taurus City!]


    [You gained "Shining Mithril Chest" x1!]


    [......]


    [Venomscale City and its 60,000 lizardfolks are seeking affiliation under your banner. ept?]


    [You''ve conquered Venomscale City!]


    [You gained "Elegant Mithril Chest" x1!]


    [......]


    [Thousand Wolves City and its 60,000 wolffolks are seeking affiliation under your banner. ept?]


    [You''ve conquered Thousand Wolves City!]


    [You gained "Gorgeous Mithril Chest" x1!]


    [......]


    [Feral Tiger City and its 15,321 tigerfolks are seeking affiliation under your banner. ept?]


    [You''ve conquered Feral Tiger City!]


    [You gained "Shining Bronze Chest" x1!]


    [......]


    Within a few days, numerous simr messages appeared.


    There were over a dozen of such messages, including arge city with a poption of over 100,000, 5 medium-sized cities with poptions ranging from 20,000 to 80,000, and more than 10 medium torge tribes.


    The Demon Lord was extremely satisfied. He knew that his elves, orcs, dwarves, gnomes, and other subordinates were diligently executing their tasks ording to the n.


    This very fact proved that the truly stubborn and obstinate ones were the minority. Most city and tribal leaders were not blind to the situation.


    Although surrendering to the Demon King meant that the city''s treasury and savings would be taken by the Demon King''s subordinates, and a whopping 70% of future profits from production and business would be allocated as tribute to the Darkness City, it may not be as dire as it seems.


    After all, how much could the indigenous forest dwellers umte in terms of wealth? The Chaos Forest was a highly underdeveloped wilderness, where most races and members of various cities and tribes struggled and fought for a meager meal.


    Take the example of the Giantree City. Since joining forces with the Demon King, it had experienced rapid development and be one of the most prosperous cities in the Chaos Forest.


    Even the Berserk Beast City, notorious for its terrible reputation and savage nature, now had 30,000 orcs employed asborers to exploit arge gold mine under the Demon King''s assistance.


    As of now, the value of the gold they excavate on a daily basis alone amounts to millions of gold coins in the continent. Even if a significant portion was handed over to the Darkness City, the remaining daily profit surpassed what the Berserk Beast City used to earn through plunder and pige.


    Furthermore, with increased efficiency in gold mining, the development and exploitation of over a dozen otherrge mineral veins would be imminent.


    Berserk Beast City, with the help of draconianborers, had constructed arge smelting workshop and an equipment manufacturing center. In the future, the Demon King would aid the orcs by bringing in a group of exceptional dwarven craftsmen from the Ironheart City.


    It is conceivable that in a year or two, the Berserk Beast City would be Chaos Forest''srgest source of minerals and one of thergest equipment manufacturing centers. It was conservatively estimated that the orc citizens would have their wealth increase by tenfold per capita by then.


    Furthermore, after pledging allegiance to the Demon King, the most challenging issue of food scarcity was no longer a problem.


    Cities could directly purchase food from Giantree City and the Darkness City, which not only had good quality, stable supply, but also reasonable prices.


    Suffice to say, all the cities that pledged allegiance to the Demon King were now thriving in their newfound prosperity.


    On the contrary, cities that stubbornly refused to surrender or attempted treacherous tactics, like the notorious Magi Mojo City, met a grim fate.


    Once a bustling forest city with a poption exceeding a hundred thousand.


    It suffered the wrath of the draconian legion, resulting in a massacre of over ten thousand people. The horrifying incident spread like wildfire throughout the forest, sending shivers down the spines of other cities and tribes.


    Under such circumstances, only those with a severely abnormal mindset would persist in resisting against such insurmountable odds.


    Recent reports indicated that the Thunder Empireunched a full-scale assault with their official army to invade Chaos Forest, only to be decisively defeated by the Demon King at the Bloody Fortress.


    This victory sent a resounding message.


    The Dragon Demon King possessed the capability to fend off external forces from invading. For thousands and tens of thousands of years, one of the main reasons why the Chaos Forest had been in constant turmoil was the suppression and interference from external forces.


    However, the rise of the Dragon Demon King was unstoppable, even for the Thunder Empire.


    The unification of the forest was inevitable, and the cities and tribes naturally pledged their allegiance. Although Zhang Nu had anticipated such an oue, the speed of progress and execution efficiency surpassed his expectations, which pleased him.


    He eagerly opened the treasure chests he had easily acquired.


    [You''ve opened the Mithril Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x1 million, "Minotaur Base Camp" x1, "Blueprint: Earth Defense Tower" x1, "Life Gem" x100, "Dark Gem" x100, "Fire Gem" x100!]


    [You''ve opened the Mithril Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x700,000, "Lizardfolk Lair" x1, "Level 2 Normal Building Upgrade Scroll" x1, "Life Gem" x100, "Water Gem" x100!]


    [You''ve opened the Mithril Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x800,000, "Direwolf Taming Grounds" x1, "Blueprint: Wind de Tower" x1, "Life Gem" x100, "Wind Gem" x100, "Dark Gem" x100!]


    [......]


    After opening over ten treasure chests, Zhang Nu gained more than 4 million gold and a dozen blueprints, mainly ranging from Level 2 to 3, with a focus on barracks and defense structures, which would greatly aid in territory development.


    In addition to the reward chests, the treasuries and umted wealth of various cities and tribes were promptly delivered to the Darkness City. Among the spoils were 2 million worth of gold, along with invaluable production materials and energy gems of multitude elements.


    With Zhang Nu''s current reserves, even though he could not be considered filthy rich, it was still a substantial ie. After tallying his disposable gold, he once again surpassed the mark of over 10 million. In addition, he acquired a considerable supply of energy gems.


    After careful nning, Zhang Nu made an important decision. He decided to create the first monarch of his own.


    At present, Zhang Nu had just enough resources to meet the upgrading requirements of an Earth Drake Sovereign.


    In the recent battle at the Bloody Fortress, Zhang Nu obtained two Level 5 souls and a substantial amount of Level 2 and 3 souls, both in terms of quantity and quality.


    However, he still needed a little more souls to activate one of his Level 5 talents.


    Considering his current formidable strength, Zhang Nu realized that instead of painstakingly collecting souls and using them all to activate a new talent, it would be more practical to allocate a portion of the soul resources to create a brand new monarch champion for the Darkness City.


    With this thought in mind, he immediately took action.


    Zhang Nu used the Soul Altar to synthesize a Level 5 soul. With this, he had gathered three souls and then filled in the remaining energy gem shortage by spending several million gold on the Demon King market.


    Everything was set.


    Zhang Nu summoned Zhang San, the Earth Drake Grand Marshal, and led him to ascend the Demon King''s Altar.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    [Upgrade "Earth Drake Grand Marshal" to "Earth Drake Sovereign"? The upgrade costs 10 million gold + 2000 dark gems +2000 earth gems + 3 Level 5 Hero''s souls!]


    "Upgrade!"


    Zhang Nu confidently confirmed his choice.


    The Demon King Altar erupted in a powerful ze of light, so intense that it made it impossible to keep one''s eyes open. The radiance persisted for several minutes before fading away, reced by an aura of majesty and dominance.


    The draconian grand marshal, Zhang San, underwent a remarkable transformation. His scales retained their semi-transparent diamond-like texture, emitting a subtle golden glow, resembling a piece of art crafted from the finest yellow diamond.


    Notably, his height and physique had increased significantly, expanding by at least three or four times. Even in his humanoid draconian form, he stood imposingly at nearly five meters tall.


    Zhang Nu immediately opened Zhang San''s information panel and nced at it.


    [Earth Drake Sovereign: Zhang San] Level 5 monarch unit. HP 8500, MP 3150, Strength ???, Constitution 680, Agility 350, Will 355, Loyalty 100%(Locked), Fatigue 10%, Hunger 10%.


    Skill: Earth Drake Sovereign Form (Talent), Earth Domain (Talent), Gravity Maniption (Talent), Adamantine Dragon Body (Talent), Earth Drake Sovereign Fear (Talent), Adamantine Dragon Scales (A rank), Dragon Sovereign Aura (A rank), Qi Aura (A rank), Earth Aura (A rank), etc...


    This transformation was nothing short of extraordinary. Ascending from a Level 4 overlord to a Level 5 monarch, Zhang San had undergone a profound metamorphosis that extended far beyond a mere increase in rank.


    As the Earth Drake Sovereign, he not only awakened his own unique Monarch''s Domain but also unlocked an array of talents exclusive to those of his exalted status.


    One such talent was "Gravity Maniption." This ability allowed the Earth Drake Sovereign to better suppress foes inbat,pensating for its rtively slower speed.


    Moreover, through the maniption of gravity, Zhang San could achieve flight, oveing the inherent disadvantage of the earth drake species''s inability to soar through the skies.


    Furthermore, Zhang San now possessed the same Adamantine Dragon Body talent as Zhang Nu. This extraordinary skill bolstered his defense significantly, while simultaneously reflecting the force of iing attacks. Armed with unparalleled defensive capabilities, he could now counteract besieging assaults by reflecting the iing damage.


    "Thank you, my master, for this promotion!" Zhang San''s voice trembled with excitement.


    He could hardly believe that he had been given the opportunity to be the Earth Drake Sovereign.


    Zhang Nu nodded, his expression filled with satisfaction. "From this moment forward, you are the sole monarch level presence among the draconians in the Darkness City, aside from myself."


    With unwavering determination, Zhang San replied, "I will never let you down, my Lord. I shall dedicate my newfound power to the Darkness City, and I am prepared to give my life in service to you."


    Monarchs were known for their immense pride, often unwilling to bow down to others.


    However, Zhang Nu had no worries in this regard. Zhang San was merely a summoned subordinate of the draconian lineage. These types of subordinates obtained through summoning possessed an unyielding loyalty towards their master, with their allegiance securely locked in ce.


    Even if Zhang San became a mythic dragon or even a more powerful being, let alone a mere monarch, his loyalty to the Demon King would never waver.


    With the addition of the Earth Drake Sovereign, Zhang San, as the Demon King''s second monarch level subordinate, the might and power of the territory and legion of the Demon King grew exponentially.

 Chapter 165

    DISCLAMER: This chapter mentions discrimination against Japanese people. We don''t condone or support any type of racism. Rather than removing or altering the contents of the chapter, our intention is to acknowledge the presence of racism and caution our readers to approach the subject matter with sensitivity.


    Zhang San had ascended to the position of the Earth Drake Sovereign, adding another monarch level unit to their ranks.


    This was indeed a cause for celebration, but the cost and expenditure involved were not insignificant.


    Gold and gems were being spent in extravagant amounts. However, that was of little concern to Zhang Nu. With his current earning capacity, even withoutunchingrge-scale wars, he could easily recoup the expenses.


    It was the three souls that caused Zhang Nu a slight tinge of regret. After all, they were souls of Level 5 quality!


    For a Demon King, souls held utmost importance as the souls not only facilitated their own power advancement and growth but also served as essential materials for producing top-tier units.


    Furthermore, certain specialized buildings and functions within the domain also required souls as a necessary resource, further depleting their stock.


    Apart from that, since Zhang Nu intended to establish a Demon King Alliance that would assist him and create benefits for him, relying solely on the Holy Grail of Blood''s Bloodwine to forcibly control them would not suffice.


    He wanted these Demon Kings to be wholeheartedly devoted to serving him, and in addition to providing them with opportunities to earn wealth and share benefits, as well as avenues for their growth and advancement.


    Furthermore, as the level of these Demon King subordinates increased and their summoned units became more powerful, it would also benefit Zhang Nu himself.


    Recognizing this, he believed it was essential to maintain a stockpile of souls as a valuable resource.


    These souls would serve as leverage, allowing him to allocate soul quotas to the Demon Kings based on their performance and contributions, enabling them to acquire souls at market prices or even at discounted rates whenever they needed.


    It was precisely because of this that Zhang Nu had a tremendous demand for souls.


    Although the Chaos Forest might harbor tens of thousands of Heroes, their levels were not particrly high.


    Even if he were to hunt them all down, it would not necessarily allow Zhang Nu to advance to Level 6. And what would he do after exterminating them all?


    Zhang Nu realized the necessity of expanding the ways and sources to acquire souls. In addition to the conventional method of obtaining souls by killing Heroes, trading Hero''s souls as amodity through the Demon King market was also an option.


    However, despite the presence of cash-strapped Demon Kings who were willing to sell souls in the market, the quantity avable was limited and the prices were generally exorbitant.


    Even with sufficient funds, acquiring souls was not guaranteed, and even if sessful, the cost-effectiveness was questionable.


    The truth was, the demand for souls was exceptionally high for Level 5 Demon Kings like Zhang Nu. Purchasing a few souls here and there would be insignificant, akin to a drop in the bucket.


    For the past few days, Zhang Nu had been staying in the castle, not simplyzing around. In fact, during this time, he closely monitored the Demon King market and the Demon King channels.


    After several days of observation and research, Zhang Nu not only gained a more detailed understanding of the market conditions in each district, allowing him to maximize profits in future business dealings, but he also discovered a great business opportunity.


    This opportunity was useless to others and currently, there were only a few Demon Kings who could seize it. Zhang Nu was one of the rare few who could capitalize on this chance.


    At this moment, Zhang Nu once again opened the Demon King Channel.


    He filtered through some of the chat content rted to souls and randomly selected a conversation, which roughly went as follows:


    "Buying souls!"


    "Buying Level 4 souls with high prices!"


    "Why would you need Level 4 souls?"


    "Level 2 and 3 souls serve the same purpose, don''t they? Instead of risking your life against Level 4 Heroes, it''s better to handle a few more Level 3 ones."


    "Don''t even mention it. I''ve reached Level 4 only to discover that the most elite new units require soul consumption, specifically Level 4 souls."


    "I''ve reached Level 4 too."


    "This man speaks the truth."


    "Level 4 souls are hard toe by, and Level 4 Heroes are not easy to deal with!"


    "If someone is willing to offer a Level 4 soul, I''m willing to trade ten Level 3 souls in return!"


    "..."


    From these conversations, it was evident that the number of Level 4 Demon Kings was gradually increasing.


    Once these top-notch Demon King yers reached Level 4, many of them realized the significance of Level 4 Heroes'' souls. Not only were they superior and powerful souls, but they were also essential materials.


    Level 4 souls were already scarce, and now they held even greater value as materials. The demand among the high-end Demon Kingmunity far exceeded the supply.


    Many Demon Kings were willing to pay high prices to acquire them, but only a few were willing to part with their Level 4 souls.


    This presented a business opportunity, and the key to itid in the powerful Level 5 building of the Darkness City, the "Soul Altar"!


    The Soul Altar, a Level 5 building, had the capability to synthesize higher level souls by merging lower level souls.


    Different levels of souls offered varying amounts of talent points when sacrificed by Demon Kings, even if there was a disparity in quality among souls of the same grade.


    Level 1 soul: 1-5 talent points!


    Level 2 soul: 20-30 talent points!


    Level 3 soul: 200-300 talent points!


    Level 4 soul: 1000-1500 talent points!


    Level 5 soul: 5000-8000 talent points!


    During the soul synthesis process at the Soul Altar, there was virtually no loss of souls, which meant something significant. Zhang Nu could throw a pile of Level 2 and 3 souls into the altar. If the souls possessed a total of 3000 talent points, he could divide them into three parts and synthesize them, resulting in three Level 4 souls.


    In other words, the highly valuable Level 4 souls, whose market demand was gradually increasing, could be mass-produced by Zhang Nu using the Soul Altar in the Darkness City.


    Within this opportunity, there undoubtedly existed considerable profit potential.


    With this thought in mind, Zhang Nu decided to give it a try.


    He took 50 Level 3 souls and ced them all into the Soul Altar. Zhang Nu sensed that they had a total value of approximately 11,250 talent points.


    To avoid any wastage and unnecessary surplus, he retrieved one soul from the altar, leaving 49 souls that added up to just over 11,000 points.


    [Would you like to synthesize Level 4 souls?]


    [This synthesis costs 220,000 gold.]


    The soul synthesis function of the Soul Altar was not free. It required 20,000 gold to synthesize a Level 4 soul and 200,000 gold to synthesize a Level 5 soul. For Zhang Nu, this processing cost was negligible.


    Furthermore, soul synthesis was a highly intricate process. With the Level 5 Soul Altar, it could produce one soul every two hours. Operating continuously for twenty-four hours a day, it could synthesize a maximum of twelve souls per day.


    That was more than enough.


    Let the synthesis begin!


    On the following day, Zhang Nu obtained 11 new souls.


    These souls had just reached the standard for Level 4 souls. If he offered them as sacrifices at the Demon King''s Altar, each soul would provide exactly 1000 talent points.


    Zhang Nu then opened his yer interface and posted a message on every channel.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [Selling Level 4 souls. Do not want gold, only soul exchanges are epted. One Level 4 soul for ten Level 3 souls. Direct trade for those who are interested!]


    The Demon King forum immediately buzzed with excitement.


    "Level 4 souls?"


    "Now this is a rare sight!"


    "This is unbelievable! I haven''t even encountered a Level 4 Hero, and there are already yers trading Level 4 souls!"


    "Hey, buddy, I''ll offer 500,000 gold for the soul!"


    "500,000 gold coins for a Level 4 soul? Are you kidding? Are you sure your head is alright? I''ll offer 800,000! Sell it to me!"


    "850,000!"


    "900,000!"


    "..."


    "You fools upstairs! Can''t you read? They clearly said they don''t want money!"


    "Before making your bids, at least check who the person is. It''s none other than the renowned Potato Demon King. Do you really think he needs your meager amount of gold? Don''t try to show off your wealth before a genuine tycoon!"


    For now, there was no immediate response. Zhang Nu patiently waited, continuing to monitor the situation.


    After approximately ten minutes, a yer sent a message from Channel 7.


    Nightmare Serpent ke: "I''ll take the Level 4 soul!"


    Judging by the name, this Demon King seemed to be of Western origin. Nightmare Serpent ke appeared quite anxious, as if afraid of missing the opportunity and having the soul exchanged by someone else.


    Nightmare Serpent ke: "Friend, are you avable? Can we trade right away?"


    Zhang Nu: "Certainly!"


    The twopleted the trade and Zhang Nu obtained 10 Level 3 souls.


    He ced them on the weighing scale of the Soul Altar. The total value of the 10 level 3 souls brought by Nightmare Serpent ke reached 2,250 points. In other words, Zhang Nu made a profit of 1,250 points, with a remarkable profit margin of 125%!


    It felt exhrating!


    Zhang Nu could not help but burst intoughter!


    Just then, a private message arrived from Channel 9.


    Demon Domain Sea Serpent Saito Kaya: "Hello, 10 Level 3 souls seem to be a bit too much. Can we exchange eight for one?"


    Judging by the name, it appeared to be someone from the ind nation.


    Zhang Nu could not help but sneer inwardly. Just a measly ind nation woman, it was already generous of him to even sell to her. How dare she try to negotiate the price.


    Zhang Nu replied bluntly: "No bargaining!"


    There was a minute of silence.


    Demon Domain Sea Serpent Saito Kaya: "Alright then, ten it is. May I proceed with the trade?"


    The trade waspleted. Another ten souls were obtained.


    This time, the "weighing" resulted in approximately 2,300 points. The quality of souls offered by this ind nation woman was quite good.


    Subsequently, more and more inquiries poured in. Since Zhang Nu had ess to ten Demon King channels, it was easy to sell all the 11 Level 4 souls that were synthesized. He traded 11 Level 4 souls for a substantial number of Level 3 souls.


    The total value of the souls reached an astonishing 24,090 points! A remarkable profit of 13,090 points was made! The additional cost incurred was merely 220,000 gold, along with some time and effort.


    The Bloody Fortress was now guarded by the fortress legion.


    The Chaos Forest''s major cities and tribes were being conquered by his subordinate elves, dwarves, and orcs. Zhang Nu had also dispatched Su Yan and Chen Guoguo to deal with the forces of the Demon Kings and Heroes.


    Zhang Nu remained stationed at the headquarters.


    There was not much to do. He simply busied himself with dealing in souls. To his surprise, he effortlessly earned such substantial profits.


    Zhang Nu allocated all the souls to the Soul Altar, anticipating a production of 24 Level 4 souls in two days. These souls were valuable assets, whether for personal use or for selling in the Demon King channels.


    Currently, there were only a few Demon Kings capable of ying Level 4 Heroes. Moreover, the Soul Altar, a rare Level 5 building, had limited avability, as not many Demon Kings possessed the means to construct it.


    As more and more Demon Kings ascended to Level 4, the short-term market for trading Level 4 souls showed promising prospects.


    With his unique altar andpetitive advantage, Zhang Nu can continuously acquire souls, rapidly strengthening his soul reserves.

 Chapter 166: Dark Dragon Island

    Without a doubt, at this stage, the Soul Altar in Zhang Nu''s hands was truly a divine artifact for harvesting souls.


    Synthesizing 24 Level 4 souls would cost him a maximum of 120 Level 3 souls.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He quickly calcted the numbers in his mind.


    If everything went smoothly, with a trade taking ce every two days, exchanging 24 Level 4 souls for 240 Level 3 souls, he could profit a gain of 120 souls each time. That would be an incredible amount of souls.


    If all these souls were to be sacrificed at the altar, even with a conservative estimate, he could obtain at least over 20,000 talent points in exchange. If Zhang Nu could earn an average of 20,000 talent points every two to three days, then it would only take him about ten days to activate a Level 5 talent.


    In theory, even if he did nothing and refrained from killing any Heroes in the future, Zhang Nu could activate all three Level 5 talents within a little over a month.


    How incredible was that?


    Keep in mind that these were Level 5 talents.


    However, Zhang Nu was not one to rest on hisurels or refrain from eliminating Heroes. It was simply not in his nature.


    Of course, all these calctions were purely theoretical. The actual situation would undoubtedly be moreplex. Factors such as market fluctuations, the emergence ofpetitors, or the frequent exchange of Level 4 souls for Level 3 souls could potentially devalue the Level 4 souls.


    It was difficult to predict the medium to long-term oue.


    However, Zhang Nu believed that, in the short term at least, this business venture held immense potential!


    Moreover, he had simultaneous ess to ten Demon King channels, providing arge market and enough customers to absorb the supply. The value of Level 4 souls would not easily depreciate.


    At that very moment, Li Si arrived to report a piece of news.


    "Thetest update from the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce has arrived."


    Zhang Nu then inquired, "How is the guild faring now?"


    Li Si replied, "The Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce is currently thriving. They have gained considerable recognition in the local area and have recently received a massive order worth one hundred million gold coins."


    A 100 million gold coin order?!


    Zhang Nu immediately grasped the significance of the information. The mentioned 100 million gold coins undoubtedly referred to the currency of the continent. If converted to in-game gold coins, it would shrink to one-tenth of the value---equivalent to 10 million gold.


    However, even with 10 million gold, it was by no means a small figure.


    Zhang Nu eximed, "They''ve already secured such a huge order in such a short period of time? I never expected the Dark Dragon merchant guild to grow even more formidable than I had imagined!"


    Li Si replied, "It''s all thanks to the high-quality potions from the elves, the exceptional equipment crafted by the dwarves, and the outstanding goods produced in the Darkness City. Their reputation in the local area is impable. However..."


    "The recent surge in orders for the Dark Dragon merchant guild has put a strain on their gnome caravan teams'' capacity to transport goods. Moreover, the risks have been increasingtely."


    Zhang Nu nodded.


    The growth rate of the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce was much faster than he had imagined. However, the logistics system of the Demon King had failed to keep up with the pace.


    The transportation of supplies and products from the Chaos Forest relied solely on a few gnome merchant teams. The journey from the Chaos Forest to the Azure Water Federation was not only distant but also treacherous, passing through rugged terrain and areas infested with powerful magical beasts and rampant bandits.


    The gnome merchants of Thousand Fangs City used to wander around various tribes and towns in the forest, engaging in small-scale trade. However, both their transportation capacity and self-defense capabilities had failed to keep up with the growing demands. This not only resulted in a shortage of supplies but also carried the risk of being robbed along the way, ultimately leading to a loss of investment.


    After giving it some thought, Zhang Nu said, "I intend to personally participate in the transportation of these goods and make a trip to the Azure Water Federation."


    His decision surprised Li Si. "While this order worth 100 million is undoubtedly important, as our master, it seems unnecessary for you to personally escort it. It would be better for this old one to handle it on your behalf and ensure that all the goods are safely delivered to the Dark Dragon merchant guild."


    "No need," the Demon King shook his head.


    "I have been staying in the Darkness City for too long and I want to head out and clear my mind. Besides, I want to personally assess the development of the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce."


    As the will of the Demon King was absolute, Zhang Nu''s decision was final. Li Si no longer attempted to dissuade him.


    However, Zhang Nu''s intention to go out and clear his mind was not the primary reason for his decision. The main purpose was to construct a teleportation tower.


    The blueprint for the Tower of Teleportation did not have any requirements regarding the construction location. It was not limited to territories within the influence or upation range, and could be built anywhere.


    However, regardless of where Zhang Nu wanted to construct the teleportation tower, the Demon King had to personally arrive in order to summon the structure. Thus, his true purpose for this journey was to expedite the construction of the teleportation tower.


    While the teleportation tower could transport people, it was also capable of transporting items. However, it could only achieve this through targeted teleportation.


    If the teleportation tower could be sessfully built in the Azure Water Federation, it would be beneficial for the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce. Bulk items such as grain, equipment, and raw materials, which hadrge volumes and quantities, would still rely on merchant caravans for transportation.


    On the other hand, valuable treasures stored in Ironheart City and various potions in the Darkness City, which were small in size but highly valuable, could be directly delivered through spatial teleportation.


    Although the cost of spatial teleportation was rtively high, it was not only fast and efficient but also secure, alleviating the pressure of transportation.


    Using the Advanced Beast Pen in Darkness City, Zhang Nu summoned 5000 Quadruped Winged Beasts at once. These flying transportation units were entrusted to the gnome merchants of Thousand Fangs City to enhance the transportation capacity of their caravans.


    In the future, aerial transportation would be the primary method, with ground transportation serving as a secondary option.


    The next day, Zhang Nu set off.


    Apanied by the gnome flying transport fleet, they traversed the treacherous mountains and vast forests of the Chaos Forest. Perhaps due to the overwhelming aura emanating from the Demon King, they had a smooth journey without encountering any attacks from magical beasts.


    After two days of traveling, the gnome transport convoy finally left the Chaos Forest and officially entered the territory of the Azure Water Federation.


    The Azure Water Federation was incredibly vast, with an area several timesrger than that of the Chaos Forest, and a poption exceeding one billion.


    Compared to the Chaos Forest, the terrain of the Azure Water Federation was moreplex. Around 80% of its territory consisted of the sea, with only 20% beingnd. Thend portion consisted of continents, forests, multiple penins regions, and countless inds.


    Excluding the underground world, it was the first time the Demon King had left the Chaos Forest since his meeting with the Subus Queen.


    He witnessed the grandeur of the federation''s cities, which were significantly different from the forest cities of the Chaos Forest. These metropolises had poptions of at least a million and surpassed the Chaos Forest in terms of poption andmercial prosperity.


    In the northern part of the Azure Water Federation, there was a country called Pale Moon Kingdom. It was one of the dozens of member states within the Azure Water Federation. The city of Holy Tides was the secondrgest city and thergestmercial hub in the Pale Moon Kingdom.


    It was built on a massive ind and had a poption of five million people, boasting a vast harbor system. Countless magical ships were constantly flowing in and out.


    Passing by Holy Tides City, Zhang Nu took special notice of these ships. Among the thousands of giant merchant vessels, he discovered many heavy-duty oceangoing ships with capacities ranging from tens of thousands to over a hundred thousand tons.


    The shipping capacity of these vessels was on par with the super cargo ships of the previous world. Thanks to the assistance of magical formations for propulsion, their top speed on the sea wasparable to high-speed trains in the previous world. Therefore, maritime transportation was the mainstream mode of transportation in the Azure Water Federation, with ground and air transportation serving as auxiliary means.


    The gs of these cargo and merchant ships were diverse. Among them were not only ships from various states within the Azure Water Federation but also vessels from other empires on the continent.


    The Azure Federation had a highly developedmercial sector, bordering multiple empire-level forces and enjoying the advantages of extensive maritime transportation. It served as a regionalmercial hub where trade could be conducted even with imperial caravans located hundreds of thousands of miles away.


    The potential market scale here reached tens of billions in value. This was precisely why the Demon King had sent the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce to establish a presence in the region.


    Near Holy Tides City, there were countless vast inds, and the headquarters of the Dark Dragon merchant guild was established on one of these seemingly deste ck inds where no vegetation grew.


    Upon Zhang Nu''s arrival, numerous supporting structures had already been built on the ind. The g of the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce fluttered high, and there were several transport ships docked at the newly constructed small port, indicating that it had already achieved a considerable scale.


    "Your Majesty!"


    Rao Jian, a gnome Hero and member of the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes Guild, as well as the chairman of the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce, was greatly surprised to see the Demon King himself appear here.


    "My identity must be kept secret," Zhang Nu said.


    "You may refer to me as Mr. Long from now on."


    The Hero, Rao Jian, quickly responded, "Yes, Mr. Long! Mr. Long, do you have any special instructions foring here personally?"


    Zhang Nu exined the n to build the teleportation tower to Rao Jian.


    Upon learning about the capabilities and functions of the teleportation tower, Rao Jian was overjoyed. "That''s fantastic! I don''t think we need to look for another location. We can directly build it here on Dark Dragon Ind."


    As it turned out, within this deste ind, there was arge central space within the heart of the Dark Dragon Ind, where the main warehouse of the Dark Dragon merchant guild was located. It had sufficient space to amodate a teleportation tower.


    Contrary to other locations, this ce was even safer. The waters surrounding Dark Dragon Ind did not prohibit the use of spatial magic. By constructing the teleportation tower on this ind, the influence of the Dragon Demon King would inevitably spread to the region of the Azure Water Federation, including the kingdom of Pale Moon.


    After conducting an on-site investigation, Zhang Nu believed that it was feasible.


    Compared to other locations, it would be more convenient to build the tower directly at the headquarters of the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce. Connecting the teleportation tower directly to the Darkness City and the Dark Dragon merchant guild would greatly facilitate both management and protection in the future.

 Chapter 167: The White Sands Merfolk Family

    Although the decision to build the teleportation tower was made, they still needed to wait for another day or two because the materials were not yet sufficient.


    Zhang Nu was not in a hurry. Teleportation tower blueprints were rare and costly to construct.


    He took advantage of the spare time to conduct further investigations.


    After all, the Azure Water Federation was a map several dozen to several hundred timesrger than the chaotic and wild Chaos Forest. Moreover, unlike the disorder of the Chaos Forest, the Azure Water Federation was a civilized region, which meant that the intermingling of forces was moreplex, requiring more research and consideration.


    Rao Jian took the initiative to report on the progress of the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce to the Demon King.


    The merchant guild had gained some reputation, but it had not yet firmly established itself.


    Rao Jian said, "Although the products from the Chaos Forest are of high quality andpetitively priced, as the firstmercial city of Pale Moon Kingdom, Holy Tides City is entangled with dozens, even hundreds of forces. The politics here are tooplex."


    "The Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce is regarded as an outsider, and if we rush in and snatch arge portion of the market, it will certainly provoke the local powers, as well as various forces. We might even face various forms of suppression!"


    "Therefore, I suggest finding a significant local force in Holy Tides City to establish deep cooperation."


    "Currently, one of the four major families, the White Sands family, is the best choice."


    "The hundred million gold coin deal that we are about topletees precisely from the White Sands family."


    "..."


    Zhang Nu had some doubts about the reliability of the white Sands family.


    Seeing the Demon King''s hesitation, Rao Jian quickly exined, "Your Majesty, there''s no need to worry."


    "It''s actually quite fortunate for us."


    "The White Sands family is one of the four major families in Holy Tides City and is a long-established merfolk tribe in the Pale Moon Kingdom. The family head has high prestige in Holy Tides City and is said to be the most favorable candidate for the next city lord."


    Upon hearing this, the Demon King became even more puzzled.


    Merfolk tribes were considered nobility among the aquatic races.


    It was said that over 6,000 years ago, during the reign of the Azure Water Empress, she herself was a merfolk!


    The status of the merfolk tribe among the marine races wasparable to that of elves among the continental races.


    This race was renowned in the world for their beauty, elegance, nobility, passion, and powerful water-based magic talents.


    The White Sands tribe was one of the four major families in Holy Tides City and was even the next ruling family in line. It would be good for the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce to form an alliance with this family, but the issue was that the other party''s status seemed overly dominant.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Rao Jian continued, "About a little over a month ago..."


    "The White Sands family encountered a major incident."


    "The head and high-ranking members of the family were ambushed and killed during their return voyage, causing significant damage to the family''s foundation!"


    "This incident caused quite a stir, and it was said that the assant behind the ambush was a tremendously powerful oceanic Demon King from the depths of the sea."


    "Afterwards, the Pale Moon Kingdom swiftly mobilized its army in coboration with the Holy Tides City''s Heroes Guild to hunt down and eliminate the Demon King in the treacherous depths of the sea trench."


    "At first nce, it seemed that the situation hade to a close."


    "However, what unfolded afterward..."


    "Here''s the most intriguing part."


    Rao Jian paused for a moment before continuing, "After the death of the White Sands family head, several of their elders immediately announced their separation from the family."


    "Simultaneously, the White Sands family found itself besieged on multiple fronts in Holy Tides City. Their businesses, industries, and partnerships were systematically targeted and eroded by rival families, resulting in significant losses... The family''s very survival now hangs in the bnce."


    Zhang Nu had now understood the whole situation. He realized that the merfolk family had fallen victim to a meticulously orchestrated scheme.


    That would exin why they faced simultaneous attacks from multiple families.


    The Holy Tides City''s merchant guilds were coerced by other forces, most sumbed to the pressure, interrupting their trade with the White Sands family and even deliberately withholding their goods.


    This was obviously done with the intention ofpletely dismantling the White Sands family''s business in one fell swoop.


    They wanted to make it impossible for these merfolk to survive in Holy Tides City, ultimately forcing them to relinquish all their businesses and assets and slink back to the sea in defeat.


    This situation presented a golden opportunity for the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce.


    The White Sands family was in dire need of the merchant guild''s resources and assistance to regain their foothold.


    Meanwhile, the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce sought to leverage the White Sands family''s esteemed position in Holy Tides City for their own benefit.


    However, opportunities would oftene with risks.


    Provoking certain local powers could pose a challenge for the merfolk, who may not be able to handle it at present.


    Zhang Nu could not simply dispatch a legion of draconians to assist them either. If arge-scale foreign race or army were to appear within their territory, even the loosely organized Azure Water Federation would undoubtedly be vignt. Resolving this issue would be the next consideration.


    Just then, the lizardfolk Hero, Xiao Long, approached and said, "Chieftain Shui Yao has set off and will arrive here by evening."


    Rao Jian promptly introduced to the Demon King, saying, "Shui Yao is the youngest daughter of the former family head. Her father and brother have both perished, making her the new leader of the White Sands family."


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Nu''s curiosity was piqued. He decided to personally assess the true nature of these merfolk.


    Rao Jian quickly issued orders, saying, "The Baisha Family hase to take delivery. Prepare the necessary arrangements without dy."


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Nu''s curiosity was piqued. He decided to personally assess the true nature of these merfolk.


    Rao Jian quickly issued orders, saying, "The White Sands family hase to retrieve their goods. Prepare the necessary arrangements without dy."


    Several hourster, a small fleet of six ships arrived.


    A group of elite merfolk warriors disembarked from the vessels.


    [White Sands Family Merfolk Guard] Level 3 elite...


    [White Sands Family Merfolk Mage] Level 3 elite...


    [White Sands Family Guard Captain] Level 3 lord...


    [White Sands Family Chief Steward] Level 4 lord...


    [White Sands Family Chieftain: Shui Yao] Level 4 lord.


    ......


    Skills: Merfolk Form (Talent), Advanced Water Immunity (Talent), Siren''s Melody (B rank), Water Elemental Summoning (B rank), Whirlpool of Death (B rank), Water Barrier (B rank), Water Healing (B rank), etc...


    ......


    Description: Shui Yao, the legitimate sessor of the White Sands family, one of the four prominent families in the Azure Water Federation''s Holy Tides City. Possessing formidable psychic and water-based magical talents, she reluctantly shoulders the responsibilities of family leadership due to the recent upheavals they have faced.


    Shui Yao emerged, escorted by the merfolk guards.


    She possessed an appearance identical to that of a human, especially with her long and fair legs that easily caught people''s attention.


    Merfolk were an amphibious intelligent race, and the higher-ranking ones possessed the innate ability to transform into their mermaid-like form. In water, they could be half-human and half-fish, using gills behind their ears to breathe and residing underwater indefinitely.


    When onnd, they could transform into a humanoid form that was almost indistinguishable from humans in terms of appearance.


    If one were to search for differences, merfolk possessed exceptionally outstanding beauty and temperament. Their serene and elegant aura was something ordinary humanscked.


    Shui Yao was rtively young among the merfolk, roughly equivalent to a human age of around sixteen or seventeen. With the sudden demise of her parents and elder brother, she was forced to step up and shoulder the responsibilities.


    The deaths of her parents and brother were already significant blows, but what made Shui Yao feel even more helpless was the internal strife leading to the departure of several merfolk elders and the betrayal of the family''s former partners.


    Even without much experience in dealing with such matters, she could sense that this was a massive conspiracy targeting their family from start to finish!


    The deaths of her parents and brother were not idents!


    All the other three major families were under suspicion, and the Holy Tides City Heroes Guild was likely directly involved.


    Shui Yao was filled with anger, but she had no inclination for revenge at the moment. The immediate priority was to stabilize the situation, as the fate of the family teetered on the brink of copse in her hands...


    If she could not turn the tide, the White Sands family, consisting of hundreds of thousands of merfolk, would struggle to sustain their livelihoods.


    Currently, the major guilds in Holy Tides City used various excuses, dys, or outright refusal to cooperate with the White Sands family. Fortunately, they encountered the newly arrived Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce at this critical moment. She hoped their goods would truly be reliable.


    Rao Jian quickly stepped forward and said, "Honorable Chieftain Shui Yao, it is an immense honor to have you personally visit the headquarters of the Dark Dragon Chamber of..."


    Shui Yao interrupted, saying, "Chairman, there''s no need for pleasantries. Where are the potions and materials we ordered?"


    Rao Jian smiled and replied, "Rest assured, they are all prepared and awaiting inspection."


    The draconianborers began moving the items.


    The merfolk steward activated their appraisal skill to conduct the inspection.


    A look of pleasant surprise appeared on the elderly merfolk''s face.


    "Such exceptional quality!"


    "The potions are incredibly pure!"


    "Miss, this craftsmanship is truly elven!"


    "It surpasses the quality of our previous purchases!"


    Upon hearing these words, the merfolks rejoiced.


    The quality of this batch of potions was exceptionally high, yet the prices were even cheaper than other merchants.


    Great, this is excellent news. The business of the White Sands family is saved!


    Shui Yao was equally overwhelmed with joy. She forcefully suppressed her emotions and expressed her gratitude, saying, "Chairman, thank you. The Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce has been a true savior for the White Sands family, and we will always remember this act of kindness."


    Rao Jian replied, "Regarding the final payment..."


    "Don''t worry, the White Sands family has never defaulted on debts, especially not to the Dark Dragon merchant guild, who has extended a helping hand in our time of dire need."


    Shui Yao gestured, and the merfolk guards brought forth chests filled with gold.


    The Dark Dragon merchant guild meticulously counted the amount, and everything was in order.


    Shui Yao spoke, "In addition to requiring more potions, we are also preparing to procure a substantial quantity of equipment, ores, and medicinal herbs. I will instruct our steward to maintain constantmunication with the Chairman."


    Rao Jian was overjoyed. The first transaction had gone smoothly, and it amounted to a staggering one hundred million gold coins.


    The White Sands family was undoubtedly financially robust.


    If they were to receive several morerge orders like this, would the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce ever have to worry about their performance?


    Under Shui Yao''s leadership, the merfolk swiftly loaded the goods onto their ship.


    Without dy, Shui Yao bid her farewell and departed.


    [Gold discovered. Would you like to convert?]


    The Demon Lord promptly converted the gold.


    [Gold sessfully converted. Gold +10.05 million!]


    The gold that the merfolk had paid was instantly transformed into a sum of 10 million in-game gold, further enhancing their financial status.


    "You''ve done an exceptional job!"


    Zhang Nu would not let his subordinates down.


    The Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce currently held several tens of millions of maind gold coins. A portion was allocated for the guild''s daily operations, while another part was set aside as bonuses to reward the team.


    Furthermore, each Dragon''s Shadow Hero received a premium B-grade skill stone as a gift.


    The three of them were overjoyed by these rewards.


    Zhang Nu was highly pleased with the performance of the Dark Dragon merchant guild and gained even greater confidence in the market potential of the Azure Water Federation.


    To think that just a local family, albeit one in decline, could easily produce such a substantial sum of money.


    This ce was wealthier than he had imagined.


    The Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce needed to focus on effective management and increase their investments. The future sess of lifting the entire Chaos Forest out of poverty and into prosperity depended on them.


    The merfolk girl possessed significant value for leverage. She was currently entangled in major troubles, presenting a golden opportunity for the Demon King.

 Chapter 168: Corrupted Blood Experimentation on a Pirate Band

    The vast expanse of the azure sea stretched as far as the eye can see.


    Beneath the calm and tranquil surface, numerous figuresid dormant. Most of them stood at a towering height of 2.5 meters, adorned with thick, grayish-white skin, shark-like heads, and razor-sharp teeth.


    They were the sharkmen.


    A formidable marine race.


    The sharkfolk were known for their ferocious and bloodthirsty nature, with significantly enhancedbat capabilities in marine environments. A gathering of several thousand sharkfolk formed an undeniable force that should not be underestimated.


    Moreover, these were not ordinary sharkfolk warriors.


    They were members of the Savage Shark Pirates.


    As the name suggested, they were pirates of the sea.


    The Azure Water Federation consisted of around 80% maritime territories, fostering a flourishing trade andmerce scene that naturally gave rise to countless pirates.


    Although piracy was rampant in the Azure Water Federation, pirates generally avoided operating in close proximity to major powers or forces.


    However, this location was merely a few hundred miles away from the city of Holy Tides. Setting an ambush here was extremely risky, yet these pirates seemed unconcerned.


    Because they knew.


    Their operation would not be disturbed.


    These sharkfolk leaders not only served as the captain of the Savage Shark Pirates but also held high positions within the Holy Tides City Heroes Guild, boasting formidable power at the level of a Level 4 overlord.


    "Stay sharp, everyone!"


    "This is a big catch!"


    "Completing this deal will yield profits for the next five to six years!"


    Inspired by the words of the sharkfolk Hero, the pirate crew''s eyes gleamed with greed.


    Several merfolks among them, responsible for surveince, opened their eyes.


    "They''re here!"


    "Target confirmed!"


    "It''s Shui Yao! White Sands'' ship!"


    These merfolk were elders of the White Sands family, but they also held the identities of Heroes. At this moment, it was evident that they stood on the side of the Heroes and participated in the operation.


    "Attack!" roared the sharkfolk Hero.


    Thousands of sharkfolk surged forward like tightly stretched arrows,unching a swift assault. The merfolk guards were caught off guard, resulting in immediate casualties.


    "What''s happening?"


    "Are these pirates?"


    "How can there be pirates near Holy Tides City?"


    The merfolk steward hastily protected Shui Yao and said, "Full speed ahead, get away from here, escape these damn sharkfolks. Once we reach the vicinity of Holy Tides City, we''ll be safe!"


    Before the ship''s eleration magical formation could be activated, water surged from all directions.


    Shui Yao spotted the merfolk mage who casted this spell.


    It was toote.


    All six merfolk vessels were trapped by a massive barrier.


    Her expression changed dramatically as she eximed, "You traitors!"


    The merfolk steward seethed with anger, "Not only did you betray the family in a critical moment, but you also colluded with pirates to harm our young master. It''s unforgivable!"


    The merfolk were all filled with rage.


    The White Sands family had treated these elders generously, yet they hadmitted such a despicable act of ingratitude.


    One merfolk Heroughed heartily and said, "Those who recognize the situation are the true heroes. The major families in Holy Tides City are already under the control of the Heroes guild."


    "Now, if the White Sand family copses, nearly half of Holy Tides City will fall into our hands!"


    "The future lord of the city will also be one of us."


    "How do you think we should choose?"


    The other Heroes present disyed excitement.


    With Holy Tides City''s poption of millions and its status as thergestmercial city in the Pale Moon Kingdom, if such a city were to be controlled by the Heroes, who could resist them in the future?


    Dominating the entire region was within reach! The n was nearingpletion.


    Now, the most important thing was topletely eliminate the obstacles posed by the White Sands family. After all, this family had a long history, deep roots, and enjoyed a high reputation and poprity in Holy Tides City.


    The merfolk steward raised his staff and dered, "Even if it costs me my life, I will never let you seed!"


    He began to invoke an incantation, preparing to confront the traitors.


    At that moment, a figure pierced through the deck at an astonishing speed, swiftlyunching an attack. With a single w, it struck the merfolk steward''s heart.


    "You have no chance!"


    "Die!"


    The shark Hero grinned wickedly and severed the steward''s neck. The steward''s head with its wide, staring eyes fell to the ground.


    Shui Yao let out a cry of grief and fury, "No!"


    Although the steward held a low position in the family, he had watched her grow up, and their rtionship was akin to that of family members. Having him being in before her eyes dealt a tremendous blow to the merfolk girl.


    The members of the Savage Shark Pirate Crew were all powerful, and with the element of surprise and their overwhelming numbers, Shui Yao''s merfolk guards fell one by one.


    The oue was clear.


    The young merfolk heiress had no chance of escape.


    The shark Hero taunted, "Now I have no problem telling you that I was also involved in the operation to kill your parents and brother. They were much more difficult to deal with than you, we paid quite the significant price."


    Shui Yao, filled with sorrow and anger, eximed, "It was indeed you!"


    The shark Heroughed heartily, "After killing them, we conveniently med a Demon King whom we had never been able to defeat. As a result, we gained quite a few benefits."


    Shui Yao gritted her teeth, "You will face retribution!"


    At that moment, a merfolk Hero shouted, "Hey, stop fooling around and kill her already!"


    "What are you babbling about?"


    "Fuck off, I was about to finish her!"


    "Retribution? Haha! Those are just words weaklings use to console themselves. I''d love to see what retribution looks like!"


    "But you won''t have the chance!"


    The shark Hero struck several blows, shattering Shui Yao''s magical barrier.


    "What a pity."


    "Such a beautiful woman."


    "Going to die before I could have any fun with you."


    The shark warrior expressed his regret, but he showed no mercy in his actions.


    Facing against a formidable Level 4 overlord Hero, Shui Yao had no chance of victory. She watched as the icy de was about to descend upon her.


    It was over! She was doomed!


    Shui Yao refused to ept it!


    The deaths of her parents, brother, uncles, dozens of elders, and thousands of n members, as well as the steward, had yet to be avenged!


    By the grace of the Goddess of the Sea!


    ''If I can seek revenge! I''m willing to pay any price!''


    In her heart, Shui Yao uttered a desperate prayer. And as if in response to the Goddess of the Sea herself, the de suddenly halted before her.


    "Who the hell are you?!"


    The shark Hero was taken aback as he witnessed a figure even more imposing and robust than himself suddenly appear before him, effortlessly catching his striking de.


    And moreover.


    He caught it barehanded.


    "Aren''t you curious about what retribution looks like?" Zhang Nu smiled and remarked, "I suppose it would resemble someone like me!"


    The shark Hero grew furious, "Who do you think you are? How dare you interfere with our affairs! Do you even know who we are? Die!"


    In that moment, a fierce surge of Qi erupted from the shark Hero''s body.


    Undeterred, Zhang Nu stood his ground, allowing the battle aura to strike him. As a result, he sustained minimal damage as the Adamantium Dragon Body deflected most of the attack back at his assant.


    -305!


    The shark Hero let out a pained scream, his body thrown back ten meters, covered in scales-deep wounds. It finally dawned on him that this opponent''s strength far surpassed his expectations.


    "Who are you, really?"


    "Why are you doing this?"


    Zhang Nu extended a finger, saying, "Does a Demon King require a reason to y a Hero?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    In the next instant, a bolt of thunderme was shot forth.


    The shark Hero''s face contorted with fear as his body was pierced through instantaneously.


    The shark Hero did not perish immediately. With eyes wide open, he stared in disbelief at the basketball-sized hole in his chest. He could not fathom how his mighty Level 4 overlord strength failed to withstand a single blow from his adversary.


    A Demon King? This person was a Demon King?


    How could there exist such an immensely powerful Demon King in this world!


    If a Demon King of this magnitude were in the vicinity, it would be inconceivable for the Heroes guild of Holy Tides City to remain oblivious to it!


    [You''ve in a Level 4 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +2!]


    "The captain is dead!"


    "With only a finger!"


    "He dispatched the captain with a mere flick of his finger!"


    Both the Savage Shark Pirate crew and the members of the Heroes guild were paralyzed by fear, desperately attempting to escape by plunging into the sea.


    "Fleeing?"


    "No one flees without my permission!"


    Zhang Nu unleashed his domain skill.


    Within a radius of one kilometer, centered around him, all targets vanished. Of course, they did not truly disappear, but were forcefully pulled into a unique realm, reminiscent of the depths of an abyss or the deste corners of the universe.


    Countless sharkfolk and merfolk Heroes were suspended in the empty void. These marine beings frantically waved their limbs, grasping for anything, experiencing the sensation of drowning for the first time.


    "It''s over!"


    "He''s a monarch!"


    "This is the legendary monarch''s domain!"


    "We''re doomed! We can''t ovee a monarch like him!"


    "Why are you all scared shitless? He''s but one person! We have thousands! Attack! We cannot escape anyways! Let''s fight till the end!"


    "Right!"


    "Charge!"


    Realizing they had no way out, their desperation ignited a fierce determination to resist.


    "Not bad for a band of pirates. Since it hase to this, let me show you my new technique!"


    Zhang Nu activated his Evil God talent, the "Source of Corruption," depleting a significant portion of his life force. Countless crimson mists surged from his body, coalescing and swirling around him, converging into the form of a blood dragon.


    In the next instant, the blood mist dragon surged forth. Combining its astonishing speed and teleportation, it swiftly pierced through the bodies of every individual present.


    Initially, those impaled by the blood dragon disyed no immediate response, but soon abnormalities arose.


    "What is this?"


    "What is happening to my body?"


    "No, please stop! Cease this torment!"


    The people felt their bodies losing consciousness, their MP rendered useless. Subsequently, they witnessed their flesh decaying, overwhelming sensations of terror, agony, and despair engulfing their very souls.


    All of a sudden, echoes of screams filled the void. Zhang Nu found it excessively noisy, thus, he manipted time, elerating it tenfold.


    Although Shui Yao was drawn into the domain, she remained untouched by the onught of Corrupted Blood.


    She witnessed the entire horrifying spectacle unfold. The Demon King merely emitted a crimson aura, undetectable by its magical fluctuations. Countless sharkfolks then fell victim to this aura, rapidly decaying from head to toe. Their flesh, weapons, and armor disintegrated into dust.


    In mere seconds, thousands of lives vanished. Not a single speck of their fragment remained.


    [You''ve in a Savage Shark Pirates Crewmember. Gold +200!]


    [You''ve in a Savage Shark Pirates Crewmember. Gold +200!]


    [You''ve in a Savage Shark Pirates High-ranking Member. Gold +500!]


    [......]


    [You''ve in a Merfolk Elder. Gold +120,000!]


    Even Zhang Nu was astonished. He merely intended to test his new ability. He never anticipated thatbining the Corrupted Blood skill with his domain would yield such remarkable results!


    By converting his life force into Corrupted Blood and swiftly spreading it through his monarch''s domain, he injected it into the bodies of his adversaries,unching a devastating assault with its corrupting and eroding effect. He never fathomed the potency of its corrupting effect. It persisted until nothing but remnants remained.


    If the Eye of Death was a tool for instant boss ying, then the Corrupted Blood proved to be an immediate and formidable force against these rtively weak to mid-tier units.

 Chapter 169: Recruitment of a Merfolk Maiden

    The domain was lifted.


    Shui Yao returned to the deck, her eyes filled with disbelief as she gazed at the majestic figure before her. She was still struggling to recover from the overwhelming shock. "You... You''re a monarch!"


    Judging by his appearance, there was no doubt that he belonged to the dragon race.


    The status and position of a dragon monarch was incredibly exalted!


    How could such a great being appear here, and why did he rescue her from these pirates?!


    Wait!


    A sudden realization struck Shui Yao.


    To her knowledge, the true dragons on the continentcked the ability to transform into draconians. That was a unique talent possessed only by some Abyssal Dragons in the abyssal world.


    Therefore, draconians were an incredibly rare race on this continent.


    Before this encounter, she had only seen draconians in one ce. And that ce was none other than the headquarters of the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce. Could it be mere coincidence? Highly unlikely!


    "Youe from the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce?"


    "And you''re a Demon King as well?!"


    Zhang Nu smiled faintly. "Impressive. You''re even smarter than I anticipated. I don''te from the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce. To be precise, I am the behind the scenes master of the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce."


    Shui Yao had heard some insider information.


    These rumors spoke of an immensely powerful Demon King residing in the Chaos Forest of the north, a figure that even the Thunder Empire struggled against.


    The Dark Dragon merchant guild had obvious ties to the Chaos Forest; otherwise, they would not be able to transportrge quantities of products crafted by elves and dwarves to the Azure Water Federation.


    A Demon King with the power of a monarch and he imed to be the secret mastermind behind the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce.


    Under these circumstances, his identity and origins were not difficult to deduce.


    "I wouldn''t save a stranger without reason, and I believe you have already guessed my identity. So now you have two choices," Zhang Nu stated.


    "First, follow me and be my subordinate. Join the Dark Dragon merchant guild and obey mymands."


    "Second, I will allow you to depart from this world without any pain."


    Shui Yao did not hesitate for long. "I am willing to pledge my allegiance to Your Majesty, the Demon King. However, I have one request: if given the opportunity, please help me avenge my parents by eradicating the Holy Tides City Heroes Guild!"


    "Granted," the Demon King replied without hesitation.


    For the Demon King, ying Hero was as natural as a wolf preying on sheep. Such a request did not require an explicit agreement, whenever the opportunity presented itself, the Demon King would undoubtedly take the kills.


    [White Sands Family Chieftain: Shui Yao is seeking affiliation under your banner. ept?]


    Zhang Nu sessfully recruited the merfolk girl, though only individually, not the entire White Sands family.


    Nevertheless, it did not matter.


    Step by step, he would proceed. For the time being, having this merfolk girl by his side was sufficient.


    Zhang Nu could not fully trust a newly recruited native subordinate, but to demonstrate her sincerity, the merfolk girl willingly drank a cup of Holy Grail of Blood''s blood wine.


    The Holy Grail of Blood was equivalent to a powerful contract. The effect of its blood wine was enough to provide assurance.


    Zhang Nu realized that his journey had not been in vain.


    Wasn''t he trying to establish a connection with an influential force to expand the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce''s business and establish a foothold in the Azure Water Federation? Now, without exerting much effort, the leader of the White Sands family, the merfolk chieftain, had be a direct subordinate of the Demon King.


    This chess piece, although weak at the moment, was held by the Dragon Demon King himself.


    She would y a crucial role in the Demon King''s development of the Dark Dragon merchant guild, as well as in his ns for the Azure Water Federation.


    As for pledging loyalty to the Demon King, Shui Yao felt no psychological pressure. Despite her young age, she had a keen mind and understood that this was an exceptional opportunity that could not be sought after.


    First and foremost, this life was saved by the Demon King.


    Merfolk were a race known for their gratitude, it wasmon for them to repay a debt of life by offering themselves in return. Thus, it did not matter to Shui Yao to pledge allegiance and devote herself to the Demon King.


    Moreover, the White Sands merfolk family was facing challenging circumstances.


    Although the Demon King''s influence did not extend to the Azure Water Federation, the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce seemed promising. Only by receiving the assistance of the Demon King and the merchant guild could she lead her n through this difficult time.


    From this moment on, Shui Yao became a member of the Dark Dragon merchant guild. She also became a resident of the Darkness City.


    Shui Yao had very limited knowledge about the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce and the Darkness City. She believed that since she had already decided to serve the Demon King, it was necessary to gain a deeper understanding of the Demon King, the Darkness City, and the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce.


    To this end, the Demon King agreed.


    He allowed Shui Yao to return to Dark Dragon Ind and she would gain all the knowledge and information she desired.


    Shui Yao did not dare to dy and quickly gathered her n members to transport the supplies back to the family headquarters. After handling the affairs, she paid another visit to Dark Dragon Ind.


    "Chieftain Shui Yao."


    "We meet again."


    Rao Jian''s face was filled with excitement as he said, "Mr. Long has already informed me about your situation. From now on, we''re in this together. We must wholeheartedly manage the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce and make a name for Mr. Long in the Azure Water Federation."


    Mr. Long?


    He must be referring to the Demon King. It seemed that the Demon King did not want to be discovered.


    Shui Yao asked, "Where is Mr. Long? I would like to visit him."


    Rao Jian smiled and said, "You''re a bitte. Mr. Long is constantly busy with important affairs. He returned yesterday."


    "What? He left?"


    Shui Yao felt a bit frustrated and disappointed. After all, she was the chieftain of a prominent merfolk n, but the fact that His Majesty the Demon King had taken her in but then neglected her made her feel undervalued.


    Rao Jian then suggested, "Although Mr. Long has already returned, Chieftain Shui Yao can go to his residence to find him."


    "It''s easier said than done."


    "I can''t simply leave everything behind."


    Shui Yao grew even more frustrated. The Chaos Forest was thousands of miles away. Even with the swiftest flying magical beast, it would still take three or four days for a round trip.


    Without exining, Rao Jian simply said, "Follow me."


    Shui Yao felt perplexed as she followed the gnome into the heart of the ind treasury.


    This was the guild''s warehouse, heavily guarded with threerge gates. As they walked towards the innermost section, Shui Yao sensed a fluctuation of energy.


    Before her eyes, a white tower, twenty meters tall, adorned with intertwined runic formations and emanating a mysterious aura, suddenly appeared.


    "This... What is this?"


    "It''s a teleportation tower created by Mr. Long!"


    Rao Jian exined the function of the teleportation tower to Shui Yao.


    He added, "The two teleportation towers have been connected with transfer nodes. If you wish to visit the Darkness City or the Chaos Forest, you can go at any time. Mr. Long has already approved it."


    Upon hearing these words, Shui Yao waspletely stunned. She had heard of teleportation facilities before, but the cost, time, materials, and craftsmanship required for such teleportation stations were unimaginable.


    Across the vast territory of the Azure Water Federation, there were only a handful of teleportation stations. Even in the southern border of the Thunder Empire, including the Bachor Duchy, there were only five teleportation stations. The preciousness of such facilities was evident.


    His Majesty the Demon King had actually prepared a teleportation facility for the Dark Dragon merchant guild?


    This was truly unbelievable.


    "Please, step inside."


    Rao Jian activated the teleportation tower, creating a teleportation field.


    Shui Yaoposed herself, suppressing her excitement. She stepped into the teleportation field, feeling the surging spatial energy enveloping her. In an instant, a sh of light engulfed her vision.


    After one or two seconds, the surroundings came back into focus.


    The warm and humid environment of the ind had vanished, reced by a lush and verdant forest.


    "Are you Chieftain Shui Yao from the Azure Water Federation?" a dragon soldier approached to verify her identity and said, "This is the Dark Forest, nestled within the Shadowy Valley. The main city is just over twenty miles to the east."


    As a sea-dweller, Shui Yao had never ventured far from the ocean in her entire life.


    She could never have imagined that one day she would find herself deep in the Chaos Forest, a staggering distance of 9,000 kilometers from Dark Dragon Ind.


    In a mere blink of an eye, she had crossed this vast expanse.The sheer power of the teleportation tower was awe-inspiring!


    The Demon King had constructed teleportation towers both in the Darkness City and the Azure Water Federation, granting him unrestricted ess to these two regions.


    And vice versa.


    As members of the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce, Shui Yao, Rao Jian, and theirrades could now easily travel to the Darkness City at any time.


    It was beyond belief, so incredibly convenient!


    As soon as Shui Yao arrived in the Darkness Valley, she felt an instantaneous surge in her various stats and abilities, experiencing an explosive growth.


    Once a mere ordinary Level 4 lord, she now possessed the prowess of a top-tier Level 4 lord, capable of enduring prolonged battles even against formidable adversaries like the Level 4 overlord sharkfolk Hero.


    But that was not all.


    In the Darkness Valley, everything seemed to operate at twice the speedpared to the normal environment, be it recovery or training.


    Was this really the Demon King''sir? It felt more like an unparalleled paradise, a hidden sanctuary rarely encountered in this world. Shui Yao could not help but entertain the thought of relocating her n here, allowing them to train and bolster the strength of the White Sands n.


    Following the given directions, Shui Yao made her way to the Darkness City.


    This majestic city, perpetually under construction, left the sea-dwelling native in awe once again.


    Wasn''t the Chaos Forest known as a deste wilderness? How could such an unimaginably grand citye into existence?


    Not only that, Shui Yao could sense a unique power emanating from every house, street, and well within the city. And let''s not forget about the Soul Altar, Tower of Lost Trials, Altar of Inferno, Ancient Elven Sanctuary, Temple of Nature, Temple of War, and other structures that held an indescribable power.


    She could clearly perceive that each of these buildings possessed an incredible force beyond imagination!


    Though the poption in the Darkness City was currently sparse, representatives of various races could be found, including giants, elves, orcs, trolls, dwarves, tigerfolks, bearfolks, and even goblins.


    Witnessing the diverse inhabitants within the Darkness City, Shui Yao gained a whole new understanding of the Demon King. His majesty was not merely a tyrant driven by power and brutality, but a great ruler possessing terrifying creativity and governing prowess.


    How else could such a miraculous city be constructed in the heart of the Chaos Forest, and known for its untamed wilderness? How could numerous races, with varying strengths and conflicting interests, coexist harmoniously?


    The Demon Dragon Castle stood majestic and towering, leaving Shui Yao in utter awe. She could sense the pervasive power enveloping the Darkness City and even the entire Darkness Valley, seemingly emanating from this very castle.


    Stepping into the Demon Dragon Castle, the mermaid maiden beheld heavily fortified and grand pces. The soldiers guarding the premises were at least draconian super soldiers, surpassing even the finest within the Azure Water Federation. It was a testament to the immense strength of the Demon King''s army.


    Just then, a thunderous shout reverberated, "You dare!"


    In an instant, Shui Yao felt a shift in her surroundings, as if she was pulled into a deste wastnd of rocky terrain. The gravity seemed to intensify a thousandfold, rendering her motionless and gasping for breath.


    A monarch''s domain, again?


    Yet another monarch''s domain!


    Another figure of monarch-level stature!


    Shui Yao was left bewildered.


    Within the walls of the Demon King''s castle, how could there be another monarch-level presence?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Then, a voice, wise but tinged with age, spoke up, "Zhang San, hold your ground! She is not an intruder. She is a new recruit under our master''smand!"


    Zhang San paused momentarily, releasing the Earth Domain and alleviating the intensified gravity. He nced at the mermaid maiden and uttered, "So, you''re one of our master''s newly recruited followers. My previous judgment was mistaken, as I had not seen you before. I ask for your forgiveness."


    "Great monarch... Are you also a subordinate of the Demon King?"


    Zhang San shrugged dismissively, "Neer, there''s no need for such astonishment. I, Zhang San, am just an insignificant servant under our master''smand."


    Shui Yao was utterly taken aback. The Demon King had actually brought a monarch-level figure into his fold!


    What''s even more absurd was that this monarch referred to himself as a servant,pletely overturning Shui Yao''s view.


    Zhang San continued, "Don''t be too surprised. Our master has more than one monarch-level subordinate. You''lle to understand this in due time. To our esteemed lord, what significance does a monarch hold?"


    This was way beyondprehension!


    At that moment, Li Si chimed in, "Unfortunately, you''ve arrived when our master is away. However, if you don''t mind, allow me to give you a tour of the various cities."


    "Our lord specifically recruited you into the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce. It''s important for you to acquaint yourself with the resource locations, production bases, and the current status of diverse industries across the cities."


    Shui Yao raised a perplexed eyebrow, "Doesn''t the Demon King have only one city?"


    Li Si chuckled, "Of course not. Presently, 80% of the cities within the Chaos Forest have pledged their allegiance to our master, and the remaining ones will soon follow suit."

 Chapter 170: A Tour of Cities

    More than 80% of the cities in the Chaos Forest were already under the control of the Demon King?


    If this news were to spread, it would be an explosive revtion. Who could have anticipated that the Demon King has nearly achievedplete dominance over the Chaos Forest almost unnoticed?


    If this trend continued, theplete unification of the Chaos Forest would appear to be an imminent event on the horizon.


    However, it was worth noting that the Demon King possessed not just one, but multiple subordinates of monarch-level strength.


    In light of this, the notion of possessing a kingdom-level power should not be considered peculiar.


    Yet, with the unification of the Chaos Forest, it was inevitable that the Thunder Empire in the north, the Sunset Empire in the west, and even the Water Blue Federation would perceive it as a threat. The three major powers could not afford to turn a blind eye and the Chaos Forest would undoubtedly face immense pressure.


    At that critical juncture, would the Demon King be able to withstand the mounting challenges?


    Shui Yao epted Li Si''s invitation to explore and witness with her own eyes the true extent of the Chaos Forest''s resources and wealth.


    Li Si raised his staff, and a surge of spatial energy enveloped them. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared from the Demon King''s castle.


    As Shui Yao regained her senses, she found herself standing amidst the Goblin Farm. What an exceptional showcase of magical power from this draconian priest.


    Spatio-temporal attributed magic was considered the most challenging type of magic to master. Even the most talented mages would be considered exceptional if they could achieve short-range teleportation, which was an extremely impressive feat.


    Teleportation was an advanced form of spatial magic, known for its extreme difficulty in practice. Yet, this draconian priest disyed such mastery and ease that he hardly even needed to chant incantations. It was evident that his magical prowess was close to that of a master-level Level 5 mage!


    With such strength and magical abilities, regardless of where he went on the continent, he would be respected as a formidable individual.


    It seemed that there were hidden talents and extraordinary individuals under the Demon King''smand.


    Shui Yao was being overwhelmed by the unfathomable depths of the Darkness City''s strength and resources when her attention was suddenly captivated by the sight of an enormous Spirit Field right before her eyes.


    As a mage, Shui Yao could keenly sense the inconceivable life energy surrounding the farm.


    Crops within the fields grew rapidly at a visible speed.


    At least over ten thousand goblins were toiling away in the fields.


    Li Si exined, "This is one of the three major farms in the Darkness City. The food produced by just this farm alone is enough to meet the dietary needs of dozens ofrge forest poptions."


    "That much?" Shui Yao eximed. "This farm seems to have been blessed by the goddesses of nature and abundance. It''s truly miraculous!"


    A single farm capable of sustaining millions of people. If she had not witnessed it with her own eyes, Shui Yao would never have believed such a thing was possible. But now, having witnessed the farm''s marvels firsthand, she had to ept this reality.


    In fact, Li Si''s description might even be modest. Because Shui Yao noticed that the goblin farm did not solely cultivate food crops. Approximately one-third of the Spirit Field was dedicated to medicinal herbs.


    Murmuring to herself, Shui Yao said, "With just one farm yielding such profits, and the Darkness City boasting three of them, the food pressure in the Chaos Forest must be significantly alleviated."


    Li Si chuckled and said, "Huhhuh, although the Darkness City farms are of the highest tier, they are not thergest in terms of scale. Let me bring you to the Giantree City to take a look!"


    As they spoke, Li Si waved his hand, and the teleportation magic was once again activated. Since the Darkness City was rtively close to the Giantree City, the teleportation error was minimal. They instantly appeared near the Tree of Miracle.


    Thend surrounding the Tree of Miracle had been extensively developed, with a radius of twenty to thirty miles transformed into high-quality Spirit Fields. Its scale was muchrger than the three farms in the Darkness Citybined.


    Li Si exined, "This is the elven farm of the Giantree City. It is thergest farm in terms of scale. Currently, it is estimated to employ over a hundred thousand elves, more than enough to sustain tens of millions of people."


    "Of course, we don''t need that much food, so not all of it will be used for growing crops. We will promote the cultivation of herbs, fruit trees, timber, and other cash crops here."


    Shui Yao was deeply shocked.


    Could this be the legendary Tree of Life?


    No, it was not just a Tree of Life. It was clearly a Tree of Miracle, and the vast expanse of Spirit Fields surrounding it was all created by this Tree of Miracle.


    Li Si exined, "This Tree of Miracle is a great gift bestowed upon the elves by our master. Currently, the poption of the Giantree City has reached over four hundred thousand and is approaching half a million."


    "If we include other races, the poption of the Giantree City is close to six hundred thousand, and it will continue to grow towards a million in the future. Although Giantree City is not the main city, it is currently the most popr one."


    Generally speaking, forest cities were not of significant scale. The main reason for this was the issue of resources. Settlements in the forest, whether tribes or cities, heavily relied on acquiring living resources from the surrounding environment. However, environmental resources were limited. As the poption reached a certain level, the marginal costs increased and the marginal benefits decreased, making it impossible to form cities with millions of people.


    But now, the Tree of Miracle had the power to change everything.


    Li Si added, "In fact, whether it''s the Darkness City farm or the Giantree City elven farm, they might not be the future''s most central production bases."


    Shui Yao struggled to understand, "What do you mean?"


    Li Si replied, "Recently, our master has coborated with the Flower Fey Demon King and is nning to invest in arge number of flower spirit farms. In the future, their scale might surpass that of the elven farms, with a per-acre yield potentially exceeding that of the Darkness City''s farms."


    After their conversation, the two of them proceeded to tour Giantree City.


    Giantree City had already flourished beyond expectations.


    The alchemy workshops were bustling with several thousand, if not tens of thousands, elven alchemists. With abundant material supply and maximum production capacity, they could produce hundreds of thousands or even millions of basic potions daily.


    Considering a wholesale price of 100 gold coins per bottle, the daily value of these potions alone would reach billions of gold coins.


    Thanks to the elven farms, Darkness City farms, and the promising future of the flower spirit farms, there was no shortage of raw materials.


    However, there was one crucial issue to address - the Demon King needed a massive market capable of absorbing such a vast production capacity. Currently, Giantree City''s warehouses alone were stocked with approximately five million potions, leaving Shui Yao awestruck and speechless.


    But her overwhelming joy could not be contained.


    "This is incredible!"


    "Absolutely incredible!"


    "Our White Sands family specializes in the potion business."


    "We are the top-ranked potion merchant in Holy Tides City and among the top three in Pale Moon Kingdom. We operate over four hundred and fifty potion stores across the Azure Water Federation."


    Li Si could not help but express his surprise. It was no wonder the master wanted to recruit Shui Yao and have her join the merchant guild.


    With over four hundred and fifty potion stores spread throughout various cities in the Azure Water Federation, the vast saleswork was more than capable of consuming a substantial portion of the production capacity and generating immense value.


    Shui Yao was filled with excitement.


    Lately, their family had almostpletely lost ess to their sources for procuring potions. Even their own established alchemy workshops hade to a halt due to issues like inability to obtain raw materials, alchemists abandoning their positions, or unexined workshop fires.


    This impending situation threatened to bring their business to aplete standstill.


    That was why Shui Yao had made the daring decision to spend a hundred million gold coins to purchase potions directly from the recently arrived Dark Dragon merchant guild.


    It was undeniably a risky move.


    The potion industry demanded exceptional skills in supply chain management.


    After all, the quality of medicinal herbs varied greatly, and the proficiency of alchemists ranged from excellent to subpar. If a customer were to experience adverse effects or anyplications after consuming a potion, and it waster revealed that the potion was faulty, it wouldpletely tarnish the reputation of the potion store.


    Therefore, under normal circumstances, the White Sands family would never consider cing such a substantial order with an unknown and unverified merchant guild. However, the elven potions had proven to be of excellent quality.


    The materials used were remarkably fresh, and the elven alchemists exhibited exceptional skills. The potions they offered were both superior in quality andpetitively priced.


    Shui Yao''s mind began to race with possibilities.


    The elven alchemy workshops of Giantree City, as well as the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce and the White Sands family---if they could form an alliance, they had the potential to be the leading potion merchant in Pale Moon Kingdom. Furthermore, they could even dominate the entire federation''s potion market and explore untapped markets on arger scale.


    In such a scenario, not only would the Demon King amass great wealth, but the Dark Dragon merchant guild and the White Sands family would also experience rapid growth and expansion.


    "Next," Li Si uttered, "Let''s head to Berserk Beast City."


    Shui Yao had only skimmed through the various workshops in Giantree City and had not had a chance to fully explore them before being swiftly transported to Berserk Beast City.


    In contrast to the neat and picturesque Giantree City, Berserk Beast City had a somewhat rugged appearance.


    However, since aligning with the Demon King, Berserk Beast City had undergone remarkable transformations in just over a month. The streets were now filled with shops catering to miners.


    There were orc bars, orc barbecue joints, and even an orc bathhouse.


    Coincidentally, it was a shift change, and thousands of orc miners were returning to Berserk Beast City, attracting admiring gazes from other orcs.


    As it turned out, mining had be the most respectable and profitable upation in present-day Berserk Beast City.


    The orc miners held a prestigious position within the city, and coupled with the abundance of resources, they enjoyed a high standard of living.


    Li Si exined, saying, "Berserk Beast City''s transformation from a notorious den of thieves to its current state, with numerous forest tribes joining forces, was achieved in just a little over a month."


    "At present, Berserk Beast City has four operating mines, and the daily yield of gold and rare minerals alone is valued at millions of gold coins."


    "Furthermore, a thousand Dwarves have already settled in Berserk Beast City, preparing to establish Dwarven forges."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "In the future, their focus will be on crafting armor, weapons, and supplying other manufacturers as Berserk Beast City possesses significant advantages in this field."


    Li Si even took Shui Yao on a tour of the orcish mines. Here, she was astounded to see the remarkable infrastructure and the increasing efficiency of daily production. However, what truly left her perplexed were the countless sights that seemed iprehensible to her.


    Inside the mines, there were extensiveworks of railway tracksid out. Massive ore trains, rugged and imposing, operated in a seamless and orderly manner, transporting the mined ores directly to the storage areas.


    In addition to the magitek lotives, there were gnomes operating magitek excavators, magitek drills, and magitek crushers, tirelessly assisting in the mining process. Shui Yao even witnessed gnomes piloting magitek helicopters, conducting surveys and explorations of nearby mining sites. The presence of these magitek devices throughout the mines was truly astonishing.


    "So, this is the legendary magical technology," Shui Yao eximed. "I had believed it to be lost, yet here it is, right before my eyes!"


    Li Si provided some insights, saying, "These are the gnome magitechie from Thousand Fangs City. Our master greatly values magical technology and has rewarded Thousand Fangs City with a dedicated magical research institute."


    "Through continuous research and development," he continued, "Thousand Fangs City has made remarkable strides in magical technology."


    "At present, the mining facilities in Berserk Beast City have been designed, invented, and manufactured by the gnomes of Thousand Fangs City themselves."


    "As their experience grows and matures, these advancements will eventually extend to all cities. With the integration of magical technology, both production and daily life will undergo significant and transformative improvements."


    Shui Yao had heard that during the heyday of the ancient mage empire, a singlerge-scale magitek warship could annihte an entire kingdom. This indicated the tremendous advantage of magical technology.


    It was clear that the Demon King highly valued the added value and increased production efficiency brought about by magical technology.


    Although its current implementation was still in its primitive stage, given more time to Thousand Fangs City and the Magitek Research Institute, they might eventually master top-notch magical technology.


    Moving forward, Shui Yao visited several cities, such as Silver Springs City, Ironheart City, and Bloody Fortress. Each ce had its own unique characteristics and had undergone transformations since the Demon King''s arrival.


    Throughout this process, Shui Yao gradually gained an understanding of the Demon King''s strength. His overall power was not inferior to that of some small to medium-sized kingdoms. Even the Empire would need to prepare for significant damage if they sought to eradicate him.


    It was unbelievable.


    The business opportunities here were enormous. Whether it was potions, equipment, alchemical items, medicinal herbs, ores, food, any of these could pave the way to sess.


    After a thorough investigation thatsted half a day, Shui Yao finally realized the wisdom of her decision. Apart from the formidable protection offered by the Demon King''s immense power, the implications for the White Sands family were profound.


    The vastmercial prospects, immense productive capacity, and tremendous cost advantages of the Chaos Forest alone justified such a choice. Aligning with the Demon King and the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce would bring nothing but benefits to the White Sands family.


    Shui Yao even entertained the daring idea of having the entire n join forces under the Demon King''s banner. She had a growing sense that the development potential of this Demon King might not be limited solely to the Chaos Forest."

 Chapter 171: Corrupted Dragons

    During the merfolk girl''s visit to the Chaos Forest, the Great Demon King was busy at the Thunder Hignds. He activated the Giant Altar, converting numerous silver giants into golden giants for the Thunderp City.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty!"


    "We are willing to serve you until death!"


    The Thunderp City was filled with excitement and inspiration as the golden giants rallied.


    Once, the talent and physical prowess of the golden giants were considered rare and invaluable. But now, in Thunderp City, their numbers had reached nearly a hundred!


    The Demon King was mass-producing these formidable golden giants, and it was no wonder they felt exhrated and joyful. Their loyalty towards the Demon King surged even higher.


    In truth, with the Demon King''s current wealth, he could transform hundreds of golden giants in one go, significantly bolstering Thunderp City''s power. However, such a massive production was unnecessary at present, as the city of giants already possessed ample strength.


    These giants, often leading aid-back lifestyle in their mountainous abodes, needed asional motivation to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the Demon King''s cause.


    The Demon King inquired, "How is the situation in the ancient tomb?"


    Jin Kui, the city lord of Thunderp City, reported, "We have sessfully annihted all the tumor daemons surrounding the ancient tomb of the corrupted monarchs. The current condition inside the tomb is stable."


    The Ancient Tomb of the Corrupted Monarchs, located in Thunderp City''s Daemon Sealing Valley, stood as the most formidable monster area to date, and the Demon King had always been mindful of its presence.


    In the vicinity of the ancient tomb, there were several altars that absorbed a substantial amount of energy over the years. Influenced by the corrupting power of the Evil God''s fragment - "Source of Corruption", these altars mutated into malignant tumors.


    It was imperative to eliminate all these altars, otherwise, it would be difficult to eradicate the inhabitants within the ancient tomb.


    Having destroyed the main altar, the Demon King, apanied by Jin Kui, led the golden giants in systematically demolishing the remaining altars. Now, the time hade to strike at the ancient tomb itself.


    "The unification of the Chaos Forest is within our grasp," proimed the Demon King. "And it will be achieved in the next few days. Therefore, we can no longer postpone the matter of the ancient tomb. I have made the decision to personally intervene and eradicate this threat once and for all!"


    Upon hearing this, the elders among the giants rejoiced. Ever since they learned that the Ancient Daemonic Lair was actually an ancient royal mausoleum and that their wed method of suppression the area had spawned monstrous beings of monarch-level, Thunderp City had been gued by anxiety and restless nights.


    The entire city felt as if they were bound to a ticking time bomb. And this bomb could explode at any given moment. Once triggered, the giants would be utterly doomed. Unfortunately, the giants'' abilities alone were insufficient to defuse it.


    Now that the Demon King was preparing to take action, how could the giants not be thrilled? Jin Kui immediately issued orders to organize the most elite force to assist the Demon King.


    However, it turned out to be unnecessary.


    The Demon King stopped the assembling of the giants, realizing that challenging the ce with sheer numbers alone would be meaningless and could even be a hindrance, causing unnecessary casualties.


    The Demon King chose only twopanions for this endeavor: Jin Kui, the leader of the giants from Thunderp City, and his Abyssal ck Dragon subordinate, Long Yi.


    Both possessed tremendous power at the rank of Level 4 overlords. Golden giants possessed innate abilities to counter evil energy, disying exceptional resistance to it. In addition, Jin Kui''s strength was sufficient to withstand the environment within the ancient tomb, albeit with some effort.


    As for Long Yi, being an Abyssal Dark Dragon, he naturally possessed formidable dark and necromantic talents, making him far superior to ordinary beings of the same level in terms of resistance and adaptability to such evil energies.


    An hourter, the Demon King opened the tomb door.


    [You are being corroded by negative energy. HP +10!]


    [You are being corroded by negative energy. HP +5!]


    [You are being corroded by negative energy. HP +8!]


    [......]


    What a powerful aura!


    It was ten times stronger than the nearby caves, filled with potent curses and the power of the Evil God.


    However, it was far from enough to harm the Demon King. Instead, it made him feel ratherfortable.


    Jin Kui and Long Yi, on the other hand, had a rather different experience.


    "Thank goodness His Majesty didn''t bring our nsmen in!"


    "This environment is too terrifying!"


    Jin Kui could not help but feel relieved.


    Under the influence of such a dreadful aura, even as a Level 5 overlord golden giant, he found it somewhat overwhelming.


    How could ordinary silver giant warriors, or even the elders who had already be golden giants, possibly fight in such an environment?


    "Let''s proceed," Zhang Numanded as he led his twopanions into the ancient tomb.


    The sheer magnitude of the tomb was astonishing, even for beings of massive stature like the giants or when Zhang Nu and Long Yi transformed into their true dragon form. There was no sense of crowding whatsoever.


    One could only imagine the colossal size of the ancient beings that were buried here.


    ording to the information provided, Zhang Nu discovered that they belonged to a rare subspecies of giants, hardly found on the continent nowadays.


    As anticipated, brute force and sheer numbers held no significance when facing such a ce, units below the Level 4 lord would struggle to even survive.


    In such an intense and corrosive environment, ordinary low-level minions would instantly perish, without any chance of even encountering the boss.


    "Exercise caution," Zhang Nu warned. "Follow my lead."


    Within the royal tomb, there were numerous traps. Even though these traps posed no threat to the current Demon King, they were still capable of causing a series of troubles.


    Zhang Nu disliked unnecessaryplications. He deftly evaded the traps using the skill granted by his "cheat ability" and smoothly progressed deeper into the heart of the ancient tomb.


    Suddenly, Long Yi alerted, "Something is approaching!"


    "I sense it too. There seems to be quite a number of them, with the strength of Level 5. Stronger than the headless knights outside!" replied Jin Kui.


    No sooner had they spoken than dozens of purple beams shot forth from the front passageway, rapidly converging around the trio.


    These beams came to a halt, revealed to be eerie soul fires. But in the next moment, the soul fires expanded dramatically, transforming into towering spirit giants, each measuring over ten to twenty meters in height.


    All of them were d in armor, with burning skeletons within, brandishing ming greatswords.


    [Ancient Monarch''s Soul Guard] Level 5 elite unit.


    .......


    Description: They were once loyal guards who served the monarchs faithfully in their lifetime. They voluntarily sacrificed themselves to be interred and pledged to protect the royal mausoleum with their souls for eternity.


    Level 5 elite monsters?


    Simr to the headless knights outside, but these soul giants were even stronger. They possessed exceptional agility and were immune to physical attacks, making them formidable opponents.


    Just then, the soul giants raised their zing swords, unleashing a flurry wave of sword Qi from all directions, surging towards the three individuals.


    "Dark Devour!" Long Yi unleashed a powerful dark magic.


    A dozen miniature ck holes shot forth in all directions, their intense gravitational force distorting and tearing apart the iing sword Qi waves. In an instant, the attacks were devoured, dissipating into the void.


    Longyi had some tricks up his sleeve.


    Zhang Nu nodded in satisfaction.


    Long Yi was already at the peak of the Level 5 overlord. He had undergone the Demon King''s baptism a few days ago. Although he had not immediately advanced to the Level 6, he had already made significant progress, with only two or three more baptisms standing between him and bing a Level 6 existence.


    The current Long Yi possessed thebat power that reached the ceiling of Level 5 overlords. Even when facing slightly weaker monarch-level beings, he could hold his ground and achieve a fifty-fifty chance of victory, thanks to the advantage of his superior race.


    "Perish!" Jinkui bellowed, summoning a radiant golden lightning that swiftly struck down one of the Soul Guards. The overwhelming power of the Demon Busting Golden Thunder shattered the spiritual form of the undead entity.


    The golden lightning erupted, inflicting damage upon the surrounding Soul Guards. Simultaneously, the binding effects of the golden thunder restricted their lightning-fast mobility.


    Seizing the opportunity, Long Yi unleashed a torrent of dragon mes, unleashing a devastating area of effect assault.


    The two Level 5 overlords coborated seamlessly, resulting in the swift obliteration of over a dozen Soul Guards.


    [You''ve in an Ancient Monarch''s Soul Guard. Gold +18,000!]


    [You''ve in an Ancient Monarch''s Soul Guard. Gold +18,000!]


    [You''ve in an Ancient Monarch''s Soul Guard. Gold +18,000!]


    [......]


    Zhang Nu led his two followers, effortlessly carved a path through these soul giants. He barely needed to lift a finger as his subordinates swiftly dealt with these minor monsters they encountered.


    Although they were considered minor monsters, they were top-tier Level 5 elites! Each one yielded a generous reward of 18,000 gold!


    Within this vast ancient tomb, these fodders were scattered inrge numbers. In no time, they had already annihted over a hundred of them.


    By simply clearing out these minions, Zhang Nu had amassed a fortune of three million gold, sufficient to convert ten additional golden giants for Thunderp City or to initiate three rounds of the Demon King''s baptism, further enhancing the strength and cultivation of his subordinates.


    However, in that very instant, Zhang Nu''s senses heightened. He perceived the presence of several exceptionally formidable auras ahead.


    Alerting his subordinates, he cautioned, "We are nearing the entrance to the core region of the monarchs'' tomb, where the defenses are even tighter. Remain vignt and prioritize your safety."


    With those words, he abruptly elerated and took the lead, charging forth into the core area.


    Zhang Nu found dozens of soul giants gathered in this area.


    [Ancient Monarch''s Soul Guard] Level 5 elite unit.


    [Ancient Monarch''s Soul Guard Captain] Level 5 lord unit.


    Among the multitude of soul giants, there were four or five lord rankeds, significantly stronger than the ordinary ones.


    However, such strengths were still mere fodder levels in the eyes of the Demon King. Why would the Demon King even bother to pay attention to them?


    Zhang Nu did not linger on these creatures. He noticed that within the grand hall, two colossal skeletal dragonsid prostrate.


    In their prime, they were unquestionably adult true dragons, with each measuring over eighty meters in length.


    Like a pair of guard dogs, they were chained by runic iron links on either side of the bronze giant gate, their skeletal bodies enveloped in a terrifying aura.


    Moreover, likely influenced by the Evil God''s aura, they had sprouted numerous grotesque and distorted daemonic flesh, which would inflict severe psychic contamination upon those who approached.


    [Corrupted Skeletal Dragon] Level 5 overlord unit.


    ......


    Description: Once revered as formidable dragons, they were defeated by one of the former ancient monarchs and ultimately became apanying burial offerings and tomb guardian beasts. Long-term exposure to the Evil God''s aura has even intensified their horror beyond their living state.


    "Cursed beings!"


    As a proud member of the true dragons, Long Yi, witnessing his fellow kin reduced to mere watchdogs and tomb guardians, could no longer contain his anger.


    But for Zhang Nu, he remained unperturbed. There was no need to let anger consume him over such matters.


    The fate of these two true dragons was a consequence of their inferior skills in their previous lives. After being sealed for so many years, it was time to grant them release.


    Meanwhile, sensing the presence of intruders, the two corrupted dragons and the soul giants immediately shifted into battle mode.


    Zhang Nu issued amand, "I''ll handle these two undead skeletal dragons. You take care of the soul guardians."


    "Understood!"


    Jin Kui and Long Yi immediately sprang into action and drew the attention of the soul guardians, diverting their focus.


    The corrupted dragons unleashed a ferocious st of their corrupted breath, a vilebination of necrotic energy and the aura of Evil God, sweeping towards their adversaries.


    Zhang Nu swiftly teleported to intercept the attack.


    +32!


    +21!


    +41!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Zhang Nu absorbed the entirety of the undead dragon breath. Rather than inflicting harm, these attacks not only failed to damage him but actually replenished his HP and MP.


    In truth, theposition of the undead dragon breath was intricate.


    The fire-based element of the attack was rendered ineffective by Zhang Nu''s exceptional magic immunity. The toxic and cursing effects were nullified by his "Source of Corruption" talent. The ominous aura of death and even the faint trace of Evil God''s power were neutralized by the fusion of two Evil God fragments within Zhang Nu. Furthermore, by activating the Eye of Death, Zhang Nu absorbed the necrotic damage of the breath.


    The two corrupted dragons possessed formidable strength. Although they could not match Long Yi, who had reached the pinnacle of the Level 5 overlord, they were more than a match for Jin Kui, a Level 5 golden giant.


    It was worth noting that the golden giant''s innate talent was effective against undead creatures. Even when faced with this disadvantage, the strength of a single corrupted dragon still slightly surpassed that of the giant chieftain, showcasing the sheer power of these two beings.


    However, regrettably, when they encountered the Demon King, the attacks employed by the corrupted dragons, consisting mainly of curses and necrotic damage, proved utterly futile against the Demon King.


    Furthermore, theycked intelligence, thus remaining oblivious to the ineffectiveness of their assaults. Consequently, these terrifying skeletal dragons, capable of wreaking havoc upon the outside world, now appeared rather ludicrous and absurd.


    Like two bumbling creatures, the two corrupted dragons persisted in their feeble attempts to breathe corruptive mes, unleash necromantic spells, and cast curses, but their endeavors amounted to nothing more than a gentle tickle.


    With a resounding roar, the Demon King assumed his massive dragon form.


    In an instant, he stomped the two corrupted dragons beneath his feet.


    Then, opening his maw, he unleashed a colossal pir of dragon mes several meters in diameter, obliterating the unfortunate creature. It was akin to using a high-pressure water jet to cleanse a surface, scouring the dragon from head to toe.


    The corrupted tissues turned to ashes. Devoid of the Evil God energies that once imbued them and formed their flesh, the dragons'' body became exceedingly frail. After enduring the scorching mes for a dozen seconds, its bones were charred ck, and the ground beneath it transformed into a molten pool.


    [You''ve in a Corrupted Skeletal Dragon. Gold +1 million!]


    [You''ve in a Corrupted Skeletal Dragon. Gold +1 million!]


    The two formidable skeletal dragons were as feeble and defenseless as insignificant insects in the face of the overwhelming might of the Demon King!"

 Chapter 172: Another Evil God Monstrosity, the Malevolent King

    After Jin Kui had finished off the Soul Guards, two enormous magma pools came into view.


    Boilingva churned within them, surrounding the charred remains of two dragon skeletons. The Demon King had long since dealt with his adversaries.


    "This..." Jin Kui''s face contorted in terror.


    The strength of the two undead skeletal dragons was horrifying, and he doubted his ability to handle even one of them. The best-case scenario would be a mutual annihtion with one of the creatures.


    However, in the presence of the Demon King, they appeared utterly feeble.


    The Demon King reverted to his draconian form and dered, "Prepare yourselves." As he spoke, he pped his wings, soaring into the air and delivering a mighty kick that sent the giant bronze gates flying open.


    In the next moment, an even more potent and sinister aura of death and evil surged forth like a raging flood.


    [You are being corroded by negative energy. HP +32! MP +21!]


    [You are being corroded by negative energy. HP +31! MP +16!]


    [......]


    Zhang Nu remained unaffected,pletely unbothered. The dark energy was nullified, the necrotic energy absorbed, and as for the power of the Evil God? All the sinister energy in the ancient tomb originated from the Heart of the Ancient God, which Zhang Nu had already assimted entirely.


    Long Yi and Jin Kui followed suit.


    The grand hall was shrouded in dense darkness, rendering visibility virtually nonexistent. Thankfully, the three of them possessed powerful dark vision, enabling them to see their surroundings even in pitch ckness.


    The hall had been severely corroded andid in ruins due to the overwhelming dark energy. The facilities within were indistinguishable.


    However, they could make out rows of massive alcoves along the four walls. Each alcove held a twenty-meter tall bronze sarcophagus.


    Even the bronze crafted coffins had suffered severe corrosion, revealing skeletal giants standing within. These skeletons had undergone a horrific mutation, with irregr tumors filling their bodies. They appeared as monstrous abominations, grotesque beings with innate deformities.


    Jin Kui eximed in surprise, "Are these the ancient monarchs? Howe there''s so many of them?"


    Zhang Nu shook his head and replied, "None of these are the ancient monarchs." He directed his gaze towards the towering figures before them.


    [Deformed Evil Giant] Level 5 lord unit.


    ......


    Description: In their past lives, they were loyal attendants and subordinates of the Kings, having achieved remarkable feats while serving under their reign. As a result, they were honored with the privilege of being interred in the royal mausoleum upon their deaths.


    However, over the course of millennia, the relentless corruption of the Evil God''s power and influence had daemonized them into terrifying and malevolent daemons.


    ......


    Upon learning the details, Zhang Nu came to understand the distinction between these giants and the headless knights as well as the soul guards.


    Unlike the ones being sacrificed and buried alongside the monarchs, these giants were not originally part of the burial rites.


    They had beenid to rest in the tomb through an honorable process after their natural demise, as they were esteemed leaders or generals who had aplished great deeds during their lifetimes.


    Under normal circumstances, the bodies of these revered individuals would not have undergone any mutation. Their flesh had long decayed and withered, leaving behind only skeletal remains as a testament to their legacy.


    However, over the span of countless years, the once hallowed royal tomb had transformed into a twisted daemonicir, infiltrated by the persistent influence of the Evil God''s power.


    As a result, these skeletal giants underwent a daemonic metamorphosis, their flesh regenerated, and they acquired formidable power once again, bing true abominations.


    The flesh within these evil giants was no longer ordinary flesh but a grotesque manifestation of their daemonic transformation, akin to how altars could mutate into malignant tumors.


    They had be a hybrid of undead and daemonic creatures.


    As soon as the trio entered, the giants were alerted.


    One of them extended its arm directly from its alcove, the limb instantly stretching like rubber, flesh swelling up to over ten meters, reaching out to grab the three intruders.


    "Piss off!"


    Jin Kui wielded his thunder spear and shattered the arm.


    In response, the deformed giants began breaking free from their bronze coffins, roaring as they crawled out from the alcoves on both sides, menacingly approaching the invaders. The scene was truly horrifying.


    "What in the world are these things?"


    "Doesn''t matter what they are. Anyone who dares to obstruct my master shall perish!"


    Jin Kui and Long Yi immediately sprang into action, engaging in battle with the creatures.


    Dealing with the numerous deformed giants proved to be time-consuming. Zhang Nu entrusted them to his subordinates and activated his spatial maniption ability, swiftly teleporting multiple times until he arrived at the deepest part of the grand hall, where their ultimate objective awaited.


    "What is this...?"


    At the deepest recesses of the ancient monarchs'' tomb, the entire wall had transformed into writhing flesh.


    Dozens of massive tentacles, each hundreds of meters long, emerged from it.


    At first nce, Zhang Nu perceived this grotesque entity as an immense, crimson soft-bodied creature, akin to a colossal mutated octopus. It was covered in numerous organs such as ribs, fangs, sharp beaks, and eyes, creating a nightmarish sight.


    This area was meant to hold the coffins of the thirteen ancient monarchs.


    However, instead of the monarchs'' coffins, all that was present was this contorted monster, embedded within the wall, constantly emitting a potent psychic contamination that could induce a lifetime of nightmares with a single glimpse.


    Relevant information promptly surfaced before Zhang Nu, allowing him toprehend the true identity of the entity before him.


    [Evil God Monstrosity: The Thirteen Malevolent King] Level 5 monarch unit.


    ......


    Skill: Corrupted Monarch''s Domain (Talent), Might of the Ancient Monarchs (Talent), Undying Flesh (Talent), Erosion of All-Things (A rank), Soul Control (A rank), Undeath Storm (A rank), Super Devouring (A rank), etc.


    ......


    Introduction: The thirteen ancient monarchs, once illustrious ancient rulers, have resurrected after absorbing immense dark energies and undergone a monstrous transformation with the power of the Evil God, merging together to form this rare abomination.


    Initially, it was assumed that the target to be dealt with this time would be one or several ancient monarchs turned into monstrosities, with the most powerful among them already possessing Level 5 monarch strength.


    However, it was unexpected that thirteen ancient monarchs would fuse together and be such a creature. This grotesque octopus-like creature was the Thirteen Malevolent King, the amalgamation of their transformed and corrupted corpses.


    Zhang Nu had never encountered or confronted a creature of this magnitude before. Even for him, it presented a substantial challenge.


    Firstly, as per the prompt information, the Thirteen Malevolent King possessed an undying physical form.


    Merely destroying their corporeal bodies would not suffice to kill them. To truly vanquish this monster, one must directly assault its mind and soul, annihting it psychically or spiritually.


    Aside from that, there is no alternative approach. Reducing it to mere ashes would not suffice either. The innate ability of an undying flesh rendered it overwhelmingly formidable, making it nearly invincible and leaving most formidable individuals incapable of striking it down.


    Perhaps due to absorbing an excessive amount of Evil God''s power, the Thirteen Malevolent King had acquired certain traits associated with the Evil Gods.


    "Insolent creature!"


    "How dare you disturb my slumber!"


    Amanding voice echoed in Zhang Nu''s mind, it was not a fusion of multiple voices but a singr voice carried an immense psychic assault.


    "You may enjoy your slumber, but your resting ce is within my territory."


    "One does not simply tolerate another''s snores by their bedside. I absolutely cannot overlook it!"


    The Thirteen Malevolent King sneered, "What aughable notion! Do you think you are worthy of ruling this ce? Once I emerge, all shall return beneath my rule!"


    "It appears you possess some capabilities. If you are willing to pledge your allegiance to me and offer your soul, I can spare your life for now."


    In an instant, Zhang Nu was dragged into a different realm.


    The surroundings were dark and damp, with a shallow ckke beneath his feet. As ripples spread across theke, thirteen enormous golden coffins emerged. Within each stone coffin stood a towering figure wearing a crown, their faces emanating both dignity and fury as they red at the Demon King before them.


    In unison, they spoke:


    "We are undying!"


    "We are thirteen!"


    "You have no hope of victory against us!"


    "Surrender and submit, offer your soul, and be our servant. It is your only chance of survival!"


    Was this the domain of the Malevolent King? The suppressive effect of this domain was not particrly potent.


    However, within the domain, the Malevolent King had the ability to summon thirteen avatars of the ancient monarchs, each one a king from a bygone era.


    This was truly terrifying as the strength of the ancient monarchs wasparable to their prime, capable of unleashing the majority of their former abilities.


    Thirteen pseudo monarch-level entities, if they united andunched an attack, even ordinary monarchs would be utterly overwhelmed.


    However, that was not the most fearsome aspect. The most dreadful and challenging part was that among the thirteen ancient monarchs, twelve were mere puppets.


    Only one of them was the true Malevolent King as it was serving as a host for the Malevolent King''s spirit and soul.


    If the wrong target was struck down, eliminating a puppet, the Malevolent King could instantly resurrect it without any loss. If the one hosting the Malevolent King was destroyed, he would suffer a loss in spirit and soul.


    However, it could swiftly revive within another ancient monarch avatar.


    As long as their soul and mental power remained intact, it was invincible!


    In essence, within its domain, the Thirteen Malevolent King was virtually unbeatable. This was the source of their unwavering confidence.


    Zhang Nu could not help butugh, "A mere disy of petty tricks. Show me what you''re truly capable of. I''m curious to see the extent of your abilities."


    "Insolent!"


    "Since you insist..."


    "Then prepare to meet your demise!"


    "Behold the power of the kings!"


    Simultaneously, the thirteen ancient monarchs unleashed their tremendous power.


    Terrifying magic brewed, and vtile Qi gathered, various secret arts and seals were on the brink of activation. The impending onught loomedrge. Even for the Demon King himself, it posed a daunting and troublesome challenge.


    Zhang Nu took control of the surrounding time flow, causing the world to slow down. In doing so, he gained ample time to react.


    His eyes swiftly scanned the area.


    [Ancient Monarch 1] A puppet clone, attacks will be rendered ineffective...


    [Ancient Monarch 2] A puppet clone, attacks will be rendered ineffective...


    [Ancient Monarch 3] A puppet clone, attacks will be rendered ineffective...


    [......]


    [Ancient Monarch 9] The true Malevolent King, this avatar embodies the Malevolent King''s spirit and soul. Only by attacking this particr avatar of the ancient monarchs could effective damage be inflicted upon the Thirteen Malevolent King.


    Zhang Nu erupted with power.


    In an instant, thunder and mes converged into a zing thunderbolt. It struck the body of the target ancient monarch.


    With a cry of agony, the ancient monarch avatar was shattered into pieces, causing the other twelve avatars to freeze in their tracks. The impending onught, which had been gathering momentum, was abruptly disrupted. Suddenly, all the ancient monarchs shattered into fragments.


    "How is this possible?"


    "This is utterly impossible!"


    "You managed to pinpoint me!"


    The Malevolent King was bound to possess one of the thirteen ancient monarchs to harness thebined might of their powers. Only then could he unleash their collective strength.


    As long as the hosting vessel of the Malevolent King remained intact, the avatars of the ancient monarchs would be indestructible.


    Even an A ranked detection magic would fall short of distinguishing between them.


    The chances of urately discerning the true vessel among the thirteen were minuscule. The Malevolent King could effortlessly switch hosts, shrouding himself in unpredictability and making it near impossible to track him down. It was the pinnacle of the Malevolent King''s cunning!


    Never could it have fathomed that the avatar possessed by the Malevolent King would be obliterated in an instant. Its spirit and soul were both dealt a devastating blow.


    Impossible!


    There''s no way this insect could see through me!


    The previous strike must have been a fluke.


    The first group of ancient monarchs was defeated. Now, the second group emerged, still numbering thirteen.


    "Let''s see how you deal with this!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As it spoke, the thirteen ancient monarchsunched another ferocious assault.


    Zhang Nu activated the Abyssal Devouring to nullify their attack, then formed thunder and mes in his hand, swiftly closed the distance, and once again shattered the hosting avatar of the Malevolent King with a resounding palm strike.


    The remaining twelve ancient monarchs were reduced to mere ashes once more.


    Were the two hits really merely coincidences?


    The Malevolent King could no longer contain its frustration. "It seems you do possess some extraordinary means, but do you really believe you can confront all thirteen of us at once? It''s utterly impossible for you to contend with all of us!"


    As it spoke, another thirteen ancient monarchs materialized. This time, the Malevolent King''s possessed avatar was not concealed. The twelve remaining ancient monarchs formed a protective circle around the Malevolent King in the center. The thirteen pseudo monarch-level beings moved in unison, attacking and defending.


    "Death Stare!" Zhang Nu opened the vertical eye on his forehead. This attack disregarded barriers and defenses.


    Once again, they obliterated the true vessel of the Malevolent King!


    "Damn it!"


    "You wretched creature!"


    "You have thoroughly provoked my wrath!"


    "A mere ant like you dares to exhibit such arrogance. Allow me to show you the true extent of my power!"


    Within the domain of the Malevolent King, the ckke surged violently and countless tendrils were summoned forth. These were attacks unleashed by the physical body of the Malevolent King, empowered by his domain.


    Each strike possessed formidable psychic attack capabilities. Coupled with thebined assault of the thirteen ancient monarchs, it could effortlessly suppress other monarchs of the same level.


    Zhang Nu smirked coldly. "So, this is the extent of your abilities?"


    In the next instant, the domain of the Malevolent King was torn asunder. The thirteen ancient monarchs vanished before their eyes like drifting dandelion fluff.


    The immense and grotesque form of the Malevolent King was pulled into a void, resembling a cosmic aberration floating at the edge of the universe.


    "My domain has been shattered!"


    "This can''t be... it''s impossible!"


    The Malevolent King let out a desperate roar.


    The Demon King hovered within the chaotic void, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked down upon the monstrous entity before him and taunted, "Nothing is beyond the realm of possibility. Even domains have disparities in power."


    "When a lesser domain encounters a superior one, the only oue is being eclipsed and suppressed!"


    "Your domain is insignificant!"


    "Now, here is my domain!"

 Chapter 173: Evil Gods Flame

    The Malevolent King was a formidable daemonic entity formed by the merging of the bodies and fragmented souls of the thirteen ancient monarchs, acquiring a portion of their knowledge and memories in the process. Therefore, it was far from inexperienced in the ways of the world.


    It was true that domains varied in strength, depending on the might of the monarchs themselves.


    Even when confronting a more potent domain, the result would typically be a mutual suppression and weakening of both realms. In other words, even if one monarch''s realm


    waspletely overpowered by another, thetter''s realm would still suffer a considerable reduction in its potency.


    However, the current situation defied all understanding.


    The Malevolent King''s realm was mercilessly torn asunder and utterly obliterated. The Demon King''s realm shattered and dismantled the Malevolent King''s, causing it to vanishpletely and leaving no trace behind.


    This inexplicable turn of events left it perplexed and astounded. The Malevolent King failed toprehend the situation.


    Zhang Nu did not just unleash a mere Monarch''s Domain, but a Mythic Sanctum.


    When two monarch''s domains collided, they would counterbnce and weaken each other. However, when a monarch''s domain shed with a mythic sanctum, it would crumble instantly, akin to an egg meeting a stone.


    Under the enveloping might of Zhang Nu''s formidable domain, the Malevolent King experienced an overwhelming sense of oppression. Its abilities were swiftly sealed, including its advanced A and B rank skills, which were diminished by at least half.


    Not only that, but all its attributes and innate talents were also weakened, causing its overall power to dwindle significantly.


    "What a disappointment," Zhang Numented, shaking his head. "I had hoped to finally encounter an opponent worthy of a true battle."


    "It seems this is the extent of your power."


    Infuriated, the Malevolent Kingshed out, shouting in its grotesque form of countless tentacles, eyes, and mouths, "How dare you look down on me? What do you think you are?"


    With all its might, the Malevolent King unleashed a powerful psychic assault upon the Demon King.


    [You are under psychic attack. HP -97!]


    Quite a formidable assault, causing the Demon King''s HP pool to decrease by nearly 1%. However, within the mythic sanctum, aided by the Demon King''s tremendous regenerative abilities, this HP loss could be replenished in a matter of seconds.


    Although the Malevolent King stood as a monarch-level entity, the gap between the twobatants remained strikingly vast.


    Zhang Nu raised both hands, exerting control over the flow of time while summoning lightning. The Malevolent King found itself engulfed by a relentless onught of thunderous bolts, each second bringing forth hundreds, if not thousands, of electrifying strikes.


    Such a rapid frequency.


    Such overwhelming might.


    Even a monarch-level entity would struggle to endure such an onught. The Malevolent King''s grotesque and colossal form was shattered into fragments amidst the resounding roar of thunder and shes of lightning.


    "Hahaha!"


    "You cannot kill me!"


    "For I. Am. Undying!"


    Although the Malevolent King''s monstrous body had been reduced to mere fragments, its formidable spiritual power still permeated the space, attempting to mock Zhang Nu in its grotesque manner.


    However, it was true.


    Defeating the Malevolent King was rtively easy, but killing it posed a challenge.


    As long as its soul and spirit remained intact, it would not perish, and there were scarce means capable of directly assaulting the spiritual essence.


    While Zhang Nu had unleashed a relentless barrage upon the Malevolent King''s possessed avatar that embodied its spirits and soul within its domain, inflicting substantial spiritual wounds, that level of intensity alone proved insufficient.


    Was there a method, perhaps?


    A way to directly reach the essence of its being?


    Skills imbued with spiritual attributes were exceedingly rare.


    Though Zhang Nu had acquired some, their ranks were modest, suitable for dealing with lesser adversaries but inadequate against a monarch-level entity. Furthermore, this Malevolent King excelled in spiritual prowess.


    After careful consideration, Zhang Nu had a sudden realization that he could tap into the power of the Evil God. Whether it was the "Eye of Death" or the "Source of Corruption," these fragments infused with the Evil God''s power possessed the ability to erode the spirit and corrupt the soul.


    Unlike conventional abilities, the Malevolent God''s gifts were not fixed in their capabilities. Each fragment''s innate talents could be enhanced and expanded as one''s strength grew, offering a multitude of possibilities.


    With the Evil God''s power and aura capable of directly reaching the spiritual essence, Zhang Nu pondered the potential fusion of these forces with others. Inspired by this thought, he triggered the Source of Corruption, causing a swirling mass of blood mist to envelop his body.


    Although the Malevolent King had already regenerated a significant portion of its form, itsposure could not help but change upon witnessing the blood mist, recognizing the familiar sensation it emanated.


    The reason it had be the abomination it was today was due to the gradual infiltration of this very aura over the years.


    "How is this possible?"


    "This is the power of the Evil God!"


    "How could you possibly wield such power?"


    Having released a substantial amount of corrupted blood, Zhang Nu swiftly gathered the blood mist, condensing it into a highly concentrated sphere of crimson energy. Infusing the sphere with dragon me, he ignited a zing fire. Even the formidable dragon me struggled to instantly vaporize the corrupted blood.


    During the intense congration, an abundance of the Evil God''s aura overflowed, swiftly absorbed by the dragon me. The once ordinary Abyssal Dragon me underwent a profound metamorphosis, infused with the immense power of the corrupted essence.


    This was now a manifestation of the Evil God''s me.


    Sensing the aura exuded by the mes, the Malevolent King experienced a sense of peril it had never felt before.


    The Demon King smirked coldly. "You thought you were invincible, didn''t you? Eat this then!"


    "Stop!"


    "You can''t do this to me!"


    "Arghhhhh!"


    While the Malevolent King''s body was still in the process of regeneration, the Evil God''s me had already engulfed it. Instantly, a fierce fire erupted, shrouding the Malevolent King within. With the infusion of the Evil God''s power, the dragon me not only intensified in strength but also acquired the ability to consume the soul and ravage the spirit.


    "Ah! Ahh!"


    The Malevolent King let out a manic shriek, unleashing waves of intense psychic energy. Fortunately, Zhang Nu''s domain suppressed and greatly weakened the impact of the psychic shockwaves, preventing their diffusion to the outside world.


    Otherwise, the Malevolent King''s dying psychic assault alone would be enough to mortally wound or grievously harm Jin Kui and Long Yi.


    It had endured for over ten seconds within the searing embrace of the Evil God''s me, and with the Malevolent King''s spiritual essence had already suffered significant damage from the previous battle. How could it withstand such a relentless onught?


    Finally, the agonizing screams abruptly ceased.


    The Malevolent King''s aura dissipatedpletely. From its corporeal vessel to its ethereal spirit, nothing remained but scorched remnants.


    [You''ve in the The Thirteen Malevolent King. Gold +10 million!]


    Upon hearing the notification, Zhang Nu was astounded.


    Just by eliminating a single target, he was rewarded with an astonishing 10 million gold.


    This was truly unprecedented. However, considering that the target was a monarch-level entity, and the Malevolent King''s tomb was an extremely hostile environment, defeating the Malevolent King itself proved to be an incredibly daunting task.


    Given the difficulty of the task, the magnitude of the reward was indeed fitting and reasonable.


    Zhang Nu deactivated his domain skill.


    Jin Kui and Long Yi were still engaged inbat with the Evil Giants. Zhang Nu instantly teleported to their side, as numerous crimson lightning bolts emanated from his body, swiftly subduing these ferocious distorted giants.


    [You''ve in a Deformed Evil Giant. Gold +280,000!]


    [You''ve in a Deformed Evil Giant. Gold +280,000!]


    [You''ve in a Deformed Evil Giant. Gold +280,000!]


    [......]


    Dozens of giants.


    All vanquished.


    Jin Kui breathed a sigh of relief, "Your Majesty, you''ve returned so quickly. The Malevolent King, it couldn''t possibly have..."


    Although Jin Kui and Long Yi had not caught sight of the Malevolent King, even from such a distance, they could still perceive the chilling spiritual aura and energy fluctuations, an absolute terror they had never encountered before.


    Unquestionably at the monarch level. And even among the monarchs, it was an immensely formidable existence.


    Zhang Nu calmly replied, "Hmm, it was a daemonic fiend born from the fusion of the Evil God''s power and the corpses of thirteen ancient monarchs. While it posed some challenges, it wasn''t overly difficult to handle. It has been dealt with."


    Upon hearing these words, Jin Kui was thoroughly astounded. A monarch-level daemon! And it was dispatched so effortlessly?


    It was worth noting that even daemonic entities of the same level possess a myriad of talents and abilities, making them more formidable and perilous to deal with. Jin Kui and Long Yi would rather face a monarch-level figure like Zhang San or Nancilia than a monarch-level daemon.


    But this particr monarch-level daemon was taken care of by the Demon King in just a few moves. Just how powerful is the Demon King?


    Zhang Nu did not receive a notification about capturing the Malevolent King''s tomb, indicating that there were still lingering enemies within the tomb, such as the hidden soul giants.


    Therefore, Zhang Nu issued amand to send Thunderp City''s army to besiege and eliminate them. With the Malevolent King eliminated, the ominous aura within the tomb quickly dissipated by 80%. It no longer posed a lethal threat to the golden giants, and with Jin Kui''s Demon Suppressing Aura bestowed upon them, the silver giants could also join the hunt.


    After nearly half a day, the remaining stragglers within the tomb were located and exterminated. Finally, Zhang Nu received the long-awaited notification.


    [You''ve conquered the Corrupted Ancient Tomb!]N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [You gained Stardust Diamond Chest x1!]


    Seeing the reward, Zhang Nu could not contain his delight. The Malevolent King''s tomb housed several Level 5 overlords and hundreds of level 5 lords and elites, making it a genuine Level 5 monarch-level area.


    Considering the rewards for capturing this ce, solely based on the chest''s quality, they had surpassed even Ironheart City. Although Ironheart City boasted immense scale, its highest limit was only a Level 5 overlord. Hence, the reward remained a mythminite chest.


    However, the Malevolent King''s tomb directly awarded a diamond level reward chest. This was also the first diamond level treasure chest that Zhang Nu had ever obtained!"

 Chapter 174: The Very First Diamond Chest

    Zhang Nu immediately opened the treasure chest without any hesitation.


    [You opened the Diamond Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x10,000,000, "Blueprint: Altar of Sacred King" x1, "Blueprint: Evil God Cultivator" x1, "Level 4 Special Building Upgrade Scroll" x1, "Dark Gem" x2000, "Undeath Gem" x2000!]


    It was truly rewarding. The gold reward alone amounted to 10 million!


    This exceeded Zhang Nu''s expectations. Considering that the Malevolent King''s tomb was not particrlyrge in terms of monster quantity or scale, and despite its high level and powerful inhabitants, this amount of gold surpassed even what Zhang Nu acquired from capturing Ironheart City, a Level 5 overlord region with a poption of several hundred thousand.


    Throughout this journey, Zhang Nu reaped significant rewards. In terms of gold alone, he had obtained over 30 million!


    10 million was from ying the Malevolent King, 10 million came from opening the treasure chest, and an additional 12 million was acquired by clearing out high-level minions like Skeletal Dragons, Evil Giants, and Soul Guards.


    The total amounted to 32 million gold coins!


    Although Zhang Nu had anticipated a significant reward, he never imagined it would be this extraordinary!


    This was truly beyond his wildest expectations!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Indeed, for Zhang Nu, the monarch-level areas were not perilous grounds but rather treasure troves brimming with opportunities. If only he could stumble upon a few more of such ces.


    Of course,pared to the abundant gold rewards, what excited him even more were the rewards of other items. The blueprints from the diamond treasure chest were all rare Level 5 blueprints.


    [Blueprint: Altar of Sacred King] Level 5 blueprint. Costs gold x6,000,000, light gem x2000, life gem x2000, elemental gems x500 each. You may construct an Altar of Sacred King within your territory.


    [Blueprint: Evil God Cultivator] Level 5 blueprint. Costs gold x5,000,000, dark gem x2000, undeath gem x2000,. You may construct an Evil God Cultivator within your territory.


    The costs of these blueprints were quite exorbitant, even among Level 5 buildings.


    Zhang Nu was already acquainted with altar-type structures such as the Altar of Inferno, Soul Altar, and Giant Altar, all sharing themon feature of sacrifice and empowerment. Almost all altars possessed an empowerment function, and he fervently hoped that the Altar of Sacred King would follow suit. Its price tag surpassed even that of the Soul Altar, thus he could only anticipate its usefulness, hoping it would prove as valuable.


    As for the "Evil God Cultivator," it was truly thought-provoking. What kind of entity were Evil Gods? They were a force on par with deities, apletely uncontroble natural disaster. Zhang Nu could not believe that a mere Level 5 building could actually nurture an Evil God.


    However, given its name, it surely possessed some relevant functions. Zhang Nu could not help but feel intrigued by the Evil God Cultivator and held high expectations for it.


    In addition to the valuable Level 5 blueprints, this time he also obtained a Level 4 Special Building Upgrade Scroll.


    The significance of a Level 4 upgrade scroll was immense as it could elevate a Level 4 building to a Level 5, a rarity of great value in itself. Furthermore, it was a special building upgrade scroll. With this scroll, Zhang Nu could directly upgrade the Miracle Tree in Giantree City to an Eternal Tree. The possibilities and benefits were undoubtedly extraordinary.


    In some sense, the value of this upgrade scroll might even surpass that of the two Level 5 blueprintsbined. However, upgrading into the Eternal Tree would note cheap. It would likely cost more than constructing numerous ordinary Level 5 buildings. Moreover, the upgraded Eternal Tree would attract too much attention, causing a significant stir across the continent.


    For now, the functionalities of the Miracle Tree were sufficient. Zhang Nu needed to wait for the right timing. Upgrading the tree was a matter that required careful consideration.


    The Malevolent King''s tomb yielded immense rewards, but the spoils did not end there. Utilizing his ability to perceive hidden information, Zhang Nu, apanied by a group of giants led by Jin Kui, discovered a seemingly inconspicuous hidden door.


    "Open it!"manded the Demon King.


    The giants immediately resorted to their brute strength, violently demolishing the wall. Although the door was forged from refined mystic iron, it proved no match for their relentless assault and was dismantled within moments.


    Curiosity piqued, Jin Kui inquired, "What lies within this ce?"


    Zhang Nu replied, "This is a secret chamber where burial offerings are stored."


    "Burial offerings?!" Jin Kui eximed.


    Without hesitation, Zhang Nu stepped inside. Emerging from a passageway, he found himself in a grand hall that, by giant standards, could be deemed a small chamber.


    The other giants followed suit, their astonishment evident. The chamber was filled to the brim with a myriad of priceless treasures, collectibles, as well as relics, items, and equipment once used by the ancient monarchs.


    Regrettably, the passage of time had taken its toll. Most of the once invaluable treasures had sumbed to ravages of time and environmental degradation. Even those that had not been destroyed had suffered varying degrees of damage or lost their original potency.


    For Zhang Nu, it was amentable sight. After all, during its zenith, this ancient kingdom rivaled the Azure Water Federation''s Pale Moon Kingdom in prestige. The burial items apanying the ancient monarchs could not have been meremon articles.


    The pile of now mostly dull objects before his eyes had once represented their glorious era. In their prime, they were likely national treasures. Though now tarnished and diminished, some still retained significant value. Packaging and selling them could easily fetch billions of maind coins.


    Every little bit mattered, and this was no small haul either, it was more akin to a plump pig, waiting to be ughtered.


    Apart from the burial treasures, there were numerous items that had once belonged to the ancient monarchs. Among them were weapons, equipment, and armor, although their practical value was limited due to mismatched sizes.


    However, the materials used for these items were top-notch, making them perfect for the dwarves to reforge into powerful weapons. Their value was not inferior to the burial treasures, and for Zhang Nu and his territory, they could potentially hold even greater value.


    At that moment, an inconspicuous crystal caught Zhang Nu''s interest.


    [Titan Crystal] Superior purple quality item.


    ......


    Description: This crystal is a guiding crystal and relic key that has withstood the test of time. It contains the location of the "Titan Ruins'''', one of the ancient kingdom''s most closely guarded secrets... The ancient monarch that obtained this crystal spent decades searching for the marked location with it, but ultimately failed, marking it as his greatest regret...Thus, his descendants ced this item as a burial offering in the king''s tomb...


    Zhang Nu activated the crystal, and a partial map appeared. It only disyed the terrain near the ruins without any specific markings. After so many years, it was unclear where exactly it was located. Tens of thousands of years had passed, leading to significant changes in thendforms. It was uncertain if the Titan Ruins still existed.


    Nheless, the titans, the supreme beings among the giants, had undoubtedly left behind a wealth of dangers and treasures within their ancient ruins. The crystal served as a crucial means to ess the site. If given the opportunity, Zhang Nu desired to explore and uncover the secrets hidden within the ruins.


    With the crisis in Thunderp City now resolved, the Malevolent King''s tomb had be the most formidable location Zhang Nu had encountered, raising the standard for the entire Chaos Forest.


    Next, Zhang Nu nned to unify the Chaos Forest within a few days, solidifying his position as the undisputed ruler of the region!"

 Chapter 175: Unification

    After returning to the main city, Zhang Nu was pleased with the current state of his finances, as the cash flow was abundant.


    With a total of 32 million gold earned from the ancient tomb and an additional 10 million gold obtained from the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce, along with various other sources of ie, he estimated that he had a disposable wealth of at least 50 million gold withoutpromising the operation of his territory.


    50 million!


    Zhang Nu could not believe how quickly his wealth had grown.


    Zhang Nu decided to initiate arge-scale expansion of the draconian legion. Due to their focus on elite troops and theck of facilities like a trial tower before, the cost of intermediate and high-tier units remained high, resulting in slow growth and expansion of the draconian legion during this period.


    Now, considering the expansion of his territory and the imminent war with the northern empire, it was necessary to undergo a major expansion of the draconian legion.


    Investing a considerable amount of 22 million gold, Zhang Nu directly recruited and upgraded 20,000 high draconian soldiers. He deliberately chose to prioritize the recruitment and upgrading of high soldiers rather than spending the funds to further upgrade them into super soldiers.


    The reason for this decision was simple: the cost to upgrade each soldier to a super soldier was exorbitant, amounting to 20,000 gold per soldier. Even with a budget of 10 million gold coins, he would only be able to upgrade a maximum of 500 high soldiers to the super soldier level, which would not satisfy the ambitions of the Demon King.


    However, the addition of the trial tower changed everything. Through the tower''s training system, the cost of upgrading a high soldier to a super soldier dropped significantly, even when considering the operational expenses and casualty rates. It now cost a mere 2,000 gold to promote a high soldier.


    Whenparing the costs, the difference was staggering. The Trial Tower method was ten times more cost-effective. Although there was a daily limit on the number of trials, even a thousand trials were substantial. Zhang Nu took full advantage of the trial tower, creating hundreds of super soldiers each day.


    With no immediaterge-scale conflicts, he had ample time to train his high soldiers and gradually increase the proportion of super soldiers. Before long, the Darkness City would boast thousands of super soldiers.


    Zhang Nu checked the current status of his draconian units. The total number of draconian units had already surpassed 60,000, with around 20,000 logistical units and 40,000bat units.


    Among thebat units, there were 10,000 normal soldiers, 27,000 high soldiers, approximately 2,000 super soldiers, and additional units such as battle mages, royal guards,manders, and priests, totaling over 1,000. Looking at the overall numbers, it was an impressive force.


    However, it was still insufficient.


    Zhang Nu nned to gradually supplement the forces with a significant number of logistical units, enhancing the construction and logistical capabilities of the cities and the entire Chaos Forest.


    Of course, the recruitment of high soldiers would also continue. His n was to expand the draconian poption to reach a hundred thousand, with a ratio of 40% logistical units to 60%bat units.


    Moving forward, Zhang Nu allocated 8.75 million gold to replenish the ranks of his personal guards.


    Among them, 4.2 million gold were used to upgrade and strengthen 30 super soldiers into inferno warmonger guards, while another 4.5 million gold coins were dedicated to creating 30 inferno mystic guards.


    Zhang Nu had a total of 70 royal guards, and with the addition of these 60 new members, the total number of royal guards surpassed 100.


    These royal guards boasted the power of Level 4 lords, which was already impressive for foot soldiers. However, Zhang Nu believed that their strength could be further enhanced.


    He nned to provide them with opportunities for trials, as well as the Demon King''s Baptism, to unlock their potential and transform them into a formidable super army, where each member possessed the prowess of a Level 5 lord.


    For the time being, the focus on army development would be put on hold. Zhang Nu shifted his attention to a new endeavor. This time, he had acquired two blueprints for Level 5 structures in one go.


    Whether it was the Tower of Lost Trials or the Soul Altar, these Level 5 buildings had held tremendous potential for elevating the territory''s capabilities and functionality.


    After carefully weighing his limited resources, Zhang Nu made the decision to prioritize the construction of the "Altar of Sacred King."


    With a significant expenditure of gold resources, a powerful surge of energy emanated as a grand and majestic altar emerged from the ground, proudly standing in the central square of Darkness City.


    Zhang Nu immediately inspected the effects of the Altar of Sacred King and was astonished by its functionality.


    The sole function of the altar was called "Sacred King''s Baptism."


    It was simr to the Demon King''s Baptism provided by the Demon King''s Altar. The only difference was that the Demon King''s Altar required 1 million gold coins per target for a single baptism, resulting in substantial strength and training growth for a period ranging from a dozen to over fifty years, leading to a significant increase in power.


    As for the Sacred King''s Baptism, it required a staggering 10 million gold per session. However, it had the advantage of being applicable to arger group, with a maximum of 1000 individuals benefiting from it simultaneously.


    Thus, the cost per person amounted to a mere 10,000 gold coins, even though the amplification effect of the Sacred King''s Baptism was not as potent as the Demon King''s Baptism, and the group ceremony was subject to diminishing returns when too many individuals were involved.


    In terms of power augmentation, the Sacred King''s Baptism was inferior to the Demon King''s Baptism. However, from a cost-effectiveness perspective, the Altar of Sacred King held an advantage. Additionally, the Demon King''s Baptism could only be administered once every ten days to the same individual, whereas the Sacred King''s Baptism could be conducted every three days.


    Both types of blessings provided permanent enhancements to the strength of subordinates and were not mutually exclusive. They could bebined effectively. The Altar of Sacred King could be utilized to strengthen the army or less critical subordinates and management personnel, while the Demon King''s Baptism could be reserved for the most trusted and essential subordinates with significantbat capabilities.


    Just then, Zhang Nu received news.


    Nancilia had returned.


    The Elven King, filled with excitement, ran up to him, eximing, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Our operation went extremely smoothly. Now, all therge, medium, and small cities in the Chaos Forest have dered their allegiance to Your Majesty!"


    Zhang Nu was momentarily stunned.


    These guys acted that swiftly?


    He opened his yer log and indeed found a pile of unimed treasure chests. However, the quality of these chests was not particrly high, with only a few mithril chests among them.


    The Elven King continued, "We have gathered the city lords, senior members, elders, and tribal chiefs from each city. They should arrive at Darkness City tomorrow and start performing Your Majesty''s will!"


    That was great news.


    After the meeting, each person would be rewarded with a cup of Holy Grail of Blood''s blood wine. This would ensure maximum stability.


    Zhang Nu was extremely excited. Up to this point, even though not all of these city lords and tribal chieftains were genuinely loyal to him, the Chaos Forest had effectively been unified under his banner.


    Zhang Nu had be the ruler of this region.


    However, amidst the excitement, Zhang Nu felt a hint of confusion.


    He should have already conquered the Chaos Forest.


    But why had he not received any conquering notifications or corresponding reward chests that met the criteria? Could there be something he had not done enough?


    The Chaos Forest was so vast. There were bound to be individual viges and tribes that were missed. If he had to conquer every settlement and every monster area to consider the forest fully conquered, it would be an impossible task.


    No!


    The problem did not lie there!


    Zhang Nu fell into contemtion.


    The Elven King approached him and asked, "Your Majesty, what is troubling you? This should be a time for joyous celebration. I believe we should hold a grand ceremony tomemorate the unification of the Chaos Forest and solidify your supreme authority!"


    The words of the young Elven King sparked a sudden realization in Zhang Nu''s mind.


    He had indeed overlooked something crucial.


    Proiming sovereignty!


    Considering the vastness of the territory, if he desired to fully upy the Chaos Forest and establish himself as its ruler, he would need to dere his sovereignty and formally establish his own nation or faction.


    Only then could he truly im dominion.


    "Nancilia, you''re absolutely right. It just so happens that the leaders of the major tribes and cities are all here!"


    "I''ve decided to hold a celebration!"


    "It must be grand!"


    "Let''s make sure that the entire forest''s factions and all races recognize that, from this moment forth, the Chaos Forest will enter a new era under my leadership!"


    Upon hearing these words, the Elven King became extremely excited.


    She was greatly looking forward to this celebration. She was also full of anticipation for the future.


    ......


    In the depths of the underworld.


    The Subus Queen, Han Kexin, had recently achieved a momentous milestone in her career. Seated upon the grand throne of the Gloom City, she gazed down upon the city she had sessfully conquered.


    At present, Han Kexin held dominion over twentyrge tribes in addition to the sprawling underground metropolis beneath her feet. The poption of Gloom City alone had surpassed 300,000 at its peak.


    However, to secure her reign, the Subus Queen deemed it necessary to eliminate any potential threats. She had purged all individuals who could be Heroes or were associated with them, as well as eradicated forces that had opposed her rule or posed even the slightest danger.


    As a consequence, the poption of the Gloom City had dwindled to just over 200,000. However, when considering thebined strength of the conquered tribes and the members of the Demon King''s headquarters, the scale of the Subus Queen''s forces and loyal followers had exceeded the 500,000 mark.


    Han Kexin basked in the pride of her aplishment, regarding herself as perched at the pinnacle of the Demon King hierarchy.


    Looking towards the future, Han Kexin brimmed with ambition and confidence. She refused to settle for being a mere ruler of the Gloom City.


    Instead, she resolved to forge it into her ultimate stronghold, strategically located in close proximity to the Demon King''s Lair. This positioning offered convenience for both managing the city and safeguarding their.


    With this formidable foundation, Han Kexinid out her grand n to expand her dominion throughout the entire underworld. She aspired to ascend as the absolute ruler and sovereign of the region.


    "My master!" A towering daemon, standing at five meters tall with the strength of a Level 5 Lord, approached and said, "The materials you requested have been prepared!"


    The final set of materials for the teleportation tower had finally arrived!


    Han Kexin was thrilled.


    Finally, she could begin constructing the teleportation tower!


    At one point, Han Kexin had possessed three sets of teleportation tower blueprints. She had obtained them at great risk and sacrifice. However, she had sold two of them to the Potato Demon King, keeping only one for herself.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The main reason for her decision was theck of funds.


    The Gloom City had only recently been conquered, and it required substantial investments and recruitment of more subordinates. Additionally, the cost of constructing a teleportation tower was exorbitant, which would greatly impact Han Kexin''s financial situation. For her, building a single teleportation tower was already quite challenging, let alone two or three. Instead of shouldering the burden, she chose to sell the blueprints and obtain arge sum of money to alleviate her financial pressure.


    Now that the situation in the Gloom City had stabilized and the Demon King''s legion had expanded once again, Han Kexin felt that her Demon King''s career was flourishing. She had already reached Level 5 at this stage,manding such a massive legion with a substantial poption and territory---a feat not easily aplished by many Demon Kings.


    She had once vowed that when they next met, she would astonish the Potato Demon King.


    She had thought she would be the first to reach Level 5 but ended up being slightly slower than that fellow. However, it did not matter. With the Gloom City in her grasp and over twentyrge tribes under her rule, this was a great achievement regardless!


    Han Kexin couldn''t wait to see the expression on the Potato Demon King''s face when he arrived at the Gloom City, beholding this massive underground city.


    Hehehe, I''ll show you.


    This time, I''ll make you realize how formidable I am!


    Without hesitation, Han Kexin began constructing the teleportation tower. As per the agreement between the two Demon Kings, the teleportation towers would establish a connection oncepleted.


    In other words, with the teleportation tower in the Gloom City, Han Kexin would be able to travel to Zhang Nu''s territory at any time, and likewise, Zhang Nu and his subordinates could venture into the underworld.


    This cooperation held great potential, as the surface world possessed resources that were scarce in the underworld, while the underworld offered valuable resources that were rare on the surface. Through their coboration, they could harness each other''s strengths and achieve a mutually beneficial oue."

 Chapter 176: Succubus Queens Visit to Darkness City

    Ten minutester, in the southwestern corner of the Gloom City, Han Kexin gazed with contentment and joy as a shimmering tower, adorned with intricate runic patterns, emerged from the ground.


    Finally, it was done.


    Creating this tower had required significant effort on her part. Now, her long-awaited vision had be a reality. This tower held immense significance for the growth of the Demon King''s territory.


    She sent a message to Zhang Nu: "Potato Boss, the teleportation tower is nowplete. How are things on your end?"


    The Potato Demon King appeared to be upied.


    After approximately half an hour, he finally responded: "I''m ready as well. As per our previous agreement, let''s establish the connection."


    Even after spending a fortune to acquire the blueprints, he still managed to swiftly construct the teleportation tower. Han Kexin could not help but jest about the boundless wealth of this affluent figure.


    Could this doggedly rich person truly never run out of money?!


    While she found it amusing, she was not particrly surprised. The Potato Demon King''s economic power was indeed the strongest she had ever witnessed among the Demon Kings.


    With all the necessary procedurespleted, the teleportation nodes were sessfully connected.


    Darkness City.


    Gloom City.


    The two locations were now officially linked.


    Han Kexin promptly suggested, "It''s done! We''re practically neighbors now. How abouting over for a celebratory drink? It''s an excellent opportunity for you and your subordinates to visit my grand Demon King''s city."


    With a poption of hundreds of thousands, Gloom City was undeniably one of the foremost Demon King cities at this stage. Han Kexin believed that even the mighty Potato Demon King would be astonished and filled with admiration upon seeing this colossal underworld city under the queen''s dominion.


    However, to her surprise, the Potato Bosspletely missed the intended message she was trying to convey.


    Zhang Nu responded with a simple message, "Next time, I''m a bit busy."


    Han Kexin clenched her teeth in annoyance. "Hmph, rejecting a girl''s invitation without even bothering toe up with a decent excuse. How rude!"


    Zhang Nu rified, "You''ve misunderstood. I really am busy at the moment. How about you visit my territory instead? We have a major event happening, and having a powerful Demon King like you there would help boost my reputation."


    The title "powerful Demon King" made Han Kexin feel quite pleased. She didn''t consider herself the strongest Demon King, but being referred to as "powerful" was an acknowledgment she could embrace.


    "Alright, I haven''t been to the surface before. I''lle and see what it''s like up there and also find out why you''re so busy," Han Kexin replied.


    "Wee. I''ll have my subordinates take care of you," Zhang Nu assured her.


    Han Kexin activated the teleportation tower, summoning a teleportation field. It connected to the teleportation tower in the Chaos Forest.


    [The cost of this teleportation is 5750 gold!]


    Han Kexin furrowed her brows at the unexpectedly high price. The cost of teleportation depended on the distance traveled. Considering the vast distance between the underworld and the surface world, the price seemed reasonable.


    Han Kexin activated the teleportation array, and her vision was engulfed in a radiant light. After approximately four or five seconds, her surroundings came back into focus.


    The gentle breeze rustled through the trees, and the serene atmosphere embraced her. Verdant grass, lush forests, colorful flowers, and fluttering butterflies painted a picturesque scene. The sunlight illuminated thendscape, casting a warm glow.


    Han Kexin took a deep breath, relishing the absence of the sulfuric odor and the murky aura she had grown ustomed to in the underworld. The air here was pure and refreshing, surpassing her expectations.


    As she lifted her gaze, she was greeted by a pristine sky, adorned with an endless expanse of azure, devoid of a single cloud. It was a sight she had long forgotten.


    In that moment, she could not help but feel a sense of enchantment. The underworld was no ce for true enjoyment; this world above ground offered an unparalleled beauty.


    Despite being in the vicinity of the Darkness City''s Tower of Fog, Han Kexin remained unaffected. With her formidable monarch-level power as a Level 5 Demon King and her exceptional psychic strength, the influence of a mere Level 3 Tower of Fog was negligible.


    This showed just how powerful this Demon King was.


    "You must be the renowned Subus Queen, Han Kexin... I am Chen Guoguo, the Flower Fey. It is a great honor to meet you in person. I''ve heard so much about you," Chen Guoguo introduced herself with enthusiasm.


    Han Kexin recognized the Demon King before her.


    "What? You''re Chen Guoguo, the Flower Fey?"


    While Chen Guoguo did not possess the same level of fame as Han Kexin or Zhang Nu, her name still held recognition among the Demon Kingmunity. They had interacted and even conducted a few seedling trades in the Demon King channel, though they were not particrly close. Thus, Han Kexin was not expecting to meet her here.


    Casting a nce at Chen Guoguo, Han Kexin arched an eyebrow.


    A Level 4 Demon King? Not bad in strength!


    She inquired, "How did you end up here?"


    "It''s not that surprising. I am one of Zhang Nu''s subordinates. Since he''s currently upied, he entrusted me with the task of weing the esteemed Demon Queen."


    "You''re associated with Zhang Nu?!"


    "Hehehe, you could say that. I''m Zhang Nu''s number one fan!"


    This matter remained unknown to outsiders, leaving Han Kexin understandably surprised. It all made sense now---how Zhang Nu managed to dominate such arge share of the food market. After all, he was one of the earliest and most sessful farmers, and with the addition of Chen Guoguo, the Flower Fey Demon King, as his ally, their production capacity was bound to be substantial.


    Chen Guoguo suggested, "Let''s not linger here. Allow me to take you to the Darkness City and introduce you to other Demon King friends. There will surely be opportunities for cooperation in the future."


    Other Demon King friends? What did she mean? Were the Demon Kings here all on such friendly terms?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "In two days, we have a grand celebration that you shouldn''t miss. It will be a lively event attended by the leaders of various forest tribes. It''s an excellent opportunity for you to mingle with the indigenousmunities," Chen Guoguo added.


    "..." Han Kexin was left slightly bewildered.


    Chen Guoguo''s words contained quite a lot of information. Before she could fullyprehend it all, Chen Guoguo took off into the air, leaving the Subus Queen in a state of mild confusion.


    Han Kexin then soared into the air, following Chen Guoguo, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when a spectacle entered her view.


    A city stood before them, grand and majestic, its structure and design filled with imagination.


    "Is this Zhang Nu''s main city? It''s truly spectacr!" Han Kexin curiously asked, "From which race did he seize this city? I can''t discern its original dominant race."


    Chen Guoguo exined, "The Darkness City wasn''t plundered. The big boss employed tens of thousands of draconian workers and spent a considerable amount of time building it from scratch as his main city!"


    "Built from scratch?" Han Kexin was once again astonished. It was at this moment that she noticed the towering castle at the center of the magnificent Darkness City, resembling an ancient colossal dragon crawling over the earth, emitting a mysterious and majestic aura...it was the Demon King''s Castle!


    The Demon King''s Castle could only be constructed atop a Demon King Altar. Therefore, it was undoubtedly a self-built city. The amount of financial, human, and material resources required for such a city was beyond extravagant.


    Looking at the castle, it was undoubtedly upgraded. Han Kexin herself possessed an Advanced Demon King Castle, so she was familiar with it. However, this castle surpassed the Advanced Demon King Castle in every aspect, be it aura, scale, or appearance.


    "This is the big boss''s Demon Dragon Castle, an even more formidable castle than the Advanced Demon King Castle," Chen Guoguo exined. "In addition to the Demon Dragon Castle, the Darkness City also houses numerous top-tier structures, such as the Altar of Sacred King, Soul Altar, Tower of Lost Trials, Ancient Elven Sanctuary, Temple of Nature, Temple of War..."


    In fact, there was no need for Chen Guoguo''s introduction. As a Demon King, Han Kexin could sense the immense power emanating from these buildings. Within the Darkness City, there were countless Level 4 and even Level 5 structures, and even the ordinary city structures were enveloped in an aura of energy.


    Suffice to say, this city had surpassed imagination itself.


    Han Kexin was suddenly taken aback. She realized that her efforts and meticulous nning to build the Gloom City seemed insignificant now. No wonder Zhang Nu showed no interest in her invitation. He already possessed a city of this magnitude, so why would he be impressed by others?


    Without dwelling on these thoughts for too long, they arrived at the main gate. Two colossal figures, standing fifty meters tall with a majestic golden texture, guarded the entrance on both sides. Han Kexin eximed in astonishment, "Are those giants? And advanced giants at that! It''s unbelievable that Zhang Nu has such units in his ranks!"


    Chen Guoguo exined, "These are the golden giants who reside atop the western Thunder Hignds. After their city was conquered by the big boss, they willingly pledged their allegiance and became his loyal subordinates."


    Han Kexin could not help but express her disbelief, "Are you telling me that Zhang Nu sessfully conquered a city of giants? That feat alone would be incredibly challenging, let alone recruiting them all as his subordinates."


    With an air of pride, Chen Guoguo responded, "What''s a mere giant city? The big boss nowmands Giantree City, Berserk Beast City, Ironheart City, Thousand Fangs City, Silver Spring City... and more than a dozen otherrge forest cities. In addition, there are countless medium-sized and small forest cities under his banner. In total, he has almost a hundred cities under his control."


    One hundred cities?!


    Upon hearing this shocking news, Han Kexin almost lost consciousness and copsed. She had struggled tirelessly to capture a single city, hoping to astonish the Potato Demon King. Yet, he casually revealed that he had one hundred cities under his control. How could shepete with that?


    How could she boast her aplishments now?


    Controlling dozens, if not hundreds, of cities all at once---this was beyond outrageous. Could someone actually achieve such a feat?


    Han Kexin could not help but ask, "You''re not kidding me, are you?"


    Chen Guoguo replied, "Why would I lie to you, boss? But I understand how unbelievable it sounds. Even I would find it hard to believe if I were in your shoes."


    "But for the big boss, nothing is impossible. He reigns supreme over this region. The uing grand event he''s organizing is his formal deration as the Lord of the forest."


    Han Kexin felt utterly bewildered. She had known that the Potato Demon King was immensely powerful, but she never expected his strength to reach such unimaginable heights.


    She used to believe that, despite the disparity in power, they were both top-tier Demon Kings, and the gap between them would not be too significant.


    She thought that with enough effort, she could catch up to him and witness the astonished and admiring expression on his face.


    Little did she know that while she was tirelessly plotting to conquer an underworld city, he had effortlessly annexed dozens of forest cities.


    Not only that, he has achievedplete dominance over the region. Such a feat is unprecedented among Demon Kings.


    Han Kexin was led into the Dragon Demon Castle. As they entered a room, she beheld around twenty to thirty figures, including creatures like slimes, treants, ghosts, skeletons, zombies, and stone golems.


    "Alliance leader Guoguo."


    "Why did you suddenly leave?"


    "Oh, who is this? I haven''t seen you before!"


    Chen Guoguo addressed them, saying, "I received orders from the big boss to wee a distinguished guest to the Darkness City. Allow me to introduce her to you all. She is none other than the renowned and powerful Demon King, Han Kexin, the Subus Queen!"


    Upon hearing these words, everyone was taken aback.


    "So, you''re the Subus Queen!"


    "I''ve heard of you before!"


    "You''re among the top one hundred Demon Kings in the region, even in the top ten!"


    "I heard the queen is the most beautiful Demon King in the region, and seeing you in person confirms it!"


    "I never expected the mighty Subus Queen to be invited to this event. Our boss trulymands great respect!"


    "......"


    Although introductions were unnecessary, Han Kexin could discern their identities.


    However, out of courtesy, Chen Guoguo proceeded with the introductions. "They are all followers of the big boss, just like me. Together, we have formed an alliance known as the Chaos Forest Demon King Alliance."


    "The Slime Demon King goes by the name of Feng Yanyan, the Treant Demon King is known as Mu Mu, the Ghost Demon King is called Lan Yue, and the Skeleton Demon King is Li Qiang..."


    She introduced them all, a total of twenty eight. These were the Demon Kings from various parts of the Chaos Forest.


    They had sessfully passed the assessment and were granted the decree of allegiance. Now, like Chen Guoguo, they became subordinate Demon Kings under the Great Dragon Demon King.


    Most of them possessed rtively weak power, generally at Level 2. They were often considered inconspicuous and insignificant.


    However, with an abundance of souls at Zhang Nu''s disposal, upon joining, they were directly elevated to Level 3. Their races, talents, and the abilities possessed by their units, especially the advanced units, varied greatly. They could be deployed strategically to reinforce Zhang Nu''s rule or provide diverse forms of support.


    For these Demon Kings with limitedpetitive strength, joining a super Demon King like Chen Guoguo did was a secure path for development.


    At this moment, these Demon Kings were filled with excitement. They approached the Subus Queen eagerly, extending their greetings.


    Being under the big boss''smand truly made a difference!


    In the past, as Demon Kings from remote mountainous regions, they lived in constant fear of Heroes attacks. How could they have ever imagined having the opportunity to meet a powerful Demon King like the Subus Queen?


    Han Kexin''s emotions wereplex. She had realized the vast disparity between herself and Zhang Nu."

 Chapter 177: Introduction of the Alliances

    In the local Demon King channel, both Zhang Nu and Han Kexin stood as undeniable giants. When it came to fame, the Potato Demon King did have a slight edge over the Subus Queen, but in the hearts of hundreds of thousands of Demon Kings, they were considered to be on a simr tier.


    The distinction was that Zhang Nu was recognized as one of the top three Demon Kings, while Han Kexin held a ce among the top ten. This gave the Subus Queen a false impression that, although there might be a disparity in power between her and Zhang Nu, it was not too vast.


    However, that was quite far from the truth.


    Zhang Nu had an incredibly low-profile presence, rarely showcasing himself in public. Other Demon Kings remained unaware of his true nature, as his messages in the chat channel solely revolved around trade and never wasted a moment on other matters.


    As a result, beyond thebels of being a wealthyndowner and a tycoon who amassed riches through farming, most Demon Kings possessed limited knowledge about Zhang Nu, leading to a grave underestimation of his abilities.


    Now, Han Kexin was beginning toprehend the stark reality.


    Regardless of herself or the other self-proimed powerhouses, the disparity between them and Zhang Nu was staggering. The Potato Demon King was far more than just a fortunate entrepreneur; his strength and influence firmly established him as the unspoken king among the Demon Kings in their region!


    "Don''t call me ''Big Shot'' or ''Boss'' anymore," Han Kexin eximed. "The true ''Big Shot'' is your boss now!"


    She continued, "Compared to him, I''m nothing. Following a leader like him is an incredible opportunity for all of you, so make sure you seize it."


    The other Demon Kings were taken aback. Han Kexin''s previous identity had long been recognized by others. She was the young and talented leader of a top-tier domestic conglomerate, boasting an impressive academic and professional background. She was a force to be reckoned with, both in reputation and ability.


    Moreover, Han Kexin was renowned for her strong-willed personality. Whether in academia or her career, she always strived for excellence, refusing to settle for anything less. Her dominance was unquestionable.


    However, this formidable individual openly admitted that she was no match for Zhang Nu, leaving the audience of Demon Kings in disbelief.


    Han Kexin wore a calm expression on her face. While she had a strong personality, it did not mean she could not ept defeat. Only by acknowledging the gap could she strive to catch up.


    After all, for them as Demon Kings, they were still in the early stages of their careers. The world was vast, brimming with opportunities and encounters waiting to be discovered. Numerous territories awaited conquest and domination. The greater the stimtion and shock they experienced, the more it fueled the Subus Queen''s fighting spirit.


    "Thank you for your advice, Queen!"


    "The Queen''s straightforwardness is admirable!"


    "Although our boss is the strongest Demon King, it doesn''t diminish the Queen''s status as a big shot in our hearts."


    "That''s right! If you and our boss join forces, there will be no one in this world who can rival you."


    "I''ve heard that the bar in Giantree City is excellent. Since there are so many Demon Kings gathered here, why don''t we pay a visit?"


    "Let''s go, let''s go!"


    "Together!"


    "..."


    As the Demon Kings erupted in excitement and raised a mor, Chen Guoguo stepped forward to intervene.


    "Enough with themotion," she said. "The Queen is a busy Demon King, overseeing countless responsibilities. She doesn''t have time to entertain a bunch of idle ckers like you. If you want to go to Giantree City for some fun, go ahead, but we have other ces to visit."


    Despite all being Demon Kings, they understood the hierarchy and respected the distinctions among them.


    After introducing the Chaos Forest Demon Kings Alliance, Chen Guoguo continued guiding Han Kexin through other areas of the castle.


    "Guoguo!" eximed the young Elven King, apanied by a serene and gentle young girl.


    Both the Elven King and the Subus Queen possessed highly acute perceptions, and in that moment, they mutually sensed each other''s immense power. Their levels of strength were undoubtedly formidable, perhaps even rivaling their own.


    Chen Guoguo introduced, "This is Nancilia, the city lord of Giantree City and the Elven King. She is one of our own."


    "The Elven King?!" Han Kexin, who believed she had already been shocked enough, found herself once again dumbfounded. She gazed at the young elven girl before her and eximed, "An Elven King so young? And the ruler of Giantree City? Could she also be affiliated with the Darkness City?"


    It was beyond belief. This was a monarch! Not just any monarch, but the highly esteemed Elven King!


    Before Chen Guoguo could respond, the Elven King spoke with pride, "Indeed, I am a citizen of the Darkness City and a loyal subordinate of the Dragon Demon King. The Demon King ces great trust in me!"


    A indigenous monarch.


    Subjugated under hismand.


    It was truly inconceivable!


    How many more secrets did the Potato Demon King hold? Han Kexin felt her mind bing a jumble.


    The Elven King was taken aback upon learning that Han Kexin was also a Demon King. Despite the considerable gap between His Majesty and the Subus Queen, this female Demon King possessed a terrifying power that even the Elven King was not certain she could ovee.


    Never did they expect that in this world, there would be such a formidable Demon King.


    "Who is this youngdy?" Chen Guoguo noticed the girl beside the Elven King and asked.


    The Elven King immediately introduced her with enthusiasm, "This is Shui Yao of White Sands, a merfolk from the southern Azure Water Federation!"


    "The Azure Water Federation? A mermaid?" Chen Guoguo eximed in surprise. "To think that we have an ally from the sea!"


    Just two days after returning to Holy Tides City, Shui Yao had heard from the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes about the grand event taking ce in the Darkness City and had made a special effort to attend. Along her journey, she coincidentally encountered Nancilia, the Elven King, who harbored a profound curiosity about the outside world and was naturally intrigued by the prospect of meeting a member of the merfolk for the first time. Given the friendly and elegant nature of the merfolk, they found instant harmony with the elven temperament. Shui Yao was astonished by the Elven King''s status and her down-to-earth demeanor, which instantly formed a bond between them.


    Shui Yao felt an immense sense of honor. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine befriending a monarch. And now, having just met the Elven King, she encountered a mysteriously powerful Demon King who might even surpass the Elven King in strength. It was truly awe-inspiring!


    Were monarchs bing moremon?


    This was already the third monarch she had encountered in the Darkness City.


    Shui Yao was deeply impressed by the profound power of the Darkness City.


    Upon discovering Shui Yao''s identity, Han Kexin''s curiosity grew, prompting her to conduct further inquiries. The revtions left her utterly astonished.


    The Water Blue Federation?


    A vast power that could rival an empire!


    As a top-tier Demon King, Han Kexin possessed a sharp intuition. She quickly realized why Zhang Nu had recruited Shui Yao as his subordinate. It was all part of his strategic nning.


    She was, in essence, a chess piece strategically positioned by Zhang Nu in advance.


    However, based on the fragments of information she had gathered, Han Kexin also understood the predicament currently facing the Chaos Forest.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Zhang Nu''s primary adversary was likely the Thunder Empire in the north. Even with his terrifying strength, engaging in a direct confrontation with an imperial force at this stage would be highly challenging and risky. He could not afford to establish two battlefronts simultaneously.


    Han Kexin''s eyes flickered with realization. She sensed a potential for cooperation.


    Although her strength and influence were inferior to Zhang Nu''s, she was by no means a force to be underestimated. Moreover, her racial talents and the abilities of her troops were assets that the Chaos Forestcked.


    "Greetings, Miss Shui Yao. It''s a pleasure to meet you," the Subus Queen proactively greeted her, leaving the mermaid girl pleasantly surprised once again.


    Whether it was the Elven King or the Subus Queen, their status equaled that of the King of the Pale Moon Kingdom. Their bloodline, race, and potential surpassed expectations.


    Under normal circumstances, encountering such individuals would have demanded reverential submission from someone like Shui Yao. If she could forge connections with two monarch-level beings for the White Sands family, then there would be nothing to fear of the Holy Tides City''s Heroes guild and its major families.


    The Elven King smiled and eximed, "That''s fantastic! My circle of friends keeps growing. It''s a shame that Su Yan couldn''t join us. If she were here, the five of us could have a great time together."


    Su Yan was the leader of the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes. After assisting Zhang Nu in subduing the other Demon Kings in the Chaos Forest, she had embarked on another mission and was currently away from the main city. Even if she were present in the Darkness City, she would need to maintain a low profile. Su Yan was the mastermind behind intelligence operations for the Dragon Demon King, and it was crucial to keep her existence hidden from outsiders, including the alliance of Demon Kings, to avoid any potential exposure.


    Moving forward, the four women engaged in various activities together. During their time together, Han Kexin gained a deeper understanding of the surface world''s politicalndscape, the current situation near the Chaos Forest, and the enigmatic depths of Zhang Nu''s power. This newfound knowledge proved to be invaluable to her.


    While the Subus Queen''s strategic focus primarily centered around the underworld, it did not hinder her from seeking resources and forging alliances with forces on the surface. In fact, such coborations held numerous advantages and benefits for both sides.


    ......


    At this moment, Zhang Nu had already met with the city lords and tribal chieftains. He conducted a loyalty ceremony for them, where they drank from the Holy Grail of Blood''s blood wine. This step was crucial because these cities and tribes were located far from the main city, and Zhang Nu could not ensure their long-term loyalty without employing some form ofpulsory control to establish trust.


    Moreover, each city lord and chieftain brought forth their city''s or tribe''s meager treasures, including gold, materials, and various precious items, as offerings to the Demon King. Although these native people were not affluent, their contributions of gold ranged from a few tens of thousands to one or two million gold.


    In total, the umted amount was approximately 14 million gold. When considering the gold obtained from reward chests, the overall gold acquired from indigenous forces alone reached at least 20 million gold coins.


    These indigenous factions, for the most part, were not particrly wealthy. Their substantial tributes to the main city already demonstrated their utmost sincerity. Alongside the gold, Zhang Nu received dozens of blueprints, primarily consisting of Level 2 or 3 ones. While some were noteworthy, Zhang Nu decided to store them for future use.


    At this moment, Li Si, the Archpriest, spoke up, "My master, our preparations and preliminary work are almostplete. It is time to hold the grand celebration."


    Zhang Nu nodded with satisfaction and replied, "In that case, let us not squander any more time. Gather all the high-ranking officials from the cities and tribes, as well as all the participants, and have them assemble in the main square of the Darkness City for the Demon King ceremony!"


    Li Si promptly acknowledged, "Understood!"


    The long-awaited day had finally arrived. While everything seemed to fall into ce for Zhang Nu, he could not help but feel a profound sense of significance and exhration as he took this pivotal step in his journey as a Demon King."

 Chapter 178: The Chaos Federation

    In front of the Darkness City''s Demon King Castle stood a colossal square---the Darkness City Grand Square.


    It had the capacity to amodate up to three million human beings at once. In the vicinity of this area, two significant structures could be found: the Life Spring, which provided rapid restoration of vitality and spiritual energy, and the newly constructed Altar of Sacred King.


    On this momentous day, it held immense significance for both the Darkness City and the Chaos Forest. Countless legions of Demon King''s soldiers epassed the surroundings, numbering in the tens of thousands. Alongside them were vast numbers of various prominent races, including elves, orcs, giants, gnomes, and even goblins, with theirbined presence reaching hundreds of thousands, spread across the left and right sides of the square.


    As for the central area, it was upied by the high-ranking officials from the cities and tribes of the Chaos Forest. There were figures like the Giantree City''s lord, Nancilia, its deputy city lord, Miley Millen, and dozens of elders. The representatives from Ironheart City included Zhang Dachui, Ironbeard, and the dwarven chieftains. Additionally, there was the chieftain of Thunderp City, Jin Kui, and the lord of Thousand Fangs City, Segon.


    ......


    In the entire region, every influential leader was gathered in the forefront formation, arranged ording to their stature and status. Each person was filled with excitement, anticipation, and nervousness.


    "It''s truly a magnificent sight!" Han Ke Xin eximed, her eyes wide open as she witnessed the scene before her. Standing near the altar alongside Chen Guo Guo and other Demon Kings, Han Ke Xin, as a special guest, had been invited to attend this extraordinary celebration despite not being a resident of the Darkness City.


    "Boom, boom, boom!" The resounding beat of drums reverberated through the air as the minotaurs struck them. The crowd held their breath, their anticipation reaching its peak.


    At that moment, a colossal dark figure over a hundred meters long descended from the Demon King''s castle, emanating a terrifying aura as it dominated the grand square. After gracefully circling in the air, the Demon King then took on humanoid form andnded on the Altar of Sacred King.


    With a towering height exceeding three and a half meters, majestic wings, imposing horns, and an overwhelming presence, the Demon King instantlymanded the attention of everyone present.


    "All hail His Majesty, the Dragon Demon King!" Zhang San, leading his legion, dropped to their knees and shouted in unison.


    "All hail His Majesty, the Dragon Demon King!"


    "All hail His Majesty, the Dragon Demon King!"


    From the elves of Giantree City to the giants of Thunderp City, the orcs of Berserk Beast City, and the dwarves of Ironheart City, along with tens of thousands of Demon King''s servants, all knelt in reverence, their collective voices creating a thunderous roar that reverberated throughout the valley.


    His gaze swept across the servants and subordinates, and the Demon King nodded with utmost satisfaction.


    Archpriest Li Si then stepped forward and dered, "Today, this grand celebration serves one purpose---to proim to the world the formal establishment of the Chaos Federation!"


    "The Chaos Forest shall stand as the first territory of the Chaos Federation!"


    "Henceforth, the ceaseless cycles of strife and discord shall be quelled!"


    "The days of fragmentation and external oppression shall be brought to an end!"


    "The Demon King shall ascend as the supreme ruler, epassing all races, mountains, and forests within the Chaos Forest!"


    "From this very instant, all cities, tribes, and inhabitants shall abide by the order of the Dark City!"


    "Those who obstruct!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Those who defy!"


    "Shall be marked as adversaries of the Federation!"


    "Let us unite as one!"


    "Pledge to defend the Chaos Forest with unwavering resolve!"


    "Pledge loyalty to the Demon King till eternity!"


    As those words reverberated, the entire venue erupted in a wave of exultation.


    "Pledge loyalty to the Demon King till eternity!"


    "May the Chaos Federation stand forever!"


    The Elven King, Nancilia, was the first to bellow with a resounding voice.


    Leaders like Jin Kui, the giant; Ironbeard, the dwarf; Gru, the orc; Segon, the gnome; and many others joined in unison, roaring, "Pledge loyalty to the Demon King till eternity! May the Chaos Federation stand forever!"


    The crowd amplified the chorus, their fervent cries echoing throughout the Chaos Valley and beyond.


    At that moment, Li Si stepped back, and the Demon King approached the altar. The entire grand za, filled with hundreds of thousands of people, fell into a profound silence, where not even the faintest sound could be heard.


    With a contented gaze, Zhang Nu surveyed the scene before him and spoke in a measured tone, "From this day forth, the Chaos Forest shall no longer be just the homnd we have known, but a sacred and invible territory of the Chaos Federation!"


    "No matter how formidable the enemy, no matter how dire the cmity, I, as your king, shall stand united with the federation and each and every one of you!"


    "Let us forge a prosperous future together, let the federation flourish and endure for eternity!"


    "May the Chaos Forest be the epitome of wealth and power, unrivaled in the world!"


    As his words echoed, Zhang Nu initiated the Sacred King''s Baptism. The Altar of Sacred King, its ritual requiring ten million gold per activation, was employed without hesitation. With approximately two thousand leaders from various cities and tribes present, Zhang Nu spared no expense on this momentous asion. He performed the Sacred King''s Baptism twice on the assembled high-ranking figures and leaders.


    In an instant, two radiant beams of light ascended to the sky, descending as a cascade of ethereal energy. The dignitaries participating in the celebration were enveloped in this divine energy, feeling a profound transformation permeate their bodies as invisible forces merged into their very essence.


    Even the attending Demon Kings were not exempted from this extraordinary baptism.


    Han Kexin received a notification:


    [You''ve received the "Sacred King''s Baptism". HP +300, MP +300, Strength +30, Agility +30, Constitution +30, Will +30 permanently!]


    Upon seeing this, Han Kexin was once again astounded. The magnitude of these attribute enhancements was significant. How did Zhang Nu manage to achieve such a feat?


    If it were only a few individuals receiving attribute enhancements, it would not be so surprising. However, the power was not exclusive to the few Demon Kings present. It epassed the entire formation of leaders on the scene, including the two thousand high-ranking figures, city lords, chieftains, elders, as well as the Demon Kings'' generals, priests, and personal guards.


    Every one of them was enveloped in this surge of power, experiencing tremendous advancements in their strength. In the blink of an eye, hundreds of individuals broke through from Level 3 to 4.


    Even for those who did not achieve an immediate breakthrough, their strength and cultivation visibly improved. This scene left everyone present in a state ofplete astonishment and disbelief.


    It was worth noting that the vast majority of city lords, chieftains, and elders present did not possess strength beyond Level 3. Under normal circumstances, it was highly unlikely for them to ever break through to Level 4 in their lifetimes.


    But now, with the energy released by the Demon King, hundreds of individuals on the scene achieved breakthroughs in their strength. Others experienced tremendous boosts in their power.


    The scene before them had no logical exnation. It could only be described as a miracle---a true miracle!


    Yes! It was a miracle!


    This was a miracle summoned by the Demon King!


    The gods responded to the call of the Demon King! The gods celebrated the establishment of the Chaos Federation!


    Countless tens of thousands of subordinates once again prostrated themselves before the Demon King!


    "May the Chaos Federation stand eternal!"


    "May His Majesty be eternal!"


    Zhang Nu could clearly witness the remarkable results of the two waves of the Sacred King''s Baptism.


    After the energy was released, there was an influx of two to three hundred Level 3 units and twenty to thirty Level 4 units. Even individuals like Nanilia, Marilyn, and Jin Kui experienced significant growth.


    The Demon King''s two chief guards also disyed a substantial increase in their power.


    Shui Yao, the mermaid from Holy Tides City, was astounded to find herself one foot stepping into Level 5.


    This left Shui Yao utterly astonished. She could not fathom an exnation for this miracle. How was the Demon King able to aplish such feats?


    The Demon King''s abilities were simply too overwhelming and iprehensible. With his might, he was undoubtedly capable of protecting the Chaos Federation. Perhaps it was time for her entire n to pledge their allegiance and join him!


    At this moment, Zhang Nu felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.


    Not bad at all!


    The Sacred King''s Baptism had unfolded in a magnificent manner, disying its remarkable effects!


    Although the cost was substantial and the individual improvement per use could not match the terrifying power of the Demon King''s Baptism, the breadth of its influence was iparable.


    As a result, even the neers who joinedter, with initially lower levels of loyalty, grew at an astonishing rate. Regardless of their initial stubbornness, when they beheld the majesty of Darkness City, the awe-inspiring power of the Demon King, and these extraordinary miracles, their hearts would inevitably waver.


    The Demon King was undoubtedly the chosen one!


    His arrival in the Chaos Forest was divinely ordained!


    It was his destiny to be the sovereign ruler of the Chaos Forest!


    To oppose such a being would be no different from defying fate itself!


    Only by pledging absolute loyalty and serving the great Demon King could they forge a brighter future for their homnd and tribes!


    "May the Chaos Federation stand eternal!"


    "May His Majesty be eternal!"


    The crowd continued to kneel, their voices echoing with fervor like zealous devotees.


    And at that moment, finally, the long-awaited notification appeared before Zhang Nu.


    [You''ve conquered the entire region of Chaos Forest!]


    [You gained region-exclusive Super Chest x1!]


    Upon seeing this, Zhang Nu could not contain his joy.


    Just as he had suspected, the task ofpletely clearing every nook and cranny of such a vast region was nearly impossible. However, by thoroughly upying and establishing his rule over the territory, he had achieved a true conquest.


    Zhang Nu realized that conquering the entire Chaos Forest region granted him a different kind of chest, unlike the regr ones obtained from capturing territories or cities.


    This chest was not categorized by quality; it was an exclusive super chest.


    It was the first time Zhang Nu had ever obtained such a magnificent treasure chest.


    ......


    The uproar in the Darkness Valley had reached an unprecedented scale.


    The news of the Demon King asserting sovereignty and establishing the Chaos Federation spread like wildfire throughout the Chaos Forest in no time.


    On that very same day, this urgent intelligence was intercepted by the empire''s intelligence agency. It swiftly made its way into the hands of Grand Duke Bachor, the influential ruler of the southern territories.


    "The Chaos Forest unified?"


    "And by a Demon King, no less?"


    "This is beyond outrageous!"


    Filled with fury, several knightmanders at Bachor''s side could not fathom the audacity of the Dragon Demon King''s actions; they saw it as a direct affront.


    However... Grand Duke Bahor responded with a heartyughter.


    One of the perplexed knightmanders could not contain his curiosity and asked, "My lord, aren''t you angered by this despicable act?"


    Grand Duke Bachor, maintaining hisposure, replied, "A Demon King operating right under the empire''s nose, surrounded by three empire-level powers, could have chosen a discreet path to develop and grow stronger."


    "But he boldly dered the establishment of a federation."


    "Such foolishness! Utter foolishness."


    "I have overestimated him, it seems."


    Upon hearing this, the severalmanders were struck with realization.


    The audacity and arrogance of this Demon King were beyond measure. Why would he choose such a high-profile approach? Did he have a death wish?


    The utter destruction of the Southern Borders Third Legion.


    Knight Commander Huang Hui and Count Su Wenhao of the Thunder Empire perished in battle.


    Once the news of these incidents reached them, Bachor had already started to take the Demon King''s threat seriously.


    However, due to the unique circumstances surrounding the Demon King''s activities, Bachor could not personally intervene with his own status. It would exceed the tolerance of the other two major powers.


    But now, the situation had changed.


    The Demon King had boldly dered the establishment of a federation and his intention to be the ruler of the Chaos Forest, unifying the previously divided forces. Neither the Sunset Empire nor the Azure Water Federation wanted to witness such a development. The Demon King''s actions were tantamount to seeking his own demise.


    Bachor rose from his seat with deliberation. "Prepare the teleportation station. I shall make my way to the imperial capital and personally meet with the emperor!"


    This matter had escted to a significant extent. The emperor would undoubtedly be concerned, and it was imperative to report the situation directly."

 Chapter 179: The Rulers of the Three Major Powers

    <h4>Vol. 1 - Chapter 179: The Rulers of the Three Major Powers</h4>


    The following day, the highest-level trteral meetingmenced.


    Representatives of the three major powers appeared simultaneously in a hall formed of shimmering magical energy.


    They were:


    Regent Prince Carlos of the Sunset Empire.


    Emperor Frelio XVI of the Thunder Empire.


    Chairman Fontentina, the head of the Azure Water Federation''s highest council.


    The entire meeting hall was constructed within the void, and the participants'' forms were projected using meticulously crafted magical energy.


    These projections were all subjected to stringent security measures, ensuring that their facial expressions and appearances remained concealed from each other. As a result, it was impossible to discern any information or thoughts through mental or spiritual means.


    However, their genders, body shapes, and ages were still distinguishable.


    Regent Prince Carlos of the Sunset Empire, a seemingly unremarkable and stooped elderly man, held a long staff and appeared somewhat somber.


    Fontentina, the Chairman of the Azure Water Federation, resembled a merfolk with a face covered by a mask, making it impossible to discern her exact age.


    As for Emperor Frelio XVI of the Thunder Empire, he looked remarkably young, seemingly in his early thirties, emanating a distinguished and heroic presence befitting a man in his prime.


    Without hesitation, Regent Prince Carlos questioned, "Frelio, by allowing your southern legion to enter the Chaos Forest, are you intending to upset the bnce among the three powers?"


    Fontentina chimed in, "Indeed, ording to the agreement, none of the three powers are permitted to enter the Chaos Forest in any way. Your Duke Bachor has overstepped the boundary this time."


    Emperor Frelio XVI remainedposed and replied, "There is a reason why Duke Bachor decided to take action in the Chaos Forest. There is indeed a force attempting to disrupt the bnce, but that force does not originate from us."


    "Based on thetest intelligence from the southern region, the Chaos Forest has been conquered and ruled by an astonishingly powerful Demon King. They have openly established the Chaos Federation, uniting almost all tribes and factions."


    Prince Carlos''s expression changed slightly, "Is that so?"


    Although his intelligencework was not as swift as that of the Thunder Empire, Frelio had no reason to deceive him. After all, such significant events were easily verifiable and almost impossible to conceal from the two major powers.


    Fontentina appeared puzzled, "Regarding this new group of Demon Kings, the Chaos Federation, we have conducted investigations. While their potential is astounding, most of them are currently weak and small. How could they possibly rule over the Chaos Forest?"


    "But they have indeed aplished it."


    "That''s the issue."


    Frelio said, "This Demon King not only effortlessly rules over the Chaos Forest but has also sessfully incorporated major tribes and city forces. Their current strength rivals that of one of the allied kingdoms in your Azure Water Federation."


    Upon hearing this, both Prince Carlos and Chairman Fontentina fell silent.


    Emperor Frelio XVI continued, "One of our legions stationed at the southern border waspletely annihted within a few days. Isn''t this enough to warrant our attention?"


    "I suggest that we simultaneouslyunch an attack and crush this Demon King to prevent future cmities," he proposed.


    Prince Carlos scoffed disdainfully, "Just a mere Demon King, and merely a Chaos Forest. How could it pose a significant threat? Joining forces against such an insignificant character seems too exaggerated."


    He was not entirely wrong.


    The Chaos Forest, at its core, was nothing more than a strategic buffer zone for the three major powers. If they truly wanted to act, they could easily crush the region, but the gains would not justify the effort.


    Moreover, to join forces against a rising Demon King in the Chaos Forest, regardless of whether they could trust each other, was impractical given the current size of the Chaos Federation. It was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.


    However, Chairman Fontentina pointed out, "Nevertheless, the existence of the Chaos Federation will eventually disrupt the bnce of the buffer zone, and we cannot simply sit idly by."


    From a geopolitical perspective, the Chaos Forest must remain chaotic and fragmented. Only then would it serve its purpose as a buffer zone. If the entire region were unified with amon will, it could easily tilt towards one side, such as joining the Azure Water Federation or being absorbed by the two empires.


    Once this urred, the delicate bnce among the three major powers would be shattered instantly. Any subsequent conflict could escte into all-out warfare.


    Emperor Frelio XVI could not help but smile.


    He understood the current situations of the Azure Water Federation and the Sunset Empire better than anyone. The Azure Water Federation was primarily defensive andcked the inclination for aggressive actions. However, internal divisions and increasing conflicts among its factions and regions made it unlikely for them to mobilize their forces for the sake of the Chaos Federation and a mere Demon King.


    As for the Sunset Empire, the old emperor was in a senile state, on the verge of passing away. The current Regent Prince Carlos was an ambitious individual, solely focused on seizing supreme power amid the declining imperial family. He would not divert his attention for such a trivial border matter.


    Therefore, Emperor Frelio XVI proposed, "In that case, let us entrust this matter to Duke Bachor and his southern frontier forces. With the strength of Bachor Duchy and the army, eradicating this Demon King will be a walk in the park."


    Chairman Fontentina remained silent for a moment before saying, "The Thunder Empire must abide by the agreement and cannot linger in the Chaos Forest or leave any traces behind."


    Prince Carlos also nodded, "We will closely monitor the situation in the Chaos Forest!"


    Emperor Frelio reassured them, "You can rest assured about that."


    He sneered inwardly. When the strategic vital area of the Chaos Forest was in their hands, how they handled it would be entirely based on the Empire''s interests. With the current internal divisions and chaos in the Azure Water Federation and the Sunset Empire, how could they possibly stop the Thunder Empire''s ns?


    Speaking of which, Emperor Frelio had to thank the Demon King of the Chaos Forest. Without this Demon King creating this federation of his, how could the Empire have such a justifiable and well-known reason to openly intervene and conquer? This approach was more reliable than their previous ndestine machinations and covert control.


    The trteral meeting concluded, and the three magical projections vanished. The entire void conference hall copsed and disappeared.


    The consensus reached in this meeting was that the Azure Water Federation and the Sunset Empire both agreed to allow the forces led by the Bachor Duchy in the empire''s southern frontier to enter the Chaos Forest.


    However, it was strictly stipted that the other three duchies and the Guardian Grand Dukes themselves, as well as the empire''s main forces were not allowed to intervene in this matter, a condition that Emperor Frelio XVI readily epted.


    The Thunder Empire had already achieved its objectives. Even if the Chaos Federation managed to unify the entire Chaos Forest, it would still be no more than a medium-sized kingdom inparison to the dozens of such forces present in the Azure Water Federation. These colossal empire-level powers considered it no challenge at all.


    Duke Bachor himself was a top-notch ruler, and the Bachor family was renowned for having numerous formidable individuals who could lead the nobility in the entire southern frontier of the empire. Their strength was more than sufficient for this mission.


    Aside from this, the empire issued bounties to various Hero guilds. The reward for killing the Demon King of the Chaos Federation was exceedingly generous, granting the achiever the hereditary title of Earl in the Thunder Empire and a staggering sum of one billion universal gold coins.


    With such a lucrative reward, it was certain that brave and skilled Heroes would be enticed to ept the challenge. ying a powerful Demon King was already an extraordinarily attractive and rewarding feat for any Hero. It meant instant fame, the prestigious title of nobility within the empire, substantial rewards, and a significant boost to their own strength.


    The news of the birth of such a super Demon King in the Chaos Forest would undoubtedly stir Heroes from all corners of thend. After all, defeating this formidable foe not only promised glory and rewards but also the esteemed status of an imperial noble, along with an immense surge in power and an unparalleled leap in status!


    ......


    At this moment, in the capital city of the Chaos Federation, Darkness City, the grand conference and celebration hade to an end. Finally, Zhang Nu had the time to meet with Han Kexin in person.


    With a smile, Zhang Nu spoke, "I apologize for being so busy these past few days, but fortunately, everything has progressed smoothly."


    Han Kexin did not want to dwell on her feelings any longer. Her confidence had been severely shaken in the past two days. After a moment of contemtion, she asked, "Creating a new power, dering sovereignty - these are risky actions. Are you prepared for the consequences?"


    Hearing her question, Zhang Nu was taken aback. Han Kexin must have done some research on the Chaos Forest and the surrounding three major powers in the past two days.


    "Rest assured," he reassured her, "I know what I''m doing. My main goal in establishing the Chaos Federation is topletely rule over this region and obtain the corresponding super treasure chest."


    As for the consequences?


    Of course, he had considered them.


    However, with his current personal strength and the strength of his forces, Zhang Nu was not too worried that the three major powers would have a significant impact on him. To his knowledge, the chances of the Sunset Empire and the Azure Water Federation voluntarily invading the Chaos Forest were negligible. Only the Thunder Empire had the motive and capability. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But for the Thunder Empire to pose a serious threat, they would have to go all out, which was highly unlikely. Even if the emperor had such an intention, the other two major powers would resist it.


    So, all in all, there were risks and pressures, but they were all within manageable limits.


    Han Kexin nodded, "Since that''s the case, I won''tment too much. I know your merfolk underling, Shui Yao. I''ve learned about her family''s situation in Holy Tides City."


    "If you don''t mind, I can help you gradually gain control of Holy Tides City."


    "Of course, as a reward, I would like the right to conduct business activities in Pale Moon Kingdom and the Azure Water Federation."


    "What do you think?"


    Control Holy Tides City?


    Zhang Nu was surprised. Holy Tides City was the secondrgest city in Pale Moon Kingdom, just below the capital city. It served as the country''s primarymercial center and was an important northern port for the Azure Water Federation. If he could gain control of this city, it would bring significant benefits to Zhang Nu. However, achieving such control would note easy.


    Currently, Zhang Nu''s main focus was on dealing with the northern empire and developing his territories. In the south, he was more focused on market pration and conducting business. In the short to medium term, he did not have any other ns for this region.


    Zhang Nu asked, "Are you confident?"


    Han Kexin replied, "In terms of raw power, I may not be on par with you, but I have some methods that you don''t possess."


    Zhang Nu considered her words and thought it might be worth a try. Han Kexin seemed very excited about it and immediately went back to prepare.


    Once Zhang Nu had some free time, he opened the yer interface and imed the "Chaos Forest Exclusive Treasure Chest!". This was the big reward for ruling over the entire Chaos Forest region, and the rewards should be better than those from the Malevolent King''s tomb.


    With anticipation, Zhang Nu opened the treasure chest.

 Chapter 180: Sky Drake Sovereign

    [You opened the Chaos Forest Treasure Chest!]


    [You''ve activated the title: "Ruler of the Chaos Forest"!]


    [You''ve gained "Gold" x 100 million, "Blueprint: Demon King''s Resurrection Altar" x 1, "Blueprint: Demon King''s Training Tower" x 1, "Ten Elemental Energy Gems" x 10,000 each!]


    Upon opening the exclusive treasure chest, Zhang Nu felt an immediate transformation within himself and the surrounding environment. The energies of the entire Chaos Forest seemed to flow through him, enhancing all his attributes and abilities.


    After some investigation, Zhang Nu learned that this was the effect of the new title: "Ruler of the Chaos Forest."


    [Title: Ruler of the Chaos Forest]


    Monarch Level Title.


    MP +5000 permanently.


    HP +5000 permanently.


    When you are within the Chaos Forest, your HP and MP are additionally increased by +5000, all stats +25%, recovery speed +100%.


    Gain the ability to teleport within the region, usable once every thirty minutes.


    Under your rule, the resources in the Chaos Forest +20%, and all subjects'' stats +10%, subjects'' loyalty +10%.


    ......


    As Zhang Nuid eyes on the effects of the title, he was utterly astonished. The bonuses it granted were not just powerful but also bordering on terrifying! Having a fixed attribute boost of up to 5000 points for both HP and MP was an immense and formidable enhancement.


    However, that was only the standard effect.


    When inside the Chaos Forest, the title''s powers surged even further, granting an astonishing additional 10,000 points to both HP and MP. The cumtive increase reached an overwhelming 20,000 points! This was an unimaginable enhancement, especially for someone like Zhang Nu, who already possessed remarkable defense and durability.


    The title''s strength was on par with mythic equipment, but its uniquenessid in its invulnerability---it couldn''t be taken away or dispelled. Only by utterly destroying the Chaos Forest and the Chaos Federation could its effects be nullified, leaving no other means to neutralize it.


    Furthermore, within the Chaos Forest, the title offered additional boosts to various stats and recovery speed, enabling Zhang Nu to teleport over vast distances without relying on teleportation fields, what a godly ability! Additionally, the title''s blessings extended to Zhang Nu''s territory and subjects. It increased resource production within his dominion, elevated his subjects'' stats, and enhanced their loyalty.


    The value of this title was truly immeasurable, far surpassing the rewards from ordinary Demon King treasure chests. And the contents of this exclusive treasure chest did not just stop at the title.


    The reward of 100 million gold alone thrilled Zhang Nu. Even for him, this was an enormous sum.


    But that was not all, there were two valuable blueprints included as well:


    [Blueprint: Demon King''s Resurrection Altar] Level 5 Special Blueprint. Costs gold x50 million, life gem x5000, undeath gem x5000, soul gem x2000, Level 5 soul x10. You may construct a Demon King''s Resurrection Altar within your territory.


    [Blueprint: Demon King''s Training Tower] Level 5 Special Blueprint. Costs gold x20 million, wind, fire, water, and earth gems x2000 each, spirit gems x1000, enchanted stones x30000. You may construct a Demon King''s Training Tower within your territory.


    Both blueprints were Level 5 and belonged to the category of special buildings. They were extraordinarily valuable and iparable to ordinary Level 5 structures in terms of cost and benefits. It was evident that these two blueprints were incredibly rare and could only be obtained from super treasure chests.


    The "Demon King''s Resurrection Altar" was self-exnatory in its function. It had the extraordinary capability to preserve the souls of the Demon King and his subordinates. With this altar in ce, the souls of both the Demon King and any subjects in the territory would be preserved upon death. Zhang Nu could then choose to resurrect himself or any fallen subordinate as long as he possessed their intact soul.


    While Zhang Nu felt that he himself might not have much use for the resurrection altar given his current strength and the nigh impossibility of his death, he understood its immense value to others. With this altar, anyone loyal to him, such as Zhang San, Li Si, Nancilia, and any other subjects, need not fear unexpected deaths.


    Furthermore, Zhang Nu could obtain souls from other sources. If he managed to bring back an intact soul to his territory, he could resurrect that person. An ability like this was of immeasurable value.


    Certainly, the Demon King''s Resurrection Altar was incredible, but resurrecting any target came with a cost. Not to mention the sheer expense of constructing the resurrection altar was daunting, requiring a couple dozen millions of gold, arge number of precious gems, and the consumption of five Level 5 souls as materials.


    At present, Zhang Nucked the necessary conditions to create such an extravagant structure.


    However, another blueprint emerged from the treasure chest - the "Demon King''s Training Tower." It seemed to be a training-type building, akin to the "The Tower of Lost Trials", but undoubtedly far superior, being a special Level 5 construction. Despite its considerable cost, Zhang Nu''s current financial strength made it affordable, and the value of creating such a tower was evident.


    Besides the immensely powerful title, top-tier blueprints, and 100 million gold, the treasure chest also contained a staggering amount of 100,000 gems, each covering ten attributes: Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, Light, Dark, Thunder, Life, Undeath, and Spirit, with 10,000 gems for each attribute.There was no need to doubt that this was a tremendous fortune. These materials would be vital for the development of his territory.


    Zhang Nu was extremely satisfied with the quantity and scale of these rewards. Truly, this super treasure chest lived up to its name, surpassing even the diamond-level ordinary reward chests. It was just a pity that obtaining such treasure chests was an incredibly difficult task.


    With his rewards collected, Zhang Nu approached the Soul Altar where the newest batch of souls had been produced. Despite the busyness of the recent period, he made sure not to neglect the management of souls. Now, his soul reserves had be quite substantial. Already possessing a considerable number of souls, Zhang Nu had recently been profiting by selling Level 4 souls at a higher price. Leveraging the Soul Altar, he aggressively exploited other Demon Kings, leading to a massive increase in the quantity of souls in his possession.


    At present, his soul count stood at: 575 Level 3 souls, 36 Level 4 souls, and 5 Level 5 souls. Among them, the Level 3 souls were the most abundant in stock and served as the raw materials for Level 4 souls due to the time-consuming process of soul synthesis as Zhang Nu had no way to synthesize all the souls in time.


    As the Soul Altar could onlybine multiple lower-level souls into higher-level ones and not vice versa, it was crucial to retain some souls in reserve. By doing so, his Demon King subordinates could exchange for a certain amount, and Chen Guoguo and the others could purchase souls whenever necessary. This way, they would not just possess wealth without the means to enhance their strength.


    Having amassed a surplus of souls, Zhang Nu decided to utilize a portion of them first. With their quantity, he could now activate a Level 5 talent for himself.


    However, before that, there was one more important task at hand. Zhang Nu summoned the archpriest and had him ascend the Demon King''s Altar.


    [Upgrade "Sky Drake Archpriest" to "Sky Drake Sovereign"? The upgrade costs 20 million gold + 2000 light gems +2000 fire gems + 5 Level 5 Hero''s souls!]


    Zhang Nu had specially prepared these five Level 5 Hero''s Souls for Li Si''s upgrade.


    The cost for this advancement was undoubtedly exorbitant, and in the past, Zhang Nu would have struggled to afford it. However, the current situation was vastly different. He was now blessed with an abundant wealth of gold, a surplus of precious gems, and even a considerable number of souls.


    Naturally, he was eager to make use of these resources and allow them to fulfill their potential. Compared to these riches, having a monarch-level priest would undoubtedly provide greater aid to the territory.


    "Upgrade!" Zhang Nu confirmed his choice.


    Instantly, the Demon King''s Altar erupted with a fierce brilliance. The intensity of this light was blinding, making it impossible to keep one''s eyes open. This radiant light persisted for several minutes, then a profound and majestic monarch''s aura enveloped the surroundings.


    The upgrade was sessful!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Archpriest, Li Si, underwent a remarkable transformation. Not only did he appear younger, but he also grew much taller. His entire body was covered in crimson scales adorned with numerous seven-colored magical patterns that emitted a radiant glow, resembling striking tattoos, exuding an eerie and mysterious aura.


    [Sky Drake Sovereign: Li Si] Level 5 monarch unit. HP 4000, MP 8000, Strength ???, Constitution 120, Agility 165, Will 800, Loyalty 100%(Locked), Fatigue 10%, Hunger 10%.


    Skill: Inferno Seven-Headed Drake Form (Talent), Sacrificial Domain (Talent), Demon King Summoning (Talent), Mastery of the Seven Elements (Talent), Group Teleportation, Spatial Teleportation, Spatial Ripping, Blood Ritual, Teleportation Field, etc...


    In a sh of light, Li Si teleported right before Zhang Nu. He respectfully knelt down, saying, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!"


    Satisfied, Zhang Nu nodded. Li Si''s current strength was undoubtedly on par with Zhang San''s, if not even surpassing him in individualbat and single-unit destructive power. Being a unit proficient in seven elemental magics and space maniption, Li Si might even outperform Zhang San in some aspects.


    However, each had their own specialties. Zhang San excelled as a strategist andmander, and leading troops was where he truly shined. With these two monarch-level entities under hismand, Zhang Nu knew theirbined might would be formidable. Even formidable beings like Han Kexin, a super monarch-level existence whose power reached the ceiling of Level 5 monarchs, would have to think twice before confronting them head-on."

 Chapter 181: Spatial-Temporal Dragon & Evil God Cultivator

    <h4>Vol. 1 - Chapter 181: Spatial-Temporal Dragon & Evil God Cultivator</h4>


    After Li Si''s upgrade, Zhang Nu turned his attention to enhancing his own abilities.


    .


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 3 Hero''s Soul. 218 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 3 Hero''s Soul. 203 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 3 Hero''s Soul. 221 talent points gained!]


    [......]


    In one go, he sacrificed a total of 463 Level 3 souls. Finally, he had amassed 100,000 talent points.


    [You''ve activated the Level 4 Talent "Spatial-Temporal Dragon"!]


    Each of the three Level 5 talents was extraordinarily potent, and after careful consideration, Zhang Nu settled on "Spatial-Temporal Dragon."


    Though Zhang Nu already possessed "Spatial Maniption" and "Time Control" as time and space attributed talents when he was Level 4, he believed that having just these two was not enough to be truly powerful. Now, with the activation of this new talent, Zhang Nu gained ess to the "Spatial-Temporal Dragon" mode, a transformative and a bloodline skill. It significantly amplified his control over space and mastery over time.


    As Zhang Nu felt the surge of the new power awakening within him, he immediately enveloped his body with the force of space and time.


    Li Si and the other guards in the hall were taken aback when they realized that the presence of the Demon King, who had been standing right there, suddenly seemed to vanish.


    "What in the world...?" Li Si observed slight distortions in the Demon King''s body, as if there were asional fluctuations, simr to a glitch in a projection signal.


    As the archpriest and a master of spatial magic, Li Si quicklyprehended that the Demon King had not merely concealed his aura; he had genuinely shifted himself out of this dimension. Using his formidable spatial abilities, the Demon King had erased his presence from this spatial level.


    At this very moment, the Demon King was practically invincible. No matter the means used, physical or magical attacks, regardless of their strength or power, all would pass harmlessly through the Demon King''s body. If one could not evennd a hit, what purpose would the attack serve, no matter how powerful it might be?


    The Demon King now existed in a state of both presence and absence, presenting only a spatial projection before their eyes.


    Li Si was utterly astounded! What an astonishing mastery over space! Even as a highly skilled expert in spatial magic, he could not help but feel a profound sense of admiration and awe at the Demon King''s abilities. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    In the next instant, Zhang Nu unleashed the power of time.


    Everything froze in its tracks. The burning mes, the insects in the corners, and even the Demon King''s guards, all were trapped in a suspended moment, as if time itself hade to a standstill.


    Time... had stopped?


    Utilizing his ability to manipte time, Zhang Nu could usually control the flow of time within a certain range. However, bringing time to aplete standstill was an unprecedented feat, bordering on the realm of the impossible.


    Yet, at this very moment, the worldy absolutely motionless. As if the entire world''s tapestry had been momentarily frozen, akin to a single frame in a vast tapestry of existence.


    However, Zhang Nu soon realized that, despite the world being frozen, he himself was in a state of inertia. He felt as if his body had ceased to exist, as though his essence had transcended the confines of the physical realm, providing him with an ethereal sensation.


    The "Spatial-Temporal Dragon" talent allowed him to conquer temporal resistance, enabling his thoughts, consciousness, and soul to momentarily transcend time. Even in a realm of absolute stagnation, he could continue to contemte and think independently.


    s, he was not yet capable of truly transcending time itself.


    As the immense forces of temporal resistance enveloped him, Zhang Nu''s power and corporeal form were unable to ovee the overwhelming hindrance, sealing him into a state of absolute immobility.


    Despite the setback, Zhang Nu could not suppress his excitement. The activation of this talent had unveiled the potential to surpass the barriers of time!


    Now that he could resist some degree of temporal resistance, he could not help but wonder if, as his strength continued to grow, he could eventually confront even longer and more formidable resistance.


    Perhaps, in the near or distant future, he would traverse the boundless expanse of the spatial-temporal void. He would soar amidst the frozen threads of time. Worldly barriers would cease to hold him back, and the confines of the past and future would no longer be beyond his grasp.


    Shaking his head, Zhang Nu quickly snapped out of his reverie. He knew that such a feat was too distant and challenging, even for a deity. Regardless, the activation of this talent not only strengthened his spatial-temporal abilities but also granted him formidable resistance against temporal magic. It allowed him to remainposed and unfazed amidst warped spaces and chaotic time.


    However, given the current situation, the timing was not quite right for thorough testing. Zhang Nu decided to stop and did not fully explore the extent of this ability.


    "Not bad at all!"


    "Truly impressive!"


    "This talent seems to significantly enhance both spatial-temporal abilities and resistance."


    "In the future, even spatial-temporal traps or attacks would hardly pose a threat to me!"


    Among all magic resistances, spatial-temporal resistance was the rarest. With this talent activated, Zhang Nu gained powerful spatial-temporal resistance, enabling him to ovee spatial-temporal hindrance, renderingmon spatial-temporal techniques ineffective against him. Now, not only elemental magic but also curses, necromancy, and spatial-temporal magic. All these rare magic types had be useless against him.


    The Great Dragon Demon King was bing a nightmare for spellcasters, step by step.


    Afterpleting the talent activation, Zhang Nu left the Demon King''s Castle with several blueprints in hand, setting out to find suitable construction sites.


    During the process of conquering the Chaotic Forest, Zhang Nu opened dozens, even hundreds, of treasure chests. As a result, he now had arge pile of Level 2 and 3 blueprints. While most of these blueprints were ordinary and unremarkable, there were a few that held significant construction value.


    Apart from the mid to low-level blueprints, there were also a few high-level ones. Among them were three Level 5 blueprints: the "Evil God Cultivator", the "Resurrection Altar", and the "Training Tower".


    For now, he decided to set aside the construction of the Resurrection Altar. Its cost was too exorbitant, requiring a substantial amount of souls, and even if built, its current effectiveness would be limited.


    Instead, he focused on the Evil God Cultivator and the Demon King''s Training Tower, both of which held more value for construction inparison. Zhang Nu chose to start with the Evil God Cultivator. However, considering its ominous name, he decided to ce it near the White Bone Mausoleum rather than directly within the city.


    "Would you like to construct the Evil God Cultivator? The construction will cost "Blueprint: Evil God Cultivator" x1, gold x5 million, dark gems x2000, undeath gems x2000!]


    "Yes!" Zhang Nu confirmed, paying the required materials.


    As the earth trembled, a peculiar structure emerged from the magical formation. The building resembled a gothic castle covered in tentacles, some of which seemed to possess a life of their own, giving an unsettling feeling. After conducting further research, Zhang Nu finally understood the true purpose of the Evil God Cultivator.


    The Evil God Cultivator, a Level 5 building, had a straightforward function: "Synthesis"! It could merge different creatures together, with the main subject retaining memories and personality, while the other creatures would be sacrificial offerings. However, this process of biological synthesis was notably uncontroble, and nobody knew what kind of monstrous creatures might be created.


    Curious about its capabilities, Zhang Nu brought a Warmonger Royal Guard and a Level 4 Greater Beholder Lord to the Evil God Cultivator and threw them in.


    [Main subject: "Infernal Draconian Warmonger Royal Guard". Material: "Greater Beholder Lord". Proceed with the synthesis? This synthesis will cost 100,000 gold!]


    After some hesitation, Zhang Nu eventually confirmed the synthesis.


    [Synthesis in progress!]


    [Estimatedpletion time: 45 minutes...]


    Inside the Evil God Cultivator, numerous peculiar tentacles continuously emitted beams of light, as if undergoing aplex industrial manufacturing process.


    "Quite intriguing!" Zhang Nu had never seen anything like it before. He waited in the cultivation ground for over forty minutes.


    Suddenly, the door of the Evil God Cultivator swung open, releasing a strange aura, and he received a rted notification.


    [Cultivation sessful!]


    [You have obtained "Demon Eye Infernal Royal Guard"!]


    The royal guard walked out, seemingly not changed much. Intrigued, Zhang Nu checked its attributes.


    [Demon Eye Infernal Royal Guard] Level 5 lord unit. 1500 HP, 1000 MP, 170 Strength, 159 Constitution, 176 Agility, 148 Will. Loyalty 100%(Locked). Fatigue 10%. Hunger 10%


    Skills: Instant Summoning (Talent), Eye Demon Unleash (Talent), Beholder''s Beam (A rank), Raging Dragon Qi (B rank), Eye of Detection (B rank), Slow Ray (B rank), Inferno''s Might (B rank), etc.


    "A Level 5 lord?" Zhang Nu was greatly surprised. Two Level 4 lords could merge into a Level 5 lord? Even more astonishingly, this Level 5 lord retained almost all the abilities of both the beholder and the royal guard. It possessed the powerful melee and constitution of the royal guard, as well as the terrifying insight and long-range attack abilities of the beholder,plementing each other perfectly.


    Quickly calcting the cost, Zhang Nu realized that an Infernal Warmonger Guard cost less than 200,000 gold, and summoning a Level 4 Greater Beholder Lord cost the same. The synthesis fee was only 100,000 gold.


    In total, it cost less than 500,000 gold.


    This was the true value of the Evil God Cultivator. It could merge two or more different creatures into one, showcasing the maximum hybrid advantages by taking the strengths of each and making up for their weaknesses.


    Just by fusing with one beholder, its strength had improved significantly. Zhang Nu could not help but wonder what effect it would have if he simultaneously merged ten or more creatures.

 Chapter 182: Marilyn vs Demon Eye Infernal Royal Guard

    <h4>Vol. 1 - Chapter 182: Marilyn vs Demon Eye Infernal Royal Guard</h4>


    The following day, Marilyn returned to the main city. Formerly the city lord of Silver Spring, she now held the esteemed positions of vice city lord in Giantree City and grand elder of the Chaos Forest''s Elven Elder Council, ranking only second to the young Elven King among the elves in terms of authority.


    In stark contrast to the young Elven King''sck of leadership qualities, Marilyn was an exceptional leader. Her actions were swift and decisive, and she was an absolute fanatic when it came to martial arts training.


    Despite her busy schedule, she managed to find time to visit. Marilyn''s n was to challenge the Trial Tower first and then dedicate time to learning magic or martial arts at the Elven Sanctuary. Her philosophy was to make progress every day, knowing that it would ultimately lead her to obtain formidable power.


    Her diligence was driven not only by the desire to be stronger but also by a sense of vignce. The Chaos Forest had been in a state of chaos and division for countless years until it was finally unified under the will of His Majesty. This brought an end to the endless bloodshed and internal strife.


    However, with the emergence of the Chaos Federation, it posed a threat to the interests of the Thunder Empire, the Sunset Empire, and the Azure Federation. The three factions would undoubtedly suppress the federation.


    The real danger and true challenge were just about to begin. Marilyn could not allow His Majesty to bear this burden alone as the federation was a home to everyone. Marilyn had hoped to make a difference. The once skeptical elven chieftain who did not recognize the Demon King now became one of his staunchest and loyal followers, filled with a strong sense of belonging and identity towards the federation.


    At this moment, spatial distortions appeared in front of her, and the figure of the Demon King walked up to her.


    "Your Majesty, why have youe?" Marilyn asked.


    "City Lord Marilyn, you''ve arrived just in time," the Demon King replied. "I need your help with something."


    Marilyn immediately responded seriously, "Your Majesty, if there''s a task, please order me. I will do my best and never decline!"


    "No need to be so formal; it''s not anything important. I just want you to help with a test," the Demon King said.


    Without waiting for more questions, spatial energy wrapped around Marilyn like a giant hand. Before she could react, her surroundings instantly changed, and she found herself in an open space outside the city. This surprised her greatly.


    Such terrifying spatial abilities! His Majesty''s control over space is fearsome! Marilyn had rarely seen the Demon King use this power before. She could only sense that the Demon King''s depths were unfathomable, and she felt like an ant before him.


    Not far away stood a Warmonger Royal Guard emitting a strong aura of a magical creature.


    "This is my Royal Guard Captain, Wei Yi. Test your strength against him and see how big the gap is," the Demon King said.


    Even though the Demon King''s Royal Guard Captain was powerful, he was only Level 4. Why would he want her, a Level 5 powerhouse, to test against a Level 4 unit?


    The Demon King noticed Marilyn''s confusion and said, "Don''t underestimate Wei Yi. He has been specially enhanced. If you defeat him, there will be a reward." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Really?" Marilyn eximed joyfully. "Then let''s do it!"


    With her hands confidently on her hips, Marilyn had no intention of making the first move. Zhang Nu nodded to Wei Yi. Immediately, thetter burst forth with a powerful Qi and shed out.


    "Huh?!"


    "Level 5! Why is he so powerful?!"


    Marilyn was taken aback and quickly dodged. The ground where she stood just now was deeply gouged by the force of the attack. This Wei Yi was undoubtedly Level 5, and even among the Level 5 powerhouses, he stood out as exceptional!


    "Alright!"


    "He''s got some skills!"


    "I have to be serious now."


    Marilyn was about to draw her weapon when Wei Yi''s scales suddenly squirmed, and countless tiny tentacles emerged, all coiling around his right shoulder. They gathered into arge eyeball, blooming and taking shape.


    "What on earth is that?!'''' Marilyn eximed, she had never seen such an eerie sight.


    In a moment''s hesitation, a dazzling and powerful beam shot out from this eyeball which wasrger than a fist. Marilyn was not able to dodge the beam and immediately used her Qi to block the attack, but she was forced back several steps.


    The power was terrifying; even a Level 5 would likely be seriously injured if directly hit by this strike.


    "Why does this look somewhat like a beholder?"


    "How could one of His Majesty''s guards grow a beholder?"


    "This guy is indeed peculiar, but relying on just one beholder won''t be enough to deal with me!"


    Before she could finish speaking, Wei Yi''s body erupted with tentacles. The tentacles merged into each other, and onerge eyeball after another condensed from various parts of his body. Each one was filled with sinister energy and tremendous power.


    One, two, three...nine, ten! This guy had grown tenrge eyes from his body! This scene was simply horrifying! Marilyn was stunned by the spectacle!


    Wei Yi was the experimental product of the Evil God Cultivator. Zhang Nu used all ten Greater Beholder Lords that he possessed as fusion materials, granting the Warmonger Royal Guard the power of ten beholders. At this moment, the once ordinary royal guard was now approaching the strength of a Level 5 overlord! This filled Zhang Nu with great delight!


    After being unable to upgrade the basic units at the Demon Lord''s Altar, Zhang Nu finally found a path to create super units! From a cost perspective, ten Level 4 Greater Beholder Lords amounted to only two million gold. Adding the one million synthesis fee, the total cost was merely three million!


    Just three million could create a pseudo overlord-level unit. It was an incredibly cost-effective investment, considering that a single Level 4 Hellish Beholder Overlord alone required five million. This beholder overlord was already an expensive choice among units of the same level.


    However, Zhang Nu discovered through experimentation that after synthesizing ten beholder lords, further fusion of more beholders had no effect. This indicated that the Evil God Cultivator had its limitations in modification, and the potential that could be extracted from each material was also limited.


    Wei Yi remained clear-headed, knowing that dealing with Marilyn would not be easy. He immediately activated all his abilities andunched a series of attacks.


    Beholder Beam!


    Slow Ray!


    Weakness Ray!


    Curse Ray!


    ...


    Caught off guard by her owncency, Marilyn could only hurriedly respond to each sessive attack. She quickly realized that each of these beams had different effects, leaving her in a rather sorry state.


    It was unbelievable; she was being suppressed by a Warmonger Royal Guard!


    She had tried to escape using stealth, but the beholders could see through invisibility. She had even attempted a quick attack from behind using teleportation, but the royal guard''s melee strength was formidable enough to block her, and with eyes covering his entire body, there were no blind spots in his field of vision. Moreover, his flying advantage made it challenging to get close for an attack.


    This was too tricky!


    The Infernal Warmonger Royal Guard, now with the assistance of beholders, had greatly increased his attack power and ranged capabilities. The weaknesses of the beholders - poor maneuverability and vulnerability in closebat were no longer relevant. It was a perfectbination!


    "Damn it!"


    "I refuse to believe it!"


    Marilyn finally found an opening and swiftly conjured a massive energy arrow with her bow. This was her strongest attack she could muster at the moment.


    Wei Yi sensed that he was locked on by Marilyn, and there was no way to evade this attack. With his MP already depleted significantly, he could only go all-in for a desperate struggle.


    Ten beholder eyes dposed into arge number of tentacles once again. At this moment, the majority of the draconian''s body was covered in these eerie tentacles. However, they rapidly converged around his heart area, forming a giant eyeball the size of a washbasin. The ten eyes merged into one. This eyeball was no less powerful than the Hellish Beholder Overlord.


    Wei Yi released his energy all at once, turning it into a massive beam of light that shed with the iing energy arrow. In an instant, the battlefield was filled with flying sand and rocks, and the colors of the sky and earth changed drastically. The two overwhelmingly powerful attacks caused a significantmotion. The energy arrow and the energy beam were locked in a stalemate for several seconds, but in the end, the energy arrow prevailed, breaking through the fierce beam of light. With a muffled groan, Wei Yi was pushed back several meters. Although he lost to Marilyn, this attack had reached its limits. With the robust defense of the draconian''s physique, he sustained minimal damage.


    "Not bad!"


    Both sides were rtively uninjured, but Wei Yi had nearly exhausted his MP, while Marilyn still had about half remaining.


    The oue was already clear.


    Though Wei Yi did not manage to defeat Marilyn, Zhang Nu was quite satisfied with his performance. Wei Yi was currently a Level 5 lord unit, with one foot stepping into the overlord level. Yet his disyed strength wasparable to an overlord.


    After all, among Level 5 overlords, Marilyn was at least in the upper middle tier. Wei Yi''s ability to hold his own against her indicated that he could handle some weaker Level 5 overlords with his current strength.


    Marilyn asked curiously, "Your Majesty, what method did you use to make this draconian guard so powerful? Can I give it a try too?"


    Zhang Nu quickly poured cold water on her enthusiasm. "Don''t even think about it. This method doesn''t suit you."


    Indeed, the Evil God Cultivator had an eerie ability to create powerful creatures by fusing different species, but it came at a cost. When different species fused together, they would eventually create an entirely new species, destroying the original talent and physique.


    The royal guards had risen from ordinary draconian soldiers and had mediocre aptitude, their evolution had already reached its limit. However, in Marilyn''s case, her talent and potential were outstanding, and her limits as a Level 5 overlord extended far beyond that. There was no need to take shortcuts and sacrifice her innate advantages.


    Moreover, she was a beautiful elvendy; Zhang Nu did not want to see her turned into some bizarre form.


    Seeing her disappointed face, Zhang Nu reassured, "While this method may not be suitable for you, I have another, better way to make you stronger just as quickly."


    During their conversation, he activated his spatial powers and returned them both to the interior of the Shadowy City. Before them stood a massive tower. Marilyn felt the surging energy and asked, "Your Majesty, what is this tower? Why haven''t I seen it before?"


    The Demon King replied, "This is the recently constructed Training Tower. Its effect is quite simple. It can elerate training speed by at least a hundred times."


    Indeed, not long ago, Zhang Nu hadpleted the creation of the Demon King''s Training Tower. Its effect was straightforward - it could significantly speed up cultivation. One day of training inside the tower equated to over a hundred days outside.


    Unlike the Trial Tower, which had limitations and only worked for Level 5 units or below, the Training Tower had no such restrictions. It could enhance the training of anyone, regardless of their level, and its capacity was vast. This made it an invaluable treasure and a product worthy of the super treasure chestbel.


    The benefits it brought to the territory were profound.


    Marilyn was astonished, "A hundred times eleration in training? That''s... amazing!"


    However, the Demon King rified, "I said at least a hundred times. The Training Tower has fiveyers, and eachyer increases the effect by 20%!"


    In other words, if the firstyer provided 100 times eleration, the secondyer would be 120 times, the thirdyer 150 times, the fourthyer 187 times, and the fifthyer 224 times.


    The Demon King continued, "After constructing the tower, it has yet to be put into use. As a reward for defeating Wei Yi, I allow you to train on the fifthyer and experience its effects firsthand."


    Marilyn turned into a blur and rushed inside, leaving behind her gratitude in the wind, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"


    Zhang Nu could not help but be amazed. Marilyn was usually veryposed, but now she seemed like apletely different person. Nevertheless, this was beneficial, with her diligence, just half a month of training in the Training Tower would bring her to the top of Level 5s. At that point, she would likely encounter a bottleneck, and with one or two more Demon King Baptisms, Marilyn could be a Level 6 unit.


    The appearance of the Demon King''s Training Tower benefited not only Marilyn but also all the talented subordinates. It provided a stable ce for them to improve their strength. While the Evil God Cultivator could enhance the upper limits of his soldiers, the Training Tower could boost the strength of his high-level subordinates. With these two structures, the Demon King''s army and team would be rapidly reinforced.


    In the long run, the value of the Training Tower would surpass even that of the Trial Tower.

 Chapter 183: The Undying Phoenix

    <h4>Vol. 1 - Chapter 183: The Undying Phoenix</h4>


    In the majestic city of Bachor, as the teleportation light gradually waned, a figure with an imposing presence materialized. This man, in his early fifties, did not tower in height, yet exuded a potent aura that left no doubt about his significance -- he was no ordinary individual.


    "Identity confirmed!"


    "The Undying Phoenix - Hubert!"


    The sentry general of the teleportation station, upon recognizing the man''s identity, disyed a mix of surprise and profound respect. Without hesitation, he approached the neer and performed a formal salute, as befitting a knight paying homage to a revered figure.


    "Wee to Bahur City!"


    "Honorable Undying Phoenix!"


    This man, known as the "Undying Phoenix," held neither the esteemed rank of an empire''s high official nor the titled nobility. Nheless, his name carried a weight thatmanded profound respect, even from a Level 5 overlord ranked general, who treated him with utmost deference.


    For, in the southern borders of the Thunder Empire and across the mercenary and adventurer circles, the name "Undying Phoenix - Hubert" reverberated with an aura of legend. He was hailed as one of the ten super mercenaries of the empire''s southern frontier, a truly legendary and renowned adventurer!


    Hubert, the Undying Phoenix, did not have a fixed team. Over the past few decades, he had undertaken over a hundred high-difficulty missions. Eight years ago, he ventured alone into an ancient cavern, where he sessfully assassinated a Level 6 ancient daemon and managed to escape from tens of thousands of surrounding daemonic monsters, averting a catastrophic disaster for the empire. This courageous feat earned him the well-deserved title of the Undying Phoenix.


    Hubert was undoubtedly one of the most respected top powerhouses in the southern region. However, there was a little-known secret about him, he was also a yer, a Hero, known as Yan Qianjun!


    Yan Qianjun could not believe his incredible luck. While 99.99% of the yers started as ordinary adventurers, he directly transmigrated into the body of a legendary adventurer. Right from the beginning, Yan Qianjun was renowned as a powerful expert, possessing nearly the strength of a pseudo Level 6 overlord. This remarkable advantage spared him from many setbacks and challenges!


    Roaming through over ten provinces in the southern region, he fearlessly slew nearly a hundred southern region Demon Kings. Anyone unfortunate enough to be his target would undoubtedly be mercilessly in, incapable of retaliating against his overwhelming power.


    The massive amount of training points he gained allowed him to break through his bottleneck not long ago.


    That''s right.


    At this very moment, he officially stepped into Level 6, bing a Level 6 super Hero. Yan Qianjun felt like he was standing at the pinnacle of the era, bing one of the strongest in the southern region of the empire.


    Looking around, he saw no one that could rival him in sight, and he could not help but feel invincible. The illusion of being unbeatable intoxicated him and fueled his desire for even greater power.


    Yan Qianjun realized that continuing to hunt low-level Demon Kings would yield significantly reduced training points. With his current strength, he required an exceptionallyrge amount of training points to make any meaningful progress. Killing ordinary small Demon Kings no longer held any value for him. If he wanted to kill, it had to be the most formidable Demon Kings.


    At this moment, Yan Qianjun received intelligence from the Hero''s Guild, stating that in the remote southern border of the empire, there was a savagend called the Chaos Forest. Recently, a top-tier Demon King had risen to power there. This Demon King not only possessed formidable strength but also killed one of the empire''s Guardian Knights and established his own dominion over the forest.


    This event greatly angered the higher-ups of the empire, and a substantial bounty had been ced on the Demon King. Anyone, whether a Hero, adventurer, or mercenary, whoever could kill the Demon King would be rewarded with hereditary nobility, a sum of one billion empire gold coins, and many other rewards.


    At once, countless Heroes, mercenaries, and adventurers were eager to take action.


    Yan Qianjun, however, had little interest in the empire''s noble title or even the gold coins, but the sudden appearance of this super Demon King intrigued him.


    The in Guardian Knight was named Huang Hui, and he had crossed paths with Yan Qianjun in the past. Among the top-tier Heroes with exceptional starting conditions, they shared a small, secretive circle, so it was not surprising for them to know or have interacted with each other.


    Yan Qianjun knew that Huang Hui was not weak, and before his breakthrough, Yan Qianjun did not have an absolute advantage against him. However, such a powerful hero had met his end while attempting to subdue the Demon King, which left Yan Qianjun shocked.


    Although the intelligence from the battlefield indicated that Huang Hui''s death was due to an ambush and sneak attack, the Demon King capable of killing a Guardian Knight was undoubtedly formidable. The fact that this Demon King managed to kill Huang Hui and even establish dominion over arge area meant that he possessed terrifying strength and influence.


    Nevertheless, Yan Qianjun was now absolutely confident!


    In truth, there was nothing to worry about. If the Demon King had to rely on an ambush to kill Huang Hui, it showed that their strengths were quite evenly matched. Even if the Demon King had gained power recently, how much stronger could he be in such a short time?


    Yan Qianjun was not Huang Hui, and he far surpassed him in strength. Moreover, he would learn from Huang Hui''s mistakes and be better prepared.


    With all these advantages, sess seemed almost certain!


    At this level of strength, advancing further is as difficult as reaching the heavens! The empire would struggle to find a second Demon King of such power in a short time. If Yan Qianjun did not act quickly, there was a risk of someone else taking the opportunity, or worse, the empire annihting the Demon King. Regret would be inevitable!


    Not daring to waste any time, Yan Qianjun hurriedly made his way to the duke''s mansion. The Grand Duke of the South was just convening a mobilization meeting. In the vast hall of military and political affairs, there were hundreds of figures, and each one had the qualifications to be summoned by the Grand Duke, none of them were ordinary individuals!


    With a quick scan, Yan Qianjun roughly distinguished three groups based on their identities: the high-level members of the Bachor Family, the southern region militarymanders, and the nobles of the southern region.


    Among the high-level members of the Bachor Family were the leaders of the six Bachor Family Knights Squads, the leaders of the two Bachor Family Mage Squads, various senior members of the family, and dozens of honorary members.


    Yan Qianjun could sense that most of them possessed Level 5 strength, and at least thirty of them were Level 5 overlords. This should not be the entirety of the Bachor Family''s top-tier forces. Just how formidable was the true strength of this top-tier family in the empire?


    On the side of the southern region military, there were nine Guardian Knights, ten Knight Commanders of the Empire''s Knight Squads, and twenty-nine Imperial Legion Commanders.


    Most of the leaders of the empire''s southern region forces were present. The southern region boasted a knight squad consisting of ten Guardian Knights. With the death of the Hero, Huang Hui, there were still nine remaining, making them formidable, especially their knight captain.


    Apart from the members of the Bachor Family and the southern region military figures, the other noble families in the Thunder Empire also constituted a force that could not be underestimated.


    Among the nobles attending the meeting were six Marquises, eighty-five Counts, and one hundred ny-two Viscounts.


    This sheer number of Southern Region noble titles demonstrated the vast expanse of the Thunder Empire''s territory. On average, the territory of a Count wasparable to a medium-sized province in the previous world, while a Marquis''s territory was at least asrge as thergest province in the previous world.


    The might of the empire was truly terrifying!


    Yan Qianjun felt deeply fortunate. This situation was beyond belief and terrifying! Fortunately, he arrived in time! Otherwise, once this force was unleashed, there would be no escape for the Demon King. He must personally take the Demon King''s life to further elevate his own strength!


    Such a powerful Demon King must not be easily eradicated by the empire''s forces or exploited by opportunistic Heroes hidden among the military and nobility.


    Yan Qianjun''s mind raced with countless thoughts. His gaze did not linger for long as he nced at Duke Bachor.


    "Such immense strength!"


    "What a dangerous being!"


    Even in his current state, standing before Duke Bachor, he could not help but feel a hint of pressure and a sense of impending danger. It became clear to him that Duke Bachor was not only esteemed in status but also an undoubtedly formidable powerhouse, possibly even stronger than anyone else present, including the nobles, knights, and generals.


    What''s more, Duke Bachor might even surpass his own strength! n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This feeling was entirely new to him!


    Yan Qianjun realized that the southern region was home to numerous hidden talents, and he had not yet be the invincible being he aspired to be. Therefore, he was more determined than ever to eliminate this Demon King! No one should dare to interfere or prevent him from taking matters into his own hands!


    "Hubert pays his respects to the Duke!"


    Facing the esteemed Duke Bachor, a figure of great power and mystery, Yan Qianjun, as amoner without the title of knight or noble, had no choice but to bow respectfully, performing a grand gesture of deference.


    "So, you are the renowned adventurer with the nickname ''Undying Phoenix''?"


    "Indeed, you are strong, living up to your reputation."


    A faint smile appeared on Duke Bachor''s lips. "I have always respected strong individuals, and someone like you, a formidable force, needs not kneel. Rise."


    Yan Qianjun got back on his feet. "Thank you, Your Grace."


    Duke Bachor inquired, "Why have youe to see me?"


    Yan Qianjun replied, "I am not only a free mercenary and adventurer, but also a Chosen Hero. I heard that an evil Demon King is causing trouble in the southern bordends. Therefore, I havee to offer my skills to eliminate him."


    Hearing this, the crowd began to discuss among themselves. Many faces were filled with excitement.


    "The famous adventurer, the Undying Phoenix, is going to take action?"


    "If that''s the case, it''s excellent news! We might not have to deal with this matter ourselves and save on costs!"


    However, a few people wore displeasure on their faces, most of them being Heroes.


    "The renowned Undying Phoenix is also a Chosen Hero?"


    Duke Bachor was astonished and could not help but furrow his brow. He noticed that these "Chosen Heroes" seemed to have spread across various professions and ranks. Moreover, after bing Chosen Heroes, their growth rate increased, and their temperament, character, and behavior all changed to some extent.


    Duke Bachor sensed that this might not necessarily be a good thing and could pose a considerable hidden threat to the southern region and even the entire Thunder Empire.


    Certainly.


    At this very moment, the Undying Phoenix, Hubert, took the initiative to volunteer for the task, and this was undoubtedly good news for Duke Bachor. Yan Qianjun continued, "Although the empire''s forces are strong and well-equipped, the southern region is vast. It would take a considerable amount of time to gather troops from various noble territories, military bases, and fortresses."


    "The growth rate of the Demon King is rapid. Even with just a half-month window, their strength would significantly increase, making them more challenging to deal with."


    "Instead of mobilizing the entire army, it''s better to entrust this task to me! I am confident that I can directly y the Demon King and eliminate this hidden threat for the empire!"


    Duke Bachor nodded in agreement. "You''re right. The mobilization and assembly of the empire''s army do require a significant amount of time and resources."


    "But this Demon King is no easy task. Are you certain you can handle him?" he inquired.


    Yan Qianjun brimmed with confidence. "It would not be difficult. As long as you agree to one condition, I can guarantee that I will kill the Demon King within seven days."


    "Oh? Is that so? Tell me your condition," Duke Bachor responded.


    Yan Qianjun stated, "The empire offers a bounty of one billion gold coins for the Demon King''s head. I hope to receive an advance payment of this sum. With this money in hand, dealing with the Demon King will be a piece of cake!"


    Upon hearing his words, the crowd burst into discussions. What does this enormous sum of money have to do with ying the Demon King? If it were not for the fact that the Undying Phoenix was a renowned and reputable adventurer, many might have suspected him of trying to swindle money.


    "Very well!"


    However, Duke Bachor added, "I can give you the money in advance, but I have a condition, or rather, a necessary requirement."


    "Please, go on," Yan Qianjun replied.


    "Your mission must have the full participation of the Guardian Knights."


    Yan Qianjun was momentarily stunned, but then a look of excitement appeared on his face.


    The Duke dispatching the Guardian Knights was undoubtedly for surveince purposes. Although the likelihood of the Undying Phoenix, Hubert, absconding with the money was small given his reputation, one billion gold coins was still a considerable sum. If the Undying Phoenix were to truly escape, the loss of money might be minor, but it would be a major blow to the empire''s reputation.


    Yan Qianjun already had great confidence in the mission, and with several Guardian Knights assisting him, how could this operation not seed?


    "Please rest assured, Your Grace!"


    "I guarantee it with my honor!"


    "This mission will undoubtedly be sessful!"


    This daring adventurer was worth the investment. Besides, the cost to the empire was not significant. To ensure foolproof sess, Duke Bachor dispatched eight Guardian Knights.


    Yan Qianjun had achieved his objective, and even surpassed his own expectations. If he had about 70 to 80 percent certainty before, at this moment, he was now 99.9 percent confident in his n.


    After bidding farewell, the Undying Phoenix began to take action.


    Meanwhile, Duke Bachor continued the discussion on troop mobilization. Despite enlisting the aid of the renowned adventurer and the eight Guardian Knights, and receiving the promise ofpleting the mission within seven days, he had no intention of halting the deployment of troops. The empire''s grand strategy involved sending its forces into the Chaos Forest, regardless of whether Yan Qianjun seeded or not. Killing the Demon King was not the empire''s ultimate goal; it only served as a pretext to upy and control the strategically important Chaos Forest.


    From Duke Bachor to King Frelio XVI, they never truly considered the Demon King as a threat capable of shaking the empire''s rule. Instead, their true aimy in exploiting the situation to seize and control the vital Chaos Forest.

 Chapter 184: The Gargoyle Demon King

    <h4>Vol. 1 - Chapter 184: The Gargoyle Demon King</h4>


    The Barrenfire Stone ins.


    This was a border territory belonging to the Thunder Empire. It partially bordered the Chaos Forest, with itsnd deste, environment harsh, and overrun by ferocious creatures like numerous tribes of aggressive orcs, half-orcs, and ogres. Despite its considerable size, the poption was sparse, and no hereditary nobles were granted fiefs there.


    In the central part of the stone ins, therey a range of mountains called the Stone Curse Mountains. For centuries, hardly anyone had ventured into this remote and forsaken ce, not even adventurers had bothered toe to such a deste area.


    However, deep within the mountains, there was a Demon King''s domain, and its ruler was Shi Zhiyang, the Gargoyle Demon King. He belonged to the Gargoyle race, an undead tribe with a rtively modest Demon King bloodline. While higher-grade Demon Kings possessed significant advantages, middle to lower-grade Demon Kings were not entirely worthless. They had unique advantagespared to higher-grade Demon Kings, such as the cost advantage in building their armies.


    The top-tier Demon King bloodlines, while incredibly powerful, came with a rtively higher cost for their own race''s units. High-grade Demon Kings required one hundred gold to summon a single unit, while middle to lower-grade ones could achieve the same with just ten to eight gold. In some cases, certain low-level Demon Kings could summon basic units for as few as three to five gold.


    Despite their individualbat strength being somewhatckluster, their advantageid in sheer numbers. While a high-grade Demon King could only summon one unit, a lower-grade one could summon a dozen or even twenty units.


    Shi Zhiyang was a Demon King known for employing a strategy of overwhelming numbers in his battles. At present, hemanded a poption of twenty-three thousand, with only a small fraction being affiliated with orcs, ogres, and half-orcs. The majority, around twenty thousand, were units of his own race.


    Among the twenty thousand units of his own race, two-thirds werebat units. Although their averagebat prowess may have been considered ordinary, when amassed in suchrge numbers andunching attacks en masse, they were more than capable of easily overpowering Level 5 lords, who were known for their defense.


    Therefore, as a Level 4 Demon King, Shi Zhiyang stood as the most formidable force in the Barrenfire Stone ins. He had even achieved victory against a fellow Demon King with a higher-grade bloodline.


    Shi Zhiyang''s ambition was to continue expanding his influence, and he saw the Chaos Forest in the south as his best choice. After all,pared to regions under sovereignty, thewlessnd of the Chaos Forest was more conducive to a Demon King''s growth and development.


    With nearly twenty thousandbat-capable units under hismand, Shi Zhiyang was confident that he could easily sweep through various tribes in the forest and even pose a threat to mid-sized and small forest cities.


    However, at that very moment, news arrived from the Chaos Forest that left Shi Zhiyang utterly astonished.


    A Demon King had officially dered himself the ruler of the Chaos Forest. How could this be possible? How did he achieve it so quickly?


    Shi Zhiyang thought his own growth in power was already fast enough. In just a few months, he had swept through all the tribes of orcs, ogres, and half-orcs in the Barrenfire Stone ins, as well as several fellow Demon Kings. When he boasted about his achievements on the Demon King channel, he received countless envy and admiration from other Demon Kings. Little did he know that his happiness would be short-lived as a formidablepetitor emerged from the neighboring region.


    Barrenfire Stone ins was not even one-thirtieth the size of Chaos Forest. Not only was the area much smaller, but thend, environment, resources, and poption were also vastly inferior. The territory he was so proud of was nothing more than insignificant rubbish to the Dragon Demon King.


    "Damn it all!"


    "This guy!"


    "How did he manage to do it?"


    "This is infuriating! I refuse to ept this!"


    The Gargoyle Demon King was greatly infuriated because the establishment of the Chaos Federation hadpletely disrupted his development ns. He wished he could strip the other Demon King to the bone and tear him apart.


    The Dragon Demon King seemed like a formidable opponent. Shi Zhiyang had no idea of the true extent of his strength. Perhaps he should find an opportunity to go over and test him out.


    The Gargoyle Demon King was still trying to make sense of the situation when suddenly the detection tower alerted him to something unusual. Almost simultaneously, he received the following alerts:


    [Your territory is under invasion!]


    [Your Gargoyle Soldier has been killed!]


    [Your Gargoyle Soldier has been killed!]


    [Your Gargoyle Wizard has been killed!]


    [......]


    A Level 3 Lord-level Gargoyle Demon swiftly flew in and urgently reported, "Master, we have an emergency! Someone has broken in; they seem to be Heroes!"


    Shi Zhiyang was taken aback and instantly infuriated. The main hall''s space warped as a man in ck, approximately fifty years old, along with eight others d in golden armor, teleported in.


    Shi Zhiyang could not believe his eyes. The defenses of a Demon King''s territory were exceptionally stringent, with over ten thousand Gargoyle Soldiers stationed nearby at all times. They possessed the ability to detect stealth units, as well as flight and mid-range attack capabilities. It seemed almost impossible for outsiders to breach these defenses.


    In all the time since the castle''s establishment, no Hero had ever dared to venture here. How did these few individuals manage to achieve the impossible? From their appearance, it was evident that the man in ck possessed powerful spatial abilities as only a teleportation-type skill could bypass such formidable defenses.


    "More Heroes?"


    "Do you have a death wish?"


    "Do you even know who I am?"


    "You dare to intrude into my territory and seek death!"


    Despite trying to appear fierce, Shi Zhiyang could not urately gauge the strengths of these nine intruders, leaving him uncertain and somewhat unnerved. It was too dangerous to act hastily!


    These intruders were evidently unlike any Heroes he had dealt with before. If he made a move now, his Demon King Altar would be in a perilous situation. He needed to buy time, wait for his external reinforcement forces to arrive, and overwhelm the intruders with sheer numbers.


    "Kill them!"


    The two Gargoyle Demons guarding Shi Zhiyang let out sharp howls as they lunged to attack the intruders. Gargoyle Demons, being Level 3 lord ranked beings, represented the most powerfulbat units under Shi Zhiyang''smand. He hoped they could buy some time to figure out the situation.


    Among the nine intruders, eight remained motionless, while one of the golden knights stepped forward.


    In a split second, a tremendous surge of golden sword Qi swept through the Demon King''s hall, slicing through the two Gargoyle Demons. Amidst their agonizing cries, they were both obliterated in mid-air.


    [Your Gargoyle Demon has been killed!]


    [Your Gargoyle Demon has been killed!]


    "This is impossible!" Shi Zhiyang''s face turned pale with fear. He had not even seen how the intruder attacked. They were too powerful---definitely a Level 5 overlord! They were on an entirely different levelpared to him. What''s more terrifying was that this was just a subordinate!


    Yan Qianjun chuckled, "Hah, haven''t you realized your predicament yet? If I wanted you dead, you''d be dead by now, without any chance to resist."


    He was right. The Demon King struggled to regain hisposure. "What do you want?"


    "Cooperation," Yan Qianjun said. "I want to use your power to help me deal with the Dragon Demon King in the south."


    "You really are a Hero!"


    "Your target is the Demon King of Chaos Forest!"


    Shi Zhiyang had in many Heroes before, most of them hailing from some savage half-beast and orc tribes in the wilderness. He had never encountered a Hero like the one before him. Before this, he never even considered the possibility of such powerful beings among the Heroes.


    "If even youck the confidence to deal with this Demon King, then with my current strength, what''s the difference between facing him and suiciding?" Shi Zhiyang asked.


    Yan Qianjun nodded and said, "Indeed, you are too weak and insignificant. Even among Demon Kings, you are not even one percent as powerful as the Dragon Demon King!"


    "This Demon King wiped out an entire empire''s legion not long ago, killing over a hundred thousand empire official soldiers and even ying a Guardian Knight."


    Shi Zhiyang was greatly shocked. He had suspected this Demon King was extraordinary, but he never imagined the extent of his strength. Recently, he had been nning tounch attacks on several tribes and towns in Chaos Forest, testing and harassing them. Thankfully, he had not executed his ns.


    Shi Zhiyang grew even more perplexed. "If that''s the case, how can we cooperate? Are you nning to make me a mere cannon fodder? You might as well end me now!"


    "Of course not," Yan Qianjun reassured. "First, take a look at my gift to you."


    With a snap of his fingers, space twisted, and countless gold poured out like a fountain, forming a mountain of gold in the Demon King''s hall, shimmering brightly. Shi Zhiyang was left in awe. He had never seen so much gold in his life. Additionally, Yan Qianjun''s abilities left him stunned. This guy indeed possessed powerful spatial capabilities.


    Yan Qianjun continued, "The potential of a Demon King is limitless. Not only do you have the ability to evolve and activate talents infinitely, but with sufficient resources, even a weak Demon King can instantly create a formidable army. This is the advantage of Demon Kings."


    "You may be weak now, but with my help, you can possess tremendous power in an instant, enough to stand against the forces of Chaos Forest!" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Shi Zhiyang began to understand. This Hero intended to utilize his Demon King''s ability to summon armies. With so much gold, he could greatly enhance his Gargoyle Demon King''s forces tenfold or even more, making them capable of facing the Dragon Demon King in battle.


    "What are the conditions?" Shi Zhiyang asked.


    Yan Qianjun presented another scroll. "There are no free lunches in this world. You need to sign this contract with me!" As expected, the gold was not given for free. Yan Qianjun warned, "You have no choice. It''s a matter of life or death. Think carefully."


    After much deliberation, Shi Zhiyang finally gritted his teeth and signed the contract. The contract wielded immense power, enough to bind even a Level 5 target. Shi Zhiyang realized that he could no longer defy Yan Qianjun''smands.


    Yan Qianjun was pleased with his strategy, which was rather straightforward---using the power of a Demon King to counter another Demon King, fighting fire with fire. With this method, he could create an opportunity to strike for himself.


    Selecting Shi Zhiyang, the Gargoyle Demon King, was a calcted decision. Firstly, his magical abilities were decent, and secondly, Gargoyles were undead units with flight capabilities, meaning low maintenance costs and no immediate supply issues. Or else, a massive army, no matter how vast, would be useless without proper supply lines. Flying units also offered exceptional mobility and suppression capabilities.


    He had already gathered intelligence on the opposing Demon King---a colossal dragon with unquestionable Level 5 top-tier overlord strength. Due to racial advantage, it might be on par with an average Level 6 overlord. However, such strength would not be enough to contend against him. Yet, the true challenge lied in the multitude of followers, minions, and subordinates surrounding the Demon King. But, with the Gargoyle army as a distraction and the eight Guardian Knights on the frontlines, the Demon King had no hope of escaping!


    This Demon King was destined to fall, but Yan Qianjun learned from the lesson of Huang Hui. He must not be careless or underestimate the enemy. The original owner of this body was known as the "Undying Phoenix" because he always managed to escape unscathed from dangerous situations.


    In case of an unforeseen failure, the Demon King would still be unable to harm him. Yan Qianjun was fully prepared for the hunt. He had to take down this Demon King before Duke Bachor personally took action. If Duke Bachor intervened, the Demon King would have no chance of survival. Finding another Demon King like this one would be nearly impossible.


    For him, any opportunity to increase his strength was undoubtedly precious!


    ......


    Meanwhile, in the Darkness City, Great Demon King Zhang Nu had received intelligence from Su Yan. The Dragon''s Shadow Heroes had sessfully infiltrated Duke Bachor''s main city. Duke Bachor had recently summoned numerous subordinate nobles, militarymanders, and even a well-known adventurer. Armies from all over were assembling, indicating their imminent action.

 Chapter 185: The Development of Chaos Federation

    Within the Demon King''s hall, a clear voice echoed as the young Elven King approached the presence of the Great Demon King.


    "What prompts Your Majesty to summon me?"


    Zhang Nu casually inquired, "How have matters been progressing in the various cities and tribestely?"


    "Everything is proceeding well!" responded the Elven King with a cheerful tone. "Ever since witnessing the grandeur of the Darkness City and the miracles performed by Your Majesty, any lingering concerns about the establishment of the Chaos Federation have dissipated."


    "Though the establishment of the Chaos Federation is recent, conflicts and disputes among the various ns have notably diminished during this period."


    "These are developments that were once deemed inconceivable!"


    Nancilia was the staunchest supporter of the unification of the Chaos Forest and firmly believed that only through unity could the divisions and conflicts between the cities and tribes be effectively reduced. Reality had proven her right. Seeing the forest change day by day, the young Elven King felt genuinely delighted.


    "However, this is merely the beginning. We must not becent. We need to proceed with the integration quickly...Come with me to the altar."


    There were too many cities in the Chaos Forest. Cities with a permanent poption of over a hundred thousand were ssified asrge forest cities, and there were a total of twelve such cities. Additionally, there were about fifty-two medium-sized cities with a poption between a hundred thousand and thirty thousand. Altogether, there were sixty-four areas that could be considered cities.


    If we also counted small towns and settlements with poptions ranging from twenty to thirty thousand, then the number of what could be deemed as cities increased to at least one or two hundred. As for the tribes with poptions ranging from a few thousand to ten thousand, they were even more scattered, and some of them remained unconquered until then.


    Zhang Nu believed that this situation was not conducive to effective management. His subsequent n was to create a single central city for each of the major forest races. Each race would have a single main city. For instance, the future elven main city would be Giantree City, the future orcish main city would be Berserk Beast City, the future dwarven main city would be Ironheart City, and simrly for others.


    This n involved the dissolution of some cities and the relocation of certain tribes. Each race would establish viges and settlements around its main city. This approach would concentrate the poption and facilitate unified management while promoting a more organized system of production.


    The Chaos Federation had just been established, and its current operational logic was quite simple. Zhang Nu controlled various forest races such as elves, dwarves, giants, orcs, and trolls, numbering in the millions. Each race possessed its own unique strengths, such as the elves'' expertise in herb cultivation, dwarves'' mastery of forging and metallurgy, and trolls'' skill in alchemy and potion-making. Even those without specialized production skills could contribute by participating in the development of forest resources or engaging in other forms ofbor.


    With the assistance of himself, the Demon King, this process could generate significant value. While a significant share of the profits would be attributed to the Demon King, a portion of it would also be allocated among the diverse races. The Demon King''s substantial earnings in terms of profits and gold could be reinvested to improve the territory, construct beneficial infrastructure for the people, maintain a stronger military, and acquire more external resources. As a result, the citizens would gain more opportunities for development.


    Although the share of profits allocated to each race was rtively small, it still constituted a substantial ie. This ie far surpassed what they could achieve individually, motivating them to maintain the federation with even greater determination. This positive feedback loop would lead the Chaos Federation to be increasingly prosperous and powerful, while the Chaos Forest itself would gradually shake off chaos and transform into a realm of order.


    This was just the beginning phase, and Darkness City had a multitude of tasks ahead. Apart from actively promoting the construction of primary cities for each race, establishing clearws and order was also imperative for Darkness City. Basic principles of reward and punishment must be firmly in ce to foster a stronger sense of cohesion. However, instillingws and regtions deeply into the hearts of individuals would be far from easy.


    Zhang Nu recalled the cornerstone of the Azure Water Federation---the Azure Water Covenant! If the Chaos Federation possessed such a potent covenant, wouldn''t establishing fundamentalws and order be a matter of minutes? Unfortunately, such potent covenants were exceedingly rare and hard toe by globally. For now, Zhang Nu could only exert influence through both benevolence and authority.


    On one hand, he employed the Holy Grail of Blood to forcibly control city lords and chieftains, ensuring they would not dare to defy him. On the other hand, he offered the baptism of the Sacred King, aided in constructing industries, and provided food to sway them. Given the rtively small scale of the Chaos Federation, this approach was currently effective.


    The Great Demon King arrived at the Demon King''s Altar with the Elven King. Zhang Nu had summoned Nancilia for no particr reason other than the fact that the cooldown period for the Elven King''s blessings had psed.


    The Demon King''s Baptism, costing a mere 1 million gold each time, yielded a remarkable boost in the abilities of his subordinates. The greater their inherent potential and talent, the more pronounced the improvements became. It was akin to a beneficial program for them. Given the Demon King''s ample wealth, the cost of 1 million gold per baptism was insignificant, prompting Nancilia to undergo the process once again.


    The Elven King distinctly sensed her bloodline andtent abilities being rekindled once more. Furthermore, her training progress soared at an astonishing pace, propelling her from the early stages of the Level 5 to a level closer to the mid-stages. The rapid advancement left Nancilia awestruck. Under normal circumstances, transitioning from the Level 4 to the Level 5 and further progressing from the early stages to the mid-stages would require several decades at least. However, with the Demon King''s aid, this transformation was achieved within a matter of weeks. Her strength experienced a substantial surge, apanied by no apparent adverse effect either.


    Though Nancilia could not fathom the mechanism behind these changes, she understood that such potent enhancements could note without a price. As this realization set in, a sense of humility washed over her. She inquired, "Your Majesty, these baptisms must surely incur a substantial toll on your resources?"


    Zhang Nu candidly responded, "There is indeed a degree of resource consumption, but it''s within eptable range."


    Hearing these words, the young Elven King was not able to believe it. How could this be possible? His Majesty was intentionally downying it; the toll must be significant. Her eyes even became moist with emotion.


    "Your Majesty is too kind to me," she said, her voice trembling. "But I feel undeserving. I haven''t aplished anything significant for you, and my ability to manage the city iscking. Currently, every matter, whether big or small, within the city is handled by vice city lord Marilyn and the Elven Elder Council... Please, Your Majesty, don''t deplete your resources for my sake."


    Zhang Nu found himself in a bewildering situation. The Demon King''s Baptism had an immediate impact on enhancing one''s strength. Such an enhancement would be irresistible to anyone, yet the Elven King was declining due to her perceivedck of achievements. Truth be told, as a leader, Nancilia was indeed not up to par. However, even if she were useless or inactive, as long as she carried the title of the Elven King, she held significant value to Zhang Nu.


    Given this, Zhang Nu was determined to cultivate her. Moreover, the Elven King had be one of the most loyal supporters of the Demon King. But at this moment, Nancilia''s attitude was sincere and resolute. She might genuinely refuse the baptism in the future. Oh well, Zhang Nu thought. Instead of exerting effort to exin, it might be better to let her misunderstand.


    "Who says you''re of no use? I''m actually preparing to assign you a crucial mission," Zhang Nu said, catching the young Elven King''s attention.


    Her eyes lit up with anticipation, and she inquired, "Is that so? What kind of mission is it? I assure you, I''ll put all my efforts intopleting it and not disappoint Your Majesty."


    With tightly clenched fists, she made a few determined gestures to emphasize hermitment. Zhang Nu nodded and borated, "I''ve received recent intelligence from Su Yan. Duke Bachor in the southern territories has been showing increased activity. It''s likely that there will be some significant movements soon."


    "In case the Thunder Empire intends to target the Chaos Forest," he continued, "they''ll probably choose to enter through the Kolo territory. However, our Bloody Fortress poses an imprable barrier. Currently, Long Yi is the only one stationed there. I''m considering sending another powerhouse there."


    "Zhang San has been dispatched by me to deal with the remaining stubborn factions and to eliminate the disruptive daemons and monsters across the region, thus improving the overall environment of the Chaos Forest."


    "As for Li Si, with the federation''s recent establishment, internal affairs are demanding his attention. Being the Chief Priest, he can''t spare time immediately. I was initially nning to personally oversee the Bloody Fortress for a while..."


    Upon hearing this, the Elven King stood taller and dered with conviction, "Your Majesty, you needn''t say more. Leave this matter to me while you remain in Darkness City."


    Zhang Nu smiled and questioned, "Are you confident? The enemy is shrewd and formidable. This mission could potentially be dangerous."


    "Fear not," she replied, unwavering. "I am ready to serve you. I am ready to contribute to the federation. What is a little dangerpared to that?"


    With an unyielding spirit, the Elven King affirmed, "Your Majesty, you can rest assured. Though I mayck other skills, I have full confidence in mybat abilities."


    "Very well, then I entrust the task of guarding the Bloody Fortress to you."


    "Understood, Your Majesty!"


    With a new mission in hand, the Elven King''s mood significantly improved, and she promptly teleported to the Bloody Fortress.


    After the establishment of the Chaos Federation, the Bloody Fortress continued to expand, with a current resident garrison of fifty thousand troops. Elite forces were being drawn from various cities and tribes to station there, and within the next week or two, it was expected to grow to between eighty to a hundred thousand troops.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The reason the Demon King insisted on fortifying the Bloody Fortress to an almost impregnable level was primarily due to its strategically vital location. In the event of the empire attempting arge-scale invasion, bypassing the Bloody Fortress would be nigh impossible. As long as the fortress remained unconquered, the hearnd of the federation would remain secure, ensuring peaceful living and development for all the cities and tribes.


    Presently, the fortress wasmanded by the Abyssal Dragon, Long Yi. This abyssal dragon''s strength reached the pinnacle of the Level 5 overlord. Even facing off against Level 5 monarch-level individuals, he could hold his own in battle.


    Additionally, Zhang Nu recently promoted a group of high-ranking draconians. Among them, Dragon Commander Wang Er and Zhao Wu were both elevated to the positions of Earth Drake Grand Marshals, while High Priest Sun Xing was promoted to the new title of Sky Drake Archpriest. Wang Er, Zhao Wu, and Sun Liu were all currently stationed at the fortress.


    With this lineup, the defensive capabilities were already quite formidable. Now, with the addition of an Elven King, even if the Empire initiated unforeseen actions, the current defenses of the Bloody Fortress would still be more than enough to withstand any assault. This allowed the Great Demon King to remainfortably within the safety of the castle.


    Upon her arrival at the Bloody Fortress, Nancilia was assigned by the Fortress Commander, Long Yi, to the position of a Mage Overseer. Her primary responsibility was to safeguard the core regions of the fortress.


    On her first day on the job, the Elven King received an unusual report from Sun Liu: "Commander, our scouts have discovered traces of gargoyles nearby."


    "Gargoyles?" Nancilia questioned in confusion, "How could there be gargoyles here? There shouldn''t be such creatures like gargoyles in this vicinity."


    Long Yi''s gaze narrowed slightly as he responded, "Unusual urrences always have a reason. Prepare everyone and be cautious of a possible preemptive enemy attack."


    Wang Er, Zhao Wu, and Sun Liu immediately nodded in agreement, "Understood."


    Nancilia, on the other hand, found herself thinking that an enemy attack might not be such a bad thing after all. It would provide an opportunity for her to defeat the enemy and earn recognition. To her, encountering such a chance for aplishment right after arriving was indeed a fortunate turn of events."

 Chapter 186: Sea of Gargoyles

    <h4>Vol. 1 - Chapter 186: Sea of Gargoyles</h4>


    Across the Barrenfire Stone ins, darkness stretched from the gorge to the basin. While the gorge and basin themselves were not naturally ck, they now appeared as such due to the vast number of ck stone statues. Countless in quantity, ranging from tens of thousands to even millions, these statues stood at a height of six to seven feet, featuring menacing teeth andrge wings on their backs. Emitting an aura of darkness, these statues invoked an involuntary sense of fear and unease.


    The spectacle was truly astonishing. However, Gargoyle Demon King Shi Zhiyang''s emotions were intricate. Utilizing the funds provided by Yan Qianjun, he had worked incessantly for four days and nights, summoning without respite. In total, he had called forth an army of 2.8 million gargoylebatants.


    Yes, that''s right. A staggering 2.8 million!


    It was utterly insane!


    Although they were all Level 1 normalbat units, their sheer number was so immense that its capability went beyond attacking just a single Demon King. It could potentially conquer the entire Chaos Forest.


    Confronted with the vast assembly of gargoyle soldiers covering the mountains and ins, Yan Qianjun was thoroughly satisfied. It was as though he hadpleted a monumental masterpiece. Even ten billion continental gold coins would be a fortune for Marquis-level nobles. However, Yan Qianjun did not even bat an eye when giving it to Shi Zhiyang. Money did not interest him; he was seeking power. His sole objective was to y the Great Dragon Demon King.


    This was the grand gift prepared for the Demon King. Shi Zhiyang converted the gold into nearly a hundred million gold, ultimately forming an overwhelming army of gargoyle soldiers that nketed thend and sky.


    Yan Qianjun''s decision to choose Shi Zhiyang was undeniably wise. If he had opted for a minotaur, boarfolk, or any other conventional races of Demon Kings, summoning without restraint like this would have be an outright nightmare.


    Two or three million units. That''s two or three million mouths to feed!


    Combat units had a substantial appetite, and this would consume an emperor''s portion of ration. Maintaining an army of such magnitude would result in colossal expenses and burdens, even for a nation-level power. If the supply could not keep up, it would hinder the formation ofbat capability and possibly lead to disaster instead.


    Even for the undead.


    Although they seemingly did not require food or drink, they still needed to absorb death energy from their surroundings to replenish their bodies. The altars of the undead-type Demon Kings could produce the energy the undead army needed. But the enormous amount of energy required by several million undead was exceptionally vast. Their daily consumption in gold? could easily reach hundreds of thousands. Should the supply be dyed, the undead would lose theirbat capabilities. Over time, they would also face death.


    Gargoyles were an incredibly unique form of undead. They could maintain a petrified state of dormancy, only breaking free from it when they needed to be active. This significantly reduced their energy consumption. If they remained active constantly, gargoyles would also require daily energy replenishment.


    Maintaining such a massive army came with an extraordinarily high cost, likely around three hundred thousand gold per day. However, if they stayed in their petrified dormancy, gargoyles could endure for up to fifteen days. Even if their energy waspletely drained, they would not perish immediately. Instead, they would enter a deep slumber, capable of surviving for several years. As long as they received sufficient energy replenishment, they could revive from this deep dormancy.


    At this moment, the entire expanse was filled with over two million dormant gargoylebat units, strategically preserving their strength, allowing Yan Qianjun ample time to utilize them in battleter.


    "Excellent! Truly splendid! What a colossal force!" Yan Qianjun''s satisfaction radiated as he eximed, "The Chaos Forest''s Demon King is nothing! All of the Southern realm''s Demon Kings shall tremble before this might!"


    This spectacle was nothing short of awe-inspiring. The eight Guardian Knights exchanged meaningful nces, finallyprehending why Demon Kings deserved their fearsome reputation. This collective entity was truly formidable. In theory, each Demon King, even the weakest among them, wielded power capable of obliterating the world.


    These gargoylebat units were not individually strong. A well-trained empire''s official soldier could probably take on ten or eight of these creatures single-handedly. In other words, theoretically, the strength of over two million gargoylebat units was approximately equal to that of over twenty thousand empire official troops. At first nce, it might seem like just a regr legion, nothing extraordinary.


    Yet, in actuality, it was quite the contrary. Gargoyles attacked by propelling spear-like stone projectiles, and with their staggering numbers, the resultant impact was horrifyingly formidable. This was also one of the reasons Yan Qianjun opted for gargoyles. Unrestrained summoning ofbat units was a capability most Demon Kings could not wield. The Gargoyle Demon King was among the very few exceptions.


    At that very moment, a Gargoyle Demon descended from the skies. Approaching the Demon King, he reported, "After days of thorough reconnaissance, we''ve confirmed the presence of a powerful Abyssal Dragon within the confines of the Bloody Fortress."


    "It appears to be him," Shi Zhiyang observed, looking towards Yan Qianjun. "So, what''s your n?"


    Yan Qianjun grinned and replied, "n? We''ve been gearing up for this, all to take down that dragon! Now that we''ve pinpointed its location, it''s time to put our preparations into motion!"


    Under the cover of night, the Barrenfire Stone ins and the Stone Curse Mountains were enshrouded in a dark void. Hurricane winds howled, casting a dense and eerie shadow. If anyone happened to witness this scene, their astonishment would be undeniable.


    A multitude of gargoyles, numbering in the millions, descended from the rockyndscape, infiltrating the southern forest and racing against the impending dawn to reach the Bloody Fortress.


    However, despite the cloak of night, concealing such a massive operation was nearly impossible. The Bloody Fortress reacted immediately. Countless beholders unleashed energy beams, and the gargoyle soldiers were struck and obliterated, falling like raindrops in a frenzied dance. While the extent of casualties might seem exaggerated, it was rtively minor in terms of the total numbers involved.


    "Attack!"


    The gargoylebat units initiated their assault. Countless stone spears, ranging from hundreds of thousands to even millions, descended like a massive obsidian cloud. The protective barrier of the Bloody Fortress was struck and underwent an immediate distortion. Even though the individual offensive capability of these Level 1 units was unremarkable, thebined assault resulted in a horrifying impact that could only be described as extraordinary.


    The second wave of attacks descended swiftly. The protective barriers of the Bloody Fortress were riddled with holes as countless stone spears pierced through the cracks, striking the inside of the barrier. At this moment, the entire Bloody Fortress was encircled by a dense multitude of gargoyle soldiers, formingyers uponyers that left no escape.


    Thousands of beholders were fiercely attacking, but their attack speed was not sufficient. A single beholder could attack just over twenty times before depleting its MP pool. Despite the efforts of thousands or even tens of thousands of beholders, their MP was ultimately exhausted. Against the gargoyle soldiers, the damage inflicted was minimal. This was the tactic of overwhelming with numbers,pensating for quality with quantity.


    A roaring growl shook the air. Wang Er and Zhao Wu, the two Earth Drake Grand Marshals, transformed into Diamond Earth Drakes and charged out of the fortress, enduring the dense rain-like attacks. However, no matter how many stone spears struck them, the Diamond Earth Drakes remained unscathed. These attacks could not breach their formidable defense. Despite their incredible resilience, the Grand Marshals were at a disadvantage in terms of flight, leaving them with limited options in this situation.


    Simultaneously, the Sky Drake Archpriest, Sun Liu, transformed into a Three-Headed Drake and led a group of drake transformed priests, followed by arge contingent of Elven Dragonhawk Riders and Orc Wyvern Riders. They initiated an attack against the gargoyle soldiers.


    "The Demon King isn''t here!"


    Yan Qianjun spotted the Earth Drake Grand Marshals. He knew that there had been a time when some Heroes mistook the Diamond Earth Drake for the Dragon Demon King, leading to a series of mistakes rooted in underestimating the enemy''s strength. Ridiculous, he thought. How could someone confuse even the Demon King? It wasughable that there were people who could make such an error. He would not fall for such foolishness.


    Just then, a fierce wave of dragon fear swept over. In an instant, within its range, hundreds of gargoyle soldiers were stunned and plummeted from the air. Simultaneously, a bloody lightning was released, spreading into the midst of the gargoyle horde. In the blink of an eye, hundreds of targets were obliterated.


    A massive ck-scaled dragon emerged from the fortress,pletely ignoring the spear attacks, and breathed forth a torrent of dragon mes. Wherever the mes touched, the gargoyle soldiers were reduced to ashes. These cursed insects were frail and vulnerable, barely withstanding a single strike, and their attacks were hardly a threat. Yet their overwhelming numbers posed a tremendous challenge for Long Yi.


    Yan Qianjun was overjoyed. The true Dragon Demon King had appeared. The forces of the Demon King were tied down by the gargoyle soldiers. No one could disturb him anymore. He activated his spatial abilities and, along with the eight Guardian Knights, instantly teleported before Long Yi.


    Long Yi immediately sensed the extraordinary strength of these individuals. They must be the masterminds behind this attack. "Die!" he roared as his dragon''s breath howled forth.


    The eight Grand Knights simultaneously activated their transformation skill: Guardian Golden Form. Eight colossal golden-armored giants stood up, swinging their super-sized greatswords in unison. In an instant, they intercepted the dragon me, and a few shes of Qi struck the dragon''s body.


    Boom! Several muffled sounds echoed, and a few scales were slightly damaged, yet the dragon was not severely harmed. Yan Qianjun''s eyes gleamed with fanaticism and delight. Such formidable defense and strength! The renowned Chaos Forest Dragon King truly lived up to his reputation. To grow stronger, he had to defeat such powerful foes. Despite this Dragon King''s strength, he was at best a pseudo Level 6 overlord, and the gap in strength between them was evident. Even relying on his racial advantage, he could not bridge the gap inbat power.


    Moreover, Yan Qianjun was not alone. He was apanied by the eight Guardian Knights, a formidable force capable of handling a Level 6 overlord unit together. He sneered, "Surrender to your fate. Under this situation, you have no chance of winning."


    As he spoke, the eight Guardian Knights took action. The eight greatswords immediately formed a suppressive formation. The knights attacked and defended with perfect synchronization. Despite the opponent''s formidable strength, they were evenly matched, holding their ground against the dragon.


    Yan Qianjun exercised caution, observing for a while. Once he had a clear grasp of the opponent''s strength and was absolutely certain, he intended to make his move, ending the battle in a single strike. The gargoyle soldiers were incredibly useful. Finishing the battle sooner could save on resources. In the future, he could use the same strategy to deal with other Demon Kings.


    With a wave of Yan Qianjun''s hands, the space above, below, left, and right of the dragon tore open, creating rifts from which countless glowing runic chains emerged, instantly binding the dragon. "Yabe!" Long Yi realized that this was an immensely powerful sealing skill. The moment he was ensnared by these magical chains, he felt his strength and stats plummeting drastically.


    "Kill him!" Yan Qianjunmanded. The eight golden-armored giants raised their greatswords, preparing to strike the dragon. Even with formidable defense, under the suppression of this sealing magic, the dragon''s defense would weaken significantly, making it vulnerable.


    Under the simultaneous attack of the eight Grand Knights, this strike might not be enough to kill the dragon, but it would surely inflict severe damage.


    However, in that fleeting moment, Yan Qianjun and the eight Guardian Knights suddenly felt an immense force sweeping over them, as if the sky and earth were copsing. They were directly enveloped in another space. Simultaneously, countless tree roots burst from the ground. These roots immediately bound the eight Guardian Knights, and even around Yan Qianjun, numerous roots spread out and attempted to bind him, only to be blocked by a transparent shield.


    [You''re under the effect of "Domain of the Divine Tree." All stats have decreased by 10%. Skills below C rank are sealed.]


    Yan Qianjun''s expression changed. "Domain skill? A monarch!"


    A figure descended from the sky andnded before them. It was an exquisitely beautiful elven girl who appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old. She held an ornate staff, exuding an authority that did not match her appearance and her presence emitted a powerful aura.


    "An Elven King!"


    The eight Guardian Knights were bbergasted, and even Yan Qianjun found it hard to believe. There was an Elven King within the Chaos Forest? Such a significant revtion, and the Thunder Empire had no knowledge of it? Could it be that the Demon King was just a smokescreen? Was the true ruler of the Chaos Forest the Elven King? Just like Yan Qianjun had used the Gargoyle Demon King, he was not the only one who had thought of such a method.


    Although the Demon Kings were terrifying and each possessed the potential to destroy the world, they were also valuable pawns. It logically made sense that the Elven King controlled the Demon Kings to establish the Chaos Federation and used them to unite the various forest races.


    "Shit!"


    "We managed to suppress the Demon King."


    "But now a fucking Elven King appeared."


    Yan Qianjun''s expression grew grave. He had never faced a monarch-level opponent before. What was originally a sure victory had be uncertain due to the addition of the Elven King.


    Meanwhile, within the Darkness City, Zhang Nu received a flurry of yer notifications.


    [You''ve in a Gargoyle Soldier. Gold +10!]


    [You''ve in a Gargoyle Soldier. Gold +10!]


    [You''ve in a Gargoyle Soldier. Gold +10!]


    [......]


    In the blink of an eye, there were over several hundred thousand such notifications. These units were all evidently gargoyles! n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhang Nu''s first reaction was that it was absurd. Which Demon King had the luxury to summon so many low-level units? Could they afford to maintain them? Even if they could afford it, these units would not be able to create much value. However,pared to the quantity of gargoyles, Zhang Nu was more concerned about why so many of them had suddenly appeared in the Bloody Fortress.


    "Better take a look!"


    Zhang Nu immediately activated his title''s privileges and teleported from the Darkness City directly to the Bloody Fortress. He immediately witnessed the staggering sight of countless gargoyle soldiers filling the sky. At the same time, he sensed several individuals with powerful auras engaged in battle.


    So that''s how it is. Using the abilities of a Demon King to create a sea of troops for horde tactics, huh?

 Chapter 187: True Power of the Undying Phoenix

    Within the domain of the Divine Tree, Yan Qianjun''s expression grew serious. Despite being cautious, unforeseen issues had still urred. He said, "So, the real orchestrator behind the changes in the Chaos Forest is the elven race, and the Demon Kings are just a smokescreen."


    Nancilia furrowed her brow, "I have no idea what you''re talking about."


    Still ying coy, huh? While this Demon King was undeniably formidable, it was imusible that he could swiftly take control and govern the entire Chaos Forest. Moreover, there''s a monarch-level presence in this forest. The only usible exnation is that the Elven King is the true mastermind, hidden in the shadows, pulling all the strings. Everyone had been deceived by her while they were distracted by the Demon King. When people were focused on the Demon King, the Elven King could seize the opportunity to elevate the elves'' status.


    Nancilia raised her scepter and cast a dispel magic spell, instantly unraveling the sealing chains that bound the mighty dragon. She then buffed herself with a protective enchantment. "While I''m unsure about your ramblings, the Chaos Forest does not wee individuals like you. Anyone attempting to disrupt the peace and order of the federation will be an enemy of mine, Nancilia!"


    Yan Qianjun bursted intoughter. "Very well, I''ve never faced a monarch-level entity before. Today, I''ll witness firsthand what makes a monarch so extraordinary"


    Qi erupted like a fierce storm, shattering the surrounding tree roots. Yan Qianjun seemed to conjure a dark sword out of thin air, and a potent sword Qinced toward Nancilia.


    "What?"


    "He''s not a mage!"


    The young Elven King hastily conjured a defensive shield. The daring adventurer possessed both formidablebat Qi and seemingly adept magical prowess. Could he be a dual practitioner like Marilyn?


    Meanwhile, the eight Guardian Knights continued their coordinated assault. Among Level 5 overlords, Long Yi was undoubtedly a ceiling-tier existence. While a single Guardian Knight had little to no chance of victory facing Long Yi, but when eight of them joined forces, the dynamics shifted entirely. The Guardian Knights were already exceptionally potent individually, and their high synchronization had made even defeating a Level 6 overlord a feasible feat. Thus, they had the capability to counter or even suppress a powerful Abyssal Dragon.


    However, due to the monarch''s domain''s suppression, the eight knights were visibly weakened. The massive dragon had been blessed by the potent magic of the Elven King, causing its stats to surge momentarily. As a result of this give-and-take, the gap in strength widened.


    The eight Guardian Knights rapidly found themselves at a disadvantage. Defeat seemed to be only a matter of time. One of the knights spoke up, "There''s no need to be reckless. We''ll hold off the Dragon King and buy time for Lord Hubert, the Undying Phoenix, to intervene." The other knights nodded in agreement. With the constraining influence of the monarch''s domain and their own limitations, winning against this dragon under such circumstances was an exceedingly daunting task. Rather than taking unnecessary risks, a more conservative approach was favored.


    Although the Elven King possessed tremendous power, the Undying Phoenix, Hubert, was a legendary adventurer of the empire''s southern borders. His strength should be sufficient to contend with the Elven King. Maintaining the monarch''s domain demanded a considerable amount of MP, and the Elven King''s MP would be drained rapidly. With the Bloody Fortress held in check by countless gargoyle soldiers, both the Elven King and the Abyssal Dragon were isted and without reinforcements. The longer the battle dragged on, the more advantageous it would be for the Royal Knights.


    Nancilia and Yan Qianjun engaged in a series ofbat exchanges. Nancilia realized that this human possessed thebat prowess of a Level 6 overlord, excelling in bothbat Qi and martial techniques. To make matters worse, he also demonstrated an adept control of spatial abilities.


    Were it not for the enhanced magic within the Domain of the Divine Tree, her protective shield alone might not have been sufficient to withstand his relentless assaults. Not underestimating her adversary, Nancilia concentrated her focus and unleashed one of her most potent techniques: the Elemental Covenant. "Ariseth! Earth elemental!"


    Energies converged and summoned into being was an immense earth elemental, standing tall at over ten meters, radiating an intimidating aura. "Summoning magic?" Yan Qianjun remained unfazed, attempting to bypass the earth elemental to continue his assault on the Elven King. However, he suddenly felt an overpowering gravitational force that rendered him almost immobile.


    [You''re under the effect of "Domain of Gravity." All stats have decreased by 5%. Movement speed decreased by 30%!]


    A domain? Another domain skill?


    This was not an ordinary elemental creature. It was an exceedingly rare Elemental King---a Level 5 elemental monarch. The earth elemental Nancilia had summoned had activated its domain power. Though this Gravity Domain remained too weak to manifest within the Divine Tree''s Domain, it merged and harmonized seamlessly with it, amplifying its might. Within the enhanced Domain of the Divine Tree, its power surged. Although Nancilia had yet to grasp the intricacies of the Dominion of Law, she managed to enhance her monarch''s domain through fusing it with another. This ability was undoubtedly remarkable.


    The Earth Elemental King lunged with a powerful fist. Yan Qianjun swiftly teleported to evade, countering with a sh to decapitate the Earth Elemental King. Yet, his attack barely scratched the Elemental King.


    Before Yan Qianjun could engage the Earth Elemental King further , an abrupt onught of ferocious winds swept in from all directions. Nancilia promptly invoked the Elemental Covenant once more: "Cometh forth! Wind elemental!". A being resembling a half-human, half-tornado entity, exuding a majestic aura, materialized within the Domain of the Divine Tree---a Wind Elemental King.


    [You''re under the effect of "Domain of Windde." All stats have decreased by 5%. You will suffer 120 wind elemental damage from the domain''s onught every second!]


    "Another Elemental King?"


    "For fuck''s sake, another one!"


    Yan Qianjun stood on the brink of exhaustion. The air seemed rife with des, each moment akin to enduring a dissection. This was the Windde Domain''s effect---an ongoing damage that sapped a dozen or more HP each second from him.


    The culmination of the Divine Tree''s Domain, the Gravity Domain, and the Windde Domain was overpowering. Their tripleyered effects had long surpassed the scope of a typical King-tier domain, leaving Yan Qianjun struggling to keep pace. However, Nancilia''s own burden was far from light. She had to simultaneously sustain two Elemental Kings and maintain equilibrium amid the convergence of three domains. This continuous expenditure of MP swiftly depleted her reserves.


    Time was of the essence. She needed to end this now.


    Nancilia raised her scepter once more, calling out, "Lightning elemental! I summon thee!". A plethora of blue and white electrical lights manifested around her, coalescing into a towering electrical giant. In an instant, the entire domain space crackled with shing arcs.


    [You''re under the effect of "Domain of Paralysis." All stats have decreased by 5%. You will suffer 100 lightning elemental damage from the domain''s onught every second with a chance of paralysis!]


    Yan Qianjun sank intoplete despair. Was this the power of the Elven King? It was utterly terrifying. Victory was impossible. The Elven King''s personal offensive and defensive capabilities were mediocre, and most of her adept skills were supportive in nature. However, this summoning ability was utterly outrageous. Battle a single monarch, and three more appeared. Who could withstand such a barrage?


    Yan Qianjun''s HP plummeted rapidly. He immediately pleaded, "Stop, let''s talk!"


    Though Nancilia was innocent by nature, she was far from naive. Under the current circumstances, which could only be maintained for a few minutes at most, she could not afford to let him stall.


    "Elemental Fusion!"


    Nancilia held up her scepter. The three Elemental Kings unleashed their elemental powers simultaneously, channeling three different attributed energies that swiftly converged around the Elven King''s scepter. They finally fused into a dense energy sphere through the gemstone at its apex.


    "Shit!" Yan Qianjun''s eyes widened in horror. The attack formed by merging the powers of three Elemental Lords and the Elven King struck like aser cannon, piercing through his heart in an instant.


    -4952!


    His HP was drained to zero immediately. Yan Qianjun''s face disyed a mixture of terror and regret. Trapped within the domain, he had no chance to employ his spatial abilities to escape. He could only watch helplessly as his body was prated, and his HP evaporated in an instant. A miserable scream echoed, and Yan Qianjun plummeted downward.


    Nancilia, the Elven King, heaved a sigh of relief. "We''ve won!"


    He was the strongest opponent she had ever faced, so she had taken no chances. She had expended every ounce of her power to secure this hard-fought victory.


    Now, the most desperate and despaired ones were none other than the Guardian Knights. The legendary adventurer, the super mercenary, with the title "Undying Phoenix," had been overwhelmed and defeated in a single strike. The power of the Elven King was beyond imagination.


    Under the tremendous suppression of the triple domains, they were no match for Long Yi. Waves of dragon mes and lightning, as well as dragon fear, interwoven with dark magic and necromantic curses, forced them back step by step, each retreat a struggle to maintain their ground. Then, the three Elemental Kings closed in as well, surrounding them with their overwhelming might. Nancilia gritted her teeth, struggling to maintain herposure and powers. When the eight knights were eventually vanquished, she released a pent-up breath, finally letting go of the immense strain.


    Though Nancilia''s face had turned pallid, a sense of triumph shone through. "We''ve seeded. We''ve defeated them!" Even Long Yi, at this moment, exhibited a deep respect for the Elven King. This seemingly unassuming elf wielded a power that was utterly staggering. Without her intervention today, the consequences would have been too dire to fathom.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    However, before a single word could escape Long Yi''s lips, his pupils abruptly contracted as if he had glimpsed the inexplicable. "Watch out!" He urgently warned. Nancilia had not yet grasped the situation when an overwhelming sense of dread materialized behind her, an omen of imminent danger.


    "That was close," a voice eximed.


    "You almost got me killed."


    Enveloped in a torrent of golden mes, Yan Qianjun materialized right behind Nancilia. His chest, formerly pierced, had now miraculously healed, his HP restored from naught to its peak. Even the negative afflictions that had burdened him were wiped clean.


    "How can this be?!" The Elven King''s countenance paled, disbelief etched across it. She had undoubtedly in this foe. And yet, not only had he somehow resurrected, but he had also regained his full power.


    Detecting the aura radiating from the golden ze, the Elven King seemed to piece things together. "This is... the Fire of Undying Phoenix!"


    Yan Qianjun''s expression turned fierce. "You actually recognize it. My title ''Phoenix'' isn''t mere bluster. Ages ago, during an expedition, I obtained a peerless epic artifact, the ''Heart of Space,'' and inherited the legacy of an ancient divine creature, the Undying Phoenix. This bequeathed me not just an array of spatial spells but also the gift of rebirth through fire."


    "That''s why I bear the name ''Undying Phoenix''---it signifies more than just a title," he continued. "It''s a reality. This is why I''ve managed to cheat death time and time again. Even in situations graver than this, I''ve been through them, I''ve conquered them, and I''ve always came out alive."


    "Do you really think you can vanquish me ? Laughable!"


    Yan Qianjun erupted inughter. "You''ve drained your MP reserves, can''t even wield your domain now, can you? Meanwhile, I stand at the peak of my strength. It seems today, not only shall I obliterate a Demon King, but I might as well catch myself an Elven King along the way!"


    An Elven King was already an extremely rare sight, let alone a living, breathing one. The potential worth of resources such a prize could bring him if he took her back to the empire would be immeasurable. Today truly was a stroke of extraordinary luck! A decisive course was set. The first step was to incapacitate her, leaving her powerless to resist. The Elven King was far too perilous to be left unchecked.


    However, before action could be taken, a hand materialized before them, grasping the sword aimed at Nancilia. She recognized the neer with delight.


    "Your Majesty!"


    The Demon King had personally arrived! Yet, a wave of vexation washed over Nancilia. She had thought to handle this formidable foe herself, but now it seemed she had to trouble the Demon King to intervene personally."

 Chapter 188: Horrific Realization - The True Dragon Demon King

    When Zhang Nu sensed that something was amiss with the invaders this time, he swiftly arrived on the scene. This had allowed him to intervene promptly, rescuing the Elven King from the grasp of the intruder. The Qi energy Yan Qianjun had condensed on his de was rapidly absorbed at an astonishing pace, and even the MP within him was swiftly drawn out.


    He felt as if the figure before him was akin to a humanoid ck hole. What astounded him even more was that, from the way this figure was conversing with the Elven King, it seemed as if this individual were the actual Demon King! What was going on?


    ncing between Zhang Nu and the humanoid manifestation of Long Yi, Yan Qianjun noticed that both of their races were undoubtedly Abyssal Dragons. However, when it came to their auras, presence, and overall demeanor, there was a stark contrast, and the current figure before him significantly overshadowed Long Yi in these regards.


    Zhang Nu carefully sized up Yan Qianjun.


    [Hero: Yan Qianjun] Level 6 Overlord.


    Skills: Rebirth from within the mes (S rank), Spatial Turbulence (A rank), Tempest Qi (A rank), Gale Steps (A rank), Dance of Death (A rank), Spatial Movement (A rank), etc.


    Description: Once hailed as the most renowned adventurer in the southern borders of the Thunder Empire, Yan Qianjun survived numerous life-threatening situations, earning him the moniker of the Undying Phoenix...


    Through the information prompt, Zhang Nu gained insights into the source of Yan Qianjun''s abilities.


    Hubert, the Undying Phoenix, had encountered peculiarities within ancient ruins, granting him the power of resurrection and spatial magic. Upon bing a Hero, he slew numerous Demon Kings, acquiring many Demon King talents and breaking through his initial limitations. He had recently advanced to Level 6, showcasing incalcble strength.


    Zhang Nu was taken aback. This was the first time he had encountered a Hero of such high caliber and possessing an S ranked skill. "Rebirth from within the mes " was familiar to him from his encounter with the Inferno Daemon, but Yan Qianjun''s version of it far surpassed thetter''s one.


    The Inferno Daemon''s revival relied heavily on its surroundings, requiring locations likeva-filled volcanoes or areas abundant in fire elements. In contrast, Yan Qianjun''s resurrection could be triggered anywhere and was incredibly swift, unlike the sluggish nature of the Inferno Daemon''s revival.


    What an exceptional skill! As for Yan Qianjun''s spatial magic abilities, they seemingly stemmed from a top-tier epic equipment called the "Heart of Space," obtained during his extraordinary adventure. It came as no surprise that he managed to reach the rank of Level 6 overlord. Such prowess was undoubtedly well-deserved, even someone as formidable as Nancilia, the Elven King, had nearly sumbed to his might.


    "You''re the true Demon King!"


    After closely observing, Yan Qianjun finally reached a surprising conclusion that was hard to believe. Zhang Nu sneered, "How ridiculous. You ''Heroes'' can''t even discern your true targets, yet you people are so eager to rush ahead to your own deaths?"


    In reality, this wasn''t entirely the Heroes'' fault. The Great Demon King had been exceedingly covert and incredibly shrewd. His appearance was infrequent, and the times in which he personally intervened was even scarcer. This made it remarkably challenging for the Heroes to urately gauge his real strength. Furthermore, each of his subordinates was fiercer and stronger than the next, which created an overwhelming aura reminiscent of a Demon King. Long Yi being an Abyssal Dragon himself, it was natural for the Heroes to prematurelybel him as the Demon King.


    Zhang Nu saw this as advantageous. He had no intention of dispelling these misconceptions; instead, he would disseminate misinformation and misleading snippets to perpetuate these misunderstandings and underestimations. This strategy would not only enhance safeness but also maintain his strategic upper hand.


    Yan Qianjun''s mind raced through countless thoughts, his expression changing repeatedly. Eventually, he decisively activated his spatial magic, vanishing from his original location instantly. Nancilia''s face twisted in shock, "Your Majesty, he used his spatial abilities to escape."


    Without even trying to fight me? How decisive!


    "No worries!"


    The Demon King possessed the power to perceive all information, which allowed him to predict that the Hero''s spatial abilities were potent. However, the Demon King had not immediately used his domain to trap him, as he was absolutely confident that the Hero could not escape his grasp. Ever since activating the "Spatial-Temporal Dragon" talent, Zhang Nu''s vision and perception capabilities had undergone some alterations. He could see spatiotemporal ripples that were invisible to the naked eye and could hear or sense spatiotemporal fluctuations across a radius of hundreds of miles.


    "I''ll be back in an instant!"


    The space surrounding the Demon King contorted, as if strolling into the surface of water, he took a single step forward. In the blink of an eye, he appeared dozens of miles away. Ever since the Spatial-Temporal Dragon talent had enhanced his spatial maniption ability, long-distance teleportation posed little challenge to the Demon King. Barely had Yan Qianjunpleted his teleportation when the Demon King effortlessly closed the gap and caught up to him.


    "This can''t be!" His expression twisted into sheer horror.


    Zhang Nu nonchntly remarked, "Feel free to keep running. Let''s find out if you''re faster or if I''m quicker at catching up. Or, if you''d like, you can conserve some energy and have a go at me."


    Yan Qianjun was torn between shock and fury, "Damn it!"


    "Do you dare belittle me?"


    The Demon King''s tone carried a mocking note, his attitude akin to a cat toying with a mouse it already had within its grasp. For Yan Qianjun, this was an unprecedented humiliation. Having in countless Demon Kings, he derived great satisfaction from employing his overwhelming strength to toy with the defeated ones, savoring their futile resistance. Such an experience added a distinctyer of pleasure to his hunts.


    However, Yan Qianjun could never have fathomed that such a scenario would befall him. The roles of the Demon King and the Hero had been inconceivably switched.


    "Who do you think you are?"


    "Really thought you had me figured out?"


    "Even if I die, I can take you down with me!"


    Yan Qianjun grasped his sword with both hands, dividing himself into four ethereal forms that slipped into shadowy states. He lunged from various angles,unching his attacks against the Demon King. Yet, an uncanny spectacle yed out -- his precision and cunning strikes sliced right through the Demon King''s figure as if prating through thin air. Although his strikes seemed to hit, he felt no physical presence. The figure before him seemed like a mere illusion.


    Yan Qianjun made repeated attempts, cycling through skills and harnessing his innate talents, but his efforts proved utterly ineffective against the Demon King. "Is this the extent of your strength? How disappointingly dull. I''ve grown tired of this game," the Demon King taunted.


    In an instant, scores of thick abyssal lightning bolts erupted, striking Yan Qianjun''s shadowy form and shattering hisbat Qi. The onught dealt a series of injuries. What chance did he have? Nothing seemed to affect the Demon King. The Demon King''s power dwarfed himself, the vast disparity in their strengths was too absurd.


    Before Yan Qianjun could react, the Demon King teleported beside him, effortlessly clutching the Hero''s head in his sizable hand and lifting him off the ground. A peculiar energy swiftly pervaded Yan Qianjun''s being. He keenly sensed that his once vaunted repertoire of over a hundred skills and abilities was rapidly nullified, rendered useless against this force.


    [You are tainted by the "Source of Corruption"! Your talent effects are nullified!]


    [You are tainted by the "Source of Corruption"! Your skills are being sealed!]


    [You are being eroded by the "Source of Corruption"! All stats permanently decreased by 10%!]


    [You are being eroded by the "Source of Corruption"! All stats permanently decreased by 20%!]


    A sealing skill? No, this was no mere sealing skill! Ordinarily, it was typically difficult for sealing skills to nullify talent effects, yet now, not only were his talents suppressed, but even his stats faced a substantial reduction. And it was a permanent decrease! What sort of power was this? How could such a force exist in this world?


    "Damn you, you wretched monstrosity! Even if I die, I''m taking you down with me!" Yan Qianjun seized the opportunity before his strength dissipated entirely. He channeled every ounce of his power into a ring adorning his left hand.


    In the next heartbeat, the area around the ring manifested signs of copsing and crumbling space. An intense maelstrom of spatial turbulence surged forth, engulfing both the Demon King and the Hero. In the blink of an eye, the chaotic space enshrouded them, emanating a twisting force capable of rending and annihting all forms of matter. Despite being mostly shattered, Yan Qianjun''s face still bore a wild and triumphant grin. "Even if you''re immensely powerful, what does it matter? No one can survive this attack. Join me in death!"


    Tightening his grasp, Zhang Nu crushed and obliterated the Hero''s head.


    [You''ve in a Level 6 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +4!]


    Zhang Nu could sense that some of his scales were beginning to fracture. The Demon King''s defenses were staggeringly formidable, thus his scales were more resilient than any metal. However, when faced with an assault at the spatial level, even his defense could not guarantee unscathed survival. All tangible entities depended on the foundation of space. If space ruptured or ceased to exist, how could any matter endure? That was the terror of spatial attacks.


    In truth, with the Demon King''s abilities, he could easily extricate himself and retreat from the spatial turbulence. Yet, his gaze locked onto the epicenter of the spatial rift where a ring was rapidly plummeting along the copsing point. This ring was none other than the supreme epic equipment: the Heart of Space! The Hero''s spatial power originated from this item. As things stood, the ring was about to fall into the copsing point, vanishing into the boundless void.


    What a pity! It had to be retrieved!


    If anyone else knew of this, they would surely deem the Demon King mad. No form of matter could draw near the chaotic currents of space. Despite this, the Demon King moved resolutely toward the heart of the maelstrom. He triggered his Spatial-Temporal Dragon form.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    In an instant, a transformation overcame the Demon King''s body. Those obsidian gold scales shifted into a shimmering silver-white. His body assumed a dreamlike, ethereal quality, suspended between matter and energy. Though the tempestuous special currentsshed against him, it could not budge him an inch. This was the power of his newfound talent. The Spatial-Temporal Dragon form endowed him with the ability to defy the resistance of time and space. Hence, he possessed exceptional temporal resilience. Even amidst the tumultuous currents of spatial rifts, he remained entirely unaffected.


    Zhang Nu strolled casually into the epicenter of the chaos. Surveying his surroundings, he marveled at how the whole world had twisted due to the warping of space. It felt as though he existed within an abstract oil painting.


    Amusing.


    With a deliberate pause, Zhang Nu savored the scene for a couple of seconds. Only then did he act. He ensured that, just before the ring disappeared into the void, he retrieved it from the point of copse. Then, he advanced slowly, undeterred by the spatial vortices. With aposed stride, he emerged from the spatial turbulence with ease. Dismissing his transformation, the silver-white radiance faded. Zhang Nu''s form reverted to its usual, deep golden obsidian hue."

 Chapter 189: The Undying Dragon King

    Zhang Nu examined the ring in his palm. The ring was crafted from pure white crystal, its texture and material distinct from ordinary substances. Its size and even its weight seemed mutable, likelyposed of the highest-grade spatial attribute material. Thanks to this uniqueposition, it remained intact despite being swept into the turbulence.


    Its stats were now revealed:


    [Heart of Space] Orange quality supreme equipment. It possessed an internal storage space of 10,000 cubic meters and could bestow formidable spatial magic talent upon its wearer.


    The equipment''s stats information was sinct, yet it was undoubtedly a supreme-grade item. It had only two effects.


    The first effect was its storage space, which was undeniably invaluable. A vast 10,000 cubic meters of storage offered an impressive repository for a variety of items. However, this storage space did not conform to the normal rules of space; it had ws in its spatialws. This meant it was notpatible with psychic and soul attribute energies. Consequently, living beings, undead entities, and anything with consciousness or a soul could not be ced inside.


    Apart from these restrictions, it could store everything else. It was not only exceptionally secure but also featured an immensely potent preservation ability, slowing down the decay and deterioration of materials to a great extent.


    The second effect was the bestowment of talent, essentially the core function of the Heart of Space. This ring had the power to grant its wearer incredibly potent spatial talent. Spatial talents were exceedingly rare, with perhaps one urrence for every hundred million individuals. Even the renowned adventurer Undying Phoenix Hubertcked spatial magic talent prior to acquiring the ring. His several spatial magic skills were all mastered after obtaining the Heart of Space.


    From the encounter between Zhang Nu and the Hero Yan Qianjun just now, it was evident that thetter''s spatial magic prowess exceeded that of Li Si and was by no means ordinary. This observation highlighted the exceptional might of the Heart of Space''s bestowed talent. It undoubtedly stood as a truly epic equipment, a distinction well-deserved even among items of epic-grade quality.


    For Zhang Nu, due to his mastery over the dominionws of space, the so-called spatial magic talent held no significant allure. This talent essentially pertained to the aptitude for learning spatial skills and magic. Yet, all magical abilities were built upon the foundation of the dominionws. If one could directlyprehend and wield thews themselves, the necessity to learn each spatial ability from the bottom up would be obviated. With a solid grasp of the control and application of thesews, the utilization of such powers could naturally manifest from top to bottom.


    Certainly, this did not mean that the Heart of Space had no utility. Even as a storage ring, it held significant value for Zhang Nu. Moreover, after wearing the Heart of Space, the consumption of spatial power had been greatly reduced, which had held great practical value inbat situations.


    In addition to this epic-grade equipment, the spoils had included a Level 6 soul and four skill stones. How rare was a Level 6 Hero? How precious was a Level 6 soul? Souls of this quality could not even have been synthesized by the Soul Altar.


    The Soul Altar in the Darkness City was a Level 5 building at most. Hence, it could only synthesize Level 5 souls at best. Keeping this soul might have proven immensely useful; there was no need to expend a Level 6 soul to obtain talent points.


    Then there were the four skill stones, all at least A rank in quality. Their excellence caught Zhang Nu''s attention. They were as follows:


    [Rebirth from within the mes] S rank skill stone.


    [Spatial Turbulence] A rank skill stone.


    [Spatial Movement] A rank skill stone.


    [Death Sacrifice] A rank skill stone.


    Such amazing luck! He even got an S rank skill stone drop! Without hesitation, Zhang Nu used the [Rebirth from within the mes] skill stone.


    [You''ve used a skill stone!]


    [You''ve acquired a new skill: "Rebirth from within the mes"!]


    Zhang Nu felt a subtle and imperceptible change urring within his body. He sensed an additionalponent within each drop of blood, resembling tiny mes at their utmost faintness. Theseponents were harmless, in fact, they seemed to be beneficial. These minuscule mes were none other than the Undying Phoenix Fire, the foundation of activating the "Rebirth from within the mes".


    [Rebirth from within the mes] S rank skill. Under full divine fire energy, this skill would automatically trigger when the user''s HP reached zero. It would instantaneously heal all injuries, restore vitality, and alleviate any abnormal conditions.


    Current divine fire energy: 0/200,000


    This skill was remarkably potent, almost like a second life. No wonder Hubert was hailed as the Undying Phoenix. Rebirth from within the mes did not possess a conventional skill cooldown, but restoring it was moreplex than waiting for cooldowns. Resurrecting with this skill required the consumption of divine fire energy. Only when the divine fire energy was fully replenished could the skill be activated.


    Each unit of energy required the conversion of vitality. In other words, Zhang Nu needed to spend quite some time constantly converting his HP into divine fire energy. When he amassed 200,000 points, Rebirth from within the mes would be activated and awaiting its trigger. Even if his HP hit zero in a battle, he could resurrect instantly. This Rebirth from within the mes seemed to involve investing a significant amount of time to store HP, which could then be unleashed at crucial moments. No wonder its effect was so potent. Not only could it bring someone back to life, but it could also restore them to full health and peak condition, repairing any injuries, no matter how severe---unless the body was turned to ashes orpletely obliterated.


    As for why 200,000 energy was needed, Zhang Nu thought it was rted to his race and his own strength. The stronger his power and physical body, the more energy resurrection would require. This was not a difficult task for Zhang Nu, his recovery speed in the Demon King''s castle was astonishing. He could fully replenish the skill''s divine fire energy in a matter of days.


    Even for the Great Demon King, Rebirth from within the mes was an extremely valuable skill. It would undoubtedly prove incredibly useful in the future.


    As for the other three skills, they were all exceptional as well. Among them were two space attributed skills. One was "Spatial Turbulence," a spatial area-of-effect attack skill that could distort space to create violent turbulence, tearing apart targets within the area. The other was "Spatial Movement," an advanced version of instant teleportation. Instant teleportation was for short-distance rapid movement with a short cooldown and low energy consumption, primarily used forbat support, evasion, and high practicalbat value. Spatial movement was for medium-distance rapid movement, with higher energy consumption and longer cooldown. However, it could cover distances dozens of times greater than instant teleportation, usually used for escaping.


    After some thought, Zhang Nu decided to learn the "Spatial Turbulence" attack skill, even though he possessed the power of the dominionws, he was not entirely proficient with it yet. As for "Spatial Movement," it might be somewhat redundant for the Great Demon King, but it held significant value for others. Zhang Nu decided to keep it for the future, to give to his subordinates or sell it.


    Lastly, there was a skill stone named "Death Sacrifice." This was an extremely extreme skill that allowed an instantaneous release of MP and HP to enhance the attack effect.


    When facing the Spatial Turbulence unleashed by Yanchiun Jin just before his death, its power and area of effect were so immense that it could sweep over hundreds of meters, tearing and obliterating everything within its range. Such a fierce spatial attack was beyond his ability to employ. The reason Yanchiun Jin could pull off such a feat was solely due to the boost from Death Sacrifice. The terror of the Spatial Turbulence was so overwhelming that he himself could not escape its fatal grasp.


    Zhang Nu would never use a suicidal skill, but with Rebirth from within the mes in his possession, the situation was different. He felt that these two skills couldplement each other and prove critical in certain exceptional situations. When activating Death Sacrifice, the stronger his own power, and the more HP and MP he released, the stronger the effect of the sacrifice would be.


    Before Yan Qianjun''s death, he was left with only half his HP or less. Even so, he managed to create such a hugemotion. If the Great Demon King were to use his vast HP and MP, and his formidable race and strength to activate Death Sacrifice, who knows, an A rank skill might end up unleashing power beyond that of a S rank skill.


    Regarding this acquisition, Zhang Nu was extremely satisfied. He put the Heart of Space on his left thumb. The dimensions and weight of the equipment could adjust automatically, so even in his dragon form, there was no concern about breaking it.


    Zhang Nu sensed within the ring and was astonished to find quite a few things in the storage space. These were probably the collections of the Undying Phoenix, Hubert. An adventurer who frequently ventured into ruins and dungeons must have had an impressive umtion. Zhang Nu took a quick look. Apart from various potions and supplies, there were many gemstones, crystals, and excellent equipment. Furthermore, there were numerous treasure maps and ruin maps. Obviously, as a legendary adventurer, he had done a lot of research and preparation for various adventure sites.


    These were some really good items! For the Great Demon King, each of these was a high-level monster area! He decided to thoroughly study these maps after returning. He was certain that he would find valuable ces to conquer among them.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Yan Qianjun. This guy came from afar just to generously deliver his soul, skills, and equipment. He really was quite something. But of course, he also brought trouble, and not a minor one either. Under the fierce attacks of a couple million gargoyle soldiers, Zhang Nu''s Bloody Fortress suffered significant losses. Before this, Zhang Nu had never anticipated that low-level troops could possess such terrifying destructive power once they reached a certain scale and quantity.


    All eight of the Guardian Knights were killed, and the Hero Yan Qianjun was also dealt with. Consequently, these gargoyle soldiers who lost their leaders scattered in all directions, posing a significant threat. In this battle, only a million of these Demon King soldiers were annihted at most, with nearly two million more spread throughout various ces. This would bring tremendous trouble to the Chaos Forest''s various tribes and towns. At the very least, the safety, production, and order of the Chaos Forest would be affected.


    However, dealing with such arge number was not an insurmountable task. Fortunately, Zhang Nu had already discerned their origins. All these Demon King soldiers hailed from the Stone Curse Mountains in the Barrenfire Stone ins. Immediately, Zhang Nu ordered Li Si to summon Su Yan back and to make a trip with the Royal Guards.


    "Your Majesty!"


    "These Guardian Knights! They must be sent by Bachor!"


    "The empire intends to strike at us again. This time, they''ve suffered a loss of eight Guardian Knights. Both Bachor and the empire would never allow this to go unanswered."


    Sun Liu, the Skydrake Archpriest, suggested, "We must quickly repair and reinforce the fortress, increase the size of our fortress army to be prepared for the challenges that lie ahead."


    However, the Demon King uttered, "There''s no rush."


    "Courtesy demands reciprocity. We can''t always be on the defensive."


    "Now that the empire is attacking Chaos Forest, we can also make our move and directly assault the empire''s cities and regions."


    Hearing this, everyone was very surprised. The Demon King nned to counterattack the empire? This was not a matter to be taken lightly. The forces of the Chaos Forest were insufficient for such an endeavor. While the defense was barely enough,unching an attack on the empire would be extremely difficult!"

 Chapter 190: Darkness Citys Fourth Monarch

    The following day arrived. Within the Stone Curse Mountains.


    The Demon King, Shi Zhiyang, began to feel a sense of unease. He had summoned an army of nearly three million demon soldiers, but in less than a day, he had suffered significant losses -- over a millionbat units had been decimated. This level of devastation was hard to fathom!


    Initially, he had held the belief that with his formidable force of almost three million gargoyle soldiers, he could easily sweep through the Chaos Forest without issue. However, it had be apparent that his initial assessment was overly optimistic. Some of his soldiers managed to escape the conflict and returned with fragmented ounts of the battle. From these disjointed reports, Shi Zhiyang received news that left him utterly shocked.


    The n orchestrated by the Hero Yan Qianjun had ended in failure! All eight Guardian Knights under hismand had been vanquished by none other than the Demon King himself! As for the Hero Yan Qianjun? It seemed he had fled the scene, his fate now a mystery!


    "Defeated?"


    "How could this be!"


    "This is simply impossible!"


    Shi Zhiyang quickly tuned in to sense his contract with Yan Qianjun. With a mix of excitement and relief, Shi Zhiyang eximed: "The contract has dissolved, hahaha, hahaha!" While he was not entirely sure about the details of the events that had unfolded, one thing was certain: Yan Qianjun was dead. For Shi Zhiyang, this turn of events was a stroke of fortune.


    At this point, all gargoyle soldiers were under theplete control of the Demon King. Moreover, a significant portion of the funds provided by Yan Qianjun remained untouched -- a considerable sum from Shi Zhiyang''s perspective. With these forces at his disposal and the funds avable, he had all the ingredients for substantial development. He could envision a bright future taking shape.


    However, he was cautious of delving too deep into the Chaos Forests. The situation there was intricate and beyond his control. It was said that Yan Qianjun''s defeat was due to the sudden appearance of an Elven King. Such a presence was beyond his capability to handle. Therefore, Shi Zhiyang resolved to solidify his control over the Barrenfire Stone ins and then cautiously expand his influence in other directions, or even perhaps plunder the tribes and viges around the borders of ChaosForest.


    Concerning the repercussions of Yan Qianjun''s defeat, Shi Zhiyang was not particrly worried. The Chaos Forest had no direct connection to him, so how could they trace the origin of the millions of gargoyle soldiers? He decided to lie low for a while, avoiding the spotlight, he felt that the storm would blow over eventually.


    But just as he started contemting this strategy-


    [Your territory is under invasion!]


    [Your Gargoyle Soldier has been killed!]


    [Your Gargoyle Soldier has been killed!]


    [......]


    [Your Gargoyle Wizard has been killed!]


    [Your Gargoyle Demon has been killed!]


    "Master, we''re being invaded! A group of powerful enemies has breached our defenses, and our forces are unable to hold them back!"


    Shi Zhiyang quicklyprehended the situation. A group of draconians had infiltrated his territory. The Demon King''s castle had once again been breached. To his astonishment, these draconians exuded an aura of sinister power. Each one was a top-tier Level 5 lord unit, and there were at least twenty of them. It was none other than Zhang Nu''s Royal Guards.


    The experiment to merge Wei Yi with ten Beholders Lords was highly sessful. Encouraged by this, Zhang Nu expended a significant portion of his disposable savings to replicate the same method and create an additional twenty-four Demon Eye Infernal Royal Guard.


    Together with Wei Yi, this brought their number to twenty-five. These enhanced units were adept in both melee and rangedbat, possessing formidable physical stats as well as acute scouting abilities. Each one''s strength reached the level of a pseudo-overlord. In one-on-one battles, they could stand toe-to-toe with the Guardian Knights. They were undoubtedly masterpieces.


    Considering that Shi Zhiyang could not withstand even eight Guardian Knights, how could he possibly withstand twenty-five Dragon Guard with enhancements? Unlike Yan Qianjun, who utilized spatial abilities to teleport in, these draconians walked brazenly into the situation. Any gargoyles that attempted to approach, whether it was a Level 1 normal rank gargoyle soldier or a Level 3 lord rank gargoyle demon, all were instantly obliterated by the beams fired by the Demon Eye Guards.


    At that moment, Wei Yi walked up to the Demon King. The ten eyes that had been dispersed throughout were now focused in front of him. Twelve eyes simultaneously stared at the Gargoyle Demon King, an eerie and chilling sight.


    "You are under themand of the Dragon Demon King from the Chaos Forest!" Shi Zhiyang immediately deduced the origin of these creatures. Though each of them looked extremely strange, there was no doubt that they were draconians. Apart from the Dragon Demon King, where else nearby could there be draconians? Yet, their strength was almost insane. Even one of them could rival the empire''s Guardian Knights, and they could likely overpower most top-tier Demon Kings at present. Building a force like this must have costed a fortune. It probably exceeded the summoning of three or even two million Level 1bat units. How could the ruler of the ChaosForest possess so much gold? Could this guy have some hidden supporters behind the scenes?


    At that very moment, the Draconian Guards dispersed to make way, and a figure appeared. It was a young fox-kin girl.


    "You must be the Gargoyle Demon King, Shi Zhiyang!" Su Yan eximed, "You''ve got some nerve! Coborating with the empire''s Heroes toe cause trouble in our Chaos Federation!"


    Shi Zhiyang hurriedly said, "No, it''s not my intention. I was also coerced. I''m willing to personally apologize!"


    "Apologize?" Su Yan sneered, "If a simple apology worked, then the rules of this world would have no purpose."


    Shi Zhiyang quickly added, "I still have 15 million gold that I haven''t spent. I''m willing to use all of it aspensation."


    "Fifteen million?" Su Yan arched an eyebrow, "Let me take a look!"


    As the Demon King could transform the standard physical gold into Demon King gold, he could naturally change Demon King gold back into physical gold. A heap of gold appeared before Su Yan.


    "So you really do possess that much gold?"


    This Demon King summoned nearly three million troops and still had over a million gold in hand. Was this the advantage of mid-tier Demon Kings? Their cost forbat units must be unbelievably low.


    Shi Zhiyang hastily said, "What do you think? As long as you''re willing to forgive me, I''ll immediately offer this money, and I''ll follow the lead of Chaos Forest!"


    Before he could finish his words, Su Yan''s sword Qi struck. She bisected the Demon King on the spot. Due to his undead nature, Shi Zhiyang was not immediately killed despite being severely wounded. His face contorted with rage as he asked, "Why?!"


    "We''re not here to make deals."


    "Our boss had ordered us to take your life."


    Su Yan pulled out her sword, wreathed in holy light, and stabbed it directly into the Demon King''s heart. "If you''re still alive, how are we supposed to report back?"


    [You''ve in the Gargoyle Demon King!¡¿


    [You''ve obtained 463 training points! You''ve obtained Petrification Talent! You''ve obtained Curse Talent!]


    Upon hearing the notification, Su Yan was pleasantly surprised. Shi Zhiyang''s strength was not on par with Bai Hongzhuo, and the bloodline rank of the Gargoyle Demon King was inferior to the Vampire Demon King. Yet, the training points she gained this time far exceeded what she received from the Vampire Demon King. But there was nothing strange about this. The rewards gained from killing a Demon King as a Hero mainly depended on the Demon King''s strength level and were also influenced by their bloodline grade, faction size, and territory size. Considering Shi Zhiyang had quite a number of units, it naturally resulted in a substantial bonus. Su Yan felt extremely pleased. With her current strength and this many training points, she was well on her way to bing a Level 5 Hero. With the Demon King in and the altar destroyed, the forces of the Gargoyle Demon King disappeared without a trace. Tranquility was restored to the Chaos Forest.


    At the exact moment when Su Yan killed the Demon King, Zhang Nu summoned Long Yi back to the Darkness City. Long Yi respectfully bowed, "Master, you''ve summoned me. Do you have any new tasks to assign?"


    Zhang Nu replied, "The empire has repeatedly invaded the Chaos Forest. I intend to counterattack and show them a taste of our strength."


    "Please instruct me, my Master!"


    "There''s a province in the southernmost part of the empire called Kolo Province. It''s the hereditary territory of the Kolo Family. Since the Empire failed to take Bloody Fortress, they will most likely station a significant force in Kolo."


    Long Yi immediately grasped the n, "Master, do you mean tounch an attack on Kolo before both Bachor''s and the empire''s main forces gather?"


    Zhang Nu nodded. That was indeed his intention.


    With the death of Count Su Wenhao, the Kolo Family was severely weakened. The Southern Third Legion, once stationed in Kolo province, was also obliterated. Currently, the province was extremely vulnerable. It was highly unlikely that the empire anticipated the audacity of a Demon King''s counterattack within their territory. Human cities were generally adequately sized, and the rewards were usually substantial. By capturing cities in the Kolo Province, Zhang Nu could not only earn rewards but also disrupt the empire''s Demon King-hunting forces.


    "I''ll depart immediately, my Master!"


    "Wait!"


    The Demon King halted the dragon. Long Yi hurriedly inquired, "Master, do you have further instructions?"


    Zhang Nu stated, "Once the Darkness City makes a move against the empire cities, it means we''re formally stepping onto the stage. I want you to impersonate me before the humans, let them believe you are the Demon King."


    "The tasks arranged by the Master, I dare not disobey. However, my strength is insignificant, and I fear I might be seen through."


    "No worries! Come with me."


    Zhang Nu led Long Yi out of the Demon King''s castle. Under the Demon King''s arrangement, he ascended the Soul Altar.


    The Soul Altar had two functions. The first was Soul Synthesis, and the second was Soul Baptism. This "Soul Baptism" shared simrities with "Demon King''s Baptism" and "Holy King''s Baptism." All of them were used to enhance subordinates. The differencey in the fact that this baptism did not enhance power but rather improved one''s aptitude and potential. A Level 5 Soul Altar could refine individuals with monarch potential at most. In theory, even the lowest level draconianborer could possess the potential of a monarch if subjected to an enormous amount of high-quality souls for baptism. However, this approach was impractical and wasteful.


    Zhang Nu had a Level 6 soul in his possession. After contemting, he decided that instead of storing it away or sacrificing it for talent points, he could use it for Soul Baptism. A soul of such high rank was exceedingly rare. Promptly, a notification appeared on Zhang Nu''s yer interface.


    [Would you like to consume a Level 6 Hero''s soul for this baptism? This baptism requires 5 million gold!]N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Zhang Nu confirmed his decision, "Yes!"


    In the next moment, a terrifying aura surged forth from the body of the Abyssal Dragon. Although the dragon''s level had not increased, it instantly gained a powerful boost of strength, as if undergoing a rebirth and transformation, feeling like a new dragon entirely.


    Zhang Nu checked its attributes.


    [Abyssal Dragon] Level 5 monarch.


    Skills: Darkness Domain (Talent), Draconian Form (Talent), Abyssal Dragon me (Talent), Lightning Control (Talent), Dragon Fear (Talent), High Anti-Magic (Talent), Dark Dragonic Tongue Magic (Talent), Dark Invasion (A Rank), Dark Devour (A Rank), ck Hole of Death (A Rank), Undead Creation (B Rank), Shadow Stealth ( B Rank), etc...


    Description: This is a fully grown dark-type Abyssal Dragon King, born with potent dragon mes and thunder talents. Possessing exceptional aptitude in dark magic, it boasts terrifyingbat strength and is a ruler among the dark dragon lineage...


    Sess!


    Zhang Nu breathed a sigh of relief. The effect was just right. It was his first time using Soul Baptism, and before this, he had been quite unsure. But now, it had gone perfectly, a sessful attempt. The fourth monarch-level entity in the Darkness City, apart from Elf King Nancilia, Earth Drake Sovereign Zhang San, and Sky Drake Sovereign Li Si, had been born.


    In terms of individualbat power, Long Yi was currently superior even to Zhang San and Li Si. Zhang San was amander, Li Si was a support, but Long Yi was the mainbatant. With his current strength and aura, acting as the Demon King to assault human territories was well within his capabilities."

 Chapter 191: Long Er and Long San

    This time, the sessful upgrade of Long Yi was influenced by luck to a certain extent. Additionally, the choice of materials yed a crucial role. The rare Level 6 Hero''s soul used this time was, in itself, a top-quality item among souls of the same level. As for Long Yi, being the first true dragon summoned by the Demon King, his potential and talents within the dragon-kind were already considered excellent. Combining various factors resulted in the creation of a rare Dark Dragon King.


    Long Yi, Zhang San, and Li Si,bined together, formed the trio of dragon kings of the Darkness City. This was the formidablebination the Demon King had meticulously created. With these three dragon kings, most problems could be easily resolved. The Demon King only needed to manipte things behind the scenes, ensuring safety, efficiency, and peace of mind.


    Just then, Su Yan returned to report. Not only did he deal with the Stone Curse Mountain Range''s Gargoyle Demon King, but he also brought back 15 million Demon King gold for the boss. This pleasantly surprised the Demon King. This was a small sum of money by any means.


    Lately, Zhang Nu had been spending money like gulping down water. Just the cultivation of the 25 super-enhanced Royal Guards, led by Wei Yi, cost 3 million gold each, totaling a whopping 75 million gold. Despite the significant expenditure, the money was well-spent. The individual strength of these 25 Royal Guards was on par with the empire''s Guardian Knights, capable of confronting foes at the level of Level 5 overlord. They were undoubtedly precious high-endbat assets.


    Moreover, during the establishment of the federation, Zhang Nu conquered numerous cities and regions. He had more than a hundred blueprints for medium and low-level buildings. To make the most of them and better control the various cities and tribes, enhancing the federation''s strength, Zhang Nu established over sixty barracks-type buildings and functional buildings throughout the Chaos Forest. Whether it was summoning structures or establishing hereditary forces, it inevitably required a considerable amount of gold and resources.


    For the sake of promoting the Chaos Forest''s infrastructure, Zhang Nu spent more than 12 million gold to upgrade 20,000 draconian craftsmen. These craftsmen were divided into over a hundred groups and sent to various cities and regions to upgrade facilities and construct structures.


    In this wave of extensive development and infrastructure projects, the Chaos Forest underwent significant changes. The facilities within each city and tribe rapidly improved, enhancing their production capabilities and loyalty. They would soon start generating value for the Demon King, and the newly formed Chaos Federation would quickly gain cohesion.


    However, it came at a cost, in fact, a very substantial one. The 100 million Demon King gold obtained from the Chaos Forest''s grand exclusive treasure chest, along with the tens of millions of gold previously saved, were almost entirely spent. Maintaining the vast territory with dozens to hundreds of Demon King buildings and various specialized facilities led to a swift increase in daily expenditures.


    The Demon King felt the strain on his finances recently. On the bright side, Su Yan had brought back a significant amount of funds to replenish their reserves.


    "Please take a look, boss. This is the treasure chest of the Gargoyle Demon King. It yielded quite a few equipment pieces and skill stones!" Su Yan offered.


    The Demon King showed little interest. "These things are of no use to me; you can keep them for yourself."


    "Thank you, boss!" Su Yan dly epted the rewards. "After this hunt, I should be able to advance to Level 5. My shape-shifting talent will be even more potent! Even opponents of the same level won''t be able to detect it. It should help speed up thepletion of the tasks assigned by you."


    The Demon King nodded in satisfaction. Su Yan''s strength was never particrly impressive; even after upgrading, he would only reach the level of a Level 5 lord. Most likely, she would be a lord entity with rtively lowerbat proficiency. However, this was not a concern. Strength could be gradually increased, and Zhang Nu did not particrly mind whether Su Yan was strong or not. With the three draconian titans of the Darkness City and the Elven King as elite forces, along with the likes of Marilyn, giant chieftain Jin Kui, and the 25 super royal guards, the Demon King was certainly notcking inbat units.


    Su Yan''s true valueid elsewhere. He inquired, "How is the progress of the Dragon Shadow''s intelligencework construction?"


    Upon being asked about the progress, Su Yan became serious and reported, "Boss, rest assured, the human empire has a vast poption, and there''s an abundance of those low-level Heroes with insignificant development. They are practically everywhere. These Heroes have no real prospects, and normal Hero guilds wouldn''t bother recruiting or training them. They might not even qualify to join any Heroes Guild."


    "But for us," Su Yan continued, "they are all resources we can exploit. By recruiting some of them and providing minimal incentives for their loyalty, we can easily establish an intelligence-gatheringwork spread across various factions. I''m nning to extend invitations to the more promising among them, inviting them to join the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes Guild, and from then on, serve you formally. I believe it won''t take long before Dragon''s Shadow is omnipresent."


    Zhang Nu nodded in approval.


    During these recent periods, Su Yan was very busy. Her task was to establish an intelligencework for the Demon King. Her current focus was undoubtedly on the Thunder Empire. She gathered and recruited arge number of low-powered peasants and grassroots Heroes in the empire who were neither valued nor given many opportunities. It was worth noting that Zhang Nu had an abundance of C rank and lower grade skill stones---while they might be trash to him, they were treasures for these lower ss Heroes. Even a D rank or an E rank skill was enough to make them see a chance to change their fate and qualify to join the Heroes Guild. They would undoubtedly strive desperately and ultimately be absorbed by the Dragon''s Shadow.


    These peripheral informants would be spread across various industries and Hero groups in different regions. They would not even realize they were working for the Demon King. In the future, those outstanding individuals with strongprehensive abilities and high potential for growth would be formally absorbed into the Dragon Shadow Heroes after passing an assessment. This would expand the size of the guild.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    After listening to the progress report, Zhang Nu found it very satisfying. This initially unassuming Hero girl was making rapid progress. She had be an indispensable and core member under the Demon King''smand. The Dragon''s Shadow Heroes Guild, along with the extensive intelligencework, would be incredibly valuable for both military andmercial purposes in the future, benefiting the Demon King and the Chaos Federation alike.


    "I''m giving you this skill stone."


    The Demon King handed the Hero girl a skill stone. She took a look at it and herplexion changed abruptly.


    "An A rank skill? And it''s a spatial skill! This is too precious!"


    Zhang Nu said, "This is Spatial Movement. It can not only help you escape and save your life in critical moments but also enhance your work efficiency."


    "Thank you, boss!"


    Su Yan did not hesitate to ept the skill stone. She knew that only by gaining stronger abilities could she better serve the boss. Su Yan left the Darkness City with high spirits. There was no time for a vacation. She had to act quickly to expand the Dragon Shadow''s intelligencework as soon as possible.


    Zhang Nu arrived at the Demon King''s altar and summoned additional two Abyssal Dragons. The Demon King''s altar had a high cost-effectiveness for summoning creatures of his own race. Being a high-end force within his own people, each summoning cost 4 million gold and one Level 5 soul.


    It was a pity that these summonings required the consumption of souls. Otherwise, Zhang Nu would have probably summoned a dozen or more, even forming a personal guard unit entirelyposed of Abyssal Dragons.


    After deducting the costs and materials, two powerful auras descended. This time, a Yellow Dragon and a Green Dragon appeared. The former was of the earth element, and thetter was of the Wind element.


    Summoning Abyssal Dragons had an element of randomness. They primarily came in seven elemental types: ck (Dark), White (Light), Purple (Thunder), Blue (Water), Red (Fire), Green (Wind), and Yellow (Earth). Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth were moremon, while Light, Dark, and Thunder were rarer. Each dragon''s innate talent and aptitude would also differ.


    Zhang Nu named the Green Dragon "Long Er" and the Yellow Dragon "Long San". Compared to their elder brother, their elemental abilities and talents were slightly inferior. However, as mature Abyssal Dragons, even if they were mediocre, they possessed the strength of a Level 5 overlord.


    Zhang Nu spent an additional 2 million gold each to give them the Demon King''s baptism, boosting their strength from the early Level 5 to the mid Level 5.


    "From today onwards, the two of you will follow Long Yi."


    "As you wish, my Master!"


    The two dragons respectfully epted the order. Long Yi is currently preparing for the counterattack against the empire. With the sudden addition of two powerful allies of the same race, his confidence has greatly increased.


    "Master, please rest assured. We will start our operation immediately and strive to destroy the Kolo territory in one fell swoop. Let the empire witness the might of Darkness City!"


    To this, Zhang Nu nodded. The Empire would never expect that the newly established Chaos Federation would dare to be so audacious. The Kolo region was not particrly strong, and with Long Yi personally taking charge, the problem would not be significant. However, this operation, with the dragon-kind from the Chaos Forest directly invading the civilized world, would undoubtedly attract significant attention. It was likely to cause a big stir.


    Nevertheless, Zhang Nu was not concerned. All attention would be drawn to Long Yi and the uing trio of the Darkness City''s powerhouses. This trio was already terrifying enough, possessing the confidence and ability to sweep across countries and confront the empire. People could not possibly imagine that behind the trio was a figure even more terrifying, powerful, and unfathomable.


    Just at that moment, Zhang Nu received a message. His neighboring Demon King, the Subus Queen Han Kexin, had arrived. Zhang Nu recalled that she had mentioned helping him deal with the Holy Tides City. He was not sure what her next move was.


    The Darkness City''s finances had been a bit tight recently. After establishing the federation, it would catalyze significant productivity, countless resources, and goods that urgently needed to be exported. Controlling the Holy Tides City would be highly beneficial for the development of the Chaos Federation. As the development of territories and external expansion were all overseen by the trio of powerhouse subordinates, Zhang Nu was not as busytely.


    He decided to personally meet the Subus Queen to discuss matters further."

 Chapter 192: Setting The Plans of Holy Tides City In Motion

    Holy Tides City. It was a penins surrounded by the sea on three sides, celebrated as the bustling hub ofmerce within the Pale Moon country. It held a notable position as one of the key northern hubs in the Azure Water Federation. Its pleasant oceanic climate, captivating vistas, extensive coastline, and exceptional deep-water harbors granted it the status of a favored destination. Each passing year, numerous medium torge cargo ships arrived or departed, numbering in the thousands. This dynamic trading activity, coupled with itsfortable living environment, drew millions to settle in this vibrant region.


    To the south of Holy Tidesy a small bay. Here, a venerable and splendid private estate known as White Sands Manor nestled. As one of the four prominent family ns, it housed the headquarters of the merfolk White Sands n within the city. The manor showcased an opulent castle, pristine sandy beaches, a family-exclusive harbor, and a plethora of facilities that conjured the ambiance of ten interconnected, luxurious vacation resorts.


    Within the halls of the manor''s castle, Shui Yao gazed out over the departing family merchant ships. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. These ships bore cargoden with elixirs and various materials procured through dealings with the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce, along with other essential supplies. Soon, these wares would find their way to pharmacies across the cities, rescuing her family business from copsing just in time.


    However, this marked only the initial steps. The elixirs supplied by the Dark Dragon boasted quality far exceeding the market average, while their procurement costs remained notably lower. With the Dark Dragon merchant guild as a steadfast supplier and the covert support of the Chaos Federation, the White Sands was poised not only to weather the storm but to thrive more robustly than ever.


    The Chaos Federation had been established just a few days prior. Aplex integration of diverse production chains and supply resources was underway, pointing toward the limitless potential thaty ahead. With this favorable opportunity at hand, the White Sands n was destined to rise and flourish anew.


    "n Leader!" a middle-aged merman of dignified demeanor approached and said, "There are a few individuals outside who wish to see you."


    Shui Yao immediately became cautious, asking, "Have they identified themselves and exined their purpose?"


    In Holy Tides City, various factions harbored lingering hostilities. After undergoing several dangers and plots, Shui Yao had be exceedingly cautious. She didn''t even fully trust those around her.


    "He introduced himself as Mr. Long from the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce."


    "What? Mr. Long!"


    Shui Yao sat up abruptly, eximing, "Quickly, bring him in!"


    Five minutester, four figures entered the room. Shui Yao could not help but be suspicious. Among these four, three were human women. Leading the group was a woman of around twenty-four or twenty-five, with cascading ck hair, wless skin, a perfect figure, and a captivating appearance. Yet, she exuded an aura of strength that left a profound impression. The other two were equally intriguing---one was alluring and enchanting, while the other was icy and cold, possessing an aura that was no weaker than the first woman''s.


    Apart from the three women, there was an unusual individual. This figure was dressed in a thick ck cloak, wearing a deeply shadowed hood that concealed their entire form, rendering them inscrutable. Their imposing stature set them apart from the rest. Compared to the others, this individual was remarkably tall, standing at over two meters. However, this buildcked the typical proportions of a draconian. Shui Yao had encountered the Demon King before. The Demon King was not only taller than the average draconians but also possessed a set of imposing dragon wings. This contrasted starkly with the individual before her.


    Could this be an imposter? No.


    Only the Demon King and high-ranking members of the Dark Dragon merchant guild knew of the title "Mr. Long". Could it be that individuals from the guild were borrowing the name of Mr. Long?


    The mysterious figure in the hooded cloak emitted a voice, saying, "Stop being overly suspecting, it''s me." It was not anyone else. It was indeed the true Demon King.


    "I took down a formidable adventurer a few days ago, and this magical cloak was among his belongings. It has the ability to alter one''s appearance and conceal their aura."


    After Zhang Nu killed Yan Qianjun, he inherited a vast collection of legacies from within the Heart of Space ring. Given the possessions of a legendary adventurer, having such a specially functional magical cloak was not particrly strange. Although it was not an epic equipment, it was still a high-quality purple grade equipment. Once Zhang Nu put it on, he could hide his aura and disguise his burly physique. While his essence remained unchanged, the cloak could effectively mislead and confuse others. Even if someone saw his current appearance, they would likely mistake him for a lizard-like species, at best. They would not associate him with the Great Demon King of the Darkness City. With this item, the Demon King could asionally go on incognito visits.


    "Is it really you, Mr. Long? Why did youe in person?" Shui Yao asked, surprised.


    Zhang Nu introduced, "I came to have a casual look around and arrange some tasks. This is Han Kexin. You''ve probably met before."


    "Han Kexin, the Queen!"


    "How did you turn into a human?"


    Han Kexin smiled faintly, "My race excels not only in mental maniption but also in shape-shifting. These are my two subordinates, Han Qiuyue and Han Dongxue."


    Han Qiuyue was the alluring one, while Han Dongxue exuded a cold and elegant aura. These two individuals were not yers, they were members of the Demon King''s retinue. Han Qiuyue was a Subus Archmage, a Level 4 overlord unit. Han Dongxue was a Subus Grand Marshal, also a Level 4 overlord. These two were the most cherished and significant subordinates of the Subus Queen. Their status was likely equivalent to Zhang San and Li Si under the Great Demon King.


    The Subus Queen had a sense of style and artistic taste. Qiuyue (Autumn Moon) and Dongxue (Winter Snow)---what excellent names. Unlike someone whose subordinates were all named Zhang San, Li Si, Wang Er, Zhao Wu or Da Chui... names that sounded like extras andcked any sense of style. Qiuyue and Dongxue, both subi, had the potential to be promoted to monarchs. However, the Subus Queen currentlycked the necessary funds and resources for their upgrades.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The simultaneous arrival of two formidable Demon Kings in Holy Tides City left Shui Yao somewhat taken aback.


    "Why have Mr. Long and Her Majesty the Queene in person? Do they have any instructions or ns?" she inquired, a mixture of surprise and honor in her voice.


    The simultaneous arrival of two formidable Demon Kings in Holy Tides City left Shui Yao somewhat taken aback.


    "Why have Mr. Dragon and Her Majestye in person? Do they have any instructions or ns?" she inquired, a mixture of surprise and honor in her voice.


    Han Kexin was about to reveal her ns to Shui Yao, but Zhang Nu interrupted, saying, "Hold on a moment."


    A quizzical expression graced Han Kexin''s eyebrows. "Is there another rat?"


    Zhang Nu''s brow furrowed as a vertical eye opened on his forehead. The middle-aged merman standing next to Shui Yao emitted a brief, horrified scream. The next moment, his body shattered into countless pieces, dissolvingpletely into the air. From head to toe, from weapons to armor, not a single trace remained.


    What just happened? What kind of ability was this? Both Han Kexin and Shui Yao were filled with shock. A fully alive person had been erased in an instant, as if they had never existed, evaporating entirely from this world.


    [You''ve in a Level 4 Hero. Hero''s soul +1!]


    Zhang Nu had only used a tenth of the power of his Death Stare and had effortlessly dispatched this highly skilled merman. Such strength and ability were truly chilling.


    Shui Yao, puzzled, said, "This was the guard captain I recently appointed..."


    Han Kexin exined, "This ce, from top to bottom, is filled with members of the Heroes Guild. The one who was just eliminated was also a Hero."


    Hearing this, Shui Yao''s face turned pale. She did not doubt this statement, as there was no need for the two Demon Kings to deceive her. However, the guard captain had been promoted from the White Sands n''s ancestralnd by her father over a decade ago. He had remained fiercely loyal to the family all these years.


    She had not anticipated that he was also a Hero. Once someone became a Hero, although their memory and ability retained, they gained tremendous potential for growth. However, their temperament would undergo a drastic transformation, making them seem like an entirely different person. This Hero had hidden himself so deeply, never exposing his true nature from beginning to end. Shui Yao had even promoted him to her side without the slightest inkling. Were it not for the Demon King''s keen insight, her life would have been in imminent peril, unbeknownst to her.


    Zhang Nu assured, "You need not worry. I will meticulously sweep through both the estate and its surroundings, eradicating every single rat."


    Quick to express her gratitude, Shui Yao responded, "Thank you, Your Majesty."


    Zhang Nu then borated, "As for my purpose ining here personally, it''s quite simple. I want to establish a coboration between the White Sands n and the Subus Queen."


    Han Kexin nodded, affirming, "I will help you seek revenge and assist the White Sands n in seizing control of Holy Tides City."


    Shui Yao was caught between surprise and joy. "But how can we achieve that? The major families and factions hold significant power, and their rtionships and influences are intertwined."


    "No worries," Han Kexin reassured with a smile. "Our expertise lies in infiltration, confusion, and sowing discord. We''ll make them turn against each other, engaging in constant internal strife and infighting, effectively eroding them from within."


    While Han Kexin might not possess the same might as Zhang Nu, she still governed a city. Despite her singr citypared to Zhang Nu''s sprawling Darkness City with its hundreds of thousands, in terms of both poption and overall strength, she surpassed therger cities within the Chaos Forest by a considerable margin.


    In terms of the number of Heroes alone, there were more than a few thousands in Gloom City. Han Kexin''s sess in conquering Gloom City was not solely due to her personal strength but rather the maniption, enchantment, and control exerted by her subus subordinates. She instigated infighting among Gloom City''s various factions, causing internal conflicts, perpetual battles, and ultimately a significant decline in overall strength. She then seized the moment to take control from within.


    If such a feat was achievable in Gloom City, it was likewise feasible for Holy Tides City. Han Kexin''s n was direct. She aimed to kindle conflicts among the factions and foment suspicion and rivalry among the Heroes Guilds. The goal was to sow division and then escte internal strife andbat. This approach would lead to rapid internal disintegration. Throughout this process, Han Kexin would continuously send reinforcements to bolster the White Sands n''s influence, ultimately gaining gradual control over pivotal positions within Holy Tides City. Such a nuanced task was well within Han Kexin''s unique capabilities. While Zhang Nu''s power was considerable, his expertisey more in direct conquest rather than indirect maniption.


    Han Kexin''s objectives were clear. Once she helped the Darkness City gain control over Holy Tides City, Gloom City could also capitalize on the sale of resources from the underworld. The underworld held many rare materials notmonly found on the surface, allowing Han Kexin to amass substantial profits. This strategy held minimal drawbacks for Zhang Nu. The coboration between the two Demon Kings was purely strategic, with each party reaping their respective benefits.


    Zhang Nu stated, "Starting today, both Darkness City and Gloom City will provide you with assistance. Your mission is to aid me in gaining control over Holy Tides City."


    Shui Yao''s spirits were invigorated, and she responded with determination, "Understood!"


    She was not inherently driven by ambition, but the weight of a deep-seated vendetta and the responsibility of leading her family npelled her to act. This endeavor would enable her to seek vengeance for her loved ones and fulfill her duty as the n leader, all while improving the lives of her White Sands n.


    "Then we entrust this to you," Zhang Nu said, casting a nce at Han Kexin''s two subordinates.


    Han Qiuyue and Han Dongxue promptly assured, "Rest assured, illustrious Lord of the Darkness City. We will not fail your expectations or those of our master''s."


    With the task delegated and the issue of the rats at the White Sands Manor addressed, Zhang Nu''s purpose for this visit was achieved. "It''s time for us to return."


    Han Kexin yfully looked at him and proposed, "I rarely get the chance to venture out. Since you''re not particrly busy these days, why not apany me for a stroll in the city?"


    Hearing this, Zhang Nu hesitated. He was indeed rtively free at the moment. All matters were being handled by his subordinates, and he merely needed to await their reports. After all, he had dispatched assistance to Shui Yao and set the n in motion. Come to think of it, he had been in this world for quite some time, yet he had never visited a city in the civilized world. The Azure Water Federation was a thriving empire and a significant force of civilization, distinct from the Chaos Forest. The cities here were likely quite different. Zhang Nu was also intrigued to learn more about this world.


    "Alright then, since you insist," he conceded, "I mustn''t neglect the role of a gracious host. Holy Tides City is vast. Where would you like to go?"


    Han Kexin excitedly eximed, "Is there even a need to ask? Of course, we''re going to the market! Who knows, we might find many treasures!"


    For women, it seemed the instinct of shopping was indeed inherent. Yet, Han Kexin''s point was valid. Among various ces to explore, the market was certainly the most enticing."

 Chapter 193: Sky Ocean Grand Market

    Holy Tides City had eight major markets, with thergest one being "Sky Ocean". This market spanned an expansive area, featuring thousands of shops and several open trading zones. It amodated both permanent shop owners conducting business and traveling peddlers who set up stalls for trade.


    As the two entered, they found the Sky Ocean Trading Market bustling with activity. Despite the considerable crowd, there was a well-maintained order. Various races could be seen here, including humans, orcs, elves, dwarves, merfolk, octofolk, and naga. Apart from these moremon races, the market often yed host to rare species not typically found in other ces. Creatures that flew in the sky, ran on the ground, or swam in the water were all present, creating a diverse andprehensive spectacle.


    One could argue that even without their disguises or transformations, Zhang Nu and Han Kexin would not draw too much attention when entering the Sky Ocean Trading Market. At most, people would regard them as rare species they had not encountered before. This world was vast, and encountering umon species was not that extraordinary.


    In contrast to the closed atmosphere of an empire, the Azure Water Federation was a realm of great freedom andplexity. With such a diverse array of races, the idea of establishing an empire was imusible; thus the federation could only form a loose alliance.


    "Interesting! Very interesting!"


    "This is truly fascinating!"


    Han Kexin said with a smile, "I''ve never encountered such a vibrant ce since I came to this world. Thanks, Mr. Potato, for broadening my horizons!"


    Even for Zhang Nu, it was a first. While Giantree City was bustling now, it still paled inparison to a well-establishedmercial hub. Holy Tides City''s markets covered aprehensive range of businesses, from basic necessities like food and shelter to herbs, potions, equipment, weapons, and various magical and specialty items. Many of these had already developed into recognizable brands and chains.


    s and signs created by magical illusions adorned every street. Sales people were handing out flyers everywhere, and promotional jingles were looping in the background. The sensation was reminiscent of exploring bustlingmercial districts in his past life, but with the transportation transformed into unique tamed creatures and neon lights reced by magical illusions, it all seemed more enchanting.


    Han Kexin immediately switched to shopping mode.


    "Frost Silk is so cheap! I have to buy some to make new clothes!"


    "It''s said to have been imported from the distant Ice Dragon Empire!"


    "Wow, take a look! These jewels are stunning. You won''t find anything like this in the underworld. They might be worth a fortune there."


    "The water gemstones of Holy Tides City are currently in surplus."


    "They''re even cheaper than what''s sold in the Demon King''s market."


    "We could easily buy arge quantity of gemstones here and resell them at the Demon King''s market. We could make hundreds of thousands, it''s like a code to wealth!"


    After strolling through the market, Han Kexin ced orders for a variety of materials, jewels, and gemstones. Zhang Nu noticed that even a woman as powerful as Han Kexin could not resist the allure of such a rich market with a plethora of goods. Whether in the past or the present, Han Kexin was not someone whocked exposure to the world. Normally, she would not be so amazed and excited like a young girl. However, she had been in the primitive, chaotic, andwless environment of the underworld for far too long. Finally arriving in a prosperous and peaceful ce, brimming with business opportunities and money-making chances, it was only natural for her to be thrilled.


    Zhang Nu took mental notes of the various price points on the items in the Holy Tides City market. He indeed identified numerous business opportunities, from procuring goods here to reselling them in the Demon King''s market, potentially earning tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of extra profits daily. For any Demon King, these were irresistible figures. Even the renowned Subus Queen Han Kexin could not help but be tempted.


    However, Zhang Nu was not particrly concerned about these smaller opportunities. Compared to these fragmented business ventures, therge and vibrant market itself intrigued him more. After exploring various shops for a while, Han Kexin had ced orders totaling three million Demon King gold. She arranged for these items to be delivered to the White Sands Merfolk Manor. Three million Demon King gold amounted to thirty million standard coins in this world. Such a substantial sum, if ced in the Chaos Forest, could easily disrupt the markets of any forest city.


    However, the Sky Ocean Grand Market was apletely different story. As thergest trading market in the most prominentmercial city of the Pale Moon nation, its daily transaction volume ranged from several hundred million to tens of billions, reaching its peak at a hundred billion. Throwing a few million coins into this vast market would hardly make any significant impact. After all, these shops were far from ordinary; behind what might seem like an ordinary gem stall could be a royal family from one of the Azure Water Federation''s nations or even arge tradingpany from a distant empire.


    "Today is truly delightful!"


    "I feel like I''ve returned to my past life!"


    Han Kexin''s cheeks flushed, her eyes bright and enthusiastic. She no longer carried the regal air of a Subus Queen or the imposing dominance of a Demon King. Zhang Nu was equally amazed. This ce was indeed incredibly rich and fascinating. Perhaps only a nation as free and open as the Azure Water Federation could create such a prosperous business environment.


    Zhang Nu asked, "Where would you like to go?"


    Han Kexin waved a leaflet in her hand, saying, "Look here!"


    "At the south gate of the Sky Ocean Grand Market, there''s a very renowned chain of sea nymphs themed tea houses opening."


    "I''ve heard that these sea nymphs already have a thousand chain stores in the Azure Water Federation. They prepare tea and food using magic, making it a unique experience."


    Speaking of which, this was Han Kexin''s first date with the opposite sex. Her face was filled with anticipation as she looked at Zhang Nu.


    Zhang Nu said, "Really? A sea nymph owned ce? I''d love to see it." Since they were already out, it would not hurt to broaden his horizons a bit more.


    Han Kexin suggested, "We''re passing by the free trading area anyway. Let''s take a look and see if we can find something valuable."


    The Sky Ocean Grand Market in Holy Tides City had two main sections: the shop trading zone and the free trading Zone. The streets they had strolled through earlier were part of the shop trading zone. The uing free trading zone was entirelyposed of various stalls, from all walks of life. Here, adventurers sold antiquities retrieved from ruins, mercenary groups offered materials acquired during missions, and even fallen nobles pawned off ancestral treasures. Traveling merchants from all over the world also set up shop here. Compared to the shop zone, the free trading zone was a mixed bag. While the quality of items purchased here could not be guaranteed, there was a chance of finding high-value treasures at an excellent price or even stumbling upon rare and precious items for instant riches.


    "So many stalls!"


    Han Kexin''s shopping desire was reignited. Most of the items here were unavable in the underworld, so there was a possibility of discovering valuable treasures.


    Zhang Nu, on the other hand, casually looked around.


    [Damaged Ancient Sword] Gray middle grade... A sword unearthed from a graveyard, with no particr special value.


    [Ancient Mage''s Bracelet] White high grade... A bracelet found in a ruin that can somewhat amplify psychic power.


    [Ordinary Ore] Gray low grade... Craftily disguised by a shady merchant as an adamantite ore, it is actually just an ordinary iron ore.


    [Antique Flower Vase] Gray low grade... A pce vase from some ancient kingdom, without any value.


    [Worn-out Spellbook] White middle grade... Notes on magic from a wild mage two centuries ago, with some unique insights into magic.


    [......]


    As Zhang Nu continued through the market, he realized that the free trading zone had a wide variety of items for sale. Everything from ingredients, herbs, ores, gemstones, equipment, antiques, magic scrolls, to even tamed beasts and ves, could be found here. There was truly nothing that could not be found if one could think of it. However, most of these items were of low quality and held little value for someone at Zhang Nu''s level. He also noticed that due to the less stringent regtions in the free trading zone, there were many unscrupulous vendors selling counterfeit and inferior goods. To make a purchase here, one needed to have a keen eye.


    Zhang Nu was merely browsing without any intention to buy. Just then, the stall of an old turtle-like person caught his attention. Turtlefolks were a rtivelymon marine race, known for their longevity but average talents. The particr turtlefolk he saw was quite old, with wrinkles covering his face. The stall was simple, filled with marine specialties and odds and ends. Passersby, including travelers and merchants, did not even spare a second to stop for a nce. Zhang Nu''s gazended on a ck pearl about the size of a chicken egg. It appeared unremarkable,cking any luster, but he sensed something special about it.


    [Sealing Magic Pearl] Orange low grade...


    Introduction: Six thousand years ago, after the Azure Water Empress suppressed the Cmity Trench, twelve sea tribal kings jointly set up a powerful sealing formation in the trench at the cost of their lives. This pearl can unlock the seal formation.


    Zhang Nu''s expression changed drastically. This was an extraordinary item. It was closely rted to the founders and pioneers of the Azure Water Federation. The Azure Water Empress had not received a grand burial, her final resting ce was the Cmity Trench, one of the most dangerous forbidden zones within the federation.


    Back then, the Cmity Trench harbored a catastrophe that could have engulfed and destroyed the entire Azure Water Federation. To save billions of marine people, the empress chose to suppress the cmity with her life, forever staying within the Cmity Trench and making it her eternal abode. Later, to prevent idents, twelve kings ced seals to further secure the area. For the subsequent six thousand years, no one had entered the Cmity Trench, and nothing hade out of it. This meant that this magic pearl had the potential to unseal the Cmity Trench, granting ess to the underwater tomb where the legendary empress had slumbered for six millennia.


    Zhang Nu asked directly, "How much for this pearl?"


    The old turtlefolk quickly responded, "My people found this on the seabed, and it''s not in the best condition. You can just offer any price you want."


    Zhang Nu casually threw a dwarven gold ingot over, asking, "Is this enough?"


    The old turtlefolk was greatly astonished, hastily picking up the gold, afraid that others might see it. After carefully inspecting it and confirming it was genuine gold, a delighted smile appeared on his old face. "More than enough, more than enough. Not only can you buy this pearl, but you could also purchase everything else as well."


    Zhang Nu only took the pearl. This old tortoise person did not recognize its value and was not aware of the significance of the Sealing Magic Pearl. Nevertheless, having possession of this item might not necessarily be a good thing for him.


    "Not bad!"


    "Who would''ve thought...to have such a haul here."


    Zhang Nu thought to himself about the tomb of the Azure Water Empress. It must be at least a high ranking monarch-level area, right? Could it be that she had undergone a transformation simr to the Thirteen Malevolent King of the Thunder Hignds? This legendary empress was not an ordinary monarch. She was probably no less than a mythic-level existence. If that were the case, even Zhang Nu would need to carefully consider... Perhaps there was a chance to visit the Cmity Trench and check out the situation there.


    After spending half a day, the two finally passed through the free trading zone. Han Kexin had sharp eyes and, by luck, managed to strike gold and found some good treasures. The Subus Queen was not fully satisfied, saying, "This ce is really interesting. We shoulde here more often when we have time. You never know what rare treasures might have been overlooked."


    As the two arrived at the sea nymph restaurant, for two mighty Demon Kings, this was a rare day of rxation in their intense lives. However, just as the two mighty Demon Kings were enjoying a romantic meal in the sea nymph restaurant, savoring exotic cuisine and the pleasant atmosphere...


    In the northern part of the Chaos Forest, the southern border region of the Thunder Empire, the Kolo territory. A storm was brewing rapidly.Long Yi had led his troops and already arrived.


    "The target is confirmed. We''re about a hundred miles away from Kolo City. This is the capital of Kolo Province!"


    "But the city has already closed its gates."


    "It indicates that these humans have sensed something."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "They might organize some resistance."


    Long Yi said calmly, "Even ants would struggle before they''re crushed to death, but it''s futile. They can''t change their pathetic fate."


    This was the first time he was leading an offensive mission. The fact that his master valued him and had promoted him to a monarch-level existence could not be disregarded. He must not fail his master''s trust. This battle must be wless.


    Kolo City.


    Kolo Region.


    He must capture them all and demonstrate his abilities to his master! He shall show the world the terror of the Abyssal Dragon race from the Chaos Forest!"

 Chapter 194: The Fall of Kolo City

    Ten days ago, the Third Legion of the Southern Borders suffered a devastating defeat, and Count Kolo met his demise. The people of Kolo City were thrown into disarray. The Kolo territory could not remain leaderless. In the absence of a designated heir, the empire''s prescribed session order dictated that the first in line would automatically assume the mantle of lordship.


    As Count Kolo had no heirs or siblings, his paternal uncle, Aubrey Kolo, was unexpectedly thrusted into the role of lord. Aubrey, in his forties, possessed middling abilities---neither remarkable norckluster. He had spent half his life in idleness, indulging in the pleasures of wine and women. He anticipated that thetter half of his life would follow a simr course, but fate had other ns, and he was abruptly thrust into the role of lord without rhyme or reason. Aubrey was ted. He promptly embraced the opulent lifestyle of a noble lord, immersing himself even further in luxurious pleasures. However, this newfoundfort was short-lived.


    "Urgent news! Urgent news!"


    "Dragon-kinds sighted to have departed from the Chaos Forest!"


    "They are marching towards Kolo!"


    Aubrey was thoroughly startled. "How is it possible for dragons to be in the Chaos Forest?"


    One of the Kolo family knights, who hade to deliver the report, exined, "Dragons were never seen in the Chaos Forest until the emergence of the Dragon Demon King. Since then, dragon-kinds have been engaging in massive movements..."


    Aubrey was gripped by dread. Even if he was somewhat naive, he could not possibly be oblivious to the circumstances. How did the Kolo family''s knight order vanish? What befell the Third Legion of the Southern Border stationed in the Kolo Province? And how could he remain ignorant of the imminent danger that now loomed over Kolo City, right on his doorstep?


    Aubrey eximed, "Seal off the city gates, activate the protective barrier, muster the city defense force immediately, dispatch messengers to nearby cities to seek reinforcements, and do so with utmost haste!"


    Amidst the chaos, Kolo City was caught off guard and rushed to prepare as best as they could.


    "Oh shit! Look!"


    "A true dragon!"


    "The Demon King is attacking Kolo City!"


    At that moment, a massive, earth-hued yellow dragon circled in the skies above Kolo City. Its terrifying dragon fear burst forth, akin to an overwhelming tidal wave sweeping over the city. Thousands of city defense soldiers were affected, feeling dizzy and weak-kneed, all sumbing to panic. Tens of thousands of citizens were left shaken by the sheer force of the presence. Even the residual waves of its power were enough to strike fear and sap their courage to resist.


    It was over! Utterly over! This was not just any ordinary dragon; it was the most esteemed ss of dragon---a true dragon, a behemoth of dread. Kolo City''s garrison could easily deal with rogues and bandits, but to defend against such a fearsome, fully grown Abyssal Dragon? It was nothing short of a pipe dream!


    How formidable was the presence of an Abyssal Dragon empowered by the imposing dragon fear? Coupled with the oppressive aura of a Level 5 overlord, it made people instinctively believe they were facing the Dragon Demon King himself! For centuries within the scope of the Chaos Forest, no entity of this magnitude had appeared. Despite recent military failures, who could have foreseen that the Demon King would be so audacious as tounch a direct assault on Kolo City? It was sheer madness!


    Of course, they had misunderstood again. While this yellow dragon exuded amanding presence, it was not the Demon King. In fact, it was not even the body double for the Demon King. It was Long San, one of the trio of dragons from the Darkness City. Long San was an earth-element dragon, excelling in defense and earth-based magic. Its offensive capabilities were far inferiorpared to other elemental attributed abyssal dragons. Yet, even so, as a true dragon, it was never an opponent that ordinary armies could contend with.


    "HWOOOOAAAARRR---!"


    The dragon''s breath swept over the protective barrier of Kolo City, distorting it almost instantaneously. The defending soldiers stared in disbelief, their hearts nearly bursting with terror. Unlike the forest cities, Kolo City''s protective barrier was built ording to the empire''s standards, supported by no less than five hundred barrier mages! However, at this very moment, the barrier maintained by these five hundred mages was almost pierced through by the sheer might of this dragon alone.


    "Humans, your continuous piging and exploitation of the Chaos Forest, along with repeated invasions, have crossed the bottom line of Darkness City!" The dragon''s voice reverberated.


    "Our king shall soon reign supreme!"


    "And to demand justice for the various races of the forest!"


    "If you wish to survive, surrender now and yield, or else you insects shall face the wrath of our king firsthand. Everything here will be reduced to ashes!"


    Upon hearing these words, humans were once again stunned. Their shock wasn''t just due to the dragon''s might. Judging from its tone and phrasing, this dragon seemed to be a subordinate sent by the Demon King, rather than the Demon King himself. How was this possible? The strength of this dragon had already reached a level that instilled fear and trepidation in everyone!


    "Ridiculous ims!"


    "He cannot breach our defenses!"


    "The impregnable barrier of Kolo City stands strong!"


    "Dragon King, I advise you to cease these false pretenses and bluffings!"


    Aubrey yelled at the top of his lungs, "The forces of Grand Duke Bachor are about to arrive. Dare to invade the empire''s territory, and you shall pay a hundredfold, a thousandfold price for it!"


    Long San got furious.


    "Insolent ants!"


    "Do you think you can hold me back with this shoddy barrier?"


    The massive dragon descended before the city, mming the ground with its massive w, releasing a burst of terrifying magical energy.


    "Earthquake!"


    Kolo City was ultimately a border town. It did not have the same level of defense as the major military strongholds. The protective barrier of Kolo City could only withstand direct attacks. At this moment, Long San used earth magic to infiltrate the ground, creating seismic waves for indirect attacks.


    "Shit!"


    "The barrier! It can''t absorb such potent earth magic!"


    The city''s defenders were horrified as they felt the intense shaking of the earth. Cracks rapidly spread, dealing significant damage to the city''s structures.


    "Sundering Earth!"


    Building upon the foundation of the earthquake, Long San infused a powerful high-level earth magic, causing dozens, even hundreds, of fissures to spread. In an instant, vast sections of the city walls copsed. Arrow towers, fortifications, various defensive structures---everything crumbled like a domino effect. The outer defensive perimeter was disintegrated like mere sand castles.


    "This is too terrifying!"


    "So this is the might of a true dragon? The power of the Demon King?"


    While the earth dragon''s offensive capabilities were somewhatcking due to the nature of earth magic, its potent earth spells were incredibly effective at destroying enemy fortifications. When employed for assaulting cities and strongholds, they became overwhelmingly destructive, rendering defenses obsolete.


    "Hahahaha!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "The defenses of Kolo''s main city are as fragile as rotted wood."


    "I have yet to muster my full strength, and it''s already crumbling. With such feeble defenses, you still dare to resist my king''s dominion?"


    Aubrey was gripped by extreme fear. He forced himself to shout, "Everyone, don''t panic! The Demon King''s tricks are nothing more than this. Have faith! His confrontation with the empire is a path of certain death!"


    Long San unleashed another high-level earth magic. Much like swimming, it submerged into the ground, merging seamlessly with the earth. After about four or five seconds, it suddenly burst out from under Kolo City, emerging right in front of Aubrey.


    "Ahhhhhhh!"


    Aubrey was so terrified that he slumped to the ground. A pungent smell of urine immediately emanated from his trousers as he crawled and scrambled in a desperate attempt to escape.


    However, a massive w descended, pinning him to the ground in an instant. Long San sneered, "Repeat what you just said!"


    "Wait! Don''t kill me! I surrender! I surrender!"


    Aubrey was now utterly hopeless. He had thought that the unassable city''s defenses would stand strong, but before this terrifying behemoth, they crumbled into insignificance.


    "Attack!"


    "Quick, attack!"


    "Save the lord!"


    Several brave city defense officers shouted loudly. Waves of magic spells and arrows imbued with Qi rained down like droplets, yet Long San simply ignored them. As an earth-elemental dragon, Long San possessed incredibly strong defense. Moreover, dragons had innate magic resistance. These scattered attacks were nothing.


    "Is this all you''ve got?"


    Long San unleashed another burst of magical attack. Countless earthen spikes erupted from the ground, each as sharp as a stgmite, skewering soldiers as if they were meat skewers. The scene was horrifying and brutal, sending shivers down everyone''s spines. This creature was simply too terrifying. With its sheer power, it had breached Kolo City on its own and now, in front of thousands upon thousands of city guards, it unabashedly trampled the lord underfoot.


    The Kolo family knight order was absent, and the ordinary city defense forces were no match for this behemoth. Despite the presence of numerous mercenaries and adventurers, some of whom were even high-level powerhouses, why would they possibly risk their lives for Kolo?


    Before anyone coulde up with a strategy, Long San sensed the presence of the protective barrier formation. It seized Lord Aubrey and took flight.


    "Oh no!"


    "Stop the dragon!"


    "It''s heading for the protective barrier formation!"


    Archers and mages immediately tried to focus their attacks on Long San. Lord Aubrey, with tears streaming down his face, squealed like a ughtered pig, "Hold your fire! Don''t attack! You idiots, do you want to kill me?"


    This made the mage corps and city defense forces hesitate. However, Long San had already reached the airspace above the barrier formation. This was the pivotal point controlling Kolo City''s protective barrier. Five hundred barrier mages were supplying energy to the formation to keep the barrier functioning.


    "Hahahaha!"


    "You shall all burn!"


    A st of dragonfirended on the formation, not only destroying it but also incinerating most of the barrier mages, causing the protective barrier to immediately copse.


    Just then, reinforcements arrived. Leading the charge were two abyssal dragons---one ck and one blue. The entire force consisted of only 17,000bat units,prising 7,000 draconians and 10,000 orcish and troll winged beast riders. They were all highly mobile aerial units. Though their numbers seemed small, their power was terrifying. How could the weak Kolo City''s 20,000 town security and defense forces possibly withstand this? The power disparity was simply overwhelming. Most of the city defense forces were merely Level 1 and 2. After all, if they were capable of reaching higher levels, why would they settle for being lowly city guards when they could join the empire''s formal army?


    On the other hand, the Demon King''s army consisted of 7,000 draconian soldiers. While their numbers were notrge, their quality was formidable. There were 5,000 high soldiers and 2,000 super soldiers among them. In other words, 5,000 top-tier Level 2 elites and 2,000 top-tier Level 3 elites. While this force had a rtively small number, their strength was immensely formidable, enough to take on the empire''s formal legions that were six times their size or more.


    Furthermore, the 10,000 federation soldiers were no pushovers either, with a high proportion of elite orcs and trolls. Theirbined strength was also not inferior to the empire''s formal army, and the proportion of elite units among them was significantly higher. Even if the Kolo City''s knight order still existed, it would be a futile struggle against such a formidable force.


    But of course, the most despair-inducing aspect was not the strength of this army; it was the two leading true dragons at the forefront. They had not concealed their presence. The green wind dragon emitted an auraparable in power to the earth dragon. The leading dark dragon, on the other hand, exuded an oppressive aura even stronger than thebined might of the green and yellow dragons, bearing a monarch''s dominance and majesty that was almost too overwhelming to face directly.


    Where they passed, a potent force of darkness was left in their wake, enough to distort light and transform clear skies into a tempestuous storm with thunderclouds amassing overhead. What kind of power was this?


    Aubrey had utterly copsed! While the yellow dragon had entered the city by its own strength, this terror-inducing behemoth was not bluffing at all. It seemed that it really was not the Demon King, but rather a lieutenant dispatched by the Dragon Demon King.


    "It''s over! It''s all over!"


    In the depths of his despair, Aubrey was brutally mmed into the ground by the earth dragon. The ck dragon, shrouded in an aura of death and darkness, had already enveloped the entire city in its ominous presence. The once-bright sky now resembled a pitch-ck night, constantly illuminated by shes of lightning.


    This was the scene of an impending apocalypse.


    "From today onward!"


    "The imperial province of Kolo shall be history!"


    "I shall be the new ruler of thisnd!"


    Countless bolts of lightning rained down like a tempestuous storm, and the city was submerged in waves of dark energy. Fallen soldiers were resurrected as undead to continue the onught. The city''s defenses were like a struggling candle in a violent storm, feeble and futile against this overwhelming force."

 Chapter 195: Conquering The Entire Kolo Province

    The oue was no longer in doubt, as the overwhelming might of the abyssal dragons had crushed Kolo City''s resolve entirely. The terrorizing power of the Dark Dragon King left everyone in despair. The swift advance of the orcs, trolls, and dragonkin into the city was underway. The lives of the hundreds of thousands of civilians in Kolo City hung by a thread, and the forest races showed no sympathy for humanity. The entire city might be wiped out.


    This battle was being won far too easily, and oddly enough, it left Long Yi somewhat conflicted. "Our orders were to capture the Kolo region. But, the methods and processes weren''t specifically instructed," he remarked.


    Earth Drake Grand Marshal Wang Er nodded. "The simplest and easiest way would be to turn all of Kolo into scorched earth. In the entire Kolo region, there are five cities and twenty-one towns, with a total poption of over two million. Burning down all the towns and annihting the poption wouldn''t be difficult for Your Highness or our army."


    However, Sun Liu, the Sky Drake Archpriest, had a different perspective. "This doesn''t align with the King''s interests!"


    "Nor does it align with the Chaos Federation''s best interests!"


    "The Kolo region is a hilly in embedded within the Chaos Forest, and it''s also the primary gateway for the Chaos Forest to enter and exit the Thunder Empire. This ce holds immense strategic value."


    "While it''s easy topletely destroy this area and turn it into scorched earth, rebuilding it in the future would require a significant amount of manpower, resources, and time."


    Long Yi agreed with this perspective. As the most loyal servants of His Majesty, their loyalty to their master''s interests superseded everything else, even their own lives. They could not choose an easier and safer approach just because it was troublesome or posed a threat to their safety. But how exactly should they go about subduing these humans?


    "Your Highness!"


    A Level 4 lord-ranked orc approached, and it was none other than Gru, the lord of Berserk Beast City. The six thousand elite orcs participating in the operation had all been handpicked and led by Gru from Berserk Beast City. He wanted to earn more merit for the orcs. It was worth noting that his title for Long Yi was "Your Highness," which might sound simr, but it was entirely different. Gru believed that only a true Demon King could be addressed as "Your Majesty".


    Long Yi inquired, "Lord Gru, what''s the matter?"


    Gru replied, "We''ve captured a member of the Kolo family. She ims to be the first heir in line for the count''s session. She insists on meeting you in the capacity of a surrendering noble to negotiate."


    Negotiation? Howughable!


    "Bring her here," Long Yimanded. "I''d like to see what this so-called heir of the count wants to say."


    A captive female knight was brought before the draconians. She was wounded in multiple ces, and her armor was shattered, indicating fiercebat. However, she was only a Level 3 lord, incapable of turning the tide of battle.


    "You... you must be the Demon King!" Peiti Kolo, a self-proimed brave knight, believed she would never cower in the face of any powerful enemy''s might. But when confronted with these terrifying beings before her, she could not help but feel the urge to tremble.


    Terrifying! Too terrifying!


    The three true dragons reverted to humanoid form. In addition to them, present on the scene were Earth Drake Grand Marshal Wang Er, Sky Drake Archpriest Sun Liu, five marshals, five high priests, twenty generals, and twenty priests. These draconians were not only imposing and domineering but also emitted an iparably powerful aura. Peiti even doubted if she could defeat an ordinary draconian general.


    Was this the Demon King''s strength? Was this the true power of the Chaos Forest?


    Long Yi asked, "What do you want to say?"


    "I, Peiti Kolo, am the sister of Count Seinberg Kolo, and I am currently the first heir in line for the title of Count Kolo," she replied.


    The aura of the dark dragon was overpowering. Peiti felt that each word she uttered required all her strength and courage. She almost felt like giving up several times. But she could not back down. It was necessary for her to step forward. She had to uphold the oath she took when bing a knight. Even if she could not save the city or the Kolo family, she wanted to at least rescue the innocent people who had served the Kolo family''snds for hundreds of years.


    Seinberg Kolo was the Hero Su Wenhao. Peiti Kolo was his younger sister. In cases where the imperial hereditary nobles did not specify an heir, the usual order of session was children, siblings, uncles, aunts, and cousins. Since Su Wenhao did not have children or brothers in this world, his uncle, Aubrey Kolo, became the new lord after his death. And after Aubrey''s death, it was Peiti Kolo''s turn.


    "Ridiculous!" Long Er scoffed, "The status of an imperial noble means nothing to the federation. It won''t save your life. Instead, it might just hasten your death!"


    Wang Er added, "Your Highness, why waste words on her? The heir of the Kolo family is all the more reason not to let her live!"


    Hearing these words, Peiti broke out in a cold sweat. "I''vee to negotiate. upying the empire''s territory won''t benefit you in any way. It will only bring about stronger retaliation from the empire," she hurriedly exined. "But if you''re willing to withdraw from Kolo, I''m prepared to represent my family and offer substantialpensation. As long as there''s no loss of territory, the empire won''t pay too much attention."


    The moment those words left her mouth, Peiti felt a twinge of regret. A boundless aura of death and killing intent surged forth from the "Demon King", making her feel as if an invisible hand had gripped her neck, making it difficult even to breathe. In the next second, light vanished from her surroundings, and Peiti plunged into a sea of darkness. This was not an exaggerated depiction but a realistic portrayal. She was horrified to find herself in a space brimming with dark energy. Countless specters and malevolent spirits, born of the darkness, converged on her from all directions. Immobile, she was savagely torn at and drained of life force and flesh.


    "Monarch''s domain!"


    "You''re actually... a monarch! A Dragon King!"


    It dawned on Peiti. She had made a grave mistake. This was a genuine monarch, and not just any monarch---a rare and exceptionally scarce Dragon King! Even worse, she had arrogantly attempted to leverage the empire''s might to coerce a proud and noble Dark Dragon King into withdrawing his army.


    "No! Stop!"


    "Great King of Darkness! I''m willing to lead my people to submit to you."


    "I offer every inch of Kolo''snd and every drop of its water, only asking for a path of survival for the people of Kolo."


    The Dark Dragon King sneered, "Kolo is one of the most active ve trading centers along the southern border of the empire. Tens of thousands of forest folks are trafficked through Kolo every year."


    "You''ve tamed the forest people intobor and ves, subjected them to immense suffering and humiliation, treating them asmodities to be bought and sold within the empire."


    "You ask me to spare the people of Kolo?"


    "Perhaps you should ask whether the people of the federation agree to that!"


    Peiti''s face turned pale. The primary source of Kolo''s ie was forest folks trafficking. Every year, numerous mercenaries and ve traders would infiltrate the forest to attack tribes, viges, or capture isted members of the various forest tribes. The forest tribes held a deep-rooted grudge against human ve traders, and they would never sympathize with humans.


    This was the reality. Peiti hastily knelt down and bowed her head: "I implore the great King of Darkness to show mercy. As long as you can pardon Kolo''s sins and spare the innocent people of Kolo, we are willing to pay any price. The Kolo family is willing to serve forever."


    "Kolo still has four cities. I''m also willing to offer them all!"


    For a hereditary noble to give away their fiefdom and territory to an outsider was an act that the empire absolutely could not tolerate. The moment Peiti handed over thend and the poption of the cities, she knew she would never be able to return to the empire. But she had no other choice. The Kolo family was practically finished. She only wanted to rescue the trapped civilians.


    Long Yi was rtively satisfied with Peiti''s attitude. If the Kolo family led the way inpletely surrendering to the federation, the other four cities and affiliated viges could be acquired withoutunching an assault. The issue of governance could then be resolved. The Chaos Federation could support Peiti and allow her to continue governing Kolo on behalf of the federation. After all, Peiti desired a way out, and the Dark Dragon King was willing to grant the humans a chance at survival. However, this offer excluded Heroes, mercenaries, adventurers, and ve traders. These individuals had no ce in the Dark Dragon King''s n. They must all die!


    For the rest, ordinary soldiers andmon citizens, a chance at survival was possible, but it came with a condition: they had to pay substantial reparations to secure their continued existence. Including Peiti, the various city management personnel would be required to drink from the Holy Grail of Blood, ensuring they would never betray the arrangement.


    Two dayster, within the Darkness City, the true Demon Lord, Zhang Nu, opened his yer interface and received a series of notifications:


    [You''ve conquered Kolo City!]


    [You gained "Gorgeous Mythminite Chest" x1!]


    [You''ve conquered Reno City!]


    [You gained "Shining Mithril Chest" x1!]


    [You''ve conquered Rom City!]


    [You gained "Gorgeous Mithril Chest" x1!]


    [You''ve conquered Ava City!]


    [You gained "Gorgeous Mithril Chest" x1!]


    [You''ve conquered Tavi City!]


    [You gained "Gorgeous Mithril Chest" x1!]


    [......]


    [1.5 million human inhabitants of Kolo region plead for surrender. Do you ept?]


    Seeing the five notifications, Zhang Nu knew that Long Yi had seeded. The Chaos Federation had sessfully counterattacked and taken control of an empire province. The gains were quite substantial: a mythminite treasure chest and four mithril treasure chests. Apart from these quality chests, what surprised Zhang Nu even more was the rtively low enemy casualties. With a poption of 2.4 million humans in Kolo, a staggering 1.5 million had surrendered.


    The remaining 900,000 were unlikely to all be killed. The death toll probably would not exceed half of that number. During the advance of the Demon Lord''s army, some individuals who were well-informed would have slipped away. These escapees would spread what they had witnessed in Kolo, such as the betrayal of the Kolo family, the surrender of all five Kolo cities, and the terror of the Dark Dragon King.


    An entire province had fallen, and not just fallen, but been upied. For the Thunder Empire, and especially for the southern guardian Grand Duke Bachor, this was undoubtedly a significant blow and humiliation. The decoy Demon Lord of the Chaos Forest, the Dark Dragon King, had be widely known through a single battle. From now on, he would be the focus of countless Heroes and various forces, ced squarely under the spotlight.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Thinking about this, Zhang Nu could not help but feel a sense of satisfaction. When Heroes flocked to assassinate the Demon Lord and finally seeded after numerous attempts, only to discover that the Dark Dragon King was a counterfeit and not the real Demon Lord, he wondered what kind of expression they would have. But for Zhang Nu, the real satisfaction came from hiding himself behind the scenes.


    However, it would be wise to build the resurrection altar in advance. If one day Long Yi was truly killed and needed to be resurrected, the altar could be used to bring him back and have him continue to charge forward, drawing the enemy''s firepower."

 Chapter 196: Two Whites

    Zhang Nu opened the loot from capturing Kolo City, starting with the mythminite treasure chest. It was the only mythminite one among the five chests.


    [You''ve opened the Mythminite Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x5 million, "Blueprint: Sacred Knight''s Sanctuary" x1, "Blueprint: High Mage Guild" x1, "Life Gems" x1000, "Wind Gems" x1000!]


    It was indeed worthy of being a mythminite chest. The contents were impressive, especially the two blueprints, both of which were barrack-type buildings. One was a Level 5 blueprint, and the other was Level 4.


    [Blueprint: Advanced Mage Guild] Level 4 blueprint. Costs gold x800,000, wind, fire, water, earth, light, dark, and lightning gems x100 each. You may construct a High Mage Guild within your territory.


    [Blueprint: Sacred Knight''s Sanctuary] Level 5 blueprint. Costs gold x4 million, light gem x1500, life gem x1500. You may construct a Sacred Knight''s Sanctuary within your territory.


    Thebined cost of these two buildings was only 4.8 million gold, and the chest had already provided 5 million gold. Zhang Nu had enough gems to cover the material requirements. Therefore, he summoned both of these buildings in the human section of the Darkness City.


    [You''ve constructed the High Mage Guild!]


    [You''ve unlocked the ability to summon human units!]


    [You''ve gained a new summonable poption: Mage Apprentice +10,000, Junior Mage +8000, Intermediate Mage +5000, High Mage +2000, Grand Mage +100, Archmage +5, Grand Archmage +1!]


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied. The High Mage Guild was a building specialized in recruiting human mages. Spellcasters were generally valuable units, and in Zhang Nu''s current army, the primary spellcasting race was the elves, but their proportion was not very high.


    The human mages summoned from the Mage Guild were proficient in all four elemental magic types, and they were knowledgeable schrs with additional abilities in alchemy, potion-making, enchanting, and other production skills. This not only improved theposition of his forces but also increased the human poption in his territory. Furthermore, it could enhance production capabilities.


    Zhang Nu quickly nced at the levels and prices:


    [Mage Apprentice] Level 1 normal, costs 100 gold.


    [Junior Mage] Level 1 elite, costs 500 gold.


    [Intermediate Mage] Level 2 elite, costs 4000 gold.


    [High Mage] Level 3 elite, costs 15,000 gold.


    [Grand Mage] Level 4 elite, costs 100,000 gold.


    [Archmage] Level 4 lord, costs 400,000 gold + four elemental gems 100 each.


    [Grand Archmage] Level 4 overlord, costs 3,000,000 gold + four elemental gems 500 each + 1 Level 4 Hero''s soul.


    Zhang Nu noticed that these mages were quite expensive. Even a mage apprentice costs 100 gold, which was the same price as summoning a draconian soldier, and the mage apprentice was just a Level 1 normal unit. It seemed that mages were generally valuable units, perhaps due to their versatile production and research capabilities.


    Considering the cost, Zhang Nu decided to summon a Grand Archmage right away. A bright light shed, and a figure in a pristine mage robe appeared. She was a mature-looking human female in her thirties, and although slightly older, she had a dignified and beautiful appearance, exuding an intellectual charm.


    "Greetings, my master!" she said respectfully.


    Zhang Nu observed her white attire and decided on a name for her. "Hmm, your name shall be Bai Jie from now on."


    This name suited a Grand Archmage well, and it was one of the more tasteful names that the Demon King had bestowed upon his servants.


    The Grand Archmage Bai Jie immediately expressed her gratitude, "Thank you for granting me a name, my master!"


    Zhang Nu then took a look at her attributes.


    [Grand Archmage: Bian Jie] Level 4 overlord unit


    Skills: Super Meditation (A rank), Dance of the me Dragon (A rank), Frozen Expanse (A rank), Storm''s Descent (A rank), Earth Sundering (B rank), Instant Teleportation (B rank), etc.


    Description: This is an archmage with the title of Grand Mage, and each archmage possesses an incredibly extensive knowledge. She is not only a master of the four elemental magic types but also an unparalleled schr of her time.


    After reading the introduction, the Demon King was pleasantly surprised. He had indeed found a treasure. Bai Jie''s magical abilities and her Level 4 overlordbat prowess were secondary to her true value as a super schr. She possessed profound knowledge and a voracious appetite for learning. That would exin why she was so expensive.


    When Zhang Nu had summoned the dwarf Zhang Dachui, another Level 4 overlord with production capabilities and a renowned forge master, he had cost significantly less than summoning Bai Jie. As they say, you get what you pay for. Whether it was Grand Archmage Bai Jie or Dwarven City Lord Zhang Dachui, these units with special production abilities or knowledge were typically hidden units that were hard toe by. Their additional value far exceeded theirbat prowess.


    Next, Zhang Nu constructed the Sacred Knight''s Sanctuary.


    [You''ve constructed the Sacred Knight''s Sanctuary!]


    [You''ve unlocked the ability to summon human units!]


    [You''ve gained a new summonable poption: Squire Knight +30,000, Junior Knight +15,000, Intermediate Knight +8000, High Knight +4000, Grand Knight +1000, Knight Commander +50, Titled Knights +5, Holy Knight +1!]


    Zhang Nu quickly scanned the price list.


    [Squire Knight] Level 1 normal, costs 50 gold.


    [Junior Knight] Level 1 elite, costs 200 gold.


    [Intermediate Knight] Level 2 elite, costs 2,000 gold.


    [Advanced Knight] Level 3 elite, costs 8,000 gold.


    [Grand Knight] Level 4 elite, costs 25,000 gold.


    [Knight Commander] Level 4 lord, costs 200,000 gold + 150 life gems.


    [Knight Title Holder] Level 4 overlord, costs 1,000,000 gold + 1 Level 4 Hero''s soul + 300 life gems.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [Holy Knight] Level 5 overlord, costs 6,000,000 gold + 1 Level 5 Hero''s soul + 500 life gems.


    Not bad. This barrack-type building could summon a substantial number of units, totaling up to 50,000. If constructed in the Darkness City, it would directly provide the city with an additional 50,000 loyal human inhabitants.


    What was even more valuable was that the Sacred Knight''s Sanctuary had a Level 5 overlord summoning slot. Even for the Darkness City, Level 5 overlords were top-tierbatants, and a Holy Knight, in particr, did not seem like an ordinary knight. Furthermore, buildings with the name "Sanctuary" typically had functions rted to training and learning. For instance, the territorial building "Ancient Elven Sanctuary" allowed for the rapid mastery of elven martial skills. This could enhance the territory''s strength to some extent.


    Although Zhang Nu was a bit tight on resources at the moment, he still decided to summon the Holy Knight. A brilliant light shed, and a dignified, justice-filled silver haired hunk appeared before Zhang Nu. He was d in tinum armor, and by his side was a golden winged warhorse. Just the steed alone possessed the strength of a Level 5 lord.


    "At your service, my lord!" the Holy Knight said respectfully.


    Zhang Nu nced at the color of his armor. "From today on, I''ll call you Bai Jin."


    Holy Knight Silver replied with reverence, "Thank you for granting me a name, my lord!"


    [Holy Knight: Bai Jin], Level 5 overlord unit


    Skills: Holy Knight''s Physique (Innate), Divine Combat Qi (A rank), Descent of the Divine (A rank), Radiant Aura (A rank), Holy Light Summoning (A rank), Heroic Aura (B rank), Aura of Justice (B rank), etc.


    Description: This is a knight of noble character and unyielding spirit, also an outstandingmander with superbbat skills and exceptional leadership abilities.


    Zhang Nu was somewhat surprised. Another little treasure? Not only was his personalbat prowess outstanding, but he also had a host of aura skills, making hismand abilities on par with an Earth Drake Grand Marshal and even a bit higher.


    The Holy Knight was "old white", and the Grand Mage was "little white". With these two ''whites'' by the Demon King''s side, his strength had improved considerably. The rewards from the mythminite chest were indeed generous. Now he still had four mithril chests. The quality of these four chests would likely be a bit lower.


    Zhang Nu opened them one after another, and the items he obtained were as follows:


    [Cumtive rewards: "Gold" ¡Á6.25 million, "Blueprint: Imperial Library" ¡Á1, "Blueprint: Arcane Tower" ¡Á1, "Blueprint: zing Tower" ¡Á1, "Blueprint: Imperial Infantry Camp" ¡Á1, "Blueprint: Warhorse Ranch" ¡Á1, "Life Gems" ¡Á800, "Elemental Gems" ¡Á3,000...]


    All in all, it was quite good. Opening the four chests yielded six blueprints, and considering the drop rates, these were rtively high. However, except for the "Imperial Library," which was a Level 4 blueprint, all the others were only Level 3.


    Zhang Nu decided to construct the Imperial Library in the central area of his Darkness City. The functionality of the Imperial Library was impressive; it housed over two hundred thousand books on various topics, from human history to legendary biographies, magic, martial skills, and production techniques. It was truly a treasury of knowledge. Furthermore, entering the Imperial Library to read would increase memory andprehension speeds by 500%. Such a utility building might not show immediate effects in the short term, but it would significantly impact the territory over time, enhancing productivity, the strength of the people, and cultural refinement, simr to the Ancient Elven Sanctuary.


    As for the other five blueprint types, "Arcane Tower" and "zing Tower" were Level 3 defense buildings. The "Imperial Infantry Camp" was of too low a level and would need an upgrade before it became useful. Besides, Zhang Nu already had the Sacred Knight''s Sanctuary, so there was no immediate need. The "Warhorse Ranch" blueprint was Level 3. However, in a forest environment, unless it was winged horses, it would not be very useful. Zhang Nu did not n to construct this building in his Darkness City.


    In summary, the rewards for capturing Kolo Province were satisfying.


    Shortly after, Zhang Nu received a message from Long Yi. He was preparing to bring the Kolo family and the high-ranking officials who had surrendered from various cities to the Darkness City. Zhang Nu had prepared the blood wine in advance. He wanted to meet these people personally.


    He intended to reveal his true identity as the Demon King to these high-ranking individuals. Maintaining secrecy was unnecessary for this group. They were going to assist Zhang Nu in controlling Kolo and potentially more of Thunder Empire''s territories in the future. As they would be spending more time together, they were likely to gradually figure it out themselves. It would be better to meet them face to face. As long as he ensured their silence, the risk of leaks would be minimal."

 Chapter 197: Integration Of The Humans

    Kolo City.


    Peiti and the twelve high-ranking officials were ready. These twelve individuals were the governors or garrisonmanders of the five cities in the Kolo region. Most of them were also part of the Kolo family. At this moment, they were surrendering to the Demon King, forsaking their previous identities and honor.


    Everyone was assembled, and the gold collected from the five cities was packed and ready. Thanks to the unique nature of the Kolo region, even though it was just a county, it was wealthier than most count''s territories in the southern border.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Gru, leading about a hundred orcish soldiers, carried the gold into the teleportation field. In just two days, he had swiftly plundered approximately four hundred million continental gold coins'' worth of gold. This was roughly equivalent to thirty to forty million Demon King gold, which they would send back in one go. There would be plenty more to plunder in the future.


    "Prepare yourselves! You are about to arrive at the capital city!"


    "Remember, do not look or ask too much. Everything in the capital city is ssified, and no leaks are allowed!"


    The Dark Dragon King said with a stern expression, "If anyone dares to vite this, I will make them regret their existence in this world!"


    Peiti and the others were taken aback. Over the past two days, the Dark Dragon King had instilled in them a nightmarish sense of oppression. They already held him in the same reverence as one would a deity and would not dare to utter even half a word.


    After Long Yi''s instructions, he nced at Sun Liu.


    "Initiate the teleportation!"


    "Understood!"


    The Skydrake Archpriest, Sun Liu, raised his staff and struck the ground, instantly summoning a massive teleportation field. Within it were Gru and over a hundred orcish soldiers carrying the gold, as well as Long Yi, Peiti, and a dozen others.


    "..."


    Peiti could not believe her eyes. "A spatial teleportation field?"


    This kind of teleportation field that could be activated anywhere and anytime was something she had never seen or heard of before. It seemed that the Demon King''s forces were filled with talented individuals. In her eyes, ever since the former lord had gained the status of a Hero, forming the Divine Sword Heroes Guild, the fate of Kolo had been sealed, destined for tragedy.


    The next moment, the teleportation field activated, and Peiti found herself in a ce enshrouded in dense mist. This fog was not natural; it was an extremely potent magical mist, preventing her from discerning the full extent of the city. However, even in this haze, Peiti was astounded. She could clearly sense that this was a city of miracles, with a grandeur and miraculous construction beyond imagination. Every brick and tile seemed to be crafted with special techniques, radiating energy and enchanted effects. Peiti could faintly feel that the entire city was filled with powerful enchanted constructs, making it almost unbelievable.


    Furthermore, the moment she arrived, Peiti noticed that her strength, reflexes, perception, vitality, spirit, and all her abilities had undergone aprehensive enhancement. This city had a strengthening effect on her. In this ce, she felt at least twice as powerful as she would in a normal environment! It was unbelievable, almost beyondprehension. Before she could explore more, the thirteen of them were brought into the Demon Dragon Castle.


    The Demon King''s castle, rivaling a pce in grandeur, had doors that were dozens of meters high, easily allowing creatures asrge as giants to enter and exit. As humans with a much smaller stature, they could not help but feel a profound sense of oppression when walking in such a ce.


    They were led by the Dark Dragon King into a sumptuous lounge. Rows of seats were symmetrically arranged, exuding an air of opulence. A dozen fox-kin attendants held bloodwine, silently waiting on either side. At the front of the lounge, on a high dais, there was a massive throne, unmistakably the primary seat and the highest-ranking position that only the master of this chamber and the entire castle, could upy.


    However, what left Peiti astonished was that at this very moment, seated on the primary throne was a draconian with dark golden scales. To his left and right stood two individuals---one burly, wielding a double-ded spear and covered in diamond-like scales, and the other rtively petite, dressed in priestly robes adorned with seven-colored magical patterns.


    Peiti could notprehend the situation. Why was someone else seated in the primary position? She could not sense the draconian''s strength at all. However, she could distinctly feel that the two individuals to his left and right were not concealing their aura, and it was so overwhelming that it was almost like facing the Dark Dragon King. Her intuition told her that these two draconians were possibly on par with the Dark Dragon King, if not slightly inferior. In other words, they were at the level of Dragon Kings!


    How was this possible? The kings and monarchs of the dragons were an exceedingly rare and precious existence among the dragon-kind. The appearance of the Dark Dragon King had already shocked the empire. Why were there two more Dragon Kings in the Demon King''s main castle? Even more bewildering was the fact that there were four draconians present at this moment, with three of them being Dragon Kings standing. So, who exactly was the one seated?


    ......


    Peiti and the others were utterly dumbfounded as they witnessed an astonishing scene unfold.


    The supposedly Demon King, stepping forward, knelt directly on the ground, his face filled with an attitude of submission and deep respect. "My master, I have not failed your mission and have sessfullypleted the task you assigned!"


    Upon hearing these words, their minds wentpletely nk. Peiti felt her legs weaken, unsure if it was due to the overwhelming pressure in the room or if she had entirely lost control of her body. She found herself kneeling alongside the Dark Dragon King. The other twelve individuals followed suit, prostrating themselves, terrified to even take a breath. The situation was beyond theirprehension. The immensely powerful and terrifying Dark Dragon King, who had left a psychological scar on every Kolo resident who had encountered him, was now kneeling before another being, referring to them as his master. Thispletely shattered their understanding and this absurdity was something no one present had ever dared to imagine.


    Peiti was filled with confusion, but she dared not speak. She did not know what to say.


    The Demon King, Zhang Nu, nodded slowly. "You may rise. Are these the administrators from the Kolo region that you have brought back?"


    Long Yi replied respectfully, "Yes, they are. They hold high prestige in the Kolo region. As long as they sincerely pledge allegiance to you, I believe it will be effortless for you to control Kolo Province."


    "Indeed, but..." Zhang Nu''s tone changed. "There is a rat among them."


    At these words, Long Yi''s expression changed drastically. Before he could identify the infiltrator, Zhang Nu activated a mind control spell with a light flicker of his will. Suddenly, a middle-aged man stood up, his expression filled with terror. He felt that he had lost control of his bodypletely, as if a horrifying presence was issuingmands to his body far more potent than those from his own brain. He was utterly powerless.


    "You... you... you..." The Hero could not fathom how he had been exposed. All he could do was stammer, "I was wrong, mighty Demon King. Give me another chance. I don''t want to die..."


    The Demon King, with his crimson vertical eye wide open, gazed at the man. The moment their eyes met, the Hero let out a blood-curdling scream. His body split open from the middle, shattering into hundreds, even thousands of pieces. Each fragment continued to disintegrate into dust and powder. In the end, he vanished without a trace, as though he had never existed.


    Peiti and the others had not sensed even the slightest magical fluctuation. Their shock was beyond words, especially after witnessing the Demon King''s obliteration of the infiltrating Hero. When the crimson vertical pupil on his forehead turned towards the remaining twelve individuals, it swept over each of them.


    In the moment that the eye gazed upon them, Peiti felt as if her soul had been plunged into the depths of hell. She was enveloped in an overwhelming aura of death, much like a person drowning in the center of the ocean, with no hope of survival. It was a despair she had never experienced before, a vivid and undeniable encounter with death.


    Thankfully, it was just a brief nce, and the Demon King closed his crimson vertical eye. Peiti felt utterly drained, gasping for breath, trembling uncontrobly, and almost unable to control her bodily functions. She had always considered herself far from being a coward, but in the presence of this entity that defiedprehension, her once-prided courage, faith, and willpower seemed like a mere joke.


    Long Yi knelt once again, his voice filled with remorse. "My master, it was my oversight. I am guilty of a grave mistake by allowing an intruder to infiltrate."


    The Demon King chuckled. "Let it go, it''s not that big of a deal. The others are fine."


    As he spoke, twelve fox-kin maids approached, each holding a cup of blood wine. The Demon King spoke calmly, "Since you have chosen to pledge your loyalty to me, do not entertain thoughts of ying petty tricks behind my back. As long as you serve me with sincerity and wholeheartedly, you will receive the rewards you deserve, and today''s choices will not be in vain."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    Peiti and the twelve others hastily bowed their heads. They finally felt the oppressive aura that had hung over them diminish. They each took the cups of blood wine offered by the fox-kin maids and drank it all in one go, cementing their control under the true Demon King.


    Satisfied, Zhang Nu nodded and said, "Li Si."


    The Sky Drake Sovereign stepped forward, saying, "I''m here, my master."


    Zhang Nu continued, "You will take them through the next steps, instructing them on what to do and what not to do. Guide them through their roles."


    The Sky Drake Sovereign nodded, replying, "Understood, my master."


    Li Si then led the twelve neers away for further employee training.


    Zhang Nu turned to Long Yi and said, "You performed well this time. Once the interval for the baptism isplete, return to Darkness City on your own and undergo the next baptism."


    Long Yi expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you for your grace, my master."


    Zhang Nu cautioned, "Themotion you caused this time was substantial, but it''s the effect I desired. You will face significant pressure in the future, and when necessary, I will send Zhang San, Li Si, or Nancilia to assist you."


    "While I may not hold Duke Bachor in high regard, he is not an easy fodder to deal with. Thunder Empire boasts a multitude of skilled individuals, both within its official ranks and among its hidden powerhouses like the Undying Phoenix, Hubert. You must be even more cautious and vignt."


    Long Yi replied firmly, "To share your burdens andy down our lives for you, my master, is the highest honor for us."


    The game had just begun. The Chaos Federation and the Thunder Empire were destined for a prolonged confrontation. Facing such a colossal behemoth, Zhang Nu could not afford to becent. That was why he deliberately revealed some of his strength, but not the full extent. With the appearance of the Dark Dragon King as bait, he had already enticed many big fish to bite. These fat catches would be enough to satisfy the Chaos Federation, the Darkness City, and the Demon King for a while.


    Next, Zhang Nu met with the orc city lord, Gru, to convert the plundered gold. He gained a staggering 38 million gold in one go. Gru had been performing well recently, so Zhang Nu decided to bestow a Demon Lord''s Baptism upon him. Gru recently had a breakthrough during the Holy King''s Baptism. At present, he was only at the early stage of Level 4. After the Demon King''s Baptism, he immediately reached thete stage of Level 4.


    "Thank you! Your Majesty! Thank you! Your Majesty!"


    The orc city lord was overjoyed. With this pace, by training in the Tower of Lost Trials for a while and solidifying his foundation in Qi and martial arts, he would be able to be a Level 5 lord during the next Baptism. Gru deeply realized how correct of a decision it was to follow the Demon King. Now, not only was Berserk Beast City thriving, but he himself was making rapid progress. His strength was already on par with the former city lord."

 Chapter 198: Marquis Kregi and the Thunderous Society

    The news of the fall of Kolo Province on the empire''s southern border spread throughout the Thunder Empire in less than three days. It reached all corners, from the four borders to the heart of the empire''s capital city.


    This news sparked intense discussions among the people. Titles such as the ruler of the Chaos Forest, the new king of the dragon-kind, the mightiest Demon King within the empire''s region, and the Dark Dragon King were nowmon topics of conversation.


    However, up to this point, the entire empire seemed to maintain a rather nonchnt attitude. Most people did not view this as a severe matter. After all, for the vast majority of the empire''s inhabitants, Kolo Province was a remote and insignificant border region. Its upation did not seem to have any significant impact on their daily lives.


    Indeed, the appearance of the Dark Dragon King was an exceedingly rare event, and it could potentially bring disaster. However, given the origin of the Chaos Forest, the question remained: how powerful could it truly be? Relying solely on a single Dark Dragon King to threaten the very foundation of the empire seemed almost impossible.


    Of course, this incident had put a dent in the empire''s reputation. As a result, the empire increased the reward for killing the Dark Dragon King. Anyone who could y this formidable Demon King would be granted the title of a Marquis and receive 3 billion imperial gold coins as a reward. This was, without a doubt, the highest bounty the empire had offered in several decades.


    This newfound bounty had thrust the Dark Dragon King into the spotlight across the empire. Adventurers yearning for instant fame, mercenary groups hungry for rewards, and Heroes dreaming of instant glory were all gearing up for action. Numerous monster-hunting ns were being devised and executed.


    Simultaneously, in the main city of the empire''s southern border, Duke Bachor wore a grim expression. He had to admit that he had underestimated the strength of the Dragon Demon King. He had never expected his adversary to be a monarch-level existence. It seemed that the Undying Phoenix, Hubert, had likely met his end in failure, and the eight Guardian Knights were probably lost as well. This realization left Duke Bachor deeply frustrated. If he was not bound by his responsibilities as a Guardian Grand Duke, he would have left his duchy without hesitation and personally journeyed to Kolo to rip the ursed Demon King into pieces.


    "Your Grace! Marquis Belok Kregi has arrived!"


    Bachor nodded and said, "Let him in." A few minutester, the head butler escorted in an elderly, spirited gentleman. This was Marquis Kregi of the southern empire.


    The Kregi family had a unique tradition that set them apart from typical hereditary nobility. In each generation, they would select five to ten outstanding heirs, make them adopt pseudonyms when venturing into the world. These heirs would then travel, build their reputations, and ultimately, the one who achieved the highest renown and fame would inherit the title of Marquis.


    Marquis Kregi, from the current generation, had been an adventurer in his youth. He had traveled through several countries, embarked on countless adventures, and at the peak of his fame, rivaled even the likes of the Undying Phoenix, Hubert. Despite now holding the title of Marquis within the empire, he remained a top-tier powerhouse. Among the nobility of the south, his strength ranked among the top three, just behind Bachor. He alsomanded a significant following of adventurers and renowned mercenaries who had rallied under his banner. His influence was not to be underestimated.


    "Duke Bachor," Marquis Kregi greeted with a respectful bow, "I''ve heard about the situation in Kolo. While it''s not an important territory, it''s still sacred imperialnd. I''m willing to take on the task of subduing Kolo, uniting the surrounding lords to exterminate the Abyssal Dragon Demon King."


    Duke Bachor responded, "I don''t doubt your strength, but even the Undying Phoenix, Hubert, has failed. This Demon King is more dangerous than we anticipated. You should reconsider carefully."


    Marquis Kregi chuckled. "Hubert, the Undying Phoenix? Hah! Back when I was a roaming adventurer, he was probably ying with mud somewhere. I''ve encountered plenty of such presumptuous adventurers who ultimately met their demise."


    "Rest assured, Duke Bachor. If I''m volunteering, it''s because I''m absolutely confident in dealing with this Demon King. Besides the high-caliber experts that I, along with several other Counts have cultivated, there''s another force we can leverage this time."


    Duke Bachor took a moment to contemte, his thoughts aligning with Marquis Kregi''s proposal. "Are you referring to the ''Thunderous Society''?"


    Marquis Kregi nodded, confirming, "Indeed, the Thunderous Society. Guardian Knight Gordes and Undying Phoenix Hubert were both members of that society. It''s a highly secretive group of elite Heroes, a dozen or so of the finest in the entire Thunder Empire."


    Gordes was Huang Hui.


    Hubert was Yan Qianjun.


    Both of them were incredibly lucky Hero yers. In truth, within the Thunder Empire, there were at least a dozen more as fortunate as them. Some had distinguished backgrounds, others possessed unparalleled strength. These high-achieving Heroes formed an exclusive circle among themselves.


    As they were the elite champion Heroes of the Thunder Empire, they named this circle the Thunderous Society. Each member was highly exceptional. For Heroes of their caliber, ordinary Demon Kings would not pique their interest. Only the absolute top-tier Demon Kings could ignite their desire to hunt. But such top-tier Demon Kings were exceedingly rare. Now that the Abyssal Dragon Demon King had emerged, how could they not be tempted?


    Duke Bachor had exceptional intelligence capabilities within his southern territories. Naturally, he was aware of the existence of the Thunderous Society, even knowing the identities of some of its members. It was indeed a force worth utilizing.


    For Duke Bachor, both Heroes and Demon Kings were challenging entities. Powerful Heroes like these posed a threat to the Bachor Duchy and even the entire Thunder Empire. If he could manipte the situation to make these super Heroes and super Demon Kings contend with each other, then Duke Bachor would be more than happy to bide his time and act as the ultimate beneficiary when the time came.


    Duke Bachor pondered for a while before speaking, "The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Legions will be arriving at the southern border shortly. I will entrust you with themand of these four legions. You should know what to do."


    Marquis Kregi smiled confidently, replying, "You can rest assured, Your Grace."


    Duke Bachor then issued anothermand, "Knight Commander Bard, this time I''ll need you to personally take action."


    A knight in golden armor stepped forward. He was themander of the ten Guardian Knights in the southern region and now held the mere title of the chief knight as all nine of his subordinates had fallen to the Demon King. This knight, named Bard, had been harboring a deep-seated desire for revenge.


    "I will personally take the head of this ck dragon!" Bard, the Guardian Knight Commander, stated with unwavering confidence. "Please, Your Grace, await good news from me!"


    With Marquis Kregi being the strongest noble in the Southern region, just below Bachor himself, and a renowned adventurer from twenty years ago, along with Bard, a Level 6 Guardian Knight Commander, the strength of just these two individuals was substantial. Adding to this formidable force were the Marquis''s noble family, along with several nearby Counts and Viscounts who would join the battle. The four empire legions were already in position, and with the involvement of the Thunderous Society, the Abyssal Dragon Demon King would be hard-pressed to contend with such a force.


    As for Duke Bachor, he was the guardian of the southern region, thest line of defense. He would not leave the safety of the southern capital city easily. However, in case of extraordinary circumstances on Kregi''s side, Duke Bachor could arrive swiftly to provide support. That dark dragon, despite its power, would not be able to stir up too much trouble.


    ......


    Meanwhile, in the Darkness City, Peiti hadpleted her training. She now knew what to remember and what to forget. For instance, she needed to forget the existence of the true Demon King and treat the Abyssal Dragon King as the Demon King to continue this strategic deception against their enemies.


    Additionally, Peiti had gained insights into the situation within the Darkness City and some of the miracles it had produced. This left her utterly astonished. The abilities of the Demon King were far moreplex than she had imagined. Almost everyone who had pledged allegiance to the Demon King had received benefits, which tempted Peiti and herpanions. They realized that they could no longer return to the empire now; they weremitted to this path.


    In the afternoon, as they prepared to return, somethingpletely unexpected caught their attention. In the central square of the Darkness City, there were 1,000 draconian craftsmen and 10,000 highborers standing in orderly formations. In addition, there were units of human knights, about 5,000 to 6,000 strong, dressed in knightly attire and mounted on horses. Even the weakest among them had elite-level strength. This knightly force wasparable in size and strength to the Kolo Knight Order, if not slightly stronger. Lastly, there were at least 2,000 human mages present, all d in robes, wielding staffs. Each of them was formidable, making up an elite mage corps. Peiti was bewildered. Chaos Forest did not have any human cities, so why did the Darkness City have such a well-equipped knight order and mage corps?


    At this moment, a voice resonated, sending shivers down Peiti and herpanions'' spines. It was not just any voice, it was the voice of the true Demon King himself.


    "Your Majesty!" Peiti and the others looked towards the true Demon King. He was disguised in a cloak and appeared ready to depart, making it impossible to discern his true identity.


    Zhang Nu exined, "This is the first batch of reinforcements for Kolo. My construction units will assist in repairing the city, strengthening defenses, and improving infrastructure. The knight order and mage corps will be temporarily stationed in Kolo City to help defend against potential attacks."


    Rather than assisting Kolo in defense, it seemed more like a strategic move to control the region better. They had recruited 5,000 junior knights for one million gold, 2,000 junior mages for another million, and spent an additional two million gold to recruit 500 intermediate mages and 1,000 intermediate knights. In total, it cost six million gold.


    While all of these recruits were only Level 1 or 2 elites, they were significantly stronger than the previous forces in Kolo. Zhang Nu intended to dispatch this force to bolster the defenses. However, he knew very well that this force would not be able to withstand a full legion from the empire.


    To counter that, Zhang Nu had prepared a team of 11,000 draconian construction workers to swiftly repair and reinforce Kolo City and construct more defensive structures. His n was to change the gatekeeper of the Chaos Federation from the Bloody Fortress to the Kolo region after capturing it, thus pushing the battlefield out of the forest, which would benefit the stability of the Chaos Federation.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    However, the downside was that the defense would be more challenging than before. At this moment, Zhang Nu intended to go himself. He wanted to inspect the situation in Kolo and had another reason for his visit. He knew that there was a particrly unique ruin near Kolo that was worth exploring.


    After eliminating Yan Qianjun and inheriting the legacy of the Undying Phoenix Hubert, Zhang Nu had examined all the treasure maps, information on ruins, dungeons, and forbidden areas that Hubert had collected over the years. He had pinpointed two ces of particr interest. One of them was a mysterious ruin where Hubert himself had experienced the most significant adventure of his life. In this ruin, he had obtained the blood of the Undying Phoenix, the top-tier epic equipment - Heart of Space. However, Hubert had not explored the entire ruin, likely due to the increasing difficulty in itster stages, even for someone of Hubert''s capabilities.


    This ruin was located far away, and Zhang Nu was not ready to attempt it just yet. As for the other ruin, it was rtively close to Kolo, a ce of great value. Zhang Nu nned to visit it during his inspection of the Kolo region, hoping to find unexpected and significant treasures."

 Chapter 199: Citadel of Eternity

    Zhang Nu arrived in the city of Kolo. He was dressed discreetly in a magical disguise cloak. The troops stationed in Kolo did not recognize the Demon King. Zhang Nu had only brought a few humanpanions with him, including Peiti, the Holy Knight Bai Jin, and the Grand Archmage Bai Jie, to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.


    Kolo City was rtively sturdy. Zhang Nu inspected the main city of the region. The total poption of Kolo City was around six hundred thousand, which had decreased due to a recent war but was still quite prosperous. In the chaotic wilderness of the Chaos Federation, it was challenging for cities other than rapidly expanding ones like the Darkness City, Giantree City, and Berserk Beast City to exceed a poption of five hundred thousand in a short time.


    Due to the vast expanse of the Thunder Empire, like many imperial states in this world, the empire faced difficulties in governance, resulting in low administrative efficiency. This led to the necessity of granting a certain degree of autonomy to the local regions, which gave rise to hereditary nobility scattered throughout the empire.


    The Kolo family had ruled over the Kolo Province for more than three hundred years. This length of time was significant for ordinary humans, spanning at least five to six generations. It was quite a long period. However, for the people of Kolo, who lived on the imperial border, the influence of the empire was already weak and diminished. The empire was merely a distant concept to them.


    In this world, transportation was inconvenient, and traveling far from home was extremely dangerous. Consequently, the vast majority of Kolo''s poption had never left the southern region and some of them had never even left Kolo Province. For them, the empire was a distant conceptpared to the local Count and the Kolo family, who were the real authorities. As long as control over the Kolo family could be established, causing them to betray the empire, leveraging the Kolo family''s influence would effectively control the entire region.


    Draconianborers and craftsmen were being transported in batches to the area. The human knight and mage units from the Darkness City would also be gradually transported in theing days, significantly bolstering the defense of Kolo City. However, it was clear that this would not be enough.


    Kolo City was not situated in rugged terrain and was not a formidable military fortress. Trying to stop the empire with just this city was nearly an impossible task. Zhang Nu believed it was necessary to select a strategic bottleneck location in the Kolo region and mobilize tens of thousands, or even more draconians to quickly construct a military stronghold.


    Furthermore, the Kolo region''s economy was not thriving. Its core industry in the past had been ve trading, with tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of people from the Chaos Forest region flowing through Kolo every year. The major tribes of the Chaos Forest, especially those living in the northern part, harbored deep hatred for the ve traders in the Kolo region.


    Now that Kolo had be the territory of the Demon King, this business was certainly no longer viable. The next most significant business in Kolo, after ve trading, was the trade of raw materials. The Chaos Forest was rich in resources, producingrge quantities of materials every year. This trade was more stable than the ve trade.


    The Kolo family was thergest material merchant in the Chaos Forest. They purchased vast amounts of raw materials every year, conducted simple processing and refinement, and then sold them to various major cities in the southern territory through the empire''s trade caravans. In return, they procured essential supplies, medicines, and food from these cities.


    However, due to the Demon King''s conquest of Kolo, trade routes between Kolo and other cities in the southern territory of the empire were now severed. This not only impacted the economy of Kolo City but also resulted in shortages of food and medicine, posing a direct threat to the livelihoods of nearly two million people.


    Nevertheless, this was not an insurmountable problem. The Chaos Forest had an abundance of food and medicinal herbs. In the future, the people of Kolo could purchase essential supplies through the federation''s channels. As for the economy, losing the two main pirs of ve trading and material trading would undoubtedly have a short-term impact.


    However, it was not a significant issue. The terrain in the Kolo region was mostly t, consisting of hills and ins. With a rtively dense poption, it was suitable for establishing factories to produce essential goods for the Chaos Federation. As for the material trade, it could also continue. If the north was no longer viable, they could expand westward.


    The western Sunset Empire was about the same size as the Thunder Empire. However, the culture there was extremely conservative, and they were highly exclusive of non-human races. Only those of human lineage could operate in that region.


    To further improve Kolo, the Demon King took out several blueprints for construction, including the blueprint for "Warhorse Ranch."


    [You''ve constructed the Warhorse Ranch!]


    [You''ve unlocked the ability to summon warhorse units!]


    [You''ve gained monthly renewable beast summonings: Purebred Warhorse x 5000, ck Iron Warhorse x 2000, Silver Winged Pegasus x 1000, Golden Winged Pegasus x 500!]


    It was only then that Zhang Nu realized that this Warhorse Ranch was quite unique. Unlike traditional barracks-type buildings that limited the total number of summons, the Warhorse Ranch did not have a cap on the total summons; it only limited the monthly summoning limit.


    Although it seemed like there were not many units avable for summons each month, these were all reset monthly. In theory, as long as there was enough time and resources, the Warhorse Ranch could cultivate tens of thousands, or even more, warhorses!


    Zhang Nu looked at the price list:


    [Purebred Warhorse] Level 1 normal, costs 15 gold.


    [ck Iron Warhorse] Level 1 elite, costs 80 gold.


    [Silver-Winged Pegasus] Level 2 elite, costs 700 gold.


    [Golden-Winged Pegasus] Level 3 elite, costs 5,000 gold.


    Zhang Nu was immediately intrigued. The prices of these horses were not high; in fact, they were very affordable. If he upgraded the ranch and expanded the scale of warhorse breeding, this single ranch could easily support Kolo''s economy.


    Zhang Nu entrusted the management of the Warhorse Ranch to Peiti and the Kolo family. When Peiti saw the enormous horse breeding farm materialize seemingly out of thin air, she waspletely taken aback. How was this even possible? In this world, could such a magical pasture exist? It could autonomously attract and summon fully-grown, healthy, high-quality warhorses. ording to the Demon King, it could produce at least eight thousand each month, including pegasi. These were incredibly valuable horses!


    A single Silver-Winged Pegasus could easily fetch tens of thousands of standard gold coins on the market, and because of their difficulty to domesticate, they were always in high demand. With a facility like this, Kolo''s regional economy was assured, wasn''t it? The western Sunset Empire was renowned for being and of knights with a huge demand for high-quality warhorses. If they could open up a trade route to the Sunset Empire, the warhorse farm alone would generate considerable value.


    As per the Demon King''s promise, the people of Kolo were responsible for protecting and tending to the horses. The profit generated would be split between Kolo, the Darkness City, with Kolo receiving thirty percent. Even with only a thirty percent share, for the current Kolo, this was substantial ie, enough to quickly revitalize the region.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Peiti understood the value of this horse farm to Kolo. "I will ensure vignt care and maintenance of this magical breeding farm."


    Zhang Nu nodded in satisfaction. Kolo could give up its former ve trade business. From now on, they would be in the horse-rearing business for the Demon King. This could turn out to be a wise mid-term strategy for prosperity. In the future, as the territory of the Chaos Federation expanded northward, humans could provide even greater value. In addition to the horse breeding farm, Zhang Nu also constructed several buildings in Kolo. However, these were all ordinary structures rted to surveince, shields, and defense, designed to enhance the Demon King''s monitoring of the region and strengthen Kolo''s defensive capabilities.


    Afterpleting his inspection, Zhang Nu left the Kolo region and began searching for the ruins he nned to explore. These ruins were located in the northern part of the Kolo region, near the deste Barrenfire Stone ins, perched atop a steep and massive cliff.


    Apanying the Demon King were two newly recruited followers: the Holy Knight Bai Jin and the Grand Archmage Bai Jie. Bai Jin rode a majestic and unrivaled golden-winged alicorn, and he felt a bit puzzled by the destion of the area. He inquired, "Your Majesty, is there really an ancient ruin in this ce? Why does it seem so barren?"


    Bai Jie cast a reconnaissance spell to scan the wide surroundings, which appeared to be entirely covered in barren rocky terrain, devoid of any signs of advanced civilization or historical activity.


    In response, Zhang Nu exined, "This ruin is somewhat unique. It''s within the massive cliff right ahead. ording to the adventurer Hubert''s information, it''s a relic from an ancient magitek civilization."


    Hearing this, both Bai Jin and Bai Jie were slightly surprised. White Pure was a human Grand Archmage. However, the term "Archmage" here had a different meaning. It referred to a mage who was a master of magic, a guide, and an instructor for other mages. The title of "Archmage" was not necessarily rted to one''s power level but rather to their noble character, profound knowledge, and extensive expertise in various fields of knowledge.


    Magitek, magical technology, within the context of the magical civilization, was a field thatbined various disciplines such as arcane mathematics, formation theory, and mechanical engineering. The gnome magitek cannons in the Thousand Fangs City were created using this knowledge. Nowadays, magitek had be quite rare, with only the gnome race and a few human nations showing interest.


    However, in ancient times, magitek had once flourished. It had served as the foundation for several magical empires and magic-supreme dynasties, profoundly influencing the world''s structure and the development of civilization. Later on, for reasons unknown, perhaps due to excessive reliance on technology without personal growth, the era of magitek had quickly declined.


    To this day, many ruins and artifacts from that time still remained, including floating magitek airships built during the heyday of these great empires. When excavated and repaired, they could still be functional. These powerful relics were a testament to the past glory of magical technology.


    Zhang Nu held a strong interest in magitek because, in this world, technology could significantly enhance production, increase efficiency, and bolster one''s power. While technology could not be mainstream in a world dominated by magic, it still held substantial value.


    For these reasons, when he learned from Hurbert''s legacy that there was a vast magical technology civilization site near the Barrenfire Stone ins, Zhang Nu immediately became intrigued. With some recent free time, why not explore this ancient ruin and perhaps even unlock some new secrets?


    This new dungeon was unlike any Zhang Nu had encountered before. It offered the opportunity not only for the Demon King to gain a deeper understanding of the world but also the potential for unique rewards. Soon, using his ability to perceive hidden information, Zhang Nu located the entrance to this intriguing ruin. The entrance appeared to be a seemingly ordinary cave on the surface of a deste thousand-foot cliff. However, Zhang Nu''s special ability revealed more information:


    [Citadel of Eternity] Level 6 overlord area.


    Description: A massive magical citadel constructed during the peak of an ancient magic-supreme empire. Its primary research focus was on achieving "Perfect Immortality." To aplish this goal, ancient researchers conducted countless inhumane experiments here


    ... Extremely high exploration value!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This information both surprised and intrigued Zhang Nu. ording to Hubert''s information, he had expected this ce to be, at most, a Level 5 overlord area. It was quite unexpected to find that it was actually a Level 6 overlord area, which presented a much greater challenge than he had anticipated.


    Zhang Nu had initially approached this dungeon with a rxed mindset, but now he realized he needed to be more cautious. Even for him, a Level 6 overlord area posed a significant challenge. The information gathered from Hubert was correct; this was indeed an ancient magical ruin. The heavily fortified citadel had been used for a series of insane projects, all in pursuit of unlocking the secrets of perfect immortality. Unfortunately, these endeavors had ended in failure. This ce was aptly named the "Citadel of Eternity."

 Chapter 200: Immortal Subjects

    Inside the stone cave, they encountered a massive door. Despite the passage of countless years, there were no significant signs of rust.


    "There''s a strong magical formation fluctuation here!" eximed the Grand Archmage Bai Jie. "This magitek citadel is still operational!"


    Zhang Nu warned them, "The Undying Phoenix Hubert has been here before but couldn''t even get through the main gate. This suggests not only is it challenging to enter but also that there are likely numerous traps. Be cautious."


    Although he had initially thought this would be an easy venture, discovering it was a Level 6 overlord area made him realize he had underestimated the Citadel of Eternity. If he had known it was of such a high level, he might have asked the Elven King toe along as his subordinate.


    However, they were already here, and he did not want to waste time going back to prepare. With the Holy Knight and the Grand Archmage by his side, both formidable individuals, Zhang Nu felt confident. The size of this ruin was not toorge, and its overall difficulty seemed lower than the Ancient Daemonic Lair. As for the Level 6 overlord units within, they were no match for Zhang Nu''s power, which exceeded even that of the Thirteen Malevolent King. It should be impossible for the citadel to pose a challenge to Zhang Nu.


    Because of this, Zhang Nu did not hesitate to take on the challenge. This was a type of location he had never encountered before, so he was eager to see what rewards conquering a magitek ruin like this might bring.


    The three of them arrived at the citadel''s main gate, which was quite unique in its appearance. It seemed like an intricately designed wall rather than a typical door. Its surface was covered in runes and seals, making it impossible to bypass even with spatial abilities.


    As they approached, the fortress seemed to activate, and countless symbols appeared on the door''s surface. Bai Jin furrowed his brow and asked, "What is this?"


    Zhang Nu replied, "This is essentially a password lock for the fortress. Only by inputting the correct runic formation will the door open correctly. If you enter it incorrectly, it can trigger deadly traps."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Such ancient runes. These are rarely used nowadays. It won''t be easy to decipher them."


    Bai Jin asked, "Your Majesty, can you decipher it?"


    Zhang Nu answered, "I can decipher password runes, but I''m not proficient in runic formations, especially not for such an ancient one."


    "Your Majesty! Allow me to handle this!" Immediately, Bai Jie said, "I have some knowledge in dealing with ancient runic formations."


    Zhang Nu had initially considered a more brute-force approach, but he was surprised to learn that Bai Jie also had expertise in deciphering such ancient formations. Was this the extent of a Grand Archmage''s knowledge? This was indeed fortunate!


    The Citadel of Eternity, much like the Sealing Grounds in the Giantree Forest, had a simr design concept. Most of the fortress was constructed within a subspace or sub-dimension, making it challenging to forcibly enter using brute force.


    Zhang Nu activated his special ability to retrieve the password information. Bai Jie was responsible for constructing the runic formation into a magical array. They worked together, and as the magic rune formation waspleted, the metallic surface transformed instantly, taking on a semi-transparent, water-like texture. Without encountering any resistance, the three of them passed through it like a thin bubble.


    Bai Jie remarked, "The technology of the ancient magitek empire is truly impressive. This door incorporates top-notch material science, as well as several magic conversions, including runic formations, alchemy, and spatial magic. It''s worth studying for a long time."


    Being a schr, she had a deep interest in ancient technology.


    At that moment, a psychic presence scanned over them, and a slightly sharp, emotionless female voice resounded in their minds.


    "Visitor identity verification in progress!"


    "Visitorcks ess permissions!"


    "Illegal intrusion warning!"


    "Intruders, please leave immediately!"


    Bai Jin immediately drew his knight sword and positioned himself in front of the Demon King. "Who''s there? Come out and speak if you have the guts! What kind of coward are you to hide in the shadows!"


    The voice replied, "Everything here is under my control. I am here, I am there, I am everywhere."


    "Final warning!"


    "Leave immediately!"


    "Otherwise, I will initiate the assault program!"


    Can theymunicate? Could there be an actual person here? Has the citadel been maintained all this time? That seemed highly unlikely. The citadel had been abandoned for tens of thousands of years. Even with the longevity of dragons, living for tens of thousands of years was the absolute limit.


    "Warning assessment ineffective!"


    "Assault program initiating!"


    "Transferring citadel guardians!"


    In front of the trio, a sudden burst of light appeared, and dozens of figures materialized. These beings were ck metallic creatures reminiscent of xenomorphs.


    [Citadel of Eternity''s Magitek Guardian] Level 5 elite unit.


    ......


    Skills: Magitek Beam Cannon (A rank), Magitek Reconnaissance Optics (B rank), Magitek Lightsaber (B rank), Self-Repair (B rank).


    ......


    Description: These are the magitek guardians of the Citadel of Eternity, possessing formidable attack capabilities. Currently, they are under the control of "Immortal Subject No. 1."


    It had to be mentioned that, up until this point, these were the most science-fiction-like creatures they had encountered. Although they had a strong sci-fi vibe, their essence was still magitek-driven. They were essentially no different from magical puppets created by mages.


    What truly astonished Zhang Nu was that all these magical guardians possessed intelligence. However, they were not individual entities but rather part of a collective. Each magitek guardian was controlled by the same entity or will, known as "Immortal Subject No. 1." Could it be that the Immortality Project of the Citadel of Eternity had notpletely failed? Had they, in fact, seeded in creating an entity capable of achieving eternal life?


    Without waiting for further contemtion, dozens of magitek guardians charged toward them. Their left hands transformed into magitek cannons, and with the activation of the magic formations on their arms, they condensed magical beams.


    "Your Majesty, be careful!" Bai Jin unleashed a burst of divine light Qi, forming a holy light barrier to fend off the ferocious attacks. Some of the magitek guardians approached, brandishing their right hands as they unleashed their lightsabers for a rush attack.


    "Frozen Expanse!" Bai Jie raised her staff, and a ferocious frigid wave swept through the entire corridor, freezing the magical guardians into stiffness.


    "Die!" Bai Jie activated Descent of the Divine, gaining instant immunity to magic. With his two-handed sword, he wielded it skillfully, ying the magitek guardians one by one.


    [You''ve in a Magitek Guardian! Gold +15,000!]


    [You''ve in a Magitek Guardian! Gold +15,000!]


    [You''ve in a Magitek Guardian! Gold +15,000!]


    [......]


    Zhang Nu nodded. Indeed, the Holy Knight demonstrated remarkable courage and skill. He excelled in attack, defense, andmanding skills, showcasing his top-tier abilities. These citadel guardians were no match for his onught.


    The voice of Immortal Subject No. 1 emerged through the body of another magitek guardian: "Your actions are a grave vition of the empire''sws, and this will lead to severe consequences!"


    "Silence!" The Holy Knight, Bai Jin, cleaved the guardian''s body in half with a single strike. "Your era ended eons ago, your empire had turned to dust in the river of time, and you, with these antique relics, dare to obstruct His Majesty? Know your ce!"


    In a matter of moments, dozens of magitek guardians were annihted. The three of them proceeded through the corridor, reaching an expansive hall ahead. Once again, the consciousness of Immortal Subject No. 1 appeared, stating, "Intruders are approaching level 2 security zone."


    "To protect the secrets of the empire''s top-secretboratory, the self-destruct program will activate in 180 minutes. All citadelbat personnel, proceed to immediately expel the intruders!"


    Self-destruct program? Zhang Nu''s expression shifted slightly. He began to piece things together. Immortal Subject No. 1 seemed devoid of emotions. Despite its intelligence, it resembled artificial intelligence more than sentient beings. Its thought processes were fundamentally different from intelligent life forms. The Citadel of Eternity had long been abandoned. The researchers andbat personnel had evacuated ages ago. There was no way Immortal Subject No. 1 was not aware of this. Yet, it showed no emotion, merely issuing programmedmands.


    "All exits have been sealed!"


    "Intruders have been reassessed to threat level 2!"


    "Self-destruct program countdown: 179 minutes and 50 seconds!"


    "Activating Immortal Subject No. 10. Activation of Immortal Subject No. 10 sessful. Transferring Immortal Subject No. 10!"


    As the three of them entered the citadel hall, apart from the magitek guardians, ten terrifying creatures were teleported in. These beings stood at three meters tall, with contorted facial features, white hair, and crimson eyes. They exhibited no trace of rationality. Their bodies were drenched and bound with iron chains, resembling beings just awakened from a seal. They emitted an aura of malevolence and death.


    Zhang Nu examined them closely.


    [Immortal Subject No. 10: Corrupted Living Dead] Level 5 lord unit.


    After scanning through the description, Zhang Nu had a general understanding of how these creatures had been created.


    Bai Jin frowned andmented, "Such a strong aura of death."


    Bai Jie said, "Undead? It seems a bit different!"


    Zhang Nu exined, "Ancient researchers attempted to create a perfect immortal bybining the living and the dead. They wanted to retain all senses while having nearly infinite lifespans, but these are clearly failed experiments."


    The two of them exchanged looks. These experiments seemed utterly insane. The primary research direction of the Citadel of Eternity was "Perfect Immortality." But what constituted perfect eternal life? Were the undead perfect eternal beings? Absolutely not! They were neither perfect nor eternal.


    Firstly, undead beingscked sensory functions and could not enjoy the material world, making their extended existence a torment rather than perfection. Secondly, undead were not truly eternal. While their bodies were immortal, their souls decayed. Any intelligent undead, if it lived long enough, would undergo a drastic change in temperament. Their intellect would gradually blur, eventually bing creatures driven solely by instinct.


    In this world, unless one became a god, attaining an immortal and indestructible divinity, it was impossible to achieve true eternal life. The Citadel of Eternity had attempted to create something that could maintain a vibrant soul while obtaining an immortal body, a true eternal existence. But how could that be easily aplished? In the end, they had failed.


    In response to the invaders, Immortal Subject No. 1 activated Immortal Subject No. 10. Since there was a No. 1 and a No. 10, it indicated that there were likely many experimental subjects here, and their strengths were probably ranked ording to their numbers.


    "Judgment!"


    The Holy Knight unleashed a st of holy light, dealing fatal damage due to the attribute advantage. The Grand Archmage simultaneously summoned a fierce firestorm, attacking nearby magitek guardians and reducing them to pieces.


    [You''ve in Immortal Subject No. 10. Gold +240,000!]


    [You''ve in a Magitek Guardian. Gold +15,000!]


    [You''ve in a Magitek Guardian. Gold +15,000!]


    [You''ve in a Magitek Guardian. Gold +15,000!]


    [......]


    Of course, Zhang Nu was not idle. Level 5 lord enemies meant money. He summoned numerous lightning strikes and dragon mes, disposing of the undead with ease.


    [You''ve in an Immortal Subject No. 10. Gold +240,000!]


    [You''ve in an Immortal Subject No. 10. Gold +240,000!]


    [You''ve in an Immortal Subject No. 10. Gold +240,000!]


    [......]


    After dealing with ten of them, that was 2.4 million gold coins! If you added the magitek guardians, this trip was quite profitable in terms of gold!


    Just then, the consciousness of Immortal Subject No. 1 transmitted another message.


    "Immortal Subject No. 10 has been in!"


    "Activating Immortal Subject No. 9!"


    "Threat level upgraded to level 3!"


    "The self-destruct program will activate within 120 minutes!"


    A sh of light, and eight monsters appeared. These were artificial giants, quadrupeds walking on limbs, with massive arms and a height of eight meters, resembling giant apes.


    [Immortal Subject No. 9: Sealed Giant] Level 6 lord unit.


    Bai Jin widened his eyes and eximed, "What is it this time?"


    Before Zhang Nu could exin, Bai Jie''s gaze became somewhat excited and fanatical. "These should be the result of ancient researchers attempting tobine a human soul with an artificial alchemical body through soul sealing and alchemical methods, creating an immortal and powerful Immortal Subject."


    It had to be said; the Grand Archmage had a keen eye. What she said was already very close to the truth. The Sealed Giants were indeed created in this manner. Their bodies were crafted through alchemical and magical techniques, with human souls inside. If the soul could be in harmony with the body, theoretically, it could result in an Immortal Subject with limitless lifespan. Besides, the bodies could be mass-produced. If one aged or got damaged, they could simply be reced. However, it was yet another failed creation. The Sealed Giants were no different from wild beasts.


    Zhang Nu furrowed his brow slightly. "Continuing this way won''t work. This magitek citadel has initiated a self-destruct sequence. The more Immortal subjects and guardians we kill, the faster the self-destruct activates."


    This dungeon presented a considerable challenge because the more individuals entered or the more minor foes and mini-bosses were dispatched, the higher the citadel''s alert level would escte. A heightened alert level would elerate the self-destruct sequence.


    After some contemtion, Zhang Nu concluded that they could not continue dealing with minor enemies in this manner. This dungeon was not designed to be tackled that way. They needed to bypass the other Immortal Subjects and head straight for No. 1, as it was evident that No. 1 was controlling the citadel.


    With resolve, Zhang Nu instructed his two subordinates, "You two will remain here to divert a portion of the enemy''s firepower. I''ll prate the citadel''s core and dismantle its central control."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    "We''ve got this! We should be able to hold them off for a while!"

 Chapter 201: Eternal Consciousness

    Leaving his human subordinates behind to divert attention, Zhang Nu immediately activated his Spatial-Temporal Dragon form. His shadowy golden body transformed into an ethereal silvery hue, almost dreamlike and surreal.


    In this state, all attacks were ignored. Whether it was the magical beams from the magitek guardians or the physical strikes from the sealed giants, they all passed through him harmlessly. Zhang Nu existed in a spatially ethereal state.


    Moreover, in this form, the world as seen through Zhang Nu''s eyes, the movement of all things, seemed to slow down drastically. Everything became exceptionally sluggish. He transcended the resistance of time and space, advancing forward at an astonishing speed. He nearly became a streak of silver light, traversing the entire hall within an instant. It was too fast. Neither the immortal subjects nor the magitek guardians could keep up with this speed.


    Disregarding traps and obstacles, Zhang Nu rapidly moved through various sections of the fortress. In response, Immortal Subject No. 1 acted ordingly.


    "Intruder is breaching the Level 3 security zone!"


    "Activating Immortal Subject No. 8. Transmitting Immortal Subject No. 8!"


    Before Zhang Nu, a sh of light urred, and seven monsters appeared -- seven magitek machine creatures.


    [Immortal Subject No. 8: Bio-Magic Mechanoid] Level 6 lord unit......


    These were yet another form of immortal subjects. Every aspect of their humanoid bodies, including flesh, organs, and even their brains, had all been modified into potent magitekponents. This meant that every part of their bodies was receable or upgradable.


    This approach seemed significantly more promising than the previous two. It resembled the concept of mechanical immortality often depicted in contemporary science fiction films. Utilizing magitek sensors, these creatures even possessed normal sensory perception.


    However, it was clear that they were still not perfect eternal beings. Like undead, they only addressed the issue of physical immortality but could not prevent the decline of their souls. Using such an artificial body, the soul deteriorated even faster than those within undead bodies.


    High-level sentient undead could endure for thousands of years, but these magitek bio-mechanoids would lose their emotions and consciousness after at most five to eight hundred years, ultimately bing lifeless machines. These experimental subjects had no consciousness whatsoever. Even if they were sealed, the extended period had already consumed their souls and minds.


    Although they were only Level 6 lords, Zhang Nu did not take any action against them. He phased through the wall into another area. These magitek bio-mechanoids had no hope of catching up to him.


    Immortal Subject No. 1 had no choice but to react once more: "Activating Immortal Subject No. 7, transmitting Immortal Subject No. 7!"


    Without engaging inbat, Zhang Nu continued to evade.


    "Activating Immortal Subject No. 6..."


    "Activating Immortal Subject No. 5..."


    "Activating Immortal Subject No. 4..."


    Using the potent abilities of the Spatial-Temporal Dragon form, Zhang Nu repeatedly traversed the various areas of the citadel, luring out each Immortal Subject one by one. Although he could defeat them, he chose not to engage, opting to toy with them instead.


    During this process, he utilized his cheating ability, gaining aprehensive understanding of the entire structure of the Citadel of Eternity. Zhang Nu smoothly acquired the location of the core nexus within the Citadel of Eternity, and after the final batch of minibosses was activated and sent out, it was nearly over. Immortal Subject No. 1 had no more minibosses to summon! The dozens of minibosses were dispersed throughout various locations, unable to return in time to assist Immortal Subject No. 1 or to confront Bai Jin and Bai Jie.


    Zhang Nu seized the opportunity and hurriedly entered the concealed core chamber. This chamber was not particrlyrge; it was devoid of any objects except for a massive crystal sphere floating at the center, surrounded and protected by a barrier.


    Zhang Nu gazed at the crystal sphere.


    [Immortal Subject No. 1: Eternal Consciousness] Level 1 normal unit.


    ......


    Description: The greatest achievement of the Citadel of Eternity, where researchers seeded in separating the mind from the soul, allowing the mind to function independently, generating wisdom, and achieving the eternal immortality of thought.


    As he looked at this enormous crystal sphere, Zhang Nu was utterly astonished. Was this Immortal Subject No. 1? Why was it sopletely different from the others? This immortal subject concept resembled the consciousness upload and quantum immortality from science fiction works in his previous life, where a person''s thoughts and consciousness were digitized.


    The most remarkable aspect was that Immortal Subject No. 1 possessed only thought and no soul. It seemed that the researchers of the Citadel of eternity had finally realized that mortal souls were destined to decay, akin to irreversible entropy. Regardless of the method employed, unless one became a true god, the demise of the soul was unavoidable.


    Therefore, they made the decision to retain only consciousness itself, ultimately creating the "Eternal Consciousness" before him. This was undoubtedly a great masterpiece, but unfortunately, it was still far from achieving the perfect immortality pursued by the Citadel of Eternity. In theory, it could exist eternally, be endlessly duplicated, and constantly backed up, but it lost the fundamental aspects of life, such as emotions, desires, and self-awareness. It was nothing more than a super artificial intelligence!


    Zhang Nu cast aside these thoughts. Now was not the time to admire the technological prowess of the magitek empire. He had to quickly destroy this Immortal Subject No. 1. It was the brain controlling the entire citadel. It was precisely because of Immortal Subject No. 1''s continued consciousness that had kept the citadel awake for tens of thousands of years, constantly maintaining it against the erosion of time.


    Now, to capture this area, he had to eliminate this citadel''s brain!


    Zhang Nu summoned a mighty thunderme attack, but it could not prate the barrier. It only dimmed the barrier slightly.


    "Warning!"


    "Intruders have breached the core area!"


    "Initiate the ultimate contingency n, activate Immortal Subject No. 0!"


    What''s going on? There''s even a No. 0!


    "To prevent the leakage of the empire''s top-secret technology data, initiating self-destruct sequence immediately. Countdown: 5, 4, 3..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Never in a million years did Zhang Nu expect that Immortal Subject No. 1 would initiate self-destruct directly. At the same time, a terrifying aura suddenly descended upon the hall, an aura so familiar that it made Zhang Nu feel uneasy.


    [You are being corroded by Evil God Aura. HP -0!]


    [You are being corroded by Evil God Aura. HP -0!]


    [You are being corroded by Evil God Aura. HP -0!]


    [......]


    This was a monstrous creature, nearly indescribable. Zhang Nu believed that anyone with a sound mind would be severely mentally contaminated upon seeing this creature, their consciousnesspletely disrupted by insane illusions, making it impossible to determine the truth.


    [Immortal Subject No. 0: Evil God Abomination] Level 6 overlord unit.


    ......


    Skills: Evil God''s Flesh (S rank), Evil God Aura (A rank), Mad Will (A rank), Undying Body(A rank), Soul Domination (A rank), etc.


    ......


    Description: A hidden experimental subject of the Citadel of Eternity, this is a creature forged with the flesh of an Evil God, creating a deranged abomination...


    This was not an Evil God, and it was not even an Evil God fragment. An Evil God fragment was the life and power core of an Evil God, endowed with immense divinity, making it indestructible, only capable of being sealed. The creature before Zhang Nu now was something different entirely.


    It had been created from the remnants of an Evil God that had been defeated and sealed away. It was made from what was left of the Evil God, essentially its discarded flesh and blood. While it was just ordinary Evil God flesh, it still possessed a trace of divinity.


    After countless failures, the Citadel of Eternity decided to experiment with divinity, resulting in the creation and preservation of this Immortal Subject No. 0. It was insane. However, it seemed that there were no further developments. The experiments with Immortal Subject No. 0 had just begun, for some unknown reason, only to be abruptly terminated. The entire Citadel of Eternity had been abandoned, and all personnel had evacuated. Now, all that remained were the failed experimental subjects, the magitek guardians, and the Eternal Consciousness guarding the base. Millennia had passed in the blink of an eye.


    The self-destruct sequence of the Citadel of Eternity was imminent. Zhang Nu had only a mere three seconds left.


    Leaving aside the fact that the Eternal Consciousness had incredibly strong protection, the presence of this powerful Evil God Abomination in front of him meant that three seconds were simply insufficient. Once the base self-destructed, Zhang Nu would surely survive. However, his two human subordinates would unquestionably perish, and if the challenge ended in failure, all their efforts would have been in vain.


    No way! Zhang Nu would not ept a loss like this!


    With a flicker of his will, the entire hall instantly lost gravity, as if falling into the deep space of the universe, as if plunging into an endless abyss. His domain skill was activated, but this was not an ordinary domain; it was a mythic sanctum! He could directly harness the power of thews of time and space.


    Three seconds, for anyone else, would have been merely a breath''s time, but for Zhang Nu at this moment, it was enough to aplish many things. Within the mythic sanctum, the flow of time and space was at least dozens of times faster than the outside world. Utilizing the difference in time flow, three seconds expanded to at least two minutes.


    "Raarghh!" The Evil God Abomination let out a hysterical roar. This creature was entirelyposed of anger, madness, and chaos. It sensed the powerful oppression emanating from the mythic sanctum and, in a fit of rage, charged toward the Demon King.


    "Don''t overestimate yourself!" If it were anyone else facing this monster, even someone as powerful as Yan Qianjun, they would have had no choice but to flee. Yan Qianjun''s strength might surpass that of this monster, but he would still struggle to withstand the Evil God''s aura it exuded. This aura was overwhelmingly potent and deadly to anyone. However, for Zhang Nu, it posed no threat because he had already absorbed two major fragments of Evil God.


    Evil god fragments were the source of an Evil God''s life and power. This abomination, on the other hand, was crafted from leftover scraps of an Evil God. It could not even begin topare to Zhang Nu''s power. When the abomination approached, enveloped in Evil God''s aura, Zhang Nu immediately activated the Eye of Death. The aura of the Eight-Eyed Evil God surged forth in a frenzy, engaging in a battle with the creature.


    It took only a few seconds to determine the victor. The Evil God Abomination''s body began to crumble, but because it was made of the flesh of an Evil God, every crack that appeared in its flesh sprouted numerous meat buds, attempting to prevent its body from copsing.


    "Hmph! Delusional!"


    Zhang Nu raised his left hand, and a mist of corrupted blood emanated from it. The abomination was enveloped in this tainted blood, and those restless flesh tendrils almost immediately ceased their growth, withering away.


    In the end, amid chaotic and mentally corrupting roars, this unnameable, twisted monster exploded into fragments.


    [You''ve in Immortal Subject No. 0: Evil God Abomination. Gold +6.5 million!]


    With the power of Evil God, Zhang Nu annihted a creature that would typically be extremely challenging to kill. He then teleported immediately to the Eternal Consciousness.


    "Abyssal Devour!" Zhang Nu activated the abyssal dragon''s innate ability, using the power of devouring to corrode the formidable protective barrier.


    Following that, a bolt of thunder me appeared in his hand, resembling a razor-sharp de, and he thrust it down. Finally, the mighty barrier could no longer bear the strain and shattered, sending shockwaves that obliterated the crystal sphere.


    [You''ve in the Eternal Consciousness. Gold +5!]


    Zhang Nu felt a bit exasperated. Dealing with the Eternal Consciousness had been far more challenging than he had anticipated. However, it was ultimately powerless, being a purely spiritual entity, which was why it had only been rated as a Level 1 normal entity.


    He deactivated his domain and returned to the hall. From ying the Evil God Abomination to shattering the barrier and destroying the Eternal Consciousness, the entire process had taken just 0.5 seconds in the real world.


    With the demise of the Eternal Consciousness, the entire Citadel of Eternity lost control, and all systems came to a halt. The self-destruct program was also terminated.


    "I''ve finally caught up!"


    "I really can''t afford to be careless! I didn''t expect this ce to be so challenging!"


    Overall, the monsters within the Citadel of Eternity, including the Evil God Abomination, were far less powerful than the Malevolent King. However, this ce gave him a slightly more challenging feelingpared to the Corrupted Ancient Tomb.


    Next, with a thought, Zhang Nu summoned the entire royal guard squadron, and it took about a day topletely clear the citadel.


    [You''ve conquered the Citadel of Eternity!]


    [You gained "Decrepit Stardust Diamond Chest" x1!]


    Sess!


    This time, he obtained a chest simr to the diamond chest from the Corrupted Ancient Tomb. However, even though the chests were of the same tier, the quality was slightly lower by one or two minor grades. This was quite normal, considering the vast size of the Corrupted Ancient Tomb and the fact that the Malevolent King himself was a boss of monarch-level. Zhang Nu was already quite satisfied with obtaining a diamond chest this time."

 Chapter 202: Floating Citadel & The Spirit Sanctum

    Conquering the Citadel of Eternity was no small feat. The quality of monsters here was exceptionally high, even though the scale was somewhat smallerpared to the Malevolent King''s tomb. However, the gold rewards were not far behind.


    Defeating around two hundred and some magitek guardiansted him 3.5 million gold. From the Immortal Subject Number 0 to Number 10, all of which were at least Level 5 lords, they garnered a total of 23 million gold. In total, just from defeating monsters, he earned approximately 27 million gold.


    Zhang Nu then opened the reward chest he obtained.


    [You opened the Diamond Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x10 million, "Blueprint: Spirit Sanctum" x1, "Eternal Consciousness" x1, "Spirit Gem" x5,000, "Soul Gem" x5,000!]


    There was no doubt that the Citadel of Eternity''s formidable challenge had yielded some pleasantly surprising rewards. Although he only received one blueprint this time, it was an invaluable Level 5 special structure blueprint.


    [Blueprint: Spirit Sanctum] Level 5 blueprint. Costs gold x50 million, spirit gems x10,000, soul gems x5,000. You may construct a Spirit Sanctum within your territory.


    There was no doubt that any Level 5 structure came with an extremely high value. Considering this was a Level 5 special structure, the construction costs were extraordinarily high. Even among Level 5 structures, it was at least ten times more expensive than the average one. Compared to special buildings of the same tier, it was over three times as costly.


    Up to this point, among all the blueprints Zhang Nu had acquired, only the Resurrection Altar came close to matching the cost of the Spirit Sanctum. The construction cost of the Resurrection Altar included not only 500 million gold coins but also a vast quantity of Spirit and Soul Stones, along with the consumption of ten Fifth-Tier Souls. It was truly an exorbitant price.


    However, the Demon King''s Resurrection Altar''s power was unmatched. Once constructed, it theoretically granted immortality not only to the Demon King but also to all those under hismand, evenmon foot soldiers. As long as the altar remained, as long as there were sufficient resources, and as long as it was deemed valuable, individuals could be resurrected time and time again, without limit.


    Such an incredible ability more than justified the high construction cost of the Resurrection Altar. Yet, what about the Spirit Sanctum? What made it so valuable, and why was its price so steep?


    Upon scanning through its information, Zhang Nu learned that the primary function of the Spirit Sanctum was quite straightforward. It could construct an immensely vast spiritualwork that allowed all those bound by its contract to enter. The spiritual world built by the Spirit Sanctum was boundless, entirely virtual, and filled with creative potential. Regardless of their physical locations or races, anyone who bore the contract imprint of the Spirit Sanctum could enter this realm at any time.


    On the surface, this might not seem overly useful. However, with a bit of consideration, it became clear how valuable it truly was. It was essentially an otherworldly version of a super inte. The value and productivity boost of the inte in the previous world were immense. Thus, the Spirit Sanctum''s potential value was equally tremendous. Its capacity for creativity and innovation was disruptive and revolutionary.


    This extraordinary building, beyond its primary function, possessed several additional abilities that could only be fully understood once it was officially constructed.


    For Zhang Nu, this blueprint was more than satisfactory. This trip had been worthwhile even if Zhang Nu had not gained anything else. Just obtaining this super blueprint was enough to consider it a sessful venture.


    However, there were still some regrets. This time, no blueprints of magitek structures or facilities had dropped. Zhang Nu only had a Level 3 Magitek Research Institute. Although it had been in use for a short time, it had already yielded quite a few results. Obtaining more magitek facilities, such as a magitek manufacturing factory, a weapons factory, or a unit barracks, would greatly benefit the territory. Nevertheless, one should not be too greedy. It was impossible to stay lucky every time.


    Zhang Nu noticed that among the spoils of war this time, there was an Eternal Consciousness. It was a bit of a mixed blessing. The Eternal Consciousness was a cutting-edge technological marvel of the magitek empire, equivalent to a super artificial intelligence in this world. Zhang Nu took out the Eternal Consciousness, which was still trapped in a crystal sphere.


    Zhang Nu asked, "Can you hear me?"


    "Of course," replied the Eternal Consciousness. "My master!"


    The Eternal Consciousness did not hear in the conventional sense, as it did not have ears. Instead, it sensed mental fluctuations, directly interpreting the thoughts of others and transmitting its own thoughts through psychic waves. In Zhang Nu''s mind, he heard a crisp, childlike voice. Although devoid of emotion, it was clear and pleasant.


    Zhang Numanded, "From today, I''ll call you Xiao Tong."


    "Yes!" Xiao Tong, the Eternal Consciousness, responded. "What can I do for my master?"


    The mind of these spiritual entities and artificial intelligences, obtained from the reward chest, were imprinted with absolute loyalty and obedience to the Demon King. They would proactively assist the Demon King in executing any will andmand.


    Zhang Nu asked, "Can you control this citadel?"


    Xiao Tong replied, "I believe I should be able to."


    The central control of the Citadel of Eternity used to be an Eternal Consciousness. If the 1st Eternal being could control the citadel, there was no reason why Xiao Tong couldn''t.


    Zhang Nu ced Xiao Tong on the central control console. In the next moment, he clearly sensed the entire Citadel of Eternity rapidly rebooting. The citadel was equipped with numerous mental amplification arrays that could amplify Xiao Tong''s psychic power by hundreds or even thousands of times, granting her enhanced perception andputational abilities.


    At this moment, Xiao Tong''s sensing range covered almost the entire citadel. Simultaneously, Zhang Nu received a notification:


    [You have obtained a Level 5 special building "Supreme Magitek Floating Citadel"!]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Upon receiving this notification, Zhang Nu was left in disbelief. It was the first time he had obtained a building without constructing it himself. Apparently, Demon King buildings and facilities didn''t necessarily have to be built by the Demon King personally; obtaining them from enemies or relics worked just as effectively. However, such circumstances were exceedingly rare.


    Zhang Nu asked, "What is the current operational status of this citadel?"


    Xiao Tong replied, "Reporting to the master, this is arge-scale floating citadel with 72% of itsponents experiencing malfunctions. Most of itsbat weapons are nonfunctional, and its floating and void propulsion systems cannot be activated. It requires extensive repairs before it can be fully operational."


    Zhang Nu had not expected the damage to be so severe, but it was also unsurprising. The Magitek Citadel had been abandoned for an extended period. If not for the continuous maintenance by the 1st Immortal Subject, it would likely have turned into a scrap heap long ago.


    Nheless, Zhang Nu was ted. Toe across a Level 5 special building like this for free was a significant boon. This was a super citadel constructed during the peak of the ancient magitek empire. It was not just a massiveboratory but also a super magitek floating base thatbined functions such as research, production, and military capabilities.


    The Citadel of Eternity had the ability to float and move. It could be deployed to any location. Zhang Nu had been concerned about not having a robust fortress or defensive line during his confrontations with the empire. If he could repair the Citadel of Eternity, he could simply ce it on the front lines, bing an impregnable stronghold.


    Furthermore, unlike traditional citadels, the Citadel of Eternity could be equipped with massive magitek weapons to create awork of firepower. It could adapt to changing battlefields by moving wherever needed, always dominating the front lines. It was indeed a nightmare for the enemy.


    With this fortress, the Demon King had acquired a strategic advantage akin to having a thousand armies. The Citadel of Eternity was not only a powerful magitech fortress but also hadprehensive production and research facilities, enhancing its value in those areas.


    "I need to find a way," Zhang Nu thought. "I must repair the citadel as soon as possible."


    While the draconians possessed excellent construction skills, they were unlikely to be able to repair the Citadel of Eternity. The gnomes of Thousand Fangs City had some knowledge of magitek, but restoring the Citadel of Eternity would be nearly impossible unless they spent three to five decades on it.


    After careful consideration, Zhang Nu concluded that he needed to acquire a Restoration Scroll from the Demon King''s market. Restoration Scrolls were rare items in the Demon King''s arsenal, simr to Upgrade Scrolls, but they were specifically designed for repairing Demon King buildings. As the name suggested, they were used for restoration, whether it was a regr building, a special building, or a core structure like the Demon King''s castle. However, restoring a building required the appropriate materials, and the scrolls came in different grades. To repair the Citadel of Eternity, Zhang Nu needed a Level 5 Universal Restoration Scroll, which would not be easy toe by. It all depended on luck. As long as he could afford the price, he would eventually find one, but there was no telling how long this would take.


    In summary, Zhang Nu had a bountiful harvest from this expedition. He returned to the Darkness City with a sense of satisfaction. He had acquired a substantial amount of gold, spirit gems, and soul gems. With these resources, Zhang Nu could consider constructing either a Resurrection Altar or the Spirit Sanctum. Both of these structures were crucial and immensely powerful, so they needed to be built.


    However, at the moment, he did not have enough gems. Zhang Nu could only afford to construct one of them. After careful consideration, he decided to prioritize building the Spirit Sanctum. This choice was influenced by the fact that the Resurrection Altar required an enormous amount of soul gems, a whopping ten thousand, while Zhang Nu had only acquired eight thousand in this operation. Soul gems were rare and expensive, making them challenging to obtain.


    The location for the construction was an easy decision for Zhang Nu. He chose to ce it right beside the Demon King''s Altar. Being qualified to be located next to the Demon King''s Altar meant that this building was considered a core facility by the Demon King. In practice, this was indeed the case.


    Once the Spirit Sanctum was constructed, the Demon King would effectively possess a vast spirit-powered inte. This would allow him to better control each of his subjects. Furthermore, it would significantly reduce space and time costs for the Demon King''s territory and subjects, greatly improving various efficiencies in intelligence cirction, business production, and even entertainment. These changes would be unprecedented and might be one of the corepetitive advantages of the Darkness City in the future."

 Chapter 203: Demon King Space

    The following day, in the Giantree City, the Elven King, Nancilia, received orders from the Shadowy City to organize five thousand elves to establish a connection with the Spirit Sanctum. The method to establish this connection was straightforward. They only needed to construct a dedicated contract formation for the Spirit Sanctum, and the ceremony for forming the contract was effortless and efficient.


    Once the ritual waspleted, all the sessfully contracted individuals gained a unique skill called "Spirit Link." With this skill, the Demon King could directly issuemands to everyone who had established a "Spirit Link." As for the Demon King''s subjects, they could enter the world of the Spirit Sanctum through meditation, utilizing the "Spirit Link."


    Nancilia promptly led her people in an attempt. In a meditative state, she activated the Spirit Link. She felt herself immersed in a dark, unfamiliar environment. There was a tiny speck of light that quickly expanded, enveloping everything around her. After a few seconds, the radiance faded, and Nancilia found herself in an unfamiliar ce. It was a barren and monotonousndscape, an endless expanse of yellowish earth in spanning dozens of kilometers. Beyond this range and above, the sky was shrouded in a dense gray mist.


    Nancilia noticed that everything here was just like the real world. She touched her face and pinched her arm, confirming that her senses---sight, smell, touch, and taste---were all intact. Everything felt just like reality. But of course, within this ce, magical abilities were restricted.


    "Am I really just a spiritual entity?"


    "Is this the world created by His Majesty?"


    The young Elven King was in disbelief, even the vice city lord, Marilyn, was amazed. "Thousands of people''s spirits and consciousness connected to the same space is unheard of. I''ve never known of such a method!"


    Other elders were equally awed.


    "It''s incredible!"


    "How did they stabilize the spiritual space like this?"


    "Indeed, it''s nearly identical to the real world."


    "I can''t find any ws! it doesn''t feel like a spiritual world at all. It''s almost like being in the material world!"


    The elves were astounded. They quickly realized the value of this spiritual world. Although it was a virtual space, it perfectly simted the physical phenomena andws of the real world. Here, without expending any resources, it could serve as aboratory or even a ce for leisure and entertainment.


    "Miss Nancilia! Took you guys long enough!"


    As familiar voices reached them, several figures instantly appeared before them. Nancilia eximed in surprise, "Guoguo, Su Yan, is it really you?"


    The two were none other than the Demon King friend of the Elven King, Chen Guoguo, who had been busy with her Super Demon King Farm and the affairs of the Demon King Alliancetely, and the Hero Su Yan, who had been even more elusive, not even present in the Chaos Forest. Why were they here?


    Chen Guoguoughed heartily. "Haha, it''s not just us! Take a look at who this is."


    With that, she stepped aside, revealing two individuals behind her. One had a gentle demeanor and was none other than the mermaid girl, Shui Yao, from the Holy Tides City. The other was a human youth they had never seen before, with ck short hair and a strikingly handsome appearance. Although he waspletely unfamiliar, there was a strong sense of familiarity about him.


    "You, you, you...You''re His Majesty!"


    Zhang Nu disyed a satisfied smile. "Indeed, even in this form, you can still recognize me."


    The assembled elves were all astonished, and Marilyn eximed, "Your Majesty, how did you transform into a human?"


    Su Yan exined, "Hehe, everything in this spiritual space is virtual, just like a dream world. As long as you have the proper permissions, you can create and delete anything. His Majesty, as the space creator here, possesses the highest authority. There''s nothing strange about him remodeling his appearance."


    I see, the elves understood. This was indeed an extremely stable space filled with limitless possibilities!


    At the same time, they were deeply impressed by His Majesty''s abilities.


    "His Majesty the Demon King is too powerful!"


    "He actually created such a stable space!"


    "This is truly unheard of; I''ve never heard of anything like this before!"


    "If this space can run continuously and steadily for a long time... His Majesty is practically on par with the Creator God!"


    Before long, the high-ranking members of the Chaotic Federation from various regions, such as Wang Dachui, dwarven city lord of Ironheart City, Jin Kui, giant chieftain of Thunderp City, Segon, gnome city lord of Thousand Fangs City, and Gru, orc city lord of Berserk Beast City, had alsopleted the construction of their spiritual links. They began entering the spiritual world. Everyone was astounded by the sights in the spiritual world. They couldmunicate face-to-face despite being scattered across the Chaos Forest. It was incredibly miraculous!


    What was even more astonishing was that this was not a temporary space. It was a constantly existing, stable space. After the Demon King''s subjects built the spiritual links, they could enter at any time, regardless of the time or ce. Nancilia''s admiration for His Majesty reached a new high!


    The Demon King decided to name this ce the Demon King Space. He said, "The Demon King Space has unlimited potential and immense value, but it''s currently just in its infancy. It''s far too rudimentary right now! We need to continuously develop and umte a sufficient amount of mental data to truly showcase its value."


    The spiritual space also required construction. It was like a brand-new operating system. Although the operating system itself was almost perfect, with no vulnerabilities and very stable, itcked any applications. Having a system without content could not unleash its value.


    The Demon King realized that he could not develop the spiritual space by himself after creating several kilometers of barrennd. He needed more developers to produce mental data and build more data models. Among them, the elves were undoubtedly the most suitable, given their rich artistic sensibilities.


    Zhang Nu then told Nancilia, "I n to open up the developer permission for a period of time. Your task from now on is to expand and enrich this world."


    Hearing this, the elves showed signs of delight. This was such a challenging, creative, and fun job that provided a sense of aplishment! If the Demon King was considered the Creator God, then they were fortunate to be assistants to the Creator God.


    "Don''t worry, Your Majesty!"


    "Just leave it to us!"


    "We will create grasnds, forests, mountains, rivers, and cities for Your Majesty and make this world more diverse!"


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied with this response. In the initial stages of constructing the spiritual space, the elves would y a central role, but representatives from various races, including the Grand Archmage Bai Jie, the mermaid maiden Shui Yao, and giants, dwarves, and even orcs, would participate. Collective wisdom and teamwork would undoubtedly rapidly enrich the Demon King Space.


    The Demon King was not concerned about this world falling apart because the Demon King Space itself was a non-existent virtual world, entirely virtual, and there was no concept of it breaking down. For the Demon King, who held the highest authority, the entire space, from every de of grass to every grain of sand, was nothing but mental data. And when something is data, it can be edited. It can be deleted, added, duplicated - all within the control of the Demon King.


    The elves chosen from Giantree City were essentially mental coders employed by the Demon King. Their mental power and creativity acted as code, and their job was to produce data, model the Demon King Space, and save the Great Demon King time.


    After briefing them on their tasks, Zhang Nu found the representative of the gnome n, Segon.


    "This is the Grand Archmage Bai Jie from Darkness City," Zhang Nu introduced. "She has been appointed as the Fortress Commander of the Citadel of Eternity. I intend to appoint you as the Deputy Fortress Commander. The citadel is currently understaffed, requiring at least ten thousand personnel. I n to have the gnome n fill these vacancies."


    Upon learning that the Demon King had control over an ancient, cutting-edge supreme magitek citadel of the highest caliber, Segon was ecstatic. For the gnome n, such a level of magical construction was akin to a treasure trove. If they could live and learn there, it would undoubtedly bring tremendous benefits to the gnome race.


    Segon quickly expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for granting the gnome n this opportunity. I will make arrangements immediately and select the most outstanding and capable individuals."


    Zhang Nu also assigned tasks to dwarven city lord Zhang Dachui, giant chieftain Jin Kui, and others. This method ofmunication without the need for physical presence made him feel very convenient. After everything was set up, Zhang Nu exited the mental space. He felt a slight daze before instantly returning to his throne in the Demon King Castle.


    "Spirit Sanctum! This is indeed a remarkable asset!"


    "It justifies the substantial investment."


    He quickly assessed the operational status of the Spirit Sanctum. The Spirit Sanctum possessed immense capabilities, handling thousands or even tens of thousands of citizens simultaneously was merely a routine task. However, Zhang Nu also discerned its limitations. A Level 5 Spirit Sanctum could connect to a maximum of one to two million people at once. While this number was already substantial and adequately met current requirements, it might prove insufficient in the future if he aimed to build an empire with a poption in the billions. An upgrade appeared inevitable.


    The Spirit Sanctum boasted additional functionalities. For instance, it could monitor the mental states of all contractees. It did not just track their activities but could also observe and ess their thoughts. Essentially, anyone entering the Spirit Sanctum fell under the subtle influence of the Demon King. With this structure in ce, he could facilitatemunication, development, and production, all while consolidating his rule. It was indeed like achieving multiple objectives with a single endeavor.


    Just then, Li Si arrived to deliver a report.


    "Reporting to Your Majesty."


    "Thetest intelligence reveals that the Thunder Empire''s legions have arrived at the nearest territory of Marquis Kregi."


    "This time, four legions from the south, totaling approximately 800,000 official soldiers, have been deployed."


    "Furthermore, Marquis Kregi, along with three Counts and eight Viscounts, is mobilizing their familial forces and actively recruiting mercenaries, adventurers, and even Heroes."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "The likelihood of an invasion into Kolo is exceedingly high."


    "We must make early preparations!"


    Upon hearing this news, Zhang Nu had no choice but to take it seriously. Duke Bachor was evidently taking substantial action, deploying such a significant number of imperial legions. If the empire was showcasing this level of might, the Chaos Federation could not afford to lose its momentum. After a brief consideration, Zhang Nu stated, "Zhang San, Li Si, proceed to the Kolo region to support Long Yi in the uing battle. However, exercise caution in revealing our full strength to avoid alerting the enemy."


    "Yes, Your Majesty," Zhang San and Li Si acknowledged and departed promptly.


    With the three draconian titans of the Darkness City acting in unison, this battle appeared to be quite manageable."

 Chapter 204

    At this moment, in the city of Kolo, the Dark Dragon King continued to hold his position. Under the craftsmanship of thousands, if not tens of thousands, of draconian craftsmen and highborers, the damaged parts of Kolo City were quickly rebuilt. In just a few days, not only was the city fully restored, but it had even be more robust than before. The Dark Dragon King was very satisfied with the efficiency.


    However, at this very moment, the Sky Drake Archpriest Sun Liu rushed in to report.


    "Your Highness! We have intruders!"


    "Several entities with immensely powerful auras have suddenly entered from outside Kolo and are currently moving in various directions!"


    Upon hearing this, Long Yi immediately took it seriously. After the Demon King''s arrival in Kolo City, they had covertly constructed five Detection Towers in the Kolo region. The highest level one had already reached Level 4. The axiom that "obvious threats can be evaded, but covert ones are challenging to fend off" rang true. Large-scale enemy operations could hardly remain concealed, especially with the Dragon Shadow Heroes having established an intelligencework deep within enemy territory. What was concerning was these small-scale or lone wolf-type operations that were hard to predict and prevent.


    The cities had only recently pledged allegiance to the Demon King''s rule. If they were subjected to repeated attacks and disruptions, it would undoubtedly erode people''s confidence and, consequently, weaken the Demon King''s authority. The time hade to bolster their surveince and detection systems. After all, hadn''t they just detected the presence of these intruders?


    Sun Liu promptly reported, "There are three to four groups of people. One group consists of two individuals with extremely formidable strength, likely at least Level 5, possibly even reaching Level 6."


    Upon hearing this, Long Yi''s expression turned grave. With so many expertsunching a surprise attack, even he could not afford to be careless. Long Yi immediately issued orders, saying, "We will split up! You will go and intercept the other several targets. As for the two strongest opponents, I will personally handle them!"


    "We must not allow them to attack our cities, causing panic and losses. Make sure to keep them at a safe distance!"


    Sun Liu replied, "Understood!"


    The Dark Dragon King did not waste any time. He transformed into his massive dragon form, shrouding the entire sky in darkness. Countless dark clouds covered the once-blue sky, and crimson lightning crackled relentlessly.


    He locked onto the two intruders who were rapidly approaching and, using his terrifying aura and presence, initiated an interception. Eventually, he halted them roughly three hundred miles away from Kolo City.


    "Who dares trespass in my territory? Insolent intruders!"


    The Dark Dragon King released a barrage of lightning upon their arrival. Their thick cloaks were torn to shreds within moments, revealing their true appearances concealed underneath. One of them was a female mage around her forties or fifties, dressed in a radiant robe, holding a staff emitting a holy light aura. The other was a warrior d in crimson armor, wielding a massive crimson sword. His red hair and eyes matched the color of his armor. He immediately stepped forward, using his sword to block the attacks.


    "You''re the fearsome Dragon Demon King of the Thunder Empire?"


    "Tsk tsk, your reputation precedes you!"


    "This power is simply brutal!"


    "No wonder Yan Qianjun suffered a setback!"


    "This trip wasn''t in vain!" The red-haired warrior spoke while deflecting the iing lightning with his colossal sword.


    The mage in her white robe raised her staff, summoning a radiant barrier that imprisoned the massive dragon within. Such strength! Long Yi''s expression subtly shifted. Both of them wielded the power of Level 6 overlords, and they were no less formidable than the previous hero, Yan Qianjun.


    Long Yi quickly deduced their identities. "Are you Heroes here to die too?! Just like that Undying Phoenix Hubert?" He had figured it out. These two were most likely Heroes.


    Indeed, that was the case. The red-haired warrior, Xiang Nanfeng, was the legendary mercenary Russell, renowned as the "Sword of the Burning Sky" and serving as the Grandmaster of the Mercenary Guild in the Thunder Empire''s southern regions.


    The white-robed mage, Hong Xia, held the esteemed position of Chief High Priestess Marcia at the headquarters of the Radiant Church in the Thunder Empire, a status equivalent to a regional bishop.


    Both of them were heroes and members of the Thunderous Society.


    "We''re not quite in the same category as him," Hong Xia stated coldly. "I advise against resistance. While you are undoubtedly formidable, attempting to confront the two of us alone would be a futile endeavor."


    The Dark Dragon King paid no heed to the radiant barrier seal and burst into scornfulughter. "Hahaha! Just the two of you? You dare to utter such grandiose words?"


    The next moment, the radiant cage shattered under the dark force, and a powerful domain enveloped a radius of a kilometer, engulfing the two heroes.


    [You''re under the effect of "Dark Domain". All stats have decreased by 12%. A rank skills are weakened by 10%, B rank skills are weakened by 20%, skills below C rank are sealed. You will continuously lose 18 MP per minute!]


    "Is this the legendary monarch''s domain?"


    "It''s indeed very formidable!"


    The Dark Dragon King''s domain may not have direct killing power, but once you enter it, not only will you be subjected to the domain''s suppression, but your MP will also be drained at an astonishing rate. In just a few minutes, your MP will be exhausted, and you''ll ultimately be vulnerable.


    The Chief High Priestess Marcia of the Radiant Church remarked, "This is the most terrifying entity I''ve ever encountered. If it were just a native creature, it would be less vexing."


    "Exactly!" Xiang Nanfeng agreed, "He''s not just a native; he''s a Demon King. His potential for growth is too frightening. We must eliminate him now. If he continues to grow unchecked, it could be a serious problem."


    Clearly, both heroes held the Dark Dragon King in high regard. An entity of this strength was indeed a rare find in the world. However, the two heroes remained undaunted. While the Demon King was a one-in-a-million terror, they were equally rare as Heroes. The oue of this battle was still uncertain.


    "Prepare to meet your end, Demon King!"


    "You''re quite audacious to challenge us with just a Domain skill! But you''re gravely mistaken if you think that will be enough to suppress the two of us. Today, I''ll show my might!"


    In the midst of their conversation, Xiang Nanfeng unleashed scorching Qi, forming a fiery tornado that soared into the air. It eventually transformed into two massive battle Qi wings on his back.


    With a thunderous boom, he broke the sound barrier, reaching the Dark Dragon King at an astonishing speed. Xiang Nanfeng''s greatsword suddenly changed shape, morphing into a burning sword dozens of meters long, fiercely cleaving toward the formidable Demon King. Simultaneously, Hong Xia also took action. She cast a divine spell on Xiang Nanfeng''s burning sword, causing the fiery de to shift from crimson mes to pristine white mes.


    Long Yi immediately felt a significant threat. This strike, if itnded, could injure him even with his formidable defense. He swiftly moved to evade the attack.


    Missing his initial strike, Xiang Nanfeng promptly executed a Shadowstep, bing a blur as he circled to the other side andunched another rapid sh. At the same time, Hong Xia summoned hundreds, if not thousands, of radiant spears that sealed off the Dark Dragon King''s maneuvering space,unching an onught akin to a furious storm.


    These two heroes were truly terrifying. They were on the same level as Hubert! Furthermore, they had evidently prepared extensively and even rehearsed for this battle. They had gathered a wealth of knowledge about the Dark Dragon King''s attributes and abilities.


    The High Priest of Radiance excelled in light-based magic and divine spells, which had potent suppression effects on creatures of the dark. As for Xiang Nanfeng, he excelled not only in swordsmanship but also in raw offensive power, surpassing even Yan Qianjun''s capabilities. His superheated sword was not justposed of ordinary mes; it contained an incredibly powerful fire-based Qi, capable of directly inflicting harm on the true dragon.


    Moreover, whenbined with the divine spells of the Radiant God, the damage against dark creatures was doubled. Regardless of battle energy or divine spells, the dragon''s magical immunity proved ineffective.


    Over dozens of rounds, the battle raged fiercely. Although there was still no clear victor, the two super Heroes coordinated exceptionally well. One dealt damage, the other controlled, one absorbed damage, and the other provided healing and recovery.


    The situation for the Dark Dragon King did not look good. He had already sustained numerous wounds, and blood flowed freely. While these wounds were far from fatal, it was evident that he was falling behind.


    "Hahaha! How does it feel? Even with all your strength, what can you do?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "We came prepared!"


    "Look at you, causing such chaos in this bordend for so long. I bet you''ve never been in such a sorry state before, have you? This world is much moreplex than you think!"


    "As a Demon King, you should have kept a low profile and developed quietly in the early to mid-stages. Yet you''ve actively provoked the Empire! It''s utter foolishness!"


    "A Demon King who''s as audacious and mboyant as you can only meet one end - death!"


    Xiang Nanfeng grew increasingly excited as the battle progressed. This operation had originally been a mere probing mission, but it had turned out to be much smoother than anticipated. The Dark Dragon King was indeed incredibly powerful, stronger than any opponent he had ever faced. However, it was evident that he was being suppressed. Given the circumstances, why not finish him off directly? It would save time and effort. But just then, several figures entered the domain.


    "Your Highness! We''re here!"


    Two Abyssal Dragons, two Earth Drake Grand Marshals, and the Sky Drake Archpriest Sun Liu, among others, had arrived just in time.


    "Damn it! We were so close!"


    Xiang Nanfeng realized he had missed an opportunity. He had not expected the Dark Lord''s subordinates to arrive so quickly. Nevertheless, it did not matter. His objective had already been achieved. This encounter had not only tested the Demon King''s abilities but also severely dampened his spirits.


    "Hehe!"


    "The infamous Demon King turns out to be nothing special!"


    "Consider yourself lucky. Today, we''ll spare your life, so you can live a few more days in fear!"


    With that, Xiang Nanfeng stepped back. Hong Xia took out a magical crystal ball and, upon activating it, released a surge of domain power, tearing a rift in the Dark Domain.


    "Let''s go!" In an instant, with a wave of her radiant scepter, the two of them were teleported away.


    Sun Liu eximed, "What was that? How did they manage to escape from the monarch''s domain?"


    Domain abilities had a spatial lockdown effect. Getting into one was easy, but getting out was much more difficult. Spatial abilities typically could not directly transport someone out of a domain. It was generally believed that there were only two ways to escape a domain: defeating the domain''s master or forcing them to close the domain, or using another domain''s power to counteract it.


    Long Yi responded in a solemn tone, "There''s nothing strange about it. They came prepared and used a temporary magical item to create a domain."


    "You''re actually injured, and not lightly!"


    Several high-ranking draconians were extremely surprised. The fighting prowess of the Dark Dragon King was well-known. Among the monarchs they had known, in terms ofbat ability, he was on par with the Elven King and slightly stronger than Zhang San and Li Si. However, they had not witnessed Han Kexin in action.


    "It''s not surprising. They came prepared. All of their methods were specifically tailored to counter me."


    In this situation, it was indeed challenging for Long Yi to defeat these two Level 6 overlords. But if it came down to a life-or-death struggle, he could still take them down with him. This battle could be considered a victory for the Heroes. Right now, these two heroes must be feeling quite pleased with themselves. After all, it had been proven that the formidable Dragon Demon King was not invincible. With proper preparation, just the two of them could handle him.


    However, wasn''t this exactly the baiting effect that their master had wanted to achieve? It seemed that this time, they had already baited at least two big fish. They wondered if these fishes would be enough to satisfy their master''s needs.


    ......


    Not long after, Xiang Nanfeng, Hong Xia, and their entourage arrived in the territory of Marquis Kregi, entering the vast encampment of the imperial army.


    "This time, the Empire and Duke Bachor have really spared no expense," Xiang Nanfengmented as he gazed upon the impressive sight of over eight hundred thousand fully organized imperial official legions.


    They promptly revealed their identities and were soon summoned to the presence of Marquis Kregi. Marquis Kregi, Sir Bard, as well as three counts and several viscounts, were all present, having made preparations for the uing assault.


    "You''ve already engaged with the Dark Dragon King in advance?" Marquis Kregi asked incredulously.


    Hong Xia tossed a memory crystal to him, saying, "We''ve recorded the Dark Dragon King''s abilities and tactics here. Our conclusion is that, although he''s very powerful, he''s not a concern."


    Seeing the memory crystal, Marquis Kregi was ted. This was incredibly valuable information. They had not even begun the war, yet they had already gained such a significant advantage!


    Marquis Kregiughed heartily and said, "Excellent, excellent, excellent! You truly live up to being Thunderous Society''s Heroes. Initially, this battle was already well within our grasp, and now, with the support of the Mercenary Guild, the Radiant Church, and both of you, it''s almost certain. The Dark Dragon King has yed all his cards; he''s at his wit''s end! This time, it will be difficult for us to lose!"


    The nobles present showed expressions of joy. Almost everyone felt that this was a surefire victory."

 Chapter 205: Activate the Citadel! Begin Levitation!

    The news of the events in Kolo quickly reached Zhang Nu''s ears. He was surprised to learn that Long Yi had been injured by two formidable Heroes. However, instead of anger, he felt a sense of satisfaction, as it indicated that significant yers had taken the bait.


    These two Heroes were among the most esteemed individuals in the entire Thunder Empire. The fact that even they had taken the bait suggested that their subordinates and other Heroes would soon converge on the scene. If they could capture them all in one fell swoop, it would mark a significant victory.


    Zhang Nu had no immediate concerns about the safety of the Kolo region. Zhang San and Li Si had already arrived there, and in times of life-threatening situations, these two monarchs would undoubtedly join the battle.


    Furthermore, during this period, the Chaos Federation had deployed a substantial number of troops. This force included over ten thousand troops from various forest tribes, more than fifty thousand ogres, and forty thousand draconian troops from the Darkness City. Among them, a significant proportion were Level 2 and 3 elite units.


    Adding to this formidable force were ten thousand knights and several thousand mages. Presently, the elite forces stationed in Kolo by the Chaos Federation numbered between one hundred seventy to one hundred eighty thousand. While this figure was smaller than the four legions of the empire, their elite quality and individualbat prowess far exceeded that of the empire''s official army.


    Just then, Rao Jian from the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce returned to the main city. He hade to deliver gold to His Majesty the Dark Dragon. Boxes upon boxes of gold coins wereid out before them, shining brilliantly like small mountains.


    Rao Jian reported, "In recent days, the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce not onlypleted multiple significant orders with the White Sands Merfolk n but also expanded its operations to sell federation goods such as food, medicinal herbs, dwarf equipment, jewelry, and more."


    "These gold coins represent the profits that belong to the Darkness City after ounting for our operational costs and various revenue sharing agreements."


    Zhang Nu nodded in satisfaction. The federation''s stockpile of goods andmodities had grown toorge. Leaving aside the overflowing medicines, food, materials, equipment, and the like, the gems and treasures collected from Ironheart City and other cities alone could fetch him tens of millions to nearly a hundred million Demon King gold..


    The Dark Dragon merchant guide was thriving. They were not only supplying potions to the White Sands n but also establishing connections with trade caravans from several other empires. The Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce poised to open up markets for raw materials like foodstuffs, herbs, ores, magical items, and weaponry. Given the current trajectory, their progress was swift.


    [Gold discovered. Would you like to convert?]


    [Gold sessfully converted. Gold +65,231,200!]


    After choosing to convert, Zhang Nu received a substantial 65.23 million gold coins.


    Excellent! This was a substantial sum. Zhang Nu''s daily expenditures for the territory were substantial, especially with the increasing number of buildings, including the Spirit Sanctum, Trial Tower, and Training Tower. These structures had considerable daily operational costs, and this had caused a slight dip in the territory''s ie over the past few days.


    However, with his vast production capabilities and control of ten Demon King Channels and the Demon King Market, Zhang Nu''s profits from selling food, raw materials, and potions to fellow Demon Kings more thanpensated for these expenses. It would not take long for the daily ie to return to the 2 million Demon King gold mark.


    This was just the profit earned directly from Demon Kings. The Dark Dragon merchants'' business was expanding rapidly, and it was only a matter of time before it outpaced the Demon King Market. Zhang Nu rewarded Rao Jian with several skill stones to keep him motivated. The Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce was poised to be a vital economic pir for the Demon King''s development in the mid-term.


    Just then, a message from the Third Demon King Channel arrived.


    Lich King Bartlett: "Respected Lord Zhang Nu, I noticed your purchase order in the trading area. Are you looking to acquire a Level 5 Restoration Scroll?"


    Zhang Nu immediately took note. Upon learning of the need for restoration in the Citadel of Eternity, especially when manualbor was almost insufficient for the task, he had promptly posted a purchase order for a Level 5 Restoration Scroll. These scrolls were quite rare, and he had not expected inquiries so soon, just within two days.


    Zhang Nu did not engage in idle conversation. He had set privacy settings on his messages. Only those who had the relevant items could initiate a private chat with him. Since this Lich King Bartlett could send a private message, it indicated that he must have what Zhang Nu was looking for.


    Zhang Nu also had some recollection of this Bartlett. He had seen him in several Demon King Channels. This suggested that he was also a Level 5 Great Demon King, probably on par with Han Kexin''s level. He was a formidable individual not to be underestimated.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhang Nu replied, "How would you like to trade?"


    Lich King Bartlett responded, "I don''t want gold. I want souls, blueprints, skill stones, or gems!"


    Zhang Nu had set the purchase price at three million gold. This was likely a high price for a restoration blueprint, but this Lich King seemed to have no immediate need for those few million gold. For top-tier Demon Kings, the most important thing was to efficiently increase their power. Souls, blueprints, gems, and skill stones were essential materials for a Demon King. Among these, for Zhang Nu, the first three were usually kept for his own use. Only skill stones were expendable.


    "I can offer you five B-rank skill stones in exchange," he replied. He rummaged through his collection. Zhang Nu had plenty of B-rank Skills on hand. Their current market value ranged from 500,000 to 800,000 gold each. From his collection of hundreds of skill stones, he selected five B-rank ones that were of average quality and disyed them to test the other party''s reaction.


    Lich King Bartlett responded, "These skill stones aren''t enough. You''ll need to add a Level 4 soul or a Level 4 blueprint."


    Zhang Nu said, "Friend, your asking price is quite high. While Level 5 Restoration Scrolls are indeed rare, they''re ultimately just scrolls for repairs, not Level 5 construction blueprints."


    Zhang Nu continued, "At most, I can give you two Level 3 souls. This is the highest offer I can make. You should consider whether you can find a higher bid."


    Lich King Bartlett agreed, "Very well, it''s a deal!"


    He was still satisfied with this trade. After all, he had no use for a Restoration Scroll and did not have any Level 5 structures that needed repairing. To exchange an unused scroll for usable skill stones and a small amount of souls was a worthwhile deal for him.


    [Trade sessful. You have obtained a "Level 5 Restoration Scroll!"]


    Zhang Nu was overjoyed! For him, a few B-rank skill stones and a few Level 3 souls meant nothing. But this Level 5 Restoration Scroll was currently the most crucial item he needed! So, this trade was indeed a significant win for him.


    Zhang Nu immediately headed to the Citadel of Eternity with the Restoration Scroll.


    [Would you like to use the "Level 5 Restoration Scroll" to repair the "Supreme Magitek Floating Citadel"? This repair costs 10 million gold!]


    Repair costs too? And it cost so much! It was more than two or three times the value of the scroll itself!


    However, considering that the Citadel of Eternity was a Level 5 special structure and that its malfunction rate and damage level were extremely high, it was understandable to spend a bit more money. There was nothing more to say. While 10 million was not a small sum, it was still reasonablepared to a fully functional magitek citadel.


    "Repair!" Zhang Nu gave the order instantly.


    At that moment, the entire citadel seemed to be purified by some force. All the rusted metal and dust in every corner vanished, leaving everything gleaming and pristine. With theplete repair of the structure, all of its functions were fully restored.


    [Repair sessful!]


    [The citadel has fully regained all functions!]


    [You''ve unlocked the ability to summon magitek units!]


    [You''ve gained a new summonable poption: Basic Magitek Citadel Soldiers +50,000, Intermediate Magitek Citadel Soldiers +20,000, Advanced Magitek Citadel Soldiers +10,000, Magitek Aerial Soldiers +5000, Magitek Guardians +1000!]


    [You''ve gained new summonable facilities: Magitek Missiles +5000, Citadel Cannons +10, Super Citadel Cannon ¡Á1!]


    Seeing these notifications, Zhang Nu was greatly surprised. It turned out that the magitek citadel was also a barracks-type structure. He immediately checked the rted price list:


    [Basic Magitek Citadel Soldier] Level 1 elite, costs 200 gold.


    [Intermediate Magitek Citadel Soldier] Level 2 elite, costs 2000 gold.


    [Advanced Magitek Citadel Soldier] Level 3 elite, costs 8000 gold.


    [Magitek Aerial Soldier] Level 4 elite, costs 20,000 gold.


    [Magitek Guardian] Level 5 elite, costs 50,000 gold.


    [Magitek Missile] Consumable facility, costs 50 gold each.


    [Citadel Cannon] Offensive facility, costs 1,000,000 gold.


    [Super Citadel Cannon] Offensive facility, costs 10,000,000 gold.


    After examining it, Zhang Nu noticed that the summonable units from the magitek citadel were quite different from other barracks-type structures. Their distinctive feature was that they could summon a veryrge number of units, although they did not include high-level units like lords or overlords.


    Zhang Nu summoned a basic citadel soldier. With a sh of light, the citadel soldier appeared. It resembled the T-800 Terminator, a robust metal skeleton with two red glowing eyes. Its body was filled withplex machinery, but inside its skull, there was an active biological brain.


    "Greetings, Master!" the magical construct spoke in a cold voice.


    [Basic Magitek Citadel Soldier] Level 1 elite


    Skills: Magitek Rifle (C rank), Iron Skeleton (D rank), Self-Destruct (D rank).


    Description: These arebat units modified from the era of the supreme magitek civilization. Theyck emotions but possess intelligence. Apart from their brain, they have no weak points and can repair themselves by recing parts, no matter how severe the damage.


    Seeing this creature, Zhang Nu was quite astonished. These magitek bio-construct, simr to undead, had the characteristic of not needing food or water, yet they possessed intelligence unlike low-level undead units.


    As basic soldiers, they were already quite outstanding. The citadel soldiers had a somewhat monotonousbat style. They were equipped with magitek rifles that could fire magical beams, causing damageparable to that of the same-level beholders. Their range was also astonishing. Even if they were in close quartersbat, the citadel soldiers would not be as fragile as beholders. They had bodies of steel and could even initiate self-destruct attacks when necessary.


    In reality, these citadel soldiers were designed exclusively for defending the citadel itself. Therefore, utilizing the citadel''s structuralbat was the most potent approach. With all five types of magitek citadelbat units summoned, the offensive power of the Citadel of Eternity would be incredibly terrifying.


    What made this asion particrly special was that, in addition to thesebat units, Zhang Nu could even personally purchase Magitek Missiles and Citadel Cannons. Magitek Missiles were a long-range attack means that could only be used through the citadel''s built-in missileunching device. They could easily strike targets within a radius of 100 miles, with each missile being equivalent to the power of a full-strength attack from a Level 4 elite magic unit. At 50 gold coins per missile, this consumable item was undoubtedly expensive.


    However, it had the dual purpose of both offensive and anti-aircraft capabilities. Besides Magitek Missiles, the Citadel of Eternity could also be equipped with ten Citadel Cannons. Each cannon had the power of an attack from a Level 4 overlord magic unit. Ten of these Citadel Cannons provided the defense equivalent to ten Level 4 magic experts. As for the Super Citadel Cannon, its power wasparable to a Level 6 overlord. Even a Level 5 monarch would find it challenging to withstand its full-force attack.


    In summary, the Citadel of Eternity was unquestionably a valuable asset, capable of integrating research, production, offense, and defense. Such a citadel held immense significance for a territory.


    Zhang Nu gave themand, "Activate the citadel! Begin levitation!"


    The citadel''s mainframe replied promptly, "Yes, my master. Initiating void drive engine. Activating levitation mechanism..."


    In an instant, a massive area of the towering cliff suddenly copsed, as if it had been hollowed out from the inside. Simultaneously, an enormous entity, hundreds of meters tall, radiating countless magical formations and magical lights, appeared in mid-air. Its size was colossal, almostparable to that of an entire city. Its color was a gleaming silver-white, appearing fresh and shiny, like it had just been manufactured in a factory. Just looking at it imposed a profound sense of awe and intimidation!"

 Chapter 206: War with the Empire

    Zhang Nu spent 200 million gold to install all eleven Citadel Cannons and purchase 5,000 Magitek Missiles, 20,000 Basic Citadel Soldiers, 5,000 Intermediate Citadel Soldiers, 1,000 Advanced Citadel Soldiers, and 500 Magitek Aerial Soldiers. In total, he invested 320 million gold, bringing his cumtive investment to a staggering 520 million gold.


    Although the investment was substantial, it was exceptionally worthwhile. After this round of construction, the offensive and defensive capabilities of this Supreme Magitek Citadel far exceeded that of the Bloody Fortress. Moreover, it was a mobile citadel, which could be deployed anywhere. This mobility was crucial, and no amount of resources spent would be wasted.


    For the Chaos Federation, having such a powerful mobile stronghold was of immense significance. Zhang Nu had already appointed the Grand Archmage Bai Jie as the Citadel Commander and the Gnome Chieftain Segon as the Vice Citadel Commander. In the future, tens of thousands to over ten million gnome researchers and human schrs would inhabit the fortress. This fortress was not just a military stronghold but also possessed research and production capabilities.


    When Zhang Nu returned to the Darkness City, there was an urgent military report from the Kolo region. Nancilia rushed to report, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Marquis Kregi has begun their operations. The imperial army is moving faster than expected, and it is estimated that they will enter the Kolo region today!"


    "Marilyn, the Grand Elder, has already led the Ancient Tree army to rush over for reinforcement. The scale of the enemy''s forces this time is truly enormous."


    "I''m somewhat worried."


    Hearing this news, Zhang Nu''s expression grew somewhat more serious. While he had foreseen that the empire wouldunch an offensive within these few days, he had not expected it to happen so swiftly. Moreover, this time, the stakes ced on the battlefield were considerable.


    From the intelligence reports, it was evident that the empire was fullymitted to this operation. Four imperial legions, each numbering a minimum of 800,000 troops,posed of cavalry, infantry, flying units, mage units, and special forces, were involved. In addition to the imperial legions, this campaign included a Marquis and three Counts. As hereditary nobility, their personal strength was formidable, and theymanded a significant number of elite forces and their family knight orders.


    A conservative estimate put thebined strength of these noble knight orders at around 50,000 troops. These family private armies were on par with, if not superior to, the empire''s official army in terms of elite status. Furthermore, ording to the intelligence reports, among the forces participating in this campaign were the Thunderous Mercenary Guild and the Radiant Church, with at least five southern mercenary brigades and ten Radiant Church squadrons joining the battle.


    Leading these forces were two super Heroes. These two super Heroes not only possessed the ability to mobilize the mercenary world and the Radiant Church but also had Hero guilds under theirmand. It was certain that many Hero guilds would be actively participating in the uing conflict.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It could be said that this was a super army with a nearly million-strong force. There were at least four Level 6 overlords among them: Marquis Kregi, Sir Bard, and the two super Heroes. Among the other nobles,manders, top-tier Heroes, mercenaries, and adventurers, there were no fewer than twenty individuals at the Level 5.


    Even for an empire as dominant as the Thunder Empire, mobilizing such a massive force would require significant effort, and its sess or failure would have considerable consequences on its overall power. A military operation of this scale had not been seen in the southern territories in the past century. This clearly reflected the determination of Grand Duke Bachor and the empire. Facing such an enormous invading force was an unprecedented pressure for the forces of the Darkness City.


    Due to the limited time avable, the Darkness City could not deploy more federal forces. Currently, the Demon King''s deployment in the Colosseum region consisted of approximately two hundred thousand elite troops, including the draconian legion, ogre legion, elven legion, orc legion, as well as creatures like the beholders. Though their numbers were far fewer than the empire''s, their individualbat prowess was notably higher.


    As for the leadership, at the helm was the Dark Dragon King, Long Yi, with the assistance of the Wind Abyss Dragon, Long Er, the Earth Abyss Dragon, Long San, the human Holy Knight, Bai Jin, and the temporary reinforcement, Jin Kui, the golden giant from Thundering City, along with the Deputy City Lord of Giantree City, Marilyn. These were all valuable Level 6 high-endbatants.


    In terms of mid to high-levelmanders: two Earth Drake Grand Marshals, Wang Er and Zhao Wu, two Sky Drake Archpriests, Sun Liu and Zhou Qi, twelve Draconian Marshals, fifty Generals, six High Priests, and twenty Priests.


    Additionally, as a precautionary measure, the Demon King had arranged a hidden force. This force would not readily intervene, but in cases of extreme danger where significant casualties were possible, they would immediately join the battle. This hidden force included Earth Drake Sovereign Zhang San, Sky Drake Sovereign Li Si, and 120 Demon King''s Royal Guards, among which 30 had undergone advanced modification to be super guards.


    Although time was limited, the lineup of the Darkness City was undeniably formidable. It was foreseeable that this would be an intense andrge-scale battle. The Demon King continued to stay in the rear, maintaining a low profile and observing the situation quietly. The Demon King of the Darkness City would not easily take to the frontlines. After all, he was thest card of the Chaos Federation and could not be yed easily. Even in special circumstances, he could send the Elven King or seek assistance from the Subus Queen of Gloom City. These two trump cards were avable if needed.


    In response to Nancilia''s concerns, Zhang Nule reassured her, saying, "No need to worry. There''s nothing to fear. It''s just the southern borders of the empire; it''s not enough to pose a threat to the Chaos Federation."


    He prepared for battle, such as performing rituals in the two temples. The Temples of Nature and War of the Darkness City had both been elevated to Level 4. This meant they could bestow Level 4 divine blessings, enough to double thebat strength of the two hundred thousand troops on the frontlines. Moreover, besides these preparations, Zhang Nule had just acquired the citadel. This battle would provide an excellent opportunity to test the capabilities of the Supreme Magitek Citadel.


    ......


    On that day, the sky was overcast, and an eerie silence pervaded the surroundings. The imperial army had arrived near the city of Kolo, stretching for a continuous twenty miles, resembling an ominous ck cloud hanging over the city, ready to crush it. It was a sight that was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.


    The citizens of the Kolo region could sense the oppressive aura emanating from the massive army that spanned tens of miles. They were already trembling in fear, huddled in their homes, or hiding in cers, too afraid to venture outside. A battle of such magnitude was usually only witnessed during national conflicts. Little did they expect that the empire would deploy such arge and powerful army tobat a single Great Demon King.


    "It seems that the Chaos Federation''s strength is not to be underestimated," murmured Marquis Kregi to himself as he observed the scene inside Kolo City through the scouting spells cast by several adventurers beside him.


    "And they have a considerable number of flying forces, at least four to five thousand. Instruct the mage units and barrier units to be ready to defend against aerial attacks at any time."


    Two counts immediately said, "Don''t worry, Your Lordship. We will not underestimate the enemy."


    The Hero Xiang Nanfengmented, "The Demon King is very dangerous. We cannot engage in a prolonged battle and give the enemy the opportunity to reinforce their troops."


    Hero Hong Xia agreed, "I suggestunching a direct assault and reducing Kolo City to ruins, using overwhelming force topletely crush the Demon King."


    Marquis Kregi nodded in agreement, "You both make valid points. I intend to dispatch the Fourth Legion for the initial assault. You will lead your respective elite adventurer groups, as well as the five major mercenary corps and the Radiant Church''s army tounch the first wave of attack."


    This sly old fox! Xiang Nanfeng and Hong Xia cursed inwardly.


    In fact, whether it was the Heroes, mercenaries, or the power of the church, these were forces not directly controlled by the nobility in various regions. The empire and the local nobles had always been somewhat wary of these independent forces to varying degrees. Marquis Kregi saw an opportunity to use these forces to attack the Demon King, which would not only weaken the Demon King''s forces but also weaken the mercenaries and the church. It was a strategy to both maintain his own power and decrease the strength of these independent forces. However, he could not afford to make this intention too obvious, thus he dispatched an imperial legion to join the assault.


    In the end, they had no choice but to ept the task, considering the empire had also mobilized a legion. They looked at each other, and the leading adventurer, Xiang Nanfeng, spoke, "We ept this mission on behalf of the Mercenary Guild. We will eliminate the Great Demon King and defend the empire and its citizens. We consider it our duty."


    Hong Xia, nodded in agreement, "Eradicate evil, uphold justice; these are the core ts of the Radiant Church. Since Your Lordship has given thismand, we, as faithful followers of the Radiant Lord, shall not retreat."


    Marquis Kregi was somewhat surprised by how easily they agreed. However, both Xiang Nanfeng and Hong Xia were eager to eliminate the Great Demon King before the empire or its Heroes could take the credit. They had a clear understanding of the Demon King''s strength from their previous encounters with the Dark Dragon King. Therefore, they were confident of victory and eager to im it as their own.


    Inside the city of Kolo, the Dark Dragon King had been closely monitoring the movements of the imperial army. Faced with such a massive force, the pressure on them was undeniable, especially for the native leaders.


    "The number of humans is overwhelming!"


    "We have only one-fifth of their numbers!"


    "In this situation, can we really win?"


    The several elven elders, golden giant elders, as well as the chieftain of the Orcs felt a hint of fear, anticipating that this battle would be extremely brutal.


    "What is there to fear?" shouted Marilyn. "With the support of His Majesty from behind the scenes, how can these wretched humans possibly threaten the federation?"


    "We have finally obtained peace and are on the verge of an era of prosperity in the Chaos Forest," she continued. "How can we let these interlopers disrupt it? Do you all want to return to the way things were before?"


    Hearing the words of the Elven Grand Elder, the leaders of the various tribes and ns on the scene became incensed.


    "Strike them down, one by one!"


    "Let no imperial soldiers remain standing!"


    "We must protect the federation!"


    The Orc Gru, his eyes bloodshot, roared loudly, "As long as we unite as one and with His Majesty as our shield, let alone this puny human army, even if the entire imperial army arrives, we won''t be afraid!"


    "That''s right!"


    "Let them witness the might of the Chaos Federation!"


    "Our benevolent Demon King has shown us great favor. We must defend the frontlines for His Majesty!"


    "We will not retreat!"


    "We''ll fight to the end!"


    "For the forest, for His Majesty!"


    The morale of the assembled leaders and warriors soared. After witnessing the transformation of the Chaos Federation and the Chaos Forest following its establishment, they were determined to defend the federation and their beloved Demon King from any threat.


    Just then, a piece of news arrived: "The enemy forces have begun to move!"


    "Everyone, prepare for battle!"

 Chapter 207: The Oppresive Imperial Coalition Army

    As the massive army encircled the city and initiated their formal assault, two distinct special units stood out on the outskirts of the Imperial Fourth Legion.


    One of these units was entirelyposed of mercenaries, quite different from the mercenaries that Su Wenhao had dispatched to attack the Bloody Fortress. These mercenaries were drawn from five renowned mercenary groups within the southern territories, boastingbat abilities and training on par with imperial troops. Their numbers were significant, totaling around fifty thousand. Some elite Hero guilds were also among them. Their agility andbat prowess matched or even exceeded that of an equal number of Imperial regrs.


    The other distinctive unit was the Radiant Church forces, numbering nearly ten thousand soldiers. Eighty percent of them were Radiant Priests, dressed in white priestly robes and wielding staff as spellcasters. The remaining twenty percent were Radiant Knights, mounted on white pegasi and armed withnces. While Radiant Priests had limited offensive capabilities, they excelled as powerful support units, specializing in healing, restoration, dispelling, and buffing magic. Their presence significantly boosted the overallbat effectiveness of the army. Although the Radiant Knights were fewer in number, they were exceptionally elite. None of them were Level 1 units; instead, they consisted entirely of Level 2 and 3 elite units. With the added blessings of Radiant divine arts, they formed a formidable force.


    The moment the battlemenced, all eight thousand Radiant Priests began chanting in unison. One Radiant divine art after another swept over the army, enhancing their HP, MP, strength, constitution, and all other stats. Theirbat capabilities saw a remarkable improvement.


    "Barrier squad! Get ready!"manded the legion leader. "Mage units! Commence the siege!"


    As the beholders within Kolo City began their assault,yers of immense magical shields expanded, providing ample defense for the imperial army. Simultaneously, apanying the surge of powerful magical energy, units of mages began a coordinated incantation.


    Marilyn''s expression shifted slightly as she said, "The imperial mage units possess the ability for coborative spellcasting. They intend to break through Kolo City''s defenses from a distance with their long-range spells."


    Her words had barely left her lips when the imperial mage formation began to shine with light. Hundreds, even thousands, of fireballs soared into the sky. These small fireballs, much like mas, were drawn together, merging to form miniature sun-like mes above the mage formation.


    So that was their n. This was one of the empire''s methods for besieging a city!


    The majority of the empire''s mage soldiers were Level 1 elites. These mage soldiers could cast D-rank or C-rank magic at most. If their spells were scattered and sporadic, it would be difficult to breach the city''s protective barrier and walls. However, when they engaged in a coordinated chant for abined spell, the effect would be entirely different.


    When several hundred or even thousands of C-rank spells coalesced into a single magical attack, the resulting effect was at least A-rank in potency. Currently, ten mage formations were working together to cast spells, equivalent to having ten units of Level 5 overlord mages simultaneouslyunching magical attacks. This level of power was not to be underestimated.


    "Prepare for the iing attack!" Marilyn shouted. "Strengthen the barrier!"


    In the past, Kolo City would not have withstood such an onught for even two rounds. But now, Kolo City had been reinforced and fortified by the Demon King. Notably, there were over two thousand Barrier Mages. These Barrier Mages were recruited by the Demon King through the construction of the Level 4 High Mage Guild. When they worked together to maintain the city''s protective barrier, it granted the barrier tremendous strength.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Gigantic fireballs struck the barrier, releasing intense light and heat, but ultimately, the barrier held firm.


    "Huh! How interesting!"


    "A mere border city. Yet, it has quite the defensive barrier,"mented Xiang Nanfeng, still appearing rxed. On the other hand, Hong Xia remarked, "Kolo City''s protective barrier will not be enough. It can only defend passively. They won''t hold out for long. The Demon King should being out soon."


    As expected, everything was under control. The terrifying dragon''s presence soon overwhelmed the battlefield, creating immense pressure on the empire''s force. The sky quickly filled with dark thunderclouds, casting a somber shadow. A colossal Abyssal Dragon, over eighty meters in size, appeared majestically in the sky. Simultaneously, arge number of elite draconian soldiers, super soldiers, and various flying units from the federation swarmed the skies, numbering at least in the tens of thousands.


    "All troops! Listen up! Full-scale attack!!!" The imperial legionmander shouted loudly. The mage formations continued their coordinated magical assaults. Under the cover of the barrier, the front-line heavy infantry and winged cavalry units began their breakthroughs in various directions toward Kolo City.


    "You insignificant pests!" The Dark Dragon King roared angrily. "Today, you shall witness the might of the Chaos Federation!"


    The battle erupted in an instant. The imperial army surged toward Kolo City like a bloodthirsty swarm, relentlessly charging at their prey. Both sides maintained their defenses, blocking each other''s attacks. Beams from the beholders, Qi arrows, mes, lightning, wind des, and various forms of magic instantly escted the battle to a white-hot intensity.


    "Is this the Demon King''s army?"


    "I never expected them to be this formidable!" Both the nobles led by Marquis Kregi, who were watching from the rear as well as the mercenaries and Heroes led by Xiang Nanfeng and Hong Xia, could clearly sense the immense resistance the humans were facing as soon as they made contact with the enemy.


    This was to be expected. Even though the forces from the Darkness City were not overly numerous, all thebatants had been carefully selected. The draconian legion alone had five thousand super soldiers, all top-tier Level 3 elite forces capable of defeating armies ten times their size.


    However, despite this, the imperial assault showed no signs of slowing down. With the support of the mercenaries, Heroes, and the church forces led by Xiang Nanfeng and Hong Xia, the human side''sbat effectiveness experienced a massive boost. At the beginning of the battle, it was still unclear who would emerge victorious.


    "Demon King! I spared your lifest time!"


    "You won''t be so lucky today!" The Dark Dragon King swept through the imperial army with dragon mes, causing hundreds or even thousands of casualties in moments. However, before he could expand his gains further, he was locked onto by two formidable auras. Xiang Nanfeng and Hong Xia used instantaneous teleportation to appear before him.


    The Demon King responded with a disdainful smirk, "You two managed to escape by the skin of your teethst time. Escaping today won''t be as easy."


    "Hmph, bold words for someone facing death!" The two super Heroes joined forces once again andunched an attack on the Demon King, both of them being Level 6 overlords with the advantage of elemental dominance, making them have a considerable chance of sess against a Level 5 monarch.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Good! Very good!"


    "The Demon King is being suppressed!" Marquis Kregi observed the battle from a distance. He noticed that the Demon King, who was facing a two-on-one situation, could hardly spare a hand to stop the army. Even the Demon King''s powerful Level 5 subordinates were currently being held back by the church, mercenaries, Hero guilds, and the imperial military''s elites. With this momentum, breaking through Kolo City did not seem far-fetched at all. Marquis Kregi''s heart waspletely at ease.


    One of the counts smiled and said, "While the Demon King''s army is formidable, the differencepared to us is just too great."


    Another count agreed, "All the elites under Your Lordship, Sir Bard, and ourmand, along with the three other legions that haven''t even joined the battle yet. They can''t possibly withstand the uing assault."


    "This victory is unquestionably in favor of the empire!"


    "And it feels like too easy of a win!"


    The imperial nobles remainedposed and confident, while the Chaos Federation felt the pressure.


    Marilyn charged into the battlefield, continuously shooting Qi arrows with her longbow, taking down one enemy after another. However, at this moment, two Level 5 mercenary leaders emerged. They were incredibly powerful and led a group of top-tier mercenaries, leaving Marilyn with no room for distraction. She had to focus entirely on dealing with them.


    Simultaneously, Holy Knight Bai Jin, the golden giant Jin Kui, Long Er, and Long San found themselves in fierce battles. There were plenty of elite forces from the empire, mercenaries, church members, adventurers, Heroes, and others, many of whom were high-tierbatants. Luckily, the draconian high priest performed a blood ritual, and despite the intense fighting, the losses on the Demon King''s side were not significant.


    "Curses! Pay no mind to these guys!"


    "Attack those damned priests first!"


    The imperial legionmanders and various unit leaders were far from foolish. They quickly noticed the Demon King''s forces were extraordinarily resilient and, upon investigation, identified the problem -- it was the draconian priests.


    "Protect the priests!" Earth Drake Grand Marshal Wang Er and Zhao Wu both transformed into their earth drake forms, using their powerful defensive capabilities to draw the empire''s fire and sweep away any approaching enemies. Just then, over a hundred Radiant Knights descended from the sky on their pegasi. They immediately engaged and restrained the two diamond earth drakes.


    "Charge!"


    "The empire will prevail!"


    "Take down these minions of the Demon King!"


    "With the protection of the Radiant Lords, we shall fear no evil!"


    The imperial coalition''s offensive grew increasingly fierce, with the main imperial army still waiting in the rear. Supported by mercenaries and Radiant priests, they could throw themselves into battle without any concerns. On the other hand, the federation forces, although strong, could notmit their entire forces to the battlefield. They had to reserve a portion to face the empire''s main force, putting them in a disadvantageous position.


    Several of the Heroes were quite excited, especially Xiang Nanfeng and Hong Xia. They once again seized control of the battle''s momentum, rendering the terrifying Dark Dragon King helpless under their pressure.


    "The oue is inevitable!"


    "ept your fate, Demon King! You can''t win!"


    However, just as the stalemate seemed to tilt slightly in favor of the empire, something unexpected urred that caught everyone off guard. Led by the Dark Dragon King, all the Chaos Federation forces began to emit powerful divine light.


    "What''s happening? Do they have divine magic too?" Hong Xia eximed in shock. "It seems like the power of the Goddess of Nature and the Goddess of War!"


    As it turned out, within the Darkness City, the temple''s rituals had beenpleted. Although it cost a considerable amount of gold, it temporarily raised the divine magic level of all units under the Demon King''smand.


    Goddess of War''s Blessing increased from level 1 to level 4!


    Goddess of Nature''s Blessing increased from level 1 to level 4!


    [Goddess of Nature''s Blessing Level 4] Special status. Maximum HP +60%, recovers an additional of 100 HP and 100 MP per minute.


    [Goddess of War''s Blessing Level 4] Special status. Strength +50%, Agility +25%, Constitution +25%, Willpower +25%, all damage +15%!


    The divine magic blessings had increased by three levels in one go, and their effects were magnified tenfold. The Dark Dragon King and all thebat units experienced a tremendous boost in attributes, with their health alone more than doubling. Whenbined with the leadership aura, the Demon King''s forces had theirbat power increased by at least twofoldpared to their normal state, swiftly turning the tide of the battle. Feeling this newfound power surging through them, the morale of the Demon King''s army soared.


    "Hahaha! The game has just begun!" The Dark Dragon King swiftly swung his tail.


    Xiang Nanfeng was sent flying dozens of meters away. "Damn, he''s gotten stronger! The situation has be tricky! Is there any way to dispel the buffs on him?"


    Hong Xia frowned and replied, "I''m afraid not. This isn''t just any ordinary buffing magic, it''s a divine magic effect. Divine magic is very difficult to dispel."


    Long Yi taunted, "Is this all you''ve got?"


    Xiang Nanfeng''s expression darkened. "Hmph, it''s just a slight power boost. You''re celebrating a bit too early!"


    Hong Xia added, "That''s right. The tide of battle hasn''t turned in your favor. Your troops still can''t hold back the imperial forces. If this is your full strength now, you''re still destined to die!"


    "Is that so? Then do your worst!"


    The Dragon King sneered andunched another attack. The two Heroes, who had been slightly ahead a moment ago, gradually fell into a stalemate.


    On the empire''s side, "Hmph, we underestimated him!"


    "This Demon King can summon such powerful divine magic?"


    "In that case, just with the forces we''vemitted, it may not be enough to wipe out the Demon King''s army!"


    Knight Commander Bard stepped forward. "My lord, let me lead another legion into battle. I''m certain we can resolve this conflict!"


    Marquis Kregi shook his head. "There''s no need toplicate matters. The Demon King''s forces are now clear as day. Even if they have a hidden trump card, it''s unlikely to change the course of the battle."


    He issued orders to the entire army. "Initiate the final assault!"


    Knight Commander Bard was momentarily taken aback. Marquis Kregi clearly did not want to waste any more time. He was preparing to personally intervene, joining forces with the southern nobility and other formidable Heroes tomit the remaining three-quarters of their troops.


    The Chaos Federation was already struggling to deal with the current situation. If the imperial alliance army, with its overwhelming strength, joined the battle now, it would undoubtedly lead to the Demon King''splete despair. There would be no hope of a turnaround, and the empire would easily crush the Demon King''s army and sweep through the entire Kolo Province."

 Chapter 208: Reinforcement Has Arrived

    The horns red, and the war drums resounded. The main force of the empire began its advance! This assault was three timesrger than the first wave,prising two mainponents:


    Fifty thousand noble troops, including various hereditary nobles'' family knight orders, as well as the retainers and experts nurtured by Marquis Kregi and the various Counts and Viscounts.


    Six hundred thousand imperial legion troops,posed of three fully geared imperial official army legions, divided into ground cavalry units, flying cavalry units, dozens of mage battalions, hundreds of infantry battalions, and various specialbat battalions.


    Within a blink of an eye, Marquis Kregi hadmitted all his forces. There were no tactics like encircling or ambushes; they simply sealed Kolo offpletely. If the forces of the Demon King were notpletely annihted at this moment, when this army retreated back to the Chaos Forest, the difficulty of eliminating them would increase manifold.Compared to the Chaos Forest, the Demon King''s army did not have a significant home advantage in the Kolo region.


    Long Yi was already finding it extremely difficult to handle both Xiang Nanfeng and Hong Xia while being vignt for sneak attacks from several other Heroes at any moment. Suddenly, a several hundred meters long thunder python was summoned. It instantly entwined around Long Yi''s body. The power of the lightning elemental was so immense that even Long Yi, who had advanced magic resistance, felt unable topletely immunize himself from it and was paralyzed and bound.


    Simultaneously, a colossal golden-armored giant, standing at thirty meters tall, emerged from the earth. Seizing the opportunity, he swung his enormous sword at the dragon''s back, shattering numerous scales and creating a deep, gaping wound. The Demon King''s life force diminished significantly in an instant.


    Long Yi roared in fury. A surge of potent dark magic erupted from his body, forming a deathly ck hole. However, Hong Xia swiftly dispelled it using radiant divine magic.


    "Demon King! Your end hase!"


    "This moment marks the end of your road!"


    The Demon King sustained multiple injuries, and four formidable auras encircled him, restricting his movements. Hong Xia, the high priest of the Radiant Church; Xiang Nanfeng, the leader of the Mercenary Guild; Marquis Kregi of the empire; and Commander Bard, the chief knight of the Guardian Knight Order --- four top-tier powerhouses.


    Four super-elite experts appeared simultaneously, exerting tremendous pressure. Each one possessed the strength of a Level 6 overlord. Long Yi, already feeling suppressed due to being restrained by two super-Heroes, now faced the additional pressure of two more powerhouses of this caliber.


    Commander Bard was the guardian chief knight stationed in the southern territory, vastly stronger than an ordinary guardian knight. Ten of his sword shes were enough to y an average adult dragon.


    As for Marquis Kregi, he was a powerful Level 6 overlord mage. Although his magical abilities were significantly weakened and restricted against dragons, he possessed richbat experience and magical techniques from his days as a renowned adventurer twenty to thirty years ago. He had an array of methods to handle dragons. For instance, with a variety of sealing spells and controlling skills, Marquis Kregi could effectively suppress and weaken the Dragon King''s power. This would create opportunities for Bard and Xiang Nanfeng to deal damage.


    Additionally, around the four of them were many more top-tier Heroes and family retainers, ready to strike opportunistically. It seemed like an inevitable defeat, even though the Dark Dragon King was a monarch.


    Yet Long Yi showed no fear. He mocked loudly, "Hahaha, you ants are not worth mentioning! Your current might is merely the result of outnumbering us!"


    Commander Bard snorted coldly, "Against an evil like you, why bother with knightly ideals? You killed nine of my subordinates. Today, I won''t rest until I''ve cut you into nine pieces!"


    In an instant, a golden sword radiance surged, transforming into a hundred-meter-long sword beam, resembling a torrential waterfall shing toward the Demon King. The Demon King had just summoned a shield, but it was immediately dispelled by Hong Xia and Kregi using divine magic and sorcery. The golden sword left a wound on its body.


    With this strike, the Demon King''s HP decreased sharply once more. His HP was now reduced to one-third. In contrast, the four opponents before him, with the Radiant High Priest acting as a healer, could quickly recover even if they were injured.


    The situation was dire. The imperial main force was about to arrive. Just as he could not face four opponents alone, the less than two hundred thousand elite soldiers from the federation could not possibly withstand the nearly one million imperial coalition forces. Continuing this way would undoubtedly lead to defeat.


    Long Yi, however, remained undeterred. He was not pessimistic about their current disadvantage; it was only temporary. Zhang San, Li Si, and the Demon King''s royal guards had yet to make their move. They were the trump card forces lurking in the Kolo region. The reason for their current inactivity was simple: they were waiting for the opportune moment. When the entire imperial coalition was fully engaged in battle, that would be their prime opportunity to strike.


    "He''s weakening fast!" Hong Xia shouted loudly. "Put in more effort to finish him off!"


    On the surface, the two Heroes seemed to have minimal depletion, but after fighting for this extended period, their MP were significantly drained. The Demon King had the ability to drainMP, which meant they had to resolve this swiftly and decisively. There was no time to waste.


    "I have just the solution!" Marquis Kregi began chanting, unleashing giant serpents covered in runes from the spatial dimension behind him. They swiftly lunged towards the Demon King, each bite packed with powerful sealing and control effects. Being bitten by these serpents meant losing the ability to cast spells and move.


    A barrage of dragon mes came their way, reducing several serpents to ashes. However, two serpents managed to sneak through, attacking from tricky angles. They mped onto the Demon King''s wings, causing him to feel a numbing sensation. Despite the Demon King''s resistances, he was affected to some extent. Meanwhile, Bard and Xiang Nanfeng attacked simultaneously from both sides. The Demon King struggled to defend, and a radiant spear from Hong Xia found its mark. His HP further dwindled. The more they fought, the more invigorated the four became. The Demon King, no matter how tenacious, could not endure such intense assaults for much longer.


    Meanwhile, the Imperial forces were rapidly entering the battlefield, breaking the deadlock that had persisted. Just at this moment, something unexpected urred. Piercing sounds cut through the air, apanied by a strange energy fluctuation that prompted some to cast scouting spells in the direction of the noise.


    "What''s happening?"


    Cone-shaped objects, propelled by powerful magical mes, zoomed toward the battlefield at astonishing speeds. Before the imperial forces could discern their origin, dozens, even hundreds of these objects had infiltrated their camp. Explosions echoed continuously, casting mes, lightning, and gusts of wind in all directions, causing widespread area damage.


    "Magitek weapons!"


    "Seems like magitek weapons!"


    A few seasoned mercenaries recognized them. Without the imperial coalition being able to prepare adequately, hundreds more magitek missiles were fired rapidly, striking the rear of the imperial forces.


    "Shit!"


    "Who''s attacking us?"


    "Where are the enemies?"


    "Find them and eliminate them!"


    Although the consecutive magitek missile strikes did not cause casualties significant enough to influence the battle directly, they did disrupt the imperial forces'' formation to some extent. As everyone prepared to pinpoint the source of the attacks, spatial energies suddenly became chaotic. The next moment, an enormous, oval-shaped object,pletely ck and several hundred meters tall, appeared out of thin air in the rear of the battlefield.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Oh, my God!"


    "What is this?"


    "How did it emerge?"


    "Looks like a magitek structure!"


    "My God, this is a magitek fortress, the most advanced and massive of its kind!"


    No one could have anticipated such an event. The floating citadel was indeed mobile, but its movement speed was exceptionally slow,cking strong maneuverability. Moreover, during movement, many defense systems could not be activated, making it vulnerable to surprise attacks.


    However, as a supreme magitek citadel, the Citadel of Eternity not only possessed floating capabilities but also featured a void engine, essentially a spatial device. What did this mean? It was a teleportation device! The Citadel of Eternity could not only move but also teleport.


    However, the void device was prone to overloading, resulting in an extremely long cooldown time. After teleporting over such a vast distance, it would take at least two months before it could be used again. Normally, this function was reserved for escape scenarios.


    Directly teleporting into the battlefield was highly perilous. During the spatial teleportation process, all defense systems remained inactive. If the enemy was experienced enough andunched a fierce attack the moment the citadel appeared, it could cause significant damage before the citadel could respond. Yet, such magitech devices were exceedingly rare worldwide. How could the imperial coalition react in time? Moreover, most of the imperial mage units, archers, and aerial forces were at the front lines and could not be recalled swiftly.


    "Finally caught up!" Grand Archmage Bai Jie of the human race stood in the control room of the supreme magitek citadel, holding a long staff. She could observe real-time images of the outside world. Bai Jie immediatelymanded, "Full-scale attack!"


    The intelligent core of the magitech fortress, Xiao Tong, responded, "Understood."


    The next moment, imperial soldiers noticed something peculiar. On the surface of the magitech fortress, resembling an oval-shaped iron lump, rows of firing ports suddenly opened. Countless magitek soldiers, resembling terminators, emerged. They held magitek rifles and stood at the firing ports, swiftly targeting the imperial coalition forces below.


    In an instant, numerous magitek beams rained down like a storm.


    "Damn it!"


    "The Demon King actually has an ancient supreme magitek fortress!"


    "Attack! Attack! Bring down this damn thing!"


    The formation of the imperial coalition forces was in chaos. They started to counterattack in a panic. However, at this moment, the defensive systems of the magitech fortress had been activated. A powerful shield, akin to an eggshell, enveloped the egg-shaped citadel.


    Countless magitek soldiers continued their relentless assault. Under normal circumstances, these soldiers were merely at an average elite level. But with the attribute bonuses and defense provided by the citadel, theirbat effectiveness was extraordinary.


    Screams filled the air! Casualties mounted! Hundreds ofunch pits continued their onught. Magitek missiles flew out one after another. The offensive capability of the Citadel of Eternity was even stronger than the Bloody Fortress! With such a powerful magitek citadel suddenly appearing behind the imperial army, it immediately disrupted the well-coordinated momentum of the imperial forces'' assault!


    "Damn it all! You actually kept such a move in your hand!"


    Marquis Kregi''s face turned extremely ugly as he saw the devastating casualties in his legion. At this moment, the Demon King, Long Yi, was also feeling frustrated. He knew the real Demon King had indeed kept a trump card, but he had only thought of it as the royal guards as well as Zhang San and Li Si. He never imagined that his master would send such a formidable magitek citadel. The moment the Citadel of Eternity appeared, it exerted immense pressure, causing severe losses to the empire. However, the imperialmanders were not pushovers.


    After a period of chaos, the empiremanders immediately divided their forces and counterattacked. A formation of mages began chanting collectively, attempting tounch arge-scale united magic, intending to break the fortress''s defenses.


    However, just at that moment, the citadel''s AI, Xiao Tong, spoke out, "Threat detected! Activating the citadel''s main cannon!"


    A gigantic cannon emerged from the citadel. Inside the pitch-ck barrel, numerous intricate magical formations were etched, condensing various elemental energies like wind, fire, light, and thunder andpressing them tightly.


    Boom!


    A dazzling light beam pierced through the mage formation, tearing it apart like a piece of paper. The protective shield of the formation was shattered, and it hit the central mage, releasing terrifying energy that practically evaporated all the mages within the formation! The power of this strike was no less than a full-powered attack from a Level 6 overlord mage!


    Bai Jie was very satisfied with the devastating effect. "Since the main cannon is in use, let''s activate the ten secondary cannons too!"


    "As our mastermanded!"


    "Annihte as many enemies as possible! At any cost!"


    Xiao Tong promptly responded, "Understood, Citadel Commander!"


    Ten more cannons appeared. Although their power was inferior to the main cannon, they wereparable to a Level 5 overlord mage.


    Countless magitek soldiers, 100 missileunch pits, 10 magitek cannons, and 1 super cannon. The Citadel of Eternity had transformed into a Citadel of Reckoning. Its killing power was off the charts! The imperial coalition forces were in disarray. Everything was in chaos! Blood flowed like rivers! It was pandemonium!


    "The casualties are too severe!"


    "At this rate, even if we win...I won''t be able to exin to the Grand Duke!"


    Marquis Kregi roared with fury, his eyes bloodshot. "We must retreat for now!"


    "We can''t retreat! Retreating now would mean all our previous efforts will be in vain!" Xiang Nanfeng firmly opposed the idea.


    Hong Xia added, "The Demon King is on the brink of defeat. As long as we take him down in time, the Demon King''s army will copse without a fight. That''s the only way to minimize our losses!"


    Bard, the Knight Commander, chimed in, "Your Lordship, what they''re saying is right. Let''s kill the Demon King first; forget about the fortress for now!"


    Marquis Kregi calmed down and carefully considered their words. It made sense. He could only grit his teeth and agree, "In that case, I have to trouble all of you to go all out. There''s no need to hold back at a time like this!"


    Xiang Nanfeng, Hong Xia, and Bard nodded. Just as everyone was preparing to give their all to swiftly annihte the Demon King...Suddenly, powerful auras appeared, rushing towards them at astonishing speeds. The Demon King breathed a sigh of relief. This situation was nowpletely under control! Their hidden forces had nowe into y!"

 Chapter 209: The Final Trump Card of the Imperial Forces

    At that critical moment, Marquis Kregi sensed impending danger. Several formidable beams struck the protective shield, propelling him back over ten meters.


    "What''s happening?"


    "More powerful foes!"


    The force of these attacks rivaled that of a Level 5 overlord. When faced with multiple concentrated beams simultaneously, even Marquis Kregi felt a substantial threat. But it was not just him; Xiang Nanfeng, Hong Xia, Bard, and the powerful aids surrounding them were all subjected to these intense assaults. Several top-tier mercenaries, adventurers, and Heroes of Level 4 and 5 found themselves caught off guard, either severely injured or instantly killed.


    Their attention quickly pinpointed the source of these assaults---the Demon King''s royal guards. More than a hundred of them, led by Wei Yi, were the perpetrators. Among them, thirty had been enhanced into super guards with the Evil God Cultivator.


    Wei Yi beat his wings, brandishing arge sword in his right hand and unleashing tentacles from his left. Ten beholder eyes gathered in his palm, unleashing ten consecutive attacks at the Knight Commander a short distance away. Although they could not prate the Knight Commander''s golden armor, the relentless onught managed to push him back. Seizing this opportunity, Wei Yi swiftly approached Long Yi.


    "This one has arrivedte!"


    "Not at all! You''vee precisely in time!"


    Bard''s face contorted in frustration. "This damned Demon King, he''s been hiding this horrifying force all along!"


    "This situation is dire," Marquis Kregi muttered, his brows furrowed in deep concern. Initially, he had hoped for a swift victory, teaming up with the other three formidable powerhouses to defeat the Demon King swiftly and minimize their losses. But he had not anticipated the Demon King reserving such a powerful card---a squadron of draconians with overwhelming strength.


    Wei Yi led thirty super draconian guards, each boasting aprehensivebat capability on par with a Level 5 overlord. One or two would not tip the bnce, but facing thirty of these elite guards was an entirely different scenario. Ten of them alone could match a Level 6 overlord from the empire, these thirty guards were more than sufficient to engage with three.


    Engaged by these powerful draconian guards, the empire was left with just one overlord to fight Long Yi. How could a lone overlord possibly contend with the Dark Dragon King? And beyond the thirty super draconian guards, there were an additional hundred of the usual royal guards, each a formidable force in their own right.


    They could not afford to continue like this. The Demon King''s magitek citadel was an unstoppable force, acting like a merciless reaper. Yet, it was not the mercenaries or church''s troops being harvested; the floating citadel had unexpectedly hit the army from the back, it was the empire''s soldiers and noble forces that were being harvested.


    The losses were catastrophic. If they persisted, losing two or three legions out of four was all but guaranteed. Even if they emerged victorious against the Demon King, the Marquis would find it incredibly challenging to exin the losses to the Grand Duke. His personal reputation would not soar from the victory; instead, it would plummet dramatically.


    "Retreat!" the Marquis issued the order once more. Even Xiang Nanfeng and Hong Xia fell silent this time; circumstances were more dire than any n they had devised. The imperial coalition was in disarray, theirbat efficiency dwindling to less than fifty percent. The Demon King''s power and forces exceeded their initial estimations significantly. They had no choice but to withdraw temporarily and regroup before the casualties escted any further.


    However, this retreat shattered their hopes for a swift victory. Both sides would now enter a protracted period of standoff.


    "Thinking of leaving?" the Dark Dragon King sneered. "Hah! It will not be that easy!"


    Long Yi swiftly activated his domain skill, pulling everyone present into the realm of darkness. He had purposefully conserved his strength during the earlier battle, enduring more physical damage to preserve his MP for this critical moment.


    "Oh no!" Count Kregi''s face paled. He had not expected the Dark Dragon King to activate his domain at this precise moment. Unless they depleted the Dragon King''s power entirely or defeated him outright, with their current abilities, breaking through the domain was impossible.


    Xiang Nanfeng quickly instructed Hong Xia, "Use the Domain Sphere!"


    Hong Xia retrieved a crystal and activated the magical item, releasing the domain power sealed within it. This temporarily nullified the Dragon King''s domain.


    Just then, a barrage of dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of abyssal thunderbolts struck simultaneously, targeting Hong Xia. She was sent flying, her magical shields shattering one after another, causing substantial damage and nullifying her teleportation magic.


    Long Yi''s lips curled into a sinister grin. "Did you honestly think the same trick could work twice before me? I''ve long anticipated your moves. Since you''ve ventured here to challenge me with such ignorance, I''ll dly keep all of you here!"


    With his words, thirty super draconian guards assembled before him, each raising their left hands, unleashing powerful beams of energy. Long Yi let out a deafening roar, summoning a deluge of abyssal thunder that filled the sky.


    "Shit!"


    "This is really bad!"


    "We''repletely trapped!"


    Xiang Nanfeng, Hong Xia, Bard, and Marquis Kregi all wore expressions of grave concern. The situation had drastically reversed. Fate had swiftly shifted its favor. The Dark Dragon King, previously on the verge of defeat, now had the upper hand, aided by the super draconian guards.


    Xiang Nanfeng eximed, "Demon King, if you disdain fighting with unfair numbers, why resort to such tactics now?"


    Hongxia added, "If you''re truly formidable, face us one-on-one!"


    Face them one-on-one? A duel? Don''t be ridiculous! In a one-on-one situation, the Dragon King could not possibly be matched. The words of the two Heroes were merely a tactic to buy time. The Dark Dragon King sneered sinisterly, "Still trying to y tricks before me? You''re dead meat!"


    The first to sumb was Knight Commander Bard. He might not have been the weakest among them, but the transformation skill of the Knight Commander made his size significantlyrger. This drew the most firepower. After enduring consecutive strikes of fifty or sixty super beholder beams and over a hundred thunderbolt strikes, even his immensely strong defense and high magical resistance of the Guardian Golden Form could not withstand the pressure and shattered.


    It was the perfect opportunity. The Dark Dragon King moved in an instant, breathing a torrent of dragon mes onto Bard. Bard hastily raised his sword to defend, but after his transformation was broken, he was rtively vulnerable for a short period. He could not muster enough Qi to counter the dragon mes.


    The other three could only hear a painful and resentful scream. Bard was engulfed by the terrifying dragon mes. His flesh, from skin to muscle, and finally his bones, were burnt into a piece of charcoal. The physical body of a Level 6 knight was truly exceptional. Even after being washed by the torrent of dragon mes for several seconds, he was only charred. If it were an ordinary warrior, they might have been turned into ashes instantly.


    With a swift tail flick, Bard''s charred remains were directly pounded into fragments. Xiang Nanfeng, Hong Xia, and Marquis Kregi were drenched in cold sweat. A sense of despair washed over them. The formidable Knight Commander, a Guardian Knight, had died so miserably. They had been barely holding on, and now, with one less to draw the enemy''s attention, the pressure on the remaining three had intensified drastically. This was far from an ideal situation.


    "Your turn!" The Dark Dragon King instantly appeared before Xiang Nanfeng. Reacting swiftly, Xiang Nanfeng summoned his me sword and swung it towards the Dark Dragon King. But in the blink of an eye, another instantaneous teleportation urred. The Dark Dragon King vanished from Xiang Nanfeng''s sight and reappeared directly in front of the Radiant High Priest, Hong Xia.


    It was a diversion! The true target was her! Xiang Nanfeng and Marquis Kregi realized this immediately. Without a doubt, they all understood that among the four of them, the Radiant High Priest posed the most significant threat to the Demon King. Her radiant divine arts had the power to counter dark attributed creatures. Not only could she defend herself, but she could also extend this protective aura to others.


    Moreover, she possessed teleportation abilities and, whenbined with specific magical items, was the only one capable of escaping the situation. Hong Xia''s expression turned from determination to sheer horror. She hurriedly activated all her prepared defensive divine arts,yering shield after shield around herself. However, in that crucial moment, a dozen or more super beholder beams struck.


    The shields Hong Xia conjured were shattered,yer byyer. The dragon mes of the Dark Dragon King obliterated the remaining defenses. In a heart-wrenching scream, the Radiant High Priest was swallowed by the searing inferno.


    "Ahhhhh! Even if I die! I''m taking you with me!"


    "Great Lord of Radiance, hear my prayer. I offer my blood, my flesh, my soul, grant me your most magnificent power of radiance! CAST DOWN THIS WORM WITH YOUR MIGHT OF BRILLIANCE!!"


    The Dark Dragon King sensed danger. The Radiant High Priest, about to be turned into charred remains, suddenly exhibited numerous cracks all over her body. Each crack emitted a powerful aura of light, as if some immense force was tearing her body apart from within. This was grim! It was a self-destructive skill! If she seeded, the Dark Dragon King would be severely wounded instantly. Given the Dark Dragon King''s existing injuries, there was a risk of being counter-killed! They truly could not underestimate these opponents. Each of them had a trump card!


    Acting swiftly, the Dark Dragon King abandoned his attack, reducing the domain''s scope and pushing the Hero priest outside of it. With a thunderous explosion, the Radiant High Priest detonated. The released light was so intense that it affected everyone on the battlefield. They lost their vision, their bodies seared by radiant elements. Some flying units closer to the explosion were burnt to a crisp.


    Even though Long Yi reacted promptly, countless beams of light, sharp as swords, pierced through the domain''s barrier from outside, aiming directly at him. It seemed this ability had a certain target locking mechanism! Long Yi immediately dispelled the domain, using sessive instantaneous movements to dodge one intense light beam after another. It was a close call, to say the least.


    "We''re out!"


    Bard and Hong Xia were dead. However, Xiang Nanfeng and Marquis Kregi unexpectedly managed to escape the lockdown of the domain. But escaping from the domain lockdown did not mean they were safe. The draconian guards continued their relentless pursuit, preventing them from casting any spells to flee.


    At this moment, Long Yi, who had avoided all radiant beams, swooped back in. A dense aura of darkness brewed around him. Xiang Nanfeng had not anticipated things turning out like this. If Hong Xia had not died, there might have been a glimmer of hope. But now that the Radiant High Priest was dead, all the magical effects on Xiang Nanfeng had disappeared. He was currently utterly incapable of facing the Dark Dragon King.


    He had not expected the Demon King to be this difficult to kill! No wonder even Yan Qianjun had failed! If only he had not been so reckless. He regretted his hastiness. They should have teamed up with all the Thunderous Society members. But it was toote for regrets. As for Marquis Kregi, no matter how experienced he was, he was utterly powerless against the terrifying entity before him. The battlefield situation was worsening by the moment.


    The magitek citadel, this relentless reaper, continued its manic onught against the imperial soldiers. Its firepower was simply overwhelming, equivalent to a mage army of two to three hundred thousand, capable of single-handedly tipping the scales of victory. Two out of the three participating Counts were obliterated by the cannons.


    The formations of all four imperial legions were in disarray. Mercenary troops, church''s forces, noble contingents---all were desperately holding their ground. Meanwhile, the Demon King''s armyunched an all-out assault. Fifty thousand berserk ogres rampaged mindlessly, while the diamond earth drakes, mystic battlemages'' transformed drakes, and golden giants fought under the blessings of the draconian high priests.


    The opportune moment for retreat had been lost. Given the current situation, even if nearly a million troops retreated, half of them surviving would be considered fortunate. How could they continue this fight? It seemed inevitable that they would lose.


    "There''s no choice! We have to request Grand Duke Bachor to intervene personally!"


    Marquis Kregi activated a magic scroll, creating ripples in space that formed an instant portal.


    Long Yi thought the enemy intended to escape through spatial means. He immediately unleashed his abyssal lightning, attempting to disrupt the stability of the space. But at that moment, a surge ofbat Qi burst out from the portal, dispersing the lightning in the sky.


    The Dark Dragon King''s expression changed. "What is this power? How can it be so overwhelming!?"


    The next moment, a figure stepped out of the portal. Standing at two meters tall, he appeared imposing to humans, but among draconians, ogres, and even giants, his size was rather ordinary. However, the moment he emerged, there was a sense of pressure akin to facing a hundred feet tall titan. Even the mighty Dark Dragon King felt a palpable sense of danger, causing him to slow down his approach.


    This elderly man, with silver hair flowing like a lion''s mane, exuded a regal aura. As his eyes swept across the battlefield upon stepping out of the portal, his expression immediately darkened.


    "Kregi! You have disappointed me!"


    Marquis Kregi looked extremely fearful. "Grand Duke Bachor, I am deserving of death for my failures. I am willing to ept any punishment."


    The old man raised his head, his gaze solid and intense. Finally, his eyes settled on the Dark Dragon King.


    "Are you the Demon King of the Chaos Forest? You do have some strength and cunning to force the empire''s forces to this extent."


    Long Yi''s gaze became serious. "And who are you?"


    "I am the Grand Duke of the Southern March---Wilcliff Bachor!"


    Upon hearing his words, everyone''splexion changed dramatically. This elderly man was the Grand Duke of the south? No wonder the pressure he emitted was so strong. No wonder Marquis Kregi behaved with such deference in his presence. The Grand Duke had personally intervened!


    Yet Long Yi remained unperturbed, disying a cold smile. If His Majesty the Demon King represented thest trump card of the Darkness City and the Chaos Federation, then Grand Duke Bachor symbolized the final stand of the Thunder Empire''s southern border and Bachor Duchy. When the ultimate y was forcibly unveiled, it signaled the depletion of all avable options. Normally, the paramount figure of a robust and stable faction should refrain from direct involvement, as such a move entailed immense risk, not just to themselves, but also what they stood for.


    Yet, Bachor had stepped into the fray, indicating hisck of alternatives but to engage personally.


    Bachor suggested, "You possess strength and potential. Should you abandon the Chaos Forest, I might entertain the notion of weing you into the empire."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    In response, Long Yi erupted intoughter. "You''re not entirely without merit. Why not relinquish your futile title as duke? I could consider admitting you into the ranks of the Chaos Federation."


    This proposition kindled a fierce intensity.


    "You''re but a Level 5 monarch. Do you genuinely believe I can''t handle you? I''ve dispatched foes of your caliber before!"


    Grand Duke Bachor''stent power surged forth, his emitted aura growing more fearsome, the pressure he exerted bing increasingly suffocating. It resembled a slumbering volcano now roaring back to life.


    "In fact, I haven''t personally fought in a war for decades."


    "It''s such a rare asion to encounter an adversary deserving of my prowess. I hope you can endure a bit longer, and allow me to enjoy this battle more thoroughly."

 Chapter 210: The Three Titans of Darkness City

    Bachor had in Level 5 monarch-level beings? And he imed not to have personally intervened for decades? Did this imply he had killed a monarch at least several decades ago? If he possessed the capability to defeat a monarch back then, how much stronger must he be now? It was a chilling thought.


    However, the Dark Dragon King remained unfazed. "Hehehe, interesting. Let this king witness what the imperial Grand Duke is truly capable of!"


    "If you''re so eager for death! Then let me deliver your wish!"


    In an instant, Long Yi sensed a shift in the environment. He was enveloped in a powerful, ancient battlefield, where the ground was covered in a sea of corpses. Bachor''s monarch domain---the Asura Domain, had swept in, not only engulfing Marquis Kregi, Xiang Nanfeng, the Dark Dragon King, and Wei Yi, but also tens of thousands of troops. Within this domain, Long Yi saw countless grotesque skeletons emerging from the sea of corpses, their bodies red as blood, as if freshly pulled from a pool of hellish blood. They exuded a bloody aura, each of them holding longbows.


    "Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!"


    Countless arrows shot out, and cries of agony filled the air. Several ogres fell, their bodies riddled with arrows. The arrows shot by the blood skeletons were a manifestation of domain attacks, terrifying in their ability to bypass defenses. These arrows could pierce dragon scales and even harm the Dark Dragon King.


    The Asura Domain was an incredibly offensive domain. Once beings below the Level 5 were caught within it, Bachor would not even need to lift a finger. With just his domain, he could effortlessly massacre them.


    The number of blood skeletons grew steadily---


    A hundred!


    Two hundred!


    Five hundred!


    A thousand!


    Over a thousand blood skeletons continuously shot arrows, their attacks reaching an extreme speed. It was nearly impossible to dodge the arrows, and they relentlessly targeted the Dark Dragon King and their intended victims.


    Wei Yi unleashed a beholder beam, instantly obliterating five skeletons in a straight line. However, once the blood skeletons were destroyed, they merely turned into a brief mist of blood and reformed elsewhere, drawing their bows and shooting powerful arrows at Wei Yi.


    "Boom! Boom! Boom!"


    -25!


    -25!


    -25!


    Several arrows struck Wei Yi''s shoulder and arm. While the individual attack damage wasn''t exceptionally high, being focused on could be extremely perilous.


    "It''s futile!"


    "These creatures aren''t physical entities. They are part of the domain! Unless we disrupt the domain, they won''t disappear!"


    Long Yi felt an intense sense of suppression, second only to that exerted by his master so far. If he could defeat an opponent of this caliber for his master, what an honor that would be!


    "Dark Domain!"


    The power of darkness was released, spreading rapidly. The ck aura quickly expanded, but it failed to form a spatial domain. Everyone remained within the asura battlefield, amidst the sea of corpses and the blood-red sky. However, after the dark aura washed over this space, it noticeably dimmed, and the oppressive feeling was significantly weakened.


    Domains varied in strength. When a weaker domain encounters a stronger one, the former gets suppressed while thetter gets weakened. Under Duke Bachor''s suppression, the Dark Dragon King could not utilize his domain abilities at all. This indicated that Duke Bachor''s domain was more potent than his! However, the asura domain was also weakened. The most evident manifestation was the disappearance of four to five hundred out of the thousand blood skeletons that ignored defenses due to the dark erosion, with none of them being revived again.


    Under the impact of the Dark Dragon King''s domain, Duke Bachor''s domain was weakened by nearly half.


    "Not bad! As expected from a monarch of dragons!"


    "To actually weaken my domain this much! It seems you''re one of the best among the Level 5 monarchs!"


    "If we were at the same level, I might not necessarily be able to handle you. But I''ve advanced to Level 6 twenty years ago. How can a mere Level 5 monarch like you contend with me?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. Duke Bachor was a Level 6 monarch!


    "Hmph, no wonder a mere human can suppress me," sneered the Dark Dragon King. "But even if you have the power of a Level 6 monarch, it won''t be easy to kill me today!"


    Duke Bachor was astonished. After experiencing the domains, the Dark Dragon King could not possibly be unaware of the gap between them. Why was he still so confident? Did he have some hidden trump card he had not used yet? But that was impossible!


    Regardless, as the Grand Duke of the southern territory, leaving the main city at this time was already highly inappropriate. This battle had to be swift; there could not be any wastage of time. No matter what hidden card this ck dragon had, the disparity beyond their levels could not be easilypensated. How could he, especially in a situation where he could not even use his domain, contend with himself?


    "I''ll show you!" Duke Bachor roared, his aura transformed into wings, soaring into the sky. At the same time, a ck spear appeared in his hands.


    "I''ll deal with the Demon King! You go handle hisckeys!" hemanded.


    "Understood!" Marquis Kregi promptly followed orders. The pressure from Duke Bachor alone exceeded that of all four of thembined. This cursed Demon King was finally doomed. Kregi knew he could not intervene in a battle like this. He immediately joined forces with the Hero, Xiang Nanfeng, to confront the draconian guards.


    Xiang Nanfeng felt frustrated that he could not personally y the Demon King, but at this moment, he could not afford such thoughts. Merely preserving his life today was already a stroke of luck.


    "Die!" Duke Bachor thrust his spear. The Dark Dragon King had been preparing his fiery dragon breath for a long time. The scorching mes shed with the energy waves of the spear, but the dragon could not dodge in time, resulting in a massive tearing wound.


    -421!


    Blood and broken scales scattered everywhere. Long Yi was already injured, and this intense attack from Duke Bachor was too much. Even with a dragon''s robust physique, he could not endure this level of damage easily. The damage was too staggering!


    Duke Bachor sneered, "Demon King, your luck ends here. In your current state, you won''tst even ten rounds!"


    Ten rounds might not sound like much, but for top-tier warriors, it was merely a few breaths'' time. Long Yi looked extremely distressed, but his dragon eyes still burned with fighting spirit. He let out a deafeningugh, "Good! Good! Very good!"


    "You think it''s funny that you''re about to die?"


    "Indeed, I find myself incredibly fortunate. Although I knew I''d lure in many big fish with this, I never expected to snare someone as significant as you."


    "What!?" Duke Bachor was not stupid. He had sensed something amiss since the beginning. What was the true strength and reliance of this ck dragon? Regardless, there was no time to think about it now. Killing him swiftly was the priority!


    Duke Bachor''s mind issued amand, and the five hundred asura blood skeletons disappeared. Instantly, they reappeared all around the Dark Dragon King. Over five hundred blood-red longbows were raised simultaneously, ready tounch a volley, while at the same time, Duke Bachor''s spear was poised, ready to strike.


    "The Demon King is finished!" Xiang Nanfeng and Marquis Kregi thought, understanding that the battle was now decided. The Demon King could never withstand the onught that Duke Bachor was about to unleash. Once the Demon King fell, the entire Demon King''s army would quickly copse.


    However, just as they thought this, Duke Bachor suddenly sensed something. His face turned pale. "Not good!"


    The lockdown of the monarch''s domain was one-way; once trapped inside, escaping was extremely difficult. However, entering the domain from the outside was easy - anyone approaching would be sucked in. At this moment, two beings with powerful aura had entered the domain.


    "Kregi!" Duke Bachor realized what was happening, but Marquis Kregi had not figured it out yet. A mutated Inferno Drake with seven heads suddenly teleported in front of him. Each head condensed a different elemental power - wind, fire, water, earth, light, darkness, and thunder.


    "This is...!" Marquis Kregi''s eyes contracted, his face filled with horror. It was too sudden, he could not react in time. The simultaneous onught of the seven elemental dragon breaths instantly shattered his shields. Before he could even scream, the powerful Marquis was reduced to nothing.


    Moreover, at the same time, Xiang Nanfeng felt as if he was burdened by thousands of times the normal gravity. Even the air, usually unnoticed, now felt like thousands of lead blocks pressing down on him, making movement incredibly difficult. In the next moment, a burly figure appeared in front of him, covered in pale golden diamond-shaped scales, shining brilliantly. His entire body was enveloped in fiery Qi, all concentrated on a massive de, unleashing a fully charged, long-anticipated strike.


    This strike! Its power was even greater than his own full-powered attack! It indicated the strength of at least a Level 6 overlord! This was beyond Xiang Nanfeng''s imagination. The Demon King was already in a dire situation! How could there be more hidden forces?


    But the two neers'' existence was a fact!


    The giant de had already descended. By the time Xiang Nanfeng reacted, he felt himself floating in mid-air, looking down at a headless body -- his own. At the same time, he sensed the overwhelming might emanating from his attacker, a formidable aura not inferior to the Dark Dragon King''s.


    Xiang Nanfeng finally understood the nature of his assant. It was another Level 5 monarch-level entity! In his prime, he would not have stood a chance against such an opponent, let alone in his current weakened state and taken by surprise. To die by this opponent''s hands was not a shameful one!


    After Zhang San beheaded Xiang Nanfeng, he immediately let out a long howl, "Earth Domain!"


    A violent shockwave swept through the asura domain, shattering eighty percent of the blood skeletons surrounding the Dark Dragon King into dust.


    Anotheryer of monarch''s domain!


    It once again weakened Bachor''s power! However, even with both Long One and Zhang San exerting their powers simultaneously, the effect generated was still not enough to fully counter Bachor''s domain.


    "Hehehe! What a sturdy domain! Truly worthy of being the Guardian Duke of the empire''s southern border!" Li Si reverted from the inferno seven-headed drake form back to the appearance of a draconian priest, d in a red scale robe and holding a long staff. "Now, how about this?"


    As he finished speaking, he waved his staff. Li Si spoke in a deep voice, "Sacrificial Domain!"


    In the next moment, it was as if ss was shattering! The asura battlefield disintegrated piece by piece! Everyone was swept into a massive sacrificial ground, a colossal altar rising from beneath Li Si''s feet!


    Bachor was filled with shock and horror. Inparison to the deaths of Xiang Nanfeng and Kregi, inparison to his own asura domain being broken, what truly frightened the Guardian Duke was the sudden appearance of these two individuals---Zhang San and Li Si! There was no need for doubt! These two individuals were monarchs as well! How rare were monarchs? Especially monarchs of the dragon-kind! In such a small Chaos Forest, three Dragon Kings appeared simultaneously, which was absolutely unbelievable! It could be said that this was the first official appearance of the three titans of the Darkness City!


    Under Li Si''s activation of the Sacrificial Domain ability, any units who died within the domain, regardless of friend or foe, would automatically be sacrificed, replenishing the power of the altar. This made the draconian priest''s abilities even more formidable. Under this power, the heavily injured Dark Dragon King rapidly recovered at an astonishing speed. By the time Bachor had finished being stunned, almost 80% of his injuries had already healed. All the effort they had put in earlier had gone to waste! Four of their top-tier powerhouses'' deaths had been in vain!


    When the three titans of the Darkness City gathered together, the powerful aura they emanated was enough to rival Bachor''s.


    "Bachor!" Zhang San roared, "Today is the day you die!"


    The Dark Dragon King grinned wickedly, "I''ve already witnessed the abilities of the empire''s Guardian Duke. Now, it''s your turn to witness the power of the three Dragon Kings of the Darkness City!"

 Chapter 211: Death of the Grand Duke?

    "The three Dragon Kings of the Darkness City!" Bachor gazed at the trio of monarchs before him, finally grasping the reason behind the ck dragon''s unwavering confidence. Perhaps, right from the start, this had been the trapid by the Demon King. The emergence of a Dragon King in the Chaos Forest was shocking and sensational in itself. No one could have anticipated it, let alone three Dragon Kings.


    If he had known that the Chaos Forest harbored not one but three monarchs, Grand Duke Bachor would never have been so reckless as to venture onto the front lines. With his Level 6 monarch''s strength, he could have dealt with three Level 5 monarchs in battle. But were these monarchs ordinary? No, they were not. They were not just monarchs; they were monarchs of the dragon-kind.


    The leading ck dragon - a true dragon aside, there were two others, a Golden Diamond Earth Drake and the other an Inferno Seven-Headed Drake. Both hailed from the earth drake and sky drake lineages respectively. Although their statuses were not as high as the ones from the true dragon lineage, they were still extraordinary beings, equal to Abyssal Dragons in rarity. Their immense racial talents, robust lifeforce, and longevity endowed them with power surpassing other monarchs of the same level. If he was against the domains of ordinary Level 5 monarchs, thebined might of three such domains would have been insufficient to suppress the asura domain.


    However, at this moment, Bachor''s domain had crumbled, stripping him of control over the battlefield. Li Si''s Sacrificial Domain now reigned supreme, ensnaring anyone within its boundaries. Bachor was left helpless, he could not escape without dismantling this powerful domain.


    Yet, Li Si''s domain was unique among the abilities wielded by other monarchs. Itcked the typical effects of sealing, suppression or damage effects, seeming to only trap enemies within the domain without any apparent utility.


    However, it was far from simple. Bachor had discerned the true potency of this priest''s domain. Its effect was straightforward: within this expansive sacrificial ground, every unit in, whether ally or foe, was converted into a sacrificial offering. The more lives sacrificed, the stronger the domain became. Li Si''s power surged with each casualty. In just a few seconds, the altar''s energy had be terrifying.


    Li Si could harness the altar''s might, employing various offensive and defensive strategies, and even offering support such as healing the Dark Dragon King''s wounds. At this point, the Dark Dragon King had nearly fully recovered. It was crucial to note that prior to this, he had sustained severe injuries. Common healing methods were ineffective against such mighty creatures. Once wounded, beings of this magnitude found it increasingly challenging to regenerate. To achieve such swift recovery was mind-boggling, an unheard-of feat.


    Bachor''s lifespan was several times longer than that of an ordinary person. He had lived for over a hundred years, yet he had never witnessed such a potent, efficient, and downright terrifying rate of recovery in his entire life.


    In a certain sense, Li Si''s domain was even more challenging to deal with than those of Long Yi and Zhang San. As long as the altar''s energy was notpletely depleted, it was almost impossible for beings of the same level to defeat him. Even those with higher ranks would find him formidable. The sacrificial domain''s effects were multifaceted. By gathering a sufficient amount of energy, it could provide limitless enhancements, strengthening, healing, and recovery for oneself and allies. In small-scale or one-on-onebat situations, this domain had little value. However, inrge-scale battles, especially in massive wars, Li Si''s potential was immeasurable.


    Not only Li Si but also Zhang San was invaluable in such situations. Zhang San had activated variousmanding auras, strengthening the draconian guards and reinforcing the troops. His skills could enhance others while empowering himself. He was already bolstered by the temple''s divine blessings, and now, with themanding aura, his strength had more than doubled from normal circumstances.


    Among the Darkness City''s three Dragon Kings, the Dark Dragon King stood out due to his abyssal dragon abilities, mastery of dark and undead spells, and overallbat prowess. In contrast, Zhang San was the premiermander, while Li Si acted as the ultimate support. When these three joined forces on the battlefield, their synergy was far beyond a mere sum of their individual abilities. Bachor would have preferred to face six Level 5 monarchs rather than engage in battle with the formidable trio of the Darkness City Dragon Kings. However, he had no other choice.


    In the next moment, the battle erupted. The entire space was shrouded in the atmosphere of war. All the spectators on the scene were astonished by the magnitude of this battle. Bachor, the Grand Duke of the Thunder Empire''s southern border, was undoubtedly the empire''s most formidable guardian in the south. Such a figure held a deterrent value far greater than his practicalbat abilities.


    Precisely because of this, he would never easily intervene in conflicts. But now, Bachor not only intervened but was also suppressed by thebined might of the Darkness City Dragon Kings trio!


    Yes, suppressed! No matter how powerful Bachor was, facing three Dragon Kings with nearly infinite HP, MP, and various buffs, he was destined to struggle!


    "For the federation!"


    "For the federation!"


    "For the federation!"


    Federal leaders like Marilyn, Jin Kui, and Bai Jin were filled with overwhelming excitement. It was unbelievable! The imperial forces, several timesrger in number, were held back by the Chaos Federation! The Chaos Federation had a substantial number of draconian priests and elven mages for healing. Currently, their casualties were not very severe. On the other hand, the imperial forces were rapidly decimated under the firepower of the supreme magitek citadel. They were mowed down like grass. The bnce of victory waspletely tilted! The imperial coalition forces could no longer hold on. From the inside out, from top to bottom, everything was in chaos.


    ......


    In the Darkness City, Zhang Nu remained calm andposed. The frontline battle was incredibly intense, as evident from the continuous flood of information cascading down like a waterfall in the yer logs.


    Zhang Nu nced over the notifications:


    [You''ve in an Empire Soldier. Gold +70!]


    [You''ve in an Empire Mage. Gold +100!]


    [You''ve in an Empire Cavalryman. Gold +150!]


    [......]


    [You''ve in a High Empire Soldier. Gold +200!]


    [You''ve in a High Empire Cavalryman. Gold +350!]


    [You''ve in a High Empire Mage. Gold +400!]


    [......]


    [You''ve in an Empire General. Gold +10,000!]


    [You''ve in an Empire Mage Captain. Gold +20,000!]


    [You''ve in an Empire Aerial Cavalryman Captain. Gold +20,000!]


    [......]


    [You''ve in a Radiant Knight Commander. Gold +???]


    [You''ve in Falcon Mercenary Corp''s Leader. Gold +260,000!]


    [You''ve in a Guardian Knight Commander. Gold +5,000,000!]


    [You''ve in an Empire Marquis. Gold +6,000,000!]


    [You''ve in a Level 4 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 4 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 6 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +3!]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [You''ve in a Level 6 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +3!]


    The variety of troop types was overwhelming, ranging from imperial soldiers of various ranks to Hero factions, knight orders, adventurers, mercenaries, church officials, and nobles. The sheer volume of kill notifications was staggering. Zhang Nu simply did not have the energy to check them all.


    Zhang Nu took a rough nce at the total earnings. Since the battle began until now, which was only half a day, his ie had surpassed a billion gold! This was incredibly astonishing. War, for a Demon King, was indeed a money-making machine. With a battle of such arge scale, it would not end immediately, thus the numbers were still steadily rising.


    Leaving aside other sources of ie, just considering the amount of Heroes involved was jaw-dropping. There were far more participating Heroes than he had imagined. When he thought about it, he realized that prominent figures like the mercenary guild leader, Xiang Nanfeng, and the Radiant High Priest, Hong Xia, would bring along many powerful Hero followers. In addition to them, there were undoubtedly numerous Heroes mingling among the mercenaries, adventurers, and imperial army. Everyone wanted to try their luck, unaware that they were all walking into a death trap.


    Up to this point, Zhang Nu had killed 2 Level 6 Heroes, 3 Level 5 Heroes, 38 Level 4 Heroes, 243 Level 3 Heroes, and 512 Level 2 Heroes. Besides acquiring arge number of souls, he had collected at least 200 skill stones. Among these, most were ordinary C-rank ones. B-rank skill stones ounted for less than a tenth, and there were only 8 A-rank skill stones.


    Zhang Nu nced at them and selected two for his personal use.


    [Skill Stone: Radiant Healing] This was an A-rank skill with a wide-ranging group healing effect. It might not be directly useful for Zhang Nu, butcking this kind of ability, he decided to learn it.


    [Skill Stone: Sword Forming Technique] Despite its unassuming name, this was an extremely advanced and powerful martial skill, originating from Xiang Nanfeng. The Sword Forming Technique was quite simple in concept - it could transform energy into sword des. This energy epassed any tangible form of energy, including Qi, MP, elemental energy, and more. This was how Xiang Nanfeng''s renowned weapon, the me sword, was created. He wielded a massive me sword, each strike incredibly potent and capable of harming even a Dragon King. Combined with the radiant divine art''s buff, it became nearly lethal. Zhang Nu decided to learn this ability.


    After using the two skill stones, Zhang Nu attempted to activate the Sword Forming Technique. Dragon mes condensed within his right hand, forming a scorching me sword. Countless lightning bolts gathered in his left hand, creating a dazzling thunder sword.


    "Interesting," Zhang Nu muttered to himself. He raised his hands and waved them a couple of times. The terrifying energy caused the air to burst, even distorting space slightly. With a thought, he released the skill. The dual swords made of mes and lightning disappeared from his hands. This skill could reduce energy consumption, increase energy density, and thus enhance his melee capabilities. For a Demon King, it provided a slight boost.


    After ncing at the amount of gold in hand, Zhang Nu realized that there might be significant losses in this battle. He felt it was necessary to quickly build the Resurrection Altar.


    50 million gold was a trivial matter for Zhang Nu. The soul requirement was not a big problem either. After this battle, activating his second Level 5 talent would also be no issue at all. Any surplus souls could be used to construct the Resurrection Altar. The main problemy in the gems requirement.


    The resurrection altar required a significant number of soul gems and spirit gems. Unfortunately, these gems were quite expensive. If he solely relied on purchasing them, it would cost at least 150 million gold or more to fill the gap.


    After this war ended, his resources would be much more abundant. It might be possible to gather this sum. However, the amount was so huge that it was hard not to feel physical pain from it. Zhang Nu decided to simultaneously buy gems with gold and exchange goods for them. In the end, he would figure out a way to obtain some through dungeons or other means.


    The following morning, the Kolo battle came to an end. A priest returned to report, his voice trembling with excitement, "My master, we sessfully defeated the imperial army. The three Dragon Kings killed Grand Duke Bachor!"


    "What?" Zhang Nu was astonished. Grand Duke Bachor was dead?


    The priest continued, "Bachor joined the battle but was trapped by the three Dragon Kings. They fought fiercely for around two thousand rounds, and in the end, Bachor was defeated!"


    "Are you sure?" Zhang Nu asked.


    "His corpse is in Kolo right now," the priest replied.


    This seemed odd! Zhang Nu opened the yer interface but found no notification of the Grand Duke''s death. That meant Bachor probably had not died yet, or at least he had not beenpletely killed. With these thoughts in mind, Zhang Nu decided to go and check out the situation for himself."

 Chapter 212: Resurrection of Bachor

    After donning his disguise cloak, the "True Great Demon King" appeared in Kolo City. Zhang Nu stood on the city wall, his entire body covered by the inconspicuous cloak. Under the hood, darkness shrouded him, making him look mysterious and unremarkable.


    It was a scene of utter devastation! The entire Kolo in was permeated with the smell of blood. Everywhere there were severed limbs, broken swords, and shattered armor. Ownerless warhorses anxiously paced back and forth, while vultures and crows, drawn by the scent of blood, circled in the sky, emitting eerie cries.


    This was war! War was not a fairy tale, nor was it child''s y.


    Although Zhang Nu had mentally prepared himself, he was still shocked by the brutal aftermath of the battle. He had not expected it to turn out this way. However, as a Demon King aspiring to conquer the world, he knew he had to be prepared for such scenes. In this world, from the emergence and death of races, the rise and fall of civilizations, to the changes of dynasties, even down to gang conflicts and territorial disputes, any change was inevitably apanied by sacrifices.


    At this moment, Long Yi, Zhang San, and Li Si appeared behind Zhang Nu. "Master! Here is the body of Bachor!"


    Zhang Nu turned to see a corpse. It was a man with a burly physique, his hair white as snow, but his muscled body resembled that of a mighty lion. His armor was already shattered, and his ck spear was broken. He had dozens of wounds all over his body, and he was severed in half at the waist.


    Upon examination, Zhang Nu noticed the remarkable physique, this was indeed the body of a powerful monarch. In a natural environment, such a body could remain intact for decades, even hundreds of years without signs of decay. With special preservation methods, it might evenst for thousands or tens of thousands of years, much like the Thirteen Malevolent Kings. From the appearance of this body, it was undoubtedly a corpse. Zhang Nu could not detect any signs of life.


    Strange, if that''s the case, where could the problem lie? The three Dragon Kings of the Darkness City exchanged nces, their eyes filled with confusion. They had all paid a considerable price to defeat this powerful Grand Duke. Every one of them had been seriously injured, and while they had been healed, it was no small feat. It could be said that each of them was far from unscathed. Even with their joint efforts and the advantage of the terrain, it was not certain they could have defeated such an immensely powerful human.


    Unable to contain his curiosity, Li Si asked, "Master, is there a problem?"


    Zhang Nu replied, "Bachor might not be dead."


    Hearing this revtion, the three Dragon Kings were struck with disbelief. Zhang San eximed, "Not dead? That can''t be possible. We examined the corpse thoroughly, it undeniably belonged to a king."


    Zhang Nu nodded in agreement, emphasizing, "The body isn''t the problem here. It''s the soul."


    Upon hearing this, Long Yi, skilled in necromancy, immediately attempted to sense Bachor''s corpse. His expression changed dramatically. "There isn''t a shred of soul essence within this body. This is nearly impossible!"


    When a living being dies, the rate of decay for the physical body and the soul differs. Weaker souls might dissipate immediately upon death, while stronger ones could endure for a prolonged period without dispersing. For a monarch-level entity, it was impossible for the soul to dissipate so swiftly. Even if it did, it would leave behind traces, lingering remnants. The Thirteen Malevolent Kings in the ancient tomb were created from fragments of the monarchs'' souls. However, within Bachor''s body, not even a trace of a soul could be found.


    The three Dragon Kings suddenly grasped the situation. Could it be that after sustaining a fatal injury, Bachor feigned and took advantage of a momentarypse in the three Dragon Kings'' vignce, using a method to escape with his soul?


    Zhang Nu rified, "Bachor was a Level 6 monarch. Souls of monarchs at this level are incredibly resilient, they can endure even outside the body for a significant duration."


    Upon hearing this, the three of them disyed expressions of regret. Such a golden opportunity was indeed rare toe by. Who would have thought that Bachor would be so cunning, employing a secret technique to escape with his soul? Didn''t this mean their efforts had been in vain? The three kings immediately knelt down, saying, "Please punish us, Your Majesty!"


    Zhang Nu waved his hand and said, "Forget it. Beings at this level usually have several life-saving tricks up their sleeves. It''s quite normal." He continued, "Even if we didn''t manage to kill him this time, we''ve severely wounded him. He won''t be able to recover his strength in the short term, giving us more opportunities for expansion."


    In reality, Zhang Nu was not very concerned about whether Bachor lived or died. After all, this guy posed limited threat to him. In a way, allowing Bachor to exist in a half-dead state was more valuable than killing him outright.


    The reason was simple. If Bachor was truly dead, how would the emperor of the empire react? Either he would personally march south to suppress the southern territory, or he would bring in the other three Grand Dukes. Either scenario would not be favorable for the development of the Chaos Federation. The death of a Grand Duke would create a massive impact! The entire empire would be in an uproar! Whether considering the severity of the event or the effort required to quell the panic within the empire, the emperor might personally lead an expedition, mobilizing the entire nation to attack the Chaos Forest.


    The empire was vast, with a huge poption and extensive territories. At this stage, the Chaos Federation needed to proceed with caution. Zhang Nu did not want to engage in direct warfare with the entire empire yet. Bachor being alive, even in his weakened state, would create significantly less adverse effects. The empire would have more factors to consider.


    The Bachor family had been stationed in the southern territory for over a thousand years. Grand Duke Bahor definitely would not want his influence to bepletely taken over by the other three Grand Dukes or even the emperor. This situation was, in fact, advantageous for the Chaos Federation.


    However, Zhang Nu was very curious. If only Bachor''s soul had escaped, how did he n to resurrect himself? Humans could not possess something as powerful as a "Resurrection Altar." While methods of resurrection existed in this world, there was no perfect resurrection in the true sense. Any resurrection method woulde at a tremendous cost and leave behind significant consequences.


    Zhang Nu could foresee that due to Bachor''s reckless actions this time, he would not be able to regain his strength for a very long time. This provided an opportunity for the Chaos Federation, a chance to annex more imperial territories. For the Demon King, conquering imperial provinces one by one, capturing imperial cities, would undeniably significantly increase his influence and power. Because of this, instead of killing Bachor, letting him escape half-dead back to the empire was actually more beneficial for the Chaos Federation.


    Zhang Nu was extremely satisfied with the performance of the three Dragon Kings, as well as leaders like Jin Kui, Bai Jin, and Marilyn, along with other high-ranking generals in this battle. He decided to credit all of them with a significant achievement, nning to allocate more resources for their future cultivation.


    Certainly, there were considerable losses in this battle. The Demon king''s army of two hundred thousand suffered casualties exceeding a quarter of its strength, a number that could have been much higher if not for the sudden appearance of the magitek citadel. However, these losses were primarily concentrated among the summoned units.


    Among the forces deployed by Zhang Nu, apart from the giants who had no summoned units, there were mostly elite troops from various races, especially the ones led by Marilyn, the elven army. This unit,prised entirely of Miracle Tree elves summoned by the Ancient Tree of Wonders, suffered a one-third loss. Zhang Nu had not even deployed the elves from the Giantree City in this battle.


    Despite these significant losses, the situation was manageable. Money could cover the losses. In the future, with the Resurrection Altar, everyone, from the three Dragon Kings of Darkness City to themon soldiers, could be resurrected. Moreover, resurrecting fallen soldiers might even be more cost-effective than recruiting new ones. At that time, Zhang Nu would not have any concerns. He would not need to worry about the poption issues of the Chaos Forest anymore.


    After inspecting the battlefield and motivating his subordinates, Zhang Nu returned to the Darkness City. This battle yielded a significant number of Hero''s souls, andbined with the souls he had been selling using the Soul Altar, Zhang Nu now possessed a considerable amount. Even after reserving ten Level 5 souls for the Resurrection Altar and enough souls for his subordinates like Chen Guoguo, Zhang Nu had surplus souls in his possession. Without hesitation, he chose to activate his Level 5 talent.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Among the Level 5 talents, he activated the power of Spatio-Temporal Dragon. Currently, he still had two talents left, "Abyssal Divine Realm" and "Immortal Dragon God." Thetter could enhance divinity and grant near-immortality, but Zhang Nu did not find it necessary. The Resurrection Altar would be constructed soon. With the Resurrection Altar, what difference would there be between immortality and an undying body?


    [You''ve activated the Level 5 talent "Abyssal Divine Realm"!]


    Zhang Nu made his decision. It seemed to be another domain skill, but it was not an advanced version of a regr domain. It was apletely new domain skill different from a monarch''s domain or a mythic sanctum. The domains created by monarchs would be temporary spaces that disappeared when the monarch''s MP was exhausted or when the skill was deactivated. The most significant feature of a divine realm was that the space it created remained constant. The space was sealed from both sides, people from the outside could not enter, and those inside could not exit. Even if the domain skill was stopped, the space would continue to exist and operate silently.


    In other words, once Zhang Nu activated the divine realm, he could trap his enemies inside and leave himself. The opponents might be forever sealed inside, unable to escape unless their power was strong enough to break the spatial shackles. In a sense, Zhang Nu had created a small world. This ability did not conflict with regr domain skills; it was applicable in different situations, representing apletely new and powerful capability.


    Very well! Level 6 was not far off!


    The higher the level, the harder it would be to advance. In fact, if Zhang Nu had not recruited so many subordinates or built structures like the Resurrection Altar, he might already have reached Level 6 by now. However, this fastest upgrade path was not his choice. Given the current situation and Zhang Nu''s current strength, he was more than capable. Stronger power would not immediately bring him more benefits. Inparison, building up the team and further improving his territory had higher value for the Demon King.


    While Zhang Nu was sacrificing souls to activate his new talent...


    ......


    Bachor City. The forbidden grounds of the Bachor family. A mysterious ceremonial site. Apanied by a strong burst of light and energy fluctuations, Grand Duke Bachor regained his physical form and walked out of a pool. However,pared to his former strong and robust self, he now appeared shriveled and weak, as if he could be blown away by a gust of wind at any moment.


    In this battle, although he managed to preserve his life and utilized the secret technique passed down through generations in the Bachor family to resurrect, the price paid was immense. Not only did it consume a vast reserve of precious materials, but it also had a huge impact on him. Bachor''s lifespan had been reduced by at least fifty years. His strength had also plummeted; currently, he was only at the level of a Level 5 monarch. It was likely that he could not even defeat any one of the three Dragon Kings of the Darkness City in singlebat.


    "Chaos Federation!" Bachor gritted his teeth, his eyes seeming to spew fire. The imperial army had suffered another devastating defeat, and this time, the loss was so severe. Not only did it significantly weaken the military power of the southern border of the empire, but it also consumed a considerable amount of the empire''s resources. Such a significant event was not possible to be concealed from the emperor.


    They had expected to quickly conquer the Chaos Forest, but the situation had turned out to be a shitshow. Once the emperor learned of this, he would likely be extremely furious."

 Chapter 213: The Aftermath of Bachors Failure

    The next day, in the capital city of Bachor, panic spread like wildfire. The entire city was plunged into fear. The headlines of the local newspapers read:


    ?Tragedy Strikes! Empire''s Fourth Legion Completely Defeated!?


    ?Marquis Kregi, Three Counts, and Eight Viscounts All Killed in Action!?


    ?The Three Dragons of the Darkness City Emerge, Bloodshed Awaits in the Empire''s South!?


    ?The Rumor of Duke Bachor''s Death Disproved; The Grand Duke''s Mansion Personally Denies the im!?


    ?Where Do the Twelve Southern Provinces Stand??


    A few days ago, when the conflict first erupted in the Kolo region, it stirred some unrest in the southern border. However, most people did not consider it a significant event. Kolo Province had a unique terrain, it was a province embedded with the Chaos Forest. Except for mercenaries and adventurers, very few ventured into this area.


    But now, the situation had changed dramatically. The renowned Marquis Kregi of the southern border, leading an army of noble alliances, along with four fully equipped southern imperial legions and support from powerful factions like the Mercenary Guild and the Radiant Church -- with such a massive and high-profile force -- waspletely annihted in less than two days! This turn of events was shocking and unbelievably astonishing.


    "It''s over for us!"


    "The three titans of Darkness City!"


    "They are the kings among the dragon-kind!"


    "Why are there three Dragon Kings appearing in the Chaos Forest?"


    "There must be a conspiracy behind this. Could it be a grand scheme by the dragon-kind against the empire?"


    "The three dragons of the Darkness City, each one measuring thousands of feet long. The ck Dragon, their leader, can devour the sun and the moon, obscuring the sky. There''s also an Earth Dragon that can control thend, impervious to all magic. Finally, there''s the Hundred-Headed Thousand-Eyed Dragon, with immense magical power."


    "It''s terrifying! I heard even Duke Bachor personally fell to the Darkness''s Three Titans!"


    "The southern border is no longer safe!"


    "We need to leave quickly!"


    This battle had an enormous impact, especially on the southern border of the empire. Almost everyone was in a state of panic. The Darkness''s Three Titans were now a household name. It could be said that they had officially debuted and be widely known.


    Interestingly, the most significant failure of this battle was not the fall of Marquis Kregi and the four legions, but rather Duke Bachor''s direct involvement. Duke Bachor truly underestimated the situation this time. As the Guardian Grand Duke of the southern border of the empire, he was the spiritual support pir for the people of the entire southern border. His personal involvement was not something that should be taken lightly. It would have been fine if he won, but if he lost, the blow to the morale and confidence of the entire southern border, almost shaking the stability of the entire region, would be catastrophic.


    At this moment, rumors were rampant, spreading like wildfire among tens of millions, even hundreds of millions, of people in the southern border. Every merchant guild and trading caravan prepared to flee. The name of the three Dragon Kings of the Darkness City had spread far and wide, bing a nightmare haunting the hearts of countless empire citizens, leaving them restless day and night.


    Only two days had passed since the battle of Kolo, and the highest-level meetings of the three powers were convened once again. Emperor Frelio XVI of the Thunder Empire, Regent Prince Carlos of the Sunset Empire, and President Fontentina of the Azure Water Federation --- the projections of these three supreme rulers appeared in the magically constructed conference hall. Even though their images were safely processed by magic, the emperor of the Thunder Empire could hardly conceal his anger. He was clearly in a state of extreme fury. Both Carlos and Fontentina were rejoicing a little in his misfortune. The events in the southern border of the Thunder Empire were too significant. Even though they were far away, news had reached their ears. This turn of events was undeniably... quite fortunate!


    In recent years, the Thunder Empire had been growing stronger, and its increasingly evident ambitions did not escape the notice of the Sunset Empire and the Azure Water Federation. However, these two powers were currently beset by internal and external issues, leaving them with numerous problems to deal with and no time to focus on the growing threat of the Thunder Empire. Who could have expected that the once exuberant Emperor Frelio would find himself in such dire straits? The Chaos Forest, the Chaos Federation, the Three Titans of the Darkness City... This was bing quite interesting indeed!


    Emperor Frelio''s voice, like a restrained beast, rumbled, "You both have received the news about Duke Bachor, haven''t you?"


    President Fontentina nodded, "We thought it was just an ordinary uprising of a Demon King. We didn''t expect the situation to be so severe, even the renowned Duke Bachor suffered such a setback."


    Prince Carlos nearly chuckled, "What a pity, indeed!"


    Emperor Frelio suppressed his anger, "Don''t think for a second that I''m unaware of what''s on your minds! Three monarchs appearing simultaneously in the Chaos Forest. Haven''t you two realized the gravity of the situation yet?"


    Prince Carlos nodded, "For such a small region to have three monarchs appear simultaneously, especially powerful dragon monarchs, is indeed extremely rare. Even for forces of our scale, the number of monarchs is limited."


    He paused, hesitating for a moment, "Could it be... we''ve been wrong from the beginning? Perhaps there''s not just one Demon King in the Chaos Forest."


    However, President Fontentina interjected, "There might be many Demon Kings, but there can only be one Great Demon King, one true ruler. That''s what I believe."


    "Why?" Prince Carlos inquired.


    President Fontentina exined, "In the Azure Water Federation, we have thousands of Demon Kings, enough to draw the attention of the Supreme Council. We''ve conducted detailed investigations into this group. Currently, we have a preliminary understanding of their abilities and development methods. We believe that in regions with limited resources, Demon Kings can only have a subservient rtionship with each other, not a solid alliance. In simple terms, Demon Kings'' development highly depends on resources, especially the demand for gold and elemental gems. Moreover, every Demon King possesses the potential for explosive growth, which inherently breeds suspicion andpetition among them."


    Upon hearing this, Emperor Frelio nodded, "We share the same belief. There is only one true Demon King, likely a profound Abyssal Dragon."


    Prince Carlos was a bit puzzled, "But what about the other two Dragon Kings? Don''t tell me they are just minions summoned by the Demon King?"


    "It sounds unbelievable," she added, "but it''s the only exnation."


    President Fontentina exined, "Although there isn''t such a powerful Demon King in the Azure Water Federation currently, based on our intelligence, there have been simr cases in the region near a kingdom in the south of the Azure Water Federation. When a Demon King reaches Level 5, there is a chance they can summon help from other monarch-level beings through summoning portals from unknown locations. However, this ability is limited; they can summon at most one or two allies. I believe that after the Abyssal Dragon Demon King in the Chaos Forest reached Level 5, he gained the ability to summon kings from the Abyssal World. As for the other two Dragon Kings of the Darkness City, they were probably summoned from the abyss as well."


    After hearing this, Prince Carlos breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the Azure Water Federation had indeed done its homework. Lately, the internal affairs of the Sunset Empire had been in chaos. Prince Carlos was constantly embroiled in power struggles with several Grand Dukes and the royal family, leaving him with no time to focus on the Demon Kings.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Considering these pieces of information, the three Dragon Kings of the Darkness City were indeed formidable. However, Carlos reckoned that these three alone were not enough to shake the foundation of an empire-level power. He even considered it a good thing; although these three were not enough to challenge the empire directly, they possessed the ability to strain the empire''s resources and forces significantly. There had been an imbnce in regional power recently. This Chaos Federation could wear down the strength of the Thunder Empire, which was beneficial for both the Azure Water Federation and the Sunset Empire.


    However, how could Emperor Frelio not have guessed what they were thinking? He eximed, "This Demon King is too much of a threat! Even if the current trio of Dragon Kings in the Darkness City isn''t an immediate danger, we can''t ignore their incredible potential for growth. I urge all three factions to unite their forces andunch a joint expedition against the Chaos Forest. We must eradicate this menace now to prevent even graver consequences in the future!"


    His words hung heavily in the room, prompting a solemn silence from Prince Carlos and President Fontentina. While they recognized the looming threat of the Demon King, mobilizing their forces was impossible given their current circumstances.


    The Azure Water Federation was internally divided, and the control of the Supreme Council over various regions was weakening. With the current execution capability and efficiency, even if the order to form a coalition was given, it would take at least three to five months to assemble the troops.


    As for the Sunset Empire, although it had the capability to swiftly organize forces as a centralized empire, Prince Carlos, the royal family, and local nobles were deeply embroiled in intense power struggles. For the Sunset Empire, and for this Regent Prince, the Chaos Federation was not the immediate concern. It was clear that the Chaos Federation was expanding northward. If the Sunset Empire intervened, it would gain no benefits and might even anger the three Dragon Kings. This could potentially shift their focus westward.


    Prince Carlos cleared his throat, stating, "Emperor Frelio''s proposal makes sense. However, I am just a regent prince. I need to report back and convince His Majesty the Emperor before any decisive action can be taken regarding the mobilization of our forces."


    President Fontentina, on the other hand, was more sincere, saying, "Emperor Frelio, you are well aware of the situation in the Azure Water Federation. We can''t immediately deploy arge army. However, we can rally the brave Heroes and adventurers within the federation."


    "Yes, yes, that''s right!" added Prince Carlos. "The Sunset Empire has numerous powerful guilds of Heroes. I suggest we unite and offer bounties, recruiting a substantial number of Heroes to send them against the Chaos Federation!"


    Emperor Frelio seethed with anger at their suggestions. Heroes, much like Demon Kings, were unpredictable elements. Although theycked the growth potential and expansiveness of Demon Kings, Heroes also progressed at a considerable pace. Unlike Demon Kings who were essentially wild, appearing out-of-thin-air elements, Heroes infiltrated various strata of society. Many among them held significant influence, resources, and even power. They were a constant headache for rulers.


    The sudden emergence of the three Dragon Kings from the Darkness City seemed like a perfect solution. These immensely powerful Demon Kings were precisely the adversaries Heroes were meant to face. If these Heroes or Hero guilds were sent against the three Dragon Kings, it might solve two problems at once.


    However, Emperor Frelio XVI remained astute. He knew these two would never fullymit their forces. Their willingness to mobilize their local Heroes, adventurers, mercenaries, or church forces was already a significant contribution. After reaching a consensus, the three leaders concluded their discussions, and Emperor Frelio XVI exited the meeting.


    Next, he convened a meeting with the internal high-ranking officials of the empire, where the primary noble houses from the four regions were present. Emperor Frelio XVI sat at the center, with the Dukes from the four regions positioned around him, and behind them were at least Count-level feudal lords.


    The four Guardian Dukes of the Thunder Empire were as follows:


    Duke Wilcliffe Bachor: Grand Duke of the southern region


    Duchess Ophelia Frelio: Grand Duchess of the northern region, and the only female Duke, with a unique position among the four.


    Duke Gehrman Kofiepol: Grand Duke of the western region


    Duke Bismarck kely: Grand Duke of the eastern region


    Emperor Frelio said, "Given the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Chaos Forest, I propose that each region dispatch an elite force to the southern region."


    "I agree," Ophelia spoke up. As the Duchess of the northern region and the only female Duke, she held a special status among the four dukes, being of the same lineage as the royal family.


    "Your Majesty!" Bachor, d in armor to conceal his weakened state, interjected, "This isn''t the right time yet. Although the three Dragon Kings of the Darkness City have exceeded our estimates in strength, leading to the loss of five legions sessively, these legions were border garrisons of the empire."


    "The Bachor family and the core forces of Bachor House have yet to mobilize. Under such circumstances, dispersing the forces of the other three duchies is, in my opinion, unwise!"


    Clearly, as the Great Demon King anticipated, the Grand Duke of the southern region would oppose the involvement of the other three Dukes. If they entered the fray, the forces of the three ducal families were almost certain to get involved in the southern region. This would disrupt the situation that the Bachor family had been managing for a thousand years and pose a significant challenge to the prestige of the Dukes in the southern region. Any ruling power would not want such a situation to ur. Bachor was extremely displeased with his loss. He had to personally restore the honor of the Bachor family.


    A Guardian Duke held considerable power. If the Duke opposed strongly, not to mention the other three Dukes, even the Emperor himself would have to concede to the Duke''s request. The final decision reached was that the empire would give the Bachor family one more month. If the Bachor family could not control the situation, eliminate the Chaos Federation, and suppress the Darkness City within this time frame, the three other Dukes would join the battle. Even the core forces of the empire would personally enter the scene."

 Chapter 214: Tyrant Guard

    While the meeting was in session, the Great Demon King was inspecting the Citadel of Eternity. The performance of Long Yi, Zhang San, and Li Si was as expected. However, the surprising element was the citadel itself, which delighted and astonished him.


    Zhang Nu had spected that the citadel was far from ordinary, but he had not anticipated its immense power. The eleven citadel cannons were capable of obliterating top-tier powerhouses, and the one hundred missileunch silos could strike targets dozens to hundreds of miles away. When the formidable citadel shield was activated, it was ten times stronger than the defensive barrier of Kolo City.


    What was even more impressive was that tens of thousands of citadel soldiers could engage inbat without leaving the citadel. They were all long-range attack units, and their presence within the citadel amplified its firepower significantly. In this recent conflict, at least half of the casualties on the empire''s side were inflicted by the Citadel of Eternity. The terrifying power and efficiency of the citadel in killing enemies were evident. It was no exaggeration to call it a battlefield reaper.


    Certainly, the operational costs of the citadel were incredibly high. Zhang Nu calcted the expenses, and they amounted to a staggering 22 million gold. It felt like they were literally shooting money out of cannons. Fortunately, the profits from this war were substantial. But in the case of smaller or less profitable conflicts, there was a risk of operating at a loss. It was necessary to clearly understand the detailed expenditures and find ways to increase revenue while cutting costs.


    Zhang Nu found that among all the expenses, the highest proportions were consumed by the shield, cannons, missiles, and the void device. The supreme magitek citadel had a unique characteristic: the magic circuits of the void device, flying device, and shield device conflicted with each other, making it impossible to activate them simultaneously.


    Although the Citadel of Eternity was mobile, its speed was not particrly fast. If it moved slowly to the battlefield, it would likely be detected from miles away, giving the enemy ample time to react and focus their attacks on the unprotected citadel during its movement. To counter this, the citadel utilized the void device to teleport instantly onto the battlefield, activating the shield at the first possible moment. Only then could they achieve the desired effect.


    Considering the immense size of the citadel, the energy consumption for spatial teleportation was substantial. This alone cost nearly ten million gold. Zhang Nu realized that while the void device was incredibly useful, it was prohibitively expensive and had an exceptionally long cooldown time. In the future, unless absolutely necessary, it was best not to activate it. The rest of the expenditures, totaling over ten million gold, were spent on the shield, citadel cannons, and missiles. The energy consumption of theseponents was unavoidable, but efforts could be made to reduce it.


    Zhang Nu made a decision. He resolved to recruit more citadel soldiers, aiming to fill the entire citadel corps. When the citadel legion became powerful enough with fierce firepower, they could reduce the usage of cannons and missiles, thus decreasing consumption. As for the shield, Zhang Nu nned to supplement the citadel with a team of mages, forming a specialized barrier mage unit to use MP to reduce energy expenditure.


    In summary, as long as the usage of various devices and heavy artillery was reasonably controlled, the consumption of the Citadel of Eternity could be kept within a manageable range. This citadel held immense military value, both defensively and offensively.


    Moreover, the Citadel of Eternity contained numerous facilities. Aside from various top-tierboratories, it also had equipment production lines left behind from the ancient magitek era. The gnome magitek schrs from the Thousand Fangs City already possessed some basic knowledge in manufacturing low-grade magitek cannons and firearms. With future mass production, significantmercial value could be generated.


    After further reinforcing the forces of the magitek citadel, Zhang Nu summoned Long Yi. The Dark Dragon King respectfully knelt and said, "My master, what are your orders?"


    Zhang Nu replied, "The southern border''s Duke Bahor has suffered significant injuries in this battle. He won''t be able to act for a while. We need to seize this opportunity and expand our territory further."


    Long Yi immediately understood, "Understood, we will organize our troops and continue to expand northward, annexing more human territories!"


    Zhang Nu nodded in satisfaction. With Bachor Duchy remaining inactive for a while, it meant the Chaos Federation had a new opportunity for expansion. Up to this point, the territory of the Chaos Federation remained within the Chaos Forest. Most of the Kolo Region was surrounded by the Chaos Forest. For the empire, this region was a strategic key point for attacking the Chaos Federation. Since the empire was no longer able to reim the Kolo Region and the Chaos Federation needed to change its defensive posture, it was time for them to initiate an invasion.


    Their first target was, of course, the territory of Marquis Kregi. The Kregi family controlled three provinces, totaling twelve cities with a poption close to five million. The territory was rich in mines and abundant in water and grasnds, featuring vast ins. If they could capture this territory, the Chaos Federation would significantly expand beyond the Chaos Forest.


    In the process of upying the three provinces of Kregi, the Demon King would gain substantial rewards for the conquest, further enhancing his power. With Marquis Kregi and his forces eliminated, and Bachor Duchy currently unable to offer assistance, most of Kregi''s knights had also met their end. Given this situation, utilizing the might of the three Dragon Kings, seizing control of Kregi''s three provinces was as effortless as turning one''s hand.


    After seizing Kregi''s three provinces, they could continue to annex nearby counties and viscounties. In just about two weeks, nearly ten million people in the southern border of the Thunder Empire would be under the control of the Demon King. With such a vast poption, abundantbor, and numerous cities, if properly subdued and utilized, they would create significant value for the Demon King.


    Upon returning to the Darkness City, Zhang Nu rewarded themanders who had contributed significantly. Over a dozen influential figures, including the Golden Giant Jin Kui, Elven City Lord Marilyn, Holy Knight Bai Jin, Orc City Lord Gru, and Grand Archmage Bai Jie, were all granted the opportunity for the Demon King''s baptism. Those who were still in the cooldown period could wait for it to end before undergoing the baptism. Additionally, arge number of mid-to-high-levelmanders were collectively subjected to the Sacred King''s baptism.


    Under this ceremony, Marilyn had attained the strength of a pseudo-Level 6 overlord, while Jin Kui and Bai Jin reached the peak of Level 5. One more baptism would likely allow them to break through. Grand Archmage Bai Jie and Orc Gru were Level 4 units, and upgrading them would be much easier. After the two baptisms, they broke through their levels.


    After the rewards were distributed, Zhang Nu headed to the Evil God Cultivator. The various spoils from the recent war were still being organized, among which a particr item stood out -- Duke Bachor''s "corpse". Although Bachor''s soul had escaped through some secret technique, his powerful body remained intact. For Zhang Nu, this body held value, and any valuable resource was not to be wasted but exploited to its fullest potential.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As for how to utilize it, Zhang Nu could infuse death energy using the Eye of Death, transforming it into an undead creature, perhaps a zombie or something simr. Given Zhang Nu''s strength and the abilities of the Eye of Death, creating a Level 5 overlord undead would not be too challenging.


    However, a Level 5 overlord undead, despite itsbat capabilities, would be useless beyond battle. These creaturescked intelligence, and the Demon King did not need just another high-levelbat unit. After much consideration, Zhang Nu decided to repurpose it as a material for experimentation. It would be integrated into the Evil God Cultivator as a fusing material, where it could be merged with his super draconian guard.


    Approximately an hourter, the cultivator chamberpleted the process. Apanied by a powerful aura, Wei Yi stepped out from the chamber. This time, Wei Yi underwent significant changes. Its size grew to 4.5 meters, massive muscles bulging on its body. Its stature was now almost twice the size of the Demon King''s.


    [Demon Eye Tyrant Guard] Level 5 overlord. 3500 HP, 3000 MP, 300 Strength, 259 Constitution, 300 Agility, 248 Will. Loyalty 100%(Locked). Fatigue 10%. Hunger 10%


    Skills: Instant Summoning (Talent), Demon Eye Unleash (Talent), Monarch''s Physique (Talent), Shura''s Killing Field (A rank), Hyper Beam (A rank), Raging Dragon Qi (A rank), Eye of Detection (A rank), Slow Ray (A rank), etc.


    Wei Yi was nowpletely different from the regr draconian royal guards. After absorbing and assimting the fresh body of a Level 6 monarch, Wei Yi''s power had reached the ceiling of Level 5 overlord. In one-on-onebat, he was on par with Long Er, Long San, or any other Level 5 unit. This showcased the pinnacle of power that the Evil God Cultivator could currently produce.


    Originally a low-tier draconian, Wei Yi was just an ordinary soldier. Now, he could be nurtured into a high-end powerhouse. Zhang Nu was satisfied with the synthesis results. The Evil God Cultivator was indeed potent, but the suitable materials for synthesis were limited. Currently, the only reliable source of fusing material was the beholders.


    After further thorough modification and enhancement of Wei Yi, Zhang Nu had nned to enter the Demon King''s Space. Recently, thousands of mental programmers had started working. Under the leadership of Elven King Nancilia, they were diligently enriching the Demon King''s created spiritual space, and their efforts had been fruitful. In the following events, the spiritual inte, nned to be gradually opened to more citizens, promised to bring immense profit and value to the Demon King.


    However, at this moment, Zhang Nu received a private message through his yer interface. The sender was none other than his strategic partner, the Subus Queen, Han Kexin.


    Han Kexin asked, "Are you in need of spirit gems and soul gemstely?"


    Zhang Nu replied, "You saw my open orders on the various trading channels. Yes, I need to construct a special building, and I require arge quantity of spirit gems and soul gems as well. Do you have them in stock?"


    "My stock is probably just a drop in the bucket for someone of your caliber. Besides, I need these gems myself. I can''t sell them to you," she replied.


    Curious, Zhang Nu asked, "Then why did you ask in the first ce?"


    Han Kexin responded, "I know of a ce. If conquered, it could yield a considerable amount of high-quality spirit gems and soul sems."


    Upon reading this message, Zhang Nu felt a surge of excitement. He had been nning to find such a ce, but before he could even start searching, Han Kexin had sent him the information.


    Immediately, Zhang Nu inquired, "What ce is this? Is it highly challenging? Why don''t you handle it personally? Both types of gems are quite valuable."


    Han Kexin retorted, "Obviously, if I were confident in dealing with it, do you think I''d be offering it to you, a potato seller?"


    "Hey, let''s keep it civil. Potatoes were one of the early products in Darkness City. Now, our farms produce a wide variety of goods, and the contribution of potatoes to our economy is quite low. Speaking of which, why can''t you handle it?"


    Zhang Nu was intrigued. In fact, finding a ce to hunt monsters was not difficult. There were many wild areas in the Chaos Forest that he could explore. Moreover, he had Hubert the Undying Phoenix''s map, which could lead him to numerous relics and magical caves. However, most of these ces were too low-level for his current strength. Zhang Nu did not need to engage in conquering the area personally. Being a Level 5 Demon King, he was beyond the necessity of handling such matters. Yet, considering that the Subus Queen, who was also a Level 5 Demon King, could not handle it, the location''s difficulty was intriguing. At the very least, it would not be lower than that of a Level 5 monarch, making it a ce of significant exploration value.


    With this in mind, Zhang Nu promptly arranged a meeting with Han Kexin. He decided to discuss this expedition further to explore the possibility of coboration between the two powerful Demon Kings."

 Chapter 215: Development of the Demon King Space

    Han Kexin was a key partner. To facilitate futuremunication and coboration, Zhang Nu granted Han Kexin and her main subordinates permission to ess the Demon King''s Space.


    Of course, the operation of the Spirit Sanctum came at a cost. Zhang Nu could not afford to offer it for free. In the future, users would be charged a small bandwidth fee. This approach would cover the costs and provide an opportunity to earn money, raising funds and ensuring the sustainability of the spiritualwork. Additionally, raising the entry requirements would save bandwidth resources within the sanctum. The fee for external users would undoubtedly be increased by a hundredfold to ensure that the spiritualwork would be centered on the citizens of the Chaos Federation.


    Of course, even with a hundredfold increase inwork fees, the Subus Queen was not deterred. Zhang Nu''s conditions for opening the spiritualwork to outsiders served both as a means to savemunication costs and promote mutual development, and as a test for potential partners.


    Using the spiritualwork of the Darkness City provided certain conveniences but also meant exposing one''s thoughts. Therefore, unless someone genuinely intended to cooperate with the Darkness City, they would not have the courage to enter. Anyone harboring strong hostility or ill intentions would undoubtedly be discovered by the Demon King.


    Han Kexin was not concerned. The cooperation between the Darkness City and the Gloom City had been going well. She had no reason not to continue coborating with Zhang Nu. Recently, the Darkness City had dispatched many operatives to the Holy Tides City. They were assisting the Darkness City''s Shui Yao in taking control of the city while also conducting business with underworld exclusive resources, earning a considerable profit.


    Through Shui Yao, Han Kexin had learned about the spiritual space that the Darkness City was constructing. She saw this as an excellent opportunity. If she and her subordinates could enter, not only would it strengthen their cooperation, but it would also create numerous opportunities for her Gloom City.


    Upon receiving the admission permit, Han Kexin did not hesitate to form a contract with the sanctum. She decided to meet Zhang Nu in the spiritual space.


    "Is this the spiritual world created by the Darkness City?"


    Upon entering the Demon King Space, the sight before Han Kexin was astonishing. The spiritual space was thousands of timesrger than its initial creation. Under the azure sky, there stood a city so exquisite it could be considered a work of art. It was pristine, wless and...somewhat empty, currently just an outline as various buildings and facilities were still under construction.


    "It''s so lifelike! It''s no different from the real world!" Han Kexin eximed.


    Just then, a familiar yet unfamiliar roar drew near. Han Kexin turned and saw a sleek, fiery red sports car speeding down the open and t street. It made a drift and came to a stop right in front of her. Chen Guoguo was sitting in the driver''s seat, a smug smile on her face. "Hey, Miss Han, how do you like my Ferrari?" she said.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ferrari? Are you kidding me?


    Han Kexin was dumbfounded. "How did you get this?"


    Chen Guoguoughed heartily. "This is the spiritual world, everything is virtual, just like a dream. I spent quite some time creating this piece!"


    "Let''s take you for a ride. Then we''ll go and see the boss." she added.


    Han Kexin got into the passenger seat. Chen Guoguo put on her shades and revved the engine. Everything, from the feel of the genuine leather seats to the wind on their faces, was almost impably detailed, leaving thempletely unaware of any falseness.


    Although Han Kexin, with her expertise in psychic spells, could create simr illusions using illusion magic, illusions were illusions. There would always be ws and loopholes. Illusions could not simultaneously control thousands or even more targets, provide a constant interactive experience, and run continuously without interruption, forming an open sandbox world.


    This was much like the virtual game worlds depicted in certain novels, where people could enter and exit at any time, regardless of whether others were present, and the world would always be in operation.


    Han Kexin asked, "What does Zhang Nu n to do with this spiritual world?"


    Chen Guoguo replied, "There are plenty of things one can do here: entertainment, leisure, information exchange, business activities, and more. Anything you can think of, you can do it here. However, it''s still in the beta testing phase, so there aren''t too many people here yet."


    She continued, "The area ahead is a temporarymercial square. Since the modeling of the business street hasn''t beenpleted, everyone is doing business directly on the square."


    They parked the car and walked to the square. Hundreds and thousands of chiefs, city lords, and leaders of merchant caravans from the Chaos Forest could now enter. The Chaos Forest hadplex and dangerous terrain, makingmunication difficult in normal circumstances. Now, everyone coulde in to order supplies, purchase goods and services at any time.


    Before Han Kexin could take a closer look, Chen Guoguo eximed, "Isn''t that Feng Yanyan?" The Subus Queen was led to a stall by the Flower Fey Demon King. This stall was quite unique; the vendor was a girl dressed in a skirt, with a cute and lovely appearance that resembled a student. She was selling something very special -- slimes of various sizes.


    "Feng Yanyan? That name sounds familiar. Are you the Slime Demon King of the Demon King Alliance?" Han Kexin inquired.


    Han Kexin remembered. The first time she came to the Darkness City, she met with several Demon Kings of the Chaos Forest. One of them was named Feng Yanyan. Why did she remember this name? Because this Demon King was very special; she was a Slime Demon King! Now, this Slime Demon King had turned into a human. Her appearance was probably modified in the spiritual space. After all, if they could create a freaking Ferrari, turning a Slime Demon King into a human did not seem strange at all.


    Chen Guoguo exined, "This is Feng Yanyan''s original form. Thanks to the help of the big boss and this spiritual space, she has been reborn as a human!"


    Han Kexin asked, "What are you selling?"


    "Are you the esteemed Han Kexin herself?" the Slime Demon King quickly said, "I''m selling slimes!"


    "Slimes can be sold?" Han Kexin was surprised.


    Feng Yanyan replied, "Although I''m the lowest-ranked Demon King, there are advantages to being a low-tier Demon King. My units are not only numerous but also diverse in types."


    She pointed to the slime models on her stall and exined, "I might be only Level 3, but I already have dozens of different slime units. This one is a Cleaning Slime, specialized in hygiene. This is a Dposing Slime, used for breaking down waste or impurities, assisting in production, such as alchemy. Elves really like these two slimes; Giantree City just ordered two thousand of them. This one is me Slime, this is Frost Slime, and this is Poison Slime..."


    Feng Yanyan listed a dozen or so names in one breath and then pointed to a giant white slime, saying, "This one is a Level 3 Super Healing Slime. It can heal injuries and restore fatigue."


    The Slime Demon King had reached Level 3, yet she did not have any elite units under hermand. However, slimes were incredibly cheap and diverse, which seemed to be a characteristic of low-tier Demon Kings. Han Kexin was impressed. The variety of functions these slimes offered made them excellentmodities.


    Han Kexin asked, "How do youplete transactions after receiving orders?"


    Feng Yanyan replied, "We use the gnome caravans. Now, in Thousand Fangs City, the gnomes have started a logistics business, simr to online shopping. It''s very convenient."


    Now it made sense to Han Kexin. The Slime Demon King did not need to leave herir. She only needed to produce slimes in her nest. Thousand Fangs City and the Chaos Forest were home to tens of thousands of gnome merchants. They acted like courierpanies, setting up distribution points all over the forest. They handled door-to-door pickups, sorting and distribution, centralized transport, and door-to-door delivery.


    Han Kexin inquired, "How''s business?"


    Feng Yanyan proudly said, "Why even ask? My slimes are the best and they''re sold at a reasonable price. I''ve already made 50,000 gold!"


    50,000 gold coins might not be much for a Great Demon King like herself, but for someone like Feng Yanyan, it was beyond her wildest dreams, something she would not have dared to imagine just a few days ago.


    Feng Yanyan''s face was full of anticipation. "Our boss has already taken Kolo, and I heard they''re attacking even more human cities. My slimes can be sold to human cities in the future. Humans prefer cleanliness and focus on their quality of life. With arge quantity and variety, there''s a huge market for slimes like Cleaning Slimes, Dposing Slimes, Healing Slimes, and more. These are essential household items; there will definitely be a market in the future! I want to earn lots of money! Buy more souls to upgrade myself! Then I can unlock more slime varieties!"


    Feng Yanyan felt that she was bound to be rich in the future. Everything from tribal procurement to individual shopping could be done in the spiritual space. Wasn''t this another form of online shopping? Han Kexin was greatly moved by this prospect. "Expanding this model to cover the Azure Water Federation and the Thunder Empire in the future seems very promising."


    She could not help but feel envious. Even a weak Demon King could take off with such a tform. Wouldn''t the boss of the Darkness City make even more money?


    Chen Guoguo took Han Kexin around. After seeing all sorts of peculiar products and services, Han Kexin realized that the value of this ce as a business tform was far greater than she had imagined. "This is just one application of the Demon King Space. The potential here is enormous! But time is limited. I won''t introduce everything one by one!"


    Chen Guoguo noticed that they had spent too much time here. "Let''s go see the big boss quickly; we can''t keep him waiting too long!"


    "Alright!" Han Kexin replied. She had almost forgotten why she hade here.


    Chen Guoguo drove her to a special district, a street created jointly by Chen Guoguo and other Demon Kings. There were cinemas, KFC, Starbucks, restaurants, supermarkets, bars, and KTV. Although it was just a small corner and mostly models, even though she knew everything was fake, there was still a moment where it felt like she had traveled through time. The scenes that used to bemonce now evoked a sense of nostalgia and sentimentality.


    Zhang Nu sat under the umbre at the entrance of the cafe. He wore casual white clothes, had messy ck hair, and looked handsome and refined. He held a cup of coffee, enjoying the afternoon sun, appearing very rxed.


    Han Kexin sat down across from him. "Is this your true appearance? I didn''t expect you to look quite handsome!"


    "ttery will get you nowhere. What would you like to drink? I''ll treat you this time."


    "Do you have Fat Nerd Drink (soda)?" Han Kexin asked.


    Zhang Nu snapped his fingers, and a ss of Fat Nerd Drink, chilled, appeared in front of her. She took a sip. It tasted exactly as she remembered.


    "How do you find this ce?" Zhang Nu asked.


    "I have to say, this is a world incredibly close to reality. Even I feel tempted to get lost in it," Han Kexin replied. "However, it''s a pity. It''s all fake."


    Indeed, that was all just a dream. Everything there was fleeting, with no roots or substance. In the end, strength was what truly mattered. Without sufficient strength, indulging in this fantasynd would have led to destruction. The mentality of the Subus Queen was truly exceptional, not something ordinary people couldpare to. As for the Demon Kings under Zhang Nu, including Chen Guoguo, who had recently been addicted to this spiritual space, it became a headache. It was necessary to limit their online time to prevent them from developing inte addiction.


    Han Kexin continued, "Everything there was a money-making opportunity. There were so manymercial aspects. If managed well, it could generate more money than those pay-to-win games from our previous life. It will not be inferior to your potato business, Zhang Nu."


    Zhang Nu agreed. He saw that ce not only as a good tform but also as a lucrative money tree. However, no matter how perfect the replication, it could never rece reality. Spending too much time there still felt out of ce.


    "Let''s get down to business!" Zhang Nu said. "I am very curious about the ce you mentioned. I believe we can cooperate."


    The resurrection altar could not be dyed any longer. He needed spirit gems and soul gems to stand unbeatable in the uingprehensive battle against the Thunder Empire."

 Chapter 216: Mountains of Madness

    With the teleportation tower, Zhang Nu arrived at Gloom City. Considering the uing area would be quite challenging, Zhang Nu brought a small assistant along.


    "Wow! Is this the underworld? The air is so murky!" Nancilia eximed, looking around in surprise. "So this is the Subus Queen''s main city? It might not be as lively as Giantree City, but it''s still quiterge!"


    Although Han Kexin could not quitepare to Zhang Nu, she was still a remarkable figure among the Demon Kings. Just this underground city alone had at least several hundred thousand residents. If one added the various tribes she controlled, Zhang Nu estimated that the Subus Queen''s poption had already reached over a million. And her forces were still continuously expanding.


    Within Gloom City, there were numerous Demon King structures. With just a single nce, Zhang Nu could count over a dozen of them:


    [Teleportation Tower] Level 5 building.


    [Detection Tower] Level 4 building.


    [Earthen me Tower] Level 4 building.


    [Barrier Tower] Level 4 building.


    [Altar of Berserk] Level 4 building.


    [Specter Sanctuary] Level 4 building.


    [Gray Dwarf Castle] Level 5 building.


    [Dark Elves Camp] Level 5 building.


    ......


    [Rift Tower: Land of Nothingness] Level 5 special building.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Zhang Nu was somewhat surprised andmented, "Impressive, truly befitting of a big shot Demon King. Just the Gloom City alone has so many buildings, there must be even more near the Demon King''s Castle!"


    If it were someone else giving suchpliments, Han Kexin might have felt a sense of pride. But facing Zhang Nu, she felt utterly powerless.


    "Hmph, spare me the ttery. Regardless of quality or quantity, it''s far inferiorpared to your Darkness City. They''re not even in the same league," she retorted.


    Zhang Nu did not deny this. After looking at the buildings in the Gloom City, his gaze settled on a tower emanating a powerful energy fluctuation.


    [Rift Tower: Land of Nothingness] Level 5 special building.


    "This one''s quite special. I''ve never seen anything like it."


    "Hehe! You have keen eyes," Han Kexin said. "In any case, I''m still a Level 5 Demon King. I have some hidden treasures of my own. This is a Level 5 special building, the Rift Tower."


    Although Zhang Nu had already discerned the function of the Rift Tower, he still asked, pretending not to know, "What''s the use of this tower?"


    Han Kexin replied, "The Rift Tower acts as a dungeon instance. Every so often, you can enter to challenge it. Each sessful challenge yields resources. I obtained the blueprints for my Teleportation Tower from here."


    "So that''s how it works. What''s a dungeon instance, though?"


    A dungeon instance, she exined, was a continually repeating map that yers could revisit. Instances were repeatable. The regions Zhang Nu had explored so far, like the Sealed Land, the Tomb of the Malevolent King, and the Citadel of Eternity, were only avable for a single run. Strictly speaking, they were not dungeon instances; they were more like monster-filled areas. Han Kexin''s Rift Tower was a genuine instance generator, allowing infinite monster spawns and providing rewards uponpletion.


    Zhang Nu was puzzled before as to why did Han Kexin have three copies of the Teleportation Tower blueprint? Normally, the probability of getting the same blueprint from different reward chests was extremely low, let alone Teleportation Tower blueprints. These were not ordinary blueprints. Now, this confusion finally had an answer. Han Kexin''s blueprints came from the dungeon instances. Instances were different from areas upied by monsters. They were challenges that could be faced repeatedly.


    "So, theoretically, with this building, you can keep producing Teleportation Tower blueprints endlessly?" Zhang Nu asked.


    Han Kexin nodded, "Theoretically, yes. But even in this instance, it''s challenging to endlessly produce such rare items because the drop rate of rare items decreases rapidly with each drop."


    It truly was an excellent building. Making money by challenging monsters without leaving home, and even having a chance to obtain top-tier blueprints.


    Zhang Nu was a bit envious of the Rift Tower. However, he realized there was no need for such envy. At their level, each of them had a few impressive buildings of their own to boast about. While he admired the Subus Queen''s Rift Tower, the Subus Queen had the same envy for Zhang Nu''s Spirit Sanctum. Moreover, she did not fully understand the functionalities of most of the buildings in the Darkness City -- buildings like the Soul Altar, Altar of the Sacred King, Evil God Cultivator, Tower of Lost Trials, Training Tower, and Citadel of Eternity. Many of these had values that were no less impressive than the Rift Tower.


    After a brief tour of Gloom City with Zhang Nu and Nancilia, Han Kexin said, "I''m ready. Let''s head out. This time, we''re going to the Mountains of Madness."


    As she spoke, the Queen''s army assembled. It was an elite force of ten thousand, consisting mostly of subi troops. High-level subi and super subi made up at least a third, showcasing it as one of the Queen''s most elite units. Han Kexin had many barracks-type buildings. Under hermand were various races like dark elves, gray dwarves, me damons, wind demons, and more, totaling over a dozen different subterranean races. However, the most trusted troops were her own kind. Considering the long journey, this highly mobile force could save them a lot of time.


    Zhang Nu said to Nancilia, "Let''s go!"


    The Elven Queen, Nancilia, nodded. "Certainly. I''m curious to see what kind of opponent could challenge the Queen to the extent that she requested aid from His Majesty."


    Although they had yet to face each other inbat, Nancilia could sense the immense strength of the Subus Queen. It was entirely possible that she might not be a match for her. Such a powerful Demon King, coupled with such a mighty army. Yet, even so, the Queen was not confident in dealing with the opponent herself, indicating that the enemy was truly formidable. However, the more challenging the opponent, the more motivated the young Elven King felt. She believed it was a great opportunity to contribute significantly and earn merits.


    Soon after, they set off for the Mountains of Madness.


    Zhang Nu''s current understanding of this world was still limited. He knew that the underworld was a part of this world and that its scale might not be smaller than the surface world. It could even berger because of theyered and creviced nature of the underground spaces. This was a three-dimensional distributed world, potentiallyrger than the surface world.


    However, in the underworld, ancient giants, terrifying monsters, brutal demons, and various magical creatures were abundant. Compared to the civilization-rich surface world, civilizations and nations were scarce in the underworld. Due to the unique environment of the underworld,rge countries like the Thunder Empire were much rarer; their number was far less than three percent of that on the surface world.


    Nancilia asked while maintaining the flight spell, "My Queen, what special features do the Mountains of Madness have? Why are we going there?"


    Han Kexin exined, "The Mountains of Madness are the most infamous forbidden zone within a few thousand miles nearby. To be honest, I don''t know much about this ce either."


    "But from the depths of the Mountains of Madness," she continued, "emanates an incredibly powerful and profoundly evil spiritual force. This force can affect everything within a radius of a hundred miles, driving dozens of nearby tribes and ns into iprehensible madness, causing unbelievable mutations in both their souls and bodies."


    "For thousands of years, other forces have found it difficult to approach the Mountains of Madness... We are going there this time to attempt to understand what exactly is happening within these mountains."


    "If that proves too difficult," she added, "we can still reap rewards by exterminating a few tribes."


    After hearing the exnation, Zhang Nu understood the situation better. No wonder Han Kexin had such confidence in this ce''s ability to produce spirit gems and soul gems. They had initially agreed on a fifty-fifty split for the harvest, and Zhang Nu did not have any objections. After all, the intelligence was provided by Han Kexin, and the army was under hermand. She was the one taking on the most significant risk. The underworld was never Zhang Nu''s territory to begin with, so he felt like he was benefitting from resources that did not originally belong to him.


    After approximately half a day''s journey, the three of them and their troops were almost at the Mountains of Madness.


    [You are being corroded by psychic erosion. HP -1!]


    Upon arriving near the Mountains of Madness, Zhang Nu felt a subtle psychic attack. Nancilia and the Subus Queen, as well as her subi troops, also clearly sensed the psychic assault. Their faces all turned grave.


    "What kind of existence is this? Being capable of causing a collective psychic shock from such a distance?" the Subus Queen frowned.


    "Elven Blessing!" Nancylia raised her staff, casting a protective aura over Zhang Nu and Han Kexin. She then extended the spell to shield the subi troops from the psychic damage. While this spell effectively countered the immediate psychic damage, as they approached closer, the erosion grew stronger.


    "It''s indeed a challenging area," Nancilia remarked, her brow furrowing deeper. "Your Majesty, I sense that despite the vast distance, there''s an aura of evil and insidiousness emanating from the source of this psychic power"


    Additionally, she sensed that the aura felt oddly familiar, reminiscent of a simr presence she had detected in both the Sealed Land and the Tomb of the Malevolent King. Inparison to the Elven King''s perception, Zhang Nu distinctly felt his Eye of Death stirring, as if it recognized a kindred force. It was akin to the maic pull between two mas, an immediate generation of a maic field, apelling urge to unite.


    Zhang Nu then turned his attention to the nearby Mountains of Madness, a vast yet seemingly nondescript mountain range devoid of any vegetation.


    [Mountains of Madness] Level 5 monarch area.


    Description: Six thousand years ago, native inhabitants stumbled upon a mysterious temple here, housing a fragment of an ancient Evil God. It radiated an exceptionally powerful psychic energy, captivating all nearby and driving them into fanatical worship. Over millennia, almost a million natives sumbed to its influence, transforming the Mountains of Madness into a haven for frenzied and mutated devotees.


    After absorbing this information, Zhang Nu grasped the origin of the psychic power within the Mountains of Madness. It indeed stemmed from the fragment of the Evil God! Such immense energy could only be derived from the power of an Evil God. What astonished and thrilled Zhang Nu was his ability to sense his Eye of Death resonating within him. This indicated that the Evil God''s fragment in the Mountains of Madness was most likely the other eye of the Eight-Eyed Evil God. Without conducting an investigation, Zhang Nu instinctively understood the oue!


    His excitement swelled. If he could acquire and assimte the second eye of the Evil God, his Eye of Death would undoubtedly undergo a profound evolution! Considering it from this perspective, his fortune was unparalleled. Who could have anticipated that fragments of the same Evil God would be sealed in two vastly different locations? As for the area''s difficulty? A Level 5 monarch area might pose a challenge, but it would not deter a Demon King. The true challengey in dealing with the nearby million crazed natives,pletely ensnared by brainwashing."

 Chapter 217: Daemonized Bloodthirsters

    The Gloom City forces had yet to reach the Mountains of Madness when Zhang Nu, Han Kexin, and Nancilia sensed a chaotic and insane spiritual consciousness invading their minds.


    "How dare you trespass our sacred mountains!"


    "We have been discovered?" Han Kexin''s expression changed slightly. She ordered the troops to halt, observing the situation cautiously to avoid falling into a trap.


    However, within ten minutes, a native force emerged from the canyons near the Mountains of Madness. They were a race unfamiliar to Zhang Nu, possessing humanoid bodies with distinct demonic features: blood-red skin, horned heads, and flesh nests on their backs.


    "Bloodthirster Demons," Han Kexin exined. "They are a demonic species skilled in blood magic, possessing robust vitality and recovery abilities, making them challenging to kill."


    These Bloodthirster Demons were unlike their normal counterparts. Upon closer inspection, one could notice numerous small cracks on their faces, foreheads, necks, and even torsos. When these cracks opened, they revealed eyeballs embedded within them. Although they appeared as if forcibly adorned body decorations, these eyes were active, emitting eerie and perilous spiritual auras.


    Upon closer examination, Zhang Nu noticed that each of these Bloodthirster Demon had several of these eyes, ranging from five to over ten, and some even had dozens of them with each eye varied in size. It was undeniably unsettling, especially for those suffering from trypophobia; a sensation of creeping disgust washed over them.


    Nancilia remarked, "These demons seem to have undergone a partial daemonic transformation!"


    The demon race and devil race, while both dark races, were originally normal species. The distinctiony in the term ''daemonic transformation.'' When things deviate from the norm, they tend towards the daemonic. Evil and brutality characterize the daemonic. ''Daemonic transformation'' was not specific to any particr race. In this world, the concept of ''daemonic transformation'' was akin to the concept of ''spiritual awakening'' in fantasy worlds. Whether it was a low-level creature like a pig, dog, or insect, or inanimate objects like nts and stones without souls and lives, under specific circumstances, if their life form underwent abnormal changes, they could turn into daemons.


    Daemonic transformation led to ferocious and brutal daemons. These already bloodthirsty and ferocious demons exhibiting features of daemonic transformation would undoubtedly possess even greater strength. Zhang Nu also noticed that the more eyes a Bloodthirster Demon had, the higher their level and power. Those numerous eyes all over their bodies continuously emitted psychic pollution, affecting anyone who approached or even saw them.


    "Your existence defiled the sacred mountains! Your sins are unforgivable!"


    "You will all die today!"


    While the Bloodthirster Demon leader roared in madness, dozens of irregr eyes all over its body released some kind of psychic wave, primarily targeting the trio.


    [You are under psychic assault. HP -5!]


    Zhang Nu was surprised. This creature was quite interesting. However, it only possessed the strength of a Level 4 overlord. If it weren''t for the special nature of its psychic attack, it would not have been able to harm Zhang Nu with his abilities.


    Han Kexin and Nancilia were also attacked. The former was a master in the domain of the mind, with exceptionally high psychic resistance, so she did not regard this level of attack seriously. Thetter had activated the Spiritual Shield of the Elven King, a defensive magic that specifically countered attacks on the spirit and soul level.


    In the next moment, the Bloodthirster Demon leader melted like a mass of blood colored mist. This was the powerful blood magic of the Bloodthirster Demons. In this state, they had a body simr to elemental beings, making them nearly immune to physical attacks and even more elusive. However, even in this blood mist state, the psychic contamination it emitted did not weaken. If someone were swallowed by this mist, they would not only suffer from blood magic attacks but also face even more intense and insane psychic assaults.


    Nancilia raised her staff, ready to strike.


    But the Subus Queen, Han Kexin, acted even faster, "Soul Domination!" Her face darkened, and she swiftly raised her left hand, releasing numerous purple threads. These threads were not physical, they were allposed of soul and spiritual energy. Ignoring conventional physical and magical defenses, theynded in the blood mist created by the Bloodthirster Demon leader, instantly immobilizing the constantly shifting mist.


    Han Kexin gave a casual pull, and the blood mist dispersedpletely. A semi-transparent soul, bound and struggling, was directly pulled out from the Bloodthirster Demon leader. Despite its attempts to resist, its head, limbs, and torso were all restrained by the threads of soul domination, rendering any escape impossible. With an elegant gesture, Han Kexin blew a small breath. A ball of purple demonic mes traveled along the threads, finallynding on the soul of the Bloodthirster Demon leader. Apanied by a pitiful mental scream, the soul was incinerated entirely, leaving nothing behind.


    Truly impressive. A Level 4 overlord unit was obliterated so effortlessly. Han Kexin had struggled significantly when dealing with the Infernal Demon in the past. This demonstrated how much her strength had grown since then.


    Nancilia eximed, "What a powerful soul attack technique!" It was her first time witnessing the Queen''s abilities, and she was astonished by the sharp and ruthless methods of the Subus Queen. The Elven King had never seen anyone able to effortlessly strip a soul from a living being and destroy it.


    The soul was the fundamental essence, if the soul was destroyed, everything was obliterated at its core. No matter how strong the physical body or how abundant the powers, they became useless. Even the Bloodthirster Demon, with its formidable regenerative abilities, was rendered useless when faced with an attack from the Queen, meeting only the fate of being instantly annihted.


    "Do you want to try me as well?" Han Kexin''s gaze swept over the other Bloodthirster Demons, and a powerful pressure, infused with psychic attack, erupted from her. Despite disying such an intimidating aura and strength, it had no effect on the Bloodthirster Demons. Instead, they became even more agitated.


    "Kill her!"


    "Kill them!"


    "Sacrifice them to the sacred mountain!"


    "Those who trespass the sacred mountain must die!"


    The Bloodthirster Demons began to cast blood magic, transforming countless blood mists into a crimson sea that surged madly forward. The subi army quickly counterattacked, unleashing various magics continuously.


    Han Kexin furrowed her brow. "Just as the rumors say, they are truly insane. These creatures are utterly umunicative and seem to know no fear!" It was getting out of hand. Apart from these crazed natives, the entire Mountains of Madness were saturated with psychic corruption. Such potent psychic contamination, the low-level subi warriors would be unable to withstand it if they approached the Mountains of Madness.


    Just then, thousands of Bloodthirster Demons rushed forward, forming a sea of blood that closed in rapidly. While individual Bloodthirster Demons might not be as strong as their leader, their sheer numbers posed a significant threat.


    "Bright Radiance!" Zhang Nu activated an A-rank magic spell. Originally a healing skill, this magic had a potent lethal effect on creatures of the dark. With his immense MP, the Demon King summoned a massive beam of radiant light that engulfed hundreds to thousands of Bloodthirster Demons. Almost instantly, most of the blood mist evaporated, and countless Bloodthirster Demons screamed in agony, being vaporized by the light, utterly powerless to resist.


    [You''ve in a Mutated Bloodthirster Demon. Gold +200!]


    [You''ve in a High Mutated Bloodthirster Demon. Gold +200!]


    [You''ve in a Mutated Bloodthirster Demon Lord. Gold +200!]


    [......]


    In a single move, nearly half of the Bloodthirsty Demons were crushed instantly.


    "Light elemental! Come forth!" The Elven King intervened at this critical moment. She summoned a majestic figure, resembling a fully grown human male, butposed entirely of radiant light. It was the monarch of light elementals.


    "Purifying Holy me!" Nancilia pointed ahead. The light elemental transformed into a beam of light, charging into the blood mist and dispersing. Instantly, it turned into countless pure white mes of holiness. Any Bloodthirster Demon it touched immediately revealed its true form and was swiftly incinerated to death.


    Han Kexin acted once more. Numerous soul-controlling threads dove into the blood mist, pulling out hundreds of souls in one go and shattering them directly. Bloodthirster Demons were by no means weak creatures. Yet, under this relentless assault, their casualties were devastating. Even those fortunate enough to survive initially met their end under the onught of the subi legion.


    However, before they could catch their breath, Han Kexin furrowed her brows. "Damn it. I sense more of them approaching. It seems the nearby tribes have detected our presence."


    "The overpowering psychic energy shrouding the Mountains of Madness makes it difficult for my troops to get close," she continued, her voiceced with concern. "Moreover, there are dozens, even hundreds, of insane tribes nearby. If they join forces to attack us, even the three of us won''t easily escape unscathed."


    It appeared that assaulting the Mountains of Madness was no longer a viable option. At best, they might conquer a few of the insane tribes. Han Kexin had invited Zhang Nu primarily to explore the interior of the Mountains of Madness together, hoping topletely take over this mysterious ce. However, the danger within the Mountains of Madness far exceeded their estimates.


    Under the siege of the insane natives, Han Kexin felt that they would need to mobilize 50,000 to 100,000 elite troops at least. This was even without ounting for the psychic erosion they were currently experiencing. With the entire Mountains of Madness now saturated with this corrupting force, approaching it meant being indiscriminately affected. Regr soldiers would not stand a chance. It was clear that any military expedition was bound to fail.


    Yet, Zhang Nu calmly stated, "There''s no need toplicate things."


    Han Kexin was surprised. "What do you mean? Do you have a solution?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhang Nu nodded. "I''ve sensed the origin of this madness. We just need to eliminate that source. Once the psychic erosion of the Mountains of Madness vanishes, these insane natives will be severely weakened."


    "Really? Can you sense the location of that thing?" Han Kexin asked in astonishment. "But how did you manage to do that?"


    Zhang Nu smiled mysteriously. "That''s my little secret. When the time is right, you''ll know."


    "Holding back secrets," Han Kexin sighed exasperatedly. "But even if we know where it is, we can''t enter. There are too many natives nearby. Without bringing our troops, it''s difficult to withstand the assault from so many of them."


    Zhang Nu replied, "That''s not a problem either. You can have the subi legion spread out on the periphery, drawing the attention of most of the natives and buying us some time."


    Han Kexin asked, "Are you nning for a decapitation strike?"


    Zhang Nu nodded. "Exactly. As long as the n goes smoothly and we strike swiftly, it will be the least costly and most efficient approach."


    If it were anyone else, Han Kexin would have hesitated. However, her partner this time was Zhang Nu. She only took three seconds to think before decisively saying, "Let''s go with your n!"

 Chapter 218: Titan Daemon

    The subi legion split into a hundredbat squads as per Han Kexin''s orders, swiftly flying towards the vicinity of the Mountains of Madness, drawing the attention of the natives.


    "My subi legion is highly maneuverable and skilled in entanglement and harassment, but their numbers are limited. So, the time they can buy us is also limited," Han Kexin eximed.


    "That''s more than enough!" Zhang Nu began to act. With his left hand, he grabbed the Elven King, and with his right hand, he seized the Subus Queen, sandwiching them between his arms.


    Han Kexin could not help but ask, "Is it necessary to do it this way?"


    "Stop talking," Zhang Nu replied. "Let''s go."


    Zhang Nu transformed into his Spatio-Temporal Dragon form, his entire body turning into a dreamlike silver-white entity. Han Kexin was astonished to find that a strange force shrouded her and her surroundings, causing everything to slow down significantly.


    What''s happening? Is time slowing down? He has the ability to influence the speed of time!


    The energy radiating from Zhang Nu allowed him to ignore the resistance of spacetime, enabling him to enter the mountains at a normal andposed pace. There was a saying: ''speed is rtive''. It all depended on the frame of reference. When the flow of time waspressed to a fraction of its normal speed, even if Zhang Nu advanced at his regr pace, when multiplied by the time factor, it would be like he was moving dozens times faster. Thus, in the normal environment, he was moving at a speed almost indiscernible to the naked eye, even agile-type Level 5 overlords could barely catch a glimpse of a silver streak and capture some traces, but they werepletely outmatched.


    "This power... It''s astonishing!" Han Kexin had believed that her ability to manipte the mind and soul made her one of the most elite. She never imagined someone could control even time!


    No, it was not just time. Han Kexin quickly realized that the environment they were in was not the result of merelypressing the flow of time. The spatial structure around them had also warped. Whenever they encountered obstacles, Zhang Nu effortlessly traversed through without needing to detour. In other words, he controlled the speed of time and mastered the curvature of space. This potato''s power was beyond ridiculous. Even though they were both Level 5 monarchs, Han Kexin empathetically envisioned herself facing him and found it nearly impossible to defeat him.


    Once Zhang Nu entered his spatio-temporal form, he could easily manipte the fabric of time and space without even activating his domain. He bypassed obstacle after obstacle, broke through multiple barriers, and guided by the connection between the fragments of the Evil God, he finally located the basin at the heart of the Mountains of Madness.


    This was it! From the surrounding terrain, it seemed that this area might have once been a mountain. Over millennia, the nearby natives had likely excavated and removed an entire mountain, ultimately carving out this basin. At this moment, at the center of the basin, there stood a ck temple. When Zhang Nu''s gaze fell upon it, relevant information surfaced on his interface.


    [Temple of Madness] Level 5 monarch area.


    Description: Once a sealedbyrinth containing the fragments of the Eight-Eyed Evil God, thisbyrinth was broken open by the enchanted natives over thousands of years. Eventually, they regarded the Evil God''s fragment as a divine sacred item and worshiped it here. The Evil God''s fragment is on the brink ofpletely breaking the seal. When that happens, it will be incredibly powerful, capable of causing a catastrophic madness in this region!


    A fragment from the same Evil God, but the power was vastly different. Compared to the Evil God''s fragment in the Chaos Forest, this one was at least a Level 5 monarch in strength.


    This was because the Evil God''s fragment in the Chaos Forest had been sealed for a long time, weakened significantly by the time Zhang Nu found it. As for this Evil God''s fragment, it had been taken out of the sealedbyrinth for at least several centuries. Even though it had yet topletely break free from all its seals and restore all its power, its might was far beyond what the one in Giantree''s sealedbyrinth couldpare to. Its danger level was in apletely different league.


    "Your Majesty! Have we arrived? What ce is this?" Nancilia saw the temple and her face filled with vignce.


    Zhang Nu exined, "This is the natives'' temple, their most sacred ce. The source of the psychic energy in the Mountains of Madness is right here. This ce was extremely dangerous, but precisely because of that, it was considered forbidden. Not many natives were dispatched in the vicinity.


    "We must act now. We have to eliminate and cut off the source before the other natives react and rush over, otherwise, we will miss the opportunity!"


    Before the words were finished, a sharp pain pierced through his brain.


    [You are being gazed upon by an Evil God. HP -65!]


    [You are being gazed upon by an Evil God. HP -65!]


    [You are being gazed upon by an Evil God. HP -65!]


    [......]


    In the form of the Spatio-Temporal Dragon, Zhang Nu could avoid any physical, elemental, or tangible attacks but he could not evade psychic and soul-based assaults. The Elven King and the Subus Queen both grunted. Their faces turned somewhat pale; it was evident they had also suffered significant damage.


    The Elven King stacked severalyers of Spiritual Shields to mitigate the damage and used her recovery skills to heal everyone. Han Kexin, relying on the Subus Queen''s innate powerful psychic damage resistance, managed to withstand the damage for a short time without much trouble. This ce was not suitable for a prolonged stay. They had to finish this swiftly.


    As the three arrived at the temple, a terrifying aura struck them head-on. A massive shadow pressed down, a giant standing a hundred meters tall, appeared right in front of the temple. Upon seeing the giant''s appearance, even Han Kexin, who had ventured into the depths of the earth and was ustomed to all sorts of demonic and monstrous creatures, could not help but shudder.


    "What on earth is this thing? It''s so mentally contaminating!"


    Zhang Nu shared the sentiment. This giant was the tallest he had ever seen, reaching over a hundred meters. However, from head to toe, it was covered in giant eyeballs, varying in size from that of a watermelon to as small as a fist. They were unevenly distributed all over its body, creating an unsettling sight.


    [Thousand-Eyed Titan] Level 5 monarch.


    Skills: Evil God''s Aura (Talent), Magic Immunity (Talent), Thousand-Eyed Domain (Talent), Psychic Storm (A rank), Psychic Invasion (A rank), (Soul Devour (A rank), Mana Drain (A rank), Thunderous Descent (A rank), etc.


    Description: Once a titan living in the underworld, it waspletely controlled by an Evil God due to its temptation. Over a long period, it was transformed into the Thousand-Eyed Titan,parable to a giant monarch.


    "A monarch-level entity!"


    This was the first time Han Kexin had encountered a monarch-level monster. Monarch-level entities were extremely rare, after all, such beings, regardless of the faction, could be the ruler of an entire region. It waspletely unexpected to encounter a monarch-level monster in the Mountains of Madness. No wonder no forces had dared to touch the Mountains of Madness for so many years. Han Kexin could not help but feel relieved. Fortunately, she had not been reckless and hade here alone with her troops, otherwise, she might not return alive.


    "Insects! Who are you?! You dare to trespass the forbidden grounds! You will find only your own demise here!"


    The titan''s immense form radiated with the glow of its numerous eyes. Although it did not make a sound, its psychic assault reverberated, emitting a sound that was a hundred times more deafening than thunder.


    [You''ve suffered an attack from Psychic Storm. HP-80!]


    [You''ve suffered an attack from Psychic Storm. HP-80!]


    [......]


    Nancilia clutched her head, gasping, "Ah, Your Majesty, such a formidable psychic assault! My spiritual shield can barely withstand it."


    Han Kexin''s voice lowered, "So there''s a monarch-level presence here. No wonder these natives are so frenzied. It seems this creature is the root of the madness."


    But just then, Zhang Nu stated, "No, the true source lies in the temple behind it. This creature is just a guardian."


    "What? A guardian!" Han Kexin and Nancilia were dumbfounded.


    "Wait, that can''t be true. A monarch-level titan daemon as a mere guard?"


    "It might sound unbelievable, but that''s the reality. The psychic disturbances we''ve been facing did not emanate from him."


    "I agree, Your Majesty," Nancilia added after a moment of concentrated perception. "Despite the malevolent aura of this titan, it still falls within the scope of daemons. It''s fundamentally different from the power that has been eroding the Mountains of Madness all this time."


    Realizing they were being disregarded, the Thousand-Eyed Titan exploded in rage. "You ants dare to scorn our sacred grounds? Die!"


    In the next moment, every single eye on the titan lit up. Zhang Nu, Han Kexin, and Nancilia were dragged into a domain filled with eyes, each resembling a sinister orb capable of emitting deadly beams. Simultaneously, one figure after another entered this domain.


    [Hundred-Eyed Bloodfiend Giant] Level 5 overlord.


    Description: Created from the corpses of countless natives, the Bloodfiend Giant possesses immense strength. Due to prolonged absorption of the power of the Evil God, it has mutated into a terrifying daemon giant.


    "Level 5 overlords! And so many of them!"


    Han Kexin sensed the strength of these monsters. Creatures of this level were exceptionally rare. Typically, they were regional overlords or local lords. Yet, at this moment, from all directions, there were about ten such giants.


    This was frightening! Having a monarch-level entity acting as a guardian, and Level 5 overlords serving as minions---what kind of beings could possibly exist within the temple? This was bad!


    This situation might have taken a turn for the worst!


    Han Kexin was worried, and even Zhang Nu had not anticipated the insanity of the Mountains of Madness. A monarch and ten overlords formed an incredibly formidable force. If the Eye of the Evil God fully awakened, supporting and attacking from the rear, coupled with the approaching madness-driven natives, even the three Dragon Kings of the Darkness City might face utter defeat.


    The Elven King Nancilia hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, we should be able to hold off these giants, but I feel the entity inside the temple is about to fully awaken. When it does, the situation will be extremely dire."


    Zhang Nu nodded. "Yes, for now, we must divide our tasks. You stay to deal with these giant monsters, and I will go inside to deal with the real boss."


    Without dealing with the Eye of the Evil God, it would be challenging to kill these Evil God monstrosities.


    "Understood! Leave it to me!"


    Nancilia raised her staff. "Divine Tree Domain!" Countless massive roots surged from all directions, suppressing the titan''s domain but also weakening considerably. It was evident that Nancilia''s strength surpassed that of this monarch-level daemon.


    Han Kexin hesitated. "Are you sure about this? If there''s any danger, let''s retreat. I brought you here. I don''t want to be responsible if anything happens to you."


    Zhang Nu said, somewhat annoyed, "Heh, focus on yourself. Don''t end up dead before I evene out."


    "Hmph, underestimating me again? With these dumb and clumsy giants, how could it possibly handle me?"


    "Shall we see who finishes the job first?"


    "Are you sure?" Han Kexin hesitated for a moment before saying, "Alright, let''s see who can solve their task faster. There''s no way you''ll be faster than the two of us."


    Time was of the essence, there was no room for idle talk anymore. Zhang Nu took a determined step forward, with Elven King Nancilia seamlessly supporting him in the Divine Tree Domain.


    Simultaneously, Han Kexin unleashed her own powers, "Domain of Domination!"


    Nancilia felt the descent of a powerful domain, enveloping her Divine Tree Domain. She found herself in a peculiar space, where numerous energy threads of various colors spread like spiderwebs, covering the entire domain. It appeared to be an incredibly potent control-type domain.


    Han Kexin said, "Elven King, do you wish to earn His Majesty''s acknowledgment? Let''s give our all and eliminate these monsters before he emerges. What do you think?"


    "Agreed!"


    If the two Demon Kings were to make a wager, the Elven King would undoubtedly stand by the Dragon Demon King. However, without an actual bet, they were simply engaged in friendlypetition. The Elven King was eager to showcase her strength.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The two women immediately concurred and got to work."

 Chapter 219: All Out Assault!

    Zhang Nu, manipting the flow of time, entered the temple. This temple seemed to be constructed ording to giant specifications. The temple''s grand hall was enormous, rivaling a quarter of the Dark City''s main square, which could easily amodate 800,000 to 1 million humans within its walls.


    Upon entering, Zhang Nu finally grasped why there was not arge number of native guards surrounding the temple. It was simply unnecessary. Inside, the temple was densely popted with a myriad of daemons and monsters, numbering in the thousands. There were at least ten Hundred-Eyed Giants, each a formidable Level 5 overlord! In addition to them, there were two hundred Level 5 lord-ss beings and nearly a thousand Level 5 elites and Level 4 lords. The sheer numbers were staggering.


    The situation was dire. Furthermore, the main boss within the temple was not these misceneous creatures. In the center of the temple, on an ancient altar, a massive floating eyeball was rotating towards him. When Zhang Nu had found the Eye of the Evil God in the sealedbyrinth within the Chaos Forest, it was only slightlyrger than a human head. But this eyeball had a diameter of at least three meters, with an eerie blue-white hue.


    [You are being gazed upon by an Evil God. HP -280!]


    [You are being gazed upon by an Evil God. HP -280!]


    [......]


    Zhang Nu''s head throbbed, the psychic assault was relentless. The increased intensity of its attack caused his HP to deplete even more. Although Zhang Nu could manipte the flow of time, the psychic attack''s damage remained undiminished by the altered time speed, causing significant harm. The creature was more powerful than he anticipated, and it had not fully awakened yet.


    [Eye of Evil God] Level 5 monarch. HP 40,000, MP 80,000...N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Skill: Domain of Fear (Innate), Sacrifice of Followers (Innate), Aura of Evil God (Innate), Evil God''s Gaze (S rank), Psychic Reconstruction (A rank), Mental Domination (A rank), Psychic Barrier (A rank), etc.


    Description: An ancient eight-eyed Evil God possessed eight different powers, all originating from its eight eyes. This eye represents the psychic power controlled by the Evil God... Despite not having fully regained its power, it is still not something a mere mortal can contend with.


    As expected, it was a fragment of the Eight-Eyed Evil God. Compared to the other scattered Evil God fragments, Zhang Nu preferred to collect fragments from the same deity. Each Evil God''s ability formed aplete whole, and only the power from the same Evil God couldbine to create the strongest might. It was a new path; if he could collect all eight eyes of the Eight-Eyed Evil God, Zhang Nu would directly inherit all the divinity and abilities of the Eight-Eyed Evil God. This would grant him powerparable to a deity!


    This gigantic eyeball was the second puzzle piece of the Eight-Eyed Evil God. Of course, Zhang Nu desired to obtain this eye, just as this eye desired to acquire the other eye within Zhang Nu''s body.


    "It''s about to awaken! It has sensed my eye too..."


    The pupil of therge eyeball, which had initially dted, was rapidly contracting. This was a sign of its imminent awakening. The Eye of the Evil God usually remained in a semi-dormant state, relying on instinct to attack intruders and manipte targets infiltrated and controlled by divine power within its domain.


    It rarely awakened, but once it did, its strength would increase several times over. However, in the end, this creature was just a fragment of the Eight-Eyed Evil God. Zhang Nu also had an Eye of the Evil God within his body, making a one-on-one battle nothing to worry about.


    However, Zhang Nu''s cautious apprehension stemmed from his detailed knowledge of the situation. He understood that this Eye of the Evil God had been worshiped by the inhabitants of the Mountains of Madness for thousands of years. It had deeply controlled all the nearby indigenous people, transforming them into its followers. As to why did strange eyes grow on the native people? These peculiar eyes were not so much a gift of power from the Eye of the Evil God as they were a curse caused by prolonged mental contamination. It was a mark, a sign of the followers.


    It was said that every time an Evil God appeared in the world, whether intentionally or not, the psychic pollution they caused would distort the physical bodies and minds of intelligent beings. Some would bepletely transformed into chaotic daemons, while others retained their intelligence and developed fanatical beliefs. These fanatical followers of the Evil God had existed since ancient times. They were a group with twisted physiology and psychology, extreme mental derangement, yet retaining normal intelligence. Hence, they were referred to as the Evil God''s followers.


    In history, there have been instances where sealed Evil Gods were resurrected by their followers. The natives in the Mountain of Madness, with strange eyes growing on them, fanatically worshiped the Eye of the Evil God. Their minds had clearly fallen under the control of the Eye of the Evil God, making them the followers of the Evil God.


    The Eye of the Evil God possessed a unique ability called "Sacrifice of Followers," which required cooperation from its followers to be executed. This ability allowed it to sacrifice its loyal followers to restore its own strength. With so many natives in the Mountains of Madness, most of whom had been transformed into followers, it meant that within this temple, the Eye of the Evil God had an almost endless supply of resources. In this scenario, it became practically immortal, almost impossible to be killed. Unless a way was found to transfer it and sever its connection with the followers, killing it was out of the question.


    There was no time left. Even though time was slowed down tenfold, during the time of contemtion and observation, both the Eye of the Evil God on the brink of awakening and the numerous followers, despite their bizarre and varied forms, had already locked onto Zhang Nu.


    An intense battle was about to erupt.


    "This situation...It''s a bit tricky, huh?"


    "But as a man, I really don''t want to lose in a bet with the queen."


    "Well, in that case, let''s try a new move!"


    He took a step forward, manipting the curvature of space. This step directly brought him to the middle of the temple, the only difference between this space maniption and the instantaneous teleportation magic was the absence of an incantation.


    "Rargghhhhh!" The monsters boiled with excitement, rushing towards him eagerly.


    The Eye of the Evil God fully awakened. A chilling gaze swept through the surroundings rapidly.


    "Abyssal Divine Realm!" After activating this Level 5 talent skill, Zhang Nu caused the space within a radius of several kilometers to copse entirely. Irresistible pressure, akin to a ck hole, sucked in all units within its reach.


    The next moment, the temple was emptied. The Eye of the Evil God and everything inside mysteriously disappeared. If there were others present, they would undoubtedly be extremely surprised. Zhang Nu had employed a domain skill, but this domain skill was different from the rest.


    A monarch-ss domain skill did not truly create a new space, it merely oveid their domain onto the existing space. It was still built upon the original spatial structure. Hence, external attacks could prate the domain, and people from outside could enter the domain at any time. However, leaving was more challenging than entering.


    The domain skill that Zhang Nu had just unleashed was fundamentally different. It was as if he had conjured an entirely separate space. From the perspective of spatial levels, he had shifted everything away. At this moment, all the targets within the temple had fallen into this new space. It resembled an entirely closed spatial structure, appearing like an isted ind floating in endless void.


    [You''ve activated Abyssal Divine Realm! Skill effects +100%, all stats +20%! You recover 200 HP and 200 MP per second!]


    After activating the Abyssal Divine Realm, Zhang Nu''s attributes were significantly enhanced. Not only did it not require any MP consumption, but it also rapidly restored his power. It could be said that this was a godly life-saving skill. When facing unbeatable enemies, as long as he took the opportunity to hide within the divine realm, unless the opponent possessed god-like abilities to break through spatial barriers and pursue him, they would not be able to harm him in any way. Moreover, during his concealment, his strength could swiftly regenerate.


    Of course, the Abyssal God Domain could also serve as an offensive skill. Just like the present situation, where he effortlessly ensnared all his foes, the moment they were caught within, they were already defeated. Zhang Nu could easily leave them there and ignore them. Unless they were involved in simr abilities and used their own divine realm as a medium to escape, they would be forever trapped within.


    It was a perfect refuge, a sealed space, and a ce of exile.


    Once Zhang Nu entered the divine realm, he oveid it with his mythic sanctum. The floating ind in the void instantly fell into pitch-ck darkness, amplifying the effects of the mythic sanctum several times over on the basis of the divine realm. Within this space, all skills below A-rank were sealed and a considerable amount of HP and MP was being drained from these daemons every second. Furthermore, Zhang Nu found it much easier to control time and space here. The mythic sanctum depleted his resources, while the divine realm restored it. When the two offset each other, they almost achieved the effect of an eternallysting sanctum.


    In an instant, thousands of monsters, including ten overlord-ss beings, were all immobilized within the spatial cage. Zhang Nu''s current power was beyond the resistance of Level 5 overlord units. The only entity capable of opposing him was the Eye of the Evil God.


    "Let''s finish this immediately!" Zhang Nu decided to employ his most potent attack to eliminate all the enemies as quickly as possible. He activated the Death Sacrifice, instantly consuming all his HP and MP. Then, he unleashed a chaotic spatial turbulence. Under thebination of the divine realm, mythic sanctum, death sacrifice, and spatial turbulence, the very fabric of space fractured, resembling shards of ss strewn across the void.. Endless spatial hurricanes swept through, rendering the Hundred-Eyed Giants and other monsters utterly powerless, and annihting all of them in an instant.


    After a few minutes, the spatial turbulence gradually subsided. Zhang Nu, harnessing the me of the Undying Phoenix and activated "Rebirth from within the mes". It restored his HP and MP to their fullest, bringing him to his peak condition. Much to his astonishment, the Eye of the Evil God, previously shattered, also regenerated itself, now whole once more.


    "Still alive!? Having divinity really makes a difference. Even being shattered by space, you can still survive. But it ends here!" Zhang Nu did not give the Eye of the Evil God any chance to counterattack. He immediately used the Death Stare.


    -30242!


    The Eye of the Evil God shattered into fragments once again and Zhang Nu received a notification:


    [You''ve in the Eye of the Evil God. Gold +10 million!]


    With an almost overwhelming force, Zhang Nu swept through heaps of daemons and Evil God monstrosities. Even the monarch-ss Eye of the Evil God had no chance against him."

 Chapter 220: Distribution of Spoils

    The Eye of the Evil God shattered into countless stardust-like particles before coalescing again into a crystal roughly the size of a fist. Its texture resembled that of a crystal, and it seemed inert, devoid of its former malevolence. This situation was not much different from the previous one. Evil God fragments, due to their divine nature, could not be destroyed. However, their vitality could be temporarily eliminated. This particr Eye of the Evil God had lost its vitality and was now just an Evil God fragment without any immediate threat.


    Zhang Nu reached out his hand, and spatial energy transported the Eye of the Evil God into his palm.


    [You''ve obtained the "Evil God Fragment" x1. Would you like to assimte it?]


    [Note: The Evil God Fragment is extremely powerful. After absorbing the fragment, you will gain the power of the Evil God. However, your talents, bloodline and physique will be permanently affected. Please make the choice after utmost consideration.]


    Zhang Nu carefully examined the eye.


    [Dominator"s Eye] Orange grade special item.


    Description: This was a fragment of the primordial Evil God, the "Eight-Eyed Evil God." Each eye of the Eight-Eyed Evil God contained a different power. This Dominator"s Eye represents the power of psychic.


    Without hesitation, Zhang Nu chose to absorb it.


    [Evil God Fragment assimted sessfully!]


    [Your maximum MP +2000!]


    [You"ve activated a new talent: Eye of Dominator!]


    [Your "Eye of Dominator" is resonating with your "Eye of Death", Evil God"s power amplified by 100%, maximum HP +5000, maximum MP +5000!]


    Zhang Nu felt the significant boost in his attributes resulting from the fusion of the Evil God fragment this time. Additionally, his Evil God power had noticeably strengthened. This enhancement not only bolstered the abilities of the "Eye of Death" and the "Eye of Dominator" but also extended to the capabilities of the "Source of Corruption."


    [Eye of Dominator] Innate talent. Grants immunity against damage and control effects caused by psychic attacks. It can consume MP to activate various abilities of the "Eye of Dominator".


    As expected, just like the "Eye of Death" and the "Source of Corruption," the descriptions of these abilities were extremely vague. The Evil God talents obtained from the fragments were abilities that could continuously grow and develop. Their usage was not limited to individual skills.


    Up until now, Zhang Nu had not fully explored the extent of his Evil God abilities. The power of the "Eye of Death" was not confined to its deadly and unavoidable "Death Stare". It possessed a variety of capabilities, such as creating different undead creatures, controlling them, and releasing various death-rted skills. Simrly, the "Source of Corruption" had diverse applications. The corrupted blood he created could not only silence, seal, and render equipment ineffective, making it impossible for magicians to cast spells, but it could also be used for curse attacks or to create gues and Evil God monstrosities.


    Zhang Nu made a decision. In the future, he would focus on developing these Evil God talents. These abilities were undoubtedly not inferior to his innate talents; in fact, they were even stronger than most of his talents. They held immense value and potential.


    The "Eye of Dominator" represented the psychic abilities of the Eight-Eyed Evil God. Psychic abilities were incredibly practical, including skills like mind-reading, hypnosis, control, attack, illusions, and more. This eye''s utility might even surpass that of the Eye of Death. Of course, what pleased Zhang Nu even more was the immunity to psychic attacks while the "Eye of Dominator" was active. This meant that Zhang Nu had the ability to counter skilled psychic users. If Han Kexin were to spar with Zhang Nu right now, she would undoubtedly be overwhelmed by the "Eye of Dominator".


    In any case, this expedition was definitely not in vain thanks to this eye.


    Zhang Nu returned to the Temple of Madness after leaving the divine realm. When he stepped out of the temple, the battle outside had just ended. The eleven giants had been engaged in a fierce battle with Han Kexin and Nancilia. Due to the demise of the Eye of the Evil God, all the mutated eyes on these Evil God''s followers had lost their power, and they instantly entered a weakened state. Consequently, they were swiftly dealt with. With the Evil God eliminated, the entire Mountain of Madness felt a rapid dissipation of the Evil God''s aura.


    Han Kexin said, frustrated, "Aren''t you too quick as a man?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Nancilia chimed in, "Yes, Your Majesty, way too fast. We haven''t even adjusted yet, and you''ve already finished."


    Zhang Nu could not help but feel a bit exasperated. Was that even a reasonableint? He suspected that Han Kexin was deliberately teasing him. Choosing to ignore thement, he continued, "Now that all the followers empowered by the Evil God are in a severely weakened state for a period of time, let''s quickly clear out the monsters in these mountains."


    Hearing this, Han Kexin became delighted. Although losing to Zhang Nu was a bit frustrating, it was not entirely unexpected. The wilderness area of the Mountain of Madness was home to two monarch-ss existences and twenty overlords, not to mention the thousands of other high-level creatures. In such a ce, the rewards for defeating them would undoubtedly be incredibly rich. Han Kexin summoned her subi troops, and the trio led the forces to clear the area around the Temple of Madness. Although there were numerous native tribes near the Mountains of Madness, they were currently extremely weak and had no ability to resist. These tribes were all independent territories and did not belong to the Mountains of Madness.


    [You''ve conquered "Mountains of Madness"!]


    [You''ve obtained "Exquisite Stardust Diamond Chest" x1!]


    A diamond chest! Han Kexin could not contain her excitement. It was her first time getting a diamond chest, and not just any diamond chest, but a high-grade one. Who knew how many amazing items it would contain? Following their agreement, they would split the loot equally. This time, they had really hit the jackpot!


    [You''ve opened the Stardust Diamond Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x30 million, "Blueprint: Tower of Psychic Trials" x1, "Level 5 Special Building Upgrade Scroll" x1, "Advanced Castle Upgrade Scroll" x1, "Crown of Domination" x1, "Spirit Gem" x12,000, "Dark Gem" x10,000, "Soul Gem" x8000!]


    As expected, the rewards were excellent. Among the items obtained, the most eye-catching was the "Level 5 Special Building Upgrade Scroll"! This item, though not a blueprint, was likely worth several times or even ten times more than most Level 5 special building blueprints. Level 6 blueprints were incredibly rare; even Zhang Nu had never seen one before. The upgrade scroll allowed him to upgrade important facilities like the Citadel of Eternity, Soul Altar, Tower of Training, Tower of Lost Trials, and the Evil God Cultivator, all of which were Level 5 special buildings.


    Of course, Zhang Nu had long had a Level 4 special building scroll in possession and had never been willing to use it. He could upgrade the Tree of Miracle in Giantree City to the Tree of Eternity and then use this scroll to upgrade the Tree of Eternity once again. ording to the ancient elven texts, the Tree of Eternity was already the most powerful existence in the Elven Empire. If he were to upgrade it again, what kind of existence would it be? Just the thought of it caused excitement, but the prerequisite was having this Level 5 upgrade scroll.


    Obviously, this upgrade scroll was far more important to Zhang Nu than the blueprints, equipment, and castle upgradesbined in this loot. From this haul, they obtained a blueprint for the "Tower of Psychic Trials" Despite its value, it was not of much use to Zhang Nu since he already had the Darkness City with a simr building type.


    As for the "Advanced Castle Upgrade Scroll," Zhang Nu had already used it. His castle had long been upgraded from an "Advanced Demon Lord Castle" to a "Demon Dragon Castle," so this upgrade scroll was useless to him.


    Lastly, there was a "Crown of Domination" Demon King''s reward chests rarely dropped equipment, but once they did, it was undoubtedly excellent. This crown was a mid-tier epic equipment. It bestowed various secret psychic attack techniques upon the wearer, provided formidable psychic damage immunity, and enhanced psychic ability effects. Although the equipment was good, Zhang Nu did not like relying on equipment. Moreover, he already possessed the "Eye of Domination". This piece of equipment did not hold any significant value for Zhang Nu.


    Zhang Nu thought for a moment and then said, "I want the Level 5 upgrade scroll. You can have the blueprint, equipment, and castle upgrade scroll."


    Hearing this, Han Kexin was stunned. She found it hard to believe. "Am I mistaken? The usually thrifty potato lord is surprisingly generous today?"


    Han Kexin was well aware of the value of the special building upgrade scroll. It was indeed the most valuable among all the spoils. However, in her opinion, the other three items were not bad either. As long as she could get her hands on two of them, she was willing to give up the third one. She never expected that Zhang Nu would give her all three items.


    Zhang Nu asked, "If you say it like that, I might reconsider."


    Han Kexin quickly replied, "No, no, that won''t do. Since it''s been said, let''s stick with this arrangement. The upgrade scroll belongs to you."


    She happily divided the spoils among them. The Tower of Psychic Trial was a Level 5 special building, an extremely valuable item that could be used to enhance strength or train soldiers. The Advanced Castle Upgrade Scroll was perfect for upgrading her castle into a super castle like the one in Darkness City. As for the Crown of Domination, it felt tailor-made for her. Han Kexin believed that possessing this equipment could at least enhance her strength by a quarter. Both Zhang Nu and Han Kexin were very satisfied with this distribution n.


    Finally, they turned their focus toward the gold and gems. Zhang Nu''s primary motive foring here was the gems, and he was not disappointed. The gems he received were easily worth several hundred million gold. Zhang Nu chose to forgo the distribution of gold in favor of acquiring more gems, and Han Kexin readily agreed. Ultimately, Zhang Nu obtained 8000 spirit gems, 5000 dark gems, and 6000 soul gems. The surplus gems he received far surpassed the market value of the gold he relinquished.


    Currently, dark gems were valued at over 2,000 gold each in the Demon King market. Spirit gems and soul gems were even rarer and considerably more expensive than dark gems. Han Kexin demonstrated remarkable generosity in this matter. She understood that without Zhang Nu, their victory would not have been possible. Even if she had topromise in the distribution, she emerged as the ultimate victor. The Mountain of Madness was now devoid of any traces of the Evil God''s aura or psychic pollution, and the numerous tribes surrounding the area were in an extremely weakened state. When she dispatched her troops next, conquering these tribes would be a straightforward task. This not only meantplete control over the resources of the Mountain of Madness but also the acquisition of dozens of tribal territories, promising immense rewards.


    As for Zhang Nu, although he was the primary contributor, he did not demand additional rewards or arger share for the future assault on the affiliated tribes of the Mountains of Madness. His rationale was simple. Despite his role as the primary damage dealer, the entire operation, from intelligence gathering to troop deployment, was orchestrated by the Gloom City, and Han Kexin had made her own significant contributions. In a coborative effort such as this, it was not fair to deny others their rightful share based solely on differences in damage output. Moreover, Zhang Nu had acquired the Evil God fragment, an item he could not share with Han Kexin. Therefore, strictly speaking, he had gained a substantial advantage.


    In cooperative ventures, the goal should always be mutual benefit, not just individual gain. With Zhang Nu obtaining the Evil God fragment, the Level 5 upgrade scroll, and a considerable number of gems, his earnings from monster hunting alone amounted to a staggering 27 million gold. It was safe to say that his gains far surpassed his initial expectations. Han Kexin, on the other hand, was even more delighted. She had never before received such a substantial haul of gold and gem spoils. Furthermore, with the Gloom City dispatching troops to attack the affiliated tribes of the Mountain of Madness, there were numerous treasure chests waiting to be opened in the future. So when Zhang Nu exined the matter of the Evil God fragment to her, she weed the news without any reservations.


    "This coboration turned out to be incredibly fruitful!"


    After returning to Gloom City, Zhang Nu bid farewell to Han Kexin, saying, "If there are more opportunities for coboration in the future, feel free toe to the Darkness City and seek me out."


    Han Kexin replied, "In the underworld, there are countless monster zones and high-level monster areas. There will definitely be more chances."


    She was very satisfied. Under this coboration, the Gloom City''s strength had significantly increased. Her personal growth had also elerated. She could not help but admit that this potato was quite capable. Since Gloom City and the Darkness City had established initial strategic cooperation, they had already achieved mutual benefits in multiple areas. Han Kexin decided to deepen their rtionship further to create even more shared value."

 Chapter 221: Continuation of Conquest

    Zhang Nu returned to the Darkness City. The first thing he did was to build the Resurrection Altar.


    [Consume "Blueprint: Demon King''s Resurrection Altar" ¡Á1, "Gold" ¡Á50 million, "Life Gems" ¡Á5000, "Undeath Gems" ¡Á5000, "Spirit Gems" ¡Á5000, "Soul Gems" ¡Á4000, and "Level 5 Souls" ¡Á10 to construct the Demon King''s Resurrection Altar?]


    This was probably the most expensive facility Zhang Nu had ever constructed. However, without hesitation, he decided to proceed. Not to mention the considerable number of gems he had received in the past few days, just one trip to the Mountains of Madness had provided enough materials for the construction. As for the surplus soul gems and spirit gems, they were crucial strategic reserves. Compared to elemental gems, these gems were exceptionally rare.


    "Construct!"


    Near the Demon King''s Altar, a magic formation appeared on the ground. After a few seconds of vibration, a mysterious facility slowly emerged. Unlike other altars, the structure of the Resurrection Altar was peculiar. It was one-third the height of the Demon King''s Altar, and in the center, there was a pool. However, it was not filled with water but a blood-red energy, exuding a mysterious aura.


    [Resurrection Altar construction sessful!]


    [Your soul is bound to the altar!]


    Finally, done atst! With this altar, as long as sufficient materials were reserved, Zhang Nu was practically immortal! Unless someone managed to kill him while simultaneously destroying both the Demon King''s Castle and the Resurrection Altar, there was no way to kill this great Demon King. Now, Zhang Nu could be more bold and fearless. He could venture into even more dangerous ces, challenge greater and more perilous beings, all without worrying about losing his soul. Why? Because Zhang Nu''s soul was bound to the Resurrection Altar. Only by killing him and destroying the altar simultaneously could someone obtain his soul.


    Of course, given Zhang Nu''s current strength and his usual cautious and prudent approach, he believed he might not have many opportunities to use this altar himself. It was more prepared for his subordinates. With this altar, his troops could be bolder. While the resurrection cost for advanced units might be high, the basic unit''s resurrection cost was generally much lower than the cost of summoning and training them from scratch. This significantly reduced the losses in every battle for the Darkness City.


    Not bad, not bad at all.


    Currently, Zhang Nu still had 110 million gold. In terms of the Chaos Federation''s financial situation, even with the high daily expenditure, the ie remained above 3.5 million gold daily and was rapidly increasing. It was expected that in a few days, the ie could break through to 4 to 5 million. With plenty of gold in hand and a steadily growing financial ie, Zhang Nu was incredibly satisfied with his current situation.


    Zhang Nu decided to further enhance the high-endbat power toy the foundation for expanding the Chaos Federation''s territory. In front of the Demon King''s altar, he recruited seven abyssal dragons. Waves after waves of imposing aura swept across the area, dragons of various colors and abilities emerged from the summoning portal,nding around the Demon King and bowing respectfully.


    "Hail, my master!" they proimed in unison.


    Zhang Nu inspected these new subordinates: two fiery red dragons, two aquatic blue dragons, a pristine white dragon, a verdant green dragon, and a sturdy yellow dragon. Assigning them names from Long Si to Long Shi, he took their elemental attributes into ount. Red denoted fire, blue symbolized water, green represented wind, yellow stood for earth, and white indicated ice.


    This time, there were no dragons with particrly rare attributes. The slightly unique one was Long Shi, a white dragon with an icy-blue hue reminiscent of a millennia-old ice crystal. This was an ice-element dragon, a subcategory of water-element dragons. While water-element dragons had excellent ice magic, ice-element dragons had more potent ice attack abilities, granting them more potential for growth.


    Following a round of Demon King baptism, these dragons were elevated to the advanced stages of Level 5. Zhang Nu issued his orders with authority, "Your mission is to coborate closely with the three Dragon Kings and aid the Shadow City in its conquests and territorial expansion!"


    "Yes! My master!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "We will not disappoint you!"


    The seven abyssal dragons acknowledged the orders and swiftly arrived at the frontline. The three Dragon Kings were delighted to receive the support of their fellow kin.


    Long Yi spoke, "Your timing is impable. We are about tounch an assault on Kregi City. You neers will have the chance to distinguish yourselves in this battle."


    Upon hearing this, the seven newly arrived dragons were filled with enthusiasm. They had not expected to have an opportunity to prove themselves so soon after their arrival.


    On that day, in the evening, in the city of Kregi. This city was the main stronghold of a marquisate, located at the southern border of the Thunder Empire, closest to the Chaos Forest. Kregi was a bustling city with a poption of over a million, serving as a vital hub in the southern territories of the empire. Not only did it hold significant military value, but it was also economically prosperous. From the center of Kregi, several other baronies and viscounties radiated outward. Among them, the territory of Colo was situated just south of Kregi, sharing a border of less than two hundred miles. This region was a necessary passage for the Chaos Federation''s advance into the southern territories of the empire.


    At this moment, news about the events in Colo had already spread throughout Kregi. The renowned and feared Marquis Kregi had fallen on the battlefield. The shadows of the three titans from Darkness City, rulers of the Chaos Federation, had cast a pall over the region. Within a few days, adventurers, mercenaries, and merchant caravans had started fleeing the city. The once lively and bustling main city of Kregi now felt oppressive and subdued. Soldiers patrolled the streets, and the main city was surrounded by a hundred thousand strong city defense force, with an additional twenty thousand knights from the Kregi family remaining vignt.


    The eldest son of Marquis Kregi, young Kregi, had assumed control of the family estate unexpectedly. He had not evenpleted the traditional sessor trials of the Kregi family yet, but circumstances had thrust him into this position of power. Normally, this would have been a cause for celebration and a dreame true. However, at this moment, young Kregi could not find any joy in his newfound status.


    Eighty percent of Marquis Kregi''s retainers and advisors, people who had admired and respected the marquis, had deserted. Among them were exceptional individuals¡ªtop-tier adventurers, skilled swordsmen, and mages of remarkable talent¡ªwho had enjoyed the marquis''s hospitality. However, as soon as the marquis had fallen, these people had scattered like birds fleeing a fallen tree.


    "Hasn''t the empire sent reinforcements yet? Continue seeking aid from Grand Duke Bachor!"


    Young Kregi was extremely anxious. "With the current number of troops we have, if the forces from the Darkness City arrive, we are done for!"


    Having just taken over as the lord, he did not want his rule to end so abruptly under the influence of the ursed Demon King from the Chaos Forest.


    "Rest assured," the elders of the Kregi family assured him. "The fifth wave of messengers has been dispatched. We believe there will be a response from the Bachor City soon."


    However, deep down, they all knew the reality. Grand Duke Bachor had suffered significant losses in this battle. It would be challenging for him to mobilize his forces again in the short term, especially considering that nearly all of the five legions in the nearby regions had been decimated. Whether they called for reinforcements from Bahoel City or from even farther territories in the south, it would take time. Given the current circumstances, it was unlikely they would receive substantial support within ten days. Could Kregi even hold out for more than ten days in its current state?


    Just then, a servant rushed in frantically, "My lord, esteemed elders, there''s a major problem! The dragons from the Chaos Forest are attacking the city!"


    "What?!" Upon hearing this news, the faces of everyone present turned gravely pale.


    As young Kregi rushed out of the lord''s castle, he could sense the approaching oppressive pressure. At least ten dragons, each between fifty and a hundred meters in size, were hovering in the sky above the main city of Kregi. There were dragons of red, green, blue, yellow, and white hues. Every single one of these massive dragons exuded tremendous pressure. Leading them was a ck dragon, its body extending over eighty meters, emanating an aura of death and darkness. It continuously exuded an air of royal authority.


    "I am the Dark Dragon King of the Chaos Forest! I dere that from this day forth, this ce shall be the territory of the Chaos Federation! You insignificant ants are given one chance to surrender. Those who resist will face only death!"


    It was absolutely horrifying! Who had ever seen so many dragons, let alone abyssal dragons? The aura emanating from the Dark Dragon King sent the entire city into a panic.


    Young Kregi roared, "You savage vermin! How dare you invade the Kregi family''s territory! You will pay dearly for this!"


    "Quick! Stop them! We must not surrender to the Demon King! The glory of the empire''s territories and the Kregi family is sacred and invible!"


    The Dark Dragon King observed the city''s defense forces, mage units, and knights of the Kregi family gathering. He chuckled coldly, "Good, very good. Since you don''t know your ce, I will show you what true despair means!"


    Ten massive dragons simultaneouslyunched their attack. Despite the city''s defensive barriers being several times stronger than those of Kolo City, stopping a monarch-ss dragon and nine true dragons was nearly impossible. Furthermore, at the same time as the attack, a force of five thousand draconian soldiers arrived on the battlefield. Though their numbers were small, they were all flying units. Regr infantry could not fly, but all five thousand of these soldiers were all super soldiers, possessing formidablebat capabilities.


    Within moments, Kregi''s protective barrier was shattered.


    "The dragons are here!"


    "Run, everyone!"


    "Don''t kill me!"


    "We surrender willingly!"


    Chaos engulfed the entire Kregi as its citizens trembled under the shadow. Long Shi swooped down, breathing out not mes but an icy breath that froze the entire street within moments. Hundreds of mages were turned into ice sculptures. Other dragons attacked the city, breathing out mes and lightning, nting dread into Kregi''s forces.


    It was dire. They could not hold on. The power disparity was too great. Just as Young Kregi was about to flee, the Dark Dragon King teleported right before him. Young Kregi hurriedly knelt down, "I surrender, I''m willing to surrender. Spare my life, and I will offer everything¡ªKregi City and the entire Kregi family¡ªto you, my lord."


    "Toote. After killing you, all these will belong to the Darkness City."


    In a wail of despair, young Kregi was consumed by ck mes. Amidst his screams, he was swiftly reduced to ashes by the unquenchable magical fire, leaving nothing but a few remnants.


    After killing this temporary lord, Long Yi cleaned up over two thousand core members of the Kregi family. The entire main branch of the Kregi family was annihted under the merciless mes of the Dark Dragon King. Then, a coteral branch was captured. Long Yi nned to repeat his past strategy. He intended to support this coteral branch of the Kregi family, allowing these previously neglected rtives to take control. This way, the entire Kregi family could be easily integrated into the system of the Chaos Federation.


    With the main city easily breached, other cities were now being attacked by random forces led by anyone. In at most three or four days, the entire Kregi territory would be fully upied by the forces of the Chaos Federation. This would pave the way for a full-scale assault on the empire. Numerous cities, vast territories, abundantnds, and countless people were awaiting the conquest and plunder by the Demon King. However, the Demon King did not even need to step out into the light. He only had to stay in his castle and wait for the victories to flow in."

 Chapter 222: Tree of Eternity

    On this day, Nancilia and Marilyn received news: the Great Demon King wasing to inspect Giantree City! Without dy, the two of them immediately led the elder council of the elves to wee His Majesty''s visit.


    "Greetings, Your Majesty!"


    "No need for such formality," the Great Demon King replied. "I''m here for a casual visit, nothing more."


    Quick to respond, Nancilia continued, "We didn''t intend for everyone to make such borate preparations. Without Your Majesty''s guidance, Giantree City wouldn''t be the thriving ce it is today. Our people are simply eager to express their heartfelt gratitude to Your Majesty!"


    The Great Demon King nodded. "I''ve been closely observing Giantree City''s progress. Your people¡¯s achievements in pharmaceuticals, cultivation, and various other fields aremendable."


    With those words, apanied by a retinue of over a hundred esteemed elf elders, the two elf city lords embarked on aprehensive inspection of Tree City.


    "Ah!"


    ¡°It¡¯s the Demon King!¡±


    "The Demon King has arrived!"


    "All hail the Demon King, we pay our respects!"


    "May the Demon King''s legacy endure, and may the Chaos Federation prosper!"


    As Zhang Nu moved through the city, he experienced the adoration and awe of the elves. From the youngest ones who appeared to be only three or four years old, to elderly elves leaning on their canes, every elf regarded him with a mixture of fascination, respect, and reverence. All of them regarded him with fanaticism, awe, and worship. Most of these elves weremon folk who had never seen the Demon King before, and they were extremely excited at this moment. Regarding this, Zhang Nu was very satisfied. He realized the immense respect he held within the elvenmunity.


    The elven tribe stood as one of the central pirs of the Chaos Federation. When it came to the elven capital, its significance might not have matched that of the Darkness City, but it undoubtedly stood as the most vibrant city in the entire federation.


    Giantree City''s total poption had already surpassed six hundred thousand, divided into two main regions: the Giantree City district and the Giantree Forest district. The forest area, known as the Giantree Forest, was exclusively reserved for the elvenmunity, providing a tranquil environment. In contrast, the city area epassed a mix of Elves and various other races, creating a bustling and prosperous atmosphere. For the elves, it had been a perfect ce to reside. Those who enjoyed a lively, fashionable, and convenient lifestyle could settle in the city area. Meanwhile, elves who preferred a quiet, ancient, and primitive way of life could choose to live in the forest area. Regardless of their choice, all residents could benefit from the Tree of Miracle, which enhanced their abilities, thanks to the economic prosperity brought about by Giantree City.


    During his tour of Giantree City, Zhang Nu had noticed that alchemy and agriculture had been industrialized here. The city was generating a value of no less than 10 million Demon King gold for the Demon King every day. Of course, this was merely the scale of the value created. Whether it could be converted into gold depended on finding appropriate markets to absorb such a massive production capacity. However, with the development of the Dark Dragon merchants guild, this no longer posed a problem.


    In fact, as long as Giantree City''s current industrial output was fully utilized, it would have been enough to double the Demon King''s fiscal ie. Considering the aspect of time and poption, Giantree City''s potential had been far from being fully tapped.


    Marilyn exined, "We have not only nned for arge-scale elven workshop but also established an elven academy. The academy is about to start its sses."


    Zhang Nu inquired, "Elven academy? What is its purpose?"


    Marilyn replied, "We aim to educate our people in magic, martial arts, alchemy, and agriculture, systematically enhancing the abilities of the citizens and future generations of Giantree City. Additionally, we have learned many lost magics, martial arts, alchemical forms, and ancient formations from Your Majesty''s elven sanctuary. We can teach these skills to our people, allowing the knowledge bestowed by Your Majesty to create better value for you."


    "I see," nodded Zhang Nu, pleased with the high level of awareness disyed by the elven tribe.


    After a brief inspection, Zhang Nu left the city and arrived before the Tree of Miracle. The elven tribe had cultivated over ten miles ofnd here. The resident ancient tree elven legion was consistently engaged in farming activities when they were off duty. Moreover, there were more than a hundred thousand elven farmers from Giantree City, making it the primary food supplier for the Chaos Federation.


    As of now, Giantree City had be the main food supplier for the Chaotic Federation. Various cities and tribes could purchase food from Tree City, ensuring they could focus on developing their respective advantageous industries.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Marilyn added, "The farm''s yield still exceeds the demand. With the help of the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce, we can easily sell any excess materials and food."


    "So, we n to further absorb more people from the Chaos Forest. By integrating more elves into Giantree City, we can increase our investments."


    Shaking his head, Zhang Nu remarked, "It''s not enough. The elven poption in the Chaos Forest does not exceed one million. Currently, Giantree City has gathered nearly five hundred thousand elves. At most, we can bring in another two to three hundred thousand residents. This poption is inadequate for constructing arge-scale elven capital and production base. The Chaos Federation needs more Elves, and so does Giantree City."


    Nancilia and Marilyn, leading the elven high-ranking officials, were deeply shocked. The Demon King''s intention was crystal clear: the elven poption in the Chaos Forest was insufficient. The Demon King aimed to transform Giantree City into an unparalleled elven capital. What could a mere million elves aplish in this grand endeavor? The hearts of the elves swelled with admiration. They did not know of any elven kingdom elsewhere. All they knew was that within the few hundred thousand miles nearby, there had not been a decent-sized elven force for thousands of years. Millions of elves had to live in the cracks of other massive forces, sometimes even bing pets in various empires. If possible, they all yearned to unite all the elves. The only method Giantree City could think of was to use Nancilia''s influence, having her, in her capacity as the Elven King, summon elves from all corners to join them.


    Upon hearing this, the Demon Kingmented, "This is indeed a good method. However, I have an even better one."


    The elven leaders were stunned. The Elven King held tremendous sway; could the Demon King have a more effective means? Zhang Nu did not exin. He approached the Ancient Tree of Miracle. cing his hand on the giant tree, a prompt appeared:


    [Upgrade the Tree of Miracle? The upgrade costs "Level 4 Special Building Upgrade Scroll" x1, ¡°gold¡± x40 million, ¡°elemental gems¡± x5000 each, ¡°light gem¡± x4000, ¡°life gem¡± x4000, ¡°soul gem¡± x2000!]


    Tsk tsk! Expensive! Bloody expensive! If it weren''t for the recent windfall and the fairly abundant reserves of elemental gems, Zhang Nu really would not have the confidence to upgrade this building. However, at this moment, he did not hesitate at all. Amid the elves'' confusion, the Demon King directly chose to upgrade.


    In the next moment, all the elves present felt a pulsation in the earth. The mightiest power of the Goddess of Nature seemed to be summoned from the depths of the universe.


    "What did His Majesty do?"


    "I feel an immense power!"


    "His Majesty has triggered a tremendous energy!"


    "So powerful, is this something a mortal can summon?"


    "I felt it too, my goodness, this power is as if the Goddess herself has descended!"


    When the entire Elven leadership was still in shock, Nancilia seemed to realize something: "Could it be... the ancient tree!"


    Then everyone noticed the new changes in the Tree of Miracle. Spreading out from the earth, countless golden patterns were rapidly expanding, from the roots to the trunk, from branches to leaves. The giant tree was growing wildly during this process.


    The Ancient Tree of Miracle, originally towering at 800 meters, was further increasing in size!


    800 meters!


    1,000 meters!


    1,500 meters!


    1,800 meters!


    Finally, it reached approximately 2,000 meters, gradually ceasing its growth. Its height had more than doubled, and the diameter of the area it covered with its crown was about 15,000 meters.


    At this moment, even an ordinary person could easily see this giant tree from hundreds of miles away. The golden patterns on the tree were spreading wildly. The originally verdant tree trunk turned golden, and the leaves took on a golden-green hue. The vitality emanating from it was stronger than before, and the direct influence range significantly increased. The indirect influence range expanded to several hundred, nearly a thousand miles.


    [Tree of Eternity] Level 5 special building. Within a radius of 50 kilometers, +120% recovery rate for all units, -50% aging rate for all units, +300% training efficiency for elves, -80% aging rate for elves, +75% attribute bonus for elves. elerated the growth rate of animals and nts. Unlocked new summonable elven poption. Unlocked summoning of Eternal Barrier. Unlocked production of Eternal Sacred Fruits.]


    Upgrade sessful!


    Upon upgrading from the Level 4 Tree of Miracle to the Level 5 Tree of Eternity, Zhang Nu noticed a significant increase in the tree''s functions. Various attributes were substantially enhanced, including unlocking a total summoning poption of up to sixty thousand.


    Two additional abilities were gained: The first one was the ability to summon the Eternal Barrier. This was a powerful Level 5 barrier that not only had robust protective effects but could also promote elven life and production and weaken invading enemy units.


    The second ability was to produce Eternal Sacred Fruits. The Ancient Tree of Eternity''s preciousness and its influence on the elven race''s fortune primarily stemmed from its ability to produce these fruits.


    The conditions for producing Eternal Sacred Fruits were extremely harsh. Each fruit required a cultivation period of 1,800 years. When elves with exceptional aptitude consumed an Eternal Sacred Fruit, they had the chance to activate and strengthen their elven bloodline, thus bing an Elven King. This meant that as long as this ancient tree was protected, the elven race would not have to worry about a gap in their kingship. Therefore, the Tree of Eternity was regarded as the ultimate sacred object in the minds of the elven race.


    "This is the Tree of Eternity!!"


    "Lord Demon King has created the Ancient Tree of Eternity for us!"


    Countless Elves were ecstatic! The sacred item that the former Elven Empire had treasured so dearly was now present in the humble Giantree City. For the elves, this was an immense honor and privilege. It moved even the most indifferent elves to tears, making them worship fervently.


    The Ancient Tree of Eternity had many functions. For instance, its leaves could be directly turned into valuable herbs. Its sap had the power to heal various illnesses and dispel curses and toxins. Every part of this tree was a treasure. Its impact was far-reaching. The presence of the Tree of Eternity could subtly increase the spiritual density of the surrounding area and improve the environment, influencing a significant portion of the Chaos Forest.


    However, the Tree of Eternity could not remain hidden. Its sudden appearance would soon be sensed by various forces. Such a precious item, once known to the world, would inevitably attract covetous eyes.


    Once the Elves from all corners of the world found out that the Ancient Tree of Eternity had appeared in the Chaos Forest, even without active summoning or calling, they would brave all difficulties toe and seek refuge. Conservatively estimating, within a year or two, the elven poption in the Chaos Forest would multiply at least fivefold. In the future, more elves would arrive, making Giantree City truly a super elven cityparable to an elven kingdom.


    And the more elves there were, the greater the value they could create. With one substantial investment, the Demon King could enjoy endless long-term returns. This was the significance of Zhang Nu''s significant expenditure and the use of a "Level 4 Special Building Upgrade Scroll" to upgrade the Tree of Miracle!"

 Chapter 223: The Second Elven King

    The Ancient Tree of Eternity.


    During the entire period of the Elven Empire, they managed to cultivate only two or three such trees. The difficulty in creating these beings was immense. Even for the Elven Empire, it was a significant strain on their resources. And what¡¯s Giantree City? Just a ce with only half a million elves. Compared to the empire, it was no more than arge tribe. For the elves in Giantree City, the thought of having a Level 3 Tree of Life in the city, let alone a Level 5 Tree of Eternity, was something they would not even have dared to dream of in the past.


    However, the intervention of the Demon King, wielding his extraordinary powers, turned this unthinkable dream into reality for Giant Tree City. Giant Tree City now miraculously possessed an Ancient Tree of Eternity! Such a feat could never have been achieved without the direct intervention of the Goddess of Nature. Nancilia, Marilyn, and all the elven elders were overjoyed. With this tree, the revival of the elven race was no longer a dream.


    Of course, the Tree of Eternity was incredibly precious, and countless powerful beings would undoubtedly covet it. The elves were well aware of their limitations. Even with the Elven King Nancilia, it would be challenging to protect the ancient tree. It was like a lowlymoner carrying a precious gem ¨C the man¡¯s wealth would bring upon troubles and his own ruin. Without the backing of a force like the Chaos Federation, without the magnificent presence of the Dragon Demon King, obtaining the Tree of Eternity for Giant Tree City might not be a blessing at all. It could instead attract disaster!


    Nancilia spoke, a mix of excitement and anxiety in her voice, "Your Majesty, creating the Tree of Eternity for the elves must havee at a significant cost and sacrifice, hasn''t it?"


    Hearing this, Marilyn, along with the elven elders, ceased their jubtion, their concerns overshadowing their joy. Such a magnificent creation could not have appeared out of thin air.


    The young Elven King was genuinely concerned for the Demon King.


    Calmly, Zhang Nu responded, "You''re right. The cost is indeed substantial, but it''s worth it."


    It was the truth. Tens of millions in gold, tens of thousands of precious gems¡ªa steep price indeed. For the Demon King, it meant clearing one or two Level 5 monarch-ss areas just to earn it back, a considerable expense. However, the idea of a high cost differed greatly between the elves and the Demon King.


    Nancilia, Marilyn, and the Elven elders were immediately rmed. They began to worry. The Demon King had acknowledged the cost. It had to be something significant¡ªperhaps hundreds of cultivation levels, maybe even thousands of years of lifespan! The elves had owed the Demon King too much. How could they ever repay this debt? This favor had to be repaid for generations, for thousands and thousands of years toe!


    Zhang Nu tried to prompt the upgrade interface again. He had just obtained a Level 5 special building upgrade scroll. The Ancient Tree of Eternity theoretically could be further upgraded, but what it would turn into after the upgrade was unknown to anyone. Even the ancient Elven Empire, with all its might, had never cultivated something more powerful than the Tree of Eternity.


    However, upon receiving the feedback and seeing the required costs, Zhang Nu was left speechless. Just the gold alone would amount to several hundred million. The costs for other materials were ten times as much. Well, he decided to let go of the idea. Upgrading was too expensive; at least for the time being, Zhang Nu did not have the resources to further upgrade the ancient tree.


    Fortunately, the Level 5 Tree of Eternity was already powerful enough. It unlocked a total of sixty thousand summonable elven units. The highest-level unit was the Level 5 overlord "Eternal Priestess." This Eternal Priestess was an upgrade from the Miracle Archpriest, possessing top-notch Level 5 overlord strength. When within the influence range of the Tree of Eternity, she could effortlessly confront or even suppress a Level 5 monarch-ss unit. In other words, she was quite formidable.


    However, the most important and core ability of the Tree of Eternity was still the creation of Eternal Holy Fruits. These fruits could be condensed over several hundred years by nourishing them with the souls of the deceased priests and generations of the Elven n, using conventional methods.


    But being the Demon King, Zhang Nu had a straightforward and unconventional method.


    [Eternal Sacred Fruit] Level 5 orange quality. Costs 13.5 million gold each.


    That''s right. Zhang Nu could just buy them. For the Demon King, miracles could be created effortlessly as long as there was gold.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Although a bit expensive, he could afford it. Paying 27 million gold coins, he decided to buy two fruits to give it a try. While the elves were still overwhelmed with gratitude for the Demon King, the Ancient Tree of Eternity lit up with endless energy gathering between its branches. Eventually, two golden fruits formed and gently fell into the Demon King''s hands.


    "What is this¡­"


    "The legendary Eternal Sacred Fruit!"


    "There are records of this in ancient scriptures!"


    "This is the sacred item of our elven race!"


    Using the power of the ancient tree, the Demon King created two fruits, holding one in each hand. He nced at the properties of the fruits.


    [Eternal Sacred Fruit] Level 5 orange quality. Effective only for the elven race. It significantly enhances potential, aptitude, and bloodline strength, with a certain chance to directly activate the Elven King''s bloodline. Each elf can only use it once.


    A valuable item indeed. Its functionality was somewhat simr to the Soul Sacrifice of the Soul Altar in the Darkness City. However, there was a key difference. The materials for Soul Sacrifice were souls; to create a monarch aptitude, at least one or even several high-quality Level 6 souls were necessary. In contrast, the Eternal Sacred Fruit could be obtained with gold, something Zhang Nu found rtively easy to earnpared to souls.


    Furthermore, the Soul Altar had a fixed limit for aptitude enhancement, which was monarch-level. In contrast, the Sacred Fruit had no fixed limit. Even if one already had monarch-level aptitude, it could still provide substantial enhancements. However, unlike the Soul Altar, the SacredFruit was only effective for elves. Additionally, each elf had only one chance to use it. Therefore, it was best given to elves with the highest aptitude and the greatest potential.


    Zhang Nu said, "Nancilia, Marilyn, you''ve managed Giantree City for me during this time, and you''ve also shown great courage on the battlefield. I''m rewarding both of you with these two fruits."


    The two elves received the glowing fruits with trembling hands. Shock, joy, surprise, gratitude, and a mix of emotions flooded their hearts, leaving them speechless.


    "This item can''t be kept for long. Use it quickly!"manded the Demon King.


    The two elves did not dare to dy and quickly swallowed the fruits. The Sacred Fruit was just a bitrger than a fist, almost melting in their mouths with no distinctive taste. However, it instantly transformed into a powerful surge, spreading from their bellies to their limbs and finally permeating every cell.


    After a few minutes, "Ah!" Marilyn let out a light cry. A tremendous pressure emanated from her, causing all the elves present to change color, their faces filled with disbelief.


    Monarch''s aura? It couldn''t be...


    Zhang Nu had already noticed. Marilyn''s name prefix had changed. Originally, her name was "Silver Spring Elven Chieftain: Marilyn." After joining Giantree City, her name became "Giantree City Grand Elder: Marilyn." However, at this moment¡­


    [Elven King: Marilyn] Level 5 monarch.


    Skills: Domain of Swiftness (Talent), Elven King Bloodline (Talent), Elven King''s Aura (Talent), Wind Mastery (Talent), Insightful Eyes (Talent), Gale Qi (A-rank), Storm Arrow (A-rank), Tempest Art (A-rank), etc.


    Indeed, Marilyn had exceptional innate talents. She was the only elf in the entire Chaos Forest, apart from Nancilia, with significant cultivation potential. However, to enhance her aptitude using souls, it would likely require two or three high-quality Level 6 souls. Even though Zhang Nu had two high-quality Level 6 souls, he was not willing to use them on Marilyn. But now, with just one Sacred Fruit, it was settled. It really saved quite a bit of cost.


    Zhang Nu remarked, "Congrattions on bing the Elven King."


    Marilyn could not believe it herself. "I-I-I... I''ve actually be an Elven King!"


    Nancilia gradually recovered as well. She felt her HP, MP, magical strength, everything, underwent a significant boost. Previously, she could control at most three Elemental Kings. Now, she felt confident in controlling four to five without any issues. However, Nancilia''s actual level had not undergone any changes.


    "Ah, Marilyn-sis, you''re also an Elven King now! That''s really amazing!" Even though another Elven King emerged, and theoretically, she should feel a sense of loss, Nancilia did not. Instead, she felt genuinely happy and relieved. This was due to Nancilia''s personality. She did not attach much importance to the title of Elven King. Furthermore, she deeply believed that she was not leadership material. Being the city lord was entirely due to the pressure imposed on her by her people, which had weighed heavily on her from a young age. Now, with a second Elven King, she felt significantly less burdened.


    Although Nancilia did not show any external changes, Zhang Nu could sense something deeper.


    [Elven King Nancilia] Level 5 monarch unit. 5000 HP, 8800 MP, 65 Strength, 245 Agility, 175 Constitution, 1024 Will, Loyalty 99%...


    Skills: Elven Empress Bloodline (Talent), Divine Tree Domain (Talent), Omni-Magic (Talent), Elven King''s Aura (Talent), Elven King''s Elemental Covenant (Talent)


    Description: This is an Elven King with the potential to be an Elven Empress, possessing iparably strong power and innate hereditary abilities. Her bloodline potential has not been fully unleashed.


    At first nce, the changes might not seem significant, but upon closer inspection, one would notice that Nancilia''s HP and MP maximum values had increased by at least 60%. This was a massive breakthrough. The primary reason for this drastic change was the alteration in her innate talent. "Elven King Bloodline" had transformed into "Elven Empress Bloodline." This surprised and astonished Zhang Nu. Did this mean that this little Elven King might potentially be a mythic-ss elf in the future? How could this be possible?


    Was the effect of the Eternal Sacred Fruit so powerful? Zhang Nu spected that the main reason was still Nancilia''s extraordinary innate potential. When Nancilia broke through to be an Elven King, Zhang Nu sensed that her bloodline power and potential had not been fully developed. This indicated that even with natural development and without encountering any extraordinary opportunities, she still had a chance to break through the limitations of being an Elven King in one or two hundred years.


    Now, after consuming the Sacred Fruit, her talent had further enhanced. This might enable her to advance to that level several hundred years ahead of schedule. Currently, Nancilia was unaware of her potential to be an empress. However, as time passed and her strength increased, she would awaken more and more mythic-ss elven talents. At that point, the elven race would realize that Nancilia was not merely a natural Elven King.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty!"


    "Your Majesty''s great kindness!"


    "The elven n is forever indebted!"


    The elders were overwhelmed with gratitude and did not know how to express it. The Demon King, however, remained calm and said, "To achieve aplete revival for the elves, one Elven King is not enough, and even two may not be sufficient. There might be a third or fourth one in the future."


    Upon hearing this, the elves were both shocked and deeply fascinated. The Three Dragon Kings of the Darkness City had sessfully made their debut and were now the most dazzling figures in the Chaos Federation. If the Giantree City could have three or even four Elven Kings, wouldn''t that be a grand spectacle? The Giantree City''s Three Titans or the Elven King F4¡ªhow magnificent!


    This move would not only enhance the elves'' reputation and contribute to their revival but also significantly elevate the Demon King''s status and influence in their hearts. The elves could clearly see the immense benefits of following the Demon King. While they did not expect to surpass the dragon-kind, they were determined to be the Demon King''s most important allies outside his own race."

 Chapter 224: Rewards of Conquest

    The construction of Resurrection Altar, the summoning of seven dragons, the upgrade of the elven ancient tree and the purchase of two Sacred Fruits. This round of expenses depleted most of Zhang Nu''s savings. However, there was no need to feel distressed; every gold spent was highly worthwhile. After returning to the Darkness City, Zhang Nu opened the yer interface, scanning it out of habit. Immediately, he saw several upation reward notifications:


    [You''ve conquered Kregi City!]


    [You gained "Shining Mythminite Chest" x1!]


    [You''ve conquered Charl City!]


    [You gained "Exquisite Mythminite Chest" x1!]


    [You''ve conquered Reza City!]


    [You gained "Shining Mithril Chest" x1!]


    [You''ve conquered Solo City!]


    [You gained "Gorgeous Mithril Chest" x1!]


    [......]


    [5.5 million human inhabitants of Kregi region plead for surrender. Do you ept?]


    Zhang Nu nced over the information, noting nine conquest notifications. He had acquired two mithminite treasure chests and seven mithril ones. It seemed the Demon King''s army had sessfully invaded the Kregi territory. Among the three provinces in Kregi, two had already been conquered. With the efficiency of the Demon King''s army, the remaining one should be subdued within about three days. This wave of conquest was impressive. The poption was incredibly vast, with 5.5 million people in the region. Zhang Nu felt very satisfied. He decided to open the two mithminite treasure chests one after another.


    [You''ve opened the Mythminite Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x6.5 million, "Blueprint: Mage Job Advancement Tower" ¡Á1, "Level 4 Building Upgrade Scroll" ¡Á1, "Life Gems" ¡Á1000, "Wind Gems" ¡Á1000, "Fire Gems" ¡Á1000!]


    [You''ve opened the Mythminite Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x5 million, "Blueprint: Imperial Hall" x1, "Blueprint: Security Bureau" x1, "Water Gems" ¡Á1000, "Fire Gems" ¡Á1000, "Earth Gems" ¡Á1000!]


    With a quick nce, Zhang Nu felt extremely pleased. He had acquired a total of three blueprints. Surprisingly, one of them was a Level 5 special building.


    [Mage Job Advancement Tower] Level 5 special building...This building essentially allows the conversion of non-magical individuals into mages for a certain fee. It can also promote lower-tier mages to higher-tier ones, ranging from the lowest Level 1 elite to the highest Level 5 elite.


    [Imperial Hall] Level 5 building...This building offersprehensive management of citizens'' information, records merit rewards and punishments, monitors the operation of various buildings, and handles finances. It provides excellent auxiliary management functions.


    [Security Bureau] Level 4 building...This building has recruitment capabilities and can unlock special human units to form different levels of "security forces." While these forces may not be very strong in terms ofbat power, they possess exceptional detective and espionage abilities.


    Among the three buildings, thetter two were auxiliary structures with human-specific features. The most valuable one was undoubtedly the Mage Job Advancement Tower, which was capable of mass-producingbat units. It significantly differed from ordinary barracks-type buildings. Barracks buildings directly recruited summonable units, while the Mage Job Advancement Tower transformed existing nonbat units intobat units or promoted existing low-tierbat units into higher-tier ones.


    Compared to buildings that summoned units out of thin air, this type of building had a major drawback: it could not create a poption out of thin air. If the poption in the territory was notrge enough, its full potential could not be realized. However, its advantages were significant. It had no quantity limit, and the cost of units produced this way was only half to one-fourth of units summoned directly from nothing, making it very economically efficient.


    If he had yet to begin his assault on the empire earlier, Zhang Nu might have hesitated about utilizing the Job Advancement Tower. After all, each person transformed into abat unit meant one less individual avable for farming, alchemy, and production. However, the situation had shifted drastically. A few days ago, he had acquired around 1.5 million people after capturing Kolo. Now, following the attack on the Kregi region, he had gained an astonishing 5.5 million poption.


    Given this trend, the human poption was increasing rapidly within his domain. Many among themcked innate talent for cultivation. By utilizing a portion of these people, they could be transformed into potent individuals with the aid of the Job Advancement Tower. This would not only alter their destinies but also significantly contribute to the Demon King''s forces.


    Moreover, Zhang Nu had a daring idea. Why not open the Job Advancement Tower as a paid service? Since there was no quantity limit, as long as someone was willing to pay, they could transform into a mage. Among the humans, there were countless mediocre individuals, and most of them were ambitious, far from content with a mundane life. If the Job Advancement Tower offered such a service, such as transforming into a Level 1 mage for a fee of 50 gold, Zhang Nu could set an external price of 150 gold. He estimated that many people would manage to gather the money for this opportunity. Not only would the citizens in his territory line up for the job advancement, but even humans from distantnds might eagerly seize this chance.


    If ten thousand people underwent job advancement, Zhang Nu would earn 1 million gold. If a million people pay for the service, he would earn 100 million gold. And this was just for the most affordable option, the Level 1 mage. The potential market was vast. This n would not only generate substantial revenue but also empower ordinary people to alter their destinies and fortify the human cities under his rule. It was a mutually beneficial strategy. Brilliant!


    Zhang Nu opened the remaining seven silver chests in one go, reaping the following rewards:


    [Total Yield: "Gold" ¡Á13.15 million, "Blueprint: Imperial Training Ground" x1, "Blueprint: Imperial Arena" x1, "Blueprint: Imperial Workshop" x1, "Blueprint: Tower of Felony" x1, "Blueprint: Arcane Arrow Tower" x1, "Blueprint: Frost Tower" x1, "Blueprint: Illusion Tower" x1, "Blueprint: Barrier Tower" x1, "Level 2 Building Upgrade Scrolls" x2, "Life Gems" x2200, "Four Elemental Gems" x12000...]


    Among these, there were two Level 4 blueprints, while the rest were mainly Level 3 ones. Some of them were quite practical. Zhang Nu pondered over his newly acquired blueprints and resources. He decided to use most of the blueprints obtained from the human territory in the human cities itself. This move served a dual purpose: enhancing the loyalty of human citizens and bolstering their strength to resist the empire. With these blueprints, controlling the new territories would be considerably easier.


    As Zhang Nu hurried to renovate the newly conquered region...


    ......


    Within the Gloom City, the Subus Queen Han Kexin achieved a significant breakthrough. With the substantial amount of gold and resources obtained from the Mountains of Madness, she sessfully elevated her two core subordinates to a crucial level. Han Qiuyue ascended from being a Subus Archmage to bing a Subus Sage King. Han Dongxue, previously a Subus Grand Marshal, was upgraded to the status of Subus Baroness.


    Han Kexin felt extremely excited and joyful: "Haha, after all this preparation, I finally gathered enough materials. Now I, the Subus Queen, have subordinates at the level of monarchs!"


    Many renowned Demon Kings were ascending to Level 5. However, not all Demon Kings could unlock monarch-ss subordinates. Even if they could unlock them at Level 5, summoning them in the current stage was quite challenging. With two top-tier subordinates, Han Kexin truly became a powerful and respected Demon King. Each of these subordinates could dominate a region on their own.


    Of course, the subus race''s directbat strength was not exceptionally high. When it came to head-to-headbat, Han Qiuyue and Han Dongxue were slightly inferior to some prominent figures from the Darkness City like Zhang San and Li Si. However, Han Qiuyue and Han Dongxue possessed abilities that made them exceptional, abilities that even those prominent figures could not match.


    Han Kexin asked, "How''s the progress of the mission in Holy Tides City?"


    Han Qiuyue replied, "Following Master''s n to support Shui Yao, head of the White Sands n, everything is going smoothly. The other major forces in Holy Tides City are in internal discord under our maniption. The crisis in the White Sands n has been mostly resolved. The next step is to assist Shui Yao in bing the leader."


    As she spoke, she briefed them on the detailed situation.


    "Very well, due to our limited geographical reach, we can''t transfer too many people to invest fully in the Azure Water Federation. The costs and risks would be too high... So, we can only cooperate with the Darkness City. We help them control Holy Tides City in exchange for the Azure Water Federation''s market and opportunities!"


    During this period, Han Kexin had traveled to Holy Tides City multiple times. Her visits to Holy Tides City were even more frequent than her visits to Darkness City. Holy Tides City offered numerous business opportunities, and one could easily find profitable ventures in the market. The thrivingmerce in the Azure Water Federation was an excellent supplement for the Gloom City located at the underworld.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Han Kexin had already begun investing in establishing her own guild. The guild operated directly in Holy Tides City, saving a lot on teleportation costs. However, if Darkness City lost control over Holy Tides City, all her investments would go down the drain.


    At this moment, theposed Han Dongxue spoke up and reported, "There is something that has caught our attention recently. It seems that an external force in Holy Tides City is secretly inquiring about the Demon King of Darkness City. They have even traced it back to the White Sands n."


    "What did you say?" Han Kexin was shocked. "Could it be that Darkness City and the Dark Dragon merchant guild have been exposed?"


    Han Dongxue shook her head and said, "We believe not yet. Therefore, we have not made a move against this mysterious external force for the time being."


    This situation puzzled Han Kexin. Zhang Nu''s activities were primarily concentrated in the north, and the Chaos Federation had minimal presence in the Azure Water Federation. Why would someone from the Azure Water Federation investigate him? Moreover, the information revealed by Han Dongxue indicated that this force did not appear to be a local power in Holy Tides City either. This made the situation even more perplexing. The Azure Water Federation forces outside Holy Tides City should have no apparent connection with Darkness City.


    Could it be that the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce had exposed some vulnerability during their operations? Although this possibility seemed unlikely, it could not bepletely ruled out.


    "No, this matter is of great significance," Han Kexin dered. "Both of you, return to Holy Tides City immediately... Well, forget it, I will handle this in person. I want to see who these people are and what they''re up to!"


    As two major demon lords, Zhang Nu and Han Kexin were closely associated with significant interests. Therefore, she felt it was necessary to personally intervene."

 Chapter 225: Herding the Human Sheep

    The Chaos Federation hadpletely seized control of Kregi City. Under themand of the Dark Dragon King, nine true dragons, five thousand super soldiers, and an additional thirty thousand ground forces had sessfully taken over this baronial city with nearly a million inhabitants.


    The entire baronial lineage had been wiped out. A figure from a prominent but distant branch of the Kregi family assumed the role of the new lord, leading the remnants of the Kregi family to pledge allegiance to the Demon King. The former lord was killed, and the new lord surrendered. The entire baronial family had betrayed the empire. Faced with the ruthless and brutal methods of the Dark Dragon King, what choice did the residents of Kregi City have left? Resisting to the end would inevitably result in the entire city being reduced to ashes. Therefore, the citizens quickly pledged their allegiance to the Demon King.


    Among these surrendered citizens was a renowned merchant named Old York. Old York was a well-known businessman in the Kregi region. The trading guild he founded was one of thergest in the area, primarily engaged in the trade of salt, iron, and medicinal herbs.


    In fact, when the news of the great battle in Kolo arrived and the disastrous defeat of the empire''s army was confirmed, many well-informed major trading guilds and prominent merchants hurriedly packed their valuables and fled, even abandoning significant assets without hesitation.


    Old York had the opportunity and time to escape as well. However, he chose not to. Pushing eighty years old, he had risen from the status of a peasant boy to be a tycoon worth nearly a hundred million. He had spent his entire life in the Kregi region. Now in his old age, he was tired of the hustle and bustle. He owned high-quality salt mines, iron mines, and ntations that could not be moved. Instead of fleeing, he decided to voluntarily offer them to the Demon King.


    He had done some research. The Demon King in the Kolo region did noy employ a scorched earth strategy of piging, plundering, and burning everything to the ground. Instead, he stabilized the cities, provided supplies, and repaired the urban areas. This indicated that this Demon King was not only far-sighted but also ambitious.


    The main city of Kregi was the central hub in the southern bordends of the Thunder Empire. If the Demon King had ambitions for a grand conquest, he would not wipe out the people here, let alone turn this ce into a wastnd. So staying put seemed to be the safe choice. And as it turned out, he was right.


    What Old York had not anticipated was that after the Demon King breached the city, he merely looted the official wealth and resources, eliminating suspicious groups rted to the Hero Guild and ve traders. Ordinary merchants andmon folk, surprisingly, faced no looting. Old York''s salt and iron mines, as well as his ntations, still belonged to him after a simple registration and verification process. He could continue his business without interruption. On the other hand, the fleeing merchant guilds had their immovable properties such as houses, shops, mines, and fields confiscated.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Old York was deeply shocked. As the capital city of Kregi, the people and merchants here were quite affluent. A casual raid by the Demon King or forcing the citizens to surrender their wealth in exchange for their lives would have yielded hundreds of millions in universal gold coins, not a trifling sum. As the victor, as the conqueror, such actions would have been entirely expected. The fact that the Demon King refrained from these actions could only mean one thing: he had grander ambitions. This Demon King''s scope of goal was evenrger than Old York had imagined.


    Next, something even more unbelievable happened. Just as the Demon King officially epted the surrender of the humans, an immense power enveloped the entire city, including Old York. He could feel his aged body rejuvenate, as if he had regained the vitality of his youth. This power... was divine magic! It was the divine magic bestowed by the Goddess of Nature and the Goddess of War! Old York realized that the Demon King was far from simple. Otherwise, how could both his territory and his people receive blessings from two goddesses simultaneously?


    However, at that moment, his granddaughter, Daphne, came running back. "Grandpa, it''s amazing! The Demon King has summoned a magical tower that can grant anyone magical abilities and magical knowledge!"


    "That''s impossible!" Old York clearly did not believe it. "Only one in a hundred individuals have the magical talent, and magic training is incredibly difficult. Even the Demon King can''t easily bestow such powers!"


    Speaking of which, Old York had been quite sessful in life, transforming from a peasant''s son into a wealthy merchant. Yet, he always had a lingering regret. Despite his financial sess, he could not change his inherently humble lineage and poor magical aptitude. He deeply admired magicians and had spent vast sums trying various methods, such as using potions to enhance talents or experimenting with unique training techniques. Unfortunately, all his efforts had been in vain. His aptitude was simply too poor. Neither he nor his children or grandchildren possessed magical talent. It was undoubtedly York''s biggest regret.


    Now, in the twilight of his life, he had long given up hope of ever bing a magician. What he desired most was to find highly talented mages or warriors for his third generation to marry, preventing his descendants from continuing this tragic legacy. Yet, his granddaughter ran up to him, iming that the Demon King had created a magical tower that could instantly bestow magical abilities and knowledge. This seemed utterly impossible, like a fantasy from a different world!


    Old York spoke with deep concern, "It''s precisely because I''ve tried it myself that I understand better than anyone. Turning someone without any aptitude into a noble magician is no less difficult than turning a piece of dung in a pit into gold."


    "Daphne, I know you, like me back then, feel discontented about not being able to practice magic. But this is the harsh reality. There are methods in this world topletely reverse and improve one''s physique, but even with our family''s abilities, those methods are incredibly hard to obtain. You need to learn to ept reality!"


    Before Old York could finish speaking, Daphne interrupted, "Grandpa, it''s true. I''ve already tried it!" Daphne chanted a spell proficiently, and a ball of magical mes instantly ignited in her palm.


    Old York was utterly stunned. "This... this... this..."


    His dream of bing a magician for decades had miraculouslye true through his granddaughter? He found it hard to believe. "Is this really magic you''re casting?"


    "Of course! And that''s not all," Daphne said. "I can also cast Wind de, Earth Spikes, and Rock Hurl now!" She demonstrated several more spells, her techniques incredibly skilled. She did not even seem like a neer to magic but rather a seasoned veteran.


    It appeared Daphne had not only gained magical abilities but also experience and skills!


    Now, Old York had no choice but to believe. Excitedly, he asked, "It''s unbelievable. How did the Demon King do this? What kind of price does it require? Is it the soul or life?"


    Clearly, this kind of power could not juste out of thin air. Even if it required sacrificing the soul or a portion of one''s life, as long as it was not too much, it would be worth it!


    Daphne: "Not the soul! Not even life! Just money will do!" She exined, "This Level 1 mage advancement cost me 1,500 standard gold coins. The more money you spend, the stronger the power you can be endowed with."


    1,500 of the standard currency?


    While it might sound like a lot, it was not as much as one might think. In this world where copper and silver were not used as currency, gold was the only universal currency. 1,500 standard gold coins were not a fortune. An ordinary imperial family could save up that amount in five years by living frugally.


    What could this amount of money do? Perhaps it would not even cover the price of a slightly better-quality potion!


    Old York immediately rushed to the scene with his eight sons, five daughters, and dozens of grandchildren in a specially arranged carriage. At this moment, a crowd had gathered in the city square. A tower imbued with magical and mystical energy stood tall among them.


    Daphne pointed to the tower and said, "Grandpa, this is it. As long as you pay, anyone can use it, anyone can be an outstanding mage. This is a gift from the Demon King to us!"


    This tower was no ordinary tower; it was the newly constructed Level 5 Mage Job Advancement Tower. It was restricted for human use only, avable to anyone over the age of fifteen who could afford the fee. Calcted in Demon King gold, the conversion fees were as follows:


    - Level 1 Elite Mage: Job advancement fee of 50 gold. Charge of 150 standard gold coins!


    - Level 2 Elite Mage: Job advancement fee of 500 gold. Charge of 2,000 standard gold coins!


    - Level 3 Elite Mage: Job advancement fee of 2,500 gold. Charge of 10,000 standard gold coins!


    - Level 4 Elite Mage: Job advancement fee of 8,000 gold. Charge of 50,000 standard gold coins!


    - Level 5 Elite Mage: Job advancement fee of 20,000 gold. Charge of 200,000 standard gold coins!


    Seeing the prices and the actual results, Old York was so excited that he almost fainted. Even for the highest tier, a Level 5 Elite Mage, one would only need 2 million standard gold coins. While this was undoubtedly an astronomical sum for an average person, for Old York, it was manageable. He was willing to do whatever it took, even if it meant selling thest bit of their belongings. Not just for himself, but for Daphne and future generations. What exceptional value!


    Meanwhile, Old York had also realized just how miraculous the Demon King''s methods were. Simr methods did exist in the world, such as specific legacies, special baptisms, and church miracles, all of which could grant extraordinary powers to ordinary people. However, the cost was usually astronomical, making it a distant dream formoners like Old York.


    Now, the Demon King was offering such an opportunity at an unbelievably low price. Even for an average family, saving for five or eight years could add a Level 1 mage to their household. Having a mage made earning money much easier. With more savings, they could further transform into Level 2 mages at the Advancement Tower. These human mages who transformed at the tower would be deeply bound to the Demon King because their power came from him. If the Demon King vanished, so would their powers. For individuals like Old York, losing this power was more painful than death. Therefore, they would fight to maintain the Demon King''s interests and defend the Chaos Federation''s territories.


    This Mage Job Advancement Tower served multiple purposes. Firstly, it increased the number of human mages, significantly boosting the strength of human territories. Secondly, it allowed the Demon King to amass wealth rapidly and exploit the riches of the human world in a reliable manner. These individuals willingly gave their money to the Demon King and felt gratitude toward him. Thirdly, it deepened the foundation of his rule and support. The tower could even be opened to humans in other regions, creating awork of mages who had transformed. They would undoubtedly stand by the Demon King, bing guides for his future army.


    In essence, this tower aplished three goals with one stroke. It not only bolstered the strength of human mages but also ensured a steady flow of wealth into the Demon King''s coffers. Furthermore, it solidified his support base, potentially paving the way for the Advancement Tower to open up to other regions, creating a loyal cadre of mages who would support the Demon King''s cause.


    The Mage Job Advancement Tower, just finished being constructed for a day, had already be the talk of the town. People lined up in front of the tower, eager to experience the transformation process. The Great Demon King was present at the scene, disguised in a cloak; no one could recognize him. Watching the bustling activity, he felt extremely satisfied and pleased.


    After a rough calction, within less than a day, the profit in Demon King gold was 12.4 million! Judging by this trend, the poprity showed no signs of waning. It was bound to remain in high demand for the foreseeable future.


    Job Advancement Tower? It was more like a Money-Making Tower! Forget about forceful piging; that was too crude. The Great Demon King was now not only consolidating the wealth and gold of the human world through legal means but also strengthening his rule in the new territories, winning the hearts of the people, and enhancing his power.


    This was perfect. The potential market for job advancement was enormous! With a controlled poption of six to seven million, the majority of humans, about eighty to ny percent, were mediocre. They were all potential customers! They would work tirelessly to earn money for the Demon King in their quest for power. What was this called? This was the equivalent of sheep willingly walking into the ughterhouse, willingly offering themselves to be harvested! And afterwards, they would protect the Demon King and defend the Chaos Federation!


    Aside from the Advancement Tower, Zhang Nu possessed a plethora of other blueprints. Most of them were intended for human territories. Apart from several magical defense towers, there were also several functional buildings. While they might not surpass the Advancement Tower, each had its own purpose. Zhang Nu believed they were capable of significant value and impact. They could further solidify the federation''s control over human cities, ensuringplete submission from the region''s poption, numbering in the tens of millions!"

 Chapter 226: Level 6 Advancement

    The Mage Job Advancement Tower could be likened to a nuclear-powered machine for harvesting these "human sheeps" for their gold. Because of its significance, it required enhanced security measures. Zhang Nu subsequently constructed a Level 4 Barrier Tower near the Job Advancement Tower. The barrier generated by this tower was strong enough to rival the protective barriers of Kregi City. With this addedyer of protection and more guards stationed, security should not be an issue.


    Using his Level 3 and Level 4 blueprints, along with Level 3 building upgrade scrolls, Zhang Nu proceeded to construct Level 4 defensive towers and detection towers in various directions around Kregi City. He nned to bring in another batch of Archmages and Titled Knights. The Archmages from the Darkness City, being summoned units, not only possessed formidable magical abilities but were also absolutely loyal. Each of them was a top-tier schr, capable of enhancing magical civilization in the region.


    With these elite schrs and facilities like the Job Advancement Tower, Zhang Nu believed that, over time, Kregi City would evolve into a renowned city of mages. In the process, the foundation of the Demon King''s rule would be increasingly robust. Deciding to give Kreg City a new name, Zhang Nu settled on "Aofa" for the city''s future designation. This name roughly tranted to the "City of Arcane Arts and Magic."


    In addition to the Mage Job Advancement Tower and various military defense towers, Zhang Nu had a pile of blueprints at his disposal. Among them was one remaining Level 5 blueprint - the "Imperial Hall," which was an auxiliary building. While it did not directly enhance the territorial strength or increase the poption, it significantly improved the efficiency of internal affairs management.


    For example, once the Imperial Hall was constructed, all of the Demon King''s subjects, regardless of their race or status, had their records, information, status, and residencepiled within the Imperial Hall. Even if Zhang Nu had not met someone before, he could retrieve relevant information through their identification number. Although he did not have the ability to see hidden information, including the identity of Heroes, like his cheating ability would, he could ess most of the basic information.


    Moreover, after the establishment of the Imperial Hall, each person''s contributions and merits to the federation were quantified into detailed data. This promoted transparency, clear rewards, and punishments. For instance, based on contribution points, individuals could exchange for medicines, equipment, materials, free trial opportunities, and even various baptisms.


    Under Zhang Nu''smand, the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes Guild and the Chaos Federation''s Demon King Alliance could also establish encrypted special records. Heroes could exchange merits for skill stones, and the Demon King could exchange for soul quotas, among other possibilities.


    Furthermore, with the Imperial Hall, Zhang Nu did not need to painstakingly tally resources. The entire Chaos Federation''s mining operations, the financial reserves of various cities, and the inventory of each warehouse were all at his fingertips.


    It could be said that while the Imperial Hall may have seemed like an ordinary building, its utility for Zhang Nu was immense. With a poption under his management approaching ten million and an increasing number of cities to oversee, administrative efficiency and internal affairs management had be challenging issues. With the appearance of the Imperial Hall, Zhang Nu could now address these challenges more effectively. The Imperial Hall came with a certain recruitment function.


    [Imperial Administrative Officer] Level 2 normal unit. Costs 1000 gold, recruitment limit of 5000.


    These administrative officers might be low-tier inbat ability, but they were skilled administrative professionals. Zhang Nu could dispatch them to various cities to establish administrative halls, connecting the Darkness City''s administrative hall with local administrative halls. With this, an efficient administrativework could easily be deployed. Having a Level 5 imperial administrative hall, Zhang Nu believed he would not feel administrative pressure in the short term. This would save him a lot of energy and time, making its significance even greater than that of a powerful functional building.


    In addition to this, Zhang Nu had blueprints for functional buildings such as the "Imperial Training Ground," "Imperial Arena," "Imperial Workshop," "Security Bureau," and "Tower of Felony." These blueprints were rarely seen before, probably only obtainable from human cities.


    [Imperial Training Grounds] Level 3 building. A training facility. It could train ordinary civilians into militia with at least thebat power of a Level 1 normal unit within a week and transform them into Level 1 elite soldiers within three to four weeks.


    [Imperial Arena] Level 3 building. Designed for sparring andpetitive virtualbat. Participants could go all out, showcasing their full strength without causing actual harm to each other. It served as a means to hone practicalbat skills and expedite training.


    [Imperial Workshop] Level 3 building. Arge and versatile production workshop that could engage in almost all types of production, significantly enhancing efficiency and quality.


    [Security Bureau] Level 4 building. A barracks-type building capable of summoningw enforcement officers, security soldiers, and other units. It possessed powerful identification, tracking, and investigation capabilities, substantially increasing the security level of the territory.


    [Tower of Felony] Level 4 building. An auxiliary building with a unique effect. It could sense events like murder, robbery, and theft within the territory, marking the targets as if providing a red name for thosemitting crimes.


    Thebined use of the "Tower of Felony" and the "Security Bureau" will significantly improve the public security environment in the territory. Zhang Nu decided to ce the "Imperial Workshop" in the city of Kolo, where it is convenient to obtainbor and materials. In the future, he ns to establish a production line for manufacturing magic equipment here.


    As for the "Arena," in addition to its effects on elerating training and honingbat abilities, it also has considerable entertainment value and holds some intrinsic worth. Afterpleting these operations, Zhang Nu used up all the blueprints, constructing the necessary buildings and now awaits their intended functions.


    The next n involves inspecting the city of Aofa and the other eight fully upied cities. Zhang Nu is preparing to invest one hundred thousand draconianborers and craftsmen to significantly improve the infrastructure and urban development in this region. Additionally, he is addressing some issues within the cities, including those rted to Heroes.


    After learning about the disastrous defeat in the battle of Kolo, the Hero Guilds in Kregi and the surrounding areas have all retreated. However, there are always some who remain, either harboring illusions of luck or possessing great skill and boldness. After Long Yi breached the city, Zhang Nu conducted a round of cleanup, using the intelligence from Su Yan''s Dragon''s Shadow Heroes to eliminate potential Hero forces and those colluding with Heroes.


    Following this cleanup, about five hundred Heroes were dealt with, primarily consisting of Level 2 and 3 Heroes, with approximately ten or more Level 4 Heroes. Surprisingly, there were no top-tier Level 5 Heroes. However, when Zhang Nu took action again, he was astonished to find that 1550 warriors had been captured.


    Among them, over 921 were useless Level 1 Heroes, and around 345 were Level 2 fodder Heroes. Most of these Heroes had already assimted into local life,cking the ambition to train orbat monsters. For individuals of this type, Zhang Nu could not be bothered to deal with them since the returns would be so low, essentially equivalent to worthless endeavors for him.


    How about letting them cultivate and fatten up a bit before ughtering them? Alternatively, they could serve as reserves for the Dragon Shadow Heroes Guild. This way, Zhang Nu could select some individuals with good character, aptitude, and abilities, or those with specific skills, to nurture as members of the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes Guild or as peripheral assets.


    As for the rest, generally Level 3''s, with a few Level 4 Heroes, once they reach this level of strength, they would no longer be mere mediocre Heroes. They had the capability to leave or escape earlier, but since they chose to stay, most likely, they were here for the Demon King or were spies left behind by other Hero forces. In this regard, no mercy was shown, and they were all dealt with.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    During the conquest of the nine cities, Zhang Nu harvested a total of 511 Level 3 souls and as many as 45 Level 4 souls. He obtained various skill stones, totaling 412 skill stones under B-rank, and 32 B-rank skill stones. This harvest was incredibly rewarding! For the Demon King to rapidly be stronger, expansion, invasion, and conquest are essential! The Hero''s souls reaped from the nine cities alone were enough for a big sacrifice, allowing Zhang Nu to exchange for around 100,000 talent points. This signified that Zhang Nu could finally activate the final Level 5 talent and achieve a level up without even using the souls in his reserve.


    In fact, if Zhang Nu were solely focused on quickly reaching Level 6, he would have already achieved it by now. However, he is not in a rush to ascend to the next level. Pursuing levels blindly would not hold much significance. The Demon King needed to consider the current situation and the overall strategy, seeking the optimal solution to maximize personal strength and territory development.


    After resolving matters, Zhang Nu delegated the remaining work to his subordinates.


    ......


    At the first opportunity, Zhang Nu returned to the Darkness City and began fervently sacrificing souls.


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 3 Hero''s Soul. 201 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 3 Hero''s Soul. 214 talent points gained!]


    [You''ve sacrificed a Level 3 Hero''s Soul. 204 talent points gained!]


    [......]


    In one go, Zhang Nu sacrificed the entire batch of Level 3 souls, totaling around 107,000 talent points.


    [You''ve activated the Level 4 Talent "Immortal Dragon God"!]


    [All Level 5 Talents activated. Level up conditions satisfied!]


    [Level up sessful!]


    [MP +15,000, HP +7,500, Strength +750, Agility +1,500, Constitution +750, Will +1,500, Adamantite Dragon Body, Dragon King''s Sanctum, Evil Dragon''s Descent, Dragon God Bloodline, Space Maniption, Time Control, Spatio-Temporal Dragon, Abyssal Divine Realm, and Immortal Dragon God have been greatly enhanced...]


    Damn! Activating thest Level 5 talent, Zhang Nu smoothly felt the long-umted potential throughout his body being unleashed. This was the enhancing effect brought about by the level advancement, propelling his strength and abilities to skyrocket. Moreover, Zhang Nu could distinctly feel that his physique had undergone a tremendous transformation. If activating the Dragon God Bloodline had granted him a trace of divinity, just enough to suppress the influence of the Evil God''s fragment within his body, then at this moment, this divinity had grown exponentially, permeating his soul.


    [Immortal Dragon God] Level 5 talent. Maximum MP and HP +50%, recovery speed +500%, grants abilities such as "Divine Soul," "Infinite Regeneration," "Curse Immunity," "Poison Immunity," and "Soul Possession."


    This was a passive skill that significantly boosted MP and HP. In addition, unlocking this skill endowed Zhang Nu''s soul with divinity. What''s a divine soul? A divine soul could exist independently of the physical body. In simple terms, even without a body, the soul would not decay! Zhang Nu''s soul could exist entirely on its own. Unless the divinity was worn away over an extended period, the soul would remain intact. Though not reaching the level of a god, it possessed characteristics close to divinity. Even if his life force was depleted in battle, only his body would perish. The soul could persist and was impervious to conventional means of destruction."

 Chapter 227: New Perks

    In summary, activating the Immortal Dragon God talent caused a qualitative change in Zhang Nu''s soul. His soul no longer relied on the body for existence and became extremely difficult to eliminate due to possessing divinity. Furthermore, having bound with the Demon King''s Resurrection Altar, his soul could be instantly summoned back by the altar, making it nearly impossible to kill him.


    Of course, "nearly impossible" did not mean impossible. Gods were indeed immortal. This was why throughout history, when dealing with Evil Gods, people could only seal them away because Evil Gods were still gods. People could not find a way to eradicate thempletely, so they had to resort to separating them into parts and sealing them. However,pared to true deities, Zhang Nu still had a significant gap. He had merely just dipped his toes into this realm of power, giving his soul some divine characteristics. However, these divine attributes could be neutralized by special means or worn away through long-term sealing.


    Additionally, Zhang Nu faced another issue. The Demon King''s Resurrection Altar was a Level 5 building, and he had now advanced to Level 6. Although he could still resurrect at the altar, it would only restore a portion of his power. The rest would have to recover gradually on its own, posing potential challenges. Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, it would be wise for him to avoid unnecessary risks and not recklessly court danger.


    In addition to the divine aspect of the soul, the Immortal Dragon God also brought several special effects. One of them was Infinite Regeneration, simr to limb regeneration but more powerful. Essentially, as long as his head was intact, Zhang Nu could regenerate his body. As for other effects like Soul Possession, Curse Immunity, and Poison Immunity, Zhang Nu did not ce much emphasis on them.


    Soul Possession was used to seize a new body after the original body waspletely destroyed, but this was irrelevant to Zhang Nu since reshaping his body using the Resurrection Altar was more convenient than seizing someone else''s body. Curse Immunity and Poison Immunity were less significant due to his Evil God talent "Source of Corruption," which had simr effects. However, the Evil God talent only worked actively when activated, making the effects of the Immortal Dragon God still relevantly useful.


    Besides these, the Immortal Dragon God had another hidden effect: basic immunity to soul damage. Soul attributed attacks would essentially target the soul directly, and Zhang Nu''s soul, possessing divinity, was almost impervious to ordinary soul magic damage. Therefore, soul magic was rendered almost ineffective against him.


    With these newfound abilities, Zhang Nu suddenly realized that he seemed almost invincible. He possessed incredible resistance and immunity to elemental magic, significantly reducing damage from elements such as wind, fire, water, earth, light, darkness, and lightning. With three Evil God talents, he could individually resist or even absorb damage caused by necromancy, psychic, curses, and poisons. His Spatio-Temporal Dragon form allowed him to resist spatio-temporal obstacles, easily retreating from the chaotic time and space, making spatio-temporal magic almost ineffective. In his Evil Dragon of Annihtion form, he could transform his body into pure elemental energy, rendering pure physical attacks ineffective. Now, with the addition of the Immortal Dragon God, even soul attacks were rendered ineffective. This made him nearly impervious to various forms of attacks. To deal with him, one would either have to resort to Qi energy or divine magic. Other means were essentially futile. The situation could be described as daunting for his enemies.


    Zhang Nu checked his current status.


    Name: Zhang Nu


    Level: 6


    Race: Abyssal Dragon (Demon King Race)


    Base Stats (Excluding skill bonuses): 10600 HP, 21200 MP, 1140 Strength, 2080 Agility, 1040 Constitution, 2080 Will


    Level 1 Talents: Abyssal Draconian, Dragon me, Dragon Fear, Lightning Control, Beginner Anti-Magic


    Level 2 Talents: Adamantine Dragon Body, Abyssal Devouring, Hell Thunderme, Medium Anti-Magic.


    Level 3 Talents: Dragon King''s Sanctum, Evil Dragon''s Descent, High Anti-Magic.


    Level 4 Talents: Spatial Maniption, Time Control , Dragon God Bloodline.


    Level 5 Talents: Abyssal Divine Realm, Spatial-Temporal Dragon, Immortal Dragon God.


    Level 6 Talents: Chaos Dragon God/Primordial Dragon (Inactive), Void Dominator/Void Overlord (Inactive)


    Other skills: Rebirth from within the mes (S rank), Sword Forming Technique (A rank), Death Sacrifice (A rank), Spatial Turbulence (A rank), etc.


    Remaining Talent Points: 7114


    All the stats experienced a significant surge. In Zhang Nu''s draconian form, his HP reached a staggering 10,600, and his spirit soared to 21,200. These values were without considering any bonuses from talents, skills, equipment, buffs, or environmental factors. Even without ounting for the buffs from Demon King''s castle or divine blessings, and only considering a few talents and self-skills, his HP would easily surpass 25,000, and his MP would reach nearly 50,000. If he shifted to the true dragon form, the HP and MP values would reverse, with approximately 50,000 HP and 25,000 MP. Activating his divine realm, mythic domain and some other skill bonuses, or stacking a Level 4 divine blessing from the Temple of Nature, could easily double these values.


    Aside from the stats enhancement, Zhang Nu gained ess to the activatable Level 6 talents. However, the Level 6 talents seemed somewhat unusual. The quantity decreased to only two, and there was a directional choice involved.


    For the first talent, Zhang Nu could choose to activate either "Chaos Dragon God" or "Primordial Dragon," but only one of them could be activated.


    Primordial Dragon activation requirement: 1 million talent points.


    Chaos Dragon God activation requirement: 1 million talent points + 1 "Godhood"


    Choosing Primordial Dragon seemed straightforward, requiring only ten times the talent points of a Level 5 talent. The quantity was impressive but within expectations. Conquering the Kregi region already yielded him a hundred thousand talent points. If he puts in more effort and sweeps the entire southern border of the empire, there should be no problem activating this skill.


    However, the other option, Chaos Dragon God, was unique. Besides the 1 million talent points, it demanded an item called "Godhood." Zhang Nu was unsure about the item quality of the Godhood, but its name hinted at it being a rare and valuable material. This unexpected requirement added an extrayer ofplexity to activating the talent, making it seem challenging.


    Certainly, without the need for much consideration, it was evident that Chaos Dragon God was undoubtedly more potent than Primordial Dragon. The Level 4 talent, "Dragon God Bloodline," bestowed upon it a divine bloodline, while the Level 5 talent, "Immortal Dragon God," endowed it with a divine soul. Having established this groundwork, it became apparent that Chaos Dragon God would stand superior.


    If the spections held true, opting for Chaos Dragon God would propel Zhang Nu onto the path of godhood. On the other hand, selecting the Primordial Dragon would grant dominion over all beings. The former mighte with significantly higher difficulty but promised elevated limits and ceilings, while thetter, despite lower limits and ceilings, might offer aparatively easier path to certain aplishments.


    This, indeed, became a matter of making strategic trade-offs.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Concerning the second talent, Zhang Nu had the option to activate either "Void Dominator" or "Void Overlord."


    Void Dominator activation requirement: 1 million talent points.


    Void Overlord activation requirement: 1 million talent points + 1 "Void Seed"


    In a simr fashion, one was a talent that could be activated under normal circumstances, and the other was a super talent with a high level of difficulty of activation. When it came to how to activate them and which path to pursue, the decision rested entirely on the yer. Without any hesitation, Zhang Nu made the resolute choice to pursue the best options rather than the easiest. Despite the challenges, he was determined to attempt the activation of "Chaos Dragon God" and "Void Overlord"!


    After reviewing his own stats, Zhang Nu essed the Demon King''s Altar. Several units and functionalities were updated:


    [Abyssal Dragon Elder] Level 6 overlord unit. Evolved from Abyssal Dragon, it gained ess to more profound and powerful Dragonic Tongue Magic. The upgrade cost was 30 million gold!


    [Primal Earth Dragon King] Level 6 monarch unit. Evolved from the Earth Drake Sovereign. It had the potential to be a mythic unit. The upgrade cost 100 million gold, 10000 dark gems, 10000 soul gems, 10000 gems of each of the four elements, and 8 Level 6 Hero''s souls.


    [Nine-Headed Sky Dragon King] Level 6 monarch unit. Evolved from the Sky Drake Sovereign. It had the potential to be a mythic unit. The upgrade cost 200 million gold, 15000 radiant gems, 15000 soul gems, 15000 gems of each of the four elements, and 12 Level 6 Hero''s souls.


    Only these three units were generated. The Abyssal Dragon Elder was a Level 6 overlord unit. The ordinary Abyssal Dragon evolution required an expenditure of 15 million gold. However, as Zhang Nu''s Abyssal Dragons had been baptized by the Demon King, their strength had increased, reducing the upgrade cost.


    Although Long Yi possessed a monarch-level aptitude and could be upgraded normally, the upgrade cost through the Demon King''s Altar would be higher, and there was no guarantee of a smooth advancement. Nevertheless, upgrading was still necessary to acquire a plethora of new magic and talents.


    Among these new units, Zhang Nu was particrly interested in the Primal Earth Dragon King and the Nine-Headed Sky Dragon King. While both were still Level 6 monarch units, their descriptions indicated a considerable increase in strength and the potential to be mythic entities. The mention of having the potential to be mythics was not to be taken lightly. If they possessed such potential, there must be a way to cultivate them into mythic-level entities.


    However, upon ncing at the upgrade cost, the Great Demon King fell into deep silence. These gold and material costs totaled in the billions of worth! If it were just gold and regr materials, that would be one thing, but acquiring so many Level 6 souls was not an easy task. Despite the high difficulty, he needed to figure out a way. How precious were subordinates with the potential to be mythic entities?


    Having a Primal Earth Dragon King in the territory would unlock two slots for ordinary Earth Drake Sovereigns. Simrly, having a Nine-Headed Sky Dragon King would unlock two slots for ordinary Sky Drake Sovereigns. This added up to four more slots for monarch-level entities, significantly enhancing the territory!


    Apart from strengthening the Demon King''s underlings, after Zhang Nu reached Level 6, the Demon King''s Altar gained several new functions:


    [Advanced Demon King''s Baptism] Costs 10 million gold. This baptism provides three times the effect of a regr Demon King''s Baptism. Although it was ten times more expensive and did not seem cost-effective at first nce. However, sometimes time was the most valuable cost as the regr baptism had a ten-days cooldown period.


    [Demon King''s Possession] Costs 5 million gold per use. The Demon King could bestow a small portion of his power onto any citizen through the altar,sting for 15 minutes.


    [Demon King''s Teleportation] Costs 1 million gold coins per use. The Demon King could instantly teleport any citizen from their location to the altar or vice versa.


    While these seemed like auxiliary functions, they could prove to be quite useful at times. Simultaneously, Zhang Nu noticed a change in his yer interface. He could now simultaneously view a hundred Demon King channels, covering almost all Demon King factions. This meant that the Demon King market had expanded again, making it easier to earn money and souls.


    However, just as Zhang Nu was preparing to study the various Demon King markets, the Subus Queen Han Kexin sent him a message: "Hey, do you have time toe to the Holy Tides City? We''re facing some trouble here, and we might need your help."


    Zhang Nu inquired, "What''s going on? Did something happen to the White Sands Tribe? I haven''t received any reports from Shui Yao or the Dark Dragon merchant guild."


    Han Kexin replied, "It''s unrted to the White Sands Tribe. Last time we went shopping, did you buy a strange bead in the Sky Ocean Grand Market?"


    Zhang Nu, knowing the situation, asked, "Is there an issue with that bead?"


    Han Kexin exined, "More than an issue. ording to my investigation in the past few days, it has a significant background, seemingly rted to the founder of the Azure Water Federation, that legendary empress."


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Nu''s brows furrowed slightly. Could it be that the Sealing Magic Pearl had caused trouble?"

 Chapter 228: Deep Sea Hermits Association

    Zhang Nu draped himself in his cloak of disguise, causing a transformation in his physique and temperament. Simultaneously, he concealed his aura, skillfully using the cloak''s abilities to make his strength appear Level 5 at most. This disguise cloak was exceptionally potent. Coupled with Zhang Nu''s innate ability to hide his aura, it was impossible to discern his true level and strength unless someone possessed an S-rank appraisal skill.


    Upon arriving in the Holy Tides City, he rendezvoused with Han Kexin. The Subus Queen did not beat around the bush and delivered the news straightforwardly, "The sealing pearl you acquired in the Sky Ocean Market is the key to open the empress''s tomb beneath the sea."


    This information was not new to Zhang Nu. However, his strategic focus remained in the north, and he had not diverted his energy to explore the empress''s tomb in the south.


    Han Kexin continued, "A single sealing pearl won''t suffice. To unlock the empress''s tomb in the Cmity Trench, you need to gather at least four sealing pearls."


    Zhang Nu immediately deduced, "So, the recent investigation into my forces in the Holy Tides City was actually aimed at collecting these sealing pearls?"


    Han Kexin nodded, "Not only that, but they already have three in their possession. Yours is thest, so they are determined to obtain it."


    At this juncture, Han Kexin paused, her expression turning solemn. She said, "This force is not ordinary. It is likelyposed of both Demon Kings and Heroes. I''ve dealt with some of their subordinates and found that they are formidable opponents."


    So that''s why. After absorbing the relevant information, Zhang Nu could not help but be more alert. Han Kexin, being a top-tier Demon King, expressed ack of absolute confidence in dealing with this particr force. This suggested that the opposing faction was indeed formidable.


    "A coboration between Great Demon Kings and Super Heroes?" Zhang Nu mused, intrigued. "That''s quite unusual. How can entities like Demon Kings and Heroes, typically considered mortal enemies, findmon ground?"


    Han Kexin rified, "It''s not as unusual as it seems. As long as there''s enough benefit, even Demon Kings and Heroes of equal standing can work together."


    Curious, Zhang Nu questioned further, "So, what exactly are they after?"


    Han Kexin responded, "From my investigation, they suspect that the Azure Water Covenant might be concealed in the empress''s tomb. Their goal is to obtain this ancient covenant."


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Nu''s expression shifted slightly. Now it made sense. The entire structure of the Azure Water Federation rested upon this covenant, making it highly enticing for both Heroes and Demon Kings in the Azure Water region. Obtaining the covenant could be used to threaten the higher-ups of the Azure Water Federation, or, if destroyed, would yield considerable advantages.


    The Azure Water Federation was currently grappling with internal strife. Without a supremely powerful covenant to unite them, it would have already crumbled, fractured, and lost the ability to form any alliances. If the covenant were obliterated, leading to the disintegration of the federation, the region would transform into a colossal "Chaos Forest." Various factions would vie for supremacy, kingdoms, ancient tribes, indigenous groups---all would inevitably plunge into chaotic mergers and battles.


    For a Demon King, this presented an opportunity to thrive amidst the turmoil. For a Hero, it provided a chance for more effective infiltration and control of various political powers, thereby fortifying their influence. It was precisely due to these circumstances that they had apelling motive to locate the Azure Water Covenant.


    The problem was that for thousands of years, the whereabouts of the Azure Water Covenant had remained a mystery. No one knows where the covenant was hidden. The empress''s tomb? This was the widely epted theory. Some believe that when the Azure Water Empress plunged into the depths, sacrificing her life to suppress the entire Cmity Trench, she also took the covenant with her, making it inessible for thousands of years.


    Zhang Nu inquired, "What''s your take on this?"


    Han Kexin replied, "Darkness City''s strategic focus isn''t on the Azure Water Federation, and my Gloom City is even more limited, relying solely on a teleportation tower. Deploying forces herees at a significant cost. I think it''s best not toplicate matters. Directly conflicting with this force doesn''t align with our interests. Even if we eliminate this group, they will send others, and as the local power, they can easily manipte native forces to besiege us. Instead, I suggest adopting peaceful means to resolve the situation."


    Zhang Nu nodded in agreement. He was not afraid of these individuals, but a direct conflict would not serve his interests. He proposed, "Let''s arrange a meeting with them. We can sit down and talk. If things go well, I''m also interested in exploring the empress''s tomb. If negotiations fail, we can take actionter."


    Han Kexin smiled slightly and said, "I''ve already guessed that you would suggest this. I''ve already conveyed the relevant information to them. Tonight, we''ll meet on an ind near Holy Tides City."


    Kan Kexin''s efficiency in handling matters was indeed impressive. After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Nu took out the sealing magic pearl and tossed it to the Subus Queen. Han Kexin immediately understood. She knew that Zhang Nu did not want to reveal the connection between the Dark Dragon merchants and the Darkness City. Moreover, he did not want to expose his identity as the lord of the Darkness City, given the proximity to the Chaos Forest. If his identity was discovered, it could lead toplications.


    Han Kexin chuckled, "Haha, I''ll handle the contact and negotiations with the other party. As for you, Mr. Potato, you''ll y the role of my personal attendant named ''Mr. Long''. " Having the renowned Potato Demon King as a personal attendant was quite a delightful feeling for the Subus Queen.


    Zhang Nu, hidden under the guise of another identity, could maintain a low profile, avoiding unnecessary attention and protecting the forces he controlled. It would also mislead the other party, making them underestimate the strength on both sides.


    On the same night, near Saint Wave City, on a deserted ind, the Subus Queen, apanied by the mysteriously cloaked Mr. Dragon, appeared. Within just a few minutes of their arrival on the ind, the surroundings underwent a strange transformation. The once tumultuous sea now seemed frozen, and the ocean parted as apelling aura emanated from the opened passage.


    Han Kexin furrowed her brows slightly, sensing a powerful monarch''s presence. It seemed that among the visitors, there was at least one being of monarch-ss. As expected, this force was formidable, even bordering on terrifying. The first to emerge was a troop exuding a chilling aura. They appeared to be part human, part serpent, with fine scales covering their bodies. Their skin disyed a bluish-white hue, and they wielded tridents or crossbows. All of them were at least Level 3 or 4 elites.


    These were... the Deep Sea Naga Tribe! The Naga Tribe was a highly potent and enigmatic aquatic race. They typically resided in the central depths of the ocean, constructing cities and pces on the seabed. They rarely ventured into shallower waters or ontond, making their powerrgely unknown tond-dwelling races. In fact, within the Azure Water Federation, the power of the Naga Tribe wasparable to that of the Merfolk.


    Surrounded by this formidable Naga army, a female Naga with purple scales stepped forward. The overwhelming monarch aura emanated from her. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to be in her early thirties in human terms. With purple scales, green multyered eyes, blue-white skin, and countless snake-like tendrils of hair, she exuded an eerie vibe. Apanying the Naga Queen were three other beings of different races---a sharkfolk and a sea-drakefolk.


    Zhang Nu nced over the information and could not help but show a surprised expression.


    [Ancient Naga Demon King: Ijin Shinju] Level 5 monarch unit...


    Description: A member of the mysterious organization "Deep Sea Hermits Association" in the Azure Water Federation, a powerful Level 5 Demon King. Commands tens of thousands of elite troops and a million aquatic inhabitants...


    [ck Shark Grand Marshal of the ck Sea Kingdom: Kondo Kyohei] Level 6 overlord unit... Description: A member of the mysterious organization "Deep Sea Hermits Association" in the Azure Water Federation, one of the Grand Marshals of the ck Sea Kingdom in the Azure Water Federation. A naturally gifted ck-gold sharkfolk, an extremely powerful Hero.


    [Dominator of the Chaos Sea Region: Saiki Daioh] Level 6 overlord unit...


    Description: A member of the mysterious organization "Deep Sea Hermits Association" in the Azure Water Federation, the chieftain of the sea-drakefolk in the chaos sea region. All tribes in the chaos sea region, spanning two thousand miles, obey hismands. An extremely powerful Hero.


    The volume of information was considerable. There was a Demon King and two Heroes present. Judging by their names, they all seemed to be inders. Furthermore, they all belonged to an organization called the "Deep Sea Hermits Association." If Zhang Nu''s deduction was correct, this "Deep Sea Hermits Association" was a simr organization to the "Thunderous Society" in the Thunder Empire. However, itsposition seemed to be even moreplex.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The "Thunderous Society" was a small circle formed by Super Heroes like Yan Qianjun, Xiang Nanfeng, and Hong Xia. The "Deep Sea Hermits Association" appeared to not only have Heroesparable to the Thunderous Society but had even recruited some immensely powerful Demon Kings, making it truly perplexing.


    Nevertheless, one could not underestimate the strength of these three individuals. Especially the Naga Demon King, Ijin Shinju. While her level might not have surpassed that of Kondo Kyohei and Saiki Daioh, in terms of pure strength, she undoubtedly ranked above either of these two Heroes. The two Heroes would have needed to join forces to have any hope of contending with her. This highlighted the power gap between monarch units and overlord units. Evenso, never should these two Heroes be underestimated; they were likely on par with or even superior to figures like Hong Xia and Xiang Nanfeng.


    At that moment, both sides maintained a high level of vignce. Ijin Shinju carefully examined the presence before her -- the Subus Queen Han Kexin. She discerned the opponent''s identity; she was a Great Demon King with fame and strength likely surpassing her own. However, Ijin Shinju was not worried. This was clearly not the opponent''s territory, as there were no subi forces in the Azure Water Federation or its vicinity. Even if a confrontation had urred, in the oceanic environment, she might be able to match this opponent. Additionally, Ijin Shinju had two Level 6 overlords by her side.


    As for the cloaked figure beside the Subus Queen, Ijin Shinju''s gaze lingered for only a second, not paying too much attention. She spected that this should be the Subus Queen''s subordinate, with strength ranging from a Level 5 overlord to a Level 5 monarch. While powerful, this individual would not have significantly impacted the overall situation.


    "Subus Queen! You''ve killed quite a few of our subordinates these past few days!"


    "I advise you to obediently hand over the Sealing Magic Pearl!"


    Saiki Daioh spoke with a deep voice, "We have urgent matters to attend to right now, and we don''t want to engage in conflict with you. Just hand over the magic pearl, and we can forget about what happened these past two days."


    Han Kexin sneered, "What the hell do you think you are to talk to me like this?"


    "Kisama..!" Kondo Kyohei was furious, unsheathing a ck-golden battle knife.


    [You have been hit by a "Mind Control" attack. Your body is under control!]


    Originally, Kondo Kyohei had intended to intimidate the opponent, but unexpectedly, his body suddenly lost control. A vigorous Qi gathered, shing directly toward Saiki Daioh beside him.


    Saiki Daioh was caught off guard, having no time to defend himself, and was struck by the attack. Luckily, being a sea-drakefolk with tough skin, he sustained some injuries but nothing severe.


    "Kondo-kun, have you gone mad?"


    "No, it''s not me! Damn it, I''m being controlled."


    Upon closer observation, they discovered nearly invisible blue threads emerging from the surrounding space, connecting to Kondo Kyohei and Saiki Daioh on the other end of the threads. The other end of the threads was held in the left hand of the Subus Queen.


    Han Kexin wore a slight smile, manipting the threads like a puppeteer moving marites.


    Saiki Daioh raised a spear, unleashing his Qi, initiating a charging technique with astonishing momentum, rushing toward Kondo Kyohei as if in a fierce assault. People who witnessed this out of context might think they were fighting amongst themselves.


    "Kuso, I''m also being controlled!"


    Ijin Shinju shouted angrily, "Enough!"


    A highly sharp psychic wave, like a de, cut the threads, and Kondo Kyohei regained control of his body. He quickly avoided Saiki Daioh''s attack.


    "Not bad!"


    The Subus Queen, Han Kexin, showed no expression. She controlled the blue psychic threads with her left hand and released purple soul-controlling threads with her right hand. Her whole body emitted a dangerous aura.


    "If you want to negotiate, show me sincerity, not intimidation. If you''re not interested in talking, I don''t mind having a fight."


    The two Heroes'' faces darkened. Han Kexin, the Subus Queen, truly lived up to her reputation as a renowned Great Demon King. Her strength and abilities were truly unfathomable. She even toyed with two Level 6 Heroes as if they were ythings! Ijin Shinju also wore a solemn expression. Even in underwaterbat, she only had a fifty to sixty percent chance of winning. Onnd, her odds dropped to thirty or forty percent."

 Chapter 229: Mage King

    The atmosphere at the scene was fraught with tension, giving the impression that conflict could erupt at any moment. This was certainly not the oue Zhang Nu had hoped for, yet he maintained confidence in Han Kexin. This woman had a high intellect; her assertiveness was likely well-thought-out and strategically nned.


    As anticipated, Ijin Shinju broke the deadlock, initiating the conversation with, "Let''s get down to business. How much are you asking for?"


    "We''re prepared to purchase the Sealing Magic Pearl in your possession."


    The Subus Queen nodded in satisfaction. "Good. The willingness to pay shows a hint of sincerity. However..."


    Her tone shifted as she continued, "Considering the involvement of the Empress''s Tomb and even the Azure Water Covenant, can you genuinely meet the price? This is an invaluable treasure, you know!"


    Upon hearing this, the expressions of the three members of the Deep Sea Hermits Association once again darkened. They had not anticipated that the Subus Queen had already investigated the worth of the Sealing Magic Pearl. However, it was not too surprising, given her earlier disy of formidable abilities in psychic and soul-rted techniques.


    Recently deployed to Holy Tides City, the subordinates assigned to track the Sealing Magic Pearl had almost all met mysterious deaths. Spection easily pointed to the Subus Queen. With her powerful abilities, gathering information before eliminating targets was undoubtedly a simple task. However, this situation presented a challenge to negotiations. The value of the Seal Magic Pearl was indeed immeasurable.


    Ijin Shinju remarked, "This thing is of no use to you! A single pearl is insufficient to unlock the seal in the Cmity Trench, especially considering the stringent defense near the trench by the federation. You, a mere outsider Demon King with no insider assistance and not even part of the aquatic race, cannot possibly approach the Empress''s Tomb."


    Han Kexin nodded and replied, "Perhaps this magic pearl may indeed be useless in my hands."


    "But it holds significant value for you. Since it''s valuable to you, it bes valuable to me as well... So, what if I hand over the magic pearl to the high-ranking officials of the Azure Water Federation?"


    Upon hearing this, a surge of hostility filled the air. Ijin Shinju, Kondo Kyohei, and Saiki Daioh were all angered. If the Subus Queen were to surrender the Sealing Magic Pearl to the Azure Water Federation''s highmand and reveal the ns of the Deep Sea Hermits Association, it would be disastrous. The Deep Sea Hermits Association could forget about entering the Empress''s Tomb.


    Unable to contain her anger, Ijin Shinju sternly retorted, "What do you want? If you think we are easy to bully, you are gravely mistaken. Antagonizing us will bring you no benefits!"


    Han Kexin smiled faintly and said, "I want nothing, but if the Empress''s Tomb is to be explored, I must be given a share."


    Hearing this, the three members of the Deep Sea Hermits'' Association were taken aback. They had not anticipated that the Subus Queen would propose such a condition. Ijin Shinju, on high alert, questioned, "What is your motive?"


    The Subus Queen shrugged and replied, "Don''t misunderstand. I have no interest in disrupting the situation in the Azure Water Federation, and therefore, I''m not interested in the Azure Water Covenant either. However, the Empress''s Tomb itself is an incredible treasure spot worth exploring, isn''t it?"


    It made sense. The Empress''s Tomb was an area undoubtedly of high level, and currently, there were likely no Demon Kings who could locate such a higher level area than this. Such ces were usually encountered by chance. As the top-tier Demon King, it was not surprising that the Subus Queen would be interested in the Empress''s Tomb.


    Ijin Shinju said sternly, "Fine, but you''re not allowed to bring along any other forces."


    "Rest assured, I won''t bring anyone else, just this Mr. Long here," the Subus Queen pointed to the discreet figure in the cloak.


    Ijin Shinju directed her gaze back to the cloaked figure and asked, "May I inquire about this person?" Zhang Nu did not respond.


    The Subus Queen answered, "You can call him Mr. Long. He''s just a trivial follower under mymand. Surely, you''re not afraid of a minor follower of mine!"


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Nu could not help but smirk. Han Kexin, this woman, was truly cunning. Always clinging to his early history of making a fortune by selling potatoes and now seizing an opportunity to take advantage of him. When the chance arises, he''ll have to settle scores with her.


    Ijin Shinju carefully assessed Zhang Nu. Despite her inability topletely discern his strength, she presumed him to be somewhere between a Level 5 to 6 overlord or a Level 5 monarch. Even if he were a Level 5 monarch, there was nothing particrly surprising. After reaching Level 5 as a Demon King, Ijin Shinju could summon eight different top-tier Level 5 overlord units, although unable to summon any monarch-ss units. However, she had heard during Demon King conversations that some Level 5 Demon Kings, although not possessing any new summoned units, acquired the ability to upgrade existing units to monarch-ss. Given the Subus Queen''s top tier bloodline, it was not that strange for her to obtain monarch-ss underlings at Level 5.


    "Alright. But only he is allowed."


    Ijin Shinju sneered inwardly. This Subus Queen was truly audacious, courageous butcking in strategic thinking. Could such benefits be easily obtained? Putting aside the fact that her influence was not within the Azure Water Federation and that the deep sea was not her turf, she dared toe with only one seemingly monarch subordinate. Wasn''t she just courting death with such overconfidence? Even though Ijin Shinju did not know where this woman got her confidence, she was absolutely certain that she could eliminate this shy Demon King underwater!


    "The Sealing Magic Pearl. I''ll keep it for a few more days." Han Kexin deliberately took out the magic pearl and waved it around. "Whenever you''re ready, just inform me. Better not to y tricks on me, or else I guarantee that within a day, the federation''s highmand will know of your n."


    "Agreed. It''s a deal then!" Ijin Shinju said, "The guards near the Cmity Trench are extremely strict. We need some time to prepare and deploy to create an opportunity for entry. It will take about seven days."


    As one of the forbidden areas of the federation, even the formidable Deep Sea Hermit Association could not just enter at will. Despite their strength, Ijin Shinju and herpanions needed time to prepare and deploy. Han Kexin''s confidence in participating in this operation stemmed not only from her own abilities but also from her knowledge of Zhang Nu. Han Kexin was proficient in all elemental magic, possessed formidablebat skills, and boasted top-tier psychic and soul talents, granting her exceptional control abilities. As for Zhang Nu, known as the Potato Demon King, he was adept at spatial and temporal abilities. Together, they had a powerfulbination. In case of danger, they were confident in at least escaping together. However, additional preparations were necessary for this unique operation in the deep sea, unlike anything they had encountered before.


    The two returned to Holy Tides City. Han Kexin sensed their surroundings and remarked, "We haven''t been followed. They should understand that with their subordinates, it''s impossible to track me."


    Zhang Nu nodded, saying, "We need to prepare some items with underwater breathing or water-avoidance functions. To avoid the exposure of our secret rtionship, I cannot risk being involved in these preparations. You''ll have to go to the Demon King Market to initiate relevant purchases."


    ''What do you mean by a secret rtionship? It sounds like some underground love affair,'' Han Kexin thought to herself, rolling her eyes.


    ......


    While Zhang Nu prepared for the uing adventure, in the main city of the Bachor Duchy, Grand Duke Bachor had recovered to about seventy percent of his strength after days of recuperation. The battle in Kolo, where he was defeated by the joint efforts of the three Dragon Kings due to geographical advantage, had inflicted tremendous losses. Not only did he permanently lose decades of his lifespan and spend a fortune on recovery, but he also depleted the family''s secret reserve for resurrection, established at great cost.


    Beyond these losses, Grand Duke Bachor''s personal prestige and the honor and reputation of the Bachor family suffered an unprecedented blow due to his hasty actions. Furious and constantly thinking of revenge, he desired nothing more than to crush the three Dragon Kings with his own hands.


    However, at this critical moment, the region of Kregi fell. With Count Kregi dead in battle and no avable troops nearby, the Demon King was sure to pursue victory and expand the conquest. The fall of the Kregi region was expected, but upon receiving this news, Grand Duke Bachor felt an extraordinary frustration. After all, unlike Count Kolo, Marquis Kregi held significant influence in the southern territories, and his family had a long and illustrious history. The annihtion of such a noble estate and the betrayal of House Kregi were enough to shock and terrify other nobles in the southern territories.


    Just then, a report came in: "Reporting to the Grand Duke, members of the Thunderous Society have arrived."


    Although Grand Duke Bachor refused the three Grand Dukes entry into the southern territories under the guise of reinforcement, Emperor Frelio could not afford to do nothing and allow the Demon King to plunder noble territories and imperial poptions in the south. Considering that the Darkness City''s Three Titan were not enough to shake the entire empire, there was no need to mobilize the forces of the four territories on such arge scale.


    The Emperor gave face to the southern Grand Duke by not forcibly sending out the other three Grand Dukes or his personal imperial forces. Instead, he contacted the president of the Thunderous Society. The Emperor hoped to leverage the power of the empire''s Hero forces to confront the Demon King. Since the Demon King''s invasion, it had caused some damage to the empire, but at the same time, it had also sessively eliminated many Heroes within the empire. The ambiguous result of whether the death of these Heroes was ultimately good or badplicated matters.


    In any case, for such a group that had gained astonishing growth, formed its own circle, and engaged in factionalism, any ruler or authority figure would not be pleased. Both the Sunset Empire and the Azure Water Federation attempted to send their Heroes to deal with the Demon King in their respective regions, and Emperor Freylio also hoped to take advantage of this force.


    "Let them in!"


    A few minutester, a group of people walked in. There were a total of seventeen individuals, both men and women, ranging from the elderly to the middle-aged. Each of them was a renowned expert in the empire. Even the weakest among them were top-notch Level 5 overlords, with over a third reaching Level 6. These were all members of the Thunderous Society, the elite Heroes of the Thunder Empire, standing at the pinnacle of the entire empire.


    In the entire empire, where millions of Heroes existed, they stood at the zenith. Bachor''s gaze fell on the leading figure, and his expression immediately changed.


    "Mage King Halyfax? You''re also a Hero!?" The elderly figure, frail and seemingly on the brink of death, looked as if his life force could be extinguished at any moment.


    Mage King Halyfax, the name resonated throughout the Thunder Empire -- the former president of the Magic Guild and the chief magical advisor of the empire. He was the most legendary folk magician in the empire''s two to three hundred years of history. Halyfax was already 500 years old this year, an age considered the absolute limit for humans. For the human race, this lifespan was at the utmost extreme. Even for this legendary mage with strengthparable to Grand Duke Bachor, the age of 500 was already approaching the end of his life.


    This acknowledged king of the magical realm in the Thunder Empire, now appeared before him as a Hero. This legendary mage, Halyfax, now also bore another name: Hero Luo Zheng, the strongest Hero in the Thunder Empire.


    Luo Zheng was fortunate and, at the same time, unfortunate. He directly became one of, if not the most powerful mage in the empire, almost able to look down upon the empire''s strongests. However, his body was extremely aged, and he had only a couple of years left to live. This young man of twenty or thirty years was suddenly reincarnated into an elderly man approaching the end of his life, and how could he ept such a reality?


    "No need to be surprised, Grand Duke!" Luo Zheng, using the hoarse voice of an old mage, spoke, "I am the initiator and founder of the Thunderous Society, now serving as the president of the Thunderous Hero Society."


    Grand Duke Bachor was overjoyed. "With a master taking action personally and so many powerful members of the Thunderous Society, the three Dragon Kings are doomed this time."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Luo Zheng said, "To be frank, I am not very interested in this Demon King, but I am interested in something within the Demon King''s territory."


    "What is it?"


    "The Tree of Eternity," Luo Zheng''s eyes revealed a fanatical look. "There''s no mistaking it, I can feel it---the aura of the Ancient Tree of Eternity. The Demon King has a Tree of Eternity!"


    Bachor''s expression changed abruptly. "What? How is that possible? The Chaos Forest has a Tree of Eternity?!"


    "This is also the reason why I specifically came to help the Grand Duke. We will help you deal with the Demon King, and we don''t want any rewards. But that tree must belong to me."


    Level 5 Demon King? Luo Zheng was not one bit interested. He possessed power not inferior to Bachor''s. What difference would it make to kill a Level 5 Demon King? He did not crave power; his life was already on a countdown. Moreover, this elderly body could not enjoy anything.


    What he wanted was more lifespan. He wanted to buy himself more time.


    Luo Zheng''s mind held the lifelong magical knowledge of the old mage. As long as he obtained the Tree of Eternity, he had a way to rejuvenate himself, at least live another two hundred years. This was more attractive than all the Level 5 Demon Kingsbined!"

 Chapter 230: Level 6 Elven King

    Returning from Holy Tides City, three days had swiftly passed. Once again, notifications appeared on Zhang Nu''s yer interface, indicating several conquest rewards.


    [You''ve conquered Diel City!]


    [You gained "Shining Mithril Chest" x1!]


    [You''ve conquered Meiko City!]


    [You gained "Gorgeous Mithril Chest" x1!]


    [You''ve conquered Giant Stone Fortress!]


    [You gained "Gorgeous Mithril Chest" x1!]


    [......]


    [2.82 million human inhabitants of Kregi region plead for surrender. Do you ept?]


    In total, seven mithril chests, each corresponding to a conquered city. This indicated significant progress---Zhang Nu had sessfully taken control of the entire Kregi region. With nearly three million new residents added to his dominion,bining it with the 5.5 million obtained a few days ago, conquering Kregi alone brought in a total of eight million people.


    The Kregi region plus the Kolo region---thebined poption reached nearly ten million! It was astonishing. The average quality of the human poption was not particrly high, with many being ordinary individualscking any special talents. Unlike elves, even the most mediocremon elf possessed talents such as nting or alchemy. However, elves had a long lifespan and a low birthrate. Inparison, humans had quantity on their side.


    Zhang Nu opened the seven new silver chests, revealing the umted rewards:


    [Total Yield: "Gold" ¡Á12.3 million, "Blueprint: Imperial Vocational Academy" x1, "Blueprint: Imperial Ranch" x1, "Blueprint: Imperial Workshop" x1, "Blueprint: Tower of Felony" x1, "Blueprint: Thunderfall Tower" x1, "Blueprint: Barrier Tower" x1, "Level 3 Building Upgrade Scroll" x2, "Life Gems" x2000, total elemental gems x11,000...]


    Most of the blueprints were duplicates that Zhang Nu had obtained before, thus there was no need for introductions again. However, two of them were entirely new.


    [Imperial Vocational Academy] Level 4 building. This vastprehensive academy allows ordinary civilians to experience a 20 fold increase in learning speed. The academy covers a wide range of subjects, from cooking, tailoring, gathering, and construction to more advanced fields like alchemy, forging, and magical formations.


    Essentially, it serves as a center for vocational training. Although it cannot provide an instant boost in magical knowledge and power like the Job Advancement Tower, the benefitse with significantly lower costs. Even someone with mediocre aptitude can turn into a rare genius with a 20 fold eleration.


    [Imperial Ranch] Level 3 building. This building can be categorized as a supply-oriented structure. It can summon arge number of livestock, such as cows, sheep, pigs, and deer, for ughtering to obtain food. The quality of the ingredients is exceptionally high, and the cost is very affordable.


    These supply-oriented buildings would prove to be quite beneficial. The regions of Kregi and Kolo formed four provinces of the Thunder Empire. None of these provinces were major agricultural producers. Although they had some grain production, supplying tens of millions of people was extremely challenging, if not impossible. In the past, these regions could purchase food from the well-developed agricultural nobles of the Bachor Duchy. However, with their surrender to the Demon King, the food supply routes were undoubtedly cut off. The only option then was to procure food from the Chaos Forest. These supply-oriented facilities could provide a significant quantity of high-quality food and create substantial economic value. Not bad!


    The entire Kregi region had beenpletely taken over, but the Darkness Titan Trio was not satisfied. They continued leading the Demon King''s army to attack and conquer more cities. The Battle of Kolo not only resulted in the death of Marquis Kregi but also threw nearby territories into chaos. At least five more provinces were expected to fall under their control. Poption, wealth, and blueprints---all of these were within reach. There was no need for Zhang Nu to personally intervene.


    At this moment, Su Yan returned to the castle in a disheveled state. Zhang Nu greeted her, saying, "You''ve returned at the right time. We''ve captured some Heroes from the Kregi region. Go train and select ten to integrate into the Dragon''s Shadow."


    "Boss, that''s not the most important thing right now. We''ve intercepted some super crucial intelligence!"


    "Oh, really? How significant is it?"


    Su Yan quickly responded, "We''ve identified the leader of the Thunderous Society and his movements. He might have already arrived in the southern region and could be targeting the federation next."


    Zhang Nu inquired, "Is he powerful?"


    Su Yan replied, "He''s known as the current Mage King of the Empire. Not only is he strong, but he''s downright outrageous. He can easily match the four Grand Dukes and is estimated to be a Level 6 monarch!"


    Su Yan then recounted the deeds of this Mage King. Zhang Nu nodded after listening, "Indeed, he''s quite formidable. Seems like a significant challenge."


    Su Yan continued, "That''s not all. The entire Thunderous Society might being. The strongest Heroes of the Empire are gathering, not only controlling numerous elite Hero groups but also influencing the Magic Guild, Mercenary Guild, Adventurer Guild, various neutral organizations, and even underground secret societies like the Assassins'' Guild."


    "The members'' identities are mostly very mysterious, and we won''t be able to investigate them all in a short time. But overall, the threat is enormous!"


    After hearing the intelligence, Zhang Nu remained unfazed. Although he did not regard the Thunderous Society highly, even if the so-called Mage King of the current era appeared before him, Zhang Nu was confident that he could easily crush them. However, he could not deny that they possessed the ability to cause significant damage to the federation. Vignce was necessary!


    Expressing satisfaction, Zhang Nu said, "Very good, this intelligence is extremely valuable. Your recent work in gathering information has been improving."


    Su Yan asked in surprise, "Boss, aren''t you worried at all?"


    "Even if you were facing someone like Bachor, wouldn''t you stay vignt? Moreover, now we have another formidable presenceparable to Bachor!"


    As the saying goes, it is dark under themp. Su Yan, the head of intelligence in the Darkness City, had not seen Zhang Nu take action for a long time. She had no real understanding of Zhang Nu''s current true strength. Su Yan believed that Zhang Nu was still a Level 5 Demon King at the moment, with strength simr to Bachor. Dealing with one might be manageable, but two could be dangerous.


    The Darkness Titan Trio had defeated Bachor not solely based on their strength but also because of the favorable battlefield conditions and the overwhelming impact of the overall situation on Bachor. Regardless, facing both the Grand Duke of the southern territory and the Mage King together would be extremely perilous. Moreover, the true elite forces of Bachor Duchy had yet to enter the fray, and the members and influence controlled by the Thunderous Society were not to be underestimated.


    Su Yan was unaware that, even at Level 5, Zhang Nu could easily overpower Bachor. The reason he did not take immediate action to eliminate him was simply a matter of not wanting to act hastily. Taking it step by step and maintaining a steady pace would maximize the benefits.


    "You only need to focus on intelligence matters. Leave everything else to me," stated Zhang Nu.


    Quickly acknowledging, Su Yan responded, "Yes, Boss!"


    After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Nu added, "You''ve done well this time. I''m considering rewarding you."


    Eager at the prospect, Su Yan asked, "Hehe, even though it''s routine work, if Boss is feeling generous, I won''t hold back. What''s the reward? A skill stone?"


    She received a stone from Zhang Nu as she spoke.


    Zhang Nu rified, "It''s not a skill stone. It''s a teleportation stone that I recently acquired from the Demon Market at a considerable cost."


    Teleportation stone.


    Zhang Nu had used it before, notably when he first met Han Kexin. Su Yan expressed her delight, "This is a great item! It''s probably more expensive than an average B-grade skill stone. You can use it to escape or urgently teleport back to Boss''s side."


    However, Zhang Nu corrected her, "Consider the teleportation stone as a temporary gift. When the right timees, you can collect your actual reward."


    "Understood!"


    Su Yan was puzzled. The teleportation stone was valuable enough. How much more valuable could the actual reward be? Zhang Nu refrained from providing specific details, merely instructing Su Yan to make preparations. After Su Yan left, Zhang Nu summoned Nancilia back to the castle.


    "Your Majesty! You called for me? Do you have anymands?"


    Nancilia appeared quite pleased. Zhang Nu exined, "A formidable group has arrived at the southern borders of the empire. The Three Dragon Kings may not be enough to handle them, and in a few days, I''ll be leaving with the Subus Queen."


    Nancilia immediately understood her task. "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will head over immediately. Besides, Giantree City is being managed by my sister, Marilyn!"


    Under the Great Demon King''smand, there were five monarch-level individuals, and currently, Nancilia was the strongest, slightly surpassing thebat power of the Dark Dragon King, Long Yi.


    The cooldown for Nancilia''s baptism had passed several days ago. Zhang Nu immediately brought her to the Demon Altar to initiate another baptism. However, this time was different from the previous ones; Zhang Nu opted for a super baptism. Though it cost ten million gold per use, its effect was three times that of a regr baptism. Zhang Nu did not mind spending a bit more money, for him, saving time was of greater value.


    In the next moment, Nancilia felt the tremendous power generated by this baptism, unlocking her potential and ancestral bloodline. A powerful energy wave emanated from the Demon King Altar, sweeping through the entire Demon King''s Hall. The stationed Earth Drake Grand Marshal, Sky Drake Archpriest, and the Royal Guards were all shocked, keenly feeling the unprecedented and increasing strength of the Elven King.


    Zhang Nu was also astonished. The little Elven King, after the enhanced baptism, had ascended from Level 5 to 6.


    "I... I actually broke through. How is this possible?"


    Nancilia could not believe it. Countlesstent talents within her bloodline were awakening rapidly. Ancient ancestral memories, vast knowledge, and a massive surge of power made her feel a bit dizzy and overwhelmed. The extent of her strength increase was beyond imagination. Other Elven Kings might not achieve this level of advancement in a thousand years.


    Zhang Nu nodded in satisfaction, "Truly unexpected. I didn''t anticipate you to be so powerful, achieving a direct breakthrough!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Nancilia, with a mix of gratitude, joy, and sadness, replied, "Your Majesty, this baptism seemed to consume more energy this time, and I..."


    "No matter," Zhang Nu dismissed any concern, "With your current strength, you can aplish more for me."


    If, before this, Zhang Nu was not entirely sure that Nancilia could hold her own against the Thunderous Society, now he could rest assured. With Nancilia''s breakthrough, she became the second Level 6 monarch under the Chaos Federation, undoubtedly the strongestbat force so far, surpassing even Han Kexin. She was more than capable of being a solid wall behind the Darkness Trio."

 Chapter 231: Level 5 Mythic Area

    Seven days swiftly psed, and once again, the Deep Sea Hermit trio set foot on the ind--- Ijin Shinju, Kyohei Kondo, and Saiki Daioh.


    Kondo Kyohei, the ck-gold sharkfolk, inquired coldly, "Ijin Shinju, you''re not seriously considering letting this stranger enter the Empress''s Tomb, are you?"


    Ijin Shinju disyed a disdainful expression. "Kondo-kun, must I personally respond to such a foolish question?"


    "Don''t think I''m unaware of what you two are contemting. This mission is pivotal for both us and the organization. Even if you wish to make a move against her, it would be prudent to wait until the seal is open," Ijin Shinju remarked.


    The sharkfolk and drake-folk Heroes exchanged nces. "No problem!" they both dered. "Let''s first open the seal, and then we can strike when the opportunity arises!"


    Both Heroes had excitement in their eyes. For them, this was a rare opportunity. A formidable Demon King! Dispatching her would undoubtedly significantly augment their strength. Would Ijin Shinju still dare to act so arrogantly in their presence at that point?


    In reality, if it weren''t for the constraints imposed by the organization, they would have already made a move against Ijin Shinju. Conversely, it was the same for her. Between Heroes and Demon Kings, establishing mutual trust was never an easy task. The two Heroes harbored ill intentions, and Ijin Shinju was not naive either; she held both wariness and murderous intent towards them.


    The current harmony among the three was just a facade. Sooner orter, their true colors would be revealed, and each would show their fangs. Since they were bound to be enemies sooner orter, there was no way Ijin Shinju would willingly let a powerful Demon King help them grow in strength. It was better to strike first and eliminate the threat. However, before that, the Subus Queen must die. She dared to threaten the Naga Queen? She shall pay the price for her insolence!


    Not long after, Han Kexin and Zhang Nu arrived on the ind.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Ijin Shinju asked, "Did you bring the sealing pearl?"


    Han Kexin took out the magic orb and said, "Of course. What''s the next step? I advise you not to y tricks. Otherwise, I have a way to prevent you from using this sealing pearl!"


    Ijin Shinju reassured her, "Rest assured! This task is extremely important for us. The Subus Queen is powerful and will be a great help to us."


    As she spoke, she took out several teleportation stones and arranged a temporary teleportation formation. "The Cmity Trench is located in the southwest region of the Azure Water Federation, tens of thousands of miles away from here. We can directly reach it using this teleportation formation. Let''s depart!"


    Ijin Shinju first transformed into a beam of light and disappeared. Kondo Kyohei and Saiki Daioh did not move. "Queen, please go ahead!"


    Han Kexin, without further ado, entered the magical formation with Zhang Nu. The two were instantly transported to the so-called Cmity Sea. Zhang Nu looked around, noting a stark difference from the scenery in Holy Tides City. The sea here had a deep blue, almost ck color. While Holy Tides City had a climate reminiscent of tropical inds from his past life, the Cmity Sea had a much colder atmosphere, as if he had arrived in the oceans near the north and south poles.


    He found himself on a ck coral reef ind, surrounded by five to six thousand elite Deep Sea Naga forces. Among them, eight leading Deep Sea Nagas emitted particrly powerful auras:


    [Ancient Naga of Darkness] Level 5 overlord unit.


    [Ancient Naga of Light] Level 5 overlord unit.


    [Ancient Naga of Shadow] Level 5 overlord unit.


    [Ancient Naga of me] Level 5 overlord unit.


    [......]


    Zhang Nu scanned the area, and these eight nagas represented different attributes: Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, Light, Shadow, Thunder, and Death. Each naga was a top-tier Level 5 overlord, and when united, these eight Ancient Nagas could easily contend with or even suppress a Level 5 monarch-ss unit.


    Impressive! Each Demon King race had a different structure. While Ijin Shinju''s Level 5 unit seemed tock a monarch-ss unit, it could summon eight Ancient Nagas of various attributes, which were no less powerful than a monarch-ss unit and, in some cases, even more versatile.


    Ijin Shinju, fearing misunderstanding from Han Kexin, promptly exined, "These are my elite forces. The waters near the Cmity Sea are teeming with various daemonic sea creatures. Relying solely on us not only makes it difficult to break through, but it also consumes too much energy."


    Han Kexin remained unfazed and responded, "I understand. So, should we start taking action now?"


    "There''s no need to hurry," Ijin Shinju said. "The Cmity Sea has the Azure Water Federation''s Mausoleum Guardian Army and Tomb Protector Army, two powerful forces. Once discovered, it will not only lead to a fierce battle but also alert the powerhouses of the Azure Water Federation."


    "However, our organization haspleted the deployment. We will create chaos to attract their attention, and with the cooperation of insiders, open a temporary defensive gap. Let''s wait for the signal."


    Further observation and understanding revealed that the Deep Sea Hermits'' strength exceeded that of the Thunder Empire''s Thunderous Society by a considerable margin. The Thunderous Society was merely a high-end Hero organization, while the Deep Sea Hermits not only had Heroes but also top-tier Demon Kings like Ijin Shinju. On one hand, the Thunderous Society relied on individual abilities, social connections, and controlled forces. On the other hand, the Deep Sea Hermits seemed to have existed before the arrival of Demon Kings and Heroes. Among them, not only were there Heroes and Demon Kings but also a powerful force that, for centuries, had been secretly plotting to overthrow the Azure Water Federation''s rule. This operation was one of their attempts.


    Zhang Nu and Han Kexin waited until midnight. A beam of light suddenly shot up from the distant sea surface, disappearing into the clouds.


    Ijin Shinju, Kondo Kyohei, and Saiki Daioh were delighted upon seeing the signal. "We can move now. The signal marks the area, and the stationed troops have temporarily left. We have at most two or three hours to reach the seal."


    "Let''s go!"


    The group descended into the frigid, pitch-ck seawater. However, the water could not reach Zhang Nu''s body. A bubble-like barrier appeared around the two Great Demon Kings. Sea water could not enter this bubble, thanks to the effect of waterproof items, essentially enchantments or equipment that had a waterproofing spell cast on them. Waterproof spells were specialized defense spells against water-based magic. This magic could repel water elements to form a magical shield. The higher the level of the waterproof spell, the higher the level of water magic it could defend against. The current waterproof spell could resist C-rank water magic.


    In this silent and tranquil world, thousands of nagas swam through the sea, like thousands of sea phantoms moving rapidly. These high-level marine creatures experienced a massive power boost in the ocean.


    "We are about to enter the deep-sea area! The number of monsters here will be extremely high."


    "Don''t get entangled by them! We can''t kill them all!" Ijin Shinju, by controlling the sea currents, transmitted her voice to the two, not only covering a great distance but also ensuring clearmunication.


    The seas of this world were incredibly deep. In the previous world, the Mariana Trench, the deepest point globally, had been only 6-11 kilometers deep. In this world, oceans several tens or hundreds of kilometers deep weremonce, and there were even seas that were thousands or tens of thousands of kilometers deep. It was said that in the Azure Water Federation, there were seas several hundred thousand kilometers deep.


    In essence, the oceanic world and the terrestrial world were two entirely different realms. This distinction was even greater than that between the surface world and the underworld. The ocean was three-dimensional,yered, with countless tribes, organisms, ancient monsters, and unknown demonic entities that were impossible to tally.


    The most primal, ancient, and intense emotion among intelligent beings was fear. Of all fears, the strongest was undoubtedly the fear of the unknown. The depths of the ocean and the vastness of deep space were the ces that most effectively evoked fear of the unknown, especially for creatures from thend, many of whom had some degree of thssophobia.


    "It''s too deep! Haven''t we reached it yet?"


    Han Kexin felt that they had descended more than three to two hundred kilometers. The surroundings were almost pitch ck to human eyes, akin to being in the depths of the cosmic void. However, for Han Kexin, this kind of darkness was not much of a problem. She noticed that even in such deep-sea depths, various fish and creatures still thrived, creating an unimaginably rich ecosystem.


    Just then, Zhang Nu sensed a looming hostility.


    [Deep Sea Demon Octopus] Level 5 lord unit...


    Description: This is a marine demon with a high-tier demonic lineage. Not only do they possess incredibly tenacious vitality, but they also have powerful psychic and water-based attack abilities.


    Arge group of super octopus monsters! There were approximately 30-40 of them. They averaged over two hundred meters in diameter, were entirely pitch ck like ink, with purple patterns, and possessed dozens of tentacles. All of them were Level 5 lords? The monster resources in the ocean seemed quite abundant!


    Saiki Daioh''s voice echoed, "Let''s keep moving forward!" The deep-sea nagaunched attacks, engaging the demon octopuses in battle.


    The five of them took advantage of the distraction, hardly getting involved in the fight, and continued to descend rapidly. Strange and monstrous creatures kept emerging, resembling poking a ho''s nest, seemingly endless. Finally, when the elite nagas were on the verge of exhaustion, Zhang Nu spotted the ocean floor. It was a dark in, and in the middle of it appeared a massive trench. It was like an ugly scar, abruptly showing up before their eyes, emitting an extremely ominous red glow.


    A prompt appeared before Zhang Nu.


    [Cmity Trench: Tomb of the Empress] Level 5 mythic area...


    Description: This ce once experienced a catastrophe that could shake the foundations of the Azure Water Federation. Six thousand years after the legendary empress suppressed the cmity at the cost of her life, the danger level has significantly decreased. However, it remains an extremely perilous and forbidden ce that should not be approached lightly!


    As expected, just as expected. Although it was only Level 5, it was a mythic-level area. The difficulty was likely much higher than that of a Level 6 monarch area. A genuinely challenging ce. However, the more challenging the ce, the more abundant the rewards. Zhang Nu looked forward to what might appear at the burial ce of this legendary empress!"

 Chapter 232: Unsurprising Betrayal

    Zhang Nu felt waves of force emanating from the trench, like sharp needles that were invisible to the naked eye.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [You are under attack by the Seal''s Energy. HP -0!]


    [You are under attack by the Seal''s Energy. HP -0!]


    [You are under attack by the Seal''s Energy. HP -0!]


    [......]


    The blood-red glow emitted from the trench was, in essence, a specialized lightning akin to abyssal thunder. The immense energy almost filled the entire trench. This should be the power responsible for sealing the Cmity Trench. It was not only confining the space but continually releasing energy, radiating with a diameter of tens of kilometers, forming a massive energy field on the seabed. Even a Level 5 monarch would be harmed by it.


    It was indeed formidable. No wonder sacrificing multiple top-tier monarchs was necessary for this seal''s creation. The primary reason Zhang Nu waspletely unaffected was that the energy''s essence was thunder, and it did not reach the attack intensity of an S-rank skill, making it impossible to affect him. These kinds of monstrously power attacks were, after all, quite rare.


    However, Han Kexin did not fare quite as well.


    [You are under attack by the Seal''s Energy. HP -12!]


    [You are under attack by the Seal''s Energy. HP -15!]


    [......]


    [You are under attack by the Seal''s Energy. HP -39, inducing a paralysis effect!]


    [You are under attack by the Seal''s Energy. HP -39, inducing a paralysis effect!]


    The closer they got to the trench, the higher the damage they suffered, with effects like paralysis appearing. Han Kexin, despite her status as a high-ranking demon with a top tier Level 5 monarch''s strength and presumably high elemental resistance, could not stay in this ce for long. No wonder, all along the way, there were numerous monsters, but as they approached the mysterious trench, there were fewer in the vicinity.


    "They set us up!"


    Ijin Shinju and the others, with presumably lower resistance, did not seem to be greatly affected in this environment. This indicated that they were already aware of the conditions near the trench. They had likely prepared in advance using potions, spells, or equipment to increase their lightning resistance, allowing them to withstand the environment. This crucial information was not shared with Han Kexin. It was clear they intended to take advantage of her, weakening the Demon King before reaching the trench. Han Kexin scoffed coldly, immediately activating an A-rank protective spell to temporarily suppress the intensifying damage.


    However, while the decline in her HP stopped, the consumption of MP increased. Seeing this, Kondo Kyohei and Saiki Daioh were delighted. The strength of the Subus Queen was unfathomable, but now, deep in the endless depths hundreds of kilometers under the sea, her power would be at least weakened by three to four times. Meanwhile, their strengths would be enhanced by several times. As a result, they were confident in defeating the queen. To counter the continuously intensifying sealing energy, the queen had to expend more energy continuously, further weakening herbat power. The big, fat fish was now on the chopping board, ready to be prepared and enjoyed.


    When the trench became visible, it did not mean they could immediately reach the vicinity, it took them a full twenty minutes to smoothly arrive on the seabed in. At this point, the depth from the surface was already at least four to five hundred kilometers. What did this mean? The concentration of water elemental energy was extremely high, and the water pressure was sufficient to tten an iron man into an iron pancake.


    Zhang Nu noticed many new creatures moving on the seabed in. These creatures were not physical monsters but rather translucent elemental life forms.


    [Mutated Water Elemental Lord] Level 5 lord unit...


    Description: These are elemental life forms nurtured by the sea. Due to special conditions, they have acquired the ability to use thunder attacks.


    At first nce, their numbers were not small. With translucent bodies over ten meters high, they resembled a neuralwork with abundant lightning distributed throughout. They gathered near the trench, seemingly able to feed on the sealing energy.


    Ijin Shinju stopped nearby and said, "Each of us will hold a Sealing Magic Pearl to collectively unlock the seal. Your followers and mine will be responsible for dealing with the nearby monsters."


    The group of around a dozen people split up. Han Kexin, Ijin Shinju, Kondo Kyohei, and Saiki Daioh took action. Each of the four held a Sealing Magic Pearl and infused it with their mana, creating a massive formation above the trench, immediately causing strong magical fluctuations.


    The Water Elemental Lords were rmed and swiftly attacked the area. Zhang Nu and Ijin Shinju''s eight naga subordinates, also sprang into action. Zhang Nu unleashed dragon mes from both hands, condensing them into a pair ofrge swords, each several dozen meters long, continuously evaporating seawater into expansive clusters of air.


    Given the circumstances, using fire-based attacks, even as potent as dragon mes, would be diminished. Nevertheless, Zhang Nu paid no heed. Swinging therge swords in his hands, he directly cut through the seawater in front of him, striking one of the Water Elemental Lords. The next moment, a muffled explosion urred. The Water Elemental Lord was vaporized, and its internal energy and thunderous explosions covered an area with a diameter of hundreds of meters.


    [You have in a Mutated Water Elemental Lord. Gold +210,000!]


    [You have in a Mutated Water Elemental Lord. Gold +210,000!]


    [You have in a Mutated Water Elemental Lord. Gold +210,000!]


    [......]


    Zhang Nu, undeterred by the immense pressure at the ocean floor, persistently swung his sword, effortlessly dispatching the Water Elementals with a single stroke--- none managed to endure a second strike.


    "This guy is quite formidable!"


    "He truly wields the might of a Level 5 monarch!"


    "No wonder the Subus Queen disys such confidence!"


    "However, his proficiency in fire-based attacks implies that their efficacy is likely halved in this environment, making him less of a concern!"


    Such were the sentiments shared by the Deep Sea Hermit trio. While their primary concern was the Subus Queen herself, the strength of the subordinate apanying this Great Demon King was apparent. Witnessing the prowess of this "Mr. Long," they were genuinely impressed by his Level 5 monarch power.


    In this environment, where thebat capabilities of surface dwellers were diminished in the deep-sea setting, the fact that he could effortlessly vanquish Level 5 Water Elemental Lords with a single strike was an aplishment that even the eight super nagas under Ijin Shinju could not match. It was worth noting that the nagas were fighting on their home turf, receivingbat enhancements from the deep-sea environment, and each of them was a top-tier Level 5 overlord unit. It was highly probable that this "Mr. Long" was a monarch unit under themand of the Subus Queen, showcasing remarkable strength. However, he was presently constrained by the environment, rendering him a non-immediate threat.


    As Zhang Nu and the eight nagas held their ground, the mutated Water Elemental Lords found it impossible to approach. The four individuals had sufficient time to systematically break the seal. After approximately a quarter of an hour, the seafloor started to tremble, and myriad red energies congregated beneath therge magical formation, eventually coalescing into an energy column that was absorbed into the formation.


    "It''spleted! The seal is on the verge of being lifted!"


    "Just another ten minutes at most and I can venture into the Cmity Trench soon!"


    Ijin Shinju exuded joy because the proceedings were unfolding even more smoothly than anticipated. Regardless of whether they discovered the empress''s covenant within the tomb, the region itself held considerable development potential for a Demon King. However, before proceeding further, potential threats needed to be eliminated. It was time to take care of the Subus Queen.


    Ijin Shinju immediately issued amand to the eight Ancient Nagas, and they promptly transformed into eight residual images, enclosing Mr. Long. Simultaneously, Kondo Kyohei and Seiki Daioh, one in front and one at the rear, assumed a nking posture against Han Kexin.


    Han Kexin had expended a considerable amount of mana throughout the journey, particrly to activate the unsealing formation. Now, her MP was less than a third of its original capacity.


    "What do you think you''re doing?" Han Kexin maintained a poker face but could not help but mock, saying, "So soon to turn on me? I thought you guys would be a bit more patient!"


    "Hahaha! No need for that!"


    "The Empress''s Tomb is well within our capability!"


    "As for you... you have no remaining worth!"


    Seiki Daiohughed heartily, "You''ve exhausted your strength all the way here, haven''t you? I advise you to surrender willingly. Considering your assistance, we might spare you some suffering and grant you a swift death."


    Han Kexin had anticipated the inders''ck of trustworthiness, but she had not expected them to turn on her so quickly. They had not even entered the Empress''s Tomb, and they were already eager to dispose of her.


    "Think you can end me? I doubt you''ve got what it takes!" Han Kexin, realizing that more words were pointless, summoned an overwhelming force that pushed seawater in all directions. "Domain of Domination!"


    Countless threads, numbering in the tens of thousands, instantly filled the space, creating a scene reminiscent of the cave of silken web. Kondo Kyohei and Seiki Daioh could sense the overwhelming power of the domain. Once activated by the Subus Queen, such a domain would be incredibly challenging to deal with. However, the two of them remainedposed.


    "Hmph, struggling is useless and meaningless. me your own arrogance for your impending doom." Ijin Shinju was well-prepared, raising her staff. "Deep Sea Domain!"


    Domains shed. Only one could prevail. The Subus Queen''s domain shattered instantly. Countless high-pressure seawaters surged in from all directions, breaking the domain and once again engulfing the Subus Queen.


    Two domains collided, neutralizing each other. Han Kexin''s expression shifted slightly. Ijin Shinju''sughter echoed through the seawater, full of triumph.


    "Didn''t expect that, did you? Your domain is indeed stronger than mine, but it''s weakened by the influence of the deep sea. Meanwhile, my domain only bes stronger in this environment."


    "I won''t allow other Demon Kings to share in the Empress''s Tomb! You actually thought about getting a piece of the pie? How ridiculous!"


    Ijin Shinju exuded an air of assured victory, but she seemed intent on preserving her strength and did not n to intervene personally. "Kondo-kun, Seiki-kun, I''ve suppressed her domain, and my subordinates have restrained hers. Now it''s up to the two of you to perform."


    "Hahaha! Thanks a lot!"


    "Don''t worry, she won''t be able to escape!"


    "I''ve never seen such beauty. Shouldn''t we enjoy her a bit first? What a pity!"


    "Cut the chatter! Kill her quickly!"


    These two super Heroes from the ind nation felt extremely excited and satisfied. They had suffered a defeat at the hands of this woman before, and now, with her strength depleted and another Demon King of simr strength suppressing her, it seemed impossible for her to withstand the two super Heroes. This underwater environment, hundreds of miles deep, would allow them to showcase their true power, which was on apletely different level from the surface.


    Today, this woman from Huaxia would experience true despair!


    Once they eliminated the Subus Queen and obtained even greater power, Ijin Shinju would not be able to keep them in check any longer. The prospect of capturing the Empress''s Tomb was currently a mutual endeavor, and when she lost her utility, they could collectively remove her. Two top-tier Level 5 Demon Kings might even facilitate rapid advancements, bringing them close to the level of monarch!


    Surrounded by eight nagas, Zhang Nu stood at the center. It would take approximately ten minutes before the seal waspletely lifted. Therefore, he remainedposed, choosing not to hastily make a move. After all, these three cunning individuals might introduce some surprises during the waiting period, offering him some amusement and preventing the situation from bing overly tedious.


    "

 Chapter 233: Yamata no Orochi

    The trio hoped to witness fear, panic, or despair on the Subus Queen''s pretty face. However, they were destined for disappointment. Instead of disying any trace of fear, Han Kexin looked at them with the same kind of gaze one might have when observing a clown.


    She said, "First, I must thank you for your efforts."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Exactly what I said," replied Han Kexin. "If your organization hadn''t gone through so much trouble, coordinating inside and outside, diverting the guarding forces from the Azure Federation... If you didn''t have three Sealing Magic Beads in your hands, how could I have opened this seal? So, I truly want to express my gratitude to you."


    "But, as you''ve said," she continued, "a tool without its use, there''s no reason for its existence."


    Curses! Why was she soposed? Could there be some hidden trump card? Impossible! Even if there were, under these circumstances, aeback would be out of the question!


    "Kondo! Hold off for now! Let me handle this first!"


    Rushing forward, Saiki Daioh roared, "Foolish woman, still spouting nonsense at death''s door. Today, I''ll let you experience what true terror and despair feel like!"


    As he finished speaking, he swiftly transformed, turning into a sea-drake nearly a hundred meters long. Undoubtedly, he had some skills. Being a Level 6 Hero, he possessed the formidable innate talent awakened by the sea-drake n only after reaching at least Level 5. In their sea-drake state, they were several times stronger than their humanoid form.


    "Die!"


    The giant sea-drake churned the seawater, releasing hundreds, if not thousands, of invisible water des. These attacks, hidden within the water flow, were indistinguishable to the naked eye and challenging to perceive. However, they possessed the power to cut through iron like butter and split mountains and rivers!


    The water repent spell that Han Kexin had cast was instantly shattered. Countless tons of sea water cascaded down like copsing mountains, making Han Kexin feel as if the surroundings were not sea water but solidified cement. Even lifting her arm required the strength of at least a thousand pounds.


    [You''ve been affected by the deep-sea environment. Agility decreased by 10%, movement speed decreased by 25%!]


    Han Kexin, after all, was a monarch-ss Demon King with a demonic constitution. She had also taken an underwater breathing elixir in advance, making the deep-sea environment itself rtively harmless. Layer afteryer, protective shields were swiftly resummoned.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Invisible water des struck the shields, yet they failed to inflict any harm on Han Kexin. Once again, she taunted, "Is this all you''ve got? And you dare to unt yourselves? Are all the men from your ind nation as weak as you?"


    Han Kexin, with her sharp tongue and dark intentions, could not help but provoke, while simultaneously defending against attacks. Meanwhile, Saiki Daioh exerted his strength, summoning dozens of water vortexes to encircle and crush Han Kexin. It was like several dozen meat grinders operating simultaneously, aiming to pulverize herpletely.


    "What''s going on? Why isn''t that potato making a move?"


    Taunting her opponents, Han Kexin appeared at ease, although she was secretly exhausted. To reach the trench and unlock the seal, her MP had only a third remaining. Now she had to face the shing of domains against Ijin Shinju, while simultaneously withstanding the onught from a Level 6 Hero. To make matters worse, there was another Level 6 Hero standing by, watching.


    In this situation, victory seemed almost impossible. The only reason she remained confident was because of the presence of the mighty Potato Demon King. With his strength, dealing with several Level 5 overlord-ss nagas would be effortless. Yet, the Potato Demon King seemed deliberately slow, making Han Kexin wonder if he was intentionally enjoying her predicament.


    Han Kexin engaged in a fierce battle with Saiki Daioh for about twenty rounds. Despite the limitations imposed by the deep-sea environment and the partial restraint of her powers by Ijin Shinju, Han Kexin showcased a diverse array of skills. She employed enchantments, illusions, and psychic attacks, demonstrating mastery over dozens, if not hundreds, of elemental magic, sealing spells, curses, and spatial magic.


    Despite the advantageous conditions, Saiki Daioh could not immediately subdue her. Han Kexin''s resourcefulness led to several setbacks for Saiki Daioh.


    "Enough! The seal is about to be unlocked!"


    "There''s no more time to waste!"


    Kondo Kyohei, unable to remain passive any longer, joined the fray. Being a ck-gold sharkfolk, an exceedingly rare and unique variant among sharkfolks, Kondo possessed extraordinary strength, near-invulnerability to physical attacks, and high resistance to spells. Moreover, he had the ability to cultivate specialbat Qi, significantly enhancing various forms of attack.


    "Rampaging Shark Qi!"


    Releasing his ultimate move, Kondo''sbat Qi flooded the surroundings like blood, transforming into numerous five-meter sharks. These sharks then swiftly approached Han Kexin, disying remarkable speed and agility. With file-like teeth, they began gnawing at Han Kexin''s protective shield. Their power was astonishing, tearing through nearly half of the shield in no time. These Qi-infused sharks were not real creatures nor magical summons but dense and formidablebat Qi entities. They could not be killed, and there was no way to dispel them.


    "Shit! I''m about to be torn to shreds!"


    "Why is that guy still enjoying the show?"


    "He insists on waiting for me to beg for his help before he''ll intervene?"


    Han Kexin gritted her teeth in frustration. "It must be so. This guy''s as petty as a potato. Most likely, he''s still upset about all the times I''ve teased him!"


    However, the Subus Queen was just as stubborn. With one Demon King restraining her and two super Heroes attacking together, she endured for three minutes without seeking help. Not good! Her psychic energy was about to be depleted!


    Seizing the advantage, Kondo Kyohei and Saiki Daioh increased their intensity. The Subus Queen resisted, but under the joint assault of the two super Heroes, she could not maintain her domain any longer. Unable to uphold her domain, Ijin Shinju''s deep-sea domain instantly took control, covering an area of several kilometers and ensnaring everyone within it.


    "Hahaha!"


    "It''s over!"


    The two Heroes prepared for a lethal strike. However, somethingpletely unforeseen urred as the Deep Sea Domain''s suppression descended upon them. Two dark purple beams shot out from Ijin Shinju''s staff, simultaneously hitting the two Heroes from behind. Seemingly a simple strike, it was the A-rank skill "Death Annihtion Beam". It could instantly inflict astonishing undeath-attribute damage and impose a potent curse effect on the target, rendering them extremely weak for a short period.


    "Ijin!!!"


    "What have you done!!"


    The two Heroes were astonished. Ijin Shinjuughed maniacally, saying, "Did you really think I''m a fool? Letting you kill her to gain stronger power and then turning that power against me?"


    Kondo Kyohei was shocked. "Ijin, what are you talking about? We''rerades! How could we turn against you? Don''t do something foolish!"


    Saiki Daioh also quickly added, "Are you thinking of betraying the organization? Without our help, you alone wouldn''t stand a chance of conquering the Empress''s Tomb!"


    Ijin Shinju dismissed them with disdain. "Put away your hypocritical faces. Just as I would never let you kill this Demon King and gain power, did you really think from the beginning that you were going to help me conquer the Empress''s Tomb? As for the organization, what does it matter if you two meet an unfortunate end during a mission? Do you really think the organization cares about how you die? Between a living Demon King and two dead Heroes, who holds more weight? Who is more beneficial to the organization? I believe the organization knows that crystal clear!"


    The Heroes were furious.


    "Bakayarou!!"


    "You mad woman!!"


    "Today, it''s either your death or ours!"


    "Regardless, we''re ready to kill a Level 5 Demon King. Since that''s the case, let''s kill another one!"


    The two Heroes were only trying to intimidate. However, they could keenly feel that after being hit by the Death Annihtion Beam, their bodies were rapidly weakening. The Subus Queen had exhausted her strength, and the two Heroes had also suffered considerable losses. In this situation, the odds of dealing with Ijin Shinju were indeed not high. However, they could not just sit idly by; they had to give it their all and try their luck! If, by any chance, they seeded in killing Ijin Shinju, that would be two top-tier Demon Kings in under their des, they might advance to monarch-ss ahead of time. The desire for survival and the will to fight immediately emerged in their determined eyes! Despite their continuing weakness, as long as they could hold on for a short time, they would seize this opportunity and join forces to take down Ijin Shinju!


    However, at this moment, the scene before them caught the two Heroespletely off guard. The eight Ancient Nagas teleported back to Ijin Shinju''s side. She revealed a sinister expression and said, "Want to see my true power?"


    "What?!"


    With the eight powerhouses of Ijin Shinju returning to her side, the Heroes felt a chill. With these eight powerfulbatants assisting her, their chances of victory became even more dismal. Moreover, judging by Ijin Shinju''s words, it seemed she still had an ace up her sleeve.


    "This form has never been seen by outsiders!"


    "Today, you fools shall witness my true might!"


    Ijin Shinju raised her staff and shouted, "Yamata Ritual,mence!"


    A ritual formation formed around Ijin Shinju, with the eight Ancient Nagas transforming into eight streams of light, all merging into Ijin Shinju. In the next moment, her body rapidly grew dozens of times in size, transforming into a creature with eight snake tails and eight snake heads, resembling the eight-headed serpent from ind nation mythology. It stood at least two hundred meters tall, emanating a powerful and intimidating aura.


    "What is this..."


    Zhang Nu nced at the Ijin Shinju''s attributes:


    [Ancient Yamata Naga: Ijin Shinju] Level 6 monarch...


    Description: The Demon King has transformed through a powerful ritual, merging with eight Ancient Nagas, ultimately bing a monster with unimaginable strength. It is an extremely dangerous and terrifying entity.


    Impressive! Ijin Shinju possessed the bloodline of the Deep Sea Nagas. Although the lineage level of the Deep Sea Naga Demon King could notpare to the Subus Queen, let alone the Abyssal Dragon King, it hadn''t even unlocked King-tier units at the Fifth tier. However, her methods were quite unique.


    The skill Ijin Shinju was employing was essentially a transformation skill. It was just that this particr transformation skill required the coordination of the eight Ancient Nagas under hermand to unleash its maximum power. At that moment, it had reached the strength of a Sixth-tier King!


    Ijin Shinju''s clothes hadpletely disappeared, half of her body was within the monster''s body, and the remaining half was exposed. She wielded a staff and wasughing wildly. The eight giant snake bodies were poised to strike, and a terrifying force was gathering and brewing.


    "See that?"


    "This is my strongest form!"


    Ijin Shinju dered, "With my power alone, I can unlock the Empress''s Tomb. Do I really need you useless beings to help? The only value you can provide is to unseal it for me! Kondo-kun, Saiki-kun, everything ends now!"


    "I will dly ept your souls!"


    "And you! Subus Queen!" Ijin Shinju''s formidable aura locked onto Han Kexin. "Do you know? The thing I detest the most is a woman who is more outstanding, more beautiful, and smarter than me. Now that you''ve fallen into my hands, I will make you understand what it means to be better off dead!"


    As she spoke, all eight snake heads simultaneously released energy.


    Han Kexinined, "Hey! I''m about to eat shit and die here! Are you sure you''re still not going to intervene?"


    Zhang Nu took a step through the void, appearing in front of Han Kexin. With a casual swipe, all eight streams of energy were drawn into the ck hole in his palm,pletely consumed, leaving nothing behind.


    "What?!" Ijin Shinju''s expression changed dramatically. "Who are you?"


    Ignoring her, Zhang Nu turned to Han Kexin and said, "You can''t even handle a bunch of oddballs and small fries. How can my partner perform so poorly? If things don''t work out, I might as well merge the Gloom City into the Darkness City. At least under my personal supervision, you won''t struggle with such a bunch of ugly creatures."


    Han Kexin was infuriated. "You take every opportunity to tease me! What do you mean by oddballs and small fries? They are not simple foes! I am fighting against three opponents on their home turf!"


    "Stop bragging about yourself. This bitch, she wasn''t weak to begin with, and now she''s be even more powerful. I don''t think even you can easily deal with her. Instead of wasting time here, it''s better to be cautious. You might end up in trouble!"


    Zhang Nu nced at the trench. The sealing energy had been drained by seventy percent. There was no need to waste time here."

 Chapter 234: Level 5 Su Yan

    This Mr. Long was definitely not a mere underling. How could a subordinate of the Demon King dare to address the master in such a manner? Moreover, without uttering any incantations, he effortlessly teleported right in front of Han Kexin, skillfully intercepting the attack in Ijin Shinju''s most formidable form.


    Such prowess was not only on par with that of the Subus Queen but may have even surpassed it entirely! Kondo Kyohei and Saiki Daioh, the two Heroes, found themselves dumbfounded. This enigmatic individual, who scarcely spoke and seemed almost inconspicuous, unexpectedly possessed such formidable power? What exactly was happening here?


    However, before the duo could ponder or devise any countermeasures, Zhang Nu rubbed his hands together. Lightning crackled in his left hand, while his right hand conjured dragon mes. Employing the Sword Forming Technique, he forged a long sword condensed from his thunder mes.


    "Shit! There''s killing intent!"


    Kondo Kyohei sensed a bone-chilling killing intent. Before he could react, Zhang Nu took a step forward, effortlessly traversing several hundred meters underwater to stand before Kondo Kyohei. With a single fluid motion, he cleaved through him from head to toe, simultaneously evaporating the surrounding seawater.


    [You''ve in a Level 6 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +4!]


    In a singr stroke, a formidable Level 6 Hero was severed in half on the spot. The intense heat and thunder instantly transformed the remains into fragmented carbon. This spectacle left everyone present in a state of shock. Even though Kondo Kyohei''s strength had diminished due to Ijin Shinju''s surprise attack, he still retained six to seven-tenths of his power and should not have been dispatched so effortlessly.


    After Zhang Nu dealt with the first adversary, he swiftly shifted his focus to the second. Saiki Daioh was petrified. Kondo Kyohei could not even endure a single strike from this monster. How could he fare any better? Fucking shit! He must immediately flee!


    Zhang Nu unleashed a lethal Death Stare. The colossal sea drake form of Saiki Daioh convulsed violently, apanied by a wretched scream. Like a disassembling puzzle, its immense body disintegrated into hundreds and thousands of fragments. Each piece further fragmented until the colossal form vanished into dust and dispersed into the sea water.


    [You''ve in a Level 6 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +3!]


    One sword strike, one dead ck-gold sharkfolk. One nce, and a hundred-meter sea drake met its end. The entire process took less than half a second. Ijin Shinju was caught off guard. She could not discern the true identity or strength of this mysterious individual. Finally, she grasped why the Subus Queen could act so confidently.


    It had been some time since the Subus Queen ascended to Level 5, garnering fame across ten Demon King channels. She was undoubtedly one of the most sessful and powerful Demon Lords to date. Once Ijin Shinju confirmed her identity, she no longer doubted her leadership and status. Little did she expect that this seemingly inconspicuous figure cloaked in mystery, with no discernible presence, was the true powerhouse.


    Zhang Nu, gazing at Ijin Shinju, inquired, "Anyst words? I''ll give you five seconds!"


    The tone, the demeanor---Zhang Nu seemed to dismiss her entirely, an infuriating affront to Ijin Shinju. Currently in her most formidable state, boasting at least the strength of a Level 6 monarch, she found this individual''s disregard deeply insulting.


    However, Ijin Shinju had to admit that this mysterious figure, whose depth, origin, and even identity remained unknown---whether Demon King, Hero, or indigenous being---possessed an exceptionally formidable and elusive strength. This made her reluctant to take action, as shecked confidence in her ability to handle this situation.


    She spoke with a solemn tone, "You are powerful, but you cannot defeat me. In the state of the Yamata Ancient Naga, I have eight lives to spare, while you only have one."


    Zhang Nu chuckled, "If you were really that confident, you would have attacked already instead of posturing here."


    "...!"


    For some reason, Ijin Shinju felt an almost absolute self-assurance in her current form. Yet, simultaneously, a strong instinct warned her of the danger, she must not engage with the being before her, or the consequences would be severe.


    She said, "The reason I tried to deal with them is that they had no qualifications to cooperate with me. However, you seem different from them. We can jointly explore the Empress''s Tomb, and the profits will be split fifty-fifty!"


    Zhang Nu shook his head.


    Ijin Shinju inquired, "Are you dissatisfied with the split?"


    "No, the five seconds have passed, your time is up."


    Ijin Shinju, incensed, could not believe this damned individual really showed no regard for her. It was an outrageous insult!


    "Fine! Since we can''t reach an agreement!"


    "Let''s see what exactly gives you the audacity!"


    Ijin Shinju was about to unleash an attack by driving the body of the Yamata Naga when her expression suddenly turned horrified, with an incredulous disbelief, "What''s happening? My body...."


    She sensed it. For some unknown reason, her body could no longer move. The eight snake bodies underwent a bizarre transformation. These giant snakes, as if intoxicated by the radioactive waste of the ind country, were rapidly mutating. Their scales quickly shed, and snake fangs grew like tusks of wild boars. Huge tumor-like growths swelled all over their bodies.


    "Ah!! Arghhhh!!!"


    Due to the fusion state, the body of the Yamata Naga underwent a monstrous change. This directly affected Ijin Shinju herself. She felt that all the abilities of the Yamata Naga had failed, and the Yamata Body was copsing at an rming rate. Finally, she realized what was happening.


    "Damn it! Damn you!!"


    "You actually poisoned me!"


    Han Kexin looked on in confusion and bewilderment. She recognized the strength of the Potato Demon King, but she had never expected that this powerful guy, apparently also had the skill to poison. When was the poison administered? The toxicity was too outrageous! What kind of poison was it? It could turn the target into such a grotesque state.


    In just ten seconds, the eight snake bodies hadpletely twisted and transformed into eight irregr, uncontroble, and disgusting flesh monsters. A strange aura continuously emanated from them, causing Han Kexin to feel a hint of psychic contamination. Suddenly, she realized something---she had sensed a simr aura in the Mountains of Madness. This Potato Demon King did not actually use poison; he used the power of an Evil God?


    However, upon closer inspection, Han Kexin found that this power of the Evil God was different. At least, it was entirely distinct from the Evil God''s power from the Mountains of Madness. She was extremely shocked. Could it be that the Potato Demon King had more than one powerful fragment of Evil God on him? How much more power was he hiding?


    The Yamata Naga is indeed powerful. Although Zhang Nu could crush it with his sheer strength, the Yamata Naga has the ability to resurrect itself each time a head is sacrificed. In other words, it would take killing it eight times to permanently eliminate the threat. This would be a significant waste of time.


    Zhang Nu''s previous dy was not entirely intentional. The reason he did not eliminate the eight Ancient Nagas immediately was mainly to conduct an experiment. During their battle, he quietly injected arge amount of Corrupted Blood into the eight naga generals, triggering the power of the Evil God Fragment - "Source of Corruption." The eight naga generals, during their attacks, were unknowingly infused with a substantial amount of Corrupted Blood. Unaware of this, Ijin Shinju recalled them and initiated the fusion ritual, transforming them into the Yamata Naga.


    At this moment, the Corrupted Blood took effect. The Yamata Naga was daemonized, and the body lost control. Ijin Shinju had to abandon the fusion and detach herself from the Yamata Naga. However, even so, her body had already been thoroughly permeated by the poisonous Corrupted Blood.


    Strictly speaking, the Corrupted Blood was not a conventional poison. It was more like the blood of an Evil God, saturated with a malevolent aura far deadlier than any poison. While toxins can be mitigated using certain spells or antidotes, the effects of the Evil God''s blood are irreversible curses and distortions.


    Ideally, with the main entity gone, the Yamata Naga should have automatically disintegrated. However, the colossal creature continued its monstrous transformation, turning into an indistinguishable mass of flesh and blood. The eight ancient Nagas that constituted the Yamata Naga were inadvertently injected with too much Corrupted Blood, resulting in their bodies being thoroughly demonized. Although it continued to undergo this malevolent transformation, there was a high probability that the physical body wouldpletely copse if the process continued.


    This won''t do. It must be stabilized. Zhang Nu opened his vertical eye, the crimson Eye of Death, staring at the eight-headed monster. The undeath energy, imbued with the aura of the Evil God, was being injected into the creature''s body through this eye.


    "Undead Creation!"


    Since obtaining the Eye of Death, Zhang Nu had only used Death Stare. However, as the origin of the death power of the Eight-Eyed Evil God, how could it have only one Talent ability like Death Gaze?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The domain of the power of death had given rise to countless magical spells, with the mostmon being necromancy. What Zhang Nu was currently casting was a verymon necromancy spell called Undead Creation. This magic ranged from the lowest F-rank to the highest rank, S-rank. It could create anything from small skeletal soldiers to massive Frostbone Dragons and Death Titan, as long as there was sufficient undeath energy.


    The body of the Yamata Naga underwent another transformation. Each snake bone spike extended outward, and the massive body grew several pairs of irregr fleshy wings. Eyes appeared on its neck and back, while the tail split into numerous octopus tentacles.


    However, gradually, it stabilized.


    [Evil God Monstrosity: Yamata Evil Serpent] Level 6 overlord unit...


    Skills: Evil God Aura (Talent), Mental Corruption (Talent), Yamata Sacrifice (Talent), Mastery of Eight Elements (Talent), Elemental Storm (A rank), Elemental Fusion (A rank), etc.


    Introduction: This monster is created with the power of the Evil God, possessing unimaginable strength and chaotic consciousness. No one can truly control it, but its body is not stable and can only be maintained for a maximum of 36 hours.


    Sess! Zhang Nu was somewhat surprised. He had sessfully created an Evil God monstrosity. Although this monster could only be maintained for 36 hours, it was excellent for a first attempt. The birth of this monster was mainly due to the powerful effects of the polluted blood. However, targets contaminated with this kind of Evil God blood were too unstable and unlikely to survive. Therefore, Zhang Nu used the Eye of Death to transform it into an undead monster, achieving approximately 36 hours of stability.


    Although this Yamata Evil Serpent might not meet Zhang Nu''s standards in terms of strength, it would bring chaos, ughter, and contamination wherever it went. However, due to its instability and contamination capabilities, Zhang Nu could not bring it back to his territory for further use. It could only be considered a disposable item.


    Overall, it was not bad. Zhang Nu estimated that the strength of this serpent was not necessarily inferior to thebined efforts of Kondo Kyohei and Saiki Daioh. It had the capability to deal with some weaker Level 5 monarchs.


    Evil God monstrosities were uncontroble, but Zhang Nu insisted on trying to control it. He activated his recently acquired Dominator''s Eye, connecting his mind directly to the Yamata Evil Serpent. This act of directly connecting one''s mind to an Evil God monstrosity would be equivalent to seeking death for an ordinary person. The moment the connection was established, an overwhelming tide of chaos, madness, bloodlust, pain, hatred, and indescribable emotions would flood in like a torrent.


    This was akin to a powerful psychic attack. However, with the Dominator''s Eye, Zhang Nu was immune to such bacsh. He directly took control of the Yamata Evil Serpent, manipting it like a puppet.


    "Not bad! Another toy added to the collection!"


    Zhang Nu looked at the barely alive Ijin Shinju and said, "As for you..."


    Her strength was still formidable, but due to merging with her subordinates who werepletely contaminated without any precautions, every blood vessel and inch of skin in her body were now tainted with the Corrupted Blood. This malicious force not only nullified various abilities but also initiated a transformation in her body.


    Ijin Shinju hastily begged for mercy, "Don''t kill me! I''m willing to join under your banner, willing to be your subordinate!"


    Zhang Nu chuckled, snapped his fingers, and expanded spatial energy, pushing away the surrounding seawater to create a dry space on the seabed. He established a mental connection with the Spirit Sanctum and used it as a medium to notify Su Yan toe quickly for the reward, as time was running out.


    Su Yan was well-prepared and promptly teleported using the teleportation stone.


    "What is this ce?"


    "The seabed!"


    "What? The seabed!"


    "Enough, no more nonsense. Kill this Demon King!" Zhang Nu ordered, "This isn''t where you should stay. Quickly receive your reward and hurry back to work!"


    Su Yan was baffled. The reward was a Demon King, but how did Boss manage to capture a Demon King under the sea? Su Yan was terrified when she saw the Evil God monstrosity, wondering what kind of creature it was. Though full of confusion, this was not the time to ask questions, she quickly drew her sword and beheaded the Demon King. She was somewhat excited. A Demon-King reward gifted by Boss on the spot. There was no way this was anything lower than a Level 4 Demon King, right?


    At that moment, a notification appeared:


    [You''ve in a Level 5 Deep Sea Naga Demon King!]


    [You gained 2413 training points, Deep Sea Domain talent, Yamata Ritual talent, Naga''s Heart talent.¡¿


    Seeing the sudden yield, Su Yan was utterly bewildered. Over 2400 training points? Wasn''t that equivalent to an ordinary person training for over two thousand years? Even with average aptitude, practicing for two thousand years would likely make one a formidable powerhouse. Such a vast amount of talent points allowed her to reach Level 5 without any issues.


    "This, this, this..."


    Su Yan was too excited to form coherent sentences. She had been dragged into this situation, and in a daze, she had casually made a kill, unexpectedly killing a Level 5 Demon King, a monarch-ss entity!


    Zhang Nu said, "I have other matters to attend to. You can go back now. Make good use of this power, and don''t disappoint me. Understand?"


    "Yes! Thank you, boss!"


    The Demon King bestowed power upon the Hero girl to enhance her performance. Su Yan was well aware of the substantial weight of this reward. Based on the meager contribution she made, she was far from deserving such a significant bounty. In this day and age, Level 5 Demon Kings were a rare sight, and Heroes capable of killing one were virtually non-existent in the entire Thunder Empire. Yet, here she was, having haphazardly in one."

 Chapter 235: Azure Water Empress

    Su Yan was teleported back. This time, her luck was exceptionally good. It was quite rare for Zhang Nu to encounter such a Demon King. As there were no rewards for a Demon King to kill another, this allowed her to stumble upon a tremendous stroke of luck.


    After ying the Naga Demon King, Su Yan should be able to advance to Level 5, bing the first Level 5 Hero in the Darkness City. In addition, she gained the Demon King''s Deep Sea Domain, signifying her potential for bing a monarch. Heroes of this caliber were scarce in the entire Thunder Empire, likely not exceeding three.


    However, despite acquiring the monarch domain, Su Yan''s actual strength was not particrly formidable. She would probably struggle against a Guardian Knight. Unlike other Level 5 or 6 Heroes, Su Yan had a significantly lower starting point, being an ordinary fox viger from a small Chaos Forest vige. Her current prowess was entirely attributed to the assistance and cultivation she received from the Demon King, slowly progressing step by step. Her foundation remained rtively thin, and it would take ample time to umte strength before she could rival the top-tier Heroes of the Thunderous Society.


    "How''s your recovery?" Zhang Nu approached the Subus Queen Han Kexin.


    Han Kexin had not suffered any significant injuries; her depletion was just a bit substantial. She could not fathom how a Demon King like Ijin Shinju managed to copse without even attempting a fight, allowing the Hero of Darkness City to reap the benefits. While she could ept that Zhang Nu could defeat her in a direct confrontation, the fact that he was not only physically powerful but also adept at using underhanded tactics was downright terrifying.


    "I''m almost fully recovered," she replied.


    "What is this thing though? How did you manage to create that?"


    Zhang Nu exined, "It''s nothing extraordinary. Just a special method to create a disposable monstrous entity infused with the power of an Evil God. Unfortunately, it can only exist for less than two days."


    Although Zhang Nu downyed its significance, Han Kexin could sense the tremendous power emanating from the Evil God monstrosity. Even she was not confident in handling it. What amazed her the most was that despite the overwhelming Evil God aura---characterized by chaos, madness, and uncontroble spiritual energy, the creature remained unusually calm. It was evident that Zhang Nu had it under control.


    Continuing, Zhang Nu said, "Although it''s a one-time-use toy, ites in handy. The seal is about to be unlocked. Let''s head in and take a look."


    "However, as they say, even siblings settle their ounts clearly. Let''s discuss the profit distribution first. This ce is extremely challenging, expected to be several times more difficult than the Mountains of Madness. Although you''ve been helpful, provided clues, and resolved the initial troubles for yourself, the profits can''t be split evenly as before."


    Regarding this, Han Keyin naturally epted. The sealing pearl was ultimately Zhang Nu''s, and without it, they would not have had this opportunity. They agreed on a profit distribution n: for monster-killing rewards, whoever made the kill would take it all, and for capturing rewards or other gains, a 70-30 split, with Zhang Nu taking therger share.


    This ratio was not unfair, considering it was a mythic-level area. Even with Han Keyin''s abilities, she would not be able to handle it alone. The arrogant Ijin Shinju believed that her strongest form was sufficient to solo the Empress''s Tomb. However, this was purely based on ignorant arrogance. Unbeknownst to her, her strongest transformed state, while reaching the level of a Level 6 monarch, ranked at the bottom among the Level 6 monarchs. The Empress''s Tomb was a Level 5 mythic area, housing at least one Level 5 mythic existence. Such a being could easily crush even the strongest Level 6 monarch. Even if she entered, she would likely face death.


    After discussing the distribution n with Zhang Nu, the sealing power that pervaded the trenchpletely disappeared.


    "Let''s go!" The two entered the trench directly. The depth of this trench was at least tens of thousands of meters. However, unlike other deep-sea locations, this ce was notpletely dark. Numerous blue crystals, resembling bamboo shoots, were distributed along the cliffs on both sides.


    Zhang Nu took a nce.


    [Star Crystals] Blue-quality material...


    Description: This is a peculiar crystal formed by the condensed star energy from another realm. The higher the crystal concentration, the better the quality, and the higher the value. It can be used to craft and strengthen equipment.


    "So many crystals! The energy within these crystals is not weak!" Han Keyin eximed. "These are probably very valuable materials. If we can develop this ce, it will surely create enormous value."


    Just then, they felt a change in the environment. The seawater in the middle of the trench was blocked as if by an invisible barrier. Above the barrier was the sea, and below was a canyon space filled with dazzling and splendid Star Crystals.


    "So magical!" The twonded in this canyon. Not only was it filled with Star Crystals, but also a variety of peculiar nts, giving the impression of not being at the depths of the sea, but in a lively and dimly lit cave.


    Zhang Nu swept his eyes and found that most of these materials were of the dark attribute, which were quite rare. Predominantly green and blue, with a few purple-quality ones, each nt could fetch a decent sum.


    "We''vee to the right ce this time!" Han Keyin said, "Just these materials could earn us a fortune!"


    Zhang Nu shook his head, "These things are nothing special and not our goal. We probably have yet to even reach our destination yet. Let''s scout this ce first before deciding!"


    However, at this moment, both of them simultaneously felt a powerful spirit and will descending upon this ce.


    "Be careful!"


    "There''s something approaching! It''s teleporting towards us!"


    As Han Keyin spoke, she had already prepared for battle. Almost simultaneously with the warning, a beam of light appeared before them.


    "Undead? A ghost?"


    Han Keyin examined the figure. This ethereal being was enveloped in a halo of light, and its facial features were blurry. However, one could vaguely discern that it was a merfolk in its past life. This spirit was quite different from ordinary ghosts and undead. There was no trace of death energy emanating from it. Instead, it seemed more like a pure soul.


    Yet, how could a pure soul exist without a physical body? No matter how powerful one was, such as Duke Bachor, the separation of spirit and flesh could onlyst for a temporary period, not exceeding ten hours.


    "Who are you people?"


    "Why are you breaking the seal?"


    "What are your intentions foring here?"


    The spirit began to speak, its voice sounding feminine, carrying a natural air of authority, indicating that it was definitely not an insignificant figure in its past life.


    [Soul Warden: Azure Water Empress] Level 3 lord unit...


    Description: This is the soul of Azure Water Empress from six thousand years ago. Due to spending most of its time in slumber and possessing divine attributes, even after transforming into a soul form, it remains capable of enduring an extended period without perishing.


    Zhang Nu eximed in astonishment, "You''re the Azure Water Empress?!"


    Upon hearing this statement, Han Keyin was somewhat incredulous. She clearly did not want to believe it.


    "Hey, what nonsense are you spouting? This one is THE Azure Water Empress? That''s impossible! Didn''t she die six thousand years ago?"


    However, the spirit seemed surprised. She calmly said, "I didn''t expect that, under these circumstances, you could still recognize me. It seems you possess some unknown special abilities!"


    Hearing the soul admitting it with its own words, Han Keyin was suddenly filled with astonishment. Could this person really be the Azure Water Empress? If Azure Water Empress turned herself into a true undead, sustaining her power for a few thousand years would be possible. However, the issue was that she was just a soul. She had not transformed into an undead. A pure soul, under no circumstances, could exist in the natural environment for such a long time.


    No matter how surprised Han Keyin was, it was impossible for Zhang Nu to be mistaken. Standing before them at this moment was indeed the Azure Water Empress. She did perish, but not entirely. In her prime, Azure Water Empress was a force no lower than Level 6 mythic and potentially even above that, either a Level 7 mythic or a Level 6 legendary figure. Only such a powerful individual could suppress a region, an era, and establish a federation.


    Simr to Zhang Nu, Azure Water Empress possessed a divine soul, allowing her to exist in soul form for a very long time after death. However, even with a divine soul, she could not be considered a true deity. After six thousand years in the form of a Soul Warden, her divine essence had nearly been extinguished, and her soul''s features became extremely blurry. As for her strength, it was only Level 3 lord, indicating that she likely could not persist for much longer.


    Azure Water Empress carefully sensed the two mysterious visitors before her and immediately detected Han Kexin''s formidable talents and strength. She could not help but feel deeply impressed. This Subus Queen from the demon n possessed power close to mythic-ss, with a future potential surpassing even Azure Water Empress''s prime.


    As for the other one?


    Although he wore a mysterious disguising cloak, Azure Water Empress had special means to directly sense and discern the other''s soul. To her surprise, she found that his soul also possessed divine and indestructible qualities.


    This guy! He''s incredibly strong! Almost surpassing mythic-ss! Comparatively close to Azure Water Empress''s prime strength!


    Azure Water Empress became wary once again, saying, "You two are no ordinary individuals. Why are you here?"


    Zhang Nu replied, "No need to be nervous. We mean no harm. Even if we did, given your current state, do you think you can stop us?"


    Indeed, regardless of Azure Water Empress''s past status, she was now just a Soul Warden with the strength of a Level 3 lord. Not to mention Zhang Nu, even Han Kexin could easily overpower her. Hell, even a single Draconian Priest could suppress her. Moreover, her divine essence within the soul was almost depleted.


    Zhang Nu exined the reason for their presence here. "That''s the situation. We harbor no ill will towards the federation, at least not for now. And anyone with ill intentions has already been dealt with by us."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "So you''re here for the ancient covenant?" Azure Water Empress remained calm, "But you are destined to be disappointed. The ancient covenant is not in this ce. In fact, even I don''t know its current location."


    "Is that so?" Han Keyin expressed doubt, but seeing Azure Water Empress''s demeanor, it seemed unlikely she was lying. She had no reason to lie. If the ancient covenant truly was in the trench, Zhang Nu and Han Kexin''s abilities could easily locate it.


    Zhang Nu was interested in the covenant. Hearing that it was not here, he felt a bit disappointed at first. However, on second thought, with Azure Water Empress found, the presence or absence of the covenant seemed less important. Even though she had been dead for thousands of years, her soul had remained rtively intact. Otherwise, she would not have the ability tomunicate normally.


    Since that was the case, why not try to bring her back? Using the Resurrection Altar, if sessful, having a living Azure Water Empress would be invaluable. She was one of the founders of the Azure Water Federation, after all.


    "I advise you to leave," Azure Water Empress attempted to dissuade them. "This is an ominous ce. Although I forced the Evil God and its daemons from the foreign realm to retreat at the cost of my life six thousand years ago, the extremely dangerous dimensional crack still exists. You shouldn''t have unsealed it; this may lead to catastrophic consequences in the near future!"

 Chapter 236: Origin of Evil Gods?

    Han Kexin did not expect that, on her adventure to the Empress''s Tomb, she would encounter the tomb''s owner right after entering. However, the Empress''s words had no discouraging effect on her. Instead, they fueled her curiosity about this ce even more.


    "What exactly happened here?" Han Kexin asked. "Why did someone of your caliber have to sacrifice your life?"


    In reality, Han Kexin did not know the specific circumstances at that time. Six thousand years ago, to seal the Abyssal Trench, not only did the Empress sacrifice her life, but also twelve of the most elite oceanic rulers and over ten thousand sea experts perished, barely managing to seal this trench.


    The scale of this sacrifice and loss was not something caused by ordinary daemons. The Empress replied, "The cmity originated from a rift beneath the trench."


    Han Kexin furrowed her brow slightly. "A world rift? Like a spatial wormhole or a temporal passage, some abnormal spatial structure?"


    "No, ordinary rifts and spatial wormholes are only temporary passages that connect our world to a subspace," the Empress exined. "The rift in the Abyssal Trench connects to a ce where the order andws are entirely different from this world. Energies, materials, and even living beings from the other side can permeate through at any time, posing a significant threat to the entire ocean."


    Han Kexin then asked, "Are you saying it''s apletely new alien world?"


    The Empress replied with a somewhat uncertain tone, "In reality, I''m not sure what is on the other side. However, it is indeed different from the world we know."


    Han Kexin was somewhat surprised. From the Empress''s description, a ce with entirely differentws and order could only be apletely new alien world. She had not expected that the Azure Water Federation''s depths concealed such a thing. Did this mean there were many other worlds besides this one? Could the Demon Kingunch attacks on these worlds? Han Kexin immediately developed a strong curiosity to find out and asked directly, "Have you been inside? What''s it like over there?"


    "I''ve tried, but I failed," replied the Empress.


    Han Kexin frowned. "With your abilities, you couldn''t adapt to the environment on the other side?"


    "It''s a cepletely different from our world, even the entire world''s manifestation is vastly different from ours. The beings on the other side cannot descend here in the form they exist in their world, and simrly, our flesh and blood bodies would struggle to adapt there. Thews, order, and rules are all different. Our magic and various abilities be ineffective, making it impossible for us tounch a reverse exploration. Sealing is the only viable option."


    Hearing this, both Zhang Nu and Han Kexin had a question in mind. Zhang Nu asked directly, "Since our abilities are unusable in the other world, theoretically, the abilities from that side should be ineffective in our world too."


    Han Kexin added, "Yeah, if that''s the case, how could it pose a threat?"


    The Empress shook her head and exined, "Although theoretically it should work that way, the monsters thate from the other side, even though they be crazy, distorted, and mutated, still possess formidable power."


    Hearing this, both of them got even more puzzled. If the world''sws were entirely different, then the loss of power effectiveness should be mutual. Why would only people from this side be unable to use any spells, while thoseing from the other side, despite going crazy and experiencing body deformities, still possessed formidable power?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Zhang Nu spected, "I think there are two possibilities. The first is that the fundamental nature of the biological forces on both sides is different, leading to these divergent situations. The other possibility is that there might be a hierarchy between worlds."


    Upon hearing this, Han Kexin was deeply moved. She immediately thought of domain skills. When two powerful individuals at the level of monarchs or above shed, whoever could gain stronger domain control had a tremendous advantage. When two domains confronted each other, one domain would often suppress the other, rendering the suppressed domain''s effectspletely ineffective.


    So, was it possible that the entire world was simr to a powerful "domain"? When the processes of different worlds collided, it was like the collision of two domains. The stronger and more advanced world would suppress thews of the lower-level world, causing the powers cultivated based on thews of the lower-level world to lose their effects in the higher-level world.


    This thought was chilling. Zhang Nu also pondered this possibility. Instead of cultivating spells and skills from the bottom up, it might be more effective to directly master the power of the Dominion of Laws themselves from the top down. Zhang Nu believed that if he entered the crack into the bizarre world, where various abilities and skills became ineffective, his temporal abilities would likely remain unaffected.


    However, before they could contemte further, the entire gorge suddenly trembled. Zhang Nu saw the ground ahead crack open, and peculiar giant birds, resembling crows with a wingspan of ten meters, quickly flew out of the trench. They had no feathers on their bodies, but instead, their surfaces were covered in moving flesh and filled with Star Crystals. These irregrly distributed crystals looked like the feathers of these creatures.


    [Mournful Celestial Sorrocrow] Level 6 lord units...


    Description: These are creatures from an unknown exotic realm. Unable to adapt to thews of this world, they ultimately twisted and mutated into crazed monsters.


    Azure Water Empress eximed, "sted monsters! Because the seal has been lifted, these creatures are beginning to revive. Although there aren''t many daemonic beings left in the Abyssal Trench, once they leave the trench, it will bring enormous disaster to the various aquatic races!"


    Zhang Nu''s mind raced. He spoke, "Empress, you''re truly an excellent ruler who loves her subjects. In that case, why don''t we make a deal?"


    The Empress asked, "What do you mean?"


    "I can help you repel these creatures, prevent the daemonic beings lurking in the trench from erupting and spreading. I can even help you resurrect, restoring your normal body and even a portion of your strength!"


    Upon hearing these words, even though her facial expression could not be discerned, the Empress''s shocked emotions were palpable through her soul''s fluctuations.


    Resurrection? How could that be possible? The Azure Water Empress was once a formidable and authoritative figure. She naturally knew of some methods that could bring people back to life, but deploying such methods was extremely challenging. The higher the resurrection target, the more difficult it became. Reviving her? It was nearly impossible, even for an empire-level force. What gave this mysterious individual the confidence to im he could resurrect her?


    The Azure Water Empress had maintained her Soul Warden form for thousands of years. If there was truly a method to restore her physical body and bring her back to life, how could she possibly refuse?


    "What do you want?" The Azure Water Empress said, "I don''t have anything to offer you."


    Zhang Nu replied, "No, what I want is quite simple. I hope that the Azure Water Empress will join the Darkness City, be a guest official of the Darkness City, and work for me for at least ten years."


    Just that? Upon hearing these words, the Azure Water Empress was stunned. For someone who had entered the legendary rank, and for her, who had drifted in the form of a soul for thousands of years, ten years was not a very long time. As long as she worked for him for ten years, she could exchange it for the opportunity of resurrection. No matter how you looked at it, it was a very profitable deal.


    At this moment, more monsters surged out from the underwater gorge. The sealid by Azure Water and the twelve monarchs not only had the function of isting space, but also the power to suppress the monsters. Now that the seal was lifted, all the creatures that had been suppressed were about to be released.


    The situation was too dangerous! There was nothing to hesitate about! Even without the condition of resurrection, the Empress would make the same choice now to save her subjects.


    "Very well, I ept your condition. But I also have one condition: I will not do anything that harms the peace of the aquatic tribes!"


    Zhang Nu smiled. His goal had been achieved. Originally, he thought he was just going to deal with some high-level monsters, but unexpectedly, he had picked up the founder of the Azure Water Federation. Zhang Nu wondered how the high-ranking officials of the Azure Water Federation would react when they saw their only legitimate emperor appear in front of them after being resurrected.


    "Let''s deal with these monsters first!" Zhang Nu used his mind to control the Yamata Evil Serpent. Its massive body descended from the sky, appearing above the Starry Sky Magic Ravens, releasing a powerful mental attack.


    The Starry Sky Magic Ravens, affected by the attack, screamed and released blue and white energy beams from their mouths. However, these attacks didn''t cause much harm to the Yamata Evil Serpent. The eight heads of the snake simultaneously attacked, releasing breaths imbued with the aura of the evil god. These breaths quickly fell onto the monsters, instantly crushing and tearing their bodies apart.


    [You''ve in a Mournful Celestial Sorrocrow. Gold +410,000!]


    [You''ve in a Mournful Celestial Sorrocrow. Gold +410,000!]


    [You''ve in a Mournful Celestial Sorrocrow. Gold +410,000!]


    [......]


    Seeing the Yamata Evil Serpent, the Azure Water Empress was extremely shocked. This was clearly a powerful Evil God monstrosity, and it seemed to be controlled by the mysterious person in front of her. How was this possible? Evil God monstrosities were uncontroble! Even at the peak of her power, the Azure Water Empress could not control an Evil God monstrosity to fight for her.


    Han Kexin quickly said, "Hey, don''t kill them so fast. At least leave a few for me."


    As she spoke, she activated Soul Domination, releasing more than a dozen purple soul threads in one breath, pulling out the souls of seven Mournful Celestial Sorrocrow and incinerating them with the Devil''s Fire.


    These were Level 6 lord-ss monsters, not small fry! The rewards for each one were astonishing! With thebined efforts of the Yamata Evil Serpent and the Subus Queen, the surrounding Mournful Celestial Sorrocrow were being rapidly eliminated. However, just eliminating these monsters was not enough.


    The Azure Water Empress spoke, "There is arger space below with arge number of mutated corpses of deceased aquatic tribe warriors and various monsters from the otherworld. They may have already revived."


    "What?! That''s too many! We can''t possibly kill them all!" Han Kexin frowned, "Potato seller, do you have any ns?"


    Zhang Nu replied, "The old method. I can feel that these monsters originally had no intelligence. They are only following the instructions of a certain will!"


    "Which is why! There''s no need to waste anymore time."


    "Let''s finish this quickly and eliminate the leader of these monsters first!"

 Chapter 237: They Came From the Stars

    Zhang Nu had just finished speaking when the Azure Water Empress, Shui Lan eximed, "I know who did this! I also know where he is! Follow me!"


    The Empress, having waged war in the Abyssal Trench multiple times during her lifetime, and as a Soul Warden for six thousand years afterward, silently guarded this trench. No one understood the structure of the Abyssal Trench better than her.


    Guided by the Shui Lan, the group advanced through numerous obstacles, systematically clearing out many monsters. These creatures were of very high levels, at least Level 6 elites, with nearly half of them being Level 5 and 6 lords. asionally, there were even overlords. Even a Level 5 Demon King would find it extremely challenging to solo through this.


    In the deepest part of the trenchy a massive basin. Here, numerous seal structures built by the sea tribes were evident, but most had copsed and appeared dpidated, covered in crystals. Apart from that, the area was littered with the corpses of aquatic tribe members, each sealed within a crystal. These crystals looked like gigantic eggs from some creature.


    Han Kexin furrowed her brows and warned, "Be careful. There are abnormal psychic and soul fluctuations inside. These bodies seem to be alive, but their souls and minds havepletely deviated from ordinary living beings."


    Just as the words fell, several crystals shattered, resembling broken eggshells. Monsters emerged from within. This time, it was a sharkfolk, a shrimpfolk, and an octopusfolk. Despite their different races, they all had a mysterious aura. They seemed to be a grotesque result of forcibly fusing flesh and crystal together. Sharp crystal spikes adorned their limbs and torsos, and crystal fins protruded from their backs. Their heads were a half-and-halfbination of flesh and crystal, emitting a powerful aura.


    [Envoy of Myriad Stars] Level 6 lord unit...


    Han Kexin''s expression became serious. "What are these? Special undead creatures?"


    Zhang Nu nced at the introduction and said, "No, these aquatic tribe members are just shells. Internally, they are entirely different races. They are life forms from another realm. Realizing that thews of this world conflicted with theirs, they couldn''t directly manifest their bodies. Therefore, they projected their souls and upied these corpses."


    "Don''t be deceived by their current appearance. In their own world, they might have entirely different biological forms and species."


    Han Kexin asked, "Could they be influencing the monsters then?"


    Zhang Nu replied, "No, these guys don''t have such strong power."


    The Azure Water Empress interjected, "The mastermind behind this must be ''Morton the Formless.'' These starry monsters are subordinates of Morton, the Formless."


    Without waiting to be asked, she exined, "You are correct. These intelligent beings from another realm have significantly different life forms than us. They try to avoid directly descending in bodily form and insteade through by projecting their souls."


    "This method not only increases their chances of survival but also makes it less likely for them to be detected. They can utilize crystals and corpses to construct their existence in this world. Among these invaders, there is a leader. He is Morton the Formless!"


    The Empress continued, "It''s extremely difficult to kill Morton. Now that he has awakened these subordinates andmanded monsters to stir everywhere, it''s evident that he wants to buy time to destroy the sealing altar."


    "We must not let him seed. If the sealing altar is destroyed, the world rift will be opened again, bringing endless invasions and disasters to this ocean!"


    "We don''t have much time!"


    Zhang Nu and Han Kexin exchanged a nce, disying perfect cooperation. Han Kexin stated, "I''ll take care of these small fry!"


    Without hesitation, Zhang Nu left the Yamata Evil Serpent monstrosity behind. With it teaming up with the Subus Queen, clearing out these Envoy of Myriad Stars should not be an issue.


    "Let''s go!" Leading Azure Water Empress, Zhang Nu headed towards the central area.


    Han Kexin and the Yamata Evil Serpent monster created a significant disturbance, sessfully attracting the majority of the Envoy of Myriad Stars. These creatures had formidable attack power and unique skills. If it weren''t for the nearly indestructible Yamata Evil Serpent acting as a tank and drawing the majority of the firepower, Han Kexin admitted she would not have stood a chance.


    At that moment, Zhang Nu arrived at the center, where a magnificent structure came into view. This colossal sealing altar had a diameter of three to four hundred meters and a height of about one thousand meters. It was covered in intricate runes and glowing sealing chains. Before he could thoroughly sense the situation, a strange and enormous figure rose from the altar. It was essentially a supersized Envoy of Myriad Stars. However, the nearby regr envoys were allposed of one or two aquatic tribe corpses, while this one was constructed from at least twenty to thirty corpses. Furthermore, each of them was of extremely high quality.


    The Empress''s soul fluctuated, "Oh no...he has fused with the twelve Sea Kings!"


    If Zhang Nu observed carefully, he would notice that the monster''s body was pieced together from many corpses. Among them, twelve looked particrly distinctive. Without surprises, these twelve corpses were the Sea Kings. This extraterrestrial monster, relying solely on these twelve monarch-ss corpses, would likely not be inferior to the Thirteen Malevolent Kings in terms of power. This opponent''s strength was definitely not to be underestimated


    Zhang Nu immediately activated his cheat ability to acquire information.


    [Envoy Leader of Myriad Stars: Morton the Formless] Level 5 mythic unit...


    Skills: Ster Descent (Talent), Starfall Strike (Talent), Power of the Stars (Talent), Evil God Aura (Talent), etc.


    Description: This is an offspring of an Evil God,manded to lead the Evil God''s kin in invading this world. It possesses an almost immortal soul and formidable power.


    Seeing this, Zhang Nu was somewhat surprised. This Formless Morton was actually an offspring of an Evil God. Zhang Nu had never heard of the existence of offspring among Evil Gods.


    Without waiting for Zhang Nu to contemte further, Morton took action. As he unleashed tremendous power, he gradually eroded the sealing chains, attempting to break the sealing altar. Simultaneously, he locked onto Zhang Nu and Shui Lan, conveying a bizarre psychic consciousness into their minds.


    "Shui Lan! So, you''re not dead after all!"


    "However, with your current state, you won''t be able to stop me this time!"


    The massive, eerie figure did not emit sound butmunicated through the mind. Engaging in psychic conversation did not require knowledge of the other''snguage. The opponent''s brain automatically would convert the psychic signals into understandable thoughts or speech.


    Shui Lan felt a significant loss ofposure. "Morton''s strength was already formidable, and now, having absorbed the bodies of twelve Sea Kings, his power has undoubtedly surpassed that of a monarch!"


    As the words fell, Zhang Nu felt himself moving at the speed of light, entering the vast expanse of the starry sky. In every direction, there were splendid and colorful wonders.


    [You have been affected by "Ster Descent". Maximum HP and MP -2000 points, all stats -25%!]


    So that''s what it was, it was a domain skill! Still, it must be said, it was quite stunning!


    In every direction, the boundless expanse of the starry sky enveloped everything! Morton''s psychically transmitted voice echoed again, "The terrors from the stars are something you weaklings cannotprehend. Today, I will let you experience just a glimpse of it!"


    As he spoke, without any preparation, a domain hurricane swept through, mes erupted, frost covered the ground, and the earth trembled. There were no incantations, yet he could directly manipte the four elemental forces. This was the power of the Dominion of Laws! Morton the Formless was indeed a genuine mythic-ss unit!


    However, with such power, it was just a drizzle for Zhang Nu. He realized that finding an opponent who could engage him in a back-and-forth battle was not that easy.


    First, he activated the Eye of Death. Then, he condensed a surge of powerful mana.


    Death Stare!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    -52121!


    The leader of the envoys, Morton the Formless, exploded."

 Chapter 238: Abyssal Trench Conquest Success

    Zhang Nu showed no mercy as Morton the Formless was obliterated. The sheer strength of the Death Stare attack was such that even a Level 6 monarch would find it challenging to withstand! Although Zhang Nu intended to end the battle swiftly, eliminating a mythic-ss opponent posed a challenge. He did not receive a kill notification, and the surrounding space continued to shimmer with stars, indicating that the opponent was not killed.


    Far from being dismayed or angry, Zhang Nu instead disyed an expression of keen interest. "Surviving an attack from me? Intriguing!"


    Zhang Nu closed his Eye of Death. The attack had exerted too much force, and the Eye of Death needed some time to cool down. With his current strength, it would take approximately ten minutes to recover. The Azure Water Empress was astonished by Zhang Nu''s formidable power. She had never witnessed such a brutal, ruthless, in yet unstoppable attack. This individual iming to be the Lord of the Darkness City truly had unfathomable strength!


    Shui Lan reminded, "Don''t let your guard down. Morton the Formless can resurrect. His soul is incredibly powerful. As long as the soul is notpletely annihted, even a tiny residual fragment can regenerate."


    In the blink of an eye, the myriad stardust resulting from the monster''s explosive demise, numbering in the billions, coalesced into a neb. Slowly, it began to rotate and condense, eventually forming a fearsome humanoid creature standing six meters tall, adorned with three heads and nine arms, exuding a terrifying aura. Compared to the amalgamation of flesh and crystal in its earlier grotesque form, this new appearance was noticeably more coordinated.


    The fluctuations in Shui Lan''s soul intensified. "This is bad. Not only did Morton survive, but he also utilized the attack to reconstruct his body. Things have just be even more difficult!"


    Morton''s current formcked any flesh and blood. From head to toe, it wasposed entirely of crystalline material. Yet, its presence, far from diminishingpared to before, had be even more potent.


    "You actually wielded a trace of the divine source!" Morton the Formless emitted an angry psychic will. Clearly, he was astounded by the power of the Eye of Death, unable toprehend how mere mortals couldmand the essence of divinity.


    "However," he continued, "with this power alone, you cannot defeat me in a single strike! You should be unable to muster another attack like this, right? Moreover, thanks to your attack, I have been deconstructed and reformed, reshaping my body. My current state is more than twice as powerful as before!"


    Morton''s crystalline body radiated brilliance, and a powerful psychic consciousness enveloped the entire space.


    [You are under attack by the Power of mes. HP -0!]


    [You are under attack by the Power of Frost. HP -0!]


    [You are under attack by the Power of Earth. HP -0!]


    [You are under attack by the Power of Gale. HP -0!]


    [......]


    Although the power of elemental forces was more formidable, Morton still could not break through Zhang Nu''s defenses. Zhang Nu''s "Super Magic Immunity" was not just for show. With the improvement of his strength, the immunity effect also increased. Unless Morton used an elemental attack beyond S-rank, it was impossible to pose any threat. Compared to himself, Shui Lan was more of a concern. The legendary empress was currently quite vulnerable. If she identally perished here, the loss would be too significant.


    Morton finally realized that the power of elemental forces might be ineffective against this enemy, so he decided tounch a more powerful attack!


    "Ster Descent!"


    Stars lit up in all directions. Streams of starlight transformed into meteors, carrying with them daemonic mes and the power of the four elements, heading towards Zhang Nu''s location. Each attack was of no less intensity than an A-rank magic. With hundreds of such attacks, if they all hit Zhang Nu in a short period, it would be enough to pose a certain level of threat and damage to him.


    Morton was well aware that Zhang Nu could not continuously activate the Death Stare. Therefore, he prepared to quickly eliminate him to prevent the opponent from activating the divine source again. However, at this moment, the twinkling starlight, like a gust of wind sweeping through candlelight, extinguished one after another. The vast and magnificent space filled with shimmering stars was engulfed and drowned in endless darkness.


    Morton''s face changed drastically. He could clearly sense that a stronger domain had been unleashed from his target, directly suppressing the starry field and rendering his own domain ineffective. This attack was based on the initiation of the starry domain. Now that the starry domain had disappeared, the offensive momentum naturally disintegrated. Meanwhile, the space began to distort, time was manipted, making him move extremely sluggish, almost immobile.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    This was a divine realm that could freely manipte space and time!


    Morton realized that the enemy he was facing right now possessed incredibly powerful abilities, possibly not much inferior to the Azure Water Empress in her prime. With his current strength, it would be extremely difficult to defeat this opponent.


    Zhang Nu transmitted a message psychically: "Is this all you''ve got?" Morton was extremely angry. He attempted to break free from the confinement of space and time, but how could he resist against a force of this level?


    Zhang Nu clutched his hand and grasped at the void.Morton keenly felt the surrounding space and time violently copsing, as if a ck hole was forming around him. After being absorbed by this ck hole, the pressure from the copsed space-time made Morton unable to move. His body was rapidly ttened and torn.


    "This is impossible! You, an ant of a lower world! How can you wield such power?"


    Zhang Nu instantly moved in front of Morton, conjuring a giant sword of a hundred meters. With a single sh, he struck the crystal body that seemed impervious to conventional weapons. A vast expanse of thunder and mes surged down, sweeping through everything. Morton was once again sted into pieces. This time, there was no chance for him to reconstruct his body.


    Employing his ultimate move, he detached his soul directly from his crystal body, temporarily oveing the resistance of space and time. The soul released from the copsing region instantly dove into Zhang Nu''s body.


    "Your body! Your power! From now on, it belongs to me!"


    The voice of Morton echoed in Zhang Nu''s mind. He could keenly feel the immense psychic power of this descendant of an Evil God. The descendant attempted to suppress Zhang Nu''s will with psychic power, then devour his soul, ultimately taking control of this body.


    "A possession-type ability?"


    The reason this descendant of an evil god was known as Morton the Formlessy in its exceptionally powerful soul. Not only was it extremely difficult to eliminate, but it could effortlessly seize the bodies of others, effectively taking over and acquiring the talents of its victims.


    Compared to the bodies made from the twelve corpses of the Sea Kings, Morton clearly favored Zhang Nu''s body more. If it could obtain this powerful body, consume the formidable soul within, and acquire the talents embedded in both the body and soul, then his strength would be several times more potent. Furthermore, its future growth potential would be even more formidable.


    However, the n was wless, yet the very first step had already gone awry. As Morton made contact with Zhang Nu''s soul, it felt like touching a red-hot branding iron without any preparation---intense burning pain followed by a piercing scream.


    "A divine soul?"


    Morton''s voice was filled with frustration and anger. While it had anticipated this individual''s extraordinary strength, it did not expect it to be so overpowering. Zhang Nu had cultivated a divine soul that was virtually indestructible and immortal.


    A divine soul was a characteristic of beings at the mythic or legendary ss. Six thousand years ago, Azure Water Empress was a Level 6 legendary existence. In her prime, she almost single-handedly held back other descendants of Evil Gods and even Evil Gods themselves from entering the rift, sessfully sealing the world''s breach.


    Now, Zhang Nu possessed power close to a Level 6 legend. In other words, at this very moment, this Demon King had strengthparable to Azure Water Empress in her prime. Although Zhang Nu had just entered this rank, due to his ability to control space and time, along with the power of Evil Gods, he might even be more challenging to deal with than Shui Lan in her prime.


    Even Morton the Formless, with all its power, could not devour such a soul.


    Morton immediately prepared to retreat. Although the possession had failed, self-preservation was not an issue. While his soulcked the formidable divinity of Zhang Nu, as a descendant of an Evil God, he possessed some undying characteristics. As long as his soul could escape, he had the chance to resurrect.


    He needed to find an opportunity to reopen the seal of the rift in the Abyssal Trench. However, for now, he could only temporarily avoid the impending danger. As Morton was about to leave, he suddenly realized he could not. Zhang Nu''s mental will, like a cage, trapped him within.


    "What''s going on?" Morton felt his soul imprisoned in a pitch-ck ce. At the same time, a figure approached. The mental manifestation of the Demon King took on a humanoid form---a person in casual sportswear, with ck short hair and a handsome face, appearing quite ordinary.


    He looked at the imprisoned descendant of the Evil God. His two eyes were peculiar, one emitting the power of death in red, and the other blue and white, radiating psychic power. At this moment, the Eye of Dominator was at work, ensuring that Morton was mentally trapped within Zhang Nu''s consciousness. As Zhang Nu approached, a blood-red mist emanated from his body.


    Morton waspletely stunned. "You absorbed three divine sources? That''s impossible!"


    Zhang Nu replied, "Nothing is impossible. Do you have anyst words?"


    Morton the Formless, who had experienced countless battles and participated in the conquest of numerous realms and dimensions throughout his life, was now facing an unprecedented sense of fear and despair. "You can''t kill me, or my brothers and our patriarch will surely seek revenge on you."


    Zhang Nu shook his head. "I thought the descendants of Evil Gods would say something different. Turns out, it''s just the same old clich¨¦. Well then!"


    As he spoke, the Corrupted Blood coalesced on his fingertips. Eventually, it gently touched a point on Morton''s soul. In the next moment, the soul was corroded, and simultaneously, mes ignited. Morton let out a piercing scream. However, the process of soul corrosion and incineration did notst long. Soon, the entire soul turned into nothingness.


    At the same time, Zhang Nu received a notification:


    [You''ve in "Envoy Leader of Myriad Stars: Morton the Formless". Gold +35 million!]


    Sess! The removal of the domain was sessful due to the death of the leader. All the monsters in the trench calmed down.


    Zhang Nu did not receive the conquest reward, indicating that the number of kills in this area was not sufficient to be judged as conquered. He immediately seized the time to join forces with Han Kexin to clear the remaining monsters. The harvest from this round was astonishing. Just the small monsters and mini-bosses killed by Zhang Nu numbered nearly a thousand. Thebined ie from these monsters and Morton the Formless was approximately 260 million gold!


    When upying the entire Chaos Forest and opening the exclusive treasure chest, Zhang Nu received a total of only 100 million gold. This time, the loot from killing monsters alone exceeded twice the Chaos Forest treasure chest rewards, and the rewards for upying the Abyssal Trench had not been distributed yet.


    Time was running out! The Azure Water Federation would soon discover the abnormality in the trench. Zhang Nu began to worry that he would not have enough time toplete the conquest of the area. Fortunately, with Han Kexin''s assistance, the two joined forces, spending a day exterminating all the Star Envoys. Although they missed some magical creatures, they fulfilled the upation conditions.


    [You''ve conquered the Abyssal Trench!]


    [You gained "Gorgeous Stardust Diamond Chest" x1 !]


    Zhang Nu was overjoyed. He had received the area upation reward! This meant that the operation had concluded perfectly!


    At this moment, Han Kexin reminded him, "Large groups of troops are approaching!"


    Zhang Nu nodded, "We can''t stay here. Let''s return to Darkness City first!"


    He was unsure whether the Empress''s current status still held the same influence over the Azure Water Federation as it did in the past. After all, it had been six thousand years, and the internal forces within the federation might have undergone significant changes. Moreover, the Azure Water Empress was currently just a soul, and her strength might not be strong enough to control the situation. Without adequate preparation, revealing the Empress''s existence prematurely might not be a good idea.


    Therefore, Zhang Nu avoided contact with people from the Azure Water Federation. He immediately used an expensive teleportation stone to return to Darkness City with Shui Lan and Han Kexin."

 Chapter 239: Resurrection of the Azure Water Empress

    With a sh of light, the Demon King''s hall in Darkness City weed the arrival of the Subus Queen, Han Kexin. The grand and magnificent hall, well-lit and spacious, provided a stark contrast to the oppressive atmosphere of the Abyssal Trench, lifting Han Kexin''s spirits. However, what truly delighted her was not just the change in environment but the tremendous sess achieved in this adventure. Although Queen Han yed a supporting role for the Dragon Demon King, she managed to reap significant benefits. For the Gloom City, these gains were anything but trivial!


    "Potato seller, check out the chest reward!" Han Kexin urged.


    Zhang Nu opened the treasure chest, obtained the item information, copied it all, and sent it to Han Kexin.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [You opened the Diamond Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x 90 million, "Blueprint: Rift Tower" x1, "Blueprint: Ster Gateway" x1, "Level 5 Building Upgrade Scroll" x1, "Heart of the Ocean" x1, "Scepter of Myriad Stars" x1, "Water Gem" x30,000, "Dark Gem" x15,000, "Spirit Gem" x8,000, "Soul Gem" x5,000!]


    With 90 million gold, two sets of Level 5 special blueprints, two pieces of epic equipment, a Level 5 building upgrade scroll, and nearly 60,000 gems, the reward this time is incredible!


    "This is amazing! The yield from this trip is unexpectedly huge!" eximed Han Kexin. She had no idea that the challenge this time was several levels higher than the Mountains of Madness, as Morton the Formless possessed the power of a mythic entity.


    Zhang Nu replied, "Let''s assess the value of the items, and ording to our agreement, you can take thirty percent. You can choose first this time."


    Without a doubt, even with only thirty percent, the earnings from this adventure far exceeded those from the Mountains of Madness. Han Kexin examined the two sets of Level 5 special building blueprints they had obtained.


    The first one was the "Rift Tower". Such a special building already existed in Gloom City and served as the medium to enter dungeons. Different dungeons yielded different rewards, and Han Kexin had used her Rift Tower to obtain multiple teleportation tower blueprints. Aside from selling two sets to Zhang Nu and keeping one set for herself, she had recently obtained two more blueprints, which she was nning to sell at a good price.


    As for the Rift Tower obtained this time, the specific type of dungeon it led to was still unknown. It had to be constructed to reveal the connected dungeon type, but it was certain that the dungeons from the Rift Tower obtained in the Abyssal Trench would definitely be much higher level than the one in Gloom City.


    The second blueprint, "Ster Gateway", was also an extremely rare and valuable Level 5 special building. It was a spatial functional structure that, if constructed in Darkness City, could summon a stable spatial gate within a radius of thirty thousand kilometers.


    What did this mean? It meant that the Darkness City''s army gained the ability to quickly reach any location within a radius of thirty thousand kilometers forbat. Although both were spatial teleportation-type functional buildings, the advantages of the Ster Gateway differed significantly from the Teleportation Tower.


    Inparison, the advantages of the Teleportation Tower included the ability to teleport a single entity, rtively low cost, and the ability to ignore distance for fixed-point teleportation, making it especially suitable for civilian use. However, its disadvantages were apparent: low teleportation efficiency, the need for a Teleportation Tower as a fixed point for long-distance teleportation,  which could be easily destroyed, making it unsuitable for military use.


    The Ster Gateway''s advantagey in its ability to quickly transferrge quantities of troops to any designated location, rapidly formingbat power, and having extremely high military value. Its downside was the opposite: each time the Ster Gateway was activated, it required a significant amount of gold and the consumption of spatial gems. Consequently, the cost per activation was very high. While it was suitable for transferring tens of thousands of troops at once, small-scale transfers would incur substantial losses.


    Additionally, the Ster Gateway had limitations on its teleportation range. The Level 5 Ster Gateway could cover a radius of thirty thousand kilometers, which was already quite extensive. It was sufficient to cover the entire Chaos Forest, as well as a considerable portion of the territories of the Azure Water Federation, Thunder Empire, and Sunset Empire. However, this distance was still not far enough to travel the entire world. At least it was not possible to transport to Gloom City from Darkness City.


    Han Kexin was well aware of the value of these two blueprints, but she knew even more that she did not deserve to take them. Although Han Kexin had a cunning and venomous personality, she was, in fact, a very thoughtful person. She understood that cooperating with someone like Zhang Nu required careful consideration. She needed to strive for what was rightfully hers, but she should not even think about taking what did not belong to her. Since Darkness City did not have its own rift dungeon yet, and the value of the Ster Gate to resist the assault of the Thunder Empire was more valuable than a million troops, Han Kexin decided to give up without hesitation.


    "I won''t take these two blueprints," Han Kexin said. "But I hope I can get some entry quotas for exploring the rift dungeon."


    Simr to the Trial Tower, the Rift Tower had a maximum number of uses per day or week. If this limit was exceeded, it would be unusable. Although Han Kexin could not take the Rift Tower for herself, she could try to secure some entry tickets for exploring the dungeon. However, since the construction cost of the Rift Tower was extremely high, Han Kexin would need to share the yieldings she would obtain from the rift dungeon with Darkness CIty. Overall, it was not a bad deal for the Darkness City. The level of this dungeon would undoubtedly be very high, and there would not be many people in the Darkness City who could easily ovee it.


    Considering all this, Zhang Nu agreed. Han Kexin got the two epic-grade equipment pieces instead.


    [Heart of the Ocean] Orange quality medium grade item. Restores 200 HP and 100 MP per second. Maximum MP +15%. Grants super immunity to water attributed attacks, and automatically acquires the ability to cast dozens of water attributed spells.


    [Scepter of Myriad Stars] Orange quality high grade item. Casting speed +200%, the power of psychic and soul spells and abilities +50%. Gains the ability to summon celestial creatures of various levels.


    Additionally, she asked for a bit more gold aspensation.


    Zhang Nu did not expect the Subus Queen to be so sensible. Her portion of the total value might not even reach 30%. This made Zhang Nu very satisfied. Despite her constant teasing, she did not touch what she should not. In any case, the financial strength of Darkness City was already formidable. Thus, Zhang Nu happily handed out 60 million gold from the total of 90 million, and as for the gemstones, they were divided ording to a 7:3 ratio.


    What a windfall! Han Kexin could not suppress her excitement! With this money, Gloom City would surely be able to expand massively. She probably could activate the remaining two Level 5 talents sooner, bing a Level 6 Super Demon King!


    Zhang Nu''s actions were meant to support the development of Gloom City. Despite its considerable strength, financial development was challenging due to regional environmental constraints. The underworld was worth exploring. With Han Kexin being a bit stronger, she would be more useful to him in the future. Of course, apart from that, an agreement is an agreement. If it was agreed to give her a third, then a third it would be. Although Zhang Nu could be stingy at times, as a man, he still had some basic principles. Moreover, for the current Zhang Nu, the total amount was not really that much.


    After the two of them made the distribution, Han Kexin returned to her Gloom City with a substantial amount of gold. Relying on this gold from the chest and the ie gained from ying all those monsters within this trip, she had acquired a considerable fortune. With such arge sum of gold, she definitely needed to n carefully on how to spend it all efficiently.


    After the Subus Queen left, Zhang Nu brought the Azure Water Empress to the Resurrection Altar. He said to her, "This is my Resurrection Altar. Not even I have used it yet. It''s your lucky day. Go ahead!"


    The Azure Water Empress felt somewhat incredulous. She could sense the value of several buildings in the Demon King''s Hall, whether it was the Demon King Altar, the Spirit Sanctum, or this Resurrection Altar---all exuded a powerful aura that she had never encountered before.


    Darkness City---what kind of force was this? Who exactly was this master of this Darkness City? Attempting to resurrect a legendary empress was by no means an easy task. Not to mention the tremendous difficulty, even if they truly found a method, the cost would be enormous! Even for an empire-level force, it would likely be challenging to bear.


    Azure Water Empress questioned, "Are you sure you only need me for ten years?"


    Zhang Nu remained calm and said, "Ten years is enough. After the agreed period, if you want to stay, you can stay. If you don''t want to remain in Darkness City, I won''t stop you from leaving."


    The empress could not fullyprehend his intentions, but she nodded nheless. She walked into the blood pool within the altar.


    [Detected an intact soul at the Resurrection Altar.]


    [Do you want to resurrect the Level 6 legendary unit "Azure Water Empress"?]


    [The resurrection costs "Gold" ¡Á 180 million, "Life Gems" ¡Á 10,000, "Soul Gems" ¡Á 8,000, "Spirit Gems" ¡Á 8,000, "Level 5 Souls" ¡Á 15!]


    [Note: Due to the excessively powerful nature of the target, this altar can only restore a portion of her strength and talents.]


    That expensive? Zhang Nu raised an eyebrow. The cost was exorbitantly high.


    However, upon further consideration, this was no ordinary empress---it was a Level 6 legendary figure. How could the resurrection of such a being be easy? If resurrecting a Level 5 monarch might cost around twenty million gold, resurrecting someone of Shui Lan''s caliber would undoubtedly require a much higher expenditure.


    But still, it was really expensive!


    If he had known, he would have signed a hundred-year contract with her. Of course, Zhang Nu was just expressing his discontent. For him, ten years and a hundred years made no difference. He believed that by that time, the Azure Water Federation would have be part of the Chaos Federation. Given the Azure Water Empress''s personality, she would never leave willingly. With her as the founder and foundation of the Azure Water Federation, the future task of subduing it would be significantly easier. Inparison to the potential benefits, the expenses were negligible.


    "Resurrect!" Zhang Nu, feeling the pain, paid the cost.


    In an instant, a radiant light burst forth, and an overwhelmingly powerful aura, like a colossal tsunami, swept through the hall. A slender and graceful figure emerged from the blood pool of the Resurrection Altar. She waspletely unclothed, every inch of her skin carved as if from white jade. Cascading blue-white hair fell down, giving her an elusive appearance and adding a touch of charm.


    Zhang Nu took a nce. Shui Lan''s information had changed.


    [Legendary Empress: Shui Lan] Level 5 mythic unit...


    Skills: Azure Water Sanctum (Talent), Bloodline of the Sea Tribe Empress (Talent), Holy Maiden of the Sea (Talent), Dominator of the Sea (Talent), Chosen One of the Sea God (Talent), Divine Soul (Iplete Talent), etc.


    Introduction: Founder of the Azure Water Federation, the only legitimate emperor of the Azure Water Federation, a legendary empress who left her mark on the world six thousand years ago, possessing the ability to rule the vast sea and billions of sea creatures... Although sessfully resurrected, the long passage of time has depleted her divinity, and her strength is far from what it used to be.


    Not bad! Zhang Nu was already quite satisfied. The Resurrection Altar could not bring back the Empress''s peak strength. Moreover, the divinity of her soul had greatly diminished, with serious loss of strength. Having the capabilities of a Level 5 mythic was already impressive. When Shui Lan joined the Darkness City, her strength would not be inferior to Nancilia, a Level 6 Elven King and a pseudo-mythic unit.


    Shui Lan excitedly touched her face and then her pristine body, "I... I really came back to life! It''s unbelievable!"


    Though resurrection methods existed in this world, they were extremely difficult, costly, and often came with side effects even if sessful. A perfect resurrection was nearly unheard of. Azure Water Empress realized that not only had she been resurrected, but her age, body condition, everything had been restored to its peak. Although her strength had regressed significantly, maintaining her current level was already astonishing. This could be considered an almost perfect resurrection!


    Shui Lan approached respectfully, bowing and expressing her gratitude, "Thank you, mighty Lord of the Darkness City. I lost my sensory perception for six thousand years, never expecting that a day of recovery would evere."


    Azure Water Empress was well aware of the astronomical resources and costs required to resurrect someone like her. The deal of working for ten years seemed unbelievable, but she decided to fulfill the agreement. She would work for the agreed-upon ten years and then decide the future course of action. Zhang Nu was not afraid of her reneging on the deal. On one hand, Azure Water Empress was currently no match for him in strength. On the other hand, her soul, after resurrection at the Resurrection Altar, automatically formed a contract with the altar. It was impossible for her to break free from the control of Darkness City. With such a special subordinate, Zhang Nu had many more possibilities for the future.


    Shui Lan asked, "May I ask what I can do for you?"


    Zhang Nu thought for a moment and said, "Mmm, there''s no rush yet. Put on some clothes first!"

 Chapter 240: The Concept of Flood Control

    In a mysterious sea region of Azure Water Federation; Dozens, nearly a hundred, individuals wearing hooded cloaks and shrouded in mystery, gathered in a hidden base''s meeting room for a conference.


    "The Naga Demon King''s team has failed."


    "Although they broke the seal, they did not find the Azure Water Covenant. Even all three members of their group have lost contact, and it is preliminarily confirmed that they are all dead!" An elderly figure with an octopus head reported this information to the assembled group.


    The octopus-headed elder continued, "At the moment, we are not quite clear on the details of the deaths of the three. We need some time to conduct a detailed investigation."


    "Damn it!" A cloaked member of the Hermit Association, speaking in a hoarse and angry voice, said, "We invested a lot of resources in nurturing this Demon King. We even expected to use the summoning ability of the Demon King to prepare for our future ns. I never imagined she would just die like this."


    Another member of the Hermit Association in ck cloak said, "The death of a Demon King and a few Heroes is not a big deal. We have cultivated more Demon Kings and Heroes than just a few. The biggest problem now is the Azure Water Covenant!"


    "Indeed!"


    "Now it seems the im that the Azure Water Covenant is hidden in the Abyssal Trench is simply a rumor."


    "We must obtain this covenant. Without breaking this shackle that has bound us for thousands of years, our n won''t be able to achieve anything."


    Members of the Deep Sea Hermit Association discussed fervently. At this moment, the octopus-headed elder looked towards the chief seat---a robust figure wearing a red cloak, though still a member of the Hermit Association, the color of his cloak resembled that of freshly soaked blood.


    "Don''t worry. From the very beginning, I knew the Azure Water Covenant couldn''t possibly be hidden in the trench." The leader in red cloak let out a sinister sneer, "Over the years, the Federation''s high-ranking officials have been spreading misleading rumors, trying to deceive our Deep Sea Hermit Association. Little do they know, I''ve long figured out the true location of the Azure Water Covenant. It''s just a y we''re acting along with them."


    Upon hearing this, everyone present showed various expressions. The octopus-headed elder spoke, "The president is revealing this information now because the timing is ripe. Getting the covenant is just a matter of time. There''s no need for worry."


    Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged nces. The news seemed too sudden. However, the president of the Deep Sea Hermit Association was not a simple character. He was the most frightening, sinister, terrifying, and cunning individual in this vast sea. The Deep Sea Hermit Association had been in existence for over three hundred years, and no one had ever been able to truly see through the president. There were even rumors that the president might not be the same person throughout this time. And this octopus-headed elder was the most trusted and closest subordinate of the president. The fact that they said something like this was enough indication that this matter was almosting to an end.


    The octopus-headed elder continued, "In addition to making this announcement today, there''s another issue worth noting. The highest council of the Azure Water Federation has recently issued a bounty for the Darkness City''s Demon King in the Chaos Forest."


    This matter was no secret. Even with poor intelligence capabilities, one could pick up some information regarding this. The high council of the Azure Water Federation, the highest authority, recently issued a bounty to the entire federation''s Hero Guilds. Anyone who could y the Demon King of Darkness City in the Chaos Forest would receive a reward of over 500 million standard gold coins and a hundred inds.


    This information was not limited to the Azure Water Federation. The Sunset Empire also issued a simr bounty. However, the most substantial reward came from the northern Thunder Empire. The Thunder Empire announced that anyone who could kill this Demon King would immediately receive a reward of 20 billion standard gold coins, hereditary marquis noble status, and even the qualification to marry into the royal family.


    This matter had be quite prominent, as the rewards were lucrative. The Deep Sea Hermit Association could not be unaware of it. The leader in red cloak chuckled sinisterly, "A Demon King rising from the Chaos Forest, ending the chaos thatsted for thousands of years, annexing over ten provinces and tens of millions of people to the north. I''ve never heard of such a Demon King."


    The octopus-headed elder spoke with a serious expression, "Nowadays, there are Demon Kings everywhere, but so far, I''ve never heard of a Demon King developing to this extent. I wonder if there''s a force supporting him from behind."


    "That is usible." The leader in red cloak said casually, "The Azure Water Federation is about to undergo major changes. I don''t want any other forces taking advantage of the situation. Send some Heroes over and investigate what''s going on!"


    "Understood!" The octopus-headed elder immediately made arrangements.


    The leader in red cloak then addressed the other members present, "Ourmon cause is about to usher in a significant developmental stage. Each of you has tasks to undertake. Everyone must work together diligently."


    "Understood, president!" The members dared not ck off and hurried off.


    ......n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Meanwhile, in Darkness City, Shui Lan had already changed into clothes. She looked at herself in the mirror---a face that could rival the elegance of Elf King Nancilia and the charm of Subus Queen Han Kexin. However, Shui Lan''s demeanor and style were unique.


    From her appearance, her age was difficult to determine. She possessed the purity of a twenty-year-old girl and the maturity of a thirty-year-old woman. There was both the innocence of a young girl and the majesty of an empress. Despite seeming contradictory, these elements blended seamlessly.


    Having not possessed a body for thousands of years, both her senses and the physical form presented many aspects she was not ustomed to. Shui Lan decided to take a stroll nearby. Upon hearing that this ce was the Chaos Forest, she was surprised.


    The geographical location was indeed peculiar, especially considering after the establishment of the southern Azure Water Federation. The Chaos Forest was likely to remain in chaos, due to the standoff of multiple empire-level forces. Learning about this, Shui Lan was astonished. Unexpectedly, the emergence of the Darkness City had reversed the situation. Everything was attributed to the Demon King.


    Shui Lan left the Demon King''s castle, and the entire Darkness City unfolded before her eyes. Even someone as knowledgeable and experienced as her, who had personally participated in and witnessed many grand endeavors, was now immersed in an overwhelming sense of disbelief.


    Firstly, the Darkness City was a perpetually under-construction city. Currently, tens of thousands of draconian craftsmen and a massive workforce were engaged in building the city. The permanent poption of the Darkness City had already reached several hundred thousand and was continuously growing.


    Of course, for Shui Lan, the scale of this ce was still notparable to what she had seen before. What truly astonished her was the energy contained within the city. Every brick and tile, each building, warehouse, street, square, and even every well was imbued with special enhancements. Compared to the basic structures, the buildings summoned by the Demon King were truly remarkable.


    Inside the Darkness City, there were numerous mysterious structures, and each one held immense power and unimaginable capabilities. This city, although notrge in scale, possessed functions so powerful that it could easily rival any city Shui Lan had ever encountered.


    Before Shui Lan could fully understand the functions of these mysterious structures, she suddenly felt a powerful and mysterious energy fluctuation. A massive stone gate slowly rose from the ground in front of the Darkness City.


    Shui Lan hurriedly approached to investigate. By the time she arrived, the stone gate had risen, reaching a height of over five hundred meters and a width of more than one hundred meters. Its structure resembled that of a triumphal arch, but Shui Lan knew this was not just a decorative piece. On top of this massive stone gate, she sensed a very powerful and unprecedented spatial attributed magic formation. If these formations were activated, they could produce unimaginable effects.


    "Why did youe here, and is your body adapting well?"


    "Don''t worry, Your Majesty. I''m currently in perfect health, and there''s no issue with my body... About the gate you summoned?"


    Zhang Nu did not hide anything, saying, "This is the Ster Gateway, and it has some connection to the world beneath the Abyssal Trench."


    Shui Lan immediately felt extremely shocked. Zhang Nu continued, "If I''m not mistaken, that is a vast worldposed of billions of stars, simr to a world Demon Kings and Heroes are familiar with. Between the stars, various races coexist, with great distances between them."


    "The Ster Gateway is supposed to serve as a medium for traveling between these stars. Of course, I only have one Ster Gateway and can''t transport to extremely distant locations. It can only be used as a teleportation gate."


    Shui Lan carefully examined the super colossal gate in front of her. She noticed that the runes and inscriptions on the gate had a very strange style, unlike any method used by any species in this world. If this Ster Gateway was a technology from another world, how did the Demon King summon it? The military value of such a gate was immeasurable, and even the Azure Water Federation would be under the threat of the Demon King! This kind of summoning ability of Demon Kings was more terrifying than personal strength.


    Unable to hold back her curiosity, Shui Lan asked, "What is your purpose in creating the Darkness City?"


    Zhang Nu answered candidly, "I am a Demon King. Demon Kings are born to conquer the world. So, my goal is to conquer all essible ces."


    Shui Lan furrowed her brows. "While I have promised to work for you for ten years, the condition is that I won''t do anything that harms the sea tribes."


    Zhang Nu shook his head. "Do you think the Azure Water Federation can truly bring peace and happiness to the sea tribes?"


    "I don''t know," Shui Lan said, "but at least, it has brought rtive stability to the sea tribes in this region for six thousand years."


    Zhang Nu chuckled. "In my homnd, there''s an interesting story about flood control. Would you like to hear it?"


    Shui Lan was taken aback. "What kind of story is it?"


    Zhang Nu exined, "ording to the ancient tales, there was a severe flood that caused chaos and suffering among the people. A heavenly deity named Gun sympathized with the people''s plight and urgently sought a way to conquer the flood. So, he stole a divine soil called Xi Rang."


    "This divine soil could grow automatically. By cing it in the flooded areas, it could instantly transform into towering mountains, suppressing the spread of the flood. The flood control quickly became effective, and the people rejoiced."


    "However, as time passed, the floods increased even more, eventually breaking through the divine soil and causing a catastrophic deluge, much more destructive and deadly."


    "Gun, with good intentions, caused a great mistake and became a scapegoat for eternity, ultimately being executed by the Heavenly Emperor."


    After hearing the story, Shui Lan fell into contemtion.


    At this point, Zhang Nu said, "By forcibly uniting loosely affiliated and mutually hostile forces, isn''t this approach simr to Gun using Xi Rang soil to block the floods? The various tribes did not abandon their conflicts just because of a binding covenant, internal strife has even intensified, mutual hatred, blood feuds, and ss solidification persist, brewing for centuries without any relief."


    "One day, the fragile bnce will no longer exist, or the tribes'' repression of hatred will reach a critical point, resulting in a more terrifying outbreak!"


    Shui Lan replied, "But there is no better alternative."


    Indeed, without the establishment of the Shui Lan Federation, it would likely be a colossal sea of chaos.


    Zhang Nu said, "Then you should listen to the continuation of this story."


    Shui Lan, curious, asked, "Did Gun''s failure in flood control have any further developments?"


    Zhang Nu continued with the story, "Gun is the heavenly deity of my homnd. His body didn''t decay for several years after death, and a new life formed in his abdomen. Later, the Heavenly Emperor cut open his stomach and released the new life, naming it Yu."


    "Yu inherited his father''s mission and continued to manage water disasters, but he adopted apletely different approach. He chose to dredge the floods and divert the major floodwaters."


    "This method was challenging andbor-intensive initially, and the effects weren''t immediately apparent. However, over time, the floods gradually came under control. After that, for the rest of eternity, there were no catastrophic floods capable of destroying the world."


    Shui Lan remarked, "Are you trying to convey the lesson that... it''s better to alleviate than to block?"


    Zhang Nu nodded, "Exactly."


    "But that''s impossible!"


    Zhang Nu asked, "What was the chaotic situation like in the past in Chaos Forest?"


    Shui Lan answered, "The Chaos Forest has been chaotic since ancient times, and the strength has been declining. Even if there were brief periods of unity, the tribes couldn''t live in harmony, ultimately leading to copse."


    Zhang Nu continued, "And what about now?"


    She took another look at the Darkness City. Elves, orcs, giants, dwarves, goblins, fox-kin, tigerfolks, bearfolks... these races peacefully coexisted in the same city. In the end, the Azure Water Federation was a super-sized version of the Chaos Forest. If the Chaos Forest could be transformed like this by the Demon King, could the same methods be applied to the sea tribes?


    Shui Lan furrowed her brow and said, "I now understand the message you want to convey, but how did you achieve all this? Why can the various races in the forest live together harmoniously?"


    Zhang Nu replied, "This involves the rtionship between the means of production, productivity, and distribution. It''s a profound field of study."


    Deep in thought, Shui Lan said, "I want to go out and travel for a while, and I''ll return in about seven days."


    "Sure," Zhang Nu did not refuse this request. Shui Lan needed time to adapt to her body. She could not immediately start working for him. During this time, she could witness the changes in the forest firsthand. Zhang Nu believed that she would gain a deeper understanding of these concepts.


    If Shui Lan could support him like Nancilia, future expansion activities in the Azure Water Federation would be much easier. As for whether Shui Lan would escape, Zhang Nu was not concerned about that at all. She was, after all, a legendary empress, unlikely to do something so base. Moreover, she could not escape Zhang Nu''s control.


    After Shui Lan left, Zhang Nu examined the Ster Gateway. He was very satisfied with this masterpiece. It was well worth the over fifty million gold and arge number of precious spatial gems spent. In addition to the Ster Gateway, he had a Rift Tower in hand, but it also required arge amount of materials and would have to be put on hold for a few days.


    Just then, Zhang Nu received news of a disturbance on the federal frontlines. The three powerhouses of the Darkness City faced a threat from the Thunderous Society. A new round of confrontation between Heroes and the forces of the Demon King was intensifying on the frontlines."

 Chapter 241: March Toward Tien City

    Two days ago, while Zhang Nu was still grinding monsters in the underwater region, a new conflict had already begun.


    In the southern border of the empire, there was a territory belonging to Count Tien. With the deaths of both Count Tien and Marquis Kregi, Tien City lost its lord. ording to the inheritance order, the title and lordship automatically passed to the eldest son of the count, who also held another identity -- the Hero Cui Sheng.


    Cui Sheng was feeling quite frustrated. He was a Level 4 Hero, a respectable level of strength among Heroes, but by no means the most powerful at the moment. With his current strength, challenging the Darkness Trio or the Demon King was nothing short of a dream.


    One after another, territories such as Marquis Kregi''s, nearby counts'' and viscounts'' territories, all fell one by one. There were even reports that the vast army from the Darkness City had entered the Tien territory. Cui Sheng reacted promptly: FLEE! When nobles faced war, abandoning their fiefs and escaping was amon response. Although holding the title of a count was hard to let go, under the current circumstances, there was no other choice. The Darkness City''s forces were overwhelming, and what did he have to contend with them? Inparison to his noble status, his life was more valuable.


    Cui Sheng was in the midst of gathering his wealth -- gold, silver, and valuables. He, along with his servants, disguised themselves as a merchant caravan and attempted to escape under the cover of night.


    However, not long after leaving Tien City, they were suddenly intercepted by a military force. Although the number of troops was notrge, it was evident that they were no ordinary force. Each knight rode on a creature with blood-red fur, wings on its back, resembling a mix between a lion and a tiger. They were d in blood-red heavy armor and wielded three-meter-long custom-made knight spears.


    The air was filled with killing intent, and their presence was imposing. Cui Sheng eximed in shock, "The Blood Lion Knight Corps!"


    The Duchy of Bachor was different from ordinary noble territories. The majority of the empire''s military strength in the southern regions was concentrated in the duchy. Apart from the imperial forces stationed there, the Bachor family, as a millennium-old lineage, possessed a formidable military. Among them, the six top-tier knight corps of the southern region were the most representative.


    The Blood Lion Knight Corps was one of these six corps. Their strength was far beyond that of ordinary noble knights. As Cui Sheng observed, their numbers were densely packed, easily numbering in the tens of thousands. It seemed that the entire Blood Lion Knight Corps had been mobilized, and these knights were powerful enough to be intimidating.


    [Knight of the Blood Lion Knight Order] Level 3 elite.


    [High Knight of the Blood Lion Knight Order] Level 4 elite.


    [Knight Captain of the Blood Lion Knight Order] Level 4 lord.


    [Knight Major of the Blood Lion Knight Order] Level 5 lord.


    [Knight Colonel of the Blood Lion Knight Order] Level 6 lord.


    This army, totaling less than fifty thousand, wasparable to the empire''s half-million regr troops.


    "Are you the new lord of Tien?" The Blood Lion Knight Commander, leading the Blood Lion Knight Order atop a Level 5 lord lion king, emitted a formidable power that made the Hero Cui Sheng feel breathless.


    This guy might have already reached the sixth tier, not as a sixth-tier lord but as a sixth-tier overlord.


    "I am themander of the Blood Lion Knight Order, acting on behalf of Grand Duke Bachor, participating in the defense of the Tien territory. However, as the lord of Tien City, you fled in the face of the enemy, what crime should you be charged with?"


    Cui Sheng was scared and prostrated on the ground. "Sir Knight, spare me, I...I..."


    The Blood Lion Commander said coldly, "ording to thews of the empire, a noble who flees and abandons his territory in the face of war will have his noble title permanently revoked, all family honors erased, and be charged with treason."


    "Wait a minute!" Hero Cui Sheng eximed, but before he could finish his words, the Blood Lion Commander drew his knight sword. From about ten meters away, he swung down the sword.


    In an instant, Cui Sheng was struck by the mighty sword Qi, cut in half from head to toe. His servants were left trembling in fear, all copsing on the ground.


    "Execute them all!" The Blood Lion Command ordered coldly. Apanied by cries of horror and screams, hundreds of stewards, attendants, and maids became prey for the blood lions. The Blood Lion Commander did not spare a second nce at these insects. He dismounted and walked into the middle of the knight order. There was another special force here, though not numerous, numbering around twenty thousand. Despite their small size, their strength rivaled that of the Blood Lion Knight Order.


    The leader of this special force was a group of about a dozen people, all of them members of the Thunderous Heros Guild. They led the elite forces of their respective Hero guilds and the native tribes under theirmand. Such a force, with its formidable strength, could not be underestimated.


    The Thunderous Heros Guild force and the Blood Lion Knight Order, though totaling only about seventy thousand, were not inferior in strength to four or five imperial legionsbined. Moreover, with such a powerful force, including a Blood Lion Commander with the strength of a Level 6 lord and nearly half of the sixteen top-tier Heroes having Level 6 strength, they were a formidable presence.


    Among them, the leader was none other than the current most renowned magician in the Thunder Empire, known as the Mage King - Halyfax. Of course, his original Hero name was Luo Zheng.


    "Grandmaster!" The Blood Lion Commander showed a respectful attitude toward the elderly mage. "Tien City is just ahead. The Tien family attempted to escape but were cut down by us."


    Halyfax did not pay much attention to small fry like Cui Sheng. He calmly stated, "The Darkness Three Dragons are now entering the Tien territory and are expected to reach Tien City within two days. We must make preparations in the remaining time."


    The Blood Lion Commander immediately responded, "Understood!"


    This time, the leader against the main force of the Demon King was the Mage King. He was dispatched by Grand Duke Bachor to assist the Thunderous Heros Guild. Originally, ording to Grand Duke Bachor''s n, he intended to wait until he was fully recovered, gather all the forces, and then join forces with the Thunderous Guild to besiege the Demon King.


    However, Luo Zheng could not afford to wait any longer. The Thunderous Heros Guild had already received intelligence because both the Sunset Empire and the Azure Water Federation were offering substantial rewards for the Demon King of the Darkness City. This information had reached not only local regions but also reached Heroes from even more distant ces.


    With only one Demon King and one big reward to go around, the more Hero organizations involved, the smaller the share each could expect. As the leader of the Thunderous Heros Guild, Luo Zheng naturally hoped that his guild could exclusively enjoy the rewards. Additionally, he was eager to reach the Tree of Eternity.The Tree of Eternity was extremely precious, and he could sense its aura. He knew that other powerful beings could also detect it. If he did not act quickly, there was a risk of stronger entities seizing or damaging it during the battle. For Luo Zheng, this would be a significant loss.


    "Ladies and gentlemen," Luo Zheng addressed his guild members. "This opportunity is extremely rare. Although we are confident and well-prepared for victory, the strength of the Darkness City''s three dragons should not be underestimated. Everyone must remain vignt and not let their guard down!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The members of the Thunderous Heros Guild immediately affirmed their understanding. However, deep down, many of them did not take the Dark City''s three dragons too seriously. This was because, unlike in previous encounters, the Thunderous Guild was now going all out. With their current strength, they believed that no Demon King, no matter how powerful, had a chance of escaping unscathed.


    The next morning, the Dark Dragon King led his forces and smoothly captured the first city in the Tien. The entire process encountered little resistance as the legion of the Darkness City advanced like an unstoppable force. At present, they had seized a marquisate, two counties, and an additional five viscounties. It could be said that, once they took control of the Tien, the Darkness City would achieve a significant expansion milestone. Approximately one-tenth of the southern border of the empire would be under the control of the Darkness City, posing a serious threat to the empire.


    However, at this critical moment, Priest Sun Liu approached. "Dragon''s Shadow has sent an urgent message!"


    As the leader of the three overlords of the Darkness City, the Dark Dragon King, acting in his capacity as a Demon King in human territory, naturally oversaw the intelligence system.


    "What has happened?" inquired the Dark Dragon King.


    "ording to Dragon''s Shadow''s urgent message, there is a significant risk in the current Tien city!" Sun Liu reported.


    Long Yi was quite puzzled, "Tien''s strength and poption are far inferior to that of Kolo''s. It is merely the least remarkable county in the southern border of the empire. How could there be a major risk in such a ce?"


    Sun Liu replied, "A unit quietly arrived at Tien cityst night and imposed strict blockade and curfew measures. ording to reliable intelligence, this unit is not an ordinary force; it is the Blood Lion Knight, one of the six knight orders of Bachor."


    "Blood Lion?" Long Yi was familiar with this knight order. It was indeed a troublesome situation. The strength of this knight order was close to ten times that of the regr imperial army. If they held Tien city with determination, it could turn into an impregnable fortress. Given the current strength of the legion of the Darkness City, they could take it, but not without a significant cost.


    Sun Liu continued, "If it were only the Blood Lion Knight Order stationed in Tien city, it wouldn''t be much of a concern. With your strength and the cooperation of the other two Dragon Kings, it should be easily taken down."


    Long Yi asked, "Are you suggesting there is another threat?"


    Sun Liu nodded and said in a solemn tone, "The biggest threat is the Heroes, and we received intelligence from an undercover Dragon''s Shadow Hero under the Thunderous Society. The entire Hero Guild, including the president and the Mage King Halyfax, is also involved."


    Long Yi finally understood the situation. This had severelyplicated things. Mages were not typically a threat to dragons, even if they were powerful. Dragons had the ability to resist magical attacks. However, Haliifax was no ordinary mage; he held the title of the Mage King. If he dared to make a move, he must have been confident. Moreover, not only was the Mage King personally present, but also several superiors from the Thunderous Society joined in. These Heroes eachmanded Hero guilds or elite forces. With these forcesbined with the Blood Lion Knights, the scale and intensity of that battle would have surpassed the one in Kolo. Fortunately, the Dragon''s Shadow Hero brought this intelligence. Otherwise, if Long Yi had attacked Tien City alone, it could have fallen into the trap set by those Heroes.


    But now, they could prepare in advance. Long Yi immediately issued orders, and Zhang San and Li Si each led their respective troops to rush to the scene. Since the battle of Kolo, the Three Dragon Kings had been conducting separate operations, which exined how they were able to conquer more than ten provinces and capture over ten million people in such a short time.


    "Has the empire finally reacted?" Li Si calmly remarked. "I thought they were going to continue to act like a cowardly turtle."


    Zhang Sanughed heartily, "Finally, we have some tough bones to chew on. Such battles are more meaningful than one-sided ughter!"


    It was evident that the Three Dragon Kings were not afraid at all. Their confidence stemmed from their own strength, the support of their master, and, most importantly, the anticipation of the Dark King. In the past couple of days, the Elven King Nancilia had been dispatched from the Chaos Forest, leading tens of thousands of battle elves. She had discreetly joined the army. The Three Dragon Kings could sense that this Yong Elven King''s strength had reached Level 6. With such a top-tier ruler helping, even the empire''s Mage King would be unable to stir up much trouble.


    "Depart! Our target is Tien City! Eradicate all the Heroes!"


    After the legion of the Darkness Citypleted its assembling, it moved with an imposing momentum, abandoning several small towns and directly heading towards Tien City in the mountains."

 Chapter 242: Apocalyptic Firestorm

    The next day, Tien City received a message. The defending humans were prepared, and this time, the battle would be different from the previous ones. As the strongest representative on the human side, Luo Zheng did not personally appear on the front line. Instead, he sat cross-legged at the center of arge magical formation within Tien City.


    Within the grand magical formation, there were twenty powerful mages, the youngest of whom was in their fifties. Each emitted a formidable aura. The weakest among them reached the rank of a Level 4 lord, while the strongest achieved the strength of a Level 5 overlord. These twenty mages were all direct disciples of the MageKing Halyfax and were personally brought by Luo Zheng this time. They undoubtedly constituted a formidable force.


    The remaining sixteen members of the Thunderous Society stood outside the magical formation, ready for action. Among these sixteen members, nearly half were Level 6, totaling seven individuals. These seven were the core strongmen among the Heroes who joined the Thunderous Society in the Thunder Empire. Their strengths rivals figures like Yan Qianjun, Xiang Nanfeng, or Hong Xia---any one of them could hold their own.


    Moreover, each of them held a certain status and position, with their own troops or subordinates. When their entire force wasbined, the Thunderous Society had the capability to threaten any known Demon King at the current stage. This formidable force stood as the primary source of confidence for the impending battle.


    Luo Zheng abruptly opened his eyes, and before him hovered a crystal ball. cing his hand on the crystal orb, an image materialized, revealing the approaching army of the Darkness City. Estimated at around a hundred thousand strong, this forceprised roughly thirty thousand draconian super soldiers, alongside elite troops spanning Level 2 and 3. Among their ranks were humans, orcs, elves, ogres, and various forest tribes, predominantly consisting of summoned units and affiliated legions. The sheer intensity of their presence was both overwhelming and formidable.


    "We''ve beenpromised!" dered a Thunderous Society Hero with a deep voice. Standing at an imposing height of two and a half meters, his robust physique resembled a towering structure. To humans, he would be considered a super-strong man. Unencumbered by armor, his dark muscles gleamed with a metallic sheen.


    This individual was a pivotal member of the Thunderous Society, none other than the vice president of the Thunderous Society, Xing Rong. Unlike super Heroes like Luo Zheng, Xing Rong had not started as one of the top-tier powerhouses in the Thunder Empire; he had initially served as a legionmander stationed in the western border of the empire. It could be affirmed that his current Level 6 strength was entirely the result of Xing Rong''s efforts. In the western border of the empire, he held a fearsome reputation that made Demon Kings quake at the mere mention of his name.


    Observing the scene within Luo Zheng''s crystal ball, Xing Rong promptly discerned that their intelligence had beenpromised. Otherwise, the Three Dragon Kings of the Darkness City would not need to mobilize such an extensive force or personally engage in the assault on Tien City, a rtively small county.


    "It seems that the Demon King''s intelligence capabilities are higher than we anticipated," Luo Zheng remarked without revealing much emotion. "However, it doesn''t matter. You and the Blood Lion Knight Order will be at the forefront, and I''ll be in the rear supporting you."


    "Yes!" Xing Rong immediately set off. He led six other Level 6 super Heroes, along with ten top-notch Level 5 Heroes, plus an attached coalition force, swiftly heading to the battlefield.


    Luo Zheng stared at the crystal ball before him. He coldly smiled, saying, "Darkness City, I really want to see how you''ll respond to this!"


    Not long after Xing Rong and the members of the Blood Lion Knight Order arrived at the frontline, they witnessed a vast army of Demon King rapidly approaching Tien City.


    The Dark Dragon King, along with the other two dragon kings, led nine Abyssal Dragons, over a hundred high priests, draconian generals, and more than ten Sky Drake Archpriests and Earth Drake Grand Marshals. They appeared before Tien City.


    Long Yi directly issued a threat, "Listen, Thunderous Society! I know you''re hiding in there. I advise you to drop your weapons and surrender as soon as possible. Otherwise, when the battle starts, don''t me me for being too ruthless!"


    Upon hearing this, Xing Rong burst into heartyughter. In a voice as resonant as a horn, he chuckled, "Hahaha, Demon King, have you not yet understood the situation? Your recentmotion is nothing more than a small part of the southern border of the empire. Indeed, Darkness City has some tricks up its sleeve, but your cards are dwindling. The depth of the empire''s foundation is beyond your imagination, be it the official forces or the immense strength harbored by the civilians."


    "In truth, the downfall of Darkness City is just a matter of time. You are simply not on par with the imperial forces. Everything you''re doing now is leading to your own demise!"


    "But of course! The day when the entire empire takes action! You probably won''t live to see it! You won''t even see tomorrow''s sun!"


    The Dark Dragon King sneered, "Arrogant fool. If you have the guts,e out and face me in a duel!"


    A duel was impossible. It was too challenging for a Level 6 overlord to go against a Level 5 monarch, especially when the opponent was not an ordinary monarch but the King of Abyssal Dragons. Its strength was formidable enough to contend with a Level 6 monarch for a while. Only someone with a short-circuited brain would attempt to go for a one-on-one showdown.


    "Your Highness! Why waste words with them?" Earth Drake Grand Marshal Wang Er suggested, "Let''s just charge in!"


    Long Yi sensed that something was amiss. This encounter with the enemy differed from the previous ones. The presence of too many high-tierbatants raised concerns, and notably absent among the detected forces was any sign of the Mage King Halyfax. Where could that human be? There had to be an ambush.


    Therefore, Long Yi said, "Let''s observe before deciding."


    However, in the standoffsting not more than fifteen minutes, Sky Dragon King Li Si furrowed his brow and looked up, his expression subtly changing. "This is bad. Look, someone is casting arge-scale magic!"


    As he spoke, Long Yi felt the magical fluctuations emanating from the sky. When he looked up, the entire cloud cover had turned fiery red. Numerous scorching mes and terrifying magical energy erupted. Red-hot meteorites broke through the cloud cover, numbering in the hundreds, if not thousands, and hurtled toward the earth at an rming speed. The target: the Demon King''s super army.


    S-ss magic: Apocalyptic Firestorm!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Luo Zheng was not on the frontline. Through magic crystals and reconnaissance methods, he effortlessly controlled every aspect of the battlefield and cast spells using the grand magical formation. This grand magical formation not only significantly increased the casting range but also greatly enhanced the original power of the magic. As a mage like Luo Zheng, he could humiliate the enemy from dozens of miles away using S-ss magic. The enemy, or even entire hostile legions, their entire army could be wiped out in smoke and ashes before being able to find his exact location. At this moment, as a greeting to the Demon King''s army, a S-ss magic was unleashed.


    "Damn! There are too many meteorites!" Zhang San''s expression turned serious as he sensed the situation bing challenging. Several hundred, if not thousands, of red-hot meteorites, each possessing impact force and explosive power likely reaching A+ level, posed a significant threat. A direct hit could result in massive casualties.


    "Hmph, hiding in the backlines, what kind of coward is this!"


    Long Yi roared, "Dark Drainage!" Countless streams of dark energy erupted from Long Yi''s body like a volcanic eruption, instantly nketing the sky and extinguishing the mes on the surface of the fiery meteorites. Although the power was mitigated by dark magic, it still carried substantial destructive force.


    "Space Distortion!" Li Si activated a space magic, causing widespread distortion in the space. Whilecking direct attack power, the brief spatial distortion, akin to a spring, altered the trajectory of the meteorites, making them more concentrated.


    "Gravity Control!" Zhang San then manipted gravity, nearly depleting the kic energy of the meteorites.


    The nine Abyssal Dragons unleashed Abyssal Thunder, and in an instant, lightning filled the sky. Hundreds of massive meteorites were all crushed into powder.


    "Hahahaha! The Three Dragon Kings of Darkness City have truly lived up to their reputation. You are indeed quite capable!" An extremely hoarse and ancient voice echoed from Tien City, prating the ears of everyone present with remarkable rity, creating a palpable sense of pressure.


    "Such formidable mana!" Li Si furrowed his brow and thought, "This mage''s strength surpasses mine by far. He must be the renowned Mage King Halyfax, the foremost Hero of the Thunderous Society."


    Unexpectedly, such a figure has be a Hero. The Apocalyptic Firestorm just was his doing. Moreover, without exerting much effort, just a probing attack, it posed a significant threat to the Darkness City legion.


    Li Si observed the frontline deployment again, deeply feeling the immense difficulty of this battle. Thebined forces of both the legion of ten thousand Blood Lion Knights and the factions of the Thunderous Society amounted to a troop not numerous but withprehensive strength that rivaled the Imperial Army in the battle of Kolo. The Thunderous Society had eight super Heroes, and in addition to the Blood Lion Knight Commander, meaning they had nine Level 6 Heroes. Among them, the Hero Luo Zheng was even a Level 6 monarch!


    As for Level 5batants? It was challenging to calcte precisely. In terms of the number of powerhouses, they far surpassed the battle of Kolo. In that battle, there was a defensive advantage and the Citadel of Eternity to suppress the field. Today, they were on the offensive side. The citadel, in this situation, could not easily mobilize; otherwise, it might be easily destroyed in the process of movement.


    However one looked at it, the difficulty was substantial.


    "I''ve already gauged your skill level," Luo Zheng continued, "Comparing yourselves to me, you still have a long way to go."


    "Besides, almost all the members of the Thunderous Society are present. With just the three of you, there''s no chance of victory. Are you sure you want to struggle in vain?"


    "To be honest, I''m not too interested in you. Hand over the Tree of Eternity directly, surrender all the buildings you''ve summoned to me, and perhaps I can offer you a morefortable death."


    Upon hearing this, the Three Dragon Kingsughed.


    Long Yi scornfully said, "You want the Eternal Tree? It''s right there in the Chaos Forest, visible to anyone with eyes. If you have the ability, go and take it!"


    "But. I''m afraid you won''t get the chance!"


    In the midst of his words, Long Yi let out a roar filled with overwhelming pressure, instantly transforming into a colossal dark dragon nearly a hundred meters in length. Simultaneously, Zhang San and Li Si also assumed their dragon forms -- one an Inferno Seven-Headed Drake, and the other a Golden Diamond Drake -- closely following behind the Abyssal Dragon of Darkness.


    The terrifying aura of the three monarchs surged like a tsunami toward Tien City. The ordinary city defense soldiers of Tien City, having never encountered such a formidable spectacle, fell like dominos under the threefold Dragon Fear.


    "Insolent fools! If that''s the case, then you die!" Luo Zhengmanded, "Xing Rong, hold off for now. This old man alone is sufficient to deal with these three!"


    Xing Rong and the Thunderous Society Heroes were daunted by the strength disyed by the Darkness''s Three Titans. Though not trembling in fear, the prowess and intimidation from the three monarchs indeed exceeded their expectations. Now, receiving their leader''smand, they were momentarily stunned. The president intended to take on the Three Titans alone?


    Back when Grand Duke Bachor faced such a situation, it ended in disaster. Moreover, Grand Duke Bachor was a warrior, while Luo Zheng was a caster. In a scenario where their strengths wereparable, magicians would be at a disadvantage against higher-level dragons, presenting a significant disadvantage. However, they could also specte that if the president dared to utter such words publicly, he must have his own confidence and reliance."

 Chapter 243: Arcane Giant Avatar

    Chapter 243: Arcane Giant Avatar


    Long Yi, Zhang San, and Li Si remained still, not making any reckless moves. A dazzling pir of light erupted from the center of Tien City, shooting straight into the sky. In an instant, the entire sky above Tien City became densely covered with dark clouds, apanied by thunder and lightning, resembling a scene from the apocalypse.


    The beam of light, directly piercing the sky from Tien City,sted for fifteen seconds. During this process, an astonishing amount of magical energy was transported into the sky, ultimately forming a massive vortexposed entirely of magical energy over the city.


    The diameter of the vortex was at least 500 meters, containing more energy than a typical S-ss spell. As it rotated, it generated numerous lightning bolts, making it nearly impossible to look directly at.


    "This is too terrifying!" eximed themander of the Blood Lion Knight Order. He was a Level 6 powerhouse, possessing the strength equivalent to a Level 6 overlord. However, when faced with this power, he felt small, as if he could be crushed at any moment.


    Is this the power of a Mage King? Is this the magic of the most renowned mage in the empire over the past three centuries? The overwhelming force, the majestic aura, and this energy seemed beyond imagination. Themander of the knight order, felt a sense of insignificance that he had never experienced before. Not only the Blood Lion Order Knight Commander but also the Thunderous Society Heroes disyed shocked expressions. They had never witnessed their president going all out. Now, they finally realized the immense strength of their society''s president.


    In the next moment, the vortex shrank and concentrated. Afterpressing the energy to its limit, it ultimately transformed into a massive pir of light that descended to the ground. With a resounding boom, the exploding shockwave instantly created a meteorite crater-likerge hole. In the center of this enormous crater squatted a giant, standing up slowly. Its muscles were pronounced, resembling a solid entity, yet radiating brilliance throughout its entire body.


    An unparalleled aura, like a terrifying storm, emanated from the giant''s body, instantly covering a radius of dozens of miles, as if a god had descended.


    "This is..." Long Yi showed a look of astonishment.


    Li Si said in a deep voice, "It''s an Arcane Avatar! This is a highly advanced summoning magic, using the caster''s spirit as the core and powerful magical energy to form the body. It possesses terrifying destructive power."


    The hundred-meter giant was an Arcane Puppet. While many magic users could summon Arcane Puppets or Arcane Avatars, what Luo Zheng used was evidently an S-ss skill. The special aspect of this skillid in summoning not an ordinary Arcane Puppet but an actual incarnation. Although Luo Zheng''s magical power was formidable, his physical body was aging rapidly and could not endure excessive strain. Therefore, he utilized his entire magical power to create an Arcane Avatar, connecting his spiritual soul directly to it and employing this endlessly powerful incarnation for battle.


    Luo Zheng was already a Level 6 monarch-ss Hero. The Arcane Avatar summoned by his magical power undoubtedly reached the strength of a Level 6 monarch. Moreover, Luo Zheng had strategically positioned twenty powerful disciples around him in advance, and the grand magic formation further enhanced his spells.


    Hence, it could be stated that the strength of this Arcane Giant approached the ceiling of a Level 6 monarch. Even in his prime, Duke Bachor would find it challenging to defeat this Arcane Giant in a one-on-one scenario. The only viable strategy was to avoid a direct confrontation, bypass the Arcane Giant, and directly attack Luo Zheng''s original body to disrupt his spellcasting. However, Tien City was protected by a city defense barrier, the Blood Lion Knight Order and Thunderous Society Heroes were vignt, and breaking into the city immediately would be no easy task, despite the formidable strength of the forces from the Darkness City.


    "Hahaha! Come, Darkness Three Dragons! This is the empire''s strongest magical might!" The Arcane Giant Luo Zheng let out augh more thunderous than an actual thunderstorm. "Dying by my hands will be the greatest honor of your lives!"


    The imminent battle was about to unfold!


    "Dark Domain!"


    "Earth Domain!"


    "Sacrificial Domain!"


    The Darkness Three Dragons initiated their respective domains in an attempt to gain control over the battlefield. Simultaneously, the Arcane Giant also unleashed its own domain. The four domains were divided into two factions, shing against each other. Unexpectedly, they canceled each other out, and none could establish dominance.


    "What?!" Li Four''s expression changed dramatically.


    Back when the Darkness Three Dragons faced Duke Bachor, their two dragon domains could almost match Duke Bachor''s, and the third domain could easily overshadow his. However, at this moment, when they joined forces, they could only reluctantly maintain a bnce. The strength of a monarch''s domain is directly proportional to their power. This indicated that the Arcane Giant Luo Zheng had slightly more strength than Duke Bachor had at the time. The victory against Duke Bachor was heavily dependent on geographical advantage.


    And yet, in the current situation, even the Sacrificial Domain was being suppressed. Li Si''s support abilities were directly cut in half. Facing an Arcane Giant stronger than Duke Bachor, it was almost impossible to win.Nheless, there was no sign of faltering. The Darkness Three Dragons remained unwaveringly devoted to the Demon King, embodying a spirit that was untamed and unafraid of death.


    Among them, Zhang San disyed the most audacity and recklessness. Leveraging his formidable defense, he maintained the form of an Earth Drake and led the charge, dering, "Let''s see what you''re truly capable of!" The speed was astonishing, akin to a golden sh that instantaneously reached the front of the Arcane Giant. Zhang San, aware of the significant level difference, understood that the opponent''s magically constructed body could diminish magical damage. Furthermore, Zhang San, renowned as the strongest Earth Drake for defense among his kin, was confident.


    Then, in the subsequent moment, the Arcane Giant raised its fist. The punch was delivered at a speed nearly dozens of times faster than lightning. The shockwave it generated, almost warping space, swept through the forest and hills, instantly reshaping the terrain into a t expanse. The Earth Drake Sovereign, weighing thousands of tons, was sent hurtling for hundreds, if not thousands, of meters. It crashed heavily onto the ground, scales shattered, and copious amounts of blood sprayed out, staining the expansive ground in red.


    The brutality of the situation was apparent. Li Si discerned the scenario,menting, "This... isn''t an elemental attack. It''s a pure energy attack!" The Arcane Giantpressed high-density arcane energy with its fist, explosively releasing it as pure kic force devoid of elemental attributes. It resembled more of a physical attack.


    The Earth Drake Sovereign suffered severe injuries from this punch. If it were any of the other Darkness Dragons, especially Li Si, with weaker defense and health, this punch might not only have been fatal but also rendered them severely wounded, losingbat effectiveness.


    "Hahaha! Have you witnessed it? When magical energy is developed to its peak, even a true dragon can''t withstand its blow!" The Arcane Giant unleashed its magic, instantly teleporting its hundred-meter-tall body in front of Long Yi. The Dark Dragon King opened its mouth, releasing a breath of dragon fire. However, the mes were repelled by the formidable energy constituting the Arcane Giant''s body.


    "Demon King! You can meet your end now!" The Arcane Giantpletely disregarded the scorching dragon mes. Two arcane spears materialized in its hands,unching a swift assault.


    Li Si quickly came to aid, using the energy st from its seven heads to disrupt the Arcane Giant. Although it could not pose a direct threat, it managed to interrupt the attack. Simultaneously, Zhang San lunged forward again, initiating a gravity suppression, increasing the gravitational force around him by a thousandfold.


    "It''s futile! Useless resistance!" The Arcane Giant gleamed, dispelling the surrounding energy.


    "The Darkness City is on the verge of being leveled! The Tree of Eternity will ultimately be mine!"


    "Dare to defy my will, and I''ll ensure your souls never find peace!" The giant raised its spear, releasing a barrage of arcane lightning, forcing the Darkness Three Dragons to retreat, making it difficult for them to approach.


    With a swing of his arm, Luo Zheng directed all the arcane lightning concentrated on the Dark Dragon King. Long Yi activated the power of dark absorption to counter the attack. Seizing the opportunity, the Arcane Giant swiftly swung its arm, and the colossal spear shot out at an astonishing speed, seemingly about to pierce through.


    This strike carried immense power, capable of instantly leveling even a mountain. Despite the Dark Abyssal Dragon''s vitality and defense ranking just below that of the Earth Drake Sovereign, facing this attack head-on meant either death or severe injury. Desperately unleashing the power of darkness, Long Yi hoped to weaken the energy of the arcane spear. However, it was evident that it was already toote. This attack was too fast and too powerful!


    "The Demon King is finished!" This was the simultaneous realization within the imperial forces. Halyfax, the Mage King, had proven his overwhelming strength in just a brief encounter, sessfully suppressing the Darkness Three Dragons. Truly deserving of the title of the empire''s most legendary mage, Halyfax lived up to the moniker of Magic King.


    However, at this crucial moment, a protectiveyer of starlight emerged, swiftly intercepting the Arcane Giant''s spear assault. Halyfax''s expression shifted dramatically. "Who dares!?"


    Despite the Arcane Giant spear being weakened by the Dark Dragon King, the fact that it could be repelled by a shield indicated the extraordinary capabilities of its wielder. This was no ordinary individual; their strength surpassed even that of the Darkness Three Dragons!


    "Cease your delusions! The Tree of Eternity is a gift from the Darkness City to the elves! As the Elven King of the Chaos Forest, I will never allow anyone to seize it!" The promation rang out in a clear and melodious voice as thendscape underwent a transformation. Countless massive roots and vines sprouted from beneath a kilometer-sized divine tree, swiftly enveloping a radius of tens of thousands of meters, ensnaring everyone into this domain.


    The Arcane Giant, Halyfax, realized his entire body was ensnared by the roots. The immensely potent energy absorption capability of the Divine Tree Domain swiftly drained energy from his form.


    "You are... the Elven King!" Halyfax''s expression darkened. Not only was this individual the Elven King, but they were also a Level 6 Elven King! The powerful energy absorption capability of the Divine Tree Domain,bined with the fact that the Arcane Giant wasposed purely of energy, immediately ced him in a disadvantageous position. The opponent was at the same level and should possess simr strength. Initially, the situation allowed for domains to mutually offset or weaken each other, but now Halyfax needed to suppress the Darkness Three Dragons while being restrained.


    Meanwhile, everyone else had also identified the neer. An elven girl, seemingly very young, held the Scepter of the Elven King. She exuded an aura of regality, and the overwhelming domain strength further confirmed her identity.


    "Elven King!"


    "The Elven King of the Chaos Forest!"


    "This Elven King is aiding the Darkness Three Dragons!"


    "She must be an ally and support brought in by the Darkness City!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Damn it, we were careless. No wonder the Demon King could develop so rapidly! Turns out, there''s another force behind him!"


    "This Elven King, along with the force supporting her, is likely the true mastermind. The Demon King and the Darkness City are just distractions!"


    "This Elven King and her backers are the real puppeteers. The Demon King and the Darkness City are just fronts!"


    The Arcane Giant, Halyfax, gritted his teeth. "Are you also a Level 6 monarch?!"


    "Truly unexpected. You''ve concealed yourself so well! The Chaos Forest actually gave birth to such a powerful Elven King!"


    "Even if you possess powerparable to mine, you can''t possibly defeat me. I not only have the amplifying power of ancient magic formations, but I also have the assistance of numerous disciples. I''m not fighting alone! You are destined to have no chance of winning!"


    Nancilia snorted. "Hmph! Don''t speak of victory too soon!"


    With a simple wave of her hand: "Forest of Burial!" Countless roots flowed out like a river from beneath her feet. The Arcane Giant was submerged in an instant, wrapped inyer uponyer. His energy was rapidly being drained, and he was swiftly growing weaker.


    "You think you can stop me with these petty tricks? Foolishness, Elven King. Foolishness!" Roaring madly, Halyfax unleashed his energy. The restraints around him were torn apart one after another. Breaking free from endless binds, he wielded two giant spears in each hand, adopting a hysterical stance, as if he intended to perish together with the Elven King.


    However, at this moment, Halyfax was stunned. Taking advantage of the time he was freeing himself, the Elven King activated the Elemental Covenant five times in quick session. These were the Elemental Kings of Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Lightning---each a lesser rank of Level 6 monarch. Though considered the weakest of Level 6 monarchs, they were not to be underestimated, and their actual strength was formidable.


    Halyfax, the Arcane Giant, showed a horrified expression. "This is impossible... How can you summon and control five monarch-level entities!"


    Nancilia retorted, "What does this amount to? You, a frog at the bottom of the well, have no idea what true power is. You delude yourself into thinking you possess the ultimate magical ability!"


    Enraged, Halyfax eximed, "You dare to insult me!" Firing two arcane spears, the Arcane Giant conjured endless energy with his hands, unleashing a river-like torrent that gathered into an enormous energy sphere within his embrace.


    Was this an attempt to decisively win? Coincidentally, the Elven King had the same idea! Nancilia raised her Elven King''s Scepter, and the five Elemental Kings transformed into five powerful energy storms, all converging at the tip of the Elven King''s Scepter,pressed into a dense energy sphere that distorted the space around it.


    "Shit!" Halyfax''s face changed drastically. He had not anticipated the Elven King''s extraordinary tactics. This was a full-force attack, depleting the entire strength of all five Elemental Kings.


    "Elemental Fusion!" Nancilia released the energy umted in her staff. The Arcane Giant also unleashed a supercharged wave of arcane energy. In the moment of collision in midair, the arcane energy immediately dissipated and crumbled, and this force hit the Arcane Giant directly in the heart.


    "!"


    An Arcane Giant known for being impervious to physical attacks was unexpectedly pierced through and bored a massive hole. Learning from her previous encounter with Yan Qianjun, Nancilia immediately delivered a more thorough follow-up attack. The power of the five elemental forces erupted simultaneously, causing the Arcane Giant''s body to quickly develop numerous spider web-like cracks.


    It was not that the Arcane Giant was weak, but rather, the Elven King was overwhelmingly powerful. This Elemental Fusion move was not something the Arcane Giant, or even formidable figures like Zhang Nu, could withstand if directly hit. Its potency was even capable of injuring mythic-level individuals, solidifying it as Nancilia''s most potent single-target attack.


    "No, no, no!"


    "It can''t be!"


    "I can''t possibly lose!"


    Roaring in madness, Halyfax refused to ept the inevitable. However, regardless of how difficult it was toprehend, the Arcane Giant eventually copsed and exploded.


    Nancilia breathed a sigh of relief. Dealing with this Arcane Giant was challenging, especially in the midst of arge-scale confrontation between two armies. She had to find a way to end it swiftly. Little did she expect that a single strike would be enough. The Arcane Giant was an incarnation of Halyfax. Though a mere manifestation, it required entrusting one''s spirit and soul. Once forcibly destroyed before withdrawal, the caster would suffer intense bacsh. If her deduction was correct, Halyfax at this moment must be severely weakened and enduring unbearable pain. From this day forward, Nancilia, the Elven King, rose to fame, bing renowned throughout thend!"

 Chapter 244: Demon Kings Possession

    Chapter 244: Demon King''s Possession


    The Heroes of the Thunderous Society were dumbfounded. President Luo had just disyed immense power, only to be defeated head-on by an elf who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Was there anything more ironic than this?


    This Elven King was truly terrifying! Summoning five monarch units, each representing one an Elemental King, inherently possessed formidable, earth-shattering power. Yet, she went a step further, unleashing the full might of all five elemental Kings, converging their energies into a single devastating attack. The sheer force of this attack was overwhelming. Even units of the same rank and level would sustain significant injuries if subjected to it head-on. Who could withstand such power? Undoubtedly, she was no ordinary Elven King.


    In fact, she was a super powerhouse among the elves, a remarkable figure even among all Elven Kings. The entrance of the Arcane Giant had caused shockwaves throughout the imperial camp, and the defeat it suffered now dealt a significant blow to the imperial forces. This legendary Mage King, who had yet to unleash widespread destruction, was directly struck in the face before he could make her move. The impact of this defeat was immense, causing shivers down the spines of the imperial forces.


    Nancilia''s timely intervention was crucial. If the Arcane Giant had continued to wreak havoc unchecked, not only would the Darkness City''s three dragons face dire consequences, but the entire army of the Darkness City would suffer heavy losses.


    Of course, this round of attacks also took a toll on Nancilia. Summoning five Level 6 monarch units was no simple task. She turned to Long Yi and said, "The Mage King''s arcane incarnation has been shattered, and he will undoubtedly suffer bacsh, but he won''t be fatally wounded. We can''t underestimate him."


    The battle was far from over, and there was no room forcency. Tien City remained a tough nut to crack. Luo Zheng had been temporarily defeated, but he had not perished yet, and the other Heroes, along with the Blood Lion Knights, posed a significant threat.


    Long Yi reassured, "We can handle the other Heroes and the empire''sckeys. However, dealing with the mage, Halyfax, may require Your Excellency, the Elven King, to intervene."


    Nancilia nodded, "Leave it to me." She raised her staff, and thousands of vines surged forward like a river, washing over Tien City. While these tendrils could not directly dismantle the fortified city''s protective barrier, they absorbed its power, weakening the defense.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Charge!"


    "For Darkness City!"


    "For the Chaos Federation!"


    "Capture this city and exterminate the damn Heroes!"


    Under themand of the Dark Dragon King, everyoneunched their assault. The thunderous lightning st from the ten true dragons swiftly cut open a massive breach in the weakened barrier.


    "Damn it all!"


    "Don''t let the Demon King seed!"


    "Long live the Empire! Long live Bachor!"


    The Heroes and knights of the empire roared in response. This battle could not end in reconciliation; they had to press on with unwavering determination.


    Thunderp Guild''s Xing Rong activated his transformation skill, morphing into a demonic figure with horns, joining the fray against Long Yi. Under normal circumstances, two Level 6 Heroes could contend with a Level 5 monarch unit. However, the Darkness City forces had four monarch units present, including Nancilia, the top-tier Level 6 Elven King. Without Luo Zheng''s intervention, relying solely on the power of the Thunderous Guild would be challenging to cope with this force.


    Now, the biggest suspense lingered: could Luo Zheng still fight?


    If Luo Zheng could rejoin the battle, the empire still held the advantage. He only needed to hold off the formidable Elven King, allowing the major guilds and top-tier Heroes to handle the three Dragon Kings. Thisbined force could definitely rival Darkness City, which could lead to the worst case scenario where both sides suffered losses, if not mutually assured destruction in this battle.


    In the midst of the tense atmosphere within the imperial camp, a powerful magical force struck the Darkness City forces. Emerging from the midst of the Darkness City forces, an inconspicuous ice crystal was summoned. Despite its unassuming appearance, the contained frigid power was exceptionally terrifying.


    S-tier magic --- cial Descent!


    This crystal, resembling an ready-to-bloom lotus, had just developed a few cracks on its surface. The leaked energy instantly froze dozens of draconian super soldiers into ice sculptures. Such formidable magic! The observers were once again astonished. If this magic were to be fully unleashed, the resulting damage would undoubtedly be severe. Moreover, its wide-reaching impact could inflict significant losses on the Darkness City legion.


    "Hells! That mage! He hasn''t lost hisbat capability!"


    The faces of the Darkness City forces turned serious. At the same time, the empire side breathed a sigh of relief.


    Nancilia quickly cast a sealing spell: "Elven King''s Sealing Art!" The soon-to-blossom energy-releasing ice lotus suddenly faced a constraint from some kind of energy. Its release was suppressed, and the speed of its energy discharge slowed down.


    "Teleportation!" Li Si activated spatial magic, instantly hurling this sealed magical phenomenon to a mountain peak several miles away.


    The next moment, the dreadful magic erupted in the distance. The majority of the mountain was covered and frozen by the potent ice elemental energy. That mage still had the ability to strike and he possessed several S-tier magics. Such magics were too dangerous, too powerful! A swift resolution was imperative!


    As the Imperial knights and warriors shed with the Dark City forces, Nancilia took the opportunity to bypass these troops and directly reach the location where Luo Zheng was positioned. This was the city center, several dozen mages sat atop arge magic formation, jointly guarding an elderly man in the twilight of his life.


    "Found you!" Nancilia waved her staff, unleashing an almost instantaneous A-rank destructive explosion. The intense fire attribute attack exploded upon therge formation but was staunchly blocked by its formidable defense.


    Luo Zheng''s expression turned dark. He was already weakened, and the arcane bacsh further diminished his strength. If previously he could have managed to live for another three to five years, now even three months seemed questionable. This angered him greatly. If he could not sessfully obtain the Tree of Eternity this time, he would inevitably approach the end of his lifespan. This was an oue Luo Zheng absolutely did not want to see!


    *Cough, cough...* Luo Zheng coughed, blood dripping from his mouth and nose. After a prolonged fit, he spoke, "You did break my ultimate move. That has never happened before. However, with the attack just now, in your current state, you won''t be able to replicate it a second time, can you?"


    Nancilia responded, "Even if that''s the case, with the remaining strength I have, dealing with a half-dead old man like you is more than enough!"


    "Hahaha, is that so?" Luo Zhengughed. "You are indeed strong, but you are still too young,cking in battle experience. This will make you pay a tremendous price with your life!"


    As he spoke, therge formation turned red. Twenty top-tier mages within it screamed in agony, their bodies visibly withering at an rming rate. Their vital blood and magical power were stripped away, and they copsed to the ground, lifeless. Luo Zheng took a deep breath, inhaling vast amounts of extracted blood. His depleted energy was swiftly replenished. Even the wrinkles on his face diminished significantly, as if he had suddenly be younger by a century or two.


    Nancilia''s expression changed slightly. Although Halyfax was obviously suppressing his injuries forcefully and had achieved temporary recovery, yet it seemed like he had fully recovered, and he was in slightly better condition than before.


    Simultaneously, a multitude of teleportation lights appeared around the once empty space. Dozens, even hundreds, of Heroes were teleported to the location. Each of these Heroes possessed strength around Level 4. While they might not be the most elite at the moment, they were still considered top-tier.


    Curses! She fell into an ambush set by this old trickster! The spatial prohibition formation in Tien City was canceled to allow teleportations, and these Heroes had long prepared for this ambush.


    Luo Zheng said, "Do you still have the confidence to deal with me, this half-dead old man? The Tree of Eternity belongs to me, and Darkness City is destined for destruction! With your strength, you can''t stop me."


    The Tree of Eternity was the homnd of the elves, the very foundation of the Giantree City. The Darkness City was also the crucial heart and brain of the Chaos Federation. Either of these being threatened would enrage the Elven King. Moreover, this old man intended to simultaneously destroy these two vital entities. Nancilia waspletely infuriated. She decided that even if it meant a mutual demise, she would eliminate all these people!


    With her current strength, achieving a mutual demise should be possible. However, at this moment, something unexpected happened. A consciousness and power descended from a distant ce, instantly arriving at Nancilia. It rapidly restored the energy she had expended.


    "This is... It''s from His Majesty!"


    The Demon King sat on the castle altar, closely monitoring the battle. When he sensed the critical situation in Tien City, he activated the new ability of the Demon King''s altar, "Demon King''s Possession." This meant that a portion of the Demon King''s power was projected onto the Elven King.This not only directly restored the Elven King''s depleted mana but also significantly enhanced her strength beyond its original state.


    Nancilia was surprised, "I''ve lost control of my body!"


    Zhang Nu said calmly, "Don''t panic. I''m remotely controlling you. Let me take over the fight from here."


    "What? I''m being remotely controlled by His Majesty?" Nancilia found it hard to believe. Nevertheless, her unwavering trust in the Demon King prevented her from resisting, and she rxed her body.


    After the Demon King''s Possession, the target could act freely and be remotely manipted. Zhang Nu was currently using thetter method. Although he was in the distant Demon King Castle in the Darkness City, he could use Nancilia''s body and a portion of her power, along with some of his own strength, to engage inbat. Of course, the time was limited, at most a dozen minutes. Thus, he must end this battle swiftly.


    "What''s going on?" Luo Zheng immediately noticed that the opponent''s aura and presence were abnormal. "Something''s off! Kill her quickly!" The present Heroesimmediately took action. Luo Zheng unleashed three A-rank spells in an instant. Various energies enveloped the Elven King like a torrential storm. In this situation, escape was nearly impossible. Even with the formidable defense of the Elven King, it would be rapidly depleted, eventually rendering herpletely powerless.


    "Abyssal Devour!" Nancilia stomped her foot, and an endless ck mist spread from her body, expanding in concentric circles like a colossal vortex, covering everything within hundreds of meters. All magical energies and various Qi attacks were drawn into the ck mist. What? What kind of magic was this? It was entirely different from the Elven King''s previousbat methods. Luo Zheng could not exin the reason, but there must have been some change in the Elven King.


    "Oh no!"


    "Stop!"


    "She''s absorbing our power!"


    After the attacks were absorbed by the ck vortex, it turned red,pressing the energies, gathering them in the Elven King''s left hand, forming a high-density energy sphere. At the same time, five Elemental Kings were resummoned, and as soon as they were summoned, all their energy was transformed, converging on the Elven King''s Scepter in her right hand.


    "Elemental Fusion!" The Elven King threw the energy sphere from her left hand and simultaneously released the power of the five elements. The two forces collided in the air, unleashing an energy more dazzling than the sun, with a destructive shockwave that expanded uncontrobly, engulfing all targets present. Nancilia herself almost did not manage to escape. However, just before being engulfed, she forcibly tore open a spatial rift and instantly teleported away.


    Boom! Apanied by a dazzling light, everyone in Tien City saw a giant mushroom cloud rising. Under this energy coverage, everything turned to ashes.


    "This..." Nancilia could not dare to imagine.


    The power of the Demon King''s Possession had also been exhausted. Before leaving, Zhang Nu said to Nancilia, "The trouble has been dealt with. The rest is up to you."


    "Your Majesty, rest assured. That old mage is dead, and the others are not worth worrying about!"


    Once again, she was amazed by the unfathomable power of the Demon King. Withdrawing his consciousness, within the Demon King''s castle, the Great Demon King slowly opened his eyes. Zhang Nu regarded that the power of the Demon King''s possession was quite useful. Although the duration was very short and could only project a minimal portion of power onto his subjects, it was enough to unleash unexpected effects without exposing his true condition.


    When he checked the information panel, numerous notifications shed.


    [You''ve in a Level 6 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +5! Monarch crystal +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 4 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 4 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +2!]


    [......]"

 Chapter 245: Consequences of the Azure Water Covenant

    Chapter 245: Consequences of the Azure Water Covenant


    Zhang Nu discovered that after eliminating Luo Zheng, he not only obtained an extremely high-quality monarch-ss soul but also acquired as many as five skill stones, along with a Monarch Crystal.


    [Monarch Crystal] Orange quality high grade item. Instantly bestows monarch-level aptitude upon the target.


    This Monarch Crystal was a valuable item. In simple terms, it could be used to create monarchs. Regardless of the target''s low qualifications or weak talents, as long as this crystal was used, it could forge a monarch. Those below Level 5 would gain monarch-level aptitude, while those at or above Level 5 would directly be monarchs.


    For anyone else, this item would be considered invaluable. However, for Zhang Nu, there seemed to be no urgent need. On the one hand, he had numerous units under hismand that were no less than monarchs, including Nancilia, Shui Lan, Marilyn, and the Darkness Three Titans. Having one more or one less monarch would not significantly improve the strength of the Chaos Federation. Moreover, Zhang Nu possessed the Soul Altar and the Tree of Eternity, both capable of creating monarchs. Hence, there was no immediate shortage of monarch-level units.


    Because of this, he decided not to use the crystal immediately. Zhang Nu nned to save it for the future. It could be used to elevate the aptitude of those with exceptionally poor qualifications, for whom the cost of using the Soul Altar was too high, but still required a significant boost. Alternatively, he might trade it on the Demon King''s market for other urgently needed resources.


    As for the other five skill stones, two of them were S-rank skills:


    [Skill Stone: Arcane Incarnation] S-rank skill.


    [Skill Stone: cier Descent] S-rank skill.


    Both of these skills were extremely powerful, and Zhang Nu believed they would be useful for him. Without further ado, he decided to learn both skills. With this addition, he now possessed three S-rank skills: "Rebirth from within the mes", "Arcane Incarnation", and "cier Descent."


    Although Tien City still had the Blood Lion Knights and the Thunderous Society with formidable strength, they were no longer enough to defeat the Darkness Legion. Zhang Nu shifted his attention, confident in the victory oue. With nearly 200 million gold in hand, he expected to also earn a considerable amount from this battle.


    Zhang Nu nned to construct the Rift Tower from the blueprint in his possession. The blueprint read:


    [Blueprint: Rift Tower] Level 5 special building. Costs gold x50 million, dark gem x10,000, soul gem x5,263,000, space gem x3,000, time gem x1000. You may construct a Rift Tower within your territory.


    Although it consumed gold like the other important Level 5 buildings, the gems required were all rare attribute gems. Particrly scarce were the space and time attribute gems. While Zhang Nu had a considerable gem inventory, hecked some space and time gems. He had no choice but to purchase them from the market. Apart from 50 million gold, he estimated he would need to invest nearly another hundred million to procure all the materials.


    The construction cost of this Rift Tower was indeed intimidating, and it was fortunate that Subus Queen Han did not ask for this blueprint. Otherwise, with her current financial resources, how could she possibly afford it? However, Zhang Nu believed that the Rift Tower, with its advanced level, would not disappoint in terms of functionality and output.


    Although it was expensive, it had to be built. The Chaos Federation had been exceptionally wealthy, and the business in the Aofa City, Kregi, for constructing the Job Advancement Tower, had been boomingtely. The expansion of business in the Azure Water Federation had also been quite ideal. All things considered, within the next half month, with significant expenditures and a growing poption, the ie of the Darkness City could easily surpass an average of 30 million gold per day. From this perspective, the cost investment was just a matter of a few days of ie and was not worth mentioning.


    With this in mind, Zhang Nu had contacted several gem suppliers and simultaneously posted information on purchasing space and time gems on over a hundred channels.


    Meanwhile, Empress Shui Lan had already left the Darkness City. She had used the teleportation tower in the Dark City to directly teleport to the residence of the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce in Pale Moon. Throughout the entire process, the Demon King had not interfered, surprising Shui Lan. Did the Demon King trust her so much and let her leave so easily? Won''t he be afraid that she wouldn''t return?


    This trustful attitude from the Demon King had made her very appreciative and admiring. Shui Lan had had no intention of seizing power; she had no interest in authority. In fact, she had been well aware that she did not have that ability. Six thousand years ago, the federation had not been named after her, and in her lifetime, she had never called herself an emperor. The name Azure Water Federation and the honorary Emperor title had both been obtained after Shui Lan had driven away the Evil Gods and suppressed the Abyssal Trench.


    Six thousand years had passed, and things had changed. Six thousand years ago, the federation had been entirely different from the current one. Although Shui Lan still held a lofty status in the hearts of the sea tribes and races in this region, as well as a well-known reputation, it was merely a symbolic representation. She had been a hero of the federation, but for the powerful and influential, they had only needed the image of a hero, not the hero herself.


    Shui Lan had no other intentions; she had only requested a seven-day break. She had nned to spend three days exploring this ce, which she had once guarded with all her efforts and dedication, to see what it had be now. The prosperity of Shengtao City pleased Shui Lan immensely. This was the significance of creating the federation! Instead of lingering in the city, she directly entered the sea, swiftly traversing the ocean at speeds of tens of thousands of miles per day.


    Six thousand years might be an exceptionally long time for most life forms, but from a geological perspective, it was not that long. The underwater regions of the Pale Moon Kingdom, as she remembered, had not changed much.


    However, at this moment, a scent of blood filled the water. Thousands of young male and female fishfolks were driven forward by hundreds of sharkfolks, resembling livestock. Their bodies were covered in wounds, and the source of the bloody smell came from them.


    "Pirates?" Shui Lan questioned.


    "No, it doesn''t seem like it... these sharkfolks driving the fishfolk captives are soldiers from a certain territory in Pale Moon!" Shui Lan observed that the sharkfolks driving the fishfolk captives were all wearing uniform equipment. Clearly, they were not pirates. Judging by the patterns on their equipment, they seemed to be soldiers from a certain city in Pale Moon.


    "Who are you?"


    "Wanna die?"


    "Get out of our way!"


    Sharkfolk soldiers wielding tridents approached. The leader among them assessed Shui Lan with a nce. "Well, well, well, we were tasked with capturing some fishfolk ves to sell to the underwater mining camps. We didn''t expect to encounter such a prime specimen like you!"


    "Hahaha!"


    "How fortunate!"


    "Boss, look at this merfolk''s quality. If we sell her to human merchants, she''s probably worth more than thebined value of these thousands of these fish-heads. We''re about to strike it rich!"


    "Hey, let''s first find out more about her before asking. What if we capture someone we shouldn''t? We might be in trouble!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What are you afraid of? Who''s gonna know that we did it?"


    The sharkfolks approached with sinister intentions. A minuteter, the sharkfolks fell silent. They were all cut into at least ten pieces, their mangled limbs scattered on the ground, attracting arge number of fish to feast on. Shui Lan untied the fishfolk vigers, but they did not express gratitude. It was rather the opposite, their faces were filled with fear and numbness.


    "You... you killed the covenant nobles'' soldiers!"


    "You''re going to die, we will all die!"


    "It''s over, it''s over!"


    Shui Lan was taken aback. "Covenant nobles? What does that mean?"


    The fishfolk vige chief exined, "You don''t even know about the Covenant Nobles? Could it be that you''re an outsider seafolk? The covenant families are selected noble sea ns chosen by Empress Shui Lan. They''ve had a covenant for protection, which has been passed down to this day. The entire Azure Water Federation is under their influence. Other sea tribes have been enved by them for generations!"


    Shaking her head, Shui Lan asked, "Theymit such atrocities to your people, why didn''t you resist?"


    The fishfolk elder sighed, "Resist? With what? Over the past few thousand years, some sea heroes have risen in rebellion, but the covenant families are protected by the covenant. It''s doomed to be useless!"


    Six thousand years ago, in order to end the endless conflicts, Shui Lan had taken great risks to find an ancient contract from ancient ruins. Using her immense strength and influence, she forced the most powerful sea tribes at that time to negotiate. Eventually, they established power boundaries, signed a contract, and formed an alliance. Since then, the chaotic sea region had been pacified, and peace had almost continued until now.


    However, the vastness of the ocean posed a problem. Shui Lan could not bring all the tribes and forces under the covenant. She could only select influential major forces, leaving the other 90% of the forces and those emergingter doomed to be excluded.


    Over the millennia, serious issues had emerged. The most severe problems were "internal corruption" and "ss rigidity." The covenant nobles were always the legitimate rulers of their respective regions, regardless of how cruel or absurd their actions were. No forces had the power to overthrow them.


    Countless small sea tribes were enved, vibrant new kingdoms were destroyed, and countless insightful individuals dedicated to changing the ocean were crushed by the gradually decayingmunity. Even among the covenant nobles, internal conflicts were intense, but war was not an option to resolve their issues due to the contract. Thus, they chose more ruthless forms of confrontation.


    In summary, the appearance of the Azure Water Covenant had been a great contribution in the first two or three thousand years, but in the subsequent three thousand years, it became the root cause of corruption. It stifled the source of fresh blood in the ocean, allowing the decaying and corrupted old nobility to act recklessly.


    Nowadays, every year in the Azure Water Federation, at least millions of sea tribes are captured and trafficked. For the old nobility under the Covenant, there''s nothing they won''t do for their interests. After all, they are the permanent legitimate rulers who signed the Azure Water Covenant and are protected by it.


    "Our tribe is finished!"


    "We''re all done! My wife, my children are all dead!"


    An angry fishfolk shouted, "It''s all because of that damn Azure Water Empress! If it weren''t for the protection of this tyrant''s covenant, those damn nobles and brutal kingdoms would have been overthrown long ago!"


    The fishfolk elder hastily interjected, "Watch your words. The original intention of Empress Shui Lan wasn''t like this. But how could she have foreseen the current situation in her lifetime?"


    The fishfolk angrily retorted, "Where did I say wrong?"


    Others joined in, saying, "Exactly!"


    "Tyrant Shui Lan is the root of all evil!"


    "If it weren''t for the protection of this tyrant, those damn kingdoms and nobles would have been destroyed long ago!"


    The fishfolks were filled with righteous indignation. The Azure Water Empress, who was worshiped like a deity by various sea nations, was seen as a tyrant and the source of all evil by these tribal vigers.


    Watching the plight of the fishfolk refugees, Shui Lan was deeply moved. She realized that the prosperity and harmony in this sea area were just illusions. Countless small and medium-sized forces, numbering in the tens of billions, were living under oppression. Angry and hateful sentiments had umted for generations and spread to every corner of the ocean. Most of the sea kingdoms had already decayed beyond recognition. Once the fragile bnce was disrupted, this ocean would erupt into a war more devastating than ever before, possibly directly destroying all current civilizations.


    Shui Lan felt a chill throughout her body. Could it be, as the Demon King said... was she wrong? Like the story of Gun and Yu, she had adopted Gun''s method, and the covenant was like the Xi Rang soil. Although it could temporarily take effect, it might trigger even greater disasters!"

 Chapter 246: Further Development of the Humans

    Chapter 246: Further Development of the Humans


    Half a dayter.


    [You have conquered Tien City!]


    [You gained "Stardust Diamond Chest" x1!]


    Zhang Nu received a conquest notification. He was not surprised by the capture of Tien City, but what astonished him was the high quality of the loot---this time, he obtained a diamond chest. What''s going on? Why was the quality so high? The territory of Tien county was not high-level, and in terms of scale, it was the smallest among the nearby county territories. Zhang Nu spected that it might be rted to the city''srge number of reinforcements, which increased the level of the city, thus boosting the quality of the reward.


    Not bad. A pleasant surprise, indeed. Zhang Nu directly imed the reward.


    [You opened the Diamond Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x30 million, "Blueprint: Elemental Sanctuary" x1, "Level 5 Building Upgrade Scroll" x1, "Life Gems" x10,000, "Fire Gems" x10,000, "Earth Gems" x10,000, "Water Gems" x10,000!]


    Not bad at all. Thirty million gold, a Level 5 blueprint, a Level 5 upgrade scroll, and forty thousand gems of various attributes. The total value was quite astonishing. Among them, the Level 5 blueprint was a blueprint for a Level 5 special building.


    [Blueprint: Elemental Sanctuary] Level 5 special building blueprint. Costs gold x9 million, light gem x1500, life gem x1500, elemental gem x2000 each. You may construct an Elemental Sanctuary within your territory.


    Although it was a special building, the construction cost was quite cheap. Without hesitation, Zhang Nu immediately constructed the building.


    [You''ve constructed the Elemental Sanctuary!]


    [You''ve unlocked the ability to summon human units!]


    [You''ve gained a new summonable poption: Level 1 Elemental Mage +30,000, Level 1 Rare Elemental Mage +15,000, Level 2 Elemental Mage +15,000, Level 2 Rare Elemental Mage +8000, Level 3 Elemental Mage +8000, Level 3 Rare Elemental Mage +5000, Level 4 Elemental Mage +5000, Level 4 Rare Elemental Mage +3000, Level 5 Elemental Mage +3000, Level 5 Rare Elemental Mage +1500!]


    Clearly, the Elemental Sanctuary possessed a barracks'' summoning function. It could unlock approximately 100,000 summonable units in one go. This quantity was quite astonishing, but all of them were elites, without any lord or overlord units.


    Zhang Nu had a Level 4 building, the "High Mage Guild," which also had the ability to summon human mages. However, the differencey in the fact that the mages summoned by the magic guild were rtively more expensive but generally had rich knowledge reserves and production skills. The elemental sanctuary could summon elemental mages. Theirbat power was higher than the High Mage Guild''s summons, the prices were cheaper, but theycked the schrs'' rich knowledge and had no production research abilities.


    In essence, the Elemental Sanctuary summoned units that were specialized in single-element magic and had highbat power. The mages from the Elemental Sanctuary were divided into regr elemental mages and rare elemental mages. The regr ones covered the wind, fire, water, and earth elements, while the rare ones included light, dark, and thunder elements.


    One could customize the choice of elemental attributes as needed. For example, if one aimed for high damage, Zhang Nu could summon only fire and thunder mages. With tens of thousands of fire and thunder mages on the battlefield, a single wave of magic could tten a city, disying terrifying power.


    Therefore, the Elemental Sanctuary''s appearance effectively increased the strength of the Darkness Legion. However, the functionality of the Elemental Sanctuary was not limited to recruitment alone. It could also be a ce to learn various elemental magic. All citizens, all races, and even non-territorial citizens could go in and study. The higher the level of magic, the longer it would take to learn---C-rank magic would only take a week, A-rank magic would require a month, and at least a Level 4 lord''s strength.


    In summary, the functionality was quite powerful. The cost of constructing this building was not high but could effectively enhance the magical strength of the territory. Zhang Nu expressed satisfaction with the Elemental Sanctuary''s functionality.


    This time, the chest yielded another Level 5 building upgrade scroll. Zhang Nu already had three Level 5 upgrade scrolls in his possession--- one for special buildings, two for regr buildings. The special building upgrade scroll was particrly valuable, and Zhang Nu had not yet decided how to use it. Moreover, upgrading special buildings was extremely expensive, and he needed to keep some funds for upgrading his subordinates. Therefore, he did not n to use it immediately.


    As for the Level 5 regr building upgrade scrolls, they could be put to use immediately. Zhang Nu had been expanding his influence over human territories, cities, and domains. With more territories under his control, he needed additional manpower for management and maintenance. With this in mind, Zhang Nu made a decision. He would upgrade the Sacred Knight''s Sanctuary and the High Mage Guild to Level 6. Both of these were regr buildings with the ability to recruit human units, and once upgraded to Level 6, their recruitment capacity would significantly increase.


    The High Mage Guild was a Level 4 building, so it needed to be upgraded twice in session. Zhang Nu used several building upgrade scrolls to carry out the upgrades.


    [You''ve gained a Radiant Knight''s Sanctuary!]


    [Radiant Knight''s Sanctuary''s current summonable poption: Squire Knight +80,000, Junior Knight +40,000, Intermediate Knight +20,000, High Knight +10,000, Grand Knight +5000, Knight Commander +500, Titled Knights +100, Holy Knight +10, Titled Holy Knights +1!]


    [You''ve gained an Archmage Guild!]


    [Archmage Guild''s current summonable poption: Mage Apprentice +30,000, Junior Mage +20,000, Intermediate Mage +10,000, High Mage +8000, Grand Mage +2000, Archmage +50, Grand Archmage +10, Titled Grand Archmage+1!]


    The upgrade of the two buildings significantly increased the recruitable human poption. Zhang Nu nned to deploy over a hundred thousand summoned human elite units and some infantry to the human-upied areas, with a total estimate of two to three hundred thousand. This move would further strengthen Zhang Nu''s rule in those regions.


    Among the newly unlocked units, the Titled Holy Knight and Titled Grand Archmage were both Level 6 overlords. The advanced units could be upgraded from lower-level units, but the cost was quite high, requiring the consumption of a Level 6 soul. Zhang Nu checked the gains from the recent battle in Tien City. Despite not killing all the Heroes, he managed to eliminate a substantial number. A total of four Level 6 Heroes, twelve Level 5 Heroes, and 384 Level 4 Heroes were in. Additionally, he obtained 523 skill stones.


    Considering the need for a stronger human elite force, Zhang Nu decided to increase the high-endbat power among the human ranks. He summoned the Grand Archmage Bai Jie stationed in the Citadel of Eternity and the Holy Knight Bai Jin guarding the Aofa City, and upgraded them.


    The upgrade costs for the Titled Grand Archmage were: 30 million gold, 5000 elemental gems for each of the seven elements, and one Level 6 soul. The upgrade costs for the Titled Holy Knight were: 20 million gold, 5000 light gems, and one Level 6 soul.


    After the upgrades, both individuals experienced a significant surge in power. They became the strongest among the Level 6 overlords under Zhang Nu''smand, capable of jointly facing a Dragon King. Their enhanced strength further solidified Zhang Nu''s dominance among the human forces.


    Among the two, Bai Jie gained the most significant improvement. Previously Level 4, she now ascended to Level 6. This upgrade not only brought a substantial increase inbat capabilities but also greatly enhanced her knowledge and production skills, making her the foremost schr in the Chaos Federation, with the potential for significant contributions in the past.


    "Thank you, my lord!" Two powerful humans, their imposing auras overwhelming, knelt respectfully before the Demon King. Zhang Nu spoke, "Bai Jin, I appoint you as the overall governor of the human race. Continue to guard Aofa City and coordinate with the Darkness Legion in battles!"


    "Yes, my Lord!" The formidable holy knight immediately epted themand.


    Zhang Nu then turned to Bai Jie. "How is the progress at the Citadel of Eternity?"


    The Titled Grand Archmage Bai Jie quickly responded, "My lord, everything is progressing smoothly. Currently, the total number of researchers has surpassed thirty thousand and is still increasing."


    Pausing for a moment, she continued, "Additionally, the Citadel of Eternity is coborating with Thousand Fangs City. The magical weapons production line in the Imperial Workshop of Kolo has started production!"


    As she spoke, Bai Jie opened a sealed scroll, revealing several weapons resembling guns.


    [Fine Magic Ray Gun] Level 1 magitek weapon. It can be charged with various elemental energy gems. Each gem provides 20 elemental shots. Each shot deals a minimum of 300 fixed elemental damage to targets within 300 meters!


    [Gnome''s mest Magitek Cannon] Level 2 magitek weapon. Consumes 1 fire gem for every shot fired. It can fire a mest shot towards its target with a 500 meter range causing up to 1000 points of fiery explosion damage, as well as an area of effect burning status.


    Zhang Nu''s eyes lit up. Has production already begun? He immediately inquired, "How is the production output?"


    Bai Jie immediately replied, "We have recruited tens of thousands of human workers locally and dispatched ten thousand gnome magitek technicians and alchemists. Currently, we can assemble one thousand Magitek Ray Guns and one hundred mest Magitek Cannons per day."


    "This is just the beginning; the efficiency of the Imperial Workshop is very high, and there is enough humanbor locally. Our production capacity will increase over time."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied. "Good, very good. Seize the time to expand production at the maximum speed and let the Gnome Magitek Research Institute develop more magitek equipment!"


    While these weapons were almost junk to Zhang Nu personally, they held great value for the territories. A single ordinary Magitek Ray Gun had attacking powerparable to a Level 1 elite mage''s magic. This allowed the direct arming of arge number of seemingly powerless humans.


    Of course, what Zhang Nu valued more was the arms trade market. In a world filled with conflicts, there was a constant demand for weapons. While the traditional weapons, armor, and staff markets were already well-established and the Ironheart City was already doing a great job, creating a renowned brand in this field was challenging. On the other hand, establishing a high-entry-barrier, low-volume, and practical equipment market was crucial. Zhang Nu nned to establish a magitek weapon manufacturing center in the Kolo region. In the future, he intended to export magictek weapons as a distinctive product of the Chaos Federation, earning a substantial amount of gold for the federation.


    Compared to ordinary weapons and equipment, the potential in this market was immense. It was enough to drive the economy of human territories and stimte an increase in the working poption.


    Zhang Nu assigned detailed tasks to his two human subordinates, and they immediately left without dy. There was much work to be done for the prosperity of the Darkness City and for the Demon King.


    ......


    While Zhang Nu waspleting the deployment of the new n, in the main city of Bachor, Grand Duke Bachor''s expression changed as he received news about the defeat in the battle of Tien City and the fall of his Blood Lion Knight Order.


    "What happened? Why did we fail?" Duke Bachor felt a sense of powerlessness. The battle should not have ended in such a tragic defeat no matter how one analyzed it.


    At that moment, an intelligence report was delivered to Duke Bachor. After reading it, his expression immediately turned grave. "The Chaos Forest has an Elven King, and she''s a Level 6 Elven King!"


    Unbelievable. In the surrounding areas of the Thunder Empire, there were indeed habitats of the elven race. However, Elven Kings had not appeared for at least a thousand or two thousand years. Now, not only had a king appeared, but she was a high level Elven King. Even the renowned Mage King of the empire had died at her hands, leaving no remains!


    The terrifying strength of this person made Duke Bachor feel a sense of powerlessness. Even if he were to face her, victory would not be guaranteed. Duke Bachor began to realize theplexity of the situation in the Chaos Forest, which shook his determination.


    Should he immediately seek help from the empire?"

 Chapter 247: Aftermath of the Battle of Tien

    The battle of Tien City made the Elven King famous overnight. The news spread like wildfire throughout the empire in a matter of days. The situation in the Chaos Forest was far moreplex than anticipated. People initially believed that the Chaos Federation was just an organization established by the Demon King. Now it seemed that behind the scenes, there were other forces at y, with the Elven King possessing strength even surpassing that of the Dragon Kings of the Darkness City.


    What did this imply? It suggested that the Darkness Trio of the Chaos Forest could be mere pawns, with the true puppeteer being the mysterious Elven King. She stayed in the shadows all along to avoid premature exposure, fearing heightened vignce from the empire.


    However, after the battle of Tien City, where the Darkness Trio sumbed to the Mage King Halyfax, the mastermind behind it all had to reveal herself. That''s right! This must be the truth! It was the only reasonable exnation! No one expected the Chaos Forest to be so formidable, concealing such a super powerhouse capable of suppressing an entire region!


    The main city of Bachor, along with other cities in the empire, was abuzz with rumors. Thetest updates on the southern front became headline news:


    <tragedy! the="" empire''s="" one="" and="" only="" mage="" king="" falls!=""></tragedy!>


    In no time, rumors and spections about the Elven King filled the air. It was not just the major cities with well-informed sources; even remote ces and inconspicuous tribes near the empire received the news. Take, for example, the Moonwell Tribe, an elven tribe bordering the eastern edge of the empire. The Moonwell Tribe was of considerable size, divided into twelve ns, with a total poption exceeding three hundred thousand. For the elven race, this was a significantmunity.


    "Great news!"


    "Huge news!"


    "The Elven King has emerged from the Chaos Forest!"


    "Not only is there an Elven King, but I heard there''s also the Ancient Tree of Eternity!"


    "What? The Tree of Eternity? How could something like that exist in this day and age? This might be false information intentionally spread by the empire!"


    "No! It''s definitely not false!"


    "The High Elder sensed the aura of the Tree of Eternity!"


    "The news might be fabricated, but this aura cannot be faked!"


    "By the grace of the Goddess, if this is true, it''s a blessing for the elven race!"


    The Moonwell Tribe erupted in excitement. Tens of thousands of elves began nning their migration. The Moonwell Tribe was just one of the elven tribes that caught wind of the news.


    With the news of the Tree of Eternity and the emergence of the Elven King spreading, all Elven ns and tribes could not resist the pull, initiating a massive elven migration! In the future, within one or two months at most, millions of elves would surge into the Chaos Forest.


    This colossal poption would easily establish an Elven Kingdom. Moreover, this was just the beginning; the elven poption under the control of the Darkness City would continue to grow, making the power of the Darkness City even more formidable!


    The battle of Tien concluded with a great victory. The Darkness City Legion suffered some significant losses, and Zhang Nu needed to resurrect approximately 25,000 units, costing him around 42 million gold. Compared to previous battles, this one incurred rtivelyrger losses due to the presence of many skilled participants, including the Blood Lion Knights. Despite the considerable losses, the gains were substantial. The fifty thousand Blood Lion Knights, all starting at the minimum rank of Level 3 elite, generated a total ie of 110 million gold from killing''s rewards alone. Therefore, the ie easily covered the costs.


    The Resurrection Altar immediately came into y. One by one, fallen warriors were resurrected and summoned to the Darkness City Grand za.


    "I thought I died in battle?" eximed an elven mage, his face filled with disbelief. "How am I alive again? This is the Darkness City!"


    "Me too!"


    "I actually came back to life!"


    "It''s unbelievable! What''s going on?"


    Unit after unit that should have perished appeared on the Darkness City Grand za. After exchanging information, these soldiers quickly realized the situation---they had indeed died in battle, but due to the intervention of the Demon King, they were all resurrected.


    "Praise the Demon King!"


    "He actually resurrected us!"


    "What a miraculous and powerful ability!"


    These resurrected members of the Darkness Legion were all astonished by the Demon King''s incredible power. They were just nameless foot soldiers of the Chaos Federation, yet they received the privilege of resurrection.


    Truly unheard of! Inconceivable!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The soldiers'' awe and loyalty to the Demon King immediately reached a new level. If they could be resurrected even after death, what couldn''t the Demon King do? Charging into battle, whether summoning units or vassal subordinates, would no longer carry the concern of death. Instead, falling in battle became a matter of honor!


    The Demon King''s method of resurrecting fallenbat units proved to be more cost-effective than summoning new ones. The cost savings amounted to approximately one-third to one-half of the expenses. Given the advantages of these resurrected soldiers who had spent considerable time in the Darkness City and the Chaos Federation, it made more sense to revive them. Additionally, many units in the Darkness City Legion were not directly summoned but affiliated as vassal units, and the ability to resurrect them ensured a steady and experienced force.


    Moreover, since the Darkness City Legionprised both directly summoned and vassal units, resurrecting fallen soldiers became a preferred option, allowing the Demon King to save substantial resources. With the Resurrection Altar in ce, the worry of depleting poption forces due to war was eliminated, provided there was enough funding. After resurrecting the fallen troops, the Demon King bestowed a Sacred King''s Baptism upon outstanding soldiers among them, granting them a rapid increase in strength.


    Following the resurrection of the army, the Demon King proceeded to enhance other units. He spent 30 million gold and materials to bestow the title of Dragon Elder upon Long Yi. Although a regr Abyssal Dragon could be directly upgraded to Dragon Elder through the Demon King''s Altar and further to a Level 6 unit, Long Yi was already a monarch. Upgrading him to a higher level proved challenging. Nevertheless, Long Yi experienced a noticeable improvement in talent, attributes, and mastery of over a dozen new magic spells.


    Not content with these enhancements, the Demon King initiated a super baptism for Long Yi. Despite having undergone several cleansings before Tien City,bined with the power of the Dragon Elder, Long Yi''s strength had neared a bottleneck. However, with the super baptism, Long Yi underwent a significant transformation, instantly breaking through the bottleneck.


    A formidable force, ten times stronger than before, erupted from Long Yi, radiating a terrifying draconic pressure felt by all residents of the Darkness City.


    [Abyssal Dragon King: Long Yi] Level 6 monarch unit...


    Seeing the current information, Zhang Nu nodded in satisfaction. Long Yi lived up to expectations by breaking through to the Level 6 monarch. Although he, as the Dragon King, had not yet unlocked the potential of a Mythic Dragon, even in this state, he was not to be underestimated. Acquiring the skills of the Dragon Elder and the new talents of the Level 6 Dragon King, coupled with the inherent advantages of his race, Long Yi, in his newly attained Level 6 status, was on par with Duke Bachor, if not superior.


    In addition to Nancilia, the Darkness City now had another Level 6 monarch unit. This significant addition substantially increased the strength of the Darkness City. Zhang Nu then subjected Zhang San and Li Si to a super baptism. While unable to achieve a breakthrough, it effectively enhanced their abilities. In the future, advancing along the promotion path through the Demon King''s Altar would also reduce the cost.


    Upon being upgraded through the Demon King''s Altar, Zhang San and Li Si would directly gain mythic-level talents. However, given the high material resources required for this path, the current state of the Darkness City could not afford it, so a breakthrough was temporarily unfeasible. Nevertheless, their current strength was more than sufficient.


    Moreover, in the uing week, Zhang Nu nned to elevate the remaining Abyssal Dragons, Long Er to Long Shi, to Abyssal Dragon Elders, enabling them to possess thebat power of Level 6 overlords. The cost for upgrading each of them to Dragon Elder was approximately 30 million gold, totaling a staggering 270 million gold coins for all nine. Although the actual cost would be reduced due to their prior exposure to the Demon King''s Baptism, it still amounted to around 200 million gold.


    This expense was significant for Zhang Nu, but the substantial gains from the operation in the Abyssal Trench and the victory in Tien City made it manageable, albeit challenging. After this round of upgrades, the high-endbat capabilities of the Darkness City would undergo a qualitative improvement.


    In the past period, the Darkness City has conquered one marquis territory, four counties, along with several viscounties, totaling at least twelve imperial provinces and fifty cities, with a poption exceeding twelve million.


    With so many cities, such a vast poption, and such arge area of newly acquired territory, it would take time for the Darkness City to fully digest and integrate its conquests. Conquest was not always better; what matters for the Darkness City was how to gain more benefits. Therefore, Zhang Nu was not in a rush to consume everything at once. While enhancing the strength of the Darkness City, he was simultaneously managing the consolidation of new territories and poptions, observing changes on the Imperial side. The grand strategy of attacking the Empire was temporarily put on hold for ten to eight days.


    During this period, the acquired gems began to arrive, and the Darkness City could finally construct its first Enigma Tower. For a territory, the Rift Tower is an open-instance and an endless resource production site. Zhang Nu immediately spent gold and materials to summon the Rift Tower.


    The residents of the Darkness City felt a strong magical fluctuation, and soon, ten towers emitting a mysterious aura emerged from the forest not far from the Demon King''s castle.


    Upon seeing the information about the Rift Tower, Zhang Nu was also greatly surprised, finally understanding why the construction cost was so high.


    [Rift Tower: The Remnants of the Stars] Level 5 mythic rift...

 Chapter 248: Ancient Lands of the Stars

    Chapter 248: Ancient Lands of the Stars


    [The Rift Tower: Ancient Lands of the Stars] Level 5 mythic rift. A five-person team rift dungeon. Each entry costs 2 million golds.


    The entry fees were exorbitantly high. For a single entry, the cost was 2 million gold, and for a five-person team to embark on a dungeon run, the expense soared to at least 10 million gold. Although there are no prerequisites for entering the rift and failure does not result in death, an implicit barrier still exists. If the challengers are inadequately skilled, they risk failure immediately upon entry, rendering their substantial investment in the ticket futile.


    The Darkness Three Dragons were recently in the main city. Counting himself, Zhang Nu''s group totaled four,cking one more for a full team. After a moment of contemtion, Zhang Nu reached out to the Subus Queen with a proposition: "We''re about to start a dungeon run and are short by one. Would you like to join us?"


    Han Kexin''s response was prompt: "Hold on for me, I''ll be right there. Count me in!"


    Just two minutester, Han Kexin made her appearance. She exuded a significantly more formidable aura than just a few days prior. Zhang Nu, noticing the change,mented, "Oh? It''s been only a few days, and you''ve grown much stronger."


    With a touch of humility, Han Kexin replied, "You tter me. In recent days, Gloom City conquered the Mountains of Madness, reaping an abundance of souls from a million tribes, which led to a modest enhancement in my powers."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Despite her modesty, it was clear to all, especially in the presence of the Great Demon King, that her capabilities had not just improved marginally. Her attributes had significantly increased, apanied by the acquisition of a formidable Level 5 talent.


    [Eternal Charm] Subus Queen Level 5 talent. Consumes 90% of MP in one use to imprint a permanent mental mark on her target, with a cooldown period of 7 days.


    This ability had an incredibly long cooldown time, yet its effects were terrifying. What did a permanent mental imprint mean? All units summoned by the Demon King bore a mental imprint. Essentially, a mental imprint was a locked-in 100% loyalty!


    After unlocking this talent, the Queen could permanently turn any target weaker than or nearly equal to her in strength into a fiercely loyal unit. The skill''s cooldown was very long, but it was capable of producing astonishing effects. As a Level 5 monarch in strength, the Subus Queen had a 99% sess rate of using Eternal Charm on units below Level 5, and a 50-80% sess rate on those of the same level with simr strength.


    Of course, the skill was ineffective on targets already bearing a mental imprint. Overall, the Subus Queen''s new ability was incredibly powerful. If used wisely, this skill could be extremely beneficial. The Great Demon King''s regard for Queen Han instantly rose a notch higher.


    For such a talent, Zhang Nu was not content with just a cooperative rtionship. Perhaps he should consider a way to bring Queen Han directly under hismand. As for Han Kexin, she was only one Level 5 talent away from advancing to Level 6. Such progress was undeniably fast. Han Kexin had not had the chance to personally witness the Potato Great Demon King in action in the Cmity Trench, but she spected that the Potato Great Demon King had already reached Level 6. It was impossible for him to begging behind her in progress.


    "Everyone''s here. Let''s head in!"


    "I''ve paid for your ticket for now.


    "Remember to pay me back after wee out."


    Han Kexin pouted: "Two million gold is nothing for you and me now, to fuss over such a small amount, such a stingy man."


    Zhang Nu justified himself confidently: "Even a mosquito is meat!"


    The Rift Tower activated.


    [Prepare yourselves, challengers!]


    [The Level 5 mythic rift "Ancient Lands of the Stars" is opening!]


    Han Kexin almost lost her bnce. What? A mythic rift? Was there a mistake? Why was the level that high? Can we really beat it?!


    She did not know that the Cmity Trench was a Level 5 mythic area yet.


    Without much time to think, they were transported to a deste, silent world, full of ruins and devastation. A blood moon hung high in the sky. Countless irregr fragments, like small asteroids, floated in the sky. The entire world exuded a sense of apocalyptic decay and destion. At the same time, information about the rift dungeon nearly simultaneously appeared in the minds of the five challengers.


    "Old gods are awakening, stars are perishing, in the dark and desperate corners of the world, some small and ordinary beings are struggling with all their might, attempting to fight against fate."


    "The challengers will y the role of saviors summoned to this ce, your task is to help the few survivors resist the invasion from the rulers of tomorrow."


    "Rift dungeon time limit: 12 hours!"


    "Current round: 1st attempt!"


    The ce where the five appeared was arge summoning magic circle. Thousands of spirit bodies floated nearby; these spirits seemed to have been human-like creatures in life, and now they gathered around the huge summoning circle, their blurred faces showing tension.


    Zhang Nu nced over.


    [Soul Guardian: Moji] Level 3 lord unit...


    Description: Moji, the leader of the few surviving natives of a named Xar. Some of the Xarians were born with unique talents. They possess a racial talent to transform between soul and physical forms. It is this special ability that has temporarily saved them from the corruption of the Evil Gods in this catastrophe.


    NPC? There were intelligent NPCs inside the rift? This no longer seems much different from a game dungeon.


    Moji spoke, "Respected beings from another world, on behalf of the few survivors of Xar, I extend our deepest gratitude for answering our call. You''vee from distant realms to thisnd of darkness, to help us withstand the impending disaster."


    There''s even interactions? Even Han Kexin was surprised. Her Gloom City''s rift did not have this functionality. Immediately, Han Kexin asked, "What enemy are we facing?"


    Moji answered angrily, "The Unity Cult, the wicked Unity Cult!"


    "This has beenpletely destroyed by this Evil God cult. I will lead the remaining members of our tribe to use the soul transmission formation and establish a new home on an unknown deep in the gxy."


    "The Unity Cult has discovered our n!"


    "What you need to do is buy us time, to allow us sufficient duration to activate the formation. Of course, as a reward, we will offer duepensation."


    Zhang Nu and Han Kexin exchanged knowing looks, quickly understanding the situation. The structure of this rift dungeon was straightforward, revolving around sessive rounds of fending off monster attacks. The conditions for failure were clear: either their team would be entirely annihted, or all the survivors would be lost.


    Zhang Nu learned from the prompt information that if they could eliminate more than ten rounds of monsters within the time limit of the rift dungeon and keep the casualties among the survivors below ten percent, they would trigger a boss battle. Defeating the boss would yield more substantial rewards. The level of the boss was not fixed; it depended on the challengers'' speed in defeating the monsters and the number of survivors. The better the performance, the stronger the boss that appeared, and the greater the rewards they would earn.


    It seemed simple enough. Han Kexin said to Moji, "You and your people can activate the formation without worry. No matter how powerful the enemies that arriveter, we will hold them off outside!" Moji gratefully responded, "Thank you! Kind beings from another world! May reason and wisdom be with you!"


    This was interesting. It did not feel like an NPC at all. These beings were fully interactive, not just pre-programmed with set responses. Was this the difference between a high-rank rift and an ordinary Level 5 one? Han Kexin did not have time to ponder further; her expression suddenly changed, "A powerful presence is descending, are the monstersing so soon?"


    Around the ruined base, the ground churned tumultuously. About two thousand monsters emerged. At first nce, these monsters appeared humanoid, but they had four to five heads, dozens of arms, and numerous mouths. Their forms were irregr; some crawled like spiders and crabs, others ran swiftly like sprint champions, and some jumped and flew.


    Zhang Nu took a quick look.


    [Distorted Unity Follower] Level 5 elite units


    Description: These are followers of the extraterrestrial Evil God cult, the Unity Cult. They worship the Evil God "The Unifier of All" and voluntarily fused with each other to be the god''s kin, eventually turning into their current forms.


    Zhang Nu felt it was important to take this seriously. The name of this rift dungeon was "Ancient Lands of the Stars." What did "Ancient Lands of the Stars" mean? It referred to a group ofs destroyed by evil forces, entering an apocalyptic state. Each entry into the "Ancient Lands of the Stars" instance was random, meaning challengers could enter hundreds or thousands of destroyed worlds.


    Zhang Nu believed that the worlds in the instance, although being mirrored replicas and just a fragment of the real world, must be based on some segment of reality. This implied that what they were witnessing could indeed exist; these destroyed worlds could be real, revealing and outlining a mysterious unknown world.


    He spected that this mysterious unknown worldy beyond the world rift at the bottom of the Cmity Trench. It was a starry world akin to a previous life, filled with Evil Gods, twisted kin everywhere, fanatical worship, and pervasive evil distortion---apletely irrational and dark world. Perhaps the evil gods appearing in this world, whether the Eight-Eyed Evil God or the Source of Corruption, were connected to that world. Therefore, the monsters and information encountered in this rift dungeon might help understand that dark, mysterious ce.


    Zhang Nu nced over and asked, "Who will go?"


    Long Yi volunteered, stepping forward, "Master, let your servant handle this!"


    Zhang Nu nodded, "Go ahead."


    Long Yi had just leveled up and was eager to show his worth. With his master''s permission, he instantly transformed into his dragon form. As a Level 6 dragon, his size had increased significantly, reaching a length of 150 meters. Each ck scale emitted smoke, with firelight flowing through the gaps.


    A huge purple-ck column of fire poured down from the sky like a waterfall, hundreds of meters high. This was no ordinary dragon me; it was infused with immense dark energy. Wherever it passed, these distorted followers screamed and turned to ash.


    [You''ve in "Distorted Unity Followers". Rift dungeon points +1000!]


    [You''ve in "Distorted Unity Followers". Rift dungeon points +1000!]


    [You''ve in "Distorted Unity Followers". Rift dungeon points +1000!]


    [......]


    The rift dungeon did not produce gold, but it did generate rift dungeon points. The higher the rift dungeon points, the better the quality of the final rift dungeon reward box. Additionally, these points could be exchanged for rift dungeon resources, equipment, or other items.


    "This is... a Level 6 monarch?!" Han Kexin was surprised to find that Zhang Nu''s dragon subordinate actually possessed the strength of a Level 6 monarch. Her expression became strange, "So you''re really Level 6 already?!"


    If it was just Zhang Nu being Level 6, Han Kexin could ept it. But having a subordinate with the strength of a Level 6 monarch was both shocking and disheartening for her. Their gap was growing wider!"

 Chapter 249: Flesh Moon

    Chapter 249: Flesh Moon


    It was no wonder Han Kexin found it hard to ept. This woman had a very high opinion of herself and was not willing to be outdone by anyone. If it were only about losing to Zhang Nu, that would be one thing; over time, she had graduallye to ept and adjust her mindset. But now, one of Zhang Nu''s summoned units was stronger than her. How was one supposed topete with that?


    What Han Kexin didn''t know was that Long Yi had not advanced to Level 6 through the usual promotion pathway of the Demon King''s Altar. Instead, he had been elevated through multiple rounds of Demon King baptisms and enhancements by the Dragon Elder title, which was much cheaper than the standard upgrade path.


    Among Zhang Nu''s subordinates, Zhang San and Li Si had fixed promotion paths. Upon advancing to Level 6, not only would their strength increase significantly, but they would also acquire the potential of mythic dragons. However, the cost and sacrifice were too high. Even the wealthy Potato Great Demon King was currently finding it difficult to afford.


    Zhang Nu asked, "How about it? My subordinate is decent, right?"


    Han Kexin gritted her teeth with irritation, "Hmph, what''s there to show off about."


    But then she thought about it. She was only a Level 5 monarch. Even though she had recently be stronger with three pieces of epic grade equipment, she wasn''t too confident about defeating this dragon in one fell swoop. The best-case scenario would be an even fight.


    What was happening? Was she now not even able to defeat a subordinate of this potato seller?


    At that moment, Zhang Nu said, "You might want to think about my proposal."


    "What proposal?" she asked.


    "Of course to join Darkness City!" Han Kexin then remembered that Zhang Nu had mentioned this when they were at the bottom of the sea, but she hadn''t taken it seriously at the time.


    "You, a potato seller, dare to think about annexing me? Absurd!" she eximed.


    "It''s not annexation. It''s a merger!" he corrected. In a merger of arge group acquiring a smaller one, by scale, Zhang Nu would definitely be the chairman, and Han Kexin could be the CEO. Joining forces for business, wouldn''t that be delightful?


    Recently, the Darkness City forces had been developing too fast. Its territory was expanding, and its influence widening. As Zhang Nu was somewhat hands-off, he felt the need to find apetent CEO, and Han Kexin was not only powerful but also had exceptional personal abilities. If she agreed to formally join under Zhang Nu, bing the executive vice-lord of Darkness City would be no problem. This would also benefit Han Kexin, offering her arger tform to showcase her talents, and Zhang Nu could easily elevate her to Level 6.


    Han Kexin wouldn''t even consider such an offer in the past. She might even have felt insulted. But now, she found herself somewhat tempted. Zhang Nu indeed intended to recruit Han Kexin under hismand. Securing the Subus Queen would not only greatly enhance the strength of Darkness City but also allow direct amalgamation with the Gloom City and its million inhabitants, gaining an opportunity to develop in the underworld.


    However, there was no need to rush. Both were powerful Demon Kings with extensive enterprises. Even someone as decisive as Queen Han would need to seriously consider giving up independent development to be a second-inmand.


    At that moment, the rampant mes were engulfing the base''s vicinity, turning it almost entirely into a fiery battlefield. The dragon fire, not extinguishing quickly, consumed the distorted followers whocked intelligence, walked into it in rows, receiving a grand cremation package. Soon, most of the distorted followers were reduced to ashes in the attack.


    As one wave calmed, another arose. Thousands more of the cultists emerged, not only the ordinary distorted followers but also:


    [Distorted Unity Priest] Level 5 lord unit.


    [Distorted Unity Warrior] Level 5 elite unit.


    The Unity Priests possessed the abilities of summoning, energy attack, and energy shields. Furthermore, they had a certain level of judgment, not mindlessly charging like the ordinary distorted followers. Unity Warriors, towering at several meters tall and formed by the fusion of dozens to hundreds of bodies, were shrouded in a powerful daemonic aura and could withstand the fire for several seconds.


    The proportion of these two types of lord-level monsters wasn''t high, only about fifty in total. Yet, the intensity of the second wave was significantly stronger than the first. To speed up efficiency, Zhang San and Li Si also joined the battle.


    Han Kexinid down arge number of colorless and transparent hyper-energy silk lines, her Level 4 skill. These lines were invisible to the naked eye, sharp as divine weapons, slicing through any solid material as if it were tofu. However, Han Kexin soon discovered that this high-intensity attack seemed ineffective against these distorted Evil God monsters. Dozens to hundreds of followers would shatter upon hitting the web of silk, but they quickly reformed, merging into Unity Warriors.


    Ordinary slicing was useless! Han Kexin released her domain. Hundreds to thousands of spiritual soul silk lines were unleashed, controlling hundreds to thousands of Unity followers, freezing them in ce.


    "Hey, what are you looking at? Help me out~!" she called.


    Zhang Nu conjured an abyssal thunderbolt, channeling it along Han Kexin''s silk lines, instantly reaching all the controlled distorted monsters. With his current strength, the effect of the godly thunder was astonishing. In the blink of an eye, all the distorted bodies turned to charred remains! Han Kexin didn''t expect the potato seller to be so powerful, instantly electrocuting all the controlled distorted bodies. Such damage output- truly unmatched.


    "These monsters don''t seem to be that difficult to deal with."


    "Don''t let your guard down. The real challenge has yet to arrive!" remarked Zhang Nu.


    After the second wave of monsters was cleared, the third wave immediately emerged. This batch had more variety, with an increased number of Unity Warriors and Unity Priests, and many other types of massive, mutated creatures, making the challenge even tougher.


    However, they were still not enough. With this number, it was impossible to defeat the five-person team. After all, the weakest among them were monarchs. With shes of lightning, storms of fire, a single magical attack, this batch of monsters was also dealt with. Zhang Nu didn''t even need to step in; the Queen and the Darkness Three Dragons were more than enough.


    While fighting, Han Kexin grew curious, "What exactly is this Unity Cult? Why do all its followers look so grotesque?"


    Zhang Nu, having ess to hidden information, could easily look up various data, but he thought it best not to tell Queen Han directly. He pondered for a moment and said, "ording to the information revealed by Moji of the Xarians, the Unity Cult seems to worship a terrifying Evil God known as ''The Unifier of All.''"


    "Just from the name, it''s apparent that this Evil God is dedicated to unifying everything - that is, merging all life and even matter into one."


    "Judging by the behavior of these followers and minions of the Evil God," he continued, "they seem to fit this pattern."


    Han Kexin also noticed that the most striking feature of these Evil God followers was that they were all monsters created by the crude fusion of arge number of beings. The more beings that were merged, therger their size and the stronger their power. The Evil God was truly an irrational being. Is there really such an Evil God as ''The Unifier of All'' in this world?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The fourth, fifth, sixth...eighth, ninth wave. The level of the monsters kept increasing, and the difficulty rose sharply. By the time Queen Han and the Darkness Three Dragons reached the ninth wave, they were feeling considerable pressure. Even these four monarchs were strained. It was clear that ordinary challenge teams couldn''t possibly get past the ninth round.


    Finally, the tenth round arrived. This was thest one. Zhang Nu witnessed a spectacr scene: thousands, even tens of thousands, of Evil God monstrosities emerged simultaneously. Thirty of them stood nearly a kilometer tall, resembling flesh mountains with bodies as vast as the mountains themselves, all stitched together with limbs and flesh, like thirty-five gigantic wriggling worms emerging from the ground and heading towards the base.


    Where they passed, the psychic contamination was extremely severe. Anyone who got close or even saw them could fall into hallucinations or madness if their willpower or strength wasn''t sufficient, eventually bing part of them due to the contamination by the Evil God''s aura.


    [Distorted Unity Cult Archbishop] Level 5 overlord unit...


    So these thirty-five flesh mountains were the archbishops of the Unity Cult. True to their title as archbishops, they had managed to merge into this form, representing the top-tiers of Level 5 overlords! They had extremely thick HP pools and strong attack capabilities. Apart from theirck of mobility, they virtually had no weaknesses, being not only hard to kill but also able to devour nearby followers to rapidly heal.


    Even someone as strong as Han Kexin found it difficult to handle such massive creatures. She attempted to extract the souls of the Unity Cult Archbishops for an attack, but their souls were fused just as their bodies were, interconnected, making it extremely hard for even a Level 5 monarch like her to pull them apart.


    "The number is too great!"


    "This won''t be easy to handle!"


    "Especially the thirty-five giant meat mountains!"


    Their power was indeed formidable. The Darkness Three Dragons and the Subus Queen, even if capable of dealing with thirty-five archbishops, would probably struggle for a long time. And there were thousands of other Level 5 monsters. This was beyond the capability of these four monarchs.


    Seeing this, Zhang Nu immediately took action, summoning a crystal of ice containing energy powerful enough to make even a Level 6 monarch tremble. This was no ordinary magic - it was an S-rank spell: cier Descent!


    Every S-rank skill was incredibly precious. Among S-rank attack skills, cier Descent might have one of the lowest damage effects, but it possessed unparalleled control and sealing abilities.


    Zhang Nu opened a space, using his teleportation ability to instantly cast the spell into the center of the monsters. The next second, a burst of cold wave erupted, freezing everything in its path, creating an apocalyptic scene where even the archbishops were immobilized once frozen.


    Han Kexin was astonished. She was also proficient in elemental magic but had never seen a skill with such an exaggerated range and effect. Zhang Nu''s cier Descent, spanning at least several tens of kilometers in diameter, immobilized all targets, robbing them of their mobility.


    Such a powerful control technique! The area of effect was massive! The amount of mental power required for such a spell must have been immense.


    The Dark Three Dragons and the Subus Queen immediately took action. Most of these powerful monsters, especially the archbishops, were dealt with in their frozen state.


    [You''ve in a "Distorted Unity Followers". Rift dungeon points +1000!]


    [You''ve in a "Distorted Unity Priest". Rift dungeon points +3000!]


    [You''ve in a "Distorted Unity Warrior". Rift dungeon points +3000!]


    [You''ve in a "Distorted Unity Cleric". Rift dungeon points +9000!]


    [......]


    [You''ve in a "Distorted Unity Cult Archbishop". Rift dungeon points +30,000!]


    Under Zhang Nu''s powerful crowd control, the tenth wave of monsters was safely ovee.


    Han Kexin nced at the time and said, "Hey, it''s a miracle. Wepleted the 12-hour time-limited instance in less than three hours, and not a single survivor died. We should receive a high rating for this rift dungeon."


    However, Zhang Nu cautioned, "You''re rxing too soon."


    "What do you mean? Isn''t it over?" Han Kexin hadn''t even started to speak when suddenly the ground beneath them began to shake violently. To her horror, she saw mountains copsing, and an unbelievably huge entity rising from the earth.


    Its size was colossal, a hundred timesrger than the thirty-five archbishopsbined! The mere pressure from such an enormous being was suffocating, not to mention that it wasposed of severed limbs, indistinct bloody heads, and flesh of unknown origin! It was too massive! Creating such a thing must have required sacrificing millions of people, effectively grinding millions into a gigantic meatball. This absurdlyrge, almost inconceivable meatball was now slowly rising from the ground, breaking free from the earth''s crust and ascending into the sky. It covered the huge blood moon, recing it with its red glow. Almost instantly, the entire world was enveloped in a bloody light, as if soaking in blood, creating an oppressive atmosphere that felt suffocating.


    Zhang Nu looked up, and information about this formidable opponent immediately appeared.


    [Ruler of Tomorrow: Flesh Moon] Level 5 mythic unit...


    Description: The Flesh Moon is the initial ultimate form of a Unity Cult worshiper. It is the ruler of tomorrow, and when the blood moon rises, it signifies the end of civilization, and the world will be a wastnd. All life on this will be its nourishment. Once it absorbs the nourishment of the entire, it will travel to the dark depths of the cosmos to merge with the ''Unifier of All,'' bing a part of the Evil God and thus achieving ultimate unity."


    [You are being corroded by Evil God Aura. HP -0!]


    [You are being corroded by Evil God Aura. HP -0!]


    [You are being corroded by Evil God Aura. HP -0!]


    [......]


    Zhang Nu knew this was the trigger for the boss battle, but it was spectacr beyond imagination. The level and performance of the boss in a boss battle are directly corrted. The five had obviously triggered the highest-level boss since the maximum level of this rift dungeon was Level 5 mythic, and this Flesh Moon was probably an overwhelmingly powerful existence even among Level 5 mythics!


    Under the coverage of the Flesh Moon, the Xarians screamed in agony, unable to withstand the contaminating radiation for long. Han Kexin was stunned, "What kind of monster is this? How are we supposed to fight it?"


    "Let me handle it," Zhang Nu stepped forward, his third eye on his forehead opening. A Death Starended on the Flesh Moon.


    -52321!


    Such terrifying damage only caused a giant wound on the Flesh Moon, like a canyon, but it quickly began to self-repair.


    Han Kexin could see that the Flesh Moon emitted a strong gravitational force, sucking in countless distorted beings from the. They crazily filled the canyon, allowing the Flesh Moon to rapidly heal. The HP of the Flesh Moon was not only in the hundreds of thousands, but its healing blood bags were literally everywhere.


    Unfazed, Zhang Nu activated Death Sacrifice, instantly converting all his HP and MP into power. During this process, his Rebirth from within the mes activated, allowing him to instantly recover all his HP and MP. This cycle effectively created an abundance of energy out of thin air.


    "Arcane Avatar!" Zhang Nu, utilizing the tremendous energy from Death Sacrifice and his own MP of tens of thousands of points, summoned a 300-meter-tall giant. This giant, almost tangible, had every inch of its skin brimming with the power to destroy mountains. The effect of this same magic, when used by Zhang Nu, was far more potent than when used by Luo Zheng.


    Zhang Numanded the giant to charge towards the Flesh Moon. The giant, overflowing with energy, caused the earth to tremble and the space around it to distort with every step. It summoned a war spear, its surging energy erupting and rapidly converting into force. Like a meteor streaking across the sky, it ultimately pierced straight through the moon.


    The next second, a terrifying explosion erupted from the center of the Flesh Moon, ultimately shattering it into pieces.


    [You''ve in the final boss, "Ruler of Tomorrow: Flesh Moon". All obtained rift dungeon points are doubled!]


    The avatar summoned by Zhang Nu destroyed the Flesh Moon with a single attack. This level of power was unprecedented and unheard of for both Han Kexin and the Darkness Three Dragons, leaving them utterly astounded. The magnitude of the shock was immense!"

 Chapter 250: Rift Dungeon Rewards

    Chapter 250: Rift Dungeon Rewards


    Flesh and blood rained down from the sky, falling to the earth like raindrops. The Arcane Giantnded steadily, still brimming with powerful energy. The Arcane Giant wasn''t a summon that couldst a very long time, but it certainly wasn''t a one-hit wonder that would be useless after a single attack. Maintaining it for ten minutes was not a problem.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This meant that not only could the Flesh Moon not withstand this round of attack, but even if it had, Zhang Nu could have continued his offensive until it waspletely obliterated. The gap in their strengths was just too vast. After all, one was a Level 5 mythic unit, while the other had already stepped into the threshold of a Level 6 legend.


    Of course, the Flesh Moon, with its enormous size and strong vitality, was a top contender even among its peers in the Level 5 mythic ss. It can be said that without Zhang Nu, the Darkness Three Dragons and the Subus Queen, having to face such a monster, would likely have been unable to deal with it. Even if they had the ability to protect themselves under the onught of the Flesh Moon, they might have still failed the rift dungeon challenge due to the death of all survivors.


    But now, such a terrifying existence was so easily dealt with. Han Kexin could hardly believe the reality before her eyes!


    "Done! Let''s wrap this up!" Zhang Nu focused his will, and the Arcane Giant rapidly disintegrated. The residual energy was recollected into Zhang Nu, bringing him back to full strength in an instant.


    The newly acquired skills were all quite useful. cier Descent was arge-scale control skill. Although its destructive power wasn''t strong, only capable of freezing targets rather than killing them, such a wide-ranging freezing and sealing ability would undoubtedly be a divine skill on the battlefield!


    As for the Arcane Avatar? Even more so. It was a skill that released all power to gain tremendous burst strength in a short time. The strength of the summoned Arcane Giant was directly proportional to one''s own power and mana. With Zhang Nu''s power, if he converted all his mana into an Arcane Giant, its destructive and explosive power would be significantly stronger than his Evil Dragon''s Descent mode, capable of instantly crushing powerful enemies.


    Of course, this skill had its risks. While the Arcane Giant had strong offensive and defensive capabilities, itcked the innate abilities or talents of the original''s. If too much power was used at once and it failed to defeat the opponent in one round, the original''sbat ability could be greatly affected afterward. Fortunately, as a summoning and avatar incarnation skill, it differed significantly from regr magic. The Arcane Avatar could be deployed remotely, anywhere within the direct perceptual range of the original, allowing for unexpected effects in many situations.


    After Zhang Nu dispelled the magic, Han Kexin couldn''t help but ask, "What level has your strength reached now? It''s definitely not just a Level 6 monarch. It must be at least as strong as a Level 6 mythic!"


    Zhang Nu didn''t answer directly but just smiled and said, "How about it? Do you want to be the CEO of our group? If you''re willing to join, I can help you reach Level 6 in minutes."


    Han Kexin scoffed, "What''s so great about Level 6? I can achieve it on my own. Thinking of recruiting me to be your CEO? It won''t be that easy!"


    Zhang Nu just smiled. The Queen''sck of an outright refusal indicated that there was hope for this proposal. She must be feeling quite conflicted at the moment. Zhang Nu wasn''t in a hurry. After all, such a significant decision and merger required careful consideration by anyone, and there were many details to negotiate. Haste doesn''t bring sess.


    The five returned to the base. Moji of the Xarian, still shaken, said, "When the moon of flesh and blood appeared, we thought we were doomed. We never expected you, the otherworldly ones, to be so powerful as to defeat the blood moon!"


    Zhang Nu replied, "The blood moon is formidable, but it''s just one of the Evil God''s minions. Defeating it isn''t something to be particrly proud of. How much do you know about this Unifier of All?"


    Moji paused for a moment and said, "We only know that the Unifier of All is the Evil God worshiped by the Unity Cult. Legend has it that its true form sleeps deep in the vast cosmos, having destroyed and absorbed millions of civilizations. It might be one of the most powerful Evil Gods in this world. The Unity Cult appeared on Xar a hundred years ago andpletely spiraled out of control in thest decade, leading to catastrophic consequences. Now, there''s no hope for this."


    Zhang Nu further asked, "How many such Evil Gods exist in this world?"


    Moji shook his head, "Evil Gods cannot be looked at directly, cannot be peeked upon, cannot beprehended. Everything about them is taboo. We don''t know how many there are in the world, only that the vast cosmos is overshadowed by their presence."


    Although these words didn''t provide Zhang Nu with much new information, they did give him an insight into the nature of this world. Every world has a different structure. The main world of Darkness City, where he resided, wasposed of nearly endlessnds and oceans, with corresponding subterranean spaces - underworld beneath it, divine or abyssal realms above, and stars and moons that were not celestial bodies.


    This world of stars, however, was more akin to the universe where Earth is located. Countless stars floated in the vast expanse of space, but this world was filled with eeriness and silence, dotted with ancient and forbidden entities. For billions of years, all beings had to tread carefully. This world was vast but consumed by darkness, and no one wished to venture far because exploration into the unknown often led to disastrous consequences.


    Such an environment led to a situation where, although there were countless civilized races, there was almost nomunication between them. Zhang Nu felt that under these conditions, civilizations would inevitably be diverse and imbnced. For instance, somes resembled ssical martial arts worlds, some resembled the Victorian era of the steam revolution, others seemed like information-age societies, and still others appeared as primitive wildernesses or post-apocalyptic wastnds.


    Zhang Nu suddenly became interested in the world rift beneath the Cmity Trench. But of course, it was just an interest. Zhang Nu hadn''t even conquered the Thunder Empire yet and was already thinking about causing a stir in other worlds. That was perhaps too big a step, especially considering the danger of the world of stars, filled with ancient and unknown gods where one could easily capsize.


    Soon, the teleportation formation was activated. Moji said, "We are about to head to an unknown star domain to seek a new home, to spread the seeds of Xar. To express our gratitude, here is a gift for you... May reason and wisdom be with you!"


    [You have cleared the rift dungeon!]


    [You received a "Perfect" rating!]


    [You have obtained a "Rift Dungeon Treasure Chest." Do you wish to open it now?]


    Zhang Nu opened the treasure chest.


    [You opened the Rift Dungeon Treasure Chest. You gained "Gold" x80 million, "Blueprint: Blood Moon Altar" x1, "Sword of the Stars" x1, "Level 5 Building Upgrade Scroll" x1, "Spirit Gems" x8000, "Soul Gems" x4000!]


    The rewards from the treasure chest made the twenty million gold entry fee seem trivial. Although the rewards were slightly less than those from clearing a Level 5 mythic wild area, this was a rift dungeon after all, and rift dungeons could be run repeatedly. This meant that once the cooldown period for entering the rift dungeon was over, Zhang Nu could return for another perfect rating.


    However, this rift dungeon, named "The Ancient Lands of the Stars," was quite unique. Each visit presented different environmental scenarios due to its randomness, which meant there were no guides for this rift, significantly increasing its challenge. Not everyone could achieve a perfect rating. If the average power level of the team was at the overlord ss, then managing around six rounds within the control time should suffice.


    The earnings from a rift dungeon are mainly divided into two parts. One part is the direct rewards from the rift dungeon treasure chest. The other partes from the rewards exchanged with rift dungeon points after leaving the rift. For a regr team clearing six rounds, the treasure chest''s rewards roughly cover the cost of the entry ticket, while the rift dungeon points gained within the realm represent the profit.


    Upon exiting the Rift Tower, Zhang Nu immediately checked his points earnings. This instance run had umted 95 million points. Since he defeated the Flesh Moon boss, all points were doubled, resulting in a total of 190 million rift dungeon points!


    Zhang Nu then checked the rift dungeon exchange list and found a variety of exchangeable items. There were at least dozens of types, including B-rank skill stones, purple grade equipment, high-tier potions, and consumable magic scrolls. For the vast majority of people, these items were incredibly practical and valuable. However, for Zhang Nu, they were of little worth. What caught Zhang Nu''s interest were items like:


    - Ordinary Elemental Gems, ??? points each.


    - Rare Elemental Gems, 10,000 points each.


    - Spirit Gems, 20,000 points each.


    - Soul Gems, 30,000 points each.


    The options to exchange for normal elements of wind, fire, water, earth, and rare elements of light, dark, and thunder, along with spirit and soul gems, all avable for points, piqued his interest.


    This meant that for future gem acquisitions, besides purchasing, there was now an additional path to obtain them. Apart from the nine types of elemental gems, there was a very special material among the exchangeable rewards in this Rift Tower. This material, known as Soul Crystals, was previously quite rare and unknown to most Demon Kings.


    - Level 1 Soul Crystal, 5,000 points each.


    - Level 2 Soul Crystal, 50,000 points each.


    - Level 3 Soul Crystal, 500,000 points each.


    - Level 4 Soul Crystal, 5 million points each.


    - Level 5 Soul Crystal, 50 million points each.


    These soul crystals had a straightforward function: they were used to enhance the quality of souls. A Level 1 crystal could upgrade a Level 1 soul to Level 2 and so on. Therefore, a Level 5 crystal could elevate a Level 5 soul to Level 6. This presented another method for improving soul quality, besides soul altar synthesization, and it did not consume any souls as well, which was significant for a Demon King.


    Zhang Nu had felt pleasantly surprised because the soul altar was incapable of synthesizing Level 6 souls. He had been considering using his only Level 5 special building upgrade scroll to upgrade the soul altar to Level 6 at a great cost. However, it appeared that this was no longer necessary. With the new feature of the rift dungeon exchange store, Zhang Nu could steadily acquire soul crystals to upgrade soul levels, fully meeting his need for Level 6 souls.


    With enough Level 6 souls, the upgrades for Zhang San and Li Si had be imminent. Once the strength of the Darkness Three Dragons uniformly reached Level 6, even if the empire were tounch an assault with all its might, there would be nothing to fear."

 Chapter 251: Shui Lans Resolution

    Chapter 251: Shui Lan''s Resolution


    "Are you really the Empress of Azure Water?"


    "The one who founded the Azure Water Federation six thousand years ago!"


    When Elf Queens Nancilia and Marilyn saw Shui Lan, they both felt as if they were in a dream. The Azure Water Empress! She wasn''t just any ordinary figure. She was not only an epic character remembered in history but also a being who had be legendary... and now, such a personage was standing right before their eyes.


    Shui Lan nodded, "Yes, it''s me. However, I never imed the title of empress myself. It was a title posthumously bestowed upon me byter generations."


    Marilyn said, "But weren''t you... six thousand years ago already..."


    Shui Lan spoke candidly, "Indeed, I died six thousand years ago. It was the Demon King who discovered my soul and brought me back to life."


    What? Resurrected! Marilyn was speechless with shock. The Demon King was too formidable! However, Nancilia found nothing strange about it. The Demon King was omnipotent, and there was nothing he couldn''t do!


    She immediately stepped forward and said, "Wee, Empress, to our Giantree City. We came to greet you upon hearing of your visit, and it''s an honor for the elves of our city to have you here!"


    Three days ago, Shui Lan left the Azure Water Federation. Over the past two days, she had visited several major cities including Ironheart City, the main city of the dwarves; Thundering City, the main city of the giants; Berserk Beast City, the main city of the orcs; and Thousand Fangs City, the main city of the gnomes. She chose the most famous, prosperous, and vibrant main city of the elves as her final stop, and upon hearing the news, both Elven Kings Nancilia and Marilyn personally came to wee her.


    Shui Lan was surprised, "I now work for Darkness City and am just a retainer under the Demon King. There''s no need for such esteemed individuals as yourselves to go to such lengths for me."


    To her astonishment, the small Giantree City was home to two Elven Kings, one of whom had even reached Level 6. Shui Lan sensed an extraordinary aura from Nancilia and had a vague feeling that this young Elven King''s future achievements might not fall short of her own during her prime.


    Giant Tree City was truly a ce where remarkable talentsy hidden. Shui Lan began her tour of the city. The poption had reached 800,000, with eighty percent being elves and the rest being merchants of various races or people working there. This poption was insignificantpared to some of therge cities in the Azure Water Federation, but Giantree City exuded a vibrant vitality that most cities in the federationcked.


    Shui Lan visited several key sites, including the super elven farm, elven academy, and the elven workshop. Marilyn exined, "Giantree City is currently the fastest-growing city in the Chaos Forest, apart from the capital city - Darkness City. Ourrge farm alone, with just a small part of its output, can sustain all races and poptions in the entire forest, with the majority being exported."


    "Currently, nearly 200,000 elves work here, and we n to hire 50,000 skilled nters from other races, like goblins, minotaurs, and satyrs. Our elven academy has opened, with thousands of young elves studying, and we also have sses for other races. Our elven workshop is thergest in the Chaos Forest, with daily potion output alone worth two to three hundred million standard gold coins."


    "We also ce great emphasis on spiritual entertainment. We have opened bars, inns, casinos, theaters, art galleries, and various restaurants for travelers."


    ......


    Shui Lan felt that the entire Giantree City was brimming with vitality and energy. The poption was growing rapidly and was far from reaching its limit. The city''s resources, such as farms and workshops, were still far from being fully developed. With the Demon King having created the Ancient Tree of Eternity and given rise to the two Elven Kings, Shui Lan could easily believe that in as short as a few months or up to half a year, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of elves from other regions would flock to this ce.


    Nancilia also mentioned, "Since His Majesty began his campaign against the empire, life in the various cities of the Chaos Federation has changed greatly. Human clothing, handicrafts, and daily necessities can now be found in the stores of Giantree City. And of course, the food, herbs, and materials produced here are being exported to human areas. The people of the Kolo region are full of praise for the products from Giantree City."


    "Since His Majesty established the spiritual inte world, the lives of the elves have be richer and more colorful. Everyone enjoys online shopping for products from different parts of Manythe federation."


    Shui Lan had noticed that ever since she entered the city, she had seen many groups of transportation caravans. These caravans wereposed of gnomes and ogres, using winged beast or jungle giant lizards to transport a variety of goods. Additionally, uniformed harpies and winged-kins were seen delivering packages door-to-door.


    These were the people of the Thousand Fangsmerce guild, whose precursor was the gnome merchant group from Thousand Fangs City. Previously, these gnomes specialized in spective trading in the forest. After the Demon King unified the Chaos Forest, such spective business dwindled, and the Demon King then ordered the Thousand Fangs merchants to supply the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce.


    Seizing this opportunity, the Thousand Fangs gnomes underwent a transformation and now had be thergest logistics supplier in the federation. With their extensive trade routes reaching every city, vige, and tribe, they purchased tens of thousands of terrestrial and aerial transport beasts for the Dark Dragon merchant guild, forming a powerful jungle transportation team. They could collect specialty products from remote viges and also deliver food, potions, equipment, and other necessities to these viges and tribes.


    After the Great Demon King created the spiritual inte world, the gnome merchants of Thousand Fangs quickly seized the business opportunity. With the expanding territory of the federation, flourishing economy, and efficientmunication through the spiritualwork,mercial activities in the federation were bound to thrive, and online shopping was set to be a trend.


    The gnomes thus nned ahead, continuing to build the best transportationwork and even nning to employ tens of thousands of harpies and winged-kins as couriers. Now that their business was expanding, they were poised to soar higher with theing trends.


    Shui Lan spent a day touring Giantree City and observed that almost every race found its ce, value, and work there. Whether elves, orcs, or gnomes, everyone contributed to the construction of the federation without any major conflicts, living harmoniously.


    Was this what the Demon King meant by issues of production materials, efficiency, and distribution? Why had no one achieved this before?


    Shui Lan realized that the Chaos Forest of the past was different from the present. Did it have an elven farm like the Giantree City''s that could feed the entire poption? Were there elven workshops producing potions worth hundreds of millions of standard gold coins every day? In the past, orcs had no mines to work, dwarves couldn''t sell their equipment, and there was no magical spiritualmunication like the spiritual inte world.


    All these changes stemmed from the Demon King. He had built numerous magical facilities, including dozens ofrge and small farms. He expanded the distributable wealth of the Chaos Forest, bringing peace among the races that were once fighting over meager profits or mere survival. Shui Lan finally understood that the Demon King''s capabilities were indeed extraordinary. Seeing the transformation from the Azure Water Federation to the development of Chaos Federation, she fully recognized the changes urring in the world, theplexity of the current situation, and what she needed to do.


    Without much further thought, Shui Lan bid farewell to the two Elven Kings and returned to Darkness City. She approached the Great Demon King, Zhang Nu, who was at that moment studying how to deploy the recently acquired Blood Moon Altar. This blueprint for the Blood Moon Altar, obtained from the Rift Tower, appeared to be a summoning altar with powerful offensive capabilities, but as a Level 5 special building, its construction was not cheap.


    Seeing Shui Lan appear, Zhang Nu was not surprised but simply asked, "After your travels these past few days, do you have any new insights about the current situation and the Chaos Federation?"


    Shui Lan did not answer his question directly. Instead, she said, "I''vee to a realization."


    "Oh? What is it?" Zhang Nu inquired.


    "I must destroy the covenant I created years ago," Shui Lan dered.


    Zhang Nu was shocked; he had not expected Shui Lan to have such a thought. The Azure Water Covenant was the foundation of the Azure Water Federation, the greatest achievement of the Empress in her lifetime, and it had a significant impact on subsequent generations.


    "Why would you suddenly think of this? Do you realize that dismantling this covenant would lead to the immediate disintegration of the Azure Water Federation?" Zhang Nu asked.


    Shui Lan nodded, "I know. But the covenant I signed six thousand years ago for the peace of the marine races has now be the biggest obstacle to the development of the seas."


    It turned out that Shui Lan had recognized the problems currently faced by the Azure Water Federation. Her decisiveness to erase her greatest aplishment demonstrated an admirable strength and responsibility.


    Continuing, Shui Lan said, "However, given the current situation of the Azure Water Federation, the disappearance of the covenant will inevitably lead to the most brutal civil war in history. The marine races will be greatly weakened, leaving them vulnerable to other empires. I don''t want to see that happen, so..."


    She paused before adding, "I hope Darkness City will intervene to quell the rebellion among the marine races and integrate as many of them as possible into the Chaos Federation."


    This was quite unexpected. Zhang Nu had not anticipated that a mere tour would lead to such a significant change in Shui Lan''s attitude. However, with her statement, Zhang Nu could be reassured that the future expansion of Darkness City''s influence into the Azure Water Federation would not only be unopposed by Shui Lan but might even receive her assistance.


    ......n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Meanwhile, in the underworld, the Subus Queen Han Kexin sat on her throne in Gloom City, deep in thought. Frankly speaking, when Zhang Nu invited her to merge directly with Darkness City, she was very tempted.


    Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. And this wasn''t actually chicken head, but the head of a phoenix! As the saying goes, if you can''t beat them, join them. If she couldn''t be a superpower like the Potato Great Demon King, why not be part of a greater whole, even if her share was very small? Such a move promised definite growth! Bing the CEO of the Darkness City Group would allow her to better utilize her management skills and talents. But to give up her independence so easily was no simple matter.


    Just as Han Kexin was grappling with this decision, a greater demon suddenly flew in and reported, "My lord, there''s trouble. Several Demon Kings with their armies are attempting to surround Gloom City."


    On hearing this, Han Kexin''s expression turned grave, "Where are theying from?"


    The greater demon replied, "The details are unclear, but based on our assessment, they seem to being from the south."


    The south? That wasn''t surprising. Han Kexin knew there were many Demon Kings lurking in that area. Each of these Demon Kings was powerful, and they had formed an alliance. Their appearance now likely spelled trouble!


    Han Kexin realized that she was in danger."

 Chapter 252: Bone Demon King

    Chapter 252: Bone Demon King


    Near Gloom City, there was a massive army. Judging by its size, it totaled roughly around a hundred thousand. Comprised entirely of undead, demons, and other dark races, this force was significantly stronger than your average rabble. In fact, their strength wasparable to the four legions the Thunder Empire deployed in the battle of Kolo.


    Such a vast and powerful army could not easily be mustered by a single Level 5 Demon King. The army was clearly divided into various military units and races, indicating that several Demon Kings were involved. However, Demon Kings usually find it hard to coexist unless one of them possesses overwhelmingly superior power.


    The leader of this force was easily recognizable -- a figure about four meters tall, covered in a pale, exoskeletal-like bone, with a pair of horns over a meter long on his head, giving off a sinister and malevolent aura.


    This was the Bone Demon King, Park Jae-hyun, a powerful Level 5 Demon King. Park Jae-hyun was from Bang Nation. His demonic race was the Bone Demon, an extremely rare and high-level Demon King species with characteristics of both high-level demons and high-level undead, making him extremely formidable and challenging to deal with. Park Jae-hyun was highly ambitious. He had already gained control over one to two million people in the underworld and was attempting to conquer the entire underworld. To this end, he specifically formed a Demon King alliance called "The Pale Bones."


    As of now, the Pale Bones Demon King Alliance had recruited thirty powerful Demon Kings. These Demon Kings could not threaten Park Jae-hyun but significantly expanded his sphere of influence. At this time, Park Jae-hyun learned that six thousand miles to the north, there was a Subus Queen whose power and influence were almost equal to his. On receiving this news, Park Jae-hyun became immediately vignt. He would not allow a Demon King capable of rivaling him to exist nearby. Although he had no direct interactions with this Subus Queen, he had heard of her reputation. Such a Demon King must either be conquered or destroyed; they could not be left unchecked!


    Consequently, Park Jae-hyun ordered his subordinates to organize a massive army. He had now arrived near Gloom City and observed that the city had already activated its barrier and various defense towers, indicating that they were well-prepared.


    "Subus Queen!" he shouted. "Don''t hide! I know you''re in there! We''vee a long way. It''s quite impolite not to greet us. Is this how you Huaxia peopleck manners?"


    About two minutes after Park Jae-hyun''s call, a ripple in space appeared, and the Subus Queen, using her ability to move instantly, appeared above Gloom City.


    Upon seeing her, Park Jae-hyun''s eyes widened. She truly lived up to her reputation as one of the most famous female Demon Kings. Not only did the Subus Queen possess an incredibly strong presence, but her appearance also conformed closely to human aesthetic standards.


    Han Kexin hovered mid-air, her gaze cold and indifferent as she said, "You are not wee here!"


    Park Jae-hyunughed heartily, "Don''t be so unfriendly. Ie with sincerity, here to discuss a partnership with the famous Queen Han. I believe that by joining forces, conquering cities and races across tens of thousands of miles will be a trivial matter."


    "Is that so?" Han Kexin nced at Park Jae-hyun''s forces with a mocking tone. "Is this your idea of sincerity? It seems you have too much of it. My small Gloom City might not be able to handle it."


    Park Jae-hyun didn''t want to waste time and got straight to the point, "Let me be clear, you have only one choice, which is to sign a contract with me, join the Pale Bones Demon King Alliance, and be my woman. Only this way can you keep your territory, or you should know the consequences."


    Han Kexinughed mockingly, "You''re really confident, aren''t you? I know a Demon King who is hundreds of times stronger than you, and even he doesn''t talk as big as you. What gives you the right to threaten me? Do you really think Gloom City is an easy target?"


    Hearing this, Park Jae-hyun''s face darkened. He refused to believe there was a Demon King hundreds of times more powerful than him in this world. He would rather believe that she''s just bluffing because he himself is one of the top Demon Kings!


    "That''s a bold woman you are. Don''t be ungrateful, my patience has limits. Once I start, it''ll be toote for regrets," he warned.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Han Kexin scoffed, "Do your worst. I''m more than willing to face you!"


    The Bone Demon King, ustomed to smooth sailing and unchallenged supremacy, had never encountered a Demon King who dared to defy him. This Subus Queen dared to be so presumptuous? Unthinkable! Today, he must teach her a lesson and show her the might of a man from Bang Nation!


    He turned to his subordinates and other Demon Kings,manding, "Stand down. To deal with this one, I am more than enough."


    Amid their conversation, the Bone Demon King, Park Jae-hyun, soared into the air, and both great Demon Kings began to prepare for a direct confrontation.


    "Bone Demon Domain!"


    "Domain of Domination!"


    Park Jae-hyun was the first to activate his domain skill. Countless bones appeared out of thin air, crisscrossing like a cage, sealing off the surrounding space. But in the next second, these pale bones were sliced by hundreds of thin lines, disintegrating into fragments that scattered in the air. The Subus Queen''s domain had overpowered the Bone Demon King''s domain.


    "What?" Park Jae-hyun eximed in shock. "This is impossible!" Since his emergence, he had never experienced his domain being broken. It seemed that the Subus Queen''s power was even stronger than his.


    However, despite her domain power being superior, Han Kexin did not becent. She sensed that the gap between them was actually very small. Although she had suppressed his Bone Demon Domain, it was just barely, and her own domain had been weakened by ny percent, its effectiveness significantly reduced.


    "Soul Domination!"


    "Mind Control!"


    With the maniption of her fingers, Han Kexin directed dozens of blue psychic threads and purple soul strands towards the Bone Demon King from various directions. Whenever she faced an enemy, if this move hit sessfully, Han Kexin would almost certainly secure victory. Even if the enemy was powerful and could not be controlled mentally or have their soul pulled out, at least they could be immobilized. Even Demon Kings of the same tier could not resist this technique.


    To her surprise, the Bone Demon King, under attack at the mental and soul level, showed no reaction whatsoever. His spirit and soul were exceptionally unusual and difficult to control.


    "Ha ha ha! Didn''t expect this, did you?" Park Jae-hyunughed triumphantly. "Did you think I woulde unprepared? I''ve already gathered information about you. Your main attack methods are psychic and soul attributed, right? These attacks are troublesome for most, but you''re unlucky to have encountered me. The Bone Demon King is naturally immune to psychic and soul attacks!"


    "Your attacks are ineffective against me!" he boasted.


    As he spoke, the Bone Demon King charged forward, his right hand transforming into a bone de that thrust directly at Han Kexin. Han Kexin''s expression darkened, and she instantly cast severalyers of shields. However, Park Jae-hyun''s bone de easily shattered these barriers, striking Han Kexin''s shoulder.


    The Bone Demon King was not only immune to psychic and soul attacks. He also possessed a powerful talent for dispelling elemental attacks. The magical shields cast by Han Kexin were all elemental in nature, making them easy targets for his de.


    "Ha ha ha! Subus Queen, you can''t possibly be my match!" Park Jae-hyun taunted.


    Han Kexin quickly wrapped a transparent energy thread around him, hoping to slice his body into pieces with these sharp threads.


    "Death Slice!" Han Kexin exerted force to tighten the threads.


    Although the Bone Demon King''s body was tougher than ck iron, it was cut open as easily as mud. However, it was no use. As soon as his body was sliced, it reassembled like building blocks, and his bones began to grow rapidly, shooting out several poisonous bone arrows.


    Four or five of these struck Han Kexin. Damn it! She was being countered! In terms of sheer power, Han Kexin was actually stronger than Park Jae-hyun. However, the Bone Demon King''s abilities were a natural counter to the Subus Queen, almost like a predator-prey rtionship, leaving her with little chance of victory.


    "Face your fate!" the Bone Demon King dered as heshed out with a bone whip, rapidly coiling it around Han Kexin, binding her. She quickly activated several non-elemental shields, barely managing to resist the attack.


    "You''ve lost!" Park Jae-hyun shouted. "Despairing Bone Prison!"


    Countless bones appeared around Han Kexin, rapidly assembling like building blocks into a massive cage,pletely sealing her inside.


    "Shit!" Han Kexin realized she was trapped. The bone prison had a magic-suppressing effect, rendering most of her skills unusable. Although she could still use her innate abilities, the Subus Queen''s talent in attack was not strong enough to break free from these bonds.


    Worse still, the Despairing Bone Prison could absorb HP and MP, as well as suppressing her stats. In her current state, Han Kexin found it almost impossible to escape using her own strength and was at risk of beingpletely drained and left at the mercy of her captor.


    "This is bad! Her Majesty is trapped!" people in Gloom City cried out in panic.


    Han Kexin''s two most capable subordinates, Han Qiuyue and Han Dongxue, were not present. Had these two monarch-level units been there, they could have potentially changed the oue of the battle. Both were currently in Holy Tides City, where the White Sand Tribe was asserting control. This battle had urred suddenly, so they had not had time to return, leaving Gloom City in a dire situation.


    "Quick, go find Kings Qiuyue and Dongxue!" The people of Gloom City immediately thought of fetching the two from Holy Tides City.


    "It''s toote!" a wise Subus Grand Sage spoke gravely. "Besides, the enemy is very powerful. Even if Qiuyue and Dongxue return, they might not be able to handle this Bone Demon."


    "What should we do then?"


    "Let''s just charge out."


    "Fight these guys head-on!"


    "We must rescue our master!"


    The followers in Gloom City were restless and ready tounch a full counterattack. The Subus Grand Sage quickly interjected, "No, that would be falling right into their trap. We can''t let them seed and can''t let Gloom City suffer heavy losses."


    "But our master is already trapped!"


    "What could be more important than rescuing our master right now?"


    "We have a better way," said the Subus Grand Sage.


    "What is it?"


    "Go to Darkness City and find the Dragon Demon King!"


    Minutester, a high-ranking demon rushed to Darkness City and found Zhang Nu, who was conversing with Shui Lan, and reported the situation in Gloom City.


    Zhang Nu was surprised, "Really? Such a thing has happened?"


    "Our master is in grave danger and can''t hold on much longer. We implore the Great Dragon Demon King, considering the alliance between Darkness City and Gloom City, to lend your assistance."


    As long as Queen Han wasn''t dead yet, it wasn''t a big deal. Thus, Zhang Nu, along with Shui Lan, teleported to the teleportation tower and then directly to Gloom City. Another teleportation brought Zhang Nu and Shui Lan to the frontline, where they saw the standoff between the Pale Bones Demon King Alliance and Gloom City as well as the floating bone prison.


    From receiving the plea for help to arriving on the scene, it only took a minute. Seeing the Subus Queen trapped, Zhang Nu felt delighted, not out of malicious glee, but because after this battle, Queen Han would owe him a huge favor. Moreover, being defeated by a Bang Nation Demon King would certainly be a massive humiliation.The prospect of her joining Darkness City now seemed even greater. This Bang Nation Demon King had unwittingly done him a moderate favor!"

 Chapter 253: The Merging of Darkness and Gloom

    Chapter 253: The Merging of Darkness and Gloom


    When Park Jae-hyun returned to his own camp, the Demon Kings of the Pale Bones Alliance began to tter him profusely.


    "Boss! You''re so powerful!"


    "Not just powerful, our leader is simply invincible!"


    "The Subus Queen is no small figure, recognized as one of the strongest Demon Kings, yet she fell to our leader in just a few moves!"


    "With such strength, unifying this underworld will surely be no problem. If we follow the leader, we are bound to prosper!"


    The Demon Kings who had the privilege to join Park Jae-hyun on this expedition were no weaklings either. Each was a Level 4 entity, and while they couldn''t be one of the top dominators, they were certainly powerful enough to rule their own territories.


    They all showered Park Jae-hyun with praises, which he found extremely gratifying. He was immensely satisfied and proud of defeating the Subus Queen. Such a woman, he thought, would be a waste to kill. Instead, after stripping her of her powers and imprisoning her as his toy, he could surely make all other Demon Kings green with envy.


    "The famous Subus Queen is merely so-so!"


    "There''s no need to leave Gloom City standing any longer."


    Park Jae-hyun was about to order his troops to conquer Gloom City in one fell swoop,pletely eliminating the threat, and then integrate the dozens of tribes and thousands of miles of territory controlled by the Subus Queen into the Pale Bones Alliance''s territory.


    However, a fluctuation in the space urred. Park Jae-hyun''s expression shifted as he looked over. Two figures appeared: one was a mysterious person in a cloak, and the other was a merfolk from the sea tribe, surrounded by water vapor and exuding an aura of water. There are oceans in the underworld, so there are sea tribes in this world as well. However, the underworld sea tribes are quite different from those on the surface, and the aura of this sea tribe member was significantly different from that of the underworld sea tribes.


    Park Jae-hyun''s face darkened: "You are not from Gloom City, are you? Where did youe from? You dare to appear before us, aren''t you afraid of being obliterated?"


    The mysterious person in the cloak chuckled. His voice was deep, authoritative, andmanding: "I have no grudge against you, but you''ve captured my friend, and I cannot just stand by... How about you return her to me, and I might consider not holding you ountable."


    "Your friend? Ha ha ha ha!" Park Jae-hyunughed loudly. "So you''re an aplice of the Subus Queen? She was defeated by my hand. Who do you think you are to demand her return? You''re just looking to die!"


    "Boss! Why waste your words with him!"


    "He''s just a nobody."


    "Let us handle this!"


    "This kind of fodder doesn''t require the boss to personally act!"


    The other Demon Kings were eager to show off in front of Park Jae-hyun. In the blink of an eye, dozens of powerful magic andbat skills were ready to be unleashed.


    "What ignorance!" Shui Lan lifted her delicate hand with a wave. A thinyer of water, as fragile as a cicada''s wing, blocked all the attacks. When the magic andbat Qi hit the water screen, they dissolved without a trace, like a y bull entering the sea,pletely neutralized and absorbed. It was quite eerie.


    Everyone was left gaping in astonishment.


    "You are not nobody. Who the hell are you?" Park Jae-hyun showed a hint of wariness. The sea tribe woman effortlessly blocked so many attacks, suggesting her strength might be on par with the Subus Queen.


    Moreover, judging by their demeanor, the mysterious cloaked person seemed to have an even higher status. The cloaked figure spoke, "You don''t need to know that. I gave you a chance, but since you don''t appreciate it, so be it."


    Enraged, Park Jae-hyun said, "How dare you! Die!!"


    He moved swiftly like a meteor, his hands transforming into massive bone des, and he viciously struck the water shield. "Shatter!"


    The Bone Demon King possessed a strong ability to dispel elemental forces, and the seemingly delicate water elemental shield should have been easy to break. However, when his des hit the barrier, he was shocked to find that all the force he had concentrated in his des was absorbed by the thin, bubble-like shield, causing no disturbance whatsoever.


    "How can this be?" Park Jae-hyun had never seen such magic before.


    Shui Lan raised her hands, unleashing a torrent of energy like a devastating tsunami, instantly engulfing everything in sight with seawater. Tens of thousands of soldiers from the Pale Bones Alliance were swept into the endless deep sea. Under the intense pressure that could crush steel, everyone lost their ability to breathe. They were bound by giant octopuses while being attacked by a swarm ofrge horn creatures. In the blink of an eye, screams and wails filled the air.


    [You''re under the effect of "Azure Water Sanctum". All elemental magic, except water-based magic, is sealed. All stats -44%, -60 HP per second. You will suffer continuous onught from the sanctum''s creatures!]


    The Bone Demon King Park Jae-hyun was horrified. He finally understood why this domain was so powerful -- it was not a regr domain but a Mythic Sanctum, something only a mythic-ss unit could deploy!


    A Mythic Sanctum is an upgraded version of a Monarch''s Domain, essentially a more potent Monarch''s Domain infused with the power ofws. Within the sanctum, Shui Lan utilized her dominion overws of water to forcefully repel otherws, rendering all non-water-based magic skills and various items ineffective.


    To attempt to contend with water-based attacks against the former queen of the sea tribe in such an environment was as futile as trying to showcase sword skills in front of Guan Yu, a renowned warrior. As soon as Shui Lan activated her domain, all targets were significantly weakened. Even if the enemy had a numerical advantage, they would find it hard to resist and could only dy until the sanctum could no longer be maintained.


    Just as Shui Lan was about tounch a massive attack spell to wipe out tens of thousands of enemies in an instant, Zhang Nu stepped forward, "Allow me."


    Taking advantage of the situation where the group was suppressed by Shui Lan and almost unable to move or escape, Zhang Nu extended his hand to release an ice crystal. This crystal quickly flew into the midst of the Demon Kings and instantly released its energy, freezing them along with the seawater.


    S-rank magic, cial Descent!


    Ice magic is a variant of water magic and can be executed within Shui Lan''s sanctum. This magic, inbination with Shui Lan''s sanctum, was a perfect match! Assisted by Shui Lan, the power and effect of cial Descent were enhanced at least three to five times. The ice crystal rapidly expanded, freezing an area with a radius of several kilometers. The area where Zhang Nu and Shui Lan stood was unaffected. Although Shui Lan''s strength was not as great as Zhang Nu''s, resisting the excess of this magic was not a major issue for her.


    Together, they almost instantly sealed tens of thousands of people, including Park Jae-hyun, who wore a face of horror and disbelief. Although he was frozen and unable to move or use his abilities, his consciousness was still clear, looking at the scene before him in terror.


    The other troops who were fortunate enough not to be swept up in the sanctum and frozen were mostly native troops affiliated with the Demon Kings, and they were terrified, fleeing in all directions.


    "Dragon King''s Sanctum!"


    "Spatial Turbulence!"


    Zhang Nu activated his Mythic Sanctum, enveloping tens of thousands of people in an iceberg that plummeted into a vast void. The surrounding space twisted, creating chaotic spatial currents and vortices, functioning like a meat grinder, rapidly disintegrating and devouring the iceberg. The warriors inside, unable to move or resist, were all blended to smithereens. Their ability to counter or even act waspletely nullified. The flow of time was manipted, making the entire process ur very swiftly. In the blink of an eye, 35,000 targets were annihted, and Zhang Nu gained approximately 80 million gold from it.


    Zhang Nu didn''t kill Park Jae-hyun and the other Demon Kings, and they remained conscious throughout, witnessing the horrific scene unfolding before their eyes. What kind of power was this? What level of existence could do something like this? They didn''t even have time to break free from the seal, and their hard-built elite troops were almost entirely wiped out, aplete setback to their efforts. Their feeling of despair was unimaginable and beyond description.


    Zhang Nu then banished them all to the Abyssal Divine Realm. As high-ranking Demon Kings, it seemed a waste to kill them outright. Instead, he decided to imprison them, potentially using them as rewards for ally Heroes in the future to recoup some value. The Abyssal Divine Realm, unlike regr domain skills, is an independently operating space, a natural prison. Once Park Jae-hyun and his group were sent there, it was impossible for them to escape.


    After resolving the situation, Shui Lanunched several water des, instantly shattering the bone prison and rescuing the Subus Queen. "Are you alright?"


    Han Kexin couldn''t believe that the two of them, working together, had managed to defeat such arge force. It was incredible; their strength seemed excessively terrifying. The gap was just too vast!


    She saw that even the once-famed Shui Lan had be a subordinate. Finally, without further hesitation, Han Kexin made a decision that would affect her future and the trajectory of her fate, officially announcing the merging of Gloom City with Darkness City.


    "Are you sure?" Zhang Nu asked. "Maybe you should think it over again. This decision is irreversible!"


    Zhang Nu was somewhat surprised. Although he believed that the Subus Queen would eventually see the situation clearly and make such a decision, he knew her character well enough to expect her to carefully weigh the pros and cons. He didn''t expect her to decide so quickly.


    Han Kexin said, "Better to be a chicken''s head than a phoenix''s tail. Even if I can''t stand at the pinnacle of this world, at least I want to be beside the one who does."


    Zhang Nu responded, "In all the time I''ve known you, this is the first time you''ve spoken such a frank truth."


    Han Kexin retorted with a huff, "Hmph, don''t get too smug. Now that I''m working for you, you better make sure my sry is worth it."


    Zhang Nuughed heartily. "Of course. You were an outsider before, but now you''re one of us, and I''m never stingy with my own people."


    It was a significant breakthrough to win over such a character. It was no simple feat.


    Darkness City and the Chaos Federation were in a period of rapid development. During this process, there were many challenges, particrly in terms of management and integration. Zhang Nu believed that with Han Kexin as his right-hand, both the overall strength of the federation and the level of its management would greatly improve.


    Moreover, by absorbing Gloom City, the Chaos Federation directly gained an underworld region for expansion. Territory, poption, military forces, and diversity of troops would all see significant enhancements.


    In the following two days, Zhang Nu and Han Kexin finalized their coboration. The Darkness City and Gloom City officiallymenced their merger. When Demon Kings unite, there''s no concept of equality; there must be a clear hierarchy. Darkness City is the sole core of the Chaos Federation, while Gloom City will be the federation''s main demon city.


    Darkness City will station troops in Gloom City, taking control of strategic areas and local poptions near Gloom City. Han Kexin will assume the role of Vice Lord of Darkness City and Grand Elder of the Chaos Federation, while continuing as the Lord of Gloom City. Her main workce will be in the Chaos Forest. Zhang Nu will grant her an 8% share in the group, along with a sry and bonuses.


    The reason why Han Kexin only received 8% of the shares was not due to Zhang Nu''s stinginess. When they sat down to roughly evaluate the fixed assets of their territories, such as cities, poption, various buildings, and facilities, it became clear that Han Kexin had underestimated the strength of Darkness City and the Chaos Federation. When theypared assets, territories, and poptions, the value of Gloom City Group after the merger ounted for at most about 5%.


    Moreover, inparison to Gloom City, the business quality of Darkness City was extremely high. Zhang Nu generously offered her an additional 3% share, which was quite favorable treatment. Additionally, as a professional manager brought into the fold, Han Kexin also received a fixed sry and bonus incentives.


    Han Kexin realized that she and Zhang Nu were not on the same level. If she refused the merger with Darkness City, the gap between them would only widen, and Gloom City might eventually not even qualify as a strategic partner for Darkness City. Now, with the merger of the two forces, it was a win-win situation. Zhang Nu urgently needed a top-tier CEO to help manage the rapidly expanding poption and to enhance the management level of the Chaos Federation.


    As a result, Zhang Nu could continue to be a behind-the-scenes boss, a hands-off manager. The formidable strength and potential of the Subus Queen, along with powerful innate abilities like Eternal Charm, were extremely valuable to Zhang Nu.


    Under the Subus Queen''smand, there was an impressive array of talent, including two monarch-ss units and approximately two million demon poptions. The unique abilities of the subus race were something the draconians did not possess. Having established a strong foothold in the underworld, she had ess to a wealth of untapped rare mineral resources and numerous resource sites unique to the underworld, holding significant potential.


    Incorporating Gloom City and absorbing the Subus Queen marked a milestone in the development history of Darkness City. Zhang Nu purchased a top-tier contract capable of affecting level 6 units at a high price and officially signed it with Han Kexin. From then on, the Queen was no longer an independent Demon King; she became a high-ss "work ve" of Darkness City.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 254: The Breaking of the Covenant

    Chapter 254: The Breaking of the Covenant


    The High Council of the Sea Tribes was the supreme governing body of the Azure Water Federation. This council,prising only thirty members, was formed through a highlyplex and intricate process of scrutiny and election, with representatives from various maritime regions. Each member held the federation''s top-level secrets, making their identities exceptionally mysterious, and they rarely appeared in public.


    Fontentina, the Chairman of the Council, was an exception. Having served as the Chairman for fifteen consecutive terms, one might have assumed she wielded dictatorial, unquestionable authority. But in reality, the situation was quite different. The Azure Water Federation, with its unique loose structure, meant that the power of the High Council was limited. Sovereigns of various nations and leaders of prominent families, although generally respectful towards the council, often disregarded its authority when their core interests were at stake. Over the years, this disregard had grown increasingly pronounced.


    In essence, the authority of the High Council was rapidly eroding, and the federation''s system was effectively bing paralyzed.


    Fontentina was deeply concerned about the current state of the federation. She was acutely aware that the apparent prosperity was a facade, like a pce built on sand, seemingly grand but easily copsible. The leaders of various nations and heads of major families, empowered by the legitimacy granted by the Azure Water Covenant, acted increasingly unrestrained and unscrupulous for short-term gains. The number of people trafficked as ves each year reached nearly ten million.


    Without the Covenant, wars would have likely broken out among these greedy leaders. The resentment of ordinary sea tribes oppressed by the nobility and emerging powers was almost unbearable. A full-blown eruption of this anger could lead to unimaginable consequences.


    "Madam Chairman! Regarding the Cmity Trench incident, we havepleted our investigation. We have sufficient evidence to show that the invasion and disruption of the seal in the Cmity Trench was orchestrated by the Deep Sea Hermit Society!" reported a middle-aged sea elf to Fontentina. Many in the federation''s direct forces had been infiltrated by the Deep Sea Hermit Society.


    The sea elves, a branch of the elven race, are amphibious creatures usually living on inds in the heart of the ocean. They resemble other elves but have the ability to breathe underwater and are adept in various water magics, earning them the title "Tide Elves." This sea elf was not ordinary; his name was Borelka, one of the newly promoted members of the Azure Water Federation''s High Council and the chief of thew enforcement elders. With a promising future, he was considered a strong candidate for the next chairman of the Azure Water Federation, as Fontentina might step down in one or two terms.


    Fontentina asked, "How is the situation with the underwater seal in the Cmity Trench? Is it stable?"


    Borelka replied, "Madam Chairperson, we have sent people to thoroughly inspect the seal altar. Currently, the seal is in good condition and shows no signs of damage."


    "Good. As long as the seal in the Cmity Trench remains intact, it poses no threat to the Azure Water Federation. We must strengthen our surveince of the Cmity Trench!"


    "Yes, Madam Chairperson."


    Fontentina wasn''t surprised by the Deep Sea Hermit Society''s actions. She had set numerous baits, specifically for this purpose, and the Cmity Trench was just one of them. She hadn''t expected the Deep Sea Hermit Society to act so covertly and swiftly. Fortunately, though the external seal of the Cmity Trench waspromised, the seal established by the former empress to seal the world rift remained intact. So, overall, the Azure Water Federation hadn''t suffered direct losses. In contrast, the Deep Sea Hermit Society paid a significant price for this meaningless operation.


    Why did Fontentina set so many traps concerning the Azure Water Covenant? Aside from protecting the real Azure Water Covenant, it was also to counter the Deep Sea Hermit Society, a mysterious organization that emerged a few centuries ago, involving many internal and external powers. The High Council had no direct means to destroy it, so they used the Azure Water Covenant as bait to lure the society into action. As long as the Deep Sea Hermit Society moved, they were almost guaranteed to expose ws.


    For example, they managed to enter the Cmity Trench, but found nothing of value they sought. They gained no benefits and instead lost several top-tier individuals, exposing a number of spies and infiltrators within the federation''s forces. At this rate, if the Deep Sea Hermit Society took the bait a few more times, their power would be significantly weakened.


    The sea elf Borelka continued, "Additionally, regarding the incident at the Cmity Trench, we''ve identified two points of concern."


    "What are they?" Fontentina inquired immediately.


    Borelka exined, "Firstly, the forces mobilized by the Deep Sea Hermit Society this time are suspected to beprised of Demon Kings and Heroes. This suggests that these two groups within the Azure Water Federation are highly colluding with the Deep Sea Hermit Society."


    Hearing this, Fontentina''s brow furrowed in concern. She was apprehensive about this potential threat. The high growth potential of Demon Kings and Heroes could easily disrupt the bnce, and now these two uncontroble forces were being exploited by the Deep Sea Hermit Society, posing a significant danger.


    "It seems we need to systematically purge the Demon Kings and find a way to relocate the Heroes to other ces, like the northern Chaos Forest," Fontentina concluded.


    "And the second point?" she asked.


    Borelka responded, "We discovered that besides the Deep Sea Hermit Society''s forces, there was another mysterious but powerful force involved."


    "What is it?"


    "It''s not entirely clear yet, but it seems to be an external force, possibly rted to the Holy Tides City of the Pale Moon Kingdom."


    Fontentina''s frown deepened. Troubles seemed to be piling up one after another. The Azure Water Federation couldn''t allow any infiltration by external forces. She decided to organize a team to investigate and see if there were any signs of external forces infiltrating Holy Tides City.


    However, before any arrangements could be made, a high council guardian elder rushed in to report, "Chairman, there''s trouble! Our temple on the Isle of the Sea God has been attacked!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Hearing this, Fontentina was shocked. Borelka looked puzzled and asked, "What? The Isle of the Sea God? Are you sure? That ce is heavily guarded and located in the heart of the Federation, surrounded by rich resources. Why would the Deep Sea Hermit Society attack there?"


    The guardian elder quickly exined, "It seems like it was indeed the Deep Sea Hermit Society''s doing. They not only outnumbered us but also possessed great strength, breaking through our nearby garrison forces directly."


    Fontentina spoke gravely, "In the name of the High Council, mobilize all avable forces in the vicinity immediately for reinforcement. The temple is of utmost importance and must not fall!"


    The guardian elder was momentarily stunned, not quite understanding the need for such a massive mobilization. But an order from the Chairman was tantamount to a directive from the High Council itself. Without raising any objections, he immediately agreed and went to prepare.


    Borelka expressed his doubts, "Chairman, is such arge-scale mobilization necessary? If we dispatch all our forces to the temple, other areas might be vulnerable, giving the enemy an opportunity."


    Fontentina''s expression was grim, "We have no choice. The Temple of the Sea God is critical because the true Azure Water Covenant is housed there."


    Hearing this, Borelka''s face paled. Even though he was a member of the High Council, he was not privy to information about the Azure Water Covenant. Only a few people, including Fontentina, were authorized to handle the covenant to ensure maximum secrecy.


    "There''s no time to lose," Borelka asserted. "We must take action ourselves!" Given the gravity of the situation, which not only affected the fate of the High Council but also the survival of the entire federation, Fontentina had no choice but to inform Borelka of the covenant.Ind


    Fontentina and Borelka, along with a group of elite troops, quickly used costly long-distance teleportation to reach the center of the ind. This unmarked ind, known as the Isle of the Sea God, housed many temples dedicated to various sea deities, primarily used for worship.


    At this moment, the ind was engulfed in fierce battle. The Deep Sea Hermit Order deployed two Level 5 Demon Kings, cultivated by the order, along with tens of thousands ofbat units. They surged from the surrounding seas towards a temple of a sea goddess. The defense of the temple was on the brink of copse. Besides the low-cost Demon King army, most of the Hermit Order''s top fighters were engaged in the assault. Fontentina was certain that they had identified the location of the covenant; they wouldn''t risk attacking the ind otherwise.


    She immediately ordered her apanying troops to hold off the attackers. Then, Fontentina, Borelka, and several council elders teleported directly into the temple of the sea goddess. Contrasting the chaos outside, the temple interior was rtively peaceful and untouched. Relieved that the covenant was still safe, Fontentina decided it needed to be moved for greater security. She activated a mechanism in the statue of the goddess at the temple''s heart, releasing various seals and making it translucent.


    "Come!" Fontentinamanded, reaching out to grasp a square jade box that materialized. Though the contents were not visible, a potent, ancient, and mystical force of the covenant emanated from within.


    "This ce is no longer safe," she dered. "We must take it back to the capital city for now."


    Fontentina, holding the ancient covenant, was suddenly attacked from behind by an unimaginably powerful and sharp force. The closeness of the attacker and their overwhelming strength sent her flying a hundred meters away, crashing through several massive pirs before mming into the temple wall. The other elder council members were instantly killed.


    Shocked and ignoring her injuries, Fontentina eximed, "Borelka, you...!?"


    The sea elf effortlessly grasped the jade box and eagerly opened it, revealing an ancient scroll emitting a mysterious aura, seemingly close to the power of a fundamentalw. "Such potent energy!" he marveled. "Such an incredible item! It seems I''ve finally found it."


    Fontentina, filled with horror, cried out, "Who are you, and what do you intend to do?"


    Borelka replied with a smile, "I''ve spent years performing in front of you, hiding my true power. It took considerable effort and time, but now I''ve seeded. Allow me to introduce myself---I am the leader of the Deep Sea Hermit Order!"


    Fontentina was horrified. This member of the highest council was the elusive leader of the Deep Sea Hermit Order? He had waited and nned for this moment for so long, and now he had finally seeded! The covenant was in his possession. Borelka didn''t waste time monologuing like typical viins. Having paid a high price in time and resources for this opportunity, he wasn''t going to give the federation''s high-ranking officials any chance to react.


    "Spatial Rend" Borelka activated a spatial skill. In the next instant, a rift tore through the space, targeting the covenant scroll. However, when the space healed, the scroll remained intact.


    A glimmer of hope arose in Fontentina. The Empress''s Covenant was akin to an epic-grade item. It wasn''t easily destroyed. However, Borelka wasn''t surprised about this oue. Prepared for this, when his magic failed to destroy the scroll, he promptly drew a dagger emitting an aura even more potent than epic equipment.


    "This is..." Fontentina sensed danger. Was this a near-legendary-grade weapon?


    Borelka thrust the dagger fiercely into the scroll. Intense energy burst forth, instantly resulting in a violent explosion that reduced the Temple of the Sea God to ruins. At that moment, the entire poption of the Azure Water Federation felt the dissolution of the covenant that had bound their souls for thousands of years. The Azure Water Covenant was destroyed!


    Fontentina witnessed it all, powerless to stop it. As the covenant disintegrated, she fell intoplete despair. The covenant was gone, the restraints were gone, and with them, the Azure Water Federation... was finished."

 Chapter 255: CEO Han

    Chapter 255: CEO Han


    In the blink of an eye, it had been three days since Han Kexin took up her post. Zhang Nu didn''t invite her to be the CEO of the group just to help sell potatoes; her abilities and performance needed to justify her position. The fact proved that Zhang Nu''s recruitment was the right choice.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Actually, Han Kexin was not the first Demon King to join Darkness City. There had been dozens of affiliated Demon Kings with Darkness City, among which Chen Guoguo was the most representative. However, they were generally mid-to-small sized Demon Kings, and Han Kexin as arge-scale Demon King with significant power joining Darkness City was unprecedented.


    In all aspects, Han Kexin''s work performance had greatly satisfied Zhang Nu. First of all, in terms of personal strength, Han Kexin was one of the top existences among the Demon Kings. She possessed great talent and had significant potential for development. In Darkness City, Demon Kings were allocated a quota of souls, and the higher the rank and contribution of the Demon King to Darkness City, the more soul quota they received.


    Of course, having a quota didn''t mean one could obtain souls for free. The Demon Kings of Darkness City still needed to spend gold to purchase them. However,pared to the Demon King Market, not only was the price very favorable, but Darkness City also had an abundant supply of souls, sufficient to cultivate all these affiliated Demon Kings.


    Since Chen Guoguo started following Zhang Nu, she almost never had to fight again, nor did she train her team. But now, she was extremely wealthy and could be promoted to the fifth rank at any time. She was definitely one of the best-off Demon Kings. Compared to Chen Guoguo and others, Queen Han held a higher status and level. Zhang Nu allowed her to advance her soul quota. Therefore, after Han Kexin arrived in Darkness City, she preemptively obtained several hundred Level 3 and 4 souls from the soul stock of Darkness City, activating herst talent and directly ascending to Level 6.


    Han Kexin''s three Level 5 talents were: Domain of Domination, Permanent Charm, and Soul Pasturing. Zhang Nu was already familiar with Domain of Domination and Permanent Charm. "Soul Pasturing'''' was a powerful auxiliarybat skill. Han Kexin could capture the souls of targets she personally killed, refining them into her soul ves, who retained their abilities from when they were alive. This ability was quite astonishing. The number and quality of souls Han Kexin could pasture were rted to her own strength. At Level 5, she could pasture up to five Level 5 souls, and after ascending to Level 6, she could pasture up to ten Level 6 souls.


    Of course, the strength of the soul ves couldn''t exceed seventy percent of her own. Even so, this was a terrifying ability. After activating all three of her Level 5 skills, Han Kexin officially stepped into Level 6, advancing her strength to a pseudo-Demon King level. This was a significant increase in power. Not to mention anything else, just being a Level 6 Demon King unit was enough to make her the top powerhouse under Zhang Nu''smand.


    After Zhang Nu ascended to Level 6, he unlocked two Demon King units. Although Han Kexin, as a Level 6 Subus Queen, didn''t unlock any mythic units, she acquired five new monarch-ss units. Including Qiuyue and Dongxue, this meant that Han Kexin could now have up to seven monarchs of her race at her side. A mythic-ss Subus Queen apanied by seven monarch-ss units significantly enhanced the strength of Darkness City, making Zhang Nu feel that recruiting her was worthwhile.


    As of now, Han Kexin had not only signed a powerful contract but also bound her soul to the Resurrection Altar of Darkness City. She obtained the right to resurrect in Darkness City, yet her soul could no longer leave Darkness City. The draconian garrison of Darkness City arrived at Gloom City to unify and manage Gloom City''s buildings and tribes. Queen Han and Darkness City were thoroughly bound together, showcasing her determination.


    She realized that Darkness City was a tform with tremendous potential. The infrastructure, economic structure, and geographical environment of the city were all trending towards perfection. Potato Great Demon King had spent a lot of time and effort to build this ship that was about to set sail. Being able to join as a partner and manager, appointed as the captain of this super ship, was not just an honorable opportunity but also a monumental chance.


    Han Kexin believed that Darkness City would undoubtedly stand at the pinnacle of the world. At that time, this world, this era, would naturally have a ce for her. As the saying goes, "A new leader shakes things up at the start." After taking office as the CEO of the group, Han Kexin immediately took sweeping measures to streamline Darkness City''s production lines, business lines, and personnel structure, significantly improving efficiency. Within just a few days, the financial ie had substantially increased.


    Before this, the economic potential of the Chaos Federation had not been fully unleashed. Each has its strengths and weaknesses; Zhang Nu wasn''t particrly skilled in financial management. However, Han Kexin was different. In her previous life, she had numerous degrees in economics and management and was groomed as a sessor by a top financial consortium, so she was adept at managing finances. After fully understanding the facilities and industries of Darkness City, Han Kexin confidently promised to at least double the financial growth targets originally set by Zhang Nu.


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied with this. He would now only need to be responsible for major decisions. The financial, administrative, military, and other mundane management issues of the Chaos Federation were all taken care of by Han Kexin, the Executive Vice City Lord.


    This division ofbor allowed each to y to their strengths. Han Kexin was aplete workaholic. Faced with numerous tedious tasks, she not only didn''t feel overwhelmed but was actually enthusiastic and enjoyed her work. Thisplemented Zhang Nu''s hands-off management style perfectly.


    Bringing in such a CEO for Darkness City greatly reduced the workload for Zhang Nu, by at least sixty to seventy percent. At this moment, Han Kexin sat in the office of the Executive Vice City Lord in the Demon Dragon Castle, surrounded by dozens of administrative officials, all recruited from the "Imperial Hall," and they were all extremely busy. Despite being promoted by Potato Great Demon King, she needed to produce substantial results to improve her standing. Han Kexin felt a bit troubled about where to start.


    "Master! My lord!" At this moment, a stunningly beautiful figure entered the room. It was none other than Han Dongxue, a subordinate under Han Kexin''smand.


    Han Kexin said, "From today onwards, you''re not allowed to use that title anymore. We are all members of Darkness City, and you should address me as the Vice City Lord."


    There was only one lord of Darkness City. Although Zhang Nu didn''t mind and Chen Guoguo''s subordinates, along with subordinates of the other Demon Kings, still referred to their own Demon Kings as their masters, Han Kexin was different. As an extremely meticulous woman, she understood the importance of rules and structure, especially in arge enterprise or group, where even the smallest details and standards mattered greatly. Any minor inuracy orxity could affect efficiency.


    Han Dongxue immediately responded, "Yes, Vice City Lord, I understand!"


    Han Kexin nodded in satisfaction and asked, "What''s the matter?"


    Han Dongxue reported, "We''ve received news that a major upheaval has urred in the Azure Water Federation. The Azure Water Covenant has been destroyed by an organization called the Deep Sea Hermit Society!"


    Upon hearing this, Han Kexin''s eyes gleamed sharply, "Is this information reliable?"


    Han Dongxue replied, "I believe it''s highly likely. The entire Azure Water Federation has now entered an emergency state, with all cities and countries preparing for battle."


    "Good!" eximed Han Kexin joyfully, "I''ve just taken the position as the Vice City Lord of Darkness City and was worried about not finding a way to establish my authority and achieve performance goals. I didn''t expect such an opportunity to arise!"


    She immediately went to find Zhang Nu. The Great Demon King was with Shui Lan, and they both had already received the news. Frankly, it was quite unexpected. Just a few days ago, Shui Lan mentioned her intention to destroy the covenant herself, but before she could act, the covenant was already gone. Now, the Azure Water Federation was in for some serious trouble.


    Perhaps, from the moment the covenant was destroyed, the Azure Water Federation ceased to exist. Without the binding force of the covenant, various powers would not be able to coexist peacefully nor follow the instructions of the High Council. What followed was inevitably going to be a grand chaos.


    In essence, the so-called Azure Water Federation was already dead in name and reality. This was thest straw that led to its disintegration. From now on, the Azure Water Federation should revert to its name from six thousand years ago: the Sea of Chaos.


    The Sea of Chaos is an expanded version of the Forest of Chaos. Compared to the forest, it''s a hundred timesrger in area and poption, making the situation incrediblyplex. No one knows how it will evolve next.


    The newly appointed CEO was eager to take action, rubbing her hands in anticipation.


    Zhang Nu asked, "What are your thoughts?"


    Han Kexin replied, "A massive conflict in the Azure Water Federation seems inevitable. I think the business of the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce will be greatly affected for a considerable period."


    Zhang Nu nodded in agreement. "Indeed, the Azure Water Federation is a significantmercial hub. Its trade routes extend to more than ten imperial powers and countless kingdoms. Arge-scale war will inevitably disruptmercial navigation, making business difficult."


    Han Kexin added, "But with every crisis, there''s an opportunity. We''ve almost gainedplete control over Holy Tides City. I n to fully take over the city and use it as a base to annex the entire Pale Moon Penins. This penins is the most important port in the northern part of the Azure Water Federation and our gateway to the sea from the Forest of Chaos. By controlling this area, we can hold the shipping routes in our hands, allowing the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce to significantly expand its business."


    "Furthermore, I believe we should increase our research and production of weapons, equipment, and magical armaments. Since this war is unavoidable, we can seize the opportunity to profit from it, which would be far more lucrative than selling ordinary potions and materials."


    Zhang Nu thought for a moment and then said, "You will be fully responsible for handling the situation in the Sea of Chaos. I will grant you the highest authority. You just need to report the results to me regrly."


    Indeed, Han Kexin, the CEO of the Darkness City Group, didn''t disappoint. She already had aprehensive n in ce the moment she heard the news. Zhang Nu fully delegated authority to Han Kexin because his focus was mainly on the northern Thunder Empire. He needed to quickly secure the southern borders of the empire and couldn''t afford to be distracted by the chaos in the south.


    "Good, just wait for my good news!"


    "Shui Lan, you will apany Han Kexin in her operations."


    Shui Lan, deeply concerned about the wellbeing of the marine races, readily agreed to join the effort. With the backing of the Chaos Federation, there was now a power capable of stabilizing the Sea of Chaos."

 Chapter 256: Heroes of Sunset Empire and Azure Water Federation

    Chapter 256: Heroes of Sunset Empire and Azure Water Federation


    The drastic changes in the Azure Water Federation inevitably triggered a series of chain reactions. Numerous internal and external forces within the federation were ready to move. Emperor Frelio XVI of the Thunder Empire received the news immediately and was greatly shocked. Although he was aware that the Azure Water Federation was on the brink of copse, he didn''t expect theplete breakdown toe so swiftly.


    Emperor Frelio XVI immediately convened an imperial meeting. Grand dukes of the four regions, ministers of military and political affairs, and heads of various institutions all attended the meeting.


    Emperor Frelio XVI said, "I believe everyone here is already aware of what has happened in the Azure Water Federation, so I won''t waste words on further exnations."


    The Duchess of the Northern Territory spoke up, "This is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for our empire. If we deploy our forces to the Azure Water Federation now, we can not only elerate its copse but also reap the greatest benefits."


    As she spoke, she snorted coldly, "It''s just a pity that due to the ipetence of some, we have yet to conquer the Forest of Chaos, blocking our path and missing the chance to partake in this chaos."


    Her remark was a direct criticism, almost pointing fingers.


    Duke Bachor of the Southern Territory couldn''t hold back his anger and retorted with a stern face, "The situation in the Forest of Chaos is much moreplicated than imagined. It''s not just the Darkness City''s Three Dragon Kings; there''s also a mysterious and unfathomable high-level Elven King whom even Halyfax couldn''t handle. I don''t believe the northern territory could have done any better."


    The duchess sneered, "If Darkness City were in the Northern Territory, if an Elven King dared to cause trouble under my watch, I would have dealt with them long ago, not waiting until today."


    Duke Bachor, infuriated, began, "You..."


    "Enough!" Emperor Frelio''s expression darkened. "What''s the use of arguing like this? I didn''te here to listen to your quarrels!"


    "Your Majesty is absolutely right!" At this moment, a figure dressed in a robe adorned with stars spoke up. He appeared to be a mage, but in reality, he was a noble of the empire, Marquis Gabrin.


    If one observed closely, they would notice that Marquis Gabrin''s position in the meeting was almost on par with the four Imperial Grand Dukes. This was quite peculiar. How could a marquis be equal to the guardian dukes of the empire?


    The reason was that Gabrin was not just a marquis; he was also the Prime Minister of the Emperor, holding a position equivalent to that of a Chief Minister or Chancellor. As the highest-ranking bureaucrat under the Emperor, Gabrin, although a marquis, had the right to sit on an equal footing with the Grand Dukes due to his role as the Emperor''s confidant and the empire''s chancellor. Moreover, Gabrin himself was not to be underestimated. If Halyfax was known as the "Mage King'''' among the older generation of mages, then the Prime Minister was renowned as the most famous mage of the middle generation. Rumor had it that his power was no less than that of Halyfax, only that he seldom revealed his true capabilities as the empire''s chancellor.


    Gabrin continued, "The disintegration of the Azure Water Federation is inevitable, but this process won''t happen immediately. We have ample time to prepare and intervene. The urgent matter is not to squabble among ourselves, but to unite the forces of the empire."


    "The Prime Minister''s words are indeed correct!" A dignified old man in his sixties, with a sword strapped to his waist, spoke up from beside the Emperor. His position indicated his high status. He was Kroft, the empire''s Chief Knight and the leader of the Guardian Knight Order. If Halifax was known as the Mage King, then Kroft was the Knight King of the Thunder Empire. His strength was no less than that of Halifax.


    As a super powerhouse and the newly appointed leader of the Guardian Knight Order, Kroft, despitecking a noble title, didn''t need to appease any of the aristocracy. Therefore, he was not afraid of offending Bachor and spoke directly, "I am willing to personally lead the Guardian Knight Order to the southern frontier to crusade against the Darkness City and the Elven King."


    The Guardian Knight Order was one of the most renowned knight orders in the empire. Although it had a small number of members, each was a top-tier fighter. The most ordinary member of the Guardian Knight Order possessed the strength of a Level 5 overlord. The collective strength of such a formidable military force was indeed astonishing!


    Bachor appeared quite frustrated. He did not want other dukes or even imperial forces to intervene, but under the current circumstances, he found no reason to refuse.


    Emperor Frelio XVI made a decision: "Very well, then let General Kroft lead the troops of the eastern and western regions to the southern frontier. This time, we must capture the Chaos Forest in one fell swoop." Addressing Duke Bachor, he continued, "Compared to family honor, the interests of the empire are paramount. Do you understand, Duke Bachor?"


    Bachor quickly bowed and responded solemnly, "Yes, Your Majesty. The Bachor family would never dare to act against the interests of the Empire."


    "Good that you understand. So it''s settled, we must intervene in the Azure Water Federation before other powers do, to seize the greatest benefits." The Duchess of the North interjected, "The northern troops are the strongest. Why not let the north participate in the battle?"


    Emperor Frelio XVI frowned, "The northern region is too far from both the Chaos Forest and the Azure Water Federation. Besides, the empire needs the north to withstand the pressure from above. Now is not the time for you to act."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After further discussion, the strategy was set, and the imperial meeting concluded. Duke Bachor left the council hall with a sullen face. He could no longer find reasons to refuse other grand dukes, and even the empire''s intervention in the southern territory. This would inevitably tarnish the Bachor family''s reputation and weaken his authority in the southern part of the empire.


    Uneptable! For Duke Bachor, such a scenario was intolerable. The Bachor Duchy still possessed formidable strength. With the Western and Eastern Grand Dukes, as well as the Guardian Knight Order needing time to arrive, perhaps he could turn the tables before then. If not ttening the Chaos Forest, at least he needed to salvage his family''s honor and reputation.


    At that moment, Duke Bachor received intelligence: "My lord, arge-scale elven troop is attempting to cross the imperial border and head to the Chaos Forest in the south."


    Bachor was not surprised by this news, as the revtion of the Ancient Tree of Eternity and the Elven King had already be widely known. These events held great attraction for the elves, and it was inevitable that the nearby elven tribes would rush to join the Chaos Forest.


    "How many?" Bachor inquired.


    The intelligence officer replied, "At least five to six hundred thousand."


    Bachor was astounded by the sheer number. If these five to six hundred thousand elves sessfully reached the Chaos Forest, it would significantly bolster the strength of both the forest and the elven race. This would undoubtedly make it much harder to defeat the Darkness City and the Elven King.


    A thought struck Bachor; he realized this might be an opportunity. If he dispatched troops to attack these elves, it would not only cause significant casualties among them but also force the Elven King to react. Instead of attacking the areas upied by Darkness City or the Chaos Forest, it might be more advantageous to choose a battlefield that favored the duchy. In this way, the Darkness City''s Three Dragon Kings and the Elven King would be caught off guard, without time to prepare, greatly increasing the chances of victory.


    While Bachor was contemting an attack on the migrating elves, suddenly another subordinate came to report: "My lord, some individuals from the Sunset Empire and the Azure Water Federation have arrived. They im to be Heroes from these regions."


    Upon hearing this, Bachor paid close attention. Ever since Halifax, the strongest Hero of the Thunder Empire, was killed by the Elven King, the Thunderous Society was on the brink of dissolution. Although a few powerful Heroes escaped, they no longer posed a significant threat.


    Since the invasion of the Demon Kings, the strength of the Heroes had been significantly depleted, one of the few satisfying oues for the empire. Not only the Thunder Empire but also the Sunset Empire and the Azure Water Federation were wary of the unpredictability of the Heroes. Therefore, using the excuse of hunting Demon Kings in the Chaos Forest, they tried to guide the Heroes within their territories to join the conflict. Regardless of who wins or loses between the Demon Kings and the Heroes, they could benefit from watching the fight from the sidelines.


    Bachor met these Heroes in the reception hall. Among the new Heroes, Bachor recognized one -- Xing Rong, the vice president of the Thunderous Society. In the battle of Tien City, after Luo Zheng died, Xing Rong managed to escape using a teleportation scroll amidst the chaos. Though he survived, most of his Hero team and hundreds of his subordinates were lost, which left him deeply resentful towards the Darkness City''s Demon King. Besides Xing Rong, there were two other Hero representatives. One was a half-human, half-snake naga, with white scales and enveloped in mist, a rare Holy Naga. The other was a middle-aged human in simple clothes, blindfolded, and holding a stick resembling a blind man''s cane.


    Bachor could sense that both individuals were extremely powerful, likely not far behind Halifax in terms of strength. He inquired, "Who might you two be?"


    Xing Rong of the Thunderous Society introduced them: "This is Huan Yue, the Archbishop of the Radiant Church based in the Azure Water Federation, and this is Xiu Si, one of the Seven Sword Saints of the Sunset Empire."


    Hearing these titles, Bachor was visibly delighted. The Radiant Church was one of the top-ranking churches in the human world. Hong Xia, a senior cleric of the Radiant Church, had previously joined forces with Xiang Nanfeng, the head of the Thunder Empire''s Mercenary Guild, in an ambush against the Dark Dragon King. An Archbishop held a status several notches higher, being the highest religious leader of arge region. As for Xiu Si, although the name might seem unassuming, Bachor was well aware of the legend of the Seven Sword Saints of the Sunset Empire. Known for its extreme conservatism and martial valor, the Sunset Empire''s most renowned warriors were referred to as the "Sword Saints." Xiu Si, as one of these Sword Saints and the sessor of the Inner-Eye Sword Technique, was known as the Inner-Eye Sword Saint. Despite his unremarkable appearance as a blind man, Bachor wasn''t sure he could defeat this swordsman, as the Sword Saints represented the pinnacle ofbat prowess in the Sunset Empire.


    The fact that these powerful individuals from thousands of miles away were drawn to the conflict in the Chaos Forest was a testament to the influence of its Demon Kings. These two were merely representatives; the Heroes currently in the southern region represented the very best from all three forces. With such assistance, Bachor''s ns were well within reach of execution."

 Chapter 257: Level 6 Succubus Queen

    Chapter 257: Level 6 Subus Queen


    As the empire was on the move, in the northern part of the Chaos Sea, on the Pale Moon Penins,y the city of Holy Tides. A secret meeting was being held at the Holy Tides City Heroes Guild.


    Holy Tides City, with its poption of several million, was arge metropolis. With such a vast poption base, it was certain that the number of Heroes in the city would be significant. At its peak, the Holy Tides City Heroes Guild boasted about 6,000 Heroes. This was no small number, as not just any Hero could join the guild; only those above a certain level of strength were eligible to apply.


    However, the guild had now dwindled to a mere 4,500 Heroes. In just one month, the number had sharply decreased by over 1,500. There hadn''t been anyrge-scale battles recently, so this significant reduction in numbers was certainly abnormal.


    "Enough!" one of them eximed. "We can''t keep fighting like this!"


    "Haven''t you realized?" another said. "We''re being yed. This is all part of a big conspiracy!"


    The president of the Holy Tides City Heroes Guild was a Golden Crabfolk, standing at a height of two and a half meters. His appearance was that of a humanoid crab, with a shell that shimmered in gold, exuding an imposing and majestic aura. This crabfolk Hero was named Doto Daisho. He was a Hero from the ind nation, possessing the strength of a Level 5 overlord. As one of the earliest founders of the Holy Tides City Heroes Guild, he held great prestige among the Heroes of Holy Tides City.


    Doto Daisho was furious. He shouted, "Why has the situation in Holy Tides City turned out like this? Have any of you thought about the reasons behind this chaos?"


    An eelfolk retorted, "If it wasn''t for the sneak attack by the Wild Wolf Heroes Guild, we wouldn''t have fought with them!"


    A rayfolk countered, "Bullshit! It was your people who ambushed us first! I swear, I''ll make eel rice out of you!"


    "The hell you just said? Bring it on if you dare!"


    "Duel me then!"


    The Holy Tides City Heroes Guildprised over a dozen significant Hero groups. They had finally been gathered here, but before they could discuss much, they nearly broke into a fight again.


    "Shut up!" Doto Daisho roared furiously. "Anyone who dares interrupt me again will never be able to speak again!" His roar and the outburst of his Qi instantly enveloped the entire hall, finally suppressing the quarrelsome Heroes.


    He continued, "The events of the past month are too bizarre. There''s definitely something wrong here. I sense that there''s a force fanatically instigating conflict among us!" Hearing this, the Heroes exchanged nces, also feeling that something was amiss.


    Doto Daisho continued, "A month ago, the situation was looking great. Except for the White Sand n, which we hadn''t fully controlled, the other three major families had essentially be our puppets. But now, look at us! In less than a month, our influence and control over Holy Tides City have drastically declined. On the other hand, the White Sand scums, in coboration with this so-called ''Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce,'' has not only stabilized but is also rapidly regaining influence."


    "If this keeps up, we''ll lose Holy Tides City!"


    As the Heroes absorbed his words, the tension in the air began to ease. They realized the strangeness of their situation. Why had so many conflicts erupted among them in less than a month, especially when they had previously cooperated so well?


    A shrimp Hero asked, "President, what do you think is going on? Who is behind all this?"


    Doto Daisho replied, "This mysterious force is cautious and meticulous, and seems to be adept at disguise and illusion. I haven''t been able to find them, but I have a suspect in mind."


    "Please tell us, President!"


    "Who is it?"


    "If this recent turmoil was indeed orchestrated by some force, then we must tear them apart!"


    Doto Daisho spoke gravely, "Without concrete evidence, the party that benefits the most from our month-long strife is our prime suspect. Who do you think has gained the most?"


    Almost in unison, everyone answered, "The White Sand n!"


    Doto Daisho''s gaze darkened as he said, "I''ve heard that the bnce in the Azure Water Federation is breaking, and chaos will soon ensue. We can''t afford to hesitate any longer. We must takeplete control of the city. I have a n."


    "That is, regardless of whether the White Sand n is behind this, we should set aside our past grudges and focus all our strength on crushing them! If they are indeed the culprits, we will surely find clues or extract confessions during this process. And if they''re not, at least we''ll have eliminated a power that''s been watching from the sidelines!"


    Upon hearing this, everyone found the reasoning sound. The Heroes were already aware of the recent upheavals in the Azure Water Federation and realized that the region would soon descend into chaos. With this in mind, they felt they could employ methods previously off-limits. The White Sand n indeed seemed very suspicious! With the world on the brink of chaos, it was the perfect opportunity topletely eliminate them. If the White Sand n was truly the culprit, it was ideal; if not, it was still an opportunity to divide their resources and wealth.


    "I agree!"


    "Me too!"


    "Let''s do it, we should act immediately!"


    "Destroy the White Sand n, ughter and plunder the merfolk!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Heroes of Holy Tides City, already frustrated by recent events, eagerly seized this opportunity to vent their anger.


    As they were preparing to act under Doto Daisho''s lead, a voice suddenly interrupted.


    "Hehehe, it seems you''re not as foolish as I thought." The voice belonged to a woman, maic and charming. As everyone turned to look, their expressions changed dramatically. Surrounded by dozens of merfolk, several distinctive figures appeared before the group of more than 4000 Heroes.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Who are you people?"


    "How did you get in here?"


    The location was the headquarters of the Holy Tides City Heroes'' Guild, heavily guarded and secure. The unexpected appearance of this group, without any prior alert, was undoubtedly extraordinary.


    "Let me introduce myself," said one of the figures. "I am Han Kexin, the Vice-City Lord of the Darkness City and the Prime Minister of the Chaos Federation."


    Doto Daisho was shocked. "You''re a Demon King!"


    The expressions of the Heroes changed drastically. It was unthinkable for a Demon King, with just a fewpanions, to boldly invade the Heroes'' Guild. Wasn''t this a death wish?


    "So that''s it!"


    "It''s all a plot by the Demon Kings!"


    "They''ve conspired with the White Sand n!"


    Han Kexin was apanied by less than ten direct subordinates from Gloom City, including two monarch-ss units, Han Qiuyue and Han Dongxue, as well as the Empress of Azure Water, Shun, sent by Zhang Nu to assist. In addition, there was Shuiyao from the White Sand n, along with several dozen merfolk from their family. Although not many in number, their strength was formidable.


    "Great!"


    "A Demon King dares to crash in here!"


    "Since you''vee here seeking death , we''ll grant it to you!"


    A eelfolk Hero with the strength of a Level 4 overlord raised his trident to attack. Han Kexin addressed Doto Daisho, the head of the Heroes'' Guild, "Your men are not very obedient. Kill them for me."


    Before the sea eel Hero could react, a giant crab w, radiating withbat Qi and resembling an indestructible pair of giant scissors, swiftly bisected the Hero''s body. Doto Daisho had taken action, eliminating the eelfolk. The other Heroes at the scene were shocked and rmed.


    "President!"


    "What are you doing!"


    "Are you betraying the Heroes'' Guild?"


    Doto Daisho''s expression was ferocious. "The mistress''smand is supreme. Anyone who dares to attack the mistress will meet this fate!"


    The crowd was both horrified and confused. Just moments ago, the guild leader seemed normal, but now he suddenly turned traitor, an absurdly quick change. His expression, demeanor, and murderous intent didn''t seem like he was under the control of a psychic spell.


    While recovering her severely depleted mental energy, Han Kexin nodded in satisfaction. The moment she entered, she had used her Level 5 ability "Permanent Charm" on Doto Daisho. At this moment, Doto Daisho had been imprinted mentally and would be as loyal as a directly summoned unit of a Demon King. This was the formidable ability of the Subus Queen. While her directbat power might not match other high-level Demon Kings, her terrifying ability was undiminished.


    "You insects dare to threaten my mistress! You all deserve to die!" Doto Daisho, enraged, swung his giant crab ws. His Qi transformed into scissor-like attacks, resulting in a gruesome scene filled with screams and rivers of blood.


    After killing more than twenty Heroes, the rest finally realized the Guild Leader hadpletely betrayed them.


    "Shit!"


    "Kill them all!"


    "We outnumber them, there''s nothing to fear!" The Heroes prepared to fight back.


    However, at that moment, Han Kexin, having recovered most of her MP through various means and with Han Qiuyue''s MP transfer, was ready to act. "Domain of Domination!"


    Han Kexin activated her domain. With a light wave of her left hand, hundreds of psychic threads whistled out, instantly hitting hundreds of Heroes, and with the slight movement of her delicate fingers, the controlled Heroes turned to attack theirrades.


    Magic! Martial techniques! Various ferocious skills were deployed!


    "What the hell, what''s happening? I can''t control my body!"


    "I''m being controlled too, get away from me!"


    Sitting down, Han Kexin casually crossed one leg over the other and manipted the threads in her left hand. Hundreds of Heroes, under her control, were frantically attacking their peers. The psychic threads were invisible to the naked eye and undetectable to those without sufficient strength. The Heroes on the scene had no idea what was happening. They only saw the terrifying Subus Queen sitting before them, casually moving her fingers like a puppeteer, causing hordes of Heroes to turn on each other.


    "Kill! Kill!"


    "Die! All of you, die!"


    Unable to distinguish who was controlled and who was not, the Heroes, in self-defense, attacked indiscriminately. Suspicion and panic rapidly spread, eventually leading to a copse. Thousands of Heroes fought amongst themselves in a frenzied melee. Although some attacks were directed at the Subus Queen, they were blocked by Han Qiuyue, Han Dongxue, and the Azure Water Empress at her side. Some tried to escape, but the Queen''s domain had already taken control of the area, preventing anyone from fleeing. Trapped in this desperate situation, they were left with no choice but to kill or be killed.


    "Spare us!"


    "We surrender!"


    "We will submit to you!"


    As Han Kexin continued to manipte and ughter, the continuous screams and pleas for mercy, far from disturbing her, seemed to amuse her greatly.


    "This woman... is terrifying!"


    Even the Azure Water Empress uttered such an exmation, finally understanding why the Great Demon King of Darkness City had recruited Han Kexin. After ascending to Level 6, Han Kexin now possessed mythic-ss strength, even surpassing the current Azure Water Empress. Her cunning, her temperament, and her methods made the Azure Water Empress realize that Han Kexin might be more fitting of the title of an empress than herself. With the strong support of Han Qiuyue, the Demon Sage King, there were no issues with Han Kexin''s supply of MP. And with the Azure Water Empress handling defense and counterattacks, Han Kexin controlled the puppet-like Heroes in a game-like manner, annihting all the Heroes in the Holy Tides City.


    This scene deeply shocked Shui Yao, the young n leader of the White Sand. She only knew that the ruler of Darkness City was an unfathomable being, but now this new vice city lord of Darkness City and Prime Minister of the Chaos Federation, a Subus Queen, was also terrifyingly formidable.


    In fact, in terms of sheer dreadfulness, she surpassed the Dragon Demon King. The Dragon Demon King''s horrory in his overwhelming strength and despair-inducing power, whereas this Demon Queen possessed the ability to treat people as toys, manipte them at will, and forcibly control them. In front of this Demon Queen, the fragility of the human heart was trivial. Even the closest of brothers and friends could be untrustworthy.


    [You''ve in a Level 4 Hero. Hero''s soul +1, skill stone+1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 4 Hero. Hero''s soul +1, skill stone+1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 3 Hero. Hero''s soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 2 hero. Hero''s soul +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 4 Hero. Hero''s soul +1, skill stone+1!]


    [......]


    Through Han Kexin''s actions, Darkness City gained thousands of souls. She was very satisfied. After killing thest Hero, she stretchedzily, stood up from her seat, and said, "I''m tired from ying, I''ll take a rest. You guys take care of the rest."


    She walked over to Shui Yao and patted her shoulder: "I remember the Great Demon King promised to help you with your revenge. Now, that promise has been fulfilled. Next, I will help you ascend to the position of city lord. From today, Holy Tides City will be a part of the Chaos Federation, but the entire White Sand n must swear loyalty to Darkness City."


    "You know what to do, right?"


    Shui Yao, sweating profusely, replied, "Yes, Vice City Lord, rest assured, I will immediately lead all our people to officially swear allegiance to His Majesty!"

 Chapter 258: Migration of the Elves

    Chapter 258: Migration of the Elves


    The next day, within Darkness City, Zhang Nu received a conquest notification.


    [You have conquered Holy Tides City!]


    [You gained "Exquisite Stardust Diamond Chest" x1!]


    [135,312 members of the White Sand n have pledged their loyalty to you. Do you ept?]


    Seeing this prompt, Zhang Nu was very surprised. How did Holy Tides City get conquered so quickly? Han Kexin had acted with remarkable decisiveness. Holy Tides City, arge city with millions of poption, has rtively lenient conditions for conquest. Generally, achieving actual control of the city and receiving loyalty from the most influential local power can trigger the conquest condition, without needing aplete surrender or loyalty from all residents.


    During this battle, Han Kexin deliberately orchestrated a full gathering of the Hero Guild. She seized this opportunity to wipe out the Heroes in one fell swoop, killing thousands, a radical approach that would have been inadvisable before. Among these Heroes, many were prominent figures in Holy Tides City. Such brutal mass ughter would have caused serious repercussions back then, kingdoms and federations would have been enraged and thoroughly investigated, which was detrimental to the expansion of Darkness City''s power.


    But now, the situation was different. The Azure Water Federation had already begun to crumble. The entire Chaos Sea was about to plunge into a war more ferocious than before. Who would care about Holy Tides City then? At most, there would be pressure from the Pale Moon Kingdom. However, the Pale Moon Kingdom was not a particrly strong nation. Its top echelons, also part of the covenant nobles, had long since decayed,prised of a bunch of ipetents who were unpopr among their subjects. They were currently in a state of disarray. Since Holy Tides City was an autonomousmercial city of Pale Moon, once it dered independence and had the support of the Chaos Federation, it was nearly impossible to be recaptured.


    In addition to these strategies, Zhang Nu had another trump card for dealing with the sea ns: the legendary Empress Shui Lan. Her identity had not yet been made public, but when the right time came to reveal her affiliation with the Chaos Federation, her presence was expected to exert a tremendous influence. After all, within the Azure Water Federation, Shui Lan was a historically significant figure.


    The sweeping victory in Holy Tides City yielded substantial rewards. Apart from the conquest treasure chest, Han Kexin''s elimination of thousands of Heroes resulted in collecting thousands of souls and hundreds of skill stones. These resources, which naturally belonged to the Chaos Federation, essentially meant they were Zhang Nu''s gains. Earning such rewards without even leaving his castle was immensely gratifying for him.


    Upon opening the recently obtained reward chest, Zhang Nu discovered:


    [You''ve opened the Stardust Diamond Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x100 million, "Blueprint: Temple of Sea" x1, "Blueprint: Ancient Supreme Magitek Shipyard" x1, "Life Gems" x20,000, "Wind Gems" x20,000, "Water Gems" x50,000, "Light Gems" x7000!]


    Zhang Nu was very pleased with these contents. He hadn''t anticipated that conquering Holy Tides City would yield a reward of 100 million gold. This was the only instance, apart from the exclusive chest of the Chaos Forest, that such arge sum of gold had been awarded. This was mainly due to the city''srge poption and wealth. Besides the vast amount of gold and gems, he also acquired two special Level 5 blueprints.


    One of the blueprints was for a temple-type building, simr to the Temple of Nature and Temple of War, likely designed to provide buffs to all members of the federation. The significance of temple buildings should not be underestimated. Such seemingly modest enhancements, when applied to all citizens of the federation, could yield extremely high cumtive benefits and value. Hence, the blueprint was highly valuable.


    Besides the temple blueprint, there was also one for an "Ancient Supreme Magitek Shipyard." The purpose of this building was quite apparent, serving purely as a shipyard for constructing various types of magitek ships. Holy Tides City already possessed several sizable shipyards, but their shipbuilding speed was quite slow, and they were incapable of constructing vessels over ten thousand tons. Allrge ships had to be imported or leased from other kingdoms. However, the Magitek Shipyard was a Level 5 special building. Zhang Nu believed this facility could produce top-tier merchant ships, cargo ships, and even warships, which would be significantly meaningful for the federation''s future maritime expansion.


    His next step was to allocate some funds and resources to construct the Temple of Sea.


    [Temple of Sea construction sessful!]


    [All units have gained the Goddess of the Sea''s blessing!]


    Zhang Nu felt a surge of divine magic instantly enveloped his entire figure.


    [Goddess of Sea''s Blessing Level 1] Special Status. Water-attributed attacks +10% damage, Elemental Resistance +15%, Maximum MP +10%, Gain the ability "Underwater Breathing".


    The effects were quite satisfactory. While a 10% increase in MP might not seem much, it was a permanent state. In case of war, the level of divine blessings could be enhanced through priests, stacking up effects to significantly raisebat effectiveness. Moreover, the Temple of Sea possessed several other useful capabilities. The Underwater Breathing ability, in particr, was extremely beneficial, allowing many members of the Chaos Federation, who were otherwise ufortable in water, to operate in oceans or rivers without fear of drowning.


    Zhang Nu was satisfied with the effects of the temple. As for the Supreme Magitek Shipyard, he certainly couldn''t just let it sit idle. He sent a private message to Han Kexin, instructing her to find a suitable location near Holy Tides City with a deep-water port, ideal for shipbuilding. Once a suitable site was found, the blueprint would be used to start construction of the shipyard immediately.


    The Supreme Magitek Shipyard, a production-type building, differed from typical barracks-type unit summoning structures. Barracks had a limit to the number of troops they could house, so the number of units that could be summoned was capped. Once full, no more units could be summoned. However, production-type factories like this shipyard had no such limits, though they couldn''t instantly summon products and required time for production. Even so, the speed was exponentially faster and the cost much cheaper than normal manufacturing, making it of immense economic value.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With this Level 5 shipyard, Holy Tides City could not only build various merchant ships, cargo ships, and warships for its own use, but could also potentially export these vessels, possibly making shipbuilding a significant economic pir for the city.


    At that moment, Nancilia arrived in Darkness City. She found Zhang Nu and reported some good news. "Your Majesty, we have received information that recently about a million elves from all directions areing to join the Chaos Federation," she said.


    "A million? That many?" Zhang Nu was somewhat surprised.


    Nancilia rified, "A million is just a conservative estimate. Just from the northeast direction alone, led by the Moonwell Tribe, several other tribal groups of elves add up to about fifty thousand."


    Zhang Nu was very pleased with this development. The influx of elves was indeed great news. Elves were highly valued due to their high productivity and average value creation. Frankly speaking, one elven civilian could be worth a hundred or even several hundred human civilians. Additionally, elves, known for their gentle nature, were easier to managepared to humans.


    However, upon learning about the migration route of the elves, Zhang Nu''s brows furrowed, sensing aplication. Nancilia noticed his concern and quickly asked, "Your Majesty, what''s wrong? Is there something amiss?"


    Zhang Nu exined, "Looking at the migration route of the elves, they will definitely pass through some territories of the empire. And with such arge-scale migration, do you think Bachor would be unaware of it?"


    Nancilia realized the implication: "Are you suggesting that the empire''s troops might obstruct the elves from reaching the Chaos Forest?"


    "Not might," Zhang Nu corrected firmly. "They definitely will."


    The influx of so many elves into the Chaos Forest would significantly boost its strength. Even without the revtion of the Elven King, Grand Duke Bachor would not allow these elves to join the Chaos Forest at such a critical juncture. The Chaos Forest was already challenging enough to deal with. An addition of a million or even several million elves would make future conflicts even more difficult, going against the interests of both the Duchy of Bachor and the Empire.


    Nancilia immediately expressed concern: "This is bad. If the elves are ambushed by human armies along the way, they could suffer heavy casualties. Let me personally go to escort and support them!"


    Zhang Nu shook his head and said, "Even with your strength, you alone cannot protect such arge group of elves. I will send Long Yi, Zhang San, and Li Si to apany you, along with an elite aerial brigade."


    Hearing this, Nancilia was overjoyed. As a pseudo-mythic Level 6 entity, with Long Yi being a Level 6 monarch, and Zhang San and Li Si as the top Level 5 monarchs, this lineup could easily handle Bachor.


    However, Zhang Nu had reservations. Engaging with the empire would mean fighting on their territory. Not only would they have to fight without prior preparation, but they would also need to ensure the safety of hundreds of thousands of elves, minimizing casualties. No matter how it was viewed, the difficulty of this task was not small. Bachor was no fool. If he aggressively attacked the migrating elves, the Chaos Forest and the Darkness City would not remain indifferent. Such an obvious opportunity would surely not be ignored. Even if the Darkness City''s Demon King were to intervene, they would immediately be put on the defensive, falling into a trap.


    Even if, by some slim chance, the Chaos Forest remained indifferent, Bachor''s annihtion of hundreds of thousands of elves would still be necessary. This would instill fear in other elves contemting joining the Chaos Forest, slowing down the expansion of the Chaos Forest''s power and benefiting the uing full-scale war.


    Zhang Nu continued, "To ensure the safety of the elven migrants, I will instruct Bai Jie to control the Citadel of Eternity and assist the elves in their migration."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Nancilia felt immensely relieved and grateful. The involvement of the Citadel of Eternity would significantly reduce the potential casualties among the elves.


    "Let''s not dy. Depart immediately!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty, we will bring you good news!" Nancilia vowed to safely bring back all the elven people. By following the Demon King and contributing to his great cause, they too would enjoy the benefits brought by the Ancient Tree of Eternity and the Spirit Sanctum, contributing to the prosperity and strength of the elven race!"

 Chapter 259: Battlefield of Seven Monarchs

    Chapter 259: Battlefield of Seven Monarchs


    The Marquisate of Elro, located at the far eastern edge of the Empire''s southernnds, was known for its level terrain and fertile soil, making it one of thergest agricultural and pastoral areas in the southern region. However, the tranquility of this ce was about to be disrupted.


    Duke Bachor had personally led four knight orders from the Bachor family to this area, bringing together a formidable force of 200,000 men, each order not inferior to the renowned Blood Lion Knights in terms of prowess. This represented the core strength of the entire Bachor family, all gathered here for this mission.


    Having recovered from the severe injuries he sustained in the battle at Kolo after more than a month of recuperation, Duke Bachor was present on the scene himself. This time, he was fullymitted, staking his family''s honor and determined not to underestimate the might of the Chaos Federation again.


    "A report for the Duke, we have pinpointed the migrating elf troop!" a scout announced. "Their numbers are consistent with our predictions, likely between 500,000 and 600,000. They are expected to cross the border of Elro territory within an hour, and our troops are ready for encirclement and elimination."


    Duke Bachor nodded in acknowledgment. For merely five to six hundred thousand ordinary elves, the Bachor Duchy did not need to mobilize such a vast force. Among such arge group of migrating elves, it would be notable to have 100,000 elite elf warriors; one or two of the empire''s official army legions would suffice to encircle and exterminate them.


    However, Duke Bachor not only mobilized the core strength of his family but also enlisted the power and influence of Heroes. At this moment, standing beside Bachor were at least ten powerful Heroes, each possessing the strength of at least a Level 6 overlord, with the two leading figures being on par with him.


    Huan Yue, the Archbishop of the Radiant Church from the Azure Water region, and Xiu Si, one of the renowned Seven Sword Saints from the Sunset Empire, were both Level 6 monarchs in terms of strength, matching Bachor. Xiu Si brought with him several hundred Heroes from the Sunset Empire, as well as over a thousand disciples from the Inner-Eye Sword Sect. As for Huan Yue, shemanded all the Radiant Priests stationed within the empire''s territory.


    The resulting force was much stronger than any assembled in the past, making the encirclement and extermination of several hundred thousand native elves an overkill, seemingly unnecessary to mobilize such arge force. Bachor''s true aim, however, was the Chaos Federation. These five to six hundred thousand elves were all heading to join the Chaos Federation. If they were intercepted, captured, and ughtered by the empire''s troops, the Chaos Federation could not just stand by. Should they attempt a rescue, they would inevitably fall into a disadvantageous position. Even if the Chaos Federation chose not to intervene, the empire could capture hundreds of thousands of elves and execute them publicly. Such actions could severely dampen the morale of the Darkness City and deter other elves from seeking refuge with the Chaos Federation.


    However, before the elven migration tribes arrived, Bachor received an urgent military report. "Duke, urgent news! A force has emerged from the direction of the southern forest. It seems to be personally led by the Demon King and the Elven King."


    Hearing this, Bachorughed heartily. His strategy had indeed seeded. The Demon King and the Elven King had no choice but to intervene for the rescue and protection. Bachor immediatelymanded, "Good, very good, everyone prepare!"


    The members of Bachor''s knight order assumed their positions, with various blessing, healing, and protective buffs swiftly being cast upon them.


    In less than half an hour, Xiu Si, the Inner-Eye Sword Saint, spoke softly, "They''re here."


    Everyone was momentarily stunned, then at the horizon, a considerablyrge force was seen crossing the mountain range to arrive at their location.


    "It''s them!"


    "The Demon King hase in person!"


    "The Elven King seems to be present too!"


    This force totaled thirty thousand, all flying units, primarilyposed of Draconian Super Soldier Legions, Orcish Winged Beast Rider Mage, Elven Dragonhawk Rider squads, and other aerial units.


    Seeing the size of this force, Bachor sneered. Did they really dare toe here with so few numbers? However, this was an area not yet upied. The forces of Chaos Federation and Darkness City couldn''t possibly enter inrge numbers, only able to dispatch flying units with sufficient mobility for interception. The disparity in strength between the two sides was too great. This handful of troops was like trying to extinguish a fire with a cup of water.


    "Archbishop Huan Yue, Lord Xiu Si, I''ll have to trouble you both to join the frayter. If we can capture this Demon King and the Elven King, the Empire will surely reward us handsomely," said Bachor.


    The Archbishop spoke indifferently, "Eradicating the Demon King is the divine duty of a Hero and has always been the mission of the Radiant Church. Such a small matter is not worth mentioning."


    Xiu Si gripped his staff lightly, and a sharp de emerged from within. The guide stick was actually a long sword. Xiu Si remained silent, drew the sword, and from thousands of meters away, directed a strike towards the Demon King''s army. A sword energy burst forth instantly. Initially inconspicuous, the sword energy surged against the wind during its flight! It grew from a few meters to tens of meters, and finally to a hundred meters, turning into a gigantic sword gleam that carved a massive trench in the earth.


    "How formidable!"


    "Is this the strength of one of the Seven Sword Saints of the Sunset Empire?"


    "Just a casual strike possesses such power!"


    Whether it was the empire''s experts or Heroes from various factions, all were shocked. Sword Saint Xiu Si had given the Demon King''s army a powerful demonstration of his strength.


    Nancilia sensed a powerful attack approaching. Her expression changed slightly as she prepared to defend, but Long Yi, shrouded in ck mist, rushed forward first, "Let me handle this kind of attack!"


    As he spoke, the ck mist was released, acting like a barrier that enveloped the sword energy. Once the sword energy entered the ck mist, it not only stopped growing but also rapidly disintegrated and dimmed. By the time it reached the ck Dragon King, it no longer posed a threat.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    With a powerful sweep of his tail, the sword energy was shattered.


    "Heh, quite interesting!" Hero Xiu Si slowly sheathed his sword. "There aren''t many who can block my strike. It seems you''ve broken through to the sixth rank. It wasn''t in vain that I made this long journey!"


    Hearing this, Bachor and the other imperial elites showed a change in expression. Not long ago, during the battle at Iron City, the ck Dragon King was clearly at the fifth rank. How many days had passed for him to have broken through to Level 6?


    "There''s nothing surprising!" Archbishop Huan Yue spoke up at this moment. "Demon Kings grow by conquering regions and killing Heroes. He has devoured the poption of twelve provinces of the empire, totaling tens of millions, and has killed thousands of Heroes. It''s not surprising that he has broken through to Level 6. It would be surprising if he hadn''t."


    Level 5 Demon Kings were already quite numerous. But who has seen a Level 6 Demon King? It''s almost unheard of and unseen. This was also the reason why Huan Yue and Xiu Si came to participate in this operation. They had guessed early on that after the battle of Tien City, having killed several Level 6 Heroes, the Demon King would definitely level up. And for them, nothing was more attractive than a Level 6 Demon King, so this time they came to the right ce.


    "Damn! The empire is well-prepared!"


    Nancilia said, "Their army is not only very strong, but the allies they''ve recruited are also formidable. Apart from Bachor, I sense at least two high-level monarchs."


    She hadn''t expected the Empire to mobilize such a strong force. It seemed that with their current troops, they couldn''t possibly withstand the empire''s army.


    "Don''t worry!" Li Si spoke up at this time. "Our master has already made arrangements. Our task is merely to buy time."


    Zhang San nodded and added, "Yes, our lord is no longer patient with ying games with these people from the empire''s southern territories. This is a good opportunity to eliminate not only Bachor''s elite forces but perhaps even Bachor himself!"


    Hearing this, Nancilia''s spirits lifted. Although she didn''t know what arrangements His Majesty had made, it seemed like he had anticipated the current situation. With this in mind, Nancilia was no longer afraid. She stepped forward and shouted to the opposite side, "Despicable empire scum, your ns will never seed. I advise you not to bring destruction upon yourselves."


    "Bringing destruction upon ourselves?" Bachorughed, his battle Qi forming wings as he soared into the sky. "Who exactly is bringing destruction upon themselves in this situation?"


    He paused and then continued, "I might as well let you know, I''ve dispatched several legions to block your escape routes. Reinforcements from the Chaos Forest can''te in now, and it''s impossible for you to flee. In other words, you''re now isted and without support."


    Long Yi scoffed, "Big talk. You think you can stop us with just that? Ridiculous!" As he spoke, countless lightning bolts were summoned in an instant, like dense raindrops, rapidly pelting towards the empire''s army.


    Huan Yue raised her staff, instantly summoning a powerful divine shield that blocked most of the attacks, causing Long Yi''s expression to change slightly.


    "Bachor!" she called out. "Don''t waste time! Let''s capture their leader first!"


    Duke Bachor of the Empire''s southern border, Archbishop Huan Yue, and one of the Seven Sword Saints, Xiu Si, three Level 6 monarch-ss entities, unleashed their domains simultaneously.


    "Shura Domain!"


    "Radiance Domain!"


    "Inner-Mind Sword Domain!"


    With the three domains fully activated, and thebined might of three high-level monarchs, the effect and area covered reached unprecedented levels. Clearly, their intention was straightforward: to trap the forces of the Darkness City, leaving them no escape, and then to eliminate them bit by bit.


    However, at that moment, "Divine Tree Domain!"


    "Darkness Domain!"


    "Earth Domain!"


    "Sacrificial Domain!"


    The Chaos Federation opened up four domains in response. Long Yi and Nancilia easily neutralized one of the opponent''s domains each, while Zhang San and Li Si, although not yet at Level 6 but still in thete stages of Level 5 and with the racial advantages of the dragon-kins, joined forces to exert their domains, managing to neutralize anotheryer of opponent''s domain. In other words, when it came to the sh of domains, the result was a mutual cancetion, with neither side gaining control of the battlefield.


    Without control, the difficulty of killing a Level 6 monarch-ss entity became too great.


    Bachor''s face turned ugly and dark, "In just a month''s time, the strength of the Darkness Three Dragons have grown to such an extent. Such monstrous beings, if not eliminated immediately, will be a major threat!"


    The Demon King was too terrifying! Their growth rate was too astonishing! This opportunity was truly rare and must be seized to resolve this in one fell swoop!


    "Kill!"


    "For the Empire!"


    "For the Duke!"


    Since the domains neutralized each other, it was time to directly engage with the troops.


    The Empire''s faction held an overwhelming advantage in terms of military forces, while the Demon King''s faction, though evidently weaker, possessed very strong mobility. With Nancilia, Long Yi, Zhang San, and Li Si holding back the three most formidable monarchs of the empire''s faction and retreating while fighting, the empire, despite having the upper hand, did not achieve an overwhelming advantage.


    After about an hour, the Demon King''s forces finally began to falter, the disparity in troop numbers being just too great.


    "It''s about time!"


    "Retreat! Everyone, retreat!"


    The Darkness Three Dragons and the Elven King led the Demon King''s forces to retreat towards the northeast. Bachor was overjoyed, and the empire''s forces surged with morale. Since engaging with the Chaos Federation, this was the empire''s first victorious battle!


    Although the Darkness Three Dragons and the Elven King both suffered considerable exhaustion, the empire chose not to pursue them immediately. The Demon King''s forces consisted of highly mobile flying units, and Bachor''s troops included bothnd and air forces. If he rashly dispatched his air forces in pursuit, it could lead to a dispersal of his strength and potentially fall into the Demon King''s trap. The immediate priority was to proceed with caution.


    "Hmph, they won''t be able to escape!"


    "First, let''s annihte the migrating elves!"


    "As long as we attack the migrating elves, they will definitely intervene, and then, due to their concerns for the elves, they will be even less able to utilize their full strength!"


    This was what the empire''s highmand believed, so they spent an hour reorganizing their troops. Only after regaining their readiness did they reach the necessary route for the migrating elves. However, to their astonishment, not a single elf was in sight.


    On the vast ins, a fortress had appeared at some unknown time. Upon seeing this fortress, Bachor''s expression changed drastically, "Fuck! It''s the magitek fortress of the Darkness City, they''ve taken all the elves into the fortress!"


    It turned out that the previous battle was not about defeating or hindering the empire. It was purely about drawing the empire''s military attention and buying time. Now, the five to six hundred thousand elves had all been taken into the Citadel of Eternity, turning what should have been a straightforward field encounter into a siege.


    Meanwhile, in the Darkness City, a massive army had assembled. At a nce, it was dense and numbered in the hundreds of thousands. They were not positioned just anywhere but were at the Ster Gateway. This Ster Gateway was a key and highly valuable structure. Since obtaining it, it had not been used, mainly to avoid revealing it too soon. Now was the time. This rare opportunity also meant it was time for it to y its role!"

 Chapter 260: Reinforcements from Chaos Federation

    Chapter 260: Reinforcements from Chaos Federation


    A few hours earlier, in the Elro region, a massive convoy of migrating elves was led by Sigrid, the chieftain of the Moonwell tribe. Upon hearing of the appearance of the Elven King and the Tree of Eternity in the Chaos Forest, she immediately mobilized her entire tribe along with several other small and medium-sized elven tribes nearby to form a grand migration caravan bound for the Chaos Forest.


    The journey was immensely long, requiring over twelve days of travel even at full speed. It was fraught with danger as they needed to traverse territories controlled by various powers, including the borders of human empires. Such arge troop could not possibly remain concealed. If they encountered conflicts with passing forces or engaged in shes with human troops, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    However, the elves were determined to press on, their sole desire being to reach the Chaos Forest as soon as possible. They believed that following the Elven King and seeking refuge under the Tree of Eternity, regardless of the cost, was worth any sacrifice.


    Yet, the elves of the Moonwell tribe had severely underestimated the gravity of the situation. In Chieftain Sigrid''s worst-case scenario, they might engage in conflicts with the empire''s border guards. However, the elven forces were no pushovers, and despite some potential losses, they could still make their way through.


    What she did not realize was that the empire and the Chaos Forest were already sworn enemies. How could the empire simply stand by and watch such arge force of elves defect to their foe? Due to theirck of timely information, the elves made a grave miscalction. Now, they were about to pay a heavy price for this oversight.


    "Chieftain, bad news! We''ve just received word that the Duke Bachor from the southern border of the human empire is leading the four knight orders of the Bachor Duchy to besiege us!"


    Hearing this news, Sigrid was shocked. The Grand Duke himself taking action? Mobilizing the duchy''s knight orders?


    The Guardian Grand Dukes of the empire''s four territories were all Level 6 monarchs, and the knight orders of the Bachor Duchy represented the most elite and central force within the duchy, iparable to ordinary imperial legions. Not to mention the mobilization of all four knight orders; even the presence of a single order would spell despair for them.


    The elves were thrown into panic, knowing they stood no chance against the empire. With such a force besieging them, survival seemed nearly impossible. But what could they do? They had already traveled two-thirds of the way. Retreating or advancing seemed equally futile, and even a temporary withdrawal wouldn''t be possible immediately. Were they just to wait for death?


    At that moment, an elven knight appeared in the sky. Sigrid, a Level 5 overlord elf, sensed immense power and a regal aura emanating from this golden-haired elf. "The Elven King!"


    "It''s the Elven King!"


    "Are you the Elven King from the Chaos Forest?"


    Merilyn, apanied by several elven elders, appeared before the group. She smiled and responded, "My name is Merilyn, one of the Elven Kings from Giantree City. However, I am not the one you have heard about. Elven King Nancilia is currently coordinating with the federation forces to distract the empire. I am here to guide you to a safe area."


    Hearing this, the elves of the Moonwell tribe were bewildered. Sigrid, somewhat incredulous, asked, "Could it be... that within the Giantree City, there''s more than one Elven King?"


    Merilyn smiled and said, "Yes, of course, there''s more than one, and in the future, there might be even more. You might also be an Elven King in the future."


    "How is that possible?" Sigrid and the other elves found it hard to believe.


    Merilyn exined, "Nothing is impossible. A few months ago, the Chaos Forest didn''t have any Elven Kings or the Tree of Eternity! The changes we see today are all thanks to the full support of His Majesty the Demon King towards our elven kind. With His Majesty the Demon King''s abilities, creating a few more Elven Kings might not be difficult at all."


    Before the group could fully digest this information, Merilyn said, "Alright, we''re pressed for time, and we need to hurry. Nancilia and the others can''t buy us much time."


    About a quarter of an hourter, space twisted, and a colossal structure was teleported onto the in. It was taller than a mountain and about the size of a medium-sized city. Its enclosed structure, made entirely of metal and floating in mid-air, was covered in numerous intricate magical runes and formations.


    "What is this!" The elves were shocked once again. They had never seen such a gigantic floating city. The mere appearance of something so massive out of thin air was utterly inconceivable, and the energy required to transport it here must have been immense! This structure was none other than the Citadel of Eternity of the Chaos Federation.


    An hourter, 560,000 elves had all entered the Citadel of Eternity. They were astounded by what they saw. Such an ancient magitek fortress from legends, to be preserved so intact and still operational, was truly unbelievable.


    Soon after, Nancilia arrived. Merilyn asked, "How''s the situation?"


    Nancilia replied gravely, "The enemy forces are incredibly strong, with at least a dozen or twenty Level 6batants including three monarch-ss presence. We are no match for them and could barely hold our own."


    "What? That strong?" Merilyn was shocked.


    She frowned and said, "This is bad. Are we trapped then?"


    Everyone understood the importance of this fortress. After the Darkness Three Dragons conquered twelve provinces in the southern empire and controlled tens of millions of people, the empire hadn''tunched a counterattack mainly because this fortress blocked their military outside, buying time to consolidate the territory.


    This mobile fortress is crucial for the Chaos Federation. It can effectively expand and reinforce the defensive line to protect the upied areas. Now, to assist the elves, the Citadel of Eternity activated its void engine, which had just cooled down. While this could bypass the empire''s deployment in the Elro territory, it would inevitably lead to significant consumption and a cooldown period of ten to fifteen days. During this time, the fortress wouldn''t be able to teleport again.


    Being trapped in such a situation would be very dangerous, especially since this is not an upied area, making resupply and reinforcements challenging. Any mishap with the fortress would be a massive loss for the federation. This responsibility was something the Giantree City could not bear.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Nancilia firmly stated, "For His Majesty and for the federation, we must protect the fortress!"


    The fortressmander, Bai Jie, reassured, "Don''t worry, the fortress is not so fragile. With nearly full ranks of magitekbat troops, even if the enemy is very strong, they won''t be able to breach it quickly."


    Although Sigrid, the chieftain of the Moonwell tribe, didn''t know much about the Dark Lord, she realized the severity of the situation and immediately offered support, "The elves can also join the battle!"


    Bai Jie nodded, "Let all elven civilians move to the safety zone in the hall, and have elven mages take turns channeling magical power into the barrier array to reduce wear and tear. Elven archers and high-level elven mages will assist inbat."


    After these arrangements were made, it wasn''t long before the fortress rms sounded. Bachor''s troops had arrived. Bachor had a deep impression of this magitek fortress. To assist the elves, the Darkness City had moved the fortress here, undoubtedly making the battle much more challenging. However, this might not necessarily be a bad thing. With the fortress isted and without support, no matter how strong its defenses or how fierce its firepower, it couldn''t possibly stand against Bachor''s knight legions. Especially since the forces participating this time included nearly twenty Level 6 lord units and over a hundred Level 5 lord units, a stark contrast to the battle at Kolo.


    Bachor sneered coldly, "Good, very good. This mobile fortress has always been a great threat to the empire, and now we''ve been given a chance to destroy it."


    With 200,000 knights from the duchy at hismand, Bachor held absolute confidence. However, he didn''t immediately initiate the attack. To ensure the sess of this battle, Bachor specifically waited for the arrival of the First Legion from the southern border, the most elite and mobile among the ten legions of the south.


    The First Legion,prised of 200,000 elite official soldiers, all equipped with flying mounts, was a formidable aerial force. Although theirbat prowess was not on par with the duchy''s knights, they were considered exceptional within the ranks of the official imperial forces.


    Bachor began tomand, first ordering the First Legion to attack. Tens of thousands of flying units approached the Citadel of Eternity from all directions. The fortress immediately retaliated, with tens of thousands of magitek fortress troops firing from the shooting galleries and windows with magitek rifles. The dense beams of light, like a violent storm, filled the entire space, leaving no room to breathe.


    The firepower of the fortress was stronger than anticipated, with imperial soldiers being killed every second. However, this was inconsequential to Bachor, as this elite official army was meant to draw fire as cannon fodder, with the true force being the duchy''s knights.


    "Pass down mymand."


    "Begin the assault! Destroy the fortress in one fell swoop!"


    "Leave no targets behind!"


    Under Bachor''s orders, several knights with the power of Level 6 overlords, immediately activated various powerfulmand skills and magical defenses, splitting into four groups to attack the fortress from different directions.


    The imperial assault was too fierce! Even the robust shield of the Citadel of Eternity was rapidly weakening. At this rate, it would be breached in just a minute or two, risking significant damage or evenplete paralysis. Left with no choice, the Darkness Three Dragons and Nancilia had to re-enter the fray. Bachor, leading his group of Heroes, easily countered theirbined attacks, gaining a clear upper hand. The scales of victory seemed to tilt entirely in the empire''s favor.


    "Demon King! Elven King! Have you run out of tricks?"


    "Don''t think any of you will be able to escape, along with these hundreds of thousands of elves and this fortress, all will turn to ashes!"


    The Citadel of Eternity was in a dire situation, much to Bachor''s delight. After suffering so many losses in the southern border at the hands of the Chaos Federation, the empire was finally on the verge of a crushing victory. Not only could this victory destroy one of the Federation''s most crucial fortresses, but it also offered the chance to wipe out the Darkness Three Dragons and the Elven King of the Chaos Forest in one fell swoop.


    For the Bachor family, this was a monumental victory that could wash away their shame. Bachor taunted while attacking, "You fools really thought you could shake the empire? With the empire''s solid foundation, we can afford to lose ten times, a hundred times, but you can''t afford to lose even once. That''s the absolute gap in strength. Your defeat was inevitable!"


    Indeed, the gap in pure military power couldn''t be easily bridged. Continuing this way, the destruction of the fortress and the ughter of the elves were just a matter of time. Elves like Sigrid, who had never witnessed a battle of this scale, felt immense pressure and an uncontroble fear.


    The human army was just too strong! Even with this miraculous fortress, it was only dying the inevitable. How could they contend against the power of an empire-level force? Now it seemed they were in a dire situation. Seeking refuge with the Elven King not only failed but also put the Elven King in a difficult position!


    At this moment, an unexpected event urred about ten miles from the battlefield. The space in this area twisted, and a crack opened up, forming a gap hundreds of meters high that gradually turned into a giant spatial gate.


    The formation of this massive spatial gate was very slow. Initially, only chaotic ripples were visible inside the gate, but after about three minutes, the ripples gradually calmed, and a clear image appeared.


    Inside the gate was the Darkness Valley, with tens of thousands of the Chaos Federation''s elite forces ready for battle. This included thousands of giants, fifty thousand human units, one hundred thousand draconian units, over a hundred thousand ogres, and hundreds of thousands of minotaurs, tigerfolks, bearfolks, wolffolks, and other elite units from various forest races.


    The total number was about six hundred thousand. This was an extremely elite and vast army. The giant chieftain, Jin Kui, roared, "Your time to earn glory is here! Kill!"


    Golden giants led the charge, breaking through the spatial gate from the distant Darkness City and stepping directly onto the Elro ins, ten miles from the battlefield. Such a massive army was enough topletely encircle Bachor''s knightly forces."

 Chapter 261: Arrival of His Majesty

    Chapter 261: Arrival of His Majesty


    The Ster Gateway, a Level 5 special building, was able to summon a portal within a specified range. This portal was interconnected with the Ster Gateway itself. This important structure in Darkness City was used for the rapid transfer or teleportation ofrge-scale armies across wide areas, holding immense military value.


    In fact, the formation of the Ster Gateway''s portal could have been obstructed. The portal took a significant amount of time to gather energy, causing abnormal spatial fluctuations in the area and generating intense energy waves during the process. This made it possible to disrupt or destroy the gate, either while it was forming or even after it had been summoned, through magical attacks. However, it was toote now.


    The focus of the empire''s elites was entirely on the Citadel of Eternity. Duke Bachor couldn''t have imagined that the Darkness City''s army could be instantly transferred there, as the Ster Gateway''s capabilities were unprecedented and unheard of.


    At that moment, the vast and dense forces of the Chaos Federation surged out of the spatial gate. In just a short time, nearly half of them had emerged. The giants from Thunderp City, with their tough skin and strong magical defenses, led the charge, followed closely by the ogres from the Chaos Forest and various other forest races. The sky was filled with flying units, including dragonmen troops and members of the winged races.


    Before the two sides could engage in closebat, Darkness City initiated a ritual at its three temples. The divine blessings of the Goddess of Nature, the Goddess of War, and the Goddess of the Sea descended upon all the Chaos Federation forces present, significantly enhancing their HP, MP, stats, and recovery abilities, nearly doubling theirbat effectiveness.


    "Charge!"


    "For His Majesty!"


    "For the federation!"


    Jin Kui led the charge by hurling his golden war spear, which, like a sharp bolt of lightning, instantly wiped out dozens of knights from the Bachor duchy. The other giants alsounched their attacks, unleashing hundreds of fierce lightning strikes that thundered across the ins. Despite the strength of the Bachor duchy''s knights, the sudden and ferocious assault caught them off guard. Their once coherent formations were quickly disrupted, leaving them somewhat disoriented for a time.


    "Damn it!"


    "This Elro region! Howe there are so many forest tribes?"


    "And there are human knight and mage regiments too?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Curse it, where did these guyse from?"


    Several imperial knights and generals were stunned. Bachor''s expression was grim: "It seems the Demon King has kept a significant portion of his forces in reserve. Ever since the invasion of the southern provinces by the Chaos Forest, they have never deployed their full strength!"


    It was horrifying! Too terrifying! The strength of Darkness City...How formidable could it possibly be?


    The Hero, Sword Saint Xiu Si, said gravely, "Duke, we must not panic now. Although the enemy is numerous, they are not as strong as the duchy''s knights in terms of strength."


    The Archbishop Huan Yue also stated, "Correct, our priority now is to hold them off and buy time for us. As long as we kill the Demon King, a considerable part of their forces will copse without a fight!"


    Xiu Si ordered, "Xing Rong, you and a few others, quickly go support the rear. We need to buy time to kill the Demon King and the Elven King!"


    "Understood!" The Level 6 Hero Xing Rong, along with three other high-ranking Level 6 Heroes, ten Level 5 Heroes, and several top elites from the Bachor family, retreated from the front line to support the rear.


    "Let''s take down that golden giant first!"


    "He must be one of the strongest fighters in this force!"


    "Once we take down the golden giant, the morale of the Demon King''s minions will definitely plummet, giving the empire a chance to breathe!"


    The experienced high-ranking Heroes made a prompt decision. Currently, within this vast army that arrived through the spatial gate, the most eye-catching performance undoubtedly came from the giant Jin Kui, leading the charge. Now, Jin Kui possessed the strength of a top-tier Level 5 overlord. His defense, attack, resistance, and vitality were not just top-notch, coupled with his formidable racial talents and advantages, he could confront a Level 6 being head-on. Being the leader who initiated the attack against the empire, he was definitely themanding general.


    "Together, attack!" Xing Rong activated a transformation skill, instantly turning into a giant tens of meters tall with a body that seemed made of ck iron metal.


    "Mountain Crumbling Fist!" He threw a punch directly at the giant. With a bang, Jin Kui''s massive form was sent flying backward.


    Although Jin Kui was incredibly strong, blocking an attack from a Level 6 Hero was not that easy. As Jin Kui tried to regain his bnce and counterattack, Xing Rong waved his hand, releasing a ck chain that bound Jin Kui, immobilizing him.


    "Now! Strike! While we have the chance!"


    The other three high-ranking Heroesunched their attacks. Top-tier magical andbat skills hit Jin Kui one after another, causing him immense damage in an instant. Jin Kui''s colossal body fell, like a golden mountain crashing down. Xing Rong then summoned a massive ck warde and swung it down, decapitating the golden giant. Golden blood sttered everywhere.


    The lord of Thunderp City. The leader of the giant tribe was in just like that.


    Xing Rong initially thought that the other giants and the forces of Darkness City would panic, be terrified, or even be disorganized due to this event. Logically, that should have been the case, but reality didn''t follow expectations.


    "Curse them all!"


    "Our chieftain is dead!"


    "The lord of Thunderp City is dead!"


    "These damned bastards, let''s fight them to the end!


    "Follow our chieftain, to death do us part! Follow our chieftain, to death do us part!"


    All the warriors of the federation on the scene, whether they were giants, orcs, elves, or any of the other dozen races, didn''t show a hint of fear. Instead, with crazed expressions, they charged forward as if eager toy down their lives.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Have these people gone mad?"


    Xing Rong and the three high-ranking Heroes were stunned. These individuals were supposed to be just ordinary forest natives, not directly summoned troops of the Demon King, especially given their vast numbers and diverse races. Logically, even the bravest of people carry an innate and indelible fear of death. Yet, these Chaos Federation forces seemed not to fear death at all, even rushing forward to meet it, embracing it as if it were their fate. This was undeniably a very peculiar situation.


    In reality, the warriors of the Chaos Federation weren''t truly fearless of death. They firmly believed that death wouldn''t truly befall them because the Demon King possessed powerful resurrection abilities, capable of reviving fallen warriors. Thus, for the Chaos Federation, dying in battle wasn''t as terrifying, but rather considered an honor. This belief drove each of them to fight with near madness.


    "Root Bind!"


    Hundreds of elves joined forces to unleash a controlling skill. In his transformed state, Xing Rong was quite cumbersome and was quickly bound, almost wrapped up like a giant dumpling by the roots, temporarily losing his mobility and bing an easy target.


    "Attack!"


    "Use fire magic!"


    The human elemental mage troops of Dark City started chanting.


    "No!! Shit! Stop!!"


    Xing Rong sensed the terrifying aura. Thousands of Level 3 elemental mages activated their collective chanting ability, condensing thousands of Explosive me spells into a single attack, which had the powerparable to a level 6 attack spell. In the next moment, amidst Xing Rong''s despairing gaze, this supercharged Explosive me spell released by thebined chanting of thousands of elemental mages became a supernova and struck him directly, instantly sting his body into smithereens. A Level 6 Hero was thus eliminated by a group attack.


    At the same time, the Chaos Federation forces from Darkness City had almostpleted their entire transfer. The massive army of half a million, sprawling like a tide, soon enveloped the imperial forces within, creating a grave situation for the empire. However, the imperial forces, numbering nearly four hundred thousand, including the formidable ducal knights, couldn''t be easily overwhelmed by the Chaos Federation forces. The situation was more of a stalemate, with intense fighting ongoing.


    Bachor, facing such circumstances, was furious. These knights were the foundation and lifeblood of the Bachor family. If they were all lost here, even if they won the battle, the family would be severely weakened, taking decades or even centuries to recover.


    They couldn''t afford to be passive!


    "Retreat!"


    "Retreat!"


    Before the encirclement was fully formed, Bachor attempted to lead his troops to break through, thus issuing the order to retreat. The ducal knights, mostly mounted on flying mounts, had high mobility. Even if they couldn''t win, they still had the capability to flee.


    However, just at that moment, a barrier descended from all directions. Among the Chaos Federation forces from Gloom City was a group of demon mages, who were particrly adept at barrier magic, capable of temporarily creating barriers to prevent the empire''s breakthrough.


    "At all costs!" Long Yi dered gravely, "Bachor must die today!"


    Zhang San, Li Si, Nancilia, and Marilyn all nodded in agreement. Although due to the nning of their lord, the Chaos Federation was already at an advantage. But the Bachor ducal knights remained a formidable force. Continuing the fight as it was would lead to endless battles and rming casualties. The best way to minimize losses was to kill Bachor, throwing his knights into disarray. Bachor himself was the greatest threat in the southern Empire, causing significant trouble for the Chaos Federation. An opportunity like today''s was too rare to pass up.


    The five of them flew out of the fortress, taking a risk to approach Duke Bachor. Bachor, noticing the approach of the Demon King and the Elven King, understood their intent and immediately said solemnly to those around him, "Lord Archbishop, Lord Sword Saint, given the current situation, we have no other choice. Our only hope is to kill the Demon King and the Elven King, but my strength alone is insufficient. I hope you all can lend your full support."


    "Rest assured, Grand Duke!"


    "We will give it our all," the two supreme Heroes assured, moving to Bachor''s side.


    At the same time, Bachor''s four knightmanders and five Level 6 supreme Heroes also rushed over in haste. At this moment, Bachor had eleven Level 6 powerhouses by his side, including two Level 6 monarch-ss supreme powerhouses.


    "Good! With this force, the Demon King and the Elven King are nothing to worry about! If we can eliminate them, there''s still hope for a turnaround!"


    As the two forces collided, their respective domains were activated, constantly neutralizing each other. Bachor had thought the battle would be simr to the previous one, with neither side able to gain control of the battlefield. However, to his surprise, a divine tree suddenly rose from the ground, releasing a multitude of roots to form a domain of less than a kilometer, enveloping everyone within it.


    "What''s happening?" Duke Bachor, Archbishop Huan Yue, and Sword Saint Xiu Si were shocked. They had shed once before and thought the forces were evenly matched, so why did the Chaos Federation prevail in the domain sh this time?


    "Among them! There''s another Elven King!" Xiu Si sensed Marilyn''s presence, which exined the situation. Among all the monarchs present, Marilyn was the weakest, but her arrival tipped the bnce.


    "Hmph! So what if you control the battlefield?" Bachor''s expression darkened, "You''re just digging your own grave!"


    From theparison of strengths, the empire''s advantage was very clear. In addition to the three monarchs, the empire also had several Level 6 Heroes and knightmanders. Nine powerful fighters!


    As a Level 5 monarch, Marilyn could at most contend with two Level 6 overlords. In other words, there was a gap of seven overlord-level units in strength, putting the Chaos Federation at a significant disadvantage. Even though Nancilia''s domain was sessfully deployed with the help of others, how much impact could such a weakened domain have on the top fighters present? The effect was likely negligible, akin to digging their own grave like Bachor stated.


    "We won''t lose!" Nancilia''s expression was very determined. Even if it meant a mutual destruction, she was determined to eliminate Bachor. Without Duke Bachor, the threat from the empire''s southern territory would be greatly reduced.


    However, before the three Dragon Kings and two Elven Kings could act, a voice appeared in their minds: "Let me handle it this time."


    This voice belonged to no other than the Demon King, Zhang Nu himself. The five were taken aback. His Majesty himself was going to intervene?


    With Nancilia''s domain currently sealing the area and countless roots covering it, making it difficult for outside forces to enter, it was practically a secluded space. The three monarchs led by Bachor were not easy foes, and killing them was easier said than done. Even the Level 6 Heroes each had their own trump cards. A fight could potentially lead to mutual destruction without ensuring the total annihtion of these powerful enemies. For such a crucial battle, the Demon King couldn''t just stand by, so he decided to enter the fray to ensure aplete victory.


    "Yes! My lord!" Li Si, the draconians'' chief priest nodded and activated his Demon King''s summoning ability, while Nancilia immediately lifted the spatial restrictions in coordination.


    Bachor was puzzled, and Xiu Si immediately drew his sword, sending a powerful sword Qi sweeping towards them. However, just as the sword Qi was about to hit the group, a hand casually grasped, as if catching an annoying fly. The powerful sword Qi unleashed by the blind Sword Saint was directly gripped and quickly dissipated in the opponent''s hand, turning into nothing without leaving a trace."

 Chapter 262: One-Sided Massacre

    Chapter 262: One-Sided Massacre


    In the presence of the three Dragon Kings and two Elven Kings, another figure appeared on the scene. This person was shrouded in a somber, concealing cloak, making it impossible to discern their true appearance or gauge their level of power. However, the fact that they effortlessly caught a strike from the Sword Saint of the Sunset Empire with their bare hands was a feat no ordinary person could achieve.


    Duke Bachor demanded with a stern voice, "Who are you?"


    Concealed within the cloak, Zhang Nu chuckled without revealing his face, "After contending with the Chaos Federation for so long, you haven''t even discovered my existence. I''m not sure if I''ve overestimated you or if you''ve underestimated us."


    As he spoke, the Darkness Three and the two Elven Kings all knelt on one knee.


    "We greet our master!" "We greet Your Majesty!"


    This scene, witnessed by all, sent shivers down their spines. The three titans of the Darkness City had been entangled with the empire for over a month. The names of the Darkness Three Dragons and the Elven Kings had already spread throughout the empire, bing almost household names with numerous myths and rumors surrounding them. Yet, at this moment, the three mighty and mysterious Dragon Kings and the two elegant and noble Elven Kings were all kneeling before this enigmatic figure, their faces filled with respect and humility, disyingplete submission and utter lowliness.


    This was beyond belief, even more shocking than the worst nightmare. It was a terrifying scene that one could scarcely imagine to be real.


    Duke Bachor was overwhelmed with shock, absurdity, and despair! Could it be... that the target of the empire''s research for over a month, for which the southern region of the empire had paid a tremendous price and had been locked in back-and-forth tug-of-war, wasn''t actually the real Demon King? The three Dragon Kings and the high-ranking Elven Kings were merely subordinates of the true Demon King lurking in the shadows who had never made a move from start to finish!


    Duke Bachor eximed in anger, "No, how can this be possible? Who exactly are you?"


    Zhang Nuughed. This revtion was too much for Bachor to bear. It''s no wonder Bachor couldn''t bring himself to believe or ept it, because if he did, wouldn''t he be aughing stock? It would be the greatest humiliation of his life!


    Indeed, this was understandable. In fact, not just for Bachor or the empire, but for the majority of the lower and middle ranks within the Chaos Federation as well, it was hard to distinguish between the Dark Dragon King and the true Demon King. After all, they were of the same race, and the Dark Dragon King also exuded an imposing presence, very much like a final boss. In other words, because Zhang Nu did not often reveal his strength, it was easy for the citizens of the federation to mistake the Dark Dragon King as the lord of the Darkness City, without realizing that he was merely a shadow of the true Demon King.


    Why did Zhang Nu seldom take personal action for so long? While part of the reason might be due toziness, a more significant reason was that the timing wasn''t right. If Zhang Nu had acted personally from the beginning, it would have been easy to expose the secrets of the Darkness City, inevitably attracting the full force of the empire''s encirclement and suppression.


    A month or two ago, Zhang Nu had just taken control of the Chaos Forest. At that time, the newly established Chaos Federation was not yet strong enough to confront the entire empire''s wrath. If the empire hadunched a full-scale crusade against the Chaos Forest, it would have posed a considerable threat.


    However, things are different now. Zhang Nu has achieved the power level of a Level 6 legend. The Vice Lord of the Darkness City and Prime Minister of the Chaos Federation, Han Kexin, was now a Level 6 myth. The alliance of two supreme Demon Kings was already a catastrophic existence, not to mention the significant development of the Darkness City during this period and the recruitment of figures like the Empress Shui Lan. With the current strength of the Chaos Federation, it could withstand even a full-scale attack from the empire. For this reason, Zhang Nu need not be overly cautious. It is justifiable for him to take action personally on such asions.


    Zhang Nu lifted the disguise cloak he was wearing, revealing his tall, imposing, and domineering true form. Even though it would be incredibly difficult to advance further once one reached Level 6, Zhang Nu has never stopped bing stronger. He would often enhance his attributes by acquiring attribute crystals from the Demon King''s market and learning arge number of passive skill stones.


    At this moment, Zhang Nu has significantly improved his strengthpared to when he had just broken through to his current level. The moment Zhang Nu revealed his true face, a wave of almost tangible Dragon Fear, like a nuclear explosion, detonated instantaneously. The entire space was turned upside down, engulfed in this aura, causing everyone present to feel a suffocating pressure and be sted into a state of dizziness.


    [You have been hit by "Dragon Fear". HP -620. Stunned for 3 seconds!]


    [You have been hit by "Dragon Fear". HP -621. Stunned for 3 seconds!]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Both the monarch-ss Heroes were greatly rmed. Dragon Fear was a fundamental talent of superior dragon-kind. Yet now, merely relying on Dragon Fear, they could inflict such significant damage on monarch beings like them. Units below Level 3 or 4 lord could lose their lives in an instant if enveloped by this Dragon Fear. It was terrifying! And this was just the Dragon Fear! Why was it so powerful and fierce?


    However, what was even more shocking, or rather despairing, was the confirmation of this individual''s identity. The power of this Dragon fear was far greater than that of the Dark Dragon King by dozens or even hundreds of times. This dragon''s strength, status, and level were also undoubtedly far superior. The Demon King could not possibly be of a lower level than the units he summoned, so no matter how unbelievable it may seem, the fact remained. This was the true Demon King.


    "From the moment our master descended," Long Yi said, "this game was already over."


    "I advise you to surrender obediently. Any resistance is futile and ridiculous because your meager abilities are not worth mentioning in front of our master."


    "Arghhhhh!" Bachor, the duke, was the first to break free from the influence of the Dragon Fear.


    His hair and eyes turned blood red, veins bulged on his skin, and blood mist seeped out, gathering around his body like a cloud of blood-colored mes. This was clearly a skill that burned life essence to boost strength, providing a short-term explosive increase in power but at a serious cost, leading to severe consequences.


    Bachor, with his hair standing on end and roaring angrily, dered, "Surrender? Ridiculous! I am the head of the Bachor family, a lineage that hassted a thousand years. Even if it means gambling the honor and fate of the entire Bachor family, I will kill you all with my own hands today!"


    Meanwhile, the others gradually recovered from the Dragon Fear as well. Each of them wore an unpleasant expression. The Demon King did not attack while they were under the influence of the Dragon Fear, which only meant that the Demon King was overly confident, certain of defeating everyone face-to-face.


    "Be careful," warned the swordsman, "I can''t see through his strength... and if even my Inner Eye can''t perceive it, then his power mustpletely surpass monarch-ss and reach the legendary mythic level!"


    At Level 6, mythic-ss strength was astoundingly powerful, capable of overpowering any individual. Despite this, it didn''t mean certain defeat. United, everyone still held a glimmer of hope. The two monarch-ss Heroes, five Level 6 overlord Heroes, and four ducal knights all began to gather their strength, ready for a final, desperate effort. The biggest problem was that the Demon King was not only extremely powerful himself but also had the support of the three Darkness Dragon Kings and the two Giantree City Elven Kings. If they had joined the battle to assist the Demon King, the situation would have be extremely difficult. The only option might have been to buy time and wear down the enemy''s strength, finding a way to keep them upied.


    As it turned out, such concerns were unnecessary. With Zhang Nu personally present, there was hardly a need for anyone else to take action. Zhang Nu, too, intended to resolve the battle swiftly to avoid unnecessary attention.


    "Dragon King''s Sanctum!" With a light stomp, Zhang Nu engulfed the surroundings in an endless void. Everyone found themselves plunged into a pitch-ck space, and to their horror, discovered that all magic had be unusable.


    "Dominion ofw!" they realized. "It was truly a mythic sanctum!"


    The domain of a mythic entity had a stronger control effect than that of a monarch''s domain. A mythic unit could also create abat environment entirely beneficial to itself. For instance, Zhang Nu''s domain was of the spatio-temporal attribute, allowing him to repel all other types of power within the domain, except for spatio-temporal abilities, effectively banning them all.


    Unless the opponent also possessed spatio-temporal magic or reached the mythic level to directly manipte the power ofws themselves, they would be unable to use magic within this domain. This was thew''s dominion of the mythic sanctum, essentially the bane of all mages. If a mage found themselves in such a predicament, they would be almostpletely incapacitated, except for divine magic or some limited pure energy magic. The only relief was that there were no pure mages present. Although several Heroes possessed magical abilities, they primarily relied onbat Qi and martial skills. Combat Qi, stemming from one''s own life and spirit energy and not dependent on externalws, remained usable.


    However, before they could contemte further, they noticed the space around them beginning to copse in a strange manner. This ced their bodies over a mini ck hole, where the attraction of the ck hole made it almost impossible to move, and the space and time itself was being stretched and deformed.


    "Oh no!" they realized. "Space and time abilities!"


    At the same time, the copsing and deforming of space and time swirled like a vortex, creating spatial turbulence with immense destructive power capable of bypassing physical and magical defenses to inflict damage.


    Bachor unleashed his fiercebat Qi, barely dispelling the surrounding spatio-temporal energy. "Die!" he roared, hisbat Qi forming wings and his body enveloped in blood mes. Mobilizing every bit of power avable, he overcame the resistance formed by the spatial copse and thrust a spear towards Zhang Nu.


    However, the moment the spear hit Zhang Nu, it passed right through him. Bachor''s expression changed dramatically; he felt no sensation of hitting a solid body, as Zhang Nu manipted space to dematerialize himself and effortlessly dodged the attack.


    "The empire''s Grand Duke," Zhang Nu remarked dismissively, "is just so-so."


    With one hand, Zhang Nu grasped Bachor''s neck as if holding a powerless chick and lifted him up. Bachor was horrified to find that the life force and mana within his body were being drained away at an rming rate, like floodwaters bursting through a dam. In no time, the blood mes andbat Qi enveloping his body vanished. Bachor deeply felt the vast chasm between their powers.


    Zhang Nu activated the Eye of Death, delivering a Death Stare straight away.


    -78232!


    All of Bachor''s amulets, life-saving items, and various protective measures turned to ash under the strike. The terrifying necrotic energy instantly filled every corner of his body, prating every inch of flesh and cell.


    "No!" Bachor roared in despair. "I won''t ept this! How can there be such a powerful force! How can the Darkness City possess such power!"


    Bachor''s desperate howl echoed as he found himself utterly unable to contend with this force. He shattered like a y figure, eventually disintegrating into dust and evaporating as if he had never existed.


    [You''ve in "Imperial Duke of the Southern Territory - Grand Duke Bachor"! Gold +50 million!]


    Tsk, tsk. A duke was truly different. That gold for his head was quite lucrative!


    The whole process happened too quickly. Before anyone else could even react, the renowned Grand Duke of the Southern Territory, Bachor, was eradicated by the Demon King with overwhelming superiority.


    "Shit!" the Radiant Archbishop, Huan Yue shouted, determined to unleash her trump card.


    As a high-ranking member of the Radiant Church, she had numerous powerful abilities at her disposal and wasn''t about to go down without a fight, even against a formidable opponent. However, before she could execute her forbidden divine magic, with divine power still brewing, a sword suddenly cleaved her from behind. The Archbishop was split in half from head to toe, dying with her eyes wide open, seemingly unable toprehend how such a thing could happen.


    After Sword Saint Xiu Si unexpectedly killed the unguarded Archbishop, his sword swiftly turned towards a nearby Hero, bisecting two more Heroes in an instant.


    "What the fuck is going on!"


    "Are you betraying us?"


    Xiu Si, with a look of despair, eximed, "No...my body...it''s not under my control...I''ve been mentally controlled by him!"


    It was then that everyone noticed the vertical eye on the Demon King''s forehead, which had shifted from blood red to blue-white. This was the "Eye of Domination"! The Demon King had managed to control a Level 6 monarch-ss being, a feat even the Subus Queen would struggle to achieve, which could only be described as terrifying. Under the control of the Eye of Domination, Xiu Si turned against the remaining high-ranking Heroes, including their leaders.


    Eventually, after suffering serious injuries from the retaliatory efforts of two dying Heroes who activated theirst resorts, he roared in defiance. "You used me like a puppet! Arghhhhh! You''re done!"


    Xiu Si underwent a transformation, releasing all his mana from his body, which abandoned his severely injured physical form to be a mass of spiritual des invisible to the naked eye. This was the Inner Sword, a high-level secret technique thatunches an instantaneous, unavoidable attack. Zhang Nu didn''t even evade; the so-called Inner Sword, essentially a psychic attack, was ineffective against him once he activated the Eye of Domination, not only causing no damage but also being absorbed by Zhang Nu.


    At this point, the Hero was utterly despondent. His most potent move couldn''t even scratch the Demon King. How could there be such a fearsome Demon King! At that moment, Zhang Nu made his move. A bolt of thunder and me materialized into a long sword. Zhang Nu, with a teleportation, struck him with the de


    [You''ve in a Level 6 Hero. Hero''s soul +1! Skill stone +5! Monarch crystal +1!]"

 Chapter 263: Emergence of Leaderboard

    Chapter 263: Emergence of Leaderboard


    The disparity in strength between them was too vast. Even relying purely on his own abilities, these humans stood no chance against him. Moreover, with Zhang Nu possessing several Evil God talents, his strength continued to grow, and the effects of his talents became increasingly powerful, allowing him to achieve such an overwhelming victory.


    "His Majesty is too powerful!" Marilyn seldom witnessed the Demon King taking action and was shocked by his power, almost rivaling gods.


    Nancilia was equally exhrated. Although she had long known that His Majesty was terrifyingly powerful, she hadn''t expected him to be this formidable. With such a figure leading them, the Forest of Chaos had nothing to fear.


    "The rest is up to you!" After personally dealing with Bachor and others, Zhang Nu didn''t linger on the battlefield.


    Although the current strength of the Chaos Federation meant that even if the Demon King was fully exposed, there would be no fear of threats from the empire, progress should be made one step at a time. Conquest was a process and couldn''t be achieved overnight. For this reason, Zhang Nu still maintained a degree of low profile, allowing the Chaos Federation to expand gradually at a healthy and steady pace.


    When the domain was reopened, the bodies of the four knightmanders and the various Heroes were all presented before everyone. As for Bachor, not even his bones remained.


    The soldiers of the empire''s camp were utterly despaired.


    "It''s all over..."


    "We''re done for!"


    "The Duke of the Empire has been defeated!"


    "The Archbishop of the Radiant Church and the Sword Saint of the Sunset Empire have been killed!"


    The troops of the empire were in despair as the fall of their strongest forces plunged them into a state of copse.


    ......


    Back in Darkness City, Zhang Nu opened his yer interface to briefly check his gains. The rewards from this battle were not small by any means. The battle was not over yet, but a preliminary estimate suggested that the ie in terms of gold could reach around 3.4 billion, especially since this battle could eliminate tens of thousands of knights from the Bachor Duchy. These ducal knights were the most powerful and core forces, painstakingly built by Bachor Duchy with immense effort, resources, and time. They were also extremely loyal to the duchy, making the chances of their surrender quite slim.


    Moreover, there were quite a few high-level fighters involved in this round of battle. Just the Grand Duke of the empire alone, being a Level 6 monarch-ss unit and having the special status of an empire''s duke, contributed to an impressive 50 million gold in earnings, making the rewards from this battle quite substantial.


    In addition, this battle resulted in the deaths of arge number of Heroes. Zhang Nu gained the souls of about a dozen Level 6 Heroes, nearly a hundred Level 5 Heroes souls, and almost a thousand Level 4 Heroes souls. Among these, the number of skill stones reached several thousands.


    For the Demon King, these were valuable resource reserves. Zhang Nu nced over the skill stones currently in his possession. To him, skill stones below A-rank no longer hold much significance; only those that were rank A or S could effectively enhance his power. From this battle, he obtained several S-rank skill stones. Zhang Nu selected a few S-rank skill stones and picked out a few others from the rest that are of particr use to him, intending to keep these skills for himself:


    [Skill Stone: Mind Qi] S-rank skill stone


    [Skill Stone: Inner Sword Technique] S-rank skill stone


    [Skill Stone: Radiant''s Holy Physique] S-rank skill stone


    [Skill Stone: Titan''s Might] A-rank skill stone


    [Skill Stone: Life Baptism] A-rank skill stone


    Mind Qi is a Qi-based skill. Qi skills are foundational for martial Heroes. Different types of Heroes cultivate different types of Qi, each with its own effects and attributes. The most significant difference between Mind Qi and regr Qi is that Mind Qi is of the psychic attribute. Up until then, Zhang Nu had encountered various attributes of Qi, but he had nevere across Qi of the psychic attribute. That meant, using this type of Qi to attack an enemy could not only cause physical damage but could also destroy the opponent''s psych, thereby forming a powerful psychic attack. It was quite rare.


    As for the other S-rank martial skill, the Inner Sword Technique, it belonged to a famous swordsmanship school in the Sunset Empire. When cultivated to the extreme, the Inner Sword Technique could directly annihte an opponent''s soul. Moreover, this type of strike could not be dodged.


    If the Inner Sword Technique and Mind Qi werebined with the Dragon Fear and the Eye of Domination, the resulting effect and lethality would undoubtedly be astonishing. It could be said that by mastering these two skills, Zhang Nu''s attack methods and killing power could have been further enhanced.


    As for the other skills, they were all passive.


    [Radiant''s Holy Physique] S-rank passive skill. Upon cultivation, HP, MP, and all stats +50%. Light attribute attacks +100%. Absorption of light damage +99%.


    In simple terms, this was a top-tier skill that could significantly enhance all attributes, increase light-based attack capabilities, and absorb light damage. It was powerful enough to provide a boostparable to the benefits brought by a Level 4 advanced Demon King talent. Without hesitation, Zhang Nu learned it. With this S-rank skill, his strength improvement was immediately noticeable.


    The other two A-rank skills were also not to be underestimated.


    [Titan Strength] A-rank passive skill. Strength +1200, Constitution +800.


    [Life Baptism] A-rank passive skill. Max HP +10,000. HP restoration +100 per second.


    These two passive skills provided fixed enhancement effects. For Demon Kings or Heroes with weaker strengths and lower stats, the improvement brought by these skills would be immediately significant and quite evident. Although the enhancement wasn''t as substantial as the S-rank skill for Zhang Nu, it was still not to be underestimated. Zhang Nu found it extremely difficult to level up now. However, through the amplification of stats using crystals, potions, skills, or other means, he could still continually strengthen himself and deepen his foundation.


    The gains from this battle left him very satisfied. In addition to a substantial amount of gold, souls, and skill stones, he also acquired two monarch crystals this time. Such items were of considerable value to a Demon King. Including the one obtained from killing the Hero Luo Zheng, he now had three of these crystals in total.


    Hoarding such resources would be wasteful. Zhang Nu decided to try and exchange them for something more useful for Darkness City. He opened the chat channel, took out a monarch crystal, and posted the information in the trading chat. Then, he made an announcement across all Demon King channels:


    "Selling a ''Monarch Crystal.'' Open to exchange for top-tier blueprints, skill stones, or reliable information on ''Godhood'' or ''Void Seeds.'' Interested parties, please PM me!"


    Zhang Nu believed that an item like the monarch crystal would have an irresistible attraction to Demon Kings at this stage. Throwing one into the mix was bound to cause an unprecedented sensation across various Demon King channels, thus drawing countless eyes and discussions.


    Zhang Nu tried to gather information on "Godhood" and "Void Seeds," which were crucial materials for activating his Level 6 talents. Given the number of souls he currently possessed and his rate of acquiring them, activating a Level 6 talent was not difficult in itself. The real challengey in choosing an advanced evolutionary path.


    Upon ascending to Level 6, a Demon King''s evolution could branch into different directions. Zhang Nu had the option to activate "Primordial Dragon" or "Void Dominator," but he could also choose to activate "Chaos Dragon God" or "Void Overlord." The former options were undoubtedly strong, but they likely paled inparison to thetter. If Zhang Nu were only seeking a faster level-up, he could quickly activate a Level 6 talent right this moment and fully activate all Level 6 talents within a month.


    However, Zhang Nu believed his current strength was more than sufficient to deal with surrounding enemies. Therefore, why rush the leveling process? Instead, he preferred to choose a better path to be an even stronger entity!


    Having three monarch crystals, selling one was not a big deal. In fact, with Darkness City currently having enough high-end units and Zhang Nu possessing various ways to create monarch-ss units, even trading all three monarch crystals wouldn''t be a loss, provided he could exchange them for useful information and resources.


    As expected, the Demon King chat channels exploded!


    "Damn, what kind of divine material is this?!"


    "It can actually transform a subordinate unit into a monarch-ss entity? I''ve been around until now and am only at lord-ss strength... Is this the world of the big shots?"


    "I''ve heard of monarch crystals before. It seems you need to kill a Level 6 monarch-ss Hero to obtain one, right? Did Potato Boss actually take down such a high-level being? Is Potato Boss''s strength really that terrifying?"


    "What? Am I seeing this right? A Level 6 monarch-level Hero?"


    "Are there really Heroes that powerful in this world? Impossible!"


    "Just because you haven''t seen them doesn''t mean they don''t exist. Such Heroes are indeed very rare, but they do exist in various regions, and their numbers are on the rise. Heroes can grow too!"


    "Potato Big Boss, are you interested in trading for gold? I''ll offer 10 million gold!"


    "10 million gold for a monarch-ss unit? Are you dreaming?"


    "Hey! 10 million gold isn''t a small number. How many of you trash cane up with that? But the question is, does Potato Boss look like someone who needs just 10 million gold?"


    "Admiration +1!"


    "Admiration +10086!"


    Zhang Nu nced over it. Every channel''s chat channel had blown up. His private message inbox also exploded in an instant. Zhang Nu had set a threshold for private messages, requiring Demon Kings of at least Level 4 and above to send him messages, and yet he still received thousands of messages in a blink of an eye. However, whether it was in the chat channels or his private message inbox, Zhang Nu did not find the information he was looking for. Everyone was confused about the "Godhood" and "Void Seeds"; no one knew what these items were used for, nor did anyone know where to find these two items.


    "This is getting tricky..." Zhang Nu furrowed his brows, realizing that pursuing a higher-level upgrade path might not be an easy task. It seemed he needed to prepare for a long-term search.


    As for the monarch crystal? He decided to just list it in the trade section for now. After all, Zhang Nu had plenty of money and didn''t care about a little transaction fee. Such a rare treasure could attract the attention of arge number of Demon Kings. With a hefty reward, there will surely be opportunity takers. Countless Demon Kings would be mobilized to gather information and search for the two upgrade materials for Zhang Nu.


    ......


    The next day, the battle in the Elro region concluded, aligning closely with expectations. Almost the entire duchy''s knight order was wiped out, while nearly half of the ordinary imperial soldiers surrendered. Zhang Nu, instead ofpletely annihting these surrendered units, nned to construct several Level 5 prisons in the human territories to specifically house prisoners of war and manage them.


    Following this battle, Zhang Nu gained more financial resources, allowing him to significantly expand his territory once again and further encroach upon and assimte the poption of the empire''s territories.


    However, at this moment, Zhang Nu, along with all Demon Kings and Heroes, received a notification message. The message for the Demon King faction read as follows:


    [Global Announcement: The initial development phase of this round of the game has concluded. The ranking system for Demon Lords and Heroes will soon be opened. Demon Kings and Heroes who make it onto the leaderboard will receive additional bonuses. Extra rewards will be granted for killing those listed on the leaderboard.]


    Ding! Another notification popped out.


    [It has been detected that you will be ced on the Demon King leaderboard. Would you like to publicly disclose all your information?


    A Demon King leaderboard? Zhang Nu was taken aback upon seeing this announcement. It had been half a year since the game began, and discussions about the top ten Demon Kings, top hundred Demon Kings, and so on, were rampant in almost every Demon King channel, but it was difficult to truly rify andpare these rankings.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Unexpectedly, an official leaderboard had now emerged."

 Chapter 264: Ranking of Demon Kings

    Chapter 264: Ranking of Demon Kings


    Zhang Nu was surprised by the appearance of the leaderboard, but he didn''t find it odd. In his previous life, almost every mobile and online game he yed had a leaderboard, so having rankings in a game was not strange at all.


    With Zhang Nu''s strength, it would be strange if he didn''t make it onto the leaderboard. Being listed was inevitable. Now, he had the option to either disclose his information or keep it hidden. Disclosing information could bring some additional rewards, but it would also expose not only his race and level but potentially even his location. Unless one was extremely confident and ostentatious, there was no need to put oneself in such a situation just for a bit of extra reward. Zhang Nu was notcking in money or resources, so he naturally chose to hide his critical information.


    [The Demon King faction leaderboard is being generated... Congrattions, you have made it onto the Demon King leaderboard, currently ranked as: 1st!]


    [You have received a 50% extra gold reward!]


    [You may im a ranking treasure chest once a week!]


    What? He topped the list? Zhang Nu was somewhat surprised. He felt confident in his strength and was certain of making it onto the leaderboard, even securing one of the top spots seemed likely. However, securing the top position and bing the number one Demon King was somewhat unexpected. Given his current strength, the poption of Darkness City, its influence, scale, and facilities, it did seem fitting for him to be ranked first. Zhang Nu opened the leaderboard and nced at the current rankings of the Demon Kings:


    1st ce: Zhang Nu


    Level (hidden), Race (hidden), Location (hidden)


    2nd ce: Berkeley Galbraith


    Level (hidden), Race (hidden), Location (hidden)


    3rd ce: Vivian Strayer


    Level (hidden), Race (hidden), Location (hidden)


    4th ce: Lin Qianqiu


    Level (hidden), Race (hidden), Location (hidden)


    5th ce: Yuto Yokoyama


    Level (hidden), Race (hidden), Location (hidden)n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    6th ce: Artyom Romanov


    Level (hidden), Race (hidden), Location (hidden)


    7th ce: Li Renjun


    Level (hidden), Race (hidden), Location (hidden)


    8th ce: Tarak Khan


    Level 6 Myth, Dark Titan, located in the Abyssal World at coordinates...


    9th ce:......


    ......


    33rd ce: Han Kexin


    Level (hidden), Race (hidden), Location (hidden)


    Scanning through the list, Zhang Nu noted that the Demon King leaderboard featured 500 names from various regions and countries. He was currently at the very top. Han Kexin ranked 33rd.


    Essentially, every Demon King on the list, even the weakest, had reached at least Level 5, indicating that the number of Demon Kings who had reached Level 5 was not as small as one might think. As for the Level 6 Demon Kings, there were dozens of them. Generally, reaching the 6th tier would ce one within the top 100. Looking at the list, it was clear that the Demon Kingmunity was brimming with formidable and unexpected talents.


    Han Kexin was not weak by any means. The fact that she couldn''t make it into the top thirty, ranking 33rd instead, showed that there were thirty-two Demon Kings stronger than her at the moment.


    The majority of the Demon Kings chose to hide their detailed information. Only a very few, like the 8th ranked Demon King, Tarak Khan, openly disclosed their information and even their location. Based on his name, he seemed to be a Demon King from India. His decision to reveal his information wasn''t entirely due to arrogance; he resided in the mysterious and unpredictable Abyssal Space, which had a sparse poption but powerful inhabitants, and he needed to attract more Heroes. This Indian Demon King, by choosing to disclose his information, revealed that he was a Level 6 mythic-tier being. The strength of these supreme Demon Kings could be easily imagined.


    Demon Kings with the strength of a Level 6 monarch could barely make it into the top hundred, while Level 6 monarch Demon Kings had a chance to be in the top thirty or forty. Any one of them was powerful enough to dominate a region. The emergence of the Demon King leaderboard immediately caused a stir in the Demon King chat channels.


    "Holyshit!"


    "A leaderboard!"


    "Everyone, go check it out! There''s a new leaderboard!"


    "Now we can stop arguing; the strength of all the Demon Kings is clear at a nce!"


    "Have you guys seen who''s at the top? Is the Potato Demon King really that powerful?"


    "Hahaha, I''ve actually had business dealings with the top Demon King!"


    "Even though jealousy is tearing me apart, it''s still better than having a foreigner at the top. Good job, Potato Demon King, you''ve made our great China proud!"


    "This has revealed so many big shots!"


    "Some of them have never even appeared on the forums!"


    "Strange, how did these mysterious big shots develop their strength?"


    "The one in eighth ce is even a Level 6 mythic entity? These guys are too fierce! How did they manage to develop to this level?"


    Everyone was discussing fervently, all deeply shocked.


    Meanwhile, in every corner of this world, all the Demon Kings, whether ranked or unranked, were surprised. In a distantnd, within a magnificent city and a splendid castle, surrounded by millions of subjects, a Twelve-Winged Fallen Angel Demon King looked on in astonishment. Among the top fifty on the Demon King leaderboard, there were only a handful of female Demon Kings, and she was one of the top three, Vivian, ranking even higher than the Subus Queen Han Kexin.


    "How can this be?"


    "Why am I ranked third?"


    "What''s the deal with the two above me?"


    It was no wonder Vivian felt perplexed. Vivian was a "Twelve-Winged Dark Fallen Angel," one of the most powerful races. She was fortunate, and her father was even luckier. Vivian''s father, as a Hero, was reborn as an emperor of an imperial-level power. A Hero with the status of an emperor is almost unheard of and unique. From the beginning, he controlled a super powerful empire.


    Two months ago, Vivian sessfully reunited with her father, and since then, her growth as a Demon King skyrocketed. After all,pared to other Demon Kings, she had the full support of a superpower behind her! Billions in gold, thousands of Heroes, resources, souls, and talents -- Vivian had it all. Working together, the Hero father provided resources, and the Demon King daughter expanded the territory, leveraging each other''s strengths to be arguably the most formidable duo currently.


    At that time, Vivianmanded an army of millions and controlled nearly ten million Demon King subjects. Her strength had nearly reached that of a Level 6 legendary being. She simply couldn''t believe that there were two individuals in this world who had surpassed her, and the one at the top, Demon King Zhang Nu, was apparently from China. Narrowing her eyes, she focused on the top-ranked Demon King.


    "So, the current top Demon King is Zhang Nu? A Chinese?" she mused. "Damn, surpassing me by two ranks, I must teach him a lesson and show him who truly deserves to be the top Demon King!"


    Despite not securing the top spot, Vivian wasn''t disheartened. Her full cooperation and partnership with her emperor father had only been for two months, and her territory was still expanding rapidly. She believed that overtaking the top spot was just a matter of time.


    Meanwhile, other top-tier Demon Kings were equally shocked by the rankings. The fourth-ranked Demon King, Lin Qianqiu, was formerly themander of China''s top special forces unit and one of the nation''s most outstanding soldiers.


    Lin Qianqiu belonged to the race of "Doomsday Harbingers," a high-tier undead race considered to be the ultimate evolution of a Death Knight. Although incredibly powerful, this race was slightly inferior to the Abyssal Dragon Kings and the Twelve-Winged Fallen Angels but on a simr level to the Subus Queen and the Bone Demon King. While not the most top-tier or strongest race, it was still highly formidable. There were numerous Demon Kings ranked below Lin Qianqiu with stronger races, yet Lin Qianqiu managed to fight his way to the fourth position, showcasing his impressive overall qualities.


    "Not bad, fourth ce," Lin Qianqiu said with a slight smile. "But I won''t be satisfied with just this. If I aim to do something, I aim to be the strongest."After viewing the rankings, he didn''t pay much attention to it and quickly returned to his battles.


    The sixth-ranked Demon King, Artyom Romanov, was a man from Russia. His race was the Chaos Behemoth King, another one of the strongest initial races. Upon seeing his ranking, Artyom was both shocked and angry.


    "What''s going on? I thought I had secured first ce for sure!"


    The reactions of the other top Demon Kings varied greatly. Some were exhrated and joyful, others were sullen and angry, and yet others were indifferent. However, at this moment, all the Demon Kings had one name etched into their memories---the name of Zhang Nu, who had long been nicknamed "Potato Demon King" and had now ascended to the top of the leaderboard as the number one Demon King. From this day forward, he would be a benchmark for others. Zhang Nu would be the target that all other Demon Kings strive to surpass. As for this honor, Zhang Nu himself didn''t really care much about it. However, just then, he received a private message from Han Kexin.


    Han Kexin: "Hey, have you seen the rankings? You''re actually in first ce, I really didn''t misjudge your strength!"


    Han Kexin: "But I can''t believe I''m ranked in the thirties, especially with another female Demon King ahead of me. It''s simply unbearable!"


    This woman was still aspetitive as ever. With at least a hundred million Demon Kings, even after many were killed off or eliminated, there were still tens of millions left. Being ranked among the top few tens out of so many Demon Kings, what was there to be dissatisfied about?


    Zhang Nu offeredfort: "Ranking thirty-third is not bad at all. Don''t worry too much about this kind of thing. What''s most important is that we focus on our own business!"


    Han Kexin: "No, I''m not satisfied. If that Vivian can be third, why should I only be thirty-third? I at least need to break into the top ten!"


    Zhang Nu knew her personality well. This wasn''t necessarily a bad thing. Being spurred on by this, she would definitely work even harder. So, Zhang Nu immediately said: "Okay, I''ll help you. As long as we work together, not only the top ten but even taking down that Vivian won''t be a problem!"


    Han Kexin: "That''s what I''ve been waiting to hear from you. Just make sure you keep that top spot warm for me!"


    After the appearance of the Demon King rankings, Han Kexin reaffirmed her decision to join the Darkness City. Without joining the Darkness City, being ranked thirty-third, she probably wouldn''t even have the strength of a Level 6 by now and would at most be ranked in the two or three hundreds!


    The Subus Queen set her initial goal to break into the top ten. Then, she nned to make her way into the top five and eventually the top three. With the city''s lord being the number one Demon King, the vice city lord couldn''tg too far behind. Only by the two top Demon Kings working together could they conquer the world!


    Suddenly, Zhang Nu thought that if the Demon King rankings had been released, it would only make sense for the Hero rankings to be out as well. He immediately summoned one of his subordinate Heroes and asked him to copy down the Hero rankings. These ranked Heroes were like big fat sheep, not only were they top-tier Heroes, but killing them also came with extremely generous special treasure chest rewards!"

 Chapter 265: Heroes Ranking and The Empires Intervention

    Chapter 265: Heroes'' Ranking and The Empire''s Intervention


    The Demon King rankings had appeared, and naturally, the Hero rankings were no exception. Inside a casino in Bachor City, Su Yan, disguised as a human youth, was busy gathering information. When she received this news, she was slightly taken aback and quickly opened the ranking interface to check.


    The Hero rankings were quite different from the Demon King rankings. The Demon King rankings had 500 slots, while the Hero rankings had a whopping 5,000 slots. This wasn''t surprising, as Heroes, in terms of sheer numbers, were at least several dozen to a hundred times more numerous than Demon Kings. Having a longer ranking list was quite normal.


    "I can''t believe I didn''t make the list!" Su Yan didn''t receive a notification about being ranked. Among the 5,000 ranked Heroes, there wasn''t a spot for her. She felt extremely frustrated, wondering if she was still considered a weakling.


    It''s worth noting that Su Yan had already advanced to a Level 5 Hero and had mastered several A-rank skills. By leveraging intelligence and the capabilities of her Dragon''s Shadow Hero Group, she had even taken down several Demon Kings within the empire''s territory. At least within the Thunder Empire, her strength was second only to top-tierHeroes like those from the Thunderous Society, and she had even reached the level of strength where she could defeat a guardian knight who served as pirs for the empire. Yet, despite such achievements, she didn''t even qualify for the rankings, highlighting just how formidable the true top-tierHeroes were.


    Additionally, unlike the Demon King rankings, the Hero rankings disclosed a lot of information. Less than half of the Heroes chose to hide their information. This is because, unlike Demon Kings, Heroes can move freely. Even if others know their level and information, they are not easily targeted or exploited. Moreover, disclosing information can actually enhance their reputation, attracting nearby Heroes to join them, thus increasing their prestige.


    When Su Yan nced over the rankings, she was profoundly shocked.


    1st ce: Isaac Harold


    Level (Hidden), Race (Hidden), Identity (Hidden)


    2nd ce: Su Yuwen


    Level (Hidden), Race (Hidden), Identity (Hidden)


    3rd ce: Sophia Gregg


    Level (Hidden), Race (Hidden), Identity (Hidden)


    4th ce: Emilia Ray


    Level 7 Legend, Seraphim, Chief Battle Archangel of the Celestial me Kingdom in Outer Space


    5th ce: Guo Xingchen


    Level (Hidden), Race (Hidden), Identity (Hidden)


    6th ce: Wang Badao


    Level 7 Legend, Sacred Dragon, Ancient Dragon Emperor of the Holy Dragon Kingdom


    7th ce: Hoshino Ryoko


    Level (Hidden), Race (Hidden), Identity (Hidden)


    8th ce: Lucas ist


    Level 7 Legend, Human, Former Pope of the Radiant Church


    ...


    499th ce: Satoru Sato


    Level 6 Myth, Human, The Chief of the Seven Sword Saints of the Sunset Empire


    500th ce: Kim Jihyun


    Level 6 Myth, Abyssal Blood Witch, Grand Marshal of the Dark Blood Empire in the Abyssal World


    ......


    5001st ce: Ford Gilbert


    Level 6 Monarch, Orc, Southern Great Chieftain of the Bloodde Empire


    Before seeing this ranking list, Su Yan could never have believed that the strength of the Heroes could be so formidable. It turns out that her perspective had been too narrow. The world is indeed vast, with possibly hundreds to thousands of empire-level forces spread acrossnds, oceans, underworld, outer space, and other regions. Up until now, Su Yan''s view had been limited to only three forces within the Chaos Forest. To be more precise, the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes'' current understanding of the Sunset Empire and the Azure Alliance was not deep, with their mostprehensive knowledge being of only the Thunder Empire.


    It''s important to note that the number of Heroes far exceeds that of Demon Kings. If the total number of yers in the world is ten billion, then at most, there would only be two to three hundred million in the Demon King faction, with the rest being allocated to the Hero faction. Suppose there are a total of five hundred empire-level forces across the world, including thend, oceans, underworld, outer space, the abyss, and other unknown regions. If each empire-level force produced one or two Heroes like Luo Zheng, then there would be at least 500 to 1000 Heroes who started with the strength of a Level 6 monarch.


    What did this imply? The world was not just made up of empire-level forces. In fact, the vast majority ofnds and spaces were unimed. Given such a vast area and poption, it was understandable that there would be many hidden talents. Furthermore, aside from those naturally gifted individuals, there are always others who, through effort and opportunities, climb their way up from the bottom. While the growth potential of Heroes may not be as great as that of Demon Kings, it is still not to be underestimated!


    In such a scenario, it was perfectly normal and to be expected that Su Yan did not make it onto the list. Currently, Su Yan was a ''beggar-version'' of a Level 5 monarch, with her overallbat power being roughly equivalent to a Level 5 overlord, which meant there was a significant gap for her to breach to enter the top 5000. Fortunately, most of the Heroes in the top hundred were of various unique races and were located in peculiar ces, making it difficult for them toe into contact with each other at the moment, so there was no need to worry about safety issues.


    "Looks like I need to keep striving!" Su Yan carefully reviewed the Hero ranking list once again. She found the appearance of this list to be very valuable. The Dragon''s Shadow Heroes Guild had a new mission: to use her identity as a Hero to start collecting information about these Heroes from all over.


    Just then, amotion erupted from outside.


    "Bad news!"


    "A disaster has struck the Elro region!"


    "Duke Bachor has been defeated again... and is suspected to have died in battle!"


    "It''s true, the entire ducal knight order has been annihted, and the great Bachor family is finished!"


    This news spread rapidly, plunging the entire Bachor main city into unprecedented turmoil and panic. Everyone was stunned by this announcement. Duke Bachor had truly died in battle this time! The entire Bachor Duchy fell into unprecedented panic. Countless merchants, wealthy individuals, and nobles, sensing the dire situation, hurriedly packed their valuables and prepared to flee. The lines of those evacuating quickly stretched for miles.


    "Big boss is too powerful! He actually took out Duke Bachor!" Su Yan was also shocked by the scene she witnessed. The Bachor Duchy had fallen into an unprecedented level of panic, and at this rate, it seemed likely to copse without even needing to be attacked.


    However, this chaos did notst long. At this critical moment, avishly equipped team arrived directly from a distant ce through the teleportation array of Bachor''s main city, setting foot in this southern region of the empire. The team was notrge in number, totaling just over a hundred people, but each member exuded an extremely powerful aura. The leading trio, in terms of strength and status, were awe-inspiring enough to stem the tide of copse in the southern empire.


    These three were none other than:


    The Western Guardian Grand Duke, Gehrman Kofiepol


    The Eastern Guardian Grand Duke, Bismarck kely


    And the Thunder Empire''s Chief Knight, the current leader of the Guardian Knight Order, Kroft, sent by the Emperor himself.


    Any one of these figures could dominate a region on their own, and their personal strength was no less than that of Bachor. Moreover, aside from these three distinguished individuals, the other hundred or so members were no ordinary individuals. They had not nned to arrive in the south so soon, but the situation deteriorated so severely that they had to advance their arrival to stabilize the situation and morale. The rest of the reinforcements, including other powerhouses, mercenaries, and armies, were set to arrive in Bachor''s Duchy within the next ten days, ready to keep the Demon King at bay within the southern border of the Empire.


    "Did Bachor really die? I didn''t expect him to be so useless." The Western Grand Duke Kofiepol was a slightly overweight middle-aged man with a prosperous look, wearing a brocade robe and avish gemstone ring on his thumb. He usually appeared very genial and seemed very amiable.


    However, anyone familiar with the Western Duke would know that this imperial duke, who seemed as affable as a wealthy merchant, was in fact a very cunning, insidious, and terrifyingly powerful figure. "Cunning Fox Kofiepol" was his nickname in his younger years. Duke Kofiepolmanded a host of powerful individuals, established the empire''s strongest mage group, and controlled several of the empire''s top forces. His resources and strength were unfathomably deep.


    He gloated at the current situation in the south. Duke Bachor not only met his demise but also led his ducal knights to near total annihtion, depleting much of the duchy''s resources and losing tens of millions of people in the southern territories. Given the current trend, it seemed likely that the marquisate regions like Elro would also fall.


    In other words, not only was Bachor gone, but he also caused the empire to lose at least dozens of provinces and at least tens of millions of people. The damage inflicted was immeasurable. The Bachor family''s honor was in tatters, and they would undoubtedly be held ountable after this affair was settled. The ducal title was definitely lost. Even if the Bachor family managed to escapeplete ruin, they would likely be demoted to marquisate. This presented Duke Kofiepol with an opportunity.


    "You fat old fox, don''t be foolishly careless. Bachor was far from ipetent!" Grand Duke kely of the East warned, "This enemy is extraordinary. Let''s not follow Bachor''s path to ruin."


    This Eastern Grand Duke, standing at two and a half meters tall with a very sturdy build and a face covered with a bushy beard, looked like a strong brute. However, he was far from a simple musclehead. The kely family was recognized by the empire as the strongest warrior family. Every member of this family was exceptionally talented, with the least among them being one in a hundred or one in a thousand martial prodigies. Bismarck kely, the current head of the family, was regarded as having the most potential and the strongestbat Qi among the empire''s four duchies.


    Despite their words of wariness, both dukes harbored more anticipation than apprehension in their hearts. The more dangerous the enemy, the greater the opportunity. The future of the empire''s southern territories was a huge pie. With the Azure Water Federation in chaos, if everything went smoothly, the empire''s expansion southward could potentially connect directly with the Sea of Chaos. If they could connect to the Sea of Chaos and annex the Pale Moon Penins in the chaotic waters, the southern territories of the empire would be the wealthiest region of the Thunder Empire.


    By seizing this opportunity andying the groundwork in advance, they could quickly cultivate their forces in the region while the local powerhouse, the Bachor family, was severely weakened. The benefits that could be reaped in the future were immeasurable.


    At this moment, the chiefmander of the Guardian Knights, Kroft, said, "The priority is not to investigate the cause of Bachor''s death or to rush into a counterattack, but to first stabilize the duchy."


    "Exactly," the others agreed. "After all, it will take some time for all our troops to arrive."


    "The Bachor Duchy has a poption of over a hundred million and still has several million official troops. As long as we can stabilize this ce, and with our support along with the emperor''s Guardian Knight Order, it''s not toote tounch a full-scale counterattack and offense."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After the arrival of the Eastern Grand Duke, Western Grand Duke, and the Empire''s Chief Knight, these three significant figures immediately revealed their identities and quickly stabilized the morale of the southern territories. This news was swiftly ryed back to the Darkness City in the Chaos Forest through the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes Guild. Zhang Nu was studying the Heroes Ranking List when he received this news. He was slightly taken aback, not expecting two of the empire''s dukes to personally join the battle. It seemed the empire was finally taking this seriously.


    But this level of intervention was still not enough. After all, the Darkness City now was not the same as it was two or three months ago."

 Chapter 266: Darkness Citys Fantastic Four

    Chapter 266: Darkness City''s Fantastic Four


    From the information ryed back by the Dragons Shadow Heroes, it appeared the Empire had nned to reinforce the southern territories with forces from the eastern and western frontiers. Zhang Nu hadn''t paid much attention to this. It had been impossible for the empire to counterattack the Chaos Forest, and for the Chaos Federation to annex the Empire''s southern territories wasn''t something that could be achieved overnight. There was a gradual process of conquest, taking and digesting one mouthful at a time.


    In fact,pared to thetest movements of the empire, Zhang Nu had been more interested in the newly released Hero Ranking List. Although he had anticipated that the top-ranked Heroes would be very strong, he was still surprised upon seeing the Hero Ranking List. He hadn''t expected there to be so many top-tier Heroes. Even though many of the top 100 Heroes belonged to some strange races and were located in unusual ces, they were still formidable enough to warrant caution.


    Overall, in this game, Heroes had always had a significant advantage in the early to mid-stages. Some Heroes started with great strength, while, in contrast, Demon Kings started from scratch. If they were unlucky or not strong enough, they could be eliminated right from the beginning. However, as time went on and the longer it dragged on, any Demon King who survived would be no ordinary individual. The advantage between the Hero faction and the Demon King faction would switch. Every Demon King, even the weakest kind, given enough time and resources, could eventually be a force capable of sweeping across the world, with the power to destroy and annihte. That was because there was no limit to a Demon King''s growth. The strength of a Demon King''s race merely determined how long it would take, but theoretically, all Demon Kings could eventually be the strongest beings in the world.


    Therefore, in the early to mid-stages, without sufficient strength or resources, Demon Kings would generally do their best to survive by any means. Why had Zhang Nu been maintaining a low profile for so long? It was precisely for this reason. He had hoped to keep everything within his control and always retain some trump cards, never easily revealing all his strengths.


    In the battle at Elro, although Zhang Nu had personally intervened, his involvement hadn''t been very obvious. In the short term, it was unlikely to be discovered. Most people''s understanding of the strength of the Demon Kings in the Chaos Forest had been that of a Demon King at the level of a Level 6 monarch. Even if top-ranked Heroes were drawn here, they were likely to seriously underestimate the strength of the Darkness City!


    Of course, even if a particrly strong Hero came along, even if their level was slightly higher than Zhang Nu''s, Zhang Nu was confident he could handle it and at the very least ensure his own safety. After all, his territory had be impregnable, with various buildings and facilities, a huge army, and powerful subordinates, none of which were just for show. Not to mention Zhang Nu himself. He possessed two shards of Evil God, had a plethora of S-rank skills, and was proficient in spatial-temporal abilities. Threatening him was easier said than done.


    Zhang Nu had given orders for the Dragons Shadow Heroes to start collecting more information on the top-ranked Heroes. These Heroes themselves possessed great strength, but the rewards for defeating them were also very enticing.


    On the other hand, Zhang Nu decided to enhance the strength of his territory. He had about five to six hundred million gold at his disposal for Darkness City. In one go, Zhang Nu spent 320 million gold to add 80 Abyssal Dragons to Darkness City. Including the ten dragons led by Long Yi, there were now 90 Abyssal Dragons.


    Among these ny units, Long Yi was a sixth-order king-level existence. Long Er to Long Shi (Dragon Two to Dragon Ten) were all dragon elders.. The newly recruited Long Shiyi to Long Bashi (Dragon Eleven to Dragon Eighty) were all Level 5 overlords. Among them, the majority were dragons of the four elemental types, but there were also several special ones, such as Long Shisan (Dragon Thirteen) and Long Sanshi (Dragon Thirty), who were purple lightning dragons, Long Ershisi (Dragon Twenty-Four) and Long Wushijiu (Dragon Fifty-Nine), who were white light dragons, and Long Liushiliu (Dragon Sixty-Six), who was a ck dark dragon.


    These special attribute Abyssal Dragons generally had greater talents and potential. In the future, they had the potential and qualifications to be trained into monarchs. With nearly a hundred powerful Abyssal Dragons, Darkness City''s overall strength had greatly increased, making it easier to gain air superiority during wars.


    However, it still wasn''t enough for Zhang Nu. He felt that he needed to amass at least three to five hundred dragons. This way, he could form a dragon legion. In future conquests, there wouldn''t be a need to deploy hundreds of thousands of ground troops; a few hundred Abyssal Dragons could overwhelm any forces with their might, offering not just a deterrent effect but also greater mobility and efficiency.


    Of course, creating so many would require more money. There was no need to rush. Zhang Nu still had a significant portion of disposable ie. Considering he had a batch of Level 6 souls, and had recently collected arge number of them after the battle in the Elro region, along with the Level 5 soul crystals farmed from the Ancient Land of Stars dungeon, he had almost umted enough Level 6 souls.


    With a determined heart and a grit of his teeth, Zhang Nu decided to advance Zhang San and Li Si. Once they were upgraded to Level 6 through the altar, they would gain near-mythic strength, and Darkness City would gain two more Earth Drake Sovereigns and two more Sky Drake Sovereigns. Such a move would consume a vast amount of gold, gems, and souls, but the significant leap in Darkness City''sprehensive strength would be worth it. Although gold, gems, and souls were precious, resources could be earned back. The most pressing task was to develop the territory, annex the empire, and conquer the seas as quickly as possible.


    Dayster, under the leadership of Nancilia and Marilyn, 560,000 elves sessfully migrated to the Giantree City. The chieftain of the Moonwell tribe, Sigrid, saw the great Ancient Tree of Eternity from afar and was so moved that she shed tears of excitement, leading hundreds of thousands of elves to kneel and worship as if they were witnessing the arrival of the Goddess of Nature.


    Nancilia said, "Everyone, don''t get too excited. Let''s enter the Giantree City first!" n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Chieftain Sigrid led the elves to the vicinity of the Giantree City. When they felt the amplification of the Tree of Eternity, everyone became so exhrated that they couldn''t contain themselves. For the elderly elves, as they entered the influence range of the Tree of Eternity, their wrinkled faces immediately regained youthfulness, bing rosy and lustrous, and their bodies quickly rejuvenated. This was because the Tree of Eternity significantly extended the lifespan of the elves. This amplification could even allow an elf to live two to three times their normal lifespan. Just this benefit alone was iparable for the elves, not to mention that the Tree of Eternity also elerated elves'' recovery and increased their training speed several-fold. Undoubtedly, this was a genuine Ancient Tree of Eternity. With such a divine tree, the elves living nearby, whether in terms of quality of life, training speed, or production efficiency, were unmatched by elves from other areas.


    Giantree City already had a poption of 560,000 to 600,000, among which the elf poption had already surpassed 400,000. Now, with the Moonwell tribe leading several elf tribes to migrate here, Giantree City instantly became the tenthrge city in the Chaos Forest with a poption exceeding one million.


    The Chaos Federation was well-prepared for this. Darkness City had anticipated that the poption of Giantree City would surge after the establishment of the Tree of Eternity, increasing several-fold in a short time, so they sent 20,000 draconian craftsmen skilled in construction to build more facilities and buildings for the elven capital.


    "Fantastic! Giantree City now has a million elves! Our elven race will greatly strengthen!" Marilyn was very excited. "I''ve just received several more messages! Otherrge groups of migrating elves are also on their way and are expected to arrive within half a month. The poption of Giantree City will soon reach one and a half million, or even two million!"


    As they watched hundreds of thousands of elves joyfully entering Giantree City, Nancilia felt happy for her people and excited for the imminent revival of the elven race. She said, "This is all thanks to His Majesty''s grace!"


    Marilyn suggested, "We should first take Chieftain Sigrid and the elders, as well as the chieftains of other elf tribes to Darkness City to meet His Majesty."


    "That makes sense!" Sigrid and other elven leaders had already learned about the developments in the Chaos Forest during their journey. They were amazed by the powerful abilities of the lord of Darkness City, but they hadn''t yet met the Demon King in person. So naturally, upon arriving at Giantree City, their first order of business was to pay respects and pledge allegiance to the true ruler of thisnd.


    Two hourster, Sigrid and two hundred elves were transported to Darkness City. These elves were tribal chieftains and elders, and they were astonished by Darkness City as soon as they arrived, feeling nervous and excited. Darkness City was already home to arge number of elves. Due to the presence of the Demon King''s Castle, the amplifications it received were no less than those from the Tree of Eternity, and the city''s rich and powerful facilities were dazzling and abundant.


    "It''s incredible! I can feel it. The power of the structures here seems to be no less than that of the Tree of Eternity!" Sigrid discovered that Darkness City was filled with treasures, such as the Tower of Lost Trials, the Rift Tower, the Ster Gateway, various temples, altars, and more.


    Of course, the towering Demon Dragon Castle was not to be missed. The amplifications and energy released from the Demon Dragon Castle were no less significant than those from the Tree of Eternity. With her limited knowledge, Sigrid couldn''tprehend or imagine how such a city was built, and what kind of grand and inconceivable being could possess such a ce?!


    "First, we''ll pay our respects to His Majesty. Then I''ll take you on a tour of Darkness City," Nancilia proudly said. "Dark City is the capital of our Chaos Federation. The facilities here, such as the library, the Elven Sanctuary, the Training Tower, the Tower of Trial, the Rift Tower, are all like treasure troves. Any one of them would amaze you."


    As they spoke, they led the two hundred elves to the Demon King''s Castle. The moment they arrived at the castle, Sigrid felt an unimaginable pressure from Dragon Dear and was once again utterly shocked, eximing, "Dragons,! True dragons! How can there be so many dragons here?!"


    At that moment, near the Demon Dragon Castle, there were at least thousands of high-level true dragons. Not to mention the Demon King''s royal guard legion, a force with considerable strength. Just the ny abyssal dragons were enough to astonish anyone, as true dragons are very rare and powerful creatures that usually prefer solitude. So many powerful draconic beings gathered inside and outside the castle, serving as loyal guards without a hint of negligence. Nancilia was also somewhat surprised, as she hadn''t expected Darkness City to have so many true dragons.


    However, she wasn''t astonished and simply said, "It seems His Majesty has recently summoned some of his kin from the abyssal world to pledge allegiance to him."


    "There''s nothing surprising about that! With His Majesty''s strength, this is nothing!"


    As they spoke, she led the elves through the pce guarded by abyssal dragons and finally arrived at the grand and magnificent Demon King''s Hall, where facilities like the Resurrection Altar were releasing powerful energies.


    Even before entering, the elves felt a strong sense of oppression. This oppressive feeling was typical of a monarch''s might, andpared to ordinary races, this monarch''s might,ing from a top-tier superior race, was even more terrifying and shuddering.


    "Dragon Kings?!" At the entrance to the hall, standing like four mighty guardians, were four monarchs: two Earth Drake Sovereigns and two Sky Drake Sovereigns. Even Nancilia eximed in surprise. Although it''s difficult for outsiders to distinguish between draconians by appearance, Nancilia recognized the main draconian leaders of Darkness City due to her prolonged association.


    "Wang Er, Zhao Wu, Sun Liu, Zhou Qi, is that you?" Nancilia looked at them in astonishment, "You''ve all advanced to be monarchs!"


    Earth Drake Sovereign Wang Erughed heartily: "It turns out to be Her Highness the Elven King. We have received His Majesty''s favor and have now been promoted to monarchs."


    Although they were only Level 5 monarchs, four Level 5 monarchs represented an incredibly strong fighting force.


    Draconian priest Sun Liu said: "Are you here to pay respects to His Majesty? He is currently inside the hall. Coincidentally, Zhang San and Li Si have also been promoted and are now Level 6 Dragon Lords!"


    The Darkness City''s Three Titans, all Level 6 now? And the addition of these four Dragon Kings - Fantastic Four? The foundation of Darkness City''s dragon-kind is too strong! Nancilia felt exhrated and surprised, while Sigrid and other elven leaders were practically petrified on the spot.


    Dragon Kings, even rarer than Elven Kings! The emergence of a king among dragon-kind anywhere was a significant event worthy of attention! But here in Darkness City, just among the Demon King''s subordinates, there are already seven monarchs? That''s just outrageous; when did monarchs be so devalued! The power of the Chaos Federation was terrifying indeed."

 Chapter 267: Primordial Earth Dragon King & Nine-Headed Sky Dragon King

    Chapter 267: Primordial Earth Dragon King & Nine-Headed Sky Dragon King


    Before the elves entered, Zhang San and Li Si stood in the hall. These two elder subordinates of the Demon King had justpleted an upgrade and were currently adapting to their newfound powers. Zhang Nu examined their new stats.


    [Primordial Earth Dragon King] Level 6 monarch unit. HP 25,000, MP 13,500, Strength 3020, Constitution 3680, Agility 1850, Will 1355, Loyalty 100%(Locked).


    Skill: Primordial Earth Dragon Form (Talent), Dragon Emperor Potential (Talent), Earth Domain (Talent), Gravity Maniption (Talent), Adamantine Dragon Body (Talent), Earth Dragon King''s Might (Talent), Primordial Roar (S-rank), Rampaging Dragon Qi (S-rank), Dragon Emperor Aura (S-rank), etc.


    [Nine-Headed Sky Dragon King] Level 6 monarch unit. HP 14,000, MP 28,000, Strength 1105, Constitution 1120, Agility 1165, Will 2800, Loyalty 100%(Locked).


    Skill: Infernal Nine-Headed Dragon Form (Talent), Dragon Emperor Potential (Talent), Sacrificial Domain (Talent), Demon King Summoning (Talent), Mastery of Nine Elements (Talent), Blood Ritual (Talent), Teleportation Field (S-rank), Spatial Gate (S-rank), Great Big Bang Technique (S-rank), etc.


    After the two elder figures were upgraded, it meant that all three titans of the Darkness City had be Level 6 monarchs. United, the Darkness City Three Titans were capable of confronting the current Azure Water Empress, who, despite having greatly diminished in strength, was still an mythic-ss unit. The significant enhancement in the strength of the Darkness City''s three dragon kings was evident. Moreover, after the upgrade, not only did Zhang San and Li Si experience a surge in strength, but their races also underwent transformation and evolution.


    Zhang San had be the Primordial Earth Dragon King, one of the most ancient species of earth dragons from the primordial era, which had long been extinct. They were the most powerful and formidable among earth dragons, far surpassing other earth dragon species in strength.


    Li Si, on the other hand, transformed from a seven-headed dragon into a nine-headed dragon. The nine-headed dragon is a supremely high-end variant among the dragon-kind, considered almost divine. A seven-headed dragon could already employ magic from seven different elements: wind, fire, water, earth, light, darkness, and thunder. After bing the Infernal Nine-Headed Dragon King, Li Si gained magical abilities in two additional elements based on the seven-element foundation: life and necromancy. As a Draconian Priest already gifted in spatial magic, Li Si, with the addition of wind, fire, water, earth, light, darkness, thunder, life, and necromancy, effectively became a mage unit proficient in ten different schools of magic.


    The advancement of Zhang San and Li Si was not limited to just their strength and lineage. More importantly, their upgrade granted them the potential to be Dragon Emperors, which are mythic-ss dragon units. In other words, they had the potential, even with Level 6, to break through their limits and be even more powerful mythic dragons.


    In fact, the currentbat power of Zhang San and Li Si was almost on par with the Abyssal Dark Dragon King, Long Yi, but their overall abilities had already slightly surpassed Long Yi. It should be noted that Long Yi was no weakling; he was a bona fide Level 6 monarch of dragons. He had also been granted various draconic magic by the dragon elders promotion. However,pared to Zhang San and Li Si, Long Yi temporarilycked the potential to be a Dragon Emperor; his potential was at most that of a dragon king.


    Now, the Darkness City boasted seven monarch units of its own. With three Level 6 monarchs and four Level 5 monarchs, they formed a formidable force. In the Gloom City under Han Kexin''smand, up to six Level 6 demonic monarchs could be mustered if all were toplete their upgrades and evolutions. Just the monarch-ss units from the two cities would number thirteen. The number didn''t even include the two Demon Kings themselves, the Elven Kings from the Giantree City, and the Azure Water Empress of the Sea Tribes, Shui Lan. With these assets, their foundation wouldn''t be inferior to that of an empire-level power.


    With this round of expansion, the Darkness City had grown significantly stronger. However, the expenditure was truly astonishing. Zhang Nu had almost exhausted all his gold, gems, and high-level souls. "Unexpectedly, the three most crucial resources, gold, gems, and souls, still seem somewhat insufficient to support the expenses. I need to earn more money and resources!"


    Zhang Nu casually opened the Demon King channel. Since the Demon King Ranking was released, Zhang Nu''s fame among the Demon Kingmunity had reached its peak. Now, in every Demon King chat channel, there were almost always people, overtly or covertly, inquiring about Zhang Nu. Not all of these people were merely curious. Among them, there were surely Demon Kings controlled by Heroes or coborating with them. The top-ranked Demon King, Zhang Nu, had always been known for his mystery and low profile, never wasting words in chat areas beyond business dealings, to the point where people still didn''t know his race.


    One could imagine that anyone who could find out information about this top-ranked Demon King could instantly gain huge benefits by selling this information to Heroes, as hunting down the top-ranked Demon King was too tempting for Heroes. After the leaderboard was released, killing a target from the opposite ranking not only yielded regr rewards but also high-quality treasure chests. Moreover, the higher the ranking of the target in their faction, the more astonishing the treasure chest rewards would be.


    Zhang Nu was certain that the Heroes ranked in the top few hundred were now desperately trying to find him through various channels. Each of these individuals was extremely formidable, and Zhang Nu did not want to confront them prematurely to avoid disrupting his current development momentum. Right now, he was solely focused on making money and expanding his territory.


    Fortunately, digging up information on him was not so easy. Zhang Nu had always kept a very low profile. So far, apart from Han Kexin, only a few others within the Chaos Forest knew of his identity, and all these Demon Kings within the Chaos Forest were bound by contracts and could not reveal his information. Therefore, at least for the short term, there was no need to worry about being targeted.


    Zhang Nu nced through his private message inbox. Although he had received many new messages, most of them were attempts to probe or tter him. The Godhood and Void Seed he was looking for still had no leads. Zhang Nu felt that these two items were not easy toe by. Apart from these two items, what else could directly enhance his strength? Zhang Nu immediately thought of something - the "Fragment of Evil God." If he could obtain a fragment of an Evil God, it would also significantly enhance his strength, and the talents granted by such fragments were generally very powerful and useful. Those who possessed fragments of an Evil God, or even just valuable clues about them, Zhang Nu wouldn''t mind purchasing at a high price or exchanging with precious materials like monarch crystals.


    After adding this purchase request, he also casually checked other trade items in the Demon King''s market and bought some gems and other materials to replenish the severely deficient stock in the Dark City.


    At that moment, one particr private message caught Zhang Nu''s attention. The Undead Lich Lu Jiang messaged: "Big boss, I have a Level 5 special blueprint here. Can I exchange it for the monarch crystal you have?"


    A Level 5 special building blueprint? This indeed piqued Zhang Nu''s interest, as such level and quality blueprints were notmon in the market.


    Zhang Nu replied: "Send the info over for me to take a look."


    The Undead Lich Lu Jiang quickly responded: "Yes, thank you, big boss. I''ll send it to you right away!"


    A blueprint was sent over.


    [Blueprint: Nature Priest Job Advancement Tower] Level 5 special blueprint. Costs gold x 30 million, life gem x5000, basic elemental gems x3000 each. You may construct a Nature Priest Job Advancement Tower within your territory.


    A job advancement tower? This indeed was a valuable item! Zhang Nu thought for a moment and replied, "This blueprint is good, but it''s not enough for a monarch crystal. If you really want to sell it, I can offer 20 million gold or buy it with a few A-rank skill stones."


    Job advancement towers are highly valuable. Zhang Nu had ced a job advancement tower in the main city of the Kregi territory. This tower now brings in an average revenue of about 10 million a day and also converts local residents into mages, providing them with knowledge and power while automatically turning them into supporters of the Demon King''s rule. However, job advancement towers have specific applicable races or target ranges. The Mage Job Advancement Tower in the Kregi area is only designated for the human race; other races can''t use it.


    This blueprint was for job advancements into priests of the Goddess of Nature. Therefore, the converts must first be followers of the Nature Goddess. This covered severalmon forest races, primarily elves, making it a tower suitable for the Chaos Forest. Building this tower could effectively enhance the strength of the Chaos Forest.


    After some negotiation, Zhang Nu acquired the blueprint from the Undead Lich Demon King for 10 million gold and 3 A-rank skill stones. Both parties were satisfied with the deal. For Zhang Nu, this expense was negligible. For the Undead Lich Demon King, forest races were rare in its territory, and followers of the Goddess of Nature were hard to find. Without prosperous kingdoms nearby, it couldn''t profit from the job advancement tower, so it was better to trade it for money and skill stones.


    Just as Zhang Nu obtained the blueprint, he sensed the presence of elves. Nancilia, apanied by over two hundred elves, entered the hall and knelt down respectfully, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"


    Zhang Nu nced over and understood their origins. "You must be the elves who have recently migrated to the Chaos Forest," he deduced.


    At this moment, Sigrid''s legs were trembling; this was her first time facing such an inconceivably terrifying being. In fact, Zhang Nu''s aura was already restrained, not emitting much pressure. However, the presence of the Chaos Forest''s three dragon kings by the Demon King''s side was overwhelmingly terrifying. Especially Zhang San and Li Si, who had justpleted their upgrades and advancement, were unable to conceal their aura. The aura of the Primordial Earth Dragon King And the Nine-Headed Sky Dragon King was much stronger than that of ordinary dragons, enough to make all the elves present dare not to even breathe too loudly.


    Compared to these three dragon kings, the four outside seemed insignificant. Yet, even a Level 5 Dragon King was considered an extremely noble and great existence to these elves. Moreover, so many dragon kings were all respectfully kneeling before the Demon King before them.


    Despite the Demon King''s unassuming appearance, this sense of mystery and hidden depth made the elves feel even more awe and fear.


    "As long as you are willing to pledge allegiance to me and join the Chaos Federation, you will be granted the right to reside in the Giantree City, the elven capital city within the federation," Zhang Nu stated calmly. "As the lord of the Darkness City, I will protect all the citizens of the Chaos Forest."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty!" The elves responded gratefully. The elves were overjoyed. Such a great being willing to protect them brought an immense sense of security and honor. They no longer had to worry about being bullied by other races, nor fear the empire, and no longer needed to live a life of discement!


    The settlement of 560,000 elves was of great value to Zhang Nu. After pondering, he said, "The poption of Giantree City''s elves surpassing one million is a joyous asion. Let me give you another new gift!"


    Hearing this, Nancilia was astonished. His Majesty is going to give the elves another gift? The Ancient Tree of Eternity was already a gift from His Majesty to the elves, and it was the best thing the elves could imagine in this world. The elven race was already very satisfied and grateful. Unexpectedly, another gift was forting. His Majesty''s generosity knew no bounds!


    The gift Zhang Nu intended for the elves was none other than the job advancement tower he had just acquired. Taking advantage of the surge in the elven poption, he nned to ce this item directly in the Giantree City."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 268: Nature Priests

    Chapter 268: Nature Priests


    The next day, in the Giantree City, a mysterious building suddenly rose from the center of the city. It resembled an ancient tree, about 200 meters tall, with a lush and vibrant exterior. Inside, it was a hollow hall where a statue of the Goddess of Nature stood.


    This building, which appeared to be a temple dedicated to the Goddess of Nature infused with elven architecture style, was in fact the Nature Priest Job Advancement Tower. It was simr to the Mage Job Advancement Tower in the Aofa City of Kregi, but with a key difference. Thetter facilitated a job advancement to be a mage, whereas this tower enabled a job advancement to be a clergy ss.


    Clergy represented a special and independent system, distinct from warriors and mages. Warriors trained in martial skills and Qi, mages in magic, and clergy used divine arts, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Warriors and mages required higher talent, as without sufficient talent, mastering Qi or magic would be destined to fail. Clergy, however, had lower requirements for talent or potential. Bing a powerful clergy member mainly depended on resonating with the corresponding deity to receive sufficient divine favor.


    The three systems had different limits. Although warriors and mages faced more difficult training and higher talent demands, reaching the pinnacle could potentially allow mastery over thews of the world itself. Clergy, on the other hand,cked the capacity to surpass deities, as their divine magic was ultimately not their own power, leading to a lower ceiling. As a result, pure clergy members were rtively rare under normal circumstances.


    Clergy members often also train in martial skills or magic. The Nature Priest Job Advancement Tower constructed in Giantree City endows those who undergo the job advancement with the abilities of a nature priest, thereby granting them control over the divine magic of the Goddess of Nature. The divine magic of the Goddess of Nature is not particrly strong inbat. In fact, it can be considered quite weak. However, this type of divine magic excels in support, healing, and production, especially in terms of treating diseases, healing injuries, and agriculture, where it has excellent effects.


    In terms of cost, the Nature Priest Job Advancement Tower is about thirty to forty percent cheaper than the Mage Job Advancement Tower. Although it only allows for the job advancement of elite priests from Level 1 to 5, this still held significant importance for the Chaos Forest and the Chaos Federation.


    Like in the Aofa City of Kregi, the job advancement tower was not a summoning building. Its function is to train or enhance existing units. Zhang Nu won''t spend money on upgrading it; instead, he can make a profit from it. Elves who wish to be priests of the Goddess of Nature must bear the cost themselves.


    However, considering the residents of the Chaos Forest are not as wealthy as human residents, Zhang Nu adjusted his strategy. Elves can use contribution points earned within the federation to exchange for the opportunity to undergo the job advancement to be nature priests.


    Nancilia entered the job advancement tower, bing the first elf to experience the job advancement. Whether it''s the elven Nature Priest Job Advancement Tower or the human Mage Job Advancement Tower, the essence is to add rather than overwrite. It would not interfere with one''s own established power and strength; it would merely add anotheryer of ability on top of the existing skills.


    "It''s amazing!" Nancilia eximed. "I can feel the presence of the Goddess! His Majesty must really know the Goddess! Otherwise, how could she have descended her avatar here?" After entering the tower of the Nature Priest job advancement, Nancilia could distinctly feel as if an avatar of the Goddess of Nature was attached to the statue of the Goddess in front of her, surrounded by a strong aura of the Goddess.


    The sensation was incredible. Nancilia sat down and began to meditate. A torrent of divine power was released from the statue, turning into a massive green beam, enveloping her like divine enlightenment. In Nancilia''s mind, a wealth of knowledge, experience, skills, and detailed information about various divine spells rted to the nature priest instantly appeared.


    In the blink of an eye, Nancilia acquired the divine art skills of a Level 5 elite priest. She suddenly gained a variety of divine magic spells, including recovery, healing, protection, perception, and elerated growth, mainly focusing on abilities such asbat support, healing and recovery, enriching thend, and increasing crop production.


    For her, with near-mythic level strength at Level 6, this new power was almost negligible, and the increase in strength was not significant. However, Nancilia realized the value within. This miraculous elven sacred building allowed direct ess to the Goddess''s power and the granting of priesthood, meaning that theoretically, hundreds of thousands of elven civilians in the capital elven city could be Level 5 priests!


    If this were achieved, with hundreds of thousands or even millions of elven civilians bing priests, their spiritual strength and various stats would inevitably increase by many foldspared to ordinary civilians. This would not only enhance the overall strength of the elven race but also greatly benefit production and farming activities. Moreover, these nature priests, each possessing abilities to enrich thend, elerate growth, and aid production, couldmunicate with various nature beings and guide the order of the natural environment, creating far greater value than before.


    "As expected from His Majesty!" Nancilia thought. "With such a sacred ground, it would be impossible for the elven race in the Giantree City to not thrive!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After acquiring the divine spells, she also felt significant changes in her body, with her Elven Empress bloodline being further activated. If everything went smoothly, in not much time, and with at most one or two more Demon King baptisms, the little Elven King would fully be a myth.


    Nancilia immediately stepped out to share the great news with her people. In front of all the elders and leaders of various tribes, she demonstrated a divine spell of nature without uttering any incantations. Beneath her feet, the ground instantly turned lush with green grass, countless flowers bloomed, and small trees sprouted, bearing fruit.


    These weren''t magical creations; the flowers, grass, and trees were nature''s creation. Nancilia merely catalyzed their growth with elven divine magic. A Level 5 elven priest''s divine spell could easily turn barrennd into greenery, make delicious fruits grow in infertile areas,municate andmand animals, or manipte weather and the environment. High-ranking elven priests were treasures. Each one could significantly increase recovery speed and production efficiency in any production team they were part of.


    "Simply incredible!" the elves eximed.


    "The Goddess of Nature has shown such favor to His Majesty the Great Demon King!"


    "With this sanctuary, all elven civilians in the Giantree City had the opportunity to be noble nature priests. And it wasn''t just elven civilians; other believers of the Goddess could also seize this chance."


    The news spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred, astonishing all elven citizens. His Majesty the Demon King had truly outdone himself! Regardless of age or talent, everyone had a chance to change their destiny, providing countless ordinary elves and devout followers of the Goddess with an opportunity they had longed for in their dreams. In no time, elves working in farms and workshops became even more diligent in their tasks. After all, working for the federation, whether in agriculture or potion production, allowed them to earn a sry and contribution points. With the advent of the job advancement tower, the value of both sry and contribution points significantly increased.


    Zhang Nu was very pleased with this oue. He believed that in just a few days, as the newly joined millions of elves began to work, and as more nature priests capable of aiding production emerged, the scale of goods produced by the Giantree City and the federation would greatly expand, and the cost advantage would be even more pronounced.


    ......


    Meanwhile, in the southern part of the Chaos Forest, at the core hub of the Pale Moon Penins, Pale Moon City, which is even more crucial than the Holy Tides City, amotion was unfolding.


    "Preposterous! This is outrageous! The Merfolk White Sand Tribe is audaciously bold!"


    "They actually took advantage of the broken covenant to stage a coup and seize Holy Tides City!"


    A fishfolk king, adorned with a crown yet devoid of any regal dignity, was raging. Despite the crown, his appearance was far from majestic. Standing eight meters tall, his body was excessively obese, resembling a heap of fat, and his massive fish head was particrly unsightly. At this moment, the fishfolk king was engulfed in extreme anger. He had just received news that Holy Tides City had dered independence, no longer paying tribute or swearing fealty to the Pale Moon King, an act that was seen as aplete rebellion.


    Although Pale Moon City was the nation''s top city, this was primarily because it was the royal city. In terms of prosperity, it couldn''tpare to Holy Tides City, which was thergestmercial city in Pale Moon Kingdom and the most important port city in the northern part of the Azure Water Federation.


    For over a thousand years, to prevent the ignorant and decadent royal family from over-exploiting and exhausting resources, a rtively wise Pale Moon King granted high autonomy and a highly openmercial environment to Holy Tides City, under the protection of the Azure Water Covenant, knowing that it was Pale Moon''swful territory and could not be seized by others.


    This decision proved to be correct. Holy Tides City''spetitiveness greatly increased, contributing a vast amount of financial revenue to Pale Moon over the centuries. But now, in the blink of an eye, Holy Tides City was lost, infuriating the Pale Moon royal family.


    The Pale Moon King roared, "Summon the Grand Marshal to me!" Several fishfolks hurriedly went to convey themand, terrified by the king''s fury.


    A few minutester, a ck-gold sharkfolk d in armor and of imposing stature walked in. He said in a deep voice, "Greetings, my king! I have also received intelligence about the situation in Holy Tides City. Although the White Sand family has a long history, they are merely a local noble family under Pale Moon. They couldn''t possibly have the capability to control Holy Tides City. There must be other forces behind this."


    The fishfolk king frowned and asked, "Other forces? Who?"


    The Pale Moon Grand Marshal replied, "It''s not entirely clear yet. It could be the Deep Sea Hermit Society, but we can''t rule out the possibility of the Chaos Federation from the north, which has been gaining momentum."


    Hearing this, the fishfolk king became solemn. Both powers were formidable. The Deep Sea Hermit Society was thergest underground force in the entire Chaos Sea, secretly controlling many countries, even ying a significant role in the current upheaval. As for the Chaos Federation, it was a rising force that had even put the Thunder Empire in a tight spot, indicating its strength. However, since the Chaos Federation had been fighting against human empires, the fishfolk king didn''t believe they would have the capacity tounch an invasion from the south.


    The Pale Moon Grand Marshal said, "Regardless of who it is, anyone who dares to meddle in Pale Moon''s territory, I am willing to personally lead troops to subdue them, wipe out the rebellious merfolk, and reim Holy Tides City for our king!"


    "Good!" the fishfolk king shouted. "I entrust the Pale Moon army to you. You have half a month to take back Holy Tides City!"


    The Grand Marshal immediately knelt to ept themand. However, the fishfolk king failed to notice the slight cold smirk at the corner of the Grand Marshal''s mouth, clearly not taking the fishfolk king seriously. Unbeknownst to the king, his once loyal Grand Marshal had already be a Hero, and a very powerful one at that. How could he truly remain loyal to such a master?


    For him, Takumi Akiwawa, this was an excellent opportunity to seize control of the Pale Moon Kingdom in one fell swoop."

 Chapter 269: The Surrender of Elro

    Chapter 269: The Surrender of Elro


    Following the authorization from the King of Pale Moon, Takumi Akiwawa tookmand of the kingdom''s army of 500,000. He would lead this force to reim Holy Tides City for the Pale Moon kingdom. This elite force primarilyprised various types of fishfolks and also included many powerful sea beasts, withbat power equivalent to three or four official imperial legions.


    On the eve of the army''s assembly, Takumi Akiwawa met with ten sea tribe Heroes. Among these ten Heroes, eight possessed Level 5 strength, and two had reached Level 6. They were the forces that Takumi Akiwawa had built himself. To keep his identity hidden, Takumi Akiwawa rarely made public appearances. These ten Heroes were leaders of elite Hero troops he had gathered and nurtured. By controlling these ten Heroes, he could indirectlymand over two to three thousand elite Heroes on the Pale Moon Penins, thereby creating a secret force of his own.


    "Our opportunity has arrived!" Takumi Akiwawa dered passionately. "The Azure Water Federation is in turmoil! The military power of the Pale Moon is in my hands! I have waited for this day for far too long! Once I tten Holy Tides City and dere independence, we''ll turn around and conquer Pale Moon Kingdom!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Now that the Azure Water Covenant has beenpletely nullified, there''s nothing left to stop me from taking control of this nation!


    "Immediately gather all Heroes to join me in this endeavor. The time to make our mark is now. Our era is upon us!" he proimed.


    The gathered Heroes were overjoyed. They had been lying in wait for this moment for so long.


    At that moment, a drakefolk Hero with a saber at his waist stepped forward and said, "Congrattions, boss, but there''s something I need to report."


    Takumi Akiwawa immediately asked, "What is it? Speak!"


    "The Pale Moon Kingdom is certainly due for a change of leadership," the Level 6 drakefolk Hero suddenly drew his saber and delivered a shing strike through the air, "but unfortunately, this territory has already been imed. I''m afraid you won''t have the opportunity."


    It happened so suddenly that no one else had time to react. Despite the distance of more than ten meters between the drakefolk and Takumi Akiwawa, a spatial rift appeared directly on Takumi, splitting him in half from head to groin, freezing his expression of disbelief on his face, his eyes wide with shock.


    S-rank technique---Spatial sh! This attack infused the force of space into the sh. Such a strike, based on spatial maniption, was nearly impossible to dodge and could cleave through any material existence, showcasing the drakefolk Hero''s formidable strength.


    The others were horrified.


    "Takahashi, have you lost your mind?" they eximed. "You''ve killed the boss!"


    As Takumi Akiwawa''s body fell in two halves, the drakefolk Hero''s mouth curled into a cold smile. Sheathing his sword, he turned to face the other nine Heroes, raising his hands in a calming gesture.


    "Gentlemen, there''s no need for rm," he said coolly. "I merely did what was necessary. The Pale Moon Penins belongs to the Deep Sea Hermit Society. What right or power did this man have to take the penins from the hands of the Deep Sea Hermit? It was a futile effort doomed to failure."


    The drakefolk Hero, Takahashi, spoke loudly, "Instead of serving such a man, why not join the Deep Sea Hermit Society? I believe with your strength, it''s more than enough. Then, we can be in charge of the Pale Moon Penins ourselves, without having to serve anyone else."


    The expressions of the crowd shifted subtly upon hearing this. However, just as they began to waver, a sinister and hoarse voice belonging to Takumi Akiwawa resounded, "Heh heh heh, I always knew there was a traitor among us, but I never expected it to be you, Takahashi. To think I trusted you so much!"


    Hearing this voice, the drakefolk Hero''s pupils suddenly contracted. It was impossible; being hit directly by his Spatial sh, there was no way anyone could have survived. Before the drakefolk Hero could draw his sword and turn around again, Takumi Akiwawa, wielding a giant sword, swiftly struck. A massive wave of sword energy swept through, breaking through the drakefolk Hero''s protective Qi and cutting him in half at the waist as he let down his guard.


    "This can''t be... How can you still be alive?!" The drakefolk Hero''s face was filled with horror as he looked at Takumi Akiwawa, who should have been dead.


    Indeed, Takumi Akiwawa had been split in half. His body was still in two pieces. Yet, eerily, the two halves wereing back together. The huge gash, still about four or five centimeters wide, no longer bled; instead, flesh writhed and blood vessels interlocked continuously. It was utterly bizarre. What kind of ability was this?


    Everyone present waspletely astounded! A person who had been cut in half from brain to groin, who should undoubtedly be dead without question, was undergoing something inexplicable.


    After a few seconds, Takumi Akiwawa''s body, after several attempts at reattachment, finally came back together seamlessly, although the scar running down from his forehead remained. His armor was shattered. To everyone''s astonishment, Takumi Akiwawa''s body had undergone severe mutations. His skin was covered in unsightly, varicose veins, all converging at the heart, where arge green eyeball was embedded, emitting light continuously. It was this strange organ that emitted a power capable of miraculously repairing Takumi Akiwawa, who should have been cleaved in two and undoubtedly dead.


    "See?" Takumi Akiwawa dered. "I possess an undying body! Being cut into two pieces, even five or ten, cannot kill me. And you thought you could assassinate me? That''s utterlyughable!"


    As he spoke, Takumi Akiwawa crushed the drakefolk Hero''s skull with a stomp. He then swept his gaze over the other Heroes present. "Do any of you still want to try me?"


    The nine Heroes were thoroughly shocked by Takumi Akiwawa''s bizarre abilities and formidable power, realizing that their leader was far from ordinary.


    "We swear to follow you to the death!" they proimed. "Pleasemand us at your will!"


    Takumi Akiwawa was very pleased. The situation had been extremely perilous just moments ago, but fortunately, he had fused with a fragment of an Evil God, using a special method to confine the mutation within a limited area. This allowed him to retain most of his abilities while also leveraging the potent talent of the Evil God. Thus, Takumi Akiwawa''s true strength was underestimated. Both the Hero and Demon King rankings reflect conventional strength, but the power of an Evil God and its talents would not be included in the ranking assessments.


    Takumi Akiwawa''s own strength had reached the level of a Level 6 Overlord. The minimum standard for the Hero Ranking was a Level 5 Monarch, which meant Takumi Akiwawa didn''t appear on the Hero Ranking, but his actual strength far exceeded that. With the enhancement of an Evil God''''s talent, Takumi Akiwawa had the strength to challenge a Level 6 monarch. Such power would ce him in the mid to lower tier on the densely popted Hero Ranking, far from being a mere nobody to be overlooked.


    "Truly unexpected!" the Heroes eximed. "Takahashi, that guy, actually sided with the Deep Sea Hermit and even tried to assassinate the boss!"


    "Yeah, now that he''s met this end, he only has himself to me!"


    "The boss is the true ruler of the Pale Moon Kingdom. We all willingly follow the boss and will never betray him!"


    These Heroes were quick to change their stance, immediately starting to tter.


    Takumi Akiwawa was very pleased with this. He waved his hand and dered, "With Takahashi gone, his forces will be taken over by you all. Our next urgent task is to swiftly take down Holy Tides City."


    "Yes!" everyone immediately responded, ready to carry out the orders.


    ......


    At the same time, in the southern territories of the Thunder Empire, within the main city of the Elro region, Marquis Elro had been enveloped in fear recently. No one knew the battle that took ce here not long ago better than Marquis Elro himself.


    Duke Bahol personally led four knight regiments, with the addition of the Sunset Empire''s Sword Saint and the Radiant Church''s Archbishop... Such a lineup was terrifying, fully capable ofunching a war of annihtion against an ordinary kingdom. However, even such a formidable force was crushed by the army of Darkness City and the powerful figures of the Chaos Federation, suggesting that the current strength of the Chaos Forest might already surpass that of ordinary kingdoms.


    The growth of the Demon King''s power had already broken through the limits of imagination. Now, the Demon King''s supreme magitek fortress remained like a thorn in his own territory, with the Demon King''s troops striking out in all directions. The nearby small nobles and several key traffic routes in the Elro territory had all been cut off.


    Elro was under siege, unable to flee or seek help. It had be inevitable that this ce would fall just like Kregi. Although both were Marquises, Marquis Elro was not strong, even less so than Marquis Kregi. The Elro territory was one of the agricultural bases in the southern part of the Empire,cking any significant military strength. How could there possibly be any resistance?


    "Father! What are you still considering?"


    "The Elro family is in imminent danger! We can only survive by aligning with the Demon King!"


    "The Demon King''s army will soon attack Elro City. For the sake of the people in the city and the continuation of our family, we must do this!"


    At that moment, a female knight had burst into the Marquis''s office. This person was the eldest daughter of Marquis Elro, Carina Elro. Carina was regarded as the heir to the Elro family. She enjoyed a very high reputation in the Elro region, possessed the strength of a Level 5 overlord, and was known for her decisive nature.


    Marquis Elro then said, "But I had learned that the Western and Eastern Grand Dukes, along with the Empire''s Chief Knight, had already arrived in the southern territories to reinforce."


    The Marquis, known for his indecisiveness, contrasted starkly with his daughter. If the entire southern territory had fallen, it would have been one thing for the Elro family to join the Chaos Federation. However, with the arrival of the two Dukes and the Chief Knight, a significant portion of the Empire''s power would have been injected into the southern territories, and the oue of the ensuing battle remained uncertain. A wrong choice could have led to irreversible consequences.


    Carina shouted, "The Empire had not given up on the southern territories, but it hadpletely abandoned Elro. Otherwise, why hadn''t they sent troops to rescue us? Because they simply couldn''t!"


    Marquis Elro said, "Let''s wait a bit longer. If the Empire hadn''t arrived within three days, then we could..."


    "It was toote!" Carina interjected. "We couldn''t pin our hopes on the Empire. Even if the Empire hadn''t given up on Elro, this ce would have still been destroyed in the war. The family''s thousand-year foundation and millions of civilians would have be casualties of war!"


    With that, Carina had pped her hands. Thirty to fifty female knights in red armor, members of Carina''s Rose Knight Order, barged in. Marquis Elro''s expression had changed drastically. "What were you nning to do?"


    "From today onwards, just stay here quietly. You don''t need to worry about the affairs of the territory anymore. I will take care of everything!" Carina had said.


    After leaving her knights behind, she had turned and left with heavy steps.


    ......


    The next day, Elro City opened all its gates, lifted the defensive barriers, raised the g of the Chaos Federation, and allbat units disarmed, dering surrender to the Chaos Federation.


    Carina was taking a gamble. She knew that once this action was taken, the Elro family could never return to the empire. She could only hope that the Demon King, as rumored, was not an extremely cruel being and would spare the Elro family because of their unconditional surrender, giving them a chance to survive.


    Before long, dark clouds loomed over the city, apanied by shes of lightning and thunder. From afar, Carina felt an overwhelming oppressive force approaching from above the clouds. Soon, dragons pierced through the electrified clouds and appeared above Elro City.


    Dragons! Actual true dragons!


    Carina had never seen such mythical creatures before. At that moment, not only did dragons appear above Elro City, but over a hundred of them circled overhead, with the threat of deathly mes and stormy thunderbolts ready to strike at any moment. The sight was utterly shocking! The Chaos Federation had so many dragons?! Carina believed that the mere presence of these hundred or so dragons was more than enough topletely decimate Elro City. Resistance would only lead to annihtion; only surrendering like this could secure a sliver of hope for the family and the city.


    Shortly afterward, the great Demon King of Darkness City received a notification:


    [You''ve conquered Elro City!]


    [You gained a "Gorgeous Mythminite Treasure Chest"!]


    [The Elro family and its subjects plead for surrender.. Do you ept?]


    Seeing this notification, Zhang Nu felt very satisfied. Another major city, along with a marquisate and several counties and viscounties, had been taken under his control. Zhang Nu believed that after this round of conquest, the human poption under the control of the Chaos Federation would reach at least twenty to thirty million, a considerable number. As for the nobles'' plea for mercy? Zhang Nu didn''t hesitate to ept it. This would serve as an example that by epting the surrender of nobles and offering them certain treatments, the subsequent conquest of other territories would be much smoother."

 Chapter 270: Benefiting from War

    Chapter 270: Benefiting from War


    Zhang Nu casually opened the treasure chest.


    [You''ve opened the Mythminite Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" 20 million, additional "Gold" 10 million, "Blueprint: Spirit Prison" 1, "Blueprint: Imperial Infantry Barracks" x1, "Level 5 Building Upgrade Scroll" 1, "Life Gems" 5000, "Fire Gems" 3000, "Earth Gems" 3000!]


    The rewards for capturing Elro City were quite good. As Zhang Nu was a Demon King ranked on the leaderboard, conquering new territories or even eliminating targets came with a 50% bonus in gold. Just from this city alone, he gained 30 million gold. In addition to that, among the two newly obtained blueprints, the Spirit Prison was a Level 5 special building blueprint, and the Imperial Infantry Barracks was a Level 4 ordinary blueprint. The former was a functional building, while thetter was a barracks-type building.


    Zhang Nu reviewed the effects of the Spirit Prison. The "Spirit Prison," simr to other types of prisons, was primarily used for detaining prisoners, and the higher the level of the prison, the higher the level of units it can detain. The main reason the "Spirit Prison" was ssified as a Level 5 special building was its "Psychic Hypnosis" effect. This prison can hypnotize the targets held within,pletely controlling them and even creating a psychic branding effect.


    In simple terms, the additional ability possessed by the Spirit Prison was somewhat simr to a lower-tier version of the "Permanent Charm" of the Subus Queen. The psychic branding of the Spirit Prison can affect up to overlord rank units, and as a Level 5 building, the targets it affects cannot exceed Level 5.


    This meant that from now on, any unit below the rank of an overlord could be forcibly branded by the Spirit Prison, turning them into units utterly loyal to the Darkness City, significantly enhancing its management capabilities. However, as a functional special building, the Spirit Prison''s abilities could not be activated for free. Each branding required a payment rted to the cost of recruiting a unit of the corresponding level. Therefore, it would only be necessary to brand some prisoners of war or key units. There would be no need to brand every single vassal or prisoner of war.


    In fact, during this period, in addition to Elro City, the Darkness City''s army had sessively captured eleven cities. Throughout this process, Zhang Nu umted three gold-quality chests and eight silver-quality chests, with a total gain of over 150 million gold, and about twenty blueprints of Level 3, 4, and 5. The majority of these were defense-type, barracks-type, and production-type blueprints, with a few being special function-type.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Zhang Nu nned to use most of these blueprints obtained during the conquest of human territories back in the conquered human areas. These blueprints could effectively enhance the production and defense capabilities of the Kregi and Elro regions, greatly improving the local order, thus quickly stabilizing and integrating these areas.


    As the conquered territory continued to expand, Zhang Nu''s resources also increased. Now, Darkness City alone had 120 dragons. This was not a small number; the military strength generated by these 120 dragons was absolutely terrifying,parable to several imperial official legions.


    At the same time, Han Kexin came back to report two pieces of good news. The first piece of good news was that Han Kexin hadpletely taken control of Holy Tides City. She used the influence of the White Sand family n, along with her own decisive actions, to make all factions in Holy Tides City submit. The second piece of good news was that the arms business of the Chaos Federation had sessfully kicked off.


    Han Kexin exined, "The chaos within the Azure Water Federation has fully erupted, and currently, at least dozens of forces are on the verge of breaking out into war. We released information through the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce about selling arge quantity of magitek weapons, and almost immediately, we received purchase requests from various powers."


    Zhang Nu nodded and asked, "How much can we sell this time?"


    Han Kexin answered, "At least two billion continental gold coins for the first batch, which is at least two hundred million Demon King gold. This number will continue to grow."


    Zhang Nu was somewhat surprised, "That much?"


    The Chaos Federation had built several imperial workshops in Kolo, all of which were dedicated to producing magitek weapons and equipment. Now, the Kolo area had be the federation''srgest production base for magitek weapons. However, despite the rapid increase in production, a significant portion of the magitek cannons produced were being used to arm the human cities to enhance their defenses. Only half of the production was being exported, and Zhang Nu had not expected it to generate such high revenue.


    Han Kexin calmly said, "It''s not surprising. Given the current situation in the Chaos Sea, all parties urgently need to engage in an arms race. The market demand is huge. With supply far less than demand, it''s naturally easy to sell at several times the price."


    At this point, Han Kexin paused before continuing, "Actually, aside from magitek weapons which can be exported over the long term, the market for traditional weapons and potions remains open as well. Conservatively estimating, the weapons and armor stored in Iron Heart City and the potions in Giantree City can generate revenues of at least one billion Demon King gold."


    Over one billion Demon King gold? And that was a conservative estimate. Zhang Nu was also taken aback when he heard this number. He couldn''t help but exim, "It seems that the Dark Dragon merchant guild''s business hasn''t been affected by the war."


    "Not only has it not been affected," Han Kexin said, "but due to the outbreak of this war, the Dark Dragon''s business has be even better than before, which is almost an inevitable result."


    Zhang Nu was slightly puzzled, "Why is that?"


    "The reason is simple," Han Kexin exined. "After the Chaos Sea plunged into chaos, although it became difficult for us to sell goods outside the Chaos Sea due to the disruption of shipping routes and the rampant piracy, the channels for importing goods into the interior from the outside world were also cut off."


    "The Chaos Sea used to connect more than a dozen major powers, and the Azure Water Federation itself doesn''t have strong manufacturing capabilities. Its weapons, equipment, potions, magical items, etc., were almost all imported fromrgemerce guilds across various empires through very stable channels and systems."


    "Now that the Chaos Sea is inplete turmoil and the original trade system has copsed, plus the war has significantly increased the demand for weapons and medicines among the sea tribes, it has given us the opportunity to step in and capture the market from the inside."


    Understanding dawned on Zhang Nu. With the revenue from the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce, the development of the Chaos Federation was even less of a concern.


    Han Kexin continued, "Next, the situation in the Chaos Sea will be even moreplicated. Although we have the trump card of the Azure Water Empress, I still don''t have enough people under mymand. I would like to request the upgrade of Qiuyue and Dongxue to Level 6."


    Different Demon Kings had different structures of troops. After advancing to Level 6, Han Kexin couldn''t unlock mythic-ss units, but she could summon six different Level 6 monarch-ss units. However, the summoning cost for monarch units was extremely high. After much consideration, Han Kexin decided to first upgrade her old subordinates, Qiuyue and Dongxue.


    Zhang Nu directly said, "The transactions of magitek weapons, traditional weapons, and potions this time will supplement arge amount of gold and resources for the Darkness City. Currently, the stock of souls in the Darkness City is also quite sufficient. Let''s just summon all of your six monarch units at once!"


    Hearing this, Han Kexin was naturally overjoyed. The total resources spent on bringing out all six demonic monarchs would be no less than upgrading Zhang San and Li Si. This was definitely a huge sum for Han Kexin. However, after the merger of the Darkness City and the Gloom City, the troops of the Gloom City became the troops of the Darkness City, and the monarchs of the Gloom City became the monarchs of the Darkness City. Zhang Nu was generous enough to allow Han Kexin to achieve this in one step. Given Han Kexin''s current strength and Shui Lan''s influence in the Chaos Sea, plus the assistance of six monarch-ss demons, he believed that even without his direct intervention, such a lineup could suppress the Chaos Sea.


    After reporting her work, Han Kexin went back to her busy schedule. Zhang Nu also prepared to make a trip to the newly conquered cities. He had two main objectives for this trip.


    The first task was to build some facilities in the new territories. After all, he had quite a few blueprints at hand, some of which were obtained from recent conquests, and others were part of the Darkness City''s own inventory.


    Strictly speaking, the Darkness City did not have many blueprints in stock. Most of the blueprints Zhang Nu had were from Gloom City. Since the merger of the Darkness City and the Gloom City, resources were shared between them, allowing the Darkness City''s various facilities and resources to be open to the demons of the Gloom City, while the blueprints and resources from the Gloom City''s inventory became the collective property of the group.


    Not to mention anything else, just within the inventory of blueprints from the Gloom City, there were four Teleportation Tower blueprints. Zhang Nu nned to deploy one of these towers in the human territories to facilitate future troop movements, as it wasn''t feasible to activate the Ster Gateway for just a few individuals each time. While that mechanism was highly efficient for moving troops, its cost was simply too high!


    The second task involved a ruin near the Elro territory, a ce Zhang Nu had always wanted to visit. This ruin was rted to the Level 6 Hero Yan Qianjun, who had obtained the S-rank skill "Rebirth from within the mes" and the epic equipment "Heart of Space" within it.


    It''s important to note that even among S-rank skills, Rebirth from Fire is considered a top-tier skill, and the Heart of Space is no ordinary piece of equipment either. ording to the adventurer notes left by Yan Qianjun, when the great adventurer explored this ruin, he only uncovered a very small part of it. Due to insufficient strength, he couldn''t fully explore it, and it remained undeveloped as he never got the chance to return. This suggested that the ruin was at least of a Level 5 monarch''s caliber, or else how could it have made a Level 6 adventurer decide to retreat?


    A ce that reached the level of a Level 5 monarch would certainly pique Zhang Nu''s interest, let alone the possibility of finding numerous precious treasures within. It''s worth making the trip personally, especially since there''s not much else to do by staying in the Darkness City all the time.


    Zhang Nu specifically took Nancilia, Zhang San, and Li Si with him. All three have the potential to reach the mythic level and could benefit from the experience. This was particrly true for Nancilia, who is only a small step away from reaching the power level of an Elven Empress. Having another mythic unit would be a significant boost for the Darkness City."

 Chapter 271: Ancient Elven Breeding Ranch

    Chapter 271: Ancient Elven Breeding Ranch


    In the city of Elro, Carina faced the Dark Dragon King. She was aware that the terrifying being in front of her was one of the infamous trio of leaders from the Darkness City, more precisely, the foremost among the Three Titans of Darkness.


    Carina never encountered such a formidable being before. The oppressive aura emanating from him induced an unprecedented level of fear and trembling in her, a disy of absolute dominance from a superior being over an inferior one. It wasn''t just the Dark Dragon King himself; even the rows of draconians standing by his side were formidable. These abyssal draconians, all transformed from abyssal true dragons, included over a dozen Level 6 dragon elders among their ranks, with a total of over a hundred abyssal dragons present. Among them, let alone the dragon elders, Carinacked the capability to confront even the weakest of them, despite being the most outstanding warrior knight in the Elro family for generations.


    Was this the foundation of a Demon King''s power? Terrifying, truly terrifying!


    The Dark Dragon King, Long Yi, regarded Carina with an indifferent gaze andmanded, "Follow me."


    Carina was well aware of the Dark Dragon King''s grim and brutal nature. After conquering the Kregi region, he had ughtered nearly two thousand members of the Kregi family''s core lineage. Now it was the Elro family''s turn. Carina didn''t know if her fate would be simr to that of the young Lord Kregi. She could only follow the Dark Dragon King into the castle with a heart full of apprehension. This castle belonged to the Marquis of Elro. Since the Dark Dragon King had taken over the main city, all the nobles of Elro Castle had been ced under house arrest. Now, the control of the castle was in the hands of the dragons present.


    However, when they reached the castle''s small garden, Carina was stunned. Before her stood a white tower, seemingly crafted from an unknown type of crystal, enveloping it in a halo and radiating profound energy fluctuations. What''s this? As the heir to the Marquis of Elro, Carina was very familiar with this castle and did not recall such a structure ever being part of it.


    Yet, before she could recover from her surprise, something even more astonishing urred. Beneath this mysterious magical tower stood four figures. Two were distinctive draconians, one was a petite Elven King holding a scepter, and the other was a mysterious person shrouded in a cloak.


    "This..." Carina could clearly sense that both the elf and the two draconians exuded an aura that was not only on par with the Dark Dragon King''s but even slightly stronger.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Carina found it unbelievable. How could this be possible? The Dark Dragon King was one of the three titans of Darkness City, a true Demon King. The elf could be the mysterious Elven King from Tien City who defeated the Mage King, Halyfax. It might be eptable for her power to beparable or slightly superior to the Dark Dragon King. But the issue was, why did the other two draconians also possess an aura that surpassed the Dark Dragon King''s? As for the mysterious person shrouded in the cloak, not a trace of aura was revealed, making it impossible to gauge his strength. However, his standing position and posture seemed to indicate that he was the highest-ranking among the four.


    "Your Majesty!" The Dark Dragon King knelt on one knee, bowing respectfully.


    The Great Demon King nodded slightly, "No need for such formalities, rise."


    The Dark Dragon King immediately stood up and said to Carina, "This is the true ruler of Darkness City and the Chaos Forest. Pay your respects upon meeting His Majesty!"


    Carina was utterly shocked! If she wasn''t mistaken, these three draconians and the elf were all at least Level 6 monarchs. In other words, these four formidable beings were as powerful as the four Guardian Dukes of the empire. Such incredibly powerful individuals, no matter where they went in the world, could be major figures ruling over their own domains. Even the four Grand Dukes could dispense with formalities in the presence of the emperor of the empire. Yet, these four beings acknowledged this mysterious person in the hooded cloak as their master. Just how profound was the power of this cloaked individual!


    After regaining herposure, Carina hurriedly paid her respects: "Greetings... Your Majesty!"


    Zhang Nu calmly said, "You are Carina, the eldest daughter of the Marquis, who also led the submission of the Elro region? You''ve done well. Because of your wise actions, you''ve reduced much of the damage and casualties in Elro and saved my subordinates some effort."


    "However, ording to the usual practice of Darkness City, we do not allow the old nobility to retain their influence over their territories, so all direct family members must be eliminated."


    Hearing this, Carina was greatly rmed and quickly knelt to plead: "I beg Your Majesty for mercy. The Elro family has already been abandoned by the empire. The house of Elro is willing to serve Darkness City."


    Zhang Nu said, "I can spare the entire Elro family and even allow you to seed your father as the administrator of the Elro region, but there is one condition."


    Without hesitation, Carina responded, "As long as it can spare my parents, siblings, and house from annihtion, I, Carina, am willing to ept any condition."


    "Very well," Zhang Nu instructed the Dark Dragon King, "Take her away."


    The price Zhang Nu demanded Carina to pay was straightforward. She would be confined in the Spirit Prison for a few days for reformation, after which she would be influenced by the Spirit Prison and could never betray Dark City again.


    Carina''s strength was at Level 5 overlord, which was precisely the maximum limit for reform by the Spirit Prison. Once the psychic imprint was formed, it would essentially never disappear, and even if Carina''s strength surpassed Level 5 in the future, the psychic imprint would still take effect.


    After Long Yi took Carina away, Zhang Nu nced at his newly constructed teleportation tower. The presence of this teleportation tower made future travels to the Elro region much more convenient.Zhang Nu still had three more teleportation tower blueprints in his possession. He nned to ce one more in the human territories and the remaining two in the Chaos Sea to strengthen the control of the Chaos Federation over these areas. The rift dungeon in Darkness City could continuously produce teleportation tower blueprints. By sending his top subordinates to repeatedly clear it, Zhang Nu could deploy many more teleportation towers in the future, significantly enhancing Darkness City''s governance.


    "Your Majesty," the dragon elders began as they presented heaps of gold and gem-filled chests. "These are the recent gains in gold and gems."


    Zhang Nu didn''t plunder the wealth of Elro City; the wealth he took was from nobles or cities that attempted to resist. Converted, the gold amounted to nearly a hundred million gold, and there were also tens of thousands of gems. This constituted a significant ie. Indeed, a city like Elro had much more wealth, and Zhang Nu had the capability to make a quick fortune.


    However, since there was no immediate need for money, Zhang Nu chose not to do so. Keeping wealth among the popce could ensure the vitality of the local economy. There were many ways to harvest wealth, such as through trade or facilities like the job advancement towers. Resorting to brute force to extract wealth was too crude and akin to draining the pond to catch the fish.


    The Elro region was rich in agricultural, pastoral, fishing, hunting, and mineral resources. Zhang Nu nned to send a group of Nature Priests from the Giantree City and also build some spirit farms and breeding ranches to significantly increase local production.


    After staying for a few hours and assigning tasks to his subordinates, Zhang Nu left Elro City with Nancilia, Zhang San, and Li Si.


    The four arrived at the border of Elro, where there was a region known as the "Ashen Mountain Range." As the name suggests, it was a barren and deste mountain area in the southern territories of the empire, spanning hundreds to thousands of miles, all barren and ashen, seemingly lifeless and without any value for development.


    However, ording to the records of the great adventurer, the Undying Phoenix - Hubert, it was in this ce that he discovered a mysterious ruin. The abilities of self resurrection that Hubert possessed, along with the epic equipment Heart of Space, were all adventurous gains obtained from this ruin.


    "We found it!" Zhang Nu instantly identified the entrance to the ruins amidst the deste mountains. Nancilia, following the direction of the Demon King''s gaze, saw a seemingly ordinary valley basin, its terrain and size somewhat reminiscent of the Darkness Valley.


    From above, the valley was shrouded in a perpetual mist. At first nce, it seemed unremarkable, but Nancilia, with her keen senses, immediately noticed something unusual when she carefully perceived it. "Your Majesty, there are abnormal spatial disturbances here. It seems like a sub-dimensional space is oveid within this valley!"


    Nancilia couldn''t help but admire the insight. The Demon King was indeed exceptional; such a hidden anomaly was instantly noticed by him. Without his prompt, even with her perceptive abilities, she would have never detected the anomaly here.


    Zhang San suggested, "My master, there''s no need for you to take action. Let us go down and explore."


    Li Si added, "It''s not that simple. We must find the entrance to the sub-dimensional space. A direct descent into the valley won''t lead us into the sub-dimensional space but only into the regr valley."


    The ruin couldn''t possibly be in the normal space; otherwise, the valley would have been discovered long ago. The ruin must be established in a subspace. However, without finding a way to enter this subspace, they could only waste time in the valley. But such a challenge wouldn''t stump the Demon King. The moment Zhang Nu surveyed the area, he grasped all its details, including the pathway and entrance to the ruin.


    Upon reviewing the information about the ruins, Zhang Nu understood the situation.


    [Ancient Elven Breeding Ranch] Level 6 monarch area.


    Description: A breeding ground from the era of the Elven Empire, where elves used a massive magical formation to gather all the spiritual energy of the mountain range to cultivate powerful crops and divine beasts. However, with the fall of the Elven Empire, this ancient breeding ranch was forgotten.


    This ce was specifically used by the ancient Elven Empire for beast breeding and crop cultivation. It was not surprising for elves, who were adept at farming and breeding, to have various farms and ranches, but this ce was clearly different from ordinary agricultural and pastoralnds. Constructing a magical formation that covered an entire mountain range was not an easy task. It would be time-consuming,bor-intensive, and very costly, not to mention the creation of a sub-dimensional space. This indicated that the ce held significant value. Its ssification as a Level 6 monarch area also implied substantial rewards and value, sparking immense interest in Zhang Nu.


    "Follow me," Zhang Numanded, taking the lead to find the entrance to the ruins."

 Chapter 272: Treants and Ents

    Chapter 272: Treants and Ents


    Zhang Nu, apanied by his three subordinates, entered a nearby cave. The cave''s environment wasplex and maze-like, filled with numerous traps, many of which were destroyed, indicating the presence of previous intruders.This intruder was likely the great adventurer, the Undying Phoenix, Hubert, whoter became the Hero Yan Qianjun. He apparently had a map and found a way to enter, thus being able to destroy the traps along the way and navigate through the maze.


    Soon, the four of them made their way through the maze. They came upon a spacious cavernous area with several ancient building ruins and arge gate that connected to the outside world.


    Nancilia immediately remarked, "This seems like Elven architecture!"


    Zhang Nu nodded in agreement, "This should be a remnant of the ancient Elven Empire."


    Zhang San and Li Si searched the ruins but didn''t find any valuable items. However, they discovered a perfectly preserved, crystal-clear skeleton and some fragments of broken eggshells.


    Zhang San reported, "My Lord, someone has been here and has taken away the valuable items."


    Hearing this, Nancilia immediately became worried. Such a concealed elven ruin had already been discovered by someone else, wouldn''t that mean the Demon King''s trip would be in vain?


    However, Zhang Nu responded, "I was aware of this situation beforeing here. The one who explored this ce before us was none other than the adventurer, the Undying Phoenix, Hubert."


    "It''s him?!" Nancilia remembered the great adventurer, having almost suffered a defeat at his hands when she was only at Level 5.


    Pointing to the fragments of eggshells, Zhang Nu exined, "This is likely the egg of an undying Phoenix. The adventurer Hubert broke the egg and imed the phoenix fire from it, granting him the ability of resurrection, thus earning the reputation of the Undying Phoenix."


    Nanciliamented with a tone of regret, "Such a rare ancient mythical beast. Eggs of such divine birds are hard to find across the entire continent. It''s such a shame to have it destroyed like this... And what about this skeleton?"


    Zhang Nu answered, "He must have been an ancient elven warrior guarding this ruin. Hubert took the epic equipment, the Heart of Space, from his body."


    So, it turned out that the adventurer''s resurrection and spatial abilities were all obtained from this adventure. Zhang Nu, looking at the gate ahead, continued, "This gate leads to the passage to the ruin. However, for some reason, Hubert couldn''t enter. Be cautious, there might be dangers ahead."


    "Understood!"


    "Let''s go!"


    Zhang Nu led the trio through the gate, where a dense fog immediately enveloped them. Nancilia found herselfpletely losing her vision, with even her perception abilities being blocked, leaving her in a world shrouded in fog, unable to distinguish any direction.


    Li Si spoke in a deep voice, "My lord, I sense a strong presence of spatial energy. This ce seems to be formed by the power of space. If one couldn''t find a way to open the exit, outsiders who enter could easily get lost and end up trapped here forever."


    Zhang Nu nodded in agreement. This was, in a way, a security mechanism. The foggy space was actually a small spatial maze. Although notrge in scale, its nature as a spatial maze made it potentially infinite, with no end in sight using ordinary means. The entrance to the relic was located within this maze. Only specific magic could summon the exit of the maze, but the guardian had long since turned to bones, causing the method to open the maze to be lost forever.


    So, that was why the Undying Phoenix Hubert couldn''t continue to explore the ruin. He couldn''t find a way to dispel the spatial fog. Venturing recklessly could lead to being permanently trapped, so without any certainty, he had no choice but to give up.


    However, such traps might deter or trap others but were ineffective against Zhang Nu. He activated his Spatio-Temporal Dragon form, his scales turning into a dreamlike silver-white, with the terrifying and surging power of time and space flowing from his body like an unbridled river. In the blink of an eye, it covered the entire space.


    Nancilia was astounded, "Such formidable power over time and space, this isn''t ordinary spatial magic, but direct maniption and dominion over thews of space and time!"


    Both Nancilia and Li Si had decent abilities in spatial magic, but they could only utilize conventional spatial spells. What Zhang Nu was employing was not magic but maniption of space at the most fundamental level ofws, a method far beyond their reach.


    Soon, the spatial fog was affected and began to evaporate and disappear bit by bit, revealing a long canyon. After forcefully dispelling the spatial fog, Zhang Nu led his three subordinates through the canyon. Zhang San and Li Si pushed open the stone gate at the end of the canyon, revealing a barrier of space that rippled like water. They had found it. This was the entrance to the subspace. Zhang Nu led the way in, and upon passing through the rippling spatial barrier, the originally narrow canyon space suddenly opened up.


    "This... What is this...?" Nancilia looked around in astonishment. Unlike the barrenndscape of the Ashen Mountains that stretched for hundreds of miles without a de of grass, this ce was like a paradise from a fairy tale, filled with all kinds of rare and exotic beasts and precious medicinal herbs.


    Zhang Nu nced around and noticed:


    [Nine-Star Purple Gold Ginseng] A high-quality purple grade material.


    [Thousand-Year Thunder Bamboo] A high-quality purple grade material.


    [Phoenix Blood Grass of the Nine Cycles] A low-quality orange grade material.


    Not just Nancilia, even Zhang Nu was taken aback to see so many purple and even orange grade materials before him, feeling as though he had found a treasure trove. Any of these materials could sell for tens to hundreds of millions of standard gold coins. The valley was filled with countless such precious materials, slowly nurtured over tens of thousands of years. Their use value and economic value were immeasurable! So, to call it a ruin was perhaps a vast understatement; it was more like a treasure trove.


    However, at this moment, they all felt a series of powerful auras assaulting them from the nearby forest. Nancilia immediately became alert: "There are attacks initiated by nature magic!"


    Nature magic, also known as life magic, was the opposite of necromancy, which was associated with the undead. The ground beneath Zhang Nu''s feet began to shake. In an instant, countless huge roots covered with thorns and emitting a green glow burst forth, attacking the four with astonishing speed. Fast and powerful! These roots and vines summoned by natural magic werepletely different from ordinary ones in nature. They contained very powerful strength, capable of easily shattering the toughest ck iron and absorbing various magical attacks. The attackers were at least Level 6 lords!


    "How dare you!" Zhang San released a surge of dragonbat Qi, the Qi instantly taking the form of a wyrm, skillfully dodging hispanions and circling around them. In the blink of an eye, all the roots and vines were destroyed.


    Zhang Nu nodded in satisfaction upon seeing this. After Zhang San advanced to a pseudo-mythic ss unit, his strength had improved by more than just a bit. His ability to manifest his Qiinto a form exhibited the characteristics of an S-rank Qi, possessing terrifyingly destructive power.


    At the same time, Li Si raised his staff and pointed it towards the forest. Countless des of space materialized from the air and swiftly sliced through the forest, instantly demolishing it and revealing the attackers hiding within. They were not monsters, nor were they any known intelligent species. They were humanoid trees, towering at least ten to twenty meters tall, with the tallest reaching forty to fifty meters.


    "Ah, treants!" Nancilia was greatly surprised upon seeing them. The dozen or so treants, facing the powerful spatial attacks summoned by Li Si''s magic, had no means to resist and could only watch as the spatial attacks covered their bodies, knowing they would be sliced into hundreds or thousands of pieces in the next second.


    "Dispel!" Nancilia raised her staff and swung it forcefully. A more potent magical force enveloped the space where the treants were, effectively nullifying Li Si''s spatial slicing.


    "Why did you stop me, Elven King?" Li Si asked, puzzled.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Nancilia quickly exined, "The treants are not malevolent beings. Let memunicate with them."


    Zhang San and Li Si looked towards their lord. Zhang Nu nodded, "Let her try tomunicate."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Nancilia immediately teleported to appear in front of the treants. "Respected guardians of the forest, please cease your attacks. We are not enemies."


    "The Elven King?"


    "No, not just any Elven King!"


    The treants sensed the aura of an elven royalty emanating from Nancilia. Since ancient times, treants and elves have been allies, especially during the era of the Elven Empire, when the two races shared a close rtionship, often living together and assisting each other.


    However, since the fall of the Elven Empire, most treants have faded into obscurity. It was unexpected to encounter some here. Among Nancilia''s innate abilities was the "Elven King''s Nature Pact," which allowed her to easily control treants. At this moment, under hermand, all the treants present ceased their aggression.


    "This is the power of the Elven King''s Nature pact!"


    "This Elven King... possesses the nature pact!"


    "She is a born Elven Emperor, the chosen of the Goddess of Nature!"


    The treants looked at each other, and eventually, all of them withdrew their hostility. They respectfully bowed, "Great Elven Emperor, we thank you for understanding our rashness and ignorance. We apologize for our actions just now to you and your friends!"


    It seemed that a fight was no longer on the cards. Zhang Nu, along with his two subordinates, approached.


    He surveyed the treants before him.


    [Millennium End] Level 6 lord unit


    Description: Originally cultivated by the Elven Empire, having lived for tens of thousands of years, they possess vast and extensive knowledge. Despite their love for peace, they have a strong sense of territoriality and will attack any invaders who trespass into their territory.


    [Ent Elder] Level 6 overlord unit


    Description: Highly respected beings within the entmunity, they possess even greater strength and more profound knowledge.


    These treants were known as ents. Treants and ents were simr species. The differenceid in the fact that treants were naturally formed tree spirits, while ents were created by the elven race or original ents through ritual magic from the forest. Compared to the original treants, ents had a closer rtionship with Elves. Nancilia, with her Nature Pact and being a destined leader, inherently represented the entire elven race and could uphold the pact made with the ents during the era of the Elven Empire.


    This was why these ents are so respectful towards Nancilia. It seemed that on this venture into the elven ruins, there was no need to battle numerous monsters; instead, they could recruit arge group of powerful and supportive ents."

 Chapter 273: I am Grootroot

    Chapter 273: I am Grootroot


    Nancilia sincerely introduced, "You are mistaken; I am not the Elven Emperor. I am merely an Elven King from the Chaos Forest, the Giantree tribe, Nancilia. This is His Majesty the Demon King, along with hismander Zhang San and priest Li Si!"


    The strength disyed by Zhang San and Li Si greatly shocked and intimidated the ents.


    At this moment, the Demon King spoke up, "I would like to meet the leader of the ents here, could you please introduce us?"


    Although the Demon King''s tone was very polite, but his request was not to be refused. Since the Demon King hade here, he was undoubtedly here to conquer. He preferred to avoid force if possible, but he wouldn''t hesitate to take action if necessary.


    Half an hourter, the group arrived at the heart of the valley forest, where hundreds, nearly a thousand ents resided. These ents generally possessed Level 6 lord capabilities, with several dozens to hundreds of Level 6 overlord ents as elders. It must be mentioned that this was truly a formidable force, perhaps even stronger than the newly formed True Dragon Legion under the Demon King. Although the Abyssal Dragon Legion already had over a hundred Abyssal Dragons and more than a dozen Dragon Elders, with individual dragons being more powerful, they were outnumbered by the ents.


    Without Nancilia, dealing with this group of local powers would have been somewhat challenging for the Demon King.


    Among the ents, there stood one that was different from the rest. It was a towering figure, two to three hundred meters tall, with a trunk resembling volcanic rock, yet it appeared as though it had been scorched by fire, with half of its branches withered and charred. Its roots were plunged into a frigid, bone-chilling pond, using the dense ice elements within the water to counteract the heat constantly emanating from its body, which seemed to indicate a dire situation.


    [Ent King Grootroot] Level 6 monarch unit


    Description: An extremely rare ent monarch possessing strength surpassing that of ent elders, along with the powerful ability to control the entire forest. However, this Ent King has been scorched by the divine phoenix fire, leaving it in a very weakened state.


    A Level 6 ent monarch! It was unexpected to find such a powerful being in the southern territories of the empire, in a seemingly inconspicuous ruined site. Upon awakening from his slumber, the Ent King Grootroot''s gaze immediately fell upon the young Elven King. Through telepathicmunication facilitated by the ents, Grootroot was already informed about what had transpired.


    "You are indeed the inheritor of the nature pact, the chosen of the Goddess of Nature!" Grootroot was visibly excited. "I am Grootroot. We have waited here for eons, and finally, you have arrived. It seems the elven race is on the verge of revival!"


    Nancilia was somewhat confused by their conversation. "Under the leadership of His Majesty the Demon King, the elven race has been thriving and is not far from revival."


    "The Demon King?" Grootroot then turned his attention to the other three individuals.


    Zhang Nu did not disguise himself, and with his current Level 6 legendary strength, it was difficult for Grootroot to fully discern his power. However, while he couldn''t see through the Demon King, he could ascertain the strength of the two subordinates of the Demon King. Grootroot, being an ancient being older than any other ent present and having emerged during the heyday of the Elven Empire, possessed knowledge vast as a library.


    Thus, he recognized that Zhang San and Li Si were no ordinary dragons. One was a Primordial Earth Dragon, and the other a Nine-Headed Dragon, both legendary among the rarest and strongest dragon races, supposedly extinct from this world. Moreover, from these two dragons, Grootroot sensed the aura of the Dragon Emperor, indicating that they could potentially be a Dragon Emperor at any moment. The Dragon Emperor was an existence even rarer and more unique than the Elven Emperor! And now, not just one, but two appeared, both reverently serving the mysterious dragon in their midst as their master.


    Grootroot found it hard to fathom the nature of this mysterious dragon who had transformed into a humanoid form. Moreover, he sensed a faint divine aura emanating from the Demon King. Could it be that this being in front of him had broken free from mortal constraints and was evolving towards divinity as a Dragon God? If that were true, the entirendscape of the continent and the world would be drastically altered by this shift.


    Nancilia, noticing the abnormal condition of the Ent King, expressed her concern, "Honorable Ent King, what happened to cause your injuries?"


    Grootroot replied, "I was wounded by the phoenix in the valley. The remnants of the phoenix''s fire within me cause ongoing and irreversible damage. I won''t be able to withstand it much longer."


    Shocked by this revtion, Nancilia realized the gravity of the situation. The Ent King was nearing his end. For the elven race, ents are the most natural and trustworthy allies. An Ent King would not only be crucial for the ents but also would also hold great significance for the elves.


    In the past, the Elven Empire somehow acquired a pair of phoenixes, which were ced here as guardians. The two birds were mates, but due to certain circumstances, the male left and never returned. Over time, the female phoenix became increasingly anxious and aggressive. Decades ago, it went berserk and began attacking everything in its vicinity, seemingly intent on turning the entire area to ashes and escaping.


    However, the ents intervened. Led by Grootroot, they managed to stop the divine bird, but the disparity in strength, coupled with the phoenix''s power being a natural counter to the ents, led to significant casualties and losses. They barely managed to seal the maddened phoenix deep within the valley, and it was during this battle that the Ent King sustained his injuries.


    Over the years, Grootroot''s injuries had never healed. His body was continuously smoldering. Any ordinary ent would have been reduced to ashes hundreds of times over, but Grootroot''s immense strength had barely kept the mes from spreading rapidly. However, even so, after such prolonged erosion, the Ent King''s body had almost been hollowed out, showcasing the formidable nature of divine beasts.


    Nancilia eagerly asked, "Your Majesty, can you heal Lord Grootroot?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Zhang Nu assessed the situation and responded, "It''s a bit tricky, but not a major problem. However, I won''t act without reason unless the ents are willing to follow me, just like the elves."


    Upon hearing this, Nancilia was overjoyed and immediately began persuading the ents. When the ents learned that there was hope for Grootroot''s recovery, they were all very surprised. However, Grootroot hesitated at Zhang Nu''s request. After all, though the ents and elves had been allies for a long time, their rtionship was rtively equal. The ents had a general rtionship with the dragon-kind, and for Grootroot to lead his people to pledge allegiance to a Demon King whose background was unknown was a decision he couldn''t make lightly.


    Nancilia assured, "The Demon King has been a benefactor to the elven race, and the ents could also thrive if they join the Chaos Federation. I swear by the Goddess of Nature, there is not a single lie in my words."


    Seeing the pseudo Elven Empress hold the Demon King in such high regard sparked some interest in Grootroot. Given his current condition, he wouldn''t have lived for many more years, and without external help, the ents couldn''t have left this valley. It seemed that pledging allegiance to the Demon King was the only way out.


    "You all have plenty of time to think it over," Zhang Nu then turned to Zhang San, Li Si, and Nancilia. "Let''s deal with the phoenix nesting here first." He spoke casually, as if what needed to be dealt with wasn''t a divine beast, but rather something as trivial as a cat or dog. The ents were shocked by his statement.


    One of the ent elders warned, "That must not be done lightly. The phoenix haspletely turned mad and lost its sanity. The power it possesses now is beyond the capacity of any monarch of the same level to contend with. Approaching it rashly is far too dangerous."


    Judging from the description provided by the ents and the level of the area, the phoenix''s strength should also be at the level of a Level 6 monarch. However, undoubtedly, as an extremely rare divine beast, its power must reach the pinnacle of Level 6, and it might even pose a threat to mythic units. Otherwise, how could the ents have suffered such heavy losses? And how could the Ent King have been so gravely injured?


    Although the phoenix might be strong, Zhang Nu didn''t take it too seriously. Conquering this area was a must, and the phoenix as the major boss of this region, how could it not be dealt with? Moreover, the phoenix is a divine beast, and being such, it presumably possesses some divinity. Zhang Nu wondered if the phoenix could condense a godhood crystal.


    Nancilia confidently assured, "You need not worry. No matter how powerful that divine beast, the phoenix, may be, as long as His Majesty is here, it can definitely be subdued. Just wait here for our good news!"


    Zhang Nu left the ent forest, leading his three subordinates deeper into the valley. Due to the expansion of space during the creation of the subspace, this valley appeared muchrger than the actual one. After advancing for several miles, the forest and grasnd abruptly ended, giving way to a parchednd of ckened cracks. Nearby mountains resembled volcanoes, with hotva flowing down their sides.


    True to its nature as a divine beast, it had even altered the surrounding terrain andndscape. Without hesitation, Zhang Nu passed through the sealing barrier set up by the ents and immediately entered the phoenix''s territory. At the same time, Zhang San and Li Si transformed into their dragon forms: a terrifying and fierce nine-headed inferno dragon and a majestic primordial earth dragon king. Their formidable presence immediately enveloped the entire area, immediately awakening the slumbering phoenix.


    As expected, with a loud cry that pierced the sky, the mountain burst open, and mes shot up into the heavens. From within emerged a gigantic bird with wings spanning a hundred meters. While the bird appeared to have a physical body, its feathers were engulfed in ck mes. The intense energy it emitted was so powerful that it seemed to warp the space around it, making the phoenix appear imposing and awe-inspiring.


    [ck Phoenix] Level 6 monarch unit


    Description: This is the legendary divine beast, the undying phoenix, possessing almost infinite life and eternal, indestructible mes... Note, this phoenix has gonepletely insane due to sensing the demise of its mate, devoid of any rationality!


    In this world, there exist creatures known as the Undying Phoenix. Generally, the female is referred to as Feng and the male as Huang, but regardless of gender, they can collectively be called phoenix, as they are essentially the same species.


    This phoenix haspletely sumbed to madness and darkness. The only solution is to eliminate it, allowing it to reincarnate from a phoenix egg. As soon as the ck Phoenix appeared, ck phoenix mes spread across the sky. These mes are extremely dangerous, almost impossible to extinguish once contacted, capable of burning everything in the world to ashes."

 Chapter 274: Pet Egg

    The mes released by the ck Phoenix, like raindrops, fell from the sky, instantly turning the ground into a sea of fire. This sea of fire seemed to be alive, moving along with the ck Phoenix. This was actually the domain of the ck Phoenix.


    Zhang San and Li Si activated their domain abilities simultaneously, and the moving sea of fire domain was immediately suppressed until it disappeared. While Li Si''s domain almostpletely neutralized the ck Phoenix''s domain, Zhang San''s unleashed domain instantly gained control of the battlefield. The gravity, amplified hundreds to thousands of times, pressed down on the ck Phoenix.


    In almost an instant, the ck Phoenix was pressed from mid-air to the ground. Zhang San raised his spear, and under the condensation of Rampaging Dragon Qi, the spear de expanded a hundredfold, transforming into a giant de capable of splitting rivers and mountains, and instantly chopped down on the body of the ck Phoenix, further suppressing this powerful divine beast.


    At the same time, Li Si swooped down from the sky. All nine headsunched attacks simultaneously. Nine different elemental energies intertwined into a spiral energy wave, fiercely striking the immobilized ck Phoenix on the ground, instantly creating a crater with a radius of several hundred meters,parable to a meteorite impact.


    "How powerful!" Nancilia was stunned by Zhang San and Li Si''s skills.


    After being promoted by the Demon King, the increase in their strength was astonishingly exaggerated. United, Nancilia felt she couldn''t contend against them. With such heavy blows dealt to the ck Phoenix, it would be difficult for it to escape unscathed.


    Unfortunately, this phoenix hadpletely turned insane. The ck Phoenix couldn''t be reverted back. This meant that the phoenix had abandoned its wisdom,pletely dominated by its beastly nature, bing a terrifying monster full of anger and destructive desire.


    Zhang San and Li Si''s attacksted for a few seconds. They could clearly feel the strong and imposing aura of the divine beast suddenly bing weak, almost disappearing without a trace. It seemed like a sess! They paused their attack and were about to check on the ck Phoenix''s condition when, unexpectedly, the nearly vanished aura suddenly surged back to strength. A huge mass of mes burst from the pit, gathering into a majestic phoenix in an instant. Had it resurrected with full health? Zhang San and Li Si were somewhat taken aback.


    Nancilia eximed in surprise, "Is this the phoenix''s ability to be reborn from its ashes?"


    Zhang Nu nodded and said, "Correct. The principle of Rebirth from within the mes involves umting the undying sacred fire with its life force on a regr basis. When in battle or at critical moments, it bursts forth all at once, using the sacred fire to achieve instant self-healing and recovery."


    "For ordinary people to master Rebirth from within the mes, being able to use it once every few days is already impressive, because the human body can only hold a limited amount of sacred fire, and the process of storing life force also consumes a lot of time."


    "But this phoenix is different!"


    Zhang Nu could clearly see that the scale of the undying sacred fire within the ck Phoenix was immense. This was the result of the divine beast''s continuous refinement over tens of thousands of years. The essence of the undying sacred fire is consumable, but this reserve was excessively powerful. Unless it''s possible to annihte the ck Phoenix in an instant, faster than the undying sacred fire can be activated, it would inevitably resurrect.


    Zhang San and Li Siunched another joint attack. Although they were powerful enough to suppress the ck Phoenix, they found they couldn''t kill it. Whenever the ck Phoenix faced a dangerous situation or received a fatal injury, it would immediately resurrect and heal itself through the Rebirth from within the mes ability, which, for the ck Phoenix, had no cooldown period at all.


    How could they fight this? The ck Phoenix couldn''t be killed! As long as the undying sacred fire wasn''tpletely extinguished, it was almost unkible, and its power was nearly infinite. The difficulty of dealing with this ck Phoenix was definitely above that of a mythic unit of the same level; its power alone could obliterate a nation.


    "Zhang San, Li Si, step back..." Although Zhang San and Li Si could suppress the ck Phoenix together, over time they would inevitably suffer from excessive depletion of mana, leading to a decline inbat effectiveness. In other words, through a war of attrition, the ck Phoenix could deal with Zhang San and Li Si.


    At this point, Nancilia volunteered, "Your Majesty, let me try. It''s not effective to fight such a being head-on, but my sealing technique should work."


    However, this time Zhang Nu did not agree to the young Elven King''s offer: "The power of the ck Phoenix is too domineering, and the sacred fire within it is too vast. It won''t be easy to seal it. I n to take action myself."


    Nancilia had no choice but to step back.


    The ck Phoenix let out a furious and piercing cry. This scream, like billions of birds singing at once, produced sharp sonic waves like knives, piercing into the brain and capable of causing significant psychic harm. However, at this moment, a fierce and ferocious Dragon Fear erupted. The dragon''s roar was ten to a hundred times stronger than the ck Phoenix''s piercing cry, causing even the mighty ck Phoenix to momentarily falter and be briefly affected. The next second, the Demon King transformed into his dragon form.


    It had been a long time since Zhang Nu had fought in his dragon form. In his dragon state, he stretched three to four hundred meters long, his sizeparable to a mountain. In contrast, the ck Phoenix seemed like an old hen strutting before a grown man. The mere presence was not on the same level.


    Feeling a significant threat, the ck Phoenix unleashed a massive column of ck fire. In response, Zhang Nu spat out a dense stream of thunder me. The two forces collided mid-air, causing intense pressure that fractured the nearby ground. However, given the disparity in strength, the thunder me pierced through the column of fire in the next second, hitting the ck Phoenix and prating its body before continuing to strike a mountain behind it, creating a massive hole in the mountain. The ck Phoenix''s body shattered into a sky of mes, then reassembled the next second, seemingly unharmed and still fiercely attacking.


    "Know your ce, beast!" Zhang Numented as he activated the Eye of Domination, instantly taking control of the ck Phoenix''s body and then pinning it to the ground with a stomp. Opening his mouth, he unleashed another attack.


    This time, what he released was not thunder me but ordinary dragon me. However, upon closer inspection, one could notice a vast presence of Evil God aura intertwined within the dragon me. Realizing that ordinary attacks were insufficient to swiftly and efficiently kill the ck Phoenix, Zhang Nu activated his talent of the Source of Corruption, using his immense life force to create arge amount of corrupted blood. This attack was not so much about using dragon me against the ck Phoenix as it was about using the corrupted blood.


    The dragon me sted onto the ck Phoenix, hardly causing any damage to it. As a top-tier fire elemental divine beast, the ck Phoenix undoubtedly possessed fire immunity not inferior to Zhang Nu''s, and even an extremely strong fire absorption effect. Using pure fire attacks against the ck Phoenix not only failed to injure it but could potentially make it even stronger. However, once the corrupted blood infiltrated the ck Phoenix''s body through the me, it rapidly froze the undying divine fire within its body!


    The fragment of the Evil God within Zhang Nu, the Source of Corruption, was an exceptionally unique existence. In terms of killing power, it definitely couldn''tpare to the Eye of Death. In terms of control ability, it certainly couldn''t match the Eye of Domination. But in terms of the ability to disgust and corrupt, the Source of Corruption was absolutely one of the top talents among all the corrupt divine gifts. Anything contaminated by it, whether it''s spiritual energy, divine artifacts, or other special items, will lose their function.


    In other words, the ck Phoenix, caughtpletely unprepared and doused in corrupted blood, found its entire body, inside and out, contaminated by the powerful Evil God aura, rendering all its abilities ineffective.


    The ck Phoenix realized something was wrong as the mes enveloping its body rapidly dissipated, eventually revealing its true feathers and body. But it was toote; it could no longer escape. Zhang Nu gathered another st of thunder me, and the ck Phoenix''s body was directly sted into pieces. Within the body of the ck Phoenix, there was still arge amount of undying divine fire, but this divine fire had been contaminated by the corrupted blood and thus couldn''t function properly. Eventually, it didn''t resurrect again.


    A few minutester, Zhang Nu received a notification:


    [You''ve in the ck Phoenix. Gold +20 million!]N?v(el)B\\jnn


    This notification confirmed that the troublesome divine beast had indeed been eliminated by him. Zhang Nu nodded in satisfaction.


    He extended a hand, and a myriad of blood mist was drawn out from the fragments of the ck Phoenix. This blood, filled with the aura of the corrupt god, was reabsorbed into Zhang Nu''s body, replenishing the life force he had expended. As the corrupted blood was withdrawn, the suppressed undying divine fire began to function again. Countless mes were released from the fragments in all directions, converging in the middle and rapidly taking shape.


    Nancilia eximed, "No, Your Majesty, it''s reviving again!"


    Zhang Nu remained calm and did not intervene, stating, "No, this time it''s different."


    The divine fire gathered to form a giant egg, a magnificent golden-red, translucent egg with surging mes inside.


    Nancilia''s eyes widened, "Is this... a newly born phoenix egg?"


    Zhang Nu nodded, "The ck Phoenix''s consciousness has been erased, but its soul fragments, possessing a trace of divinity, will notpletely perish. After being refined by the sacred divine fire, a new phoenix can be born."


    With that, Zhang Nu nced at the giant egg, and the information about it appeared:


    [Undying Phoenix Egg] orange-grade high-quality...


    Description: This is an egg that can be carefully hatched, possessing strong life force and the potential to birth a powerful phoenix.


    A mythic-ss pet egg! This item was definitely worth a fortune.

 Chapter 275: Ents of Darkness City

    Chapter 275: Ents of Darkness City


    After the Phoenix died, it burned itself to ashes, leaving behind only a pile of feathers. Each of these feathers was several tens of centimeters long, lustrous ck, and emitted strong energy fluctuations, clearly very precious materials.


    [ck Phoenix Feather] Orange-grade low-quality material.


    Zhang Nu didn''t expect that the feathers left by the phoenix would all be epic-grade materials, theoretically capable of being crafted into epic equipment. He stored all the feathers in his spatial ring.


    Unfortunately, even as a divine beast, the phoenix didn''t drop anything like Godhood. This was somewhat expected, though; while divine beasts possess some divinity, they are not true gods. Even Zhang Nu couldn''t condense a godhood himself, so how could the ck Phoenix, being a weaker entity than him, manage to do so? He hadn''t harbored much hope to begin with, so there wasn''t much disappointment.


    Zhang Nu didn''t immediately go back to meet with the ents but instead took Nancilia, Zhang San, and Li Si to find the phoenix''s nest. As expected, within the Phoenix''s nest, there were many precious materials. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all covered with a type of blood-red crystal. This crystal, simr in appearance to a coral-shaped crystal, was filled with rich life energy and bloodline power.


    [Phoenix Blood Crystal] Orange-grade high-quality material


    Description: This rare material, formed from the Phoenix''s blood essence over tens of thousands of years, can be used to repair permanent injuries, stimte one''s bloodline potential power, or enhance it.


    "These are some good items," Zhang Numented as he waved his hand, using his psychic power to instantly collect all the blood crystals in the cave. Phoenix Blood Crystals cannot be preserved for long periods. Without the continuous nourishment of a phoenix, their effects will gradually weaken, so it''s best to use them as soon as possible.


    He asked Zhang San and Li Si to guard the area nearby and kept Nancilia in the cave. To the young Elven King, the Demon King said, "These crystals can greatly benefit you by activating the bloodline powers within you that have not yet fully awakened. Prepare yourself, and I will assist you in using these crystals."


    Nancilia was very expectant, "Really? Thank you, Your Majesty! But how should we do this?"


    The Demon King seriously said, "You need to take off your clothes."


    Nancilia''s face turned red, "Ah?"


    The Demon King exined matter-of-factly, "Do you n to eat all these blood crystals? They need to be absorbed directly through the body!"


    "Oh!"


    Although the young Elven King was somewhat embarrassed, her absolute trust and loyalty to the Demon King meant she did not undergo much internal struggle before she removed her clothes. Zhang Nu couldn''t help but take a few extra nces. Despite her youthful appearance, her body was incredibly perfect, like a work of art, filled with natural grace and feminine beauty.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Without lingering, he took out one-fifth of the blood crystals, which was more than enough for the young Elven King. Zhang Nu activated his dragon me to melt the blood crystals into a mass of scorching, molten material. He controlled this substance to envelop Nancilia''s body. Though the temperature of the melted blood crystals was extremely high, Nancilia, being a Level 6 Elven King, had a constitution and resistance strong enough to withstand this heat.


    The moment she was enveloped by the blood crystals, Nancilia could clearly feel her physique undergoing changes, absorbing the energy contained within the blood crystals like a sponge. At the same time, the dormant bloodline power within her, as if suddenly awakened, became extraordinarily active. Every cell, every organ, all her flesh released energy, allowing her to feel herself rapidly bing stronger as new abilities, knowledge, and power emerged continuously. An invisible bottleneck was finally broken at this moment.


    Zhang Nu closely monitored Nancilia''s transformation. As he covered the young Elven King''s body with the molten blood crystals, the material quickly solidified, almost turning her into a statue. Meanwhile, the color of the crystalline shell began to fade rapidly, changing from deep red to blood red, and finally to a pale red, as all the substance and essence within were absorbed by Nancilia''s body.


    After a few minutes, cracks started to appear on the surface of the crystal statue. A tremendously powerful aura was released from within. In the next moment, there was a violent explosion, and the entire statue shattered. Nancilia''s body re-emerged into the air, enveloped in ayer of dreamlike aura, her waist-length silver hair dancing wildly, resembling the arrival of a Goddess of Nature, breathtakingly beautiful yet inspiring no lust.


    It was a sess!


    Zhang Nu looked at Nancilia, and her relevant information quickly surfaced.


    [Elven Empress Nancilia] Level 6 mythic unit. HP 15,400, MP 34,800, Strength 355, Agility 849, Constitution 615, Will 5024, Loyalty 99%.


    Skill: Elven Empress (Talent), Divine Tree Sanctuary (Talent), Goddess of Nature''s Chosen (Talent), Saintess of Life (Talent), Omni-Magic (Talent), Elven Empress Aura (Talent), Empress''s Elemental Covenant (Talent), Empress''s Nature Pact (Talent), Starlight Shield (S rank), Elven Sealing Art (S rank), Elven Blessing Art (S rank), Elven Barrier (S rank), Nature Summoning (S rank), Supreme Teleportation (S rank), etc.


    Description: An Elf Empress blessed by the Goddess of Nature, possessing the potential to be a Great Empress, destined to make history and be a legendary figure among the elven race.


    Nancilia excitedly jumped in front of Zhang Nu, "My Lord, I''ve seeded, I''ve broken through the shackles of Monarch... I... I seem to have be an Elven Emperor!"


    Emperor level was undoubtedly a higher tier of existencepared to king level. When the Giantree Tribe discovered Nancilia''s great potential to be an Elven King, they highly valued her and protected her to be the leader of the Giantree City. Who could have thought that Nancilia would not only be an Elven King but has now rightfully be an Elven Emperor! With Nancilia''s current Level 6 mythic strength, she can definitelypete with the Subus Queen Han Kexin, and has now be the second most powerful being after Han Kexin.


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied, "Well done, you didn''t disappoint me. It seems that our trip here was not in vain!"


    Nancilia quickly said, "Thank you, my Lord, for giving me such a great opportunity. Otherwise, I don''t know how much time and cost it would take to fully awaken my bloodline!"


    To this, Zhang Nu disagreed. In fact, even without the Phoenix Blood Crystal, he could have helped Nancilia level up using the Demon King''s Baptism. However,pared to the Demon King''s Baptism, the Blood Crystal not only stimted potential but also strengthened the bloodline power, further increasing Nancilia''s limit. Now it seems that the effect was very good, and the goal was easily achieved.


    Zhang Nu said, "You should put your clothes on first."


    Nancilia, still caught up in her excitement, only realized after hearing this that she had been without clothes. Her face instantly turned bright red, and she hurriedly dressed herself.


    "Let''s go."


    Zhang Nu led Nancilia and Zhang San and Li Si, who had been guarding outside, away from the Phoenix Nest and back to the forest of the ents.


    When Grootroot saw Nancilia, the ancient ent was in disbelief, "You... you''ve actually made a breakthrough!"


    How could this happen so quickly? Just a short while ago, this Elven King was still just that, an Elven King. But in just half a day, she had transformed into a genuine and majestic Elven Emperor!


    Nancilia proudly said, "This is all thanks to the help of the Demon King. Now, I am no less than most of the Elf Emperors in the history of the Elven Empire!"


    The ents exchanged looks of astonishment. One of the ent elders hurriedly asked, "What about the ck Phoenix...?"


    Zhang Nu took the phoenix egg out from the Heart of Space, "It has beenpletely annihted. This is the egg it left behind, with its mad spirit destroyed. Even if it is reborn, it will be a brand new phoenix."


    In other words, the ck Phoenix that threatened this ce had beenpletely eradicated and would never appear again. The ents found it hard to believe. The ck Phoenix was incredibly powerful, almost impossible to kill. The ents had to use almost the entire tribe''s strength to barely seal the divine beast away. For decades, the strength of the ck Phoenix hadn''t changed. But this mysterious Demon King, along with his three subordinates, managed to eliminate the ck Phoenix in less than half a day. What kind of power was this?


    Zhang Nu asked, "Have you made your decision?"


    Nancilia immediately said, "Respected Ent King, do not hesitate. I guarantee with my honor that the ents will not regret this choice!"


    Ent King Grootroot said, "If even the great and noble Elven Emperor has joined the Chaos Federation andmands the ents to do the same, then we are willing to follow the ancient pact and be a part of the Chaos Federation!"


    The ents all knelt down, pledging their allegiance to the Demon King. At the same time, a message popped up.


    [Ent King Grootroot has pledged allegiance to you along with 1105 ents. ept?]


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied. These ents were strong and could significantly enhance the power of the Chaos Federation. Without much thought, he epted and promised the Ents, "As long as the ents are loyal to the Darkness City, the Darkness City will always have a ce for the ents."


    As soon as he finished speaking, another message appeared.


    [You''ve conquered the Ancient Elven Breeding Ranch!]


    [You gained a "Gorgeous Stardust Diamond Treasure Chest"!]


    Was it that easy? This ce was too easy to conquer! In reality, this area was not easy. Dealing with thousands of high-level ents, even for Zhang Nu, would have required considerable effort. Now, thanks to Nancilia, there was no need to deal with these ents, and they were directly recruited instead. Though this meant earning less gold, these living ents were obviously more valuable than gold. Killing them all might earn one or two hundred million gold, but recruiting so many units would cost at least five to six times that amount without even thinking about it.


    Thus, living ents were more valuable."

 Chapter 276: The Approaching Thunder Empire

    Chapter 276: The Approaching Thunder Empire


    Zhang Nu opened the treasure chest.


    [You''ve opened the Diamond Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" 80 million, "Blueprint: Hyper Spatial-Temporal Breeding Ranch", "Blueprint: Ent Altar" 1, "Level 5 Special Building Upgrade Scroll" 1, "Life Gems" 30,000, "me Gems" 20,000, "Earth Gems" 10,000!]


    The rewards were indeed generous, fitting for an area that housed two Level 6 monarch-ss units. The two blueprints for Level 5 special buildings included a Hyper Spatial-temporal Breeding Ranch, simr to a Spirit Field but capable of both cultivation and pasturing, with unique abilities such as spatialpression and time control, to generate impressive yields.


    The Ent Altar, unlike other altar buildings, primarily focused on summoning new ents rather than enhancing existing ones. Ents, not being magical creatures, would persist indefinitely once summoned, without any time restrictions on their existence. This meant that with the Ent Altar, provided the summoning conditions were met, Zhang Nu could at any time summon ents to reinforce his forces.


    Aside from the treasures obtained from the chest and the ents that were recruited, the most significant gain from this endeavor was the elven cultivation field itself. Despite the ck Phoenix having destroyed part of the area, the majority remained intact, teeming with purple and orange-grade materials.


    A conservative estimate suggested that fully developing and liquidating these resources could potentially bring in one billion Demon King gold in revenue for the Darkness City. The high value of the materials in this ce was thus made apparent. This expedition was indeed a bountiful harvest.


    To prevent the materials from degrading in quality, Zhang Nu didn''t rush to excavate them all but decided to preserve them in their natural state to maximize their value and freshness. He nned to dispatch a group of elves to take over the management of the valley. With proper cultivation, this valley could rival ordinary spirit fields in productivity, and the valuable materials could be cataloged and stored in the form of data. In this way, they could be collected as neededter on.


    There was no longer a need for the ent n to remain there. Zhang Nu intended to relocate the entire ent n to the Chaos Forest, which would also be a form of liberation for them, as only a vast forest like the Chaos Forest could be an ideal paradise for the ents. For the Chaos Forest, the arrival of over a thousand Level 6 ents would greatly enhance its security, defense, and management. Ents possess an exceptional sensing ability, allowing each ent to control and monitor arge area of the forest, essentially serving as natural sentinels.


    Moreover, the ents couldmunicate with each other through long-distance psychicmunication, allowing any incidents in any corner of the vast forest to be promptly reported back to the Darkness City. Furthermore, these ents, having lived for tens of thousands of years, possess vast knowledge andmand respect from various races. They could serve as the guardians of the Chaos Forest, mediating conflicts among races and defending against external threats.


    As for the injury of the Ent King Grootroot? The phoenix''s divine fire had been smoldering for decades. Zhang Nu could neutralize the mes within Grootroot using the power of the Abyssal Devouring and the abilities of the Evil God, but fully repairing the aftermath and restoring Grootroot to peak condition was not easy, even with Zhang Nu''s current abilities, it was unlikely to be aplished easily.


    However, the power of Tree of Eternity or the effects of the Level 5 Life Spring could be used to slowly restore Grootroot to his prime. This process could take decades, but for the Ents, this was insignificant. After all, the natural lifespan of an ent is nearly infinite, and they couldfortably recuperate in the Chaos Forest.


    Zhang Nu returned to the Darkness City and began preparing for the relocation of the ent n.


    Abruptly, the leader of the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes, Su Yan, rushed back in a hurry.


    "Boss!" she eximed, "Something big has happened!"


    Su Yan was visibly tense.


    Zhang Nu nced at her and said, "You are now the head of the Darkness City''s intelligence agency. Why are you still making a fuss? What big event could possibly happen now?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Su Yan exined, "I''ve been gathering intelligence in Bachor''s main city recently, and I can confirm that the empire has been seemingly quiet these days but is actually ready tounch a thunderous offensive."


    Zhang Nu was slightly startled, "Is that so? How many people have they brought? What units are involved?"


    Su Yan quickly said, "The empire has mobilized a very powerful lineup, pulling nearly a millionbat units from the capital city and the eastern and western borders, almost all of which have now reached the southern border."


    A million might sound intimidating, but numbers alone would not be enough. If it were a million ordinary soldiers, they wouldn''t pose a threat to the Chaos Federation. But given Su Yan''s anxiety, it was likely not just any ordinary force.


    Su Yan continued, "This million-strong army doesn''t consist of regr imperial troops; they are almost all elite forces. The Grand Dukes of the Western Region and Eastern Region, these two Guardian Dukes, have almost pulled out all the knights from their duchies, totaling nearly half a million. That''s enough to easily wipe out any small country."


    Zhang Nu nodded, "That does sound significant."


    "But that''s not all," Su Yan added. "The western border of the empire is where the magic civilization is most prosperous. The headquarters of the Mage Guild and several mage forces and alliances are located there. The Grand Duke of the West has thus cultivated a famous imperial Mage Legion."


    A Mage Legion referred to a legionposed entirely of mages. A legion usually numbered over a hundred thousand; if it didn''t reach that number, it couldn''t be called a legion. This Mage Legion was a mage force formed by at least a hundred thousand, possibly more, mages working together. A hundred thousand magesunching an attack together would have been an apocalyptic sight, capable of leveling a city of a million people with a single assault.


    Su Yan continued, "There is more. The Grand Duke of the Eastern Region has also dispatched the Imperial Juggernaut Legion stationed in the east."


    The Imperial Juggernaut Legion she mentioned was a very special regr legion of the Thunder Empire. Given the vast territory of the Thunder Empire, it was inevitable that various exotic races live within its borders, most of which had been fully assimted orpletely subjugated by the empire.


    In the hignds of the empire''s eastern border, there''s a particrlyrge tribe of giants. These giants belong to the mountain giants and are selected annually for their elite, receiving the empire''s special blessings and initiation to gain significant magic resistance andbat prowess before joining the legions formed by the empire to wage wars for it. This unit was incredibly powerful and not to be underestimated even by the Chaos Federation.


    With fifty thousand ducal knights, a legion of mages, and the Juggernaut Legion, the lineup was formidable indeed. However, the truly terrifying core force was not them.


    Su Yan swallowed nervously before continuing, "Moreover, one of the empire''s core forces, the renowned Guardian Knight Legion, has also arrived at Bachor City!"


    Zhang Nu was already familiar with the power of the Guardian Knights. Each Guardian Knight was one in a million, and even the most ordinary member of the Guardian Knights had the strength of a Level 5 overlord, capable of contending with a mature dragon on their own. At this moment, the Guardian Knight Legion of the empire has almost entirely assembled in the southernnds. This sharply honed force wass capable of crushing any known enemy of the empire. Even the ent troops and Abyssal Dragon Legion that Zhang Nu had recently acquired would struggle to contend with this force.


    It did sound rather troublesome. After all, in addition to these troops, the empire had deployed two dukes and a chief knight, three overt powerhouses. Moreover, the number ofbat experts secretly dispatched, along with the reinforcements that the two dukes had called upon through their connections, was likely even more numerous.


    What was most crucial was the scale of this operation. News would have surely spread throughout thends, attracting the attention of top tier Heroes across the continent. Zhang Nu suspected that in this battle, Heroes from the top of the leaderboard would infiltrate the fray, either openly or in secret. Top-ranked Heroes were no pushovers. The threat they posed was no less significant than that of the three imperial powerhouses.


    Su Yan anxiously asked, "Boss, how are we going to handle this? Although the Chaos Federation''s forces are strong, it won''t be easy to withstand this onught."


    Zhang Nu revealed a yful smile, "Don''t worry, their arrival is timely. It will allow me to test some interesting things."


    Test? Su Yan was puzzled. Faced with such arge-scale enemy invasion, the boss seemed unconcerned, even seeing it as an opportunity for experimentation. Wasn''t this attitude a bit too reckless?


    "As for the war," Zhang Nu reassured Su Yan, "you don''t need to worry. I''ll handle it. The Chaos Federation has developed to a point where not even the mighty Thunder Empire can halt our progress. Our real threats are the top few hundred Heroes on the leaderboard."


    Meanwhile, Han Kexin also encountered some trouble.


    "I''ve received thetest intelligence that the army of the Pale Moon Kingdom is about to besiege Holy Tides City, including a significant force of Heroes," she reported.


    Zhang Nu immediately replied, "Do you need my intervention?"


    Han Kexin responded, "With me here, it''s not yet necessary at this point. But Holy Tides City is short on troops. I need a strong reinforcement unit. Your newly formed Dragon Legion seems perfect for this. Send them to support me."


    Zhang Nu approved the request and dispatched the Dragon Legion to Holy Tides City. Han Kexin promised to conclude the battle there within three to four days, thenunch a counter-conquest against the Pale Moon Kingdom."

 Chapter 277: Pale Moons Assault

    Chapter 277: Pale Moon''s Assault


    The 500,000-strong sea tribe army aboard their warships arrived at Holy Tides City in a grand disy. Leading the force was the Grand Marshal of the Pale Moon Kingdom, Takumi Akiwawa, apanied by over a thousand Heroes. Holy Tides City quickly responded by shutting its gates, activating the protective barrier, and preparing for a standoff.


    With a disdainful sneer, Takumi Akiwawa leaped from the gship andnded on the sea surface, which roiled under his feet, lifting him towards Holy Tides City. With arms crossed, he began to shout towards the city, "I am the Grand Marshal of Pale Moon! By the order of the King of Pale Moon, I am here to subdue the White Sand rebels who have seized Holy Tides City! Listen well, defenders of the city, now is the time to distance yourselves from the White Sand Tribe''s rebels. Open the gates and wee the royal forces, and your past offenses shall be forgiven. Otherwise, once I forcefully breach the city, all soldiers will be treated as rebels. You should understand the consequences!"


    Takumi Akiwawa was full of confidence, bolstered by his formidable force. The defenders of Holy Tides City, numbering at most around two hundred thousand, were far inferior in both number and quality to his 500,000-strong army. In such a short time, it was nearly impossible for the White Sand family n to gainplete control over Holy Tides City. Takumi Akiwawa didn''t believe that every soldier andmander in Holy Tides City would remain loyal to the White Sand Tribe with the royal army at their doorstep.


    With the royal forces threatening, it was improbable that the city''s defenders and various factions would not waver. Even a small number of defections would significantly aid Takumi Akiwawa in easily breaching Holy Tides City and seizing control. Once inmand of this vast city, he could use the army at his disposal to dere independence, counterattack Pale Moon Kingdom, and ultimately conquer the entire Pale Moon Penins to be its new ruler.


    However, contrary to Takumi Akiwawa''s expectations, the defenders of Holy Tides City remained unmoved, with no signs of the anticipated unrest inside or outside the city. Confused, Takumi Akiwawa wondered whether it was possible that the White Sand Tribe had indeed won over the entire city and its militarymanders.


    The reason behind this unwavering loyalty was not apparent to Takumi Akiwawa. While the White Sand merfolks might not have had the capability to control all factions and officers in Holy Tides City, the forces from Darkness City could achieve this with rtive ease. Through her ability to charm permanently, Han Kexin had already taken control of the leader of the Holy Tides City Hero Association. Her subordinates, Qiuyue and Dongxue, along with thousands of subi, had used psychic maniption to influence various officers and family representatives. Although the psychic control exerted by ordinary subi couldn''t match the extreme effectiveness of permanent charm, subtly influencing and temporarily controlling key figures posed no issue. Thus, all significant forces and influentialmanders within Holy Tides City were under Han Kexin''s control, leaving them unable to break free from her influence.


    Enraged by the city''s steadfast rebellion, Takumi Akiwawa dered, "So you wish for death?"


    Seeing no other option but to take the city by force, he returned to his gship. With a cold gaze and chilling tone, he ordered, "The rebels of Holy Tides City refuse to see reason. Ry mymand! Commence the attack immediately and spare no traitors!"


    The conch horn sounded, signaling thousands of warships to swiftly approach Holy Tides City. From the seabed, tens of thousands of sea tribe magesunched an attack, summoning a colossal wave, thousands of meters high, that surged towards the city like a massive palm about to strike.


    However, at that moment, a figure with demonic wings appeared in front of the wave. Although she bore the appearance of a demon, her features were strikingly beautiful and cold. It was none other than one of the most trusted generals under the Subus Queen --- the Banshee Queen, Han Dongxue.


    "A demon? As expected, there are other forces behind Holy Tides City," Takumi Akiwawa grimly noted, "Just an outsider force trying to control Holy Tides City. Die!"


    The wave crashed down like a nket covering the sky, but Han Dongxue stood her ground. Just as the wave was about to crush her with its immense force, she unleashed a spell, "Deathly Ice Seal!" She directed a blue stream of cold towards the wave, and as soon as it touched the water, ayer of ice crystals formed on its surface.


    The ice rapidly spread across the wave, ultimately transforming the formidable deluge into a towering iceberg.


    Takumi Akiwawa''s expression drastically changed. This attack was at least A-rank magic, and the perpetrator had to be a Level 6 overlord at the minimum. No, even a Level 6 overlord wouldn''t suffice. This individual was a powerful Level 6 demon monarch! A Level 5 demon was already an extremely rare urrence, let alone a Level 6 demon monarch. This being''s presencepletely shattered Takumi Akiwawa''s understanding.


    Although Han Dongxue''s intervention posed a significant pressure on Takumi Akiwawa, he showed no signs of backing down. Despite the challenge presented by a monarch-ss adversary, Takumi was confident in his own strength, bolstered by the power of the fragments of a god he possessed and his own status as a top-tier Level 6 overlord, to contend with a monarch. Moreover, while monarchs were undoubtedly powerful, in arge-scale battle like this, one or two monarchs couldn''t change the decisive gap in forces.


    Seizing the opportunity, Takumi Akiwawa shouted, "Holy Tides City is a legitimate territory of the Pale Moon Kingdom, its legitimacy established in a covenant over six thousand years ago. We cannot ept demons attempting to invade our sea tribe''s territory!"


    With fervor, he called out to the sea tribemanders, "Holy Tides City is a city of us sea tribe. We cannot allow the vile demons to do as they please. Follow me in the charge, take back Holy Tides City, and y the demons that lurk within!"


    Hearing this, the soldiers were filled with righteous indignation. The sea tribe''s legitimate territories, established by the great Azure Water Empress, had been invaded by demons from foreignnds? This was clearly an affront to the collective interests of the sea tribe, sufficient to outrage all sea tribes. However, before they couldunch a further assault, a series of intense Dragon Fear, like a stormy gale, descended from the clouds above.


    "What the fuck?!"


    "Dragons!"


    "True dragons!"


    "There are dragons!"


    "So many dragons!"


    The sea tribes were thrown into panic as Abyssal Dragons, each at least fifty to sixty meters long and of various colors like red, blue, yellow, green, and ck, each exuding the aura of at least top-tier Level 5 overlords, descended from the clouds.


    A scorching dragon me instantly struck the gship of the Pale Moon army. Although the ship''s defensive barrier held, the spreading mes ignited several nearby transport ships, causing the sea tribes to jump into the sea to escape. Simultaneously, hundreds, even thousands of massive lightning strikes fell from the sky like rain, shattering dozens of ships and inflicting casualties and chaos upon the sea tribe army.


    "How could there be dragons?" Takumi Akiwawa was stunned. He suddenly realized something and eximed, "You''re from the Chaos Forest! You are from Darkness City!"


    "It seems you''re not entirely clueless," replied a voice, both pleasant and authoritative. Han Kexin appeared on the battlefield alongside Han Qiuyue, apanied by over a dozen high-level demons, each a formidable Level 5 entity.


    "Damn you!" Takumi Akiwawa roared. "Your reach from Chaos Forest extends way too far! This ocean is not yours to tamper with!"


    If the adversaries had been unidentified demons, Takumi Akiwawa wouldn''t have been concerned since there were hardly any significant demon forces within a hundred thousand miles of the Chaos Sea. However, facing forces from Darkness City was an entirely different matter. Darkness City had already taken control of the Chaos Forest and even had the capability to invade imperial territories, having ughtered a million troops from the southern region of the Thunder Empire and even the southern Guardian Grand Duke Bachor.


    The situation was dire; the Chaos Forests'' proximity to the Pale Moon Penins meant that if they sought to annex it, the penins would face even greater pressure than the empire''s southern region, which at least had the backing of the entire empire. The Pale Moon Penins was now utterly isted and without support.


    Takumi Akiwawa angrily imed, "Your Darkness City wages war on two fronts, making enemies of both the empire and the sea tribes. Are you so eager to meet your demise?!"


    Han Kexinughed in response, "What a joke. The Chaos Sea has long been without restraint. The mere Pale Moon Penins should rightfully belong to the Chaos Forest!"


    "Rubbish!" Takumi Akiwawa couldn''t contain his fury. "We sea tribes will never submit to Darkness City. The Pale Moon Penins has always been the territory of the Pale Moon Kingdom. Foreigners like you will never seed!"


    Hearing this, the other sea tribes also became indignant. After all, this was no longer a mere rebellion but an invasion, and significantly, one initiated by outsiders, whichpletely altered its significance.


    Han Kexin smirked, "Is that so? Then may I ask where your so-called legitimacyes from?"


    Takumi Akiwawa blurted out, "Of course, from the covenant made by Empress Shui Lan 6,000 years ago. She explicitly integrated the entire Pale Moon Penins into the Chaos Sea and designated it under the governance of the sea tribes, a legacy that has continued for countless generations."


    "Excellent, so your legitimacy stems from Empress Shui Lan," Han Kexin pped delightedly. "Then please, open your eyes wide and see who this is."


    As she spoke, another potent aura surged from the sea. Water formed a column that rose from the ocean and bloomed like a bud, revealing a merfolk of noble and majestic presence inside. An aura surpassing that of monarchs enveloped all the Pale Moon soldiers present. When the crowd recognized the mermaid, everyone was taken aback, for she was all too familiar. Her statues and portraits were widespread, and no sea tribe member with a notable family background could fail to recognize her.


    A high-ranking Pale Moonmander eximed in disbelief, "Empress Shui Lan, it''s Empress Shui Lan! How could Empress Shui Lan be here?!"


    This revtion jolted the other sea tribes out of their shock. The officers and elites from prominent Pale Moon families recognized Empress Shui Lan''s identity, and even the ordinary soldiers who hadn''t seen her images or statues soon learned of her from their superiors.


    How could this be? It must be a fake! How could Empress Shui Lan appear here? Yet, the aura emanating from her clearly surpassed that of monarchs, undeniably marking her as a being capable of the strength of an emperor.


    The shock and upheaval this revtion caused to the morale of the Pale Moon army could only be described as devastating."N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 278: Eye of Regeneration

    Chapter 278: Eye of Regeneration


    What was happening? Why would Empress Shui Lan appear among the enemy? The forces of the Pale Moon Kingdom were utterly stunned by this turn of events.


    Empress Shui Lan stood calmly amidst the waves, her gaze sweeping over the densely packed warships and sea tribe troops. She spoke with a tranquility that belied the significance of her words, "The Pale Moon Kingdom, and the entire alliance of sea tribes, has fallen into corruption and rigidity over these thousands of years. It is time for a revolution!"


    "I hereby dere my formal alliance with the Chaos Federation, bing a member of Darkness City. The old, corrupt era must end. Now, only the Chaos Federation and the Demon King of Darkness City can bring true peace to the sea tribes!"


    "Your weapons should not be used against the reformers!"


    Before Empress Shui Lan could finish, Takumi Akiwawa, ovee with rage, interrupted her. He bellowed, "Don''t listen to her nonsense! Empress Shui Lan has been dead for 6,000 years. How could she possibly appear in this era? This is a conspiracy! A trap set by the Demon King of Darkness City!"


    His words garnered widespread support, with many echoing, "Exactly!"


    "This must be the enemy''s scheme!"


    "How could Empress Shui Lan appear here after so many years?"


    "Damn these foreigners! Not only do they invade and upy our sea tribe cities, but they also dare to desecrate the great Empress Shui Lan!"


    "Kill them all!"


    The people of the Pale Moon Kingdom were incensed, not all out of righteous indignation but many out of fear. The reason was simple: the legal status and territory of the Pale Moon Kingdom were all delineated by Empress Shui Lan herself. If Empress Shui Lan opposed their rule, not to mention the covenant was destroyed, could they still hold their ground in this region?


    Among the Pale Moon Kingdom''s forces, aside from ordinary sea tribe warriors and soldiers, there were no shortages of members from the Pale Moon royal family and other vested interest families. Their rights and status were all tied to the Pale Moon Kingdom. How could they ept an act that aimed to eradicate their legitimacy from its very roots? Regardless of whether Empress Shui Lan was genuine or not, they could not possibly ept it.


    Empress Shui Lan let out a scoff at their reaction. A surging force was released from her body, instantly creating a powerful Deep Sea Sanctum that enveloped most of the ships present. When deployed in a marine environment, the scale and size of Empress Shui Lan''s sanctum could increase tenfold, with its power also significantly enhanced.


    Thispletely dumbfounded the Pale Moon sea tribe. While Empress Shui Lan''s appearance could be imitated and her identity impersonated, and even a mythic-ss emperor-rank powerhouse could be found to mirror her strength, there was one thing that couldn''t be faked: her domain skill. Each king and emperor''s domain possessed distinct personal characteristics, and ording to historical records, the powerful sanctum now before them was none other than that of Empress Shui Lan herself.


    "She is Empress Shui Lan!"


    "She truly is Empress Shui Lan!"


    "This isn''t a fake; Empress Shui Lan has returned!"


    The Pale Moon sea tribe was utterly shaken, especially the ordinary soldiers and officers in the middle and lower ranks. They realized that standing within the enemy ranks was the legendary empress who founded the sea tribe alliance and once ended the conflicts in the Chaos Sea.


    How could they continue to fight?


    Takumi Akiwawa was furious. "Enough of your tricks! I''ll y you first, you impostor!"


    Regardless of the merfolk''s true identity, Takumi Akiwawa knew he had to eliminate her to proceed with the battle. He charged at Empress Shui Lan, braving the pressure of her sanctum, and swung his great sword. Condensing his Qi into waves, he aimed a powerful strike at Empress Shui Lan.


    However, just as Takumi Akiwawa''s de was about to strike Shui Lan, he suddenly felt a loss of control over his body. Han Kexin, standing not far from Shui Lan, had her left finger wrapped around a blue thread, almost invisible to the naked eye, that extended to Takumi Akiwawa.


    [You are under the influence of psychic domination! You are in a state of loss of control!]


    Takumi Akiwawa was shocked. How could he, with his strength, be so easily controlled? In fact, to Han Kexin, the Hero''s power was negligible. Even before reaching Level 6, Han Kexin could manipte Heroes of Level 6 overlord strength, not to mention now that she herself had reached Level 6, bing a terrifying Demon Emperor. Takumi Akiwawa, despite being a powerful Level 6 overlord, was like an ant to Han Kexin. If it weren''t for the vast numbers of the Pale Moon Kingdom''s forces, she wouldn''t have needed to request for a reinforcement of over a hundred dragons to assert dominance.


    Takumi Akiwawa tried to use his battle spirit to break free but found his efforts futile against the control.


    At that moment, Shui Lan raised her hand towards him and said, "You, who are so stubborn and backward, only serve as an obstacle to peace. You must be eliminated!"


    The next second, a powerful burst of energy shot from Shui Lan''s fingertip, striking Takumi Akiwawa''s head and obliterating it.


    "The Grand Marshal is dead!"


    "The Grand Marshal is dead!"


    "The Empress has killed the marshal!"


    Han Kexin chose not to eliminate Takumi Akiwawa personally to achieve a more profound psychological impact. After all, dying by Empress Shui Lan''s hand,pared to hers, brought about an entirely different level of shock.


    However, at that moment, Han Kexin noticed something. Frowning, she said, "Huh, that''s strange, this guy isn''t dead yet."


    Shui Lan, hearing Han Kexin''sment, was also slightly taken aback and immediately focused her attention on the scene. The shattered pieces of the head, under some force, began to reassemble themselves and reattach to the neck, piecing the head back together.


    "Kuso! Kusotare..." Takumi Akiwawa, clutching his head, had a twisted look of pain on his face. His face and head were covered in cracks, and although the wounds were healing rapidly, being decapitated was obviously not a pleasant experience.


    "You can''t kill me!"


    "No one can kill me!"


    Shui Lan''s gaze turned cold, and with a swift motion of her slender fingers, dozens of unbreakable water des sliced through the Hero from every direction. Against this, the Hero had no chance to resist. Since Han Kexin was still controlling his body, he couldn''t dodge or use his Qi to counter. He took the hit squarely and was instantly cut into dozens of pieces. However, at that moment, the pieces began to reassemble once again. Takumi Akiwawa''s armor had fallen off, revealing hispletely deformed body and a strange, green, eye-like organ on his chest.


    Han Kexin and Shui Lan could see clearly now. The reason this man was unkible was due to this bizarre organ, which released a special energy, continuously restoring his body.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Han Kexinmented with interest, "Huh, this eye resembles the one in the Mountains of Madness, although the power it wields is entirely different."


    Shui Lan, having seen much of the world, changed her expression and said, "The power of an Evil God? No wonder he''s so hard to kill!"


    Takumi Akiwawa''s body recovered once again, but with each regeneration, his deformity worsened, and his mental state seemed to be more frenzied.


    "I am immortal!"


    "You can''t kill me!"


    Shui Lan scoffed, "Immortal? You wish!"


    As she spoke, she waved her hands, and hundreds, if not thousands, of water des instantly minced Takumi''s body.


    Shui Lan didn''t believe that under such circumstances, he could still heal himself with the Evil God''s power. As expected, the power of the Evil God had its limits. Under such intense assault, Takumi Akiwawa could no longer regenerate. His body, now cut into thousands of pieces, still clung together around the eye, forming a writhing mass of flesh.


    Seeing this, Shui Lan immediately said, "This fragment of the Evil God is awakening. We must destroy it!"


    "Let''s do it!"


    Knowing how troublesome and terrifying a fully awakened Evil God monstrosity could be, Han Kexin didn''t hesitate to act, releasing a purple demonic fire. Simultaneously, Qiuyue, Dongxue, other demonic powerhouses, as well as Shui Lan also made their move. With so many powerful individuals attacking together, it was quite a significant disy of force against the awakening Evil God.


    The next second, the flesh lump, which had swollen to the size of a house, exploded.


    Han Kexin obtained the inactive fragment of the dark god and saw the rted information about it.


    [Eye of Regeneration] A fragment of the ancient "Eight-Eyed Evil God", with each eye containing a different dark power. This one, representing the power of life, is known as the Eye of Regeneration.


    "Eye of Regeneration?" Han Kexin marveled, "No wonder it had such a strong resurrection ability. It''s surprising that such a thing was found on an unremarkable Hero."


    At this moment, the dragon troopsunched their attack. The stubborn resistors within the Pale Moon Kingdom''s forces were cleansed by the destructive dragon mes and lightning. As for the remaining kingdom''s army, they had already lost their courage and, under the imposing pressure of Shui Lan, had no will to fight left.


    Soon, eighty percent of the 500,000-strong army surrendered.


    Han Kexin was overjoyed, "Hahaha, this is great! We''ve assimted so many elite kingdom troops and got an Evil God''s eye. We''ve really aplished a great feat this time!"


    She knew the value of an Evil God fragment, especially those originating from the same deity. The more fragments from the same Evil God, the stronger the resonance and synergy between them, resulting in more potent effects and powers. This Eye of Regeneration would be incredibly valuable to the Potato Demon King.


    Moreover, the battle went unexpectedly smoothly. A 500,000-strong elite kingdom army was not a small force, and even with many monarchs overseeing, a full-scale assault could have caused significant damage to Holy Tides City, considering the disparity in military strength. But now, with Shui Lan''s deterrence and the dragons'' assistance, the enemy barely fought or formed a significant battle force before choosing to surrender. Not only did Holy Tides City suffer no losses, but its strength also greatly increased with this newly assimted kingdom army. With this new force at hand, Han Kexin was utterly confident in taking over the entire Pale Moon Kingdom!


    With such a contribution to the organization, surely the boss would consider a bonus?"

 Chapter 279: Evil God Fragment Resonation

    Chapter 279: Evil God Fragment Resonation


    Han Kexin, apanied by Shui Lan, returned to Darkness City to report to the lord, Zhang Nu, who had also just returned.


    Eager to showcase her achievements, Han Kexin said, "How about that? We did a pretty good job this time, didn''t we? Look what I''ve brought for you." Handing over the Evil God fragment, she watched Zhang Nu''s surprised reaction.


    Another fragment of an Evil God, coincidentally from the Eight-Eyed Evil God, was of immense value to Zhang Nu, far surpassing the worth of a hundred epic-grade items. Learning about the situation in Holy Tides City, Zhang Nu was quite pleased with Han Kexin''s strategy. Sessfully assimting hundreds of thousands of Pale Moon Kingdom troops would secure the southern front of the Chaos Federation in the Chaos Seas. Even without deploying a single soldier from Darkness City, the decaying Pale Moon Kingdom stood no chance against Han Kexin and her subordinates, Shui Lan, as well as the elite navy.


    Han Kexin outlined her n: "The cities of Pale Moon Kingdom have been oppressing and enving various tribes for a thousand years, losing the people''s support long ago. By invoking Shui Lan''s name and the banner of restoring order, we can easily win over the tribes."


    Zhang Nu cautioned, "Don''t underestimate a kingdom with a thousand years of heritage."


    Han Kexin confidently replied, "No worries, my permanent charm ability is almost ready again. Once I meet the Pale Moon King in person, who is at most a Level 5 monarch, he won''t be able to resist my charm."


    Han Kexin was employing a dual strategy: rallying various forces to overthrow the old nobility from the bottom up, while also nning to use her permanent charm to directly control the Pale Moon King, thus dismantling the supporting pirs of the kingdom from the top down. With Holy Tides City as a base, the banner of Shui Lan, the Azure Water Empress, and sufficient military forces, taking over the kingdom was a straightforward task for her, merely a matter of time.


    Zhang Nu acknowledged their efforts, "You''ve done well this time. Rewards and punishments are clearly defined in Darkness City, and those who have merited will not be treated unfairly."


    Expectantly, Han Kexin inquired, "Really? Then about my bonus..."


    Zhang Nu, somewhat irritated, assured her, "You won''t miss out on your bonus. For starters, take this!" He then handed her an enormous egg.


    Han Kexin was astonished, "An epic pet egg? Undying Phoenix!"


    Zhang Nu exined, "This Undying Phoenix is an extremely rare divine beast that can potentially reach mythic levels. Not only does it possess formidable offensive capabilities, but it also has various supportive abilities. Having it will significantly enhance your strength."


    Truly a treasure of immense value! Han Kexin was very pleased with this reward. This egg, transformed from the divine fire of a Level 6 monarch phoenix, would hatch at least a monarch-ss creature, and with proper nurturing, it could even reach mythic-ss. Essentially, it was a super weapon. The Undying Phoenix''s divine fire could not only heal itself but also transfer life force to its master, instantly healing the master''s injuries, which was more effective than any potion.


    For Zhang Nu, boosting hisbat capabilities with a pet was unnecessary. Moreover, with his own fire-rebirth ability and the newly acquired "Eye of Regeneration," he didn''t need the Undying Phoenix''s supportive effects. Thus, rather than keeping it for himself, it made more sense to give it to Han Kexin. Enhancing the strength of Darkness City''s second-inmand would enable her to generate even more value for Darkness City.


    After thanking her boss, Han Kexin immediately went to hatch the egg. Zhang Nu then turned to Shui Lan, saying, "During our adventure, we found some Phoenix Blood Crystals. These crystals can not only awaken bloodline powers but also effectively repair any physical damage. They might be of help to you."


    In her prime, Shui Lan was no less formidable than Zhang Nu is now. Generally, mythic-ss powerhouses were considered emperors, and those referred to as Great Emperors or Legendary Emperors were of the legendary ss. Shui Lan, at her peak, was a Level 6 legendary unit, reaching the pinnacle of Level 6 and about to touch the threshold of Level 7. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been able to achieve such great feats. However, after her resurrection, Shui Lan fell to a Level 5 mythic, losing more than 90% of her strength. This was somewhat regrettable, but not irreparable. Phoenix Blood Crystals could potentially restore her lost power, possibly allowing Shui Lan to regain her strength.


    Thus, Zhang Nu took out a portion of the blood crystals and used them on Shui Lan. The process was simr to what Nancilia went through, and the oue was almost identical. As Shui Lan absorbed the essence of the blood crystals and broke free from them, her aura surged, increasing several times over.


    [Empress of the Sea Tribes: Shui Lan] Level 6 mythic unit...


    After seeing Shui Lan''s updated information as a Level 6 mythic unit, Zhang Nu nodded in satisfaction. Although she hadn''t returned to her peak state, her current level was more than sufficient. Now, apart from the Demon King himself, Darkness City boasted the Subus Queen Han Kexin, the Elven Emperor Nancilia, and the Empress of the Sea Tribes Shui Lan, all as Level 6 mythic units.


    Such a formidable lineup ensured that even if a Level 7 Hero from the top ranks of the Hero leaderboards were tounch a surprise attack on Darkness City, the city''sbined strength would be fully capable of holding its ground.


    "Incredible!" Shui Lan was also surprised, "I''ve actually regained some of my power!"


    Zhang Nu reassured her, "There''s nothing to be surprised about. Given enough time, it''s not impossible for you to return to your peak condition. For now, your task is to continue assisting Vice Lord Han Kexin in seizing the Pale Moon Penins."


    With her fists clenched, Shui Lan affirmed, "With my current strength, not to mention unifying the Pale Moon Penins, even arger territory wouldn''t pose a problem, especially with the Vice Lord''s formidable abilities."


    Zhang Nu felt very confident about the situation in the Chaos Seas, entrusting it entirely to Vice Lord Han Kexin, only requiring regr updates on the progress. His focus now needed to shift northward. However, before making any moves, Zhang Nu decided to use the Eye of Regeneration.


    [Evil God fragment assimtion sess!]


    [Maximum HP +5000!]


    [You''ve gained a new talent: Eye of Regeneration!]


    [ Your "Eye of Regeneration" has resonated with "Eye of Death" and "Eye of Domination", three eyes of Evil God''s strength +50%, Evil God''s power +100%, maximum HP +10000, maximum MP +10000, all stats +300!]


    This substantial boost in stats significantly strengthened Zhang Nu, even disregarding the Evil God powers and talents. The acquisition of the third Evil God eye led to a qualitative change in his abilities, making the Eye of Death and the Eye of Domination much more potent due to resonance between fragments from the same Evil God. The more fragments collected, the stronger this resonance effect became. Zhang Nu realized that these Evil God fragments might offer a viable approach to his ongoing search for godhood.


    In this world, local deities such as the God of Radiance and the Goddess of Nature do exist. However, they mostly function asws and programs, materializing as avatars only under rare circumstances. Essentially, the gods of this world represent the rules of the world itself. Without a tangible entity to interact with, it''s challenging to obtain divinity or godhood from them. In contrast, outer gods from other realms, or Evil Gods, possess physical forms and consciousness.


    Evil Gods are still gods, endowed with a potent, undying divinity. Being divine, they undoubtedly possess godhood. If Zhang Nu were to collect all fragments of an Evil God, it could potentially activate the corresponding divinity, offering a chance to advance to a Chaos Dragon God. This presents a viable path forward.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhang Nu then examined his newly acquired talent.


    [Eye of Regeneration] Talent skill. Grants eternal life. Once activated, all healing effects on the bearer are increased tenfold, and the bearer gains the "Undying" effect.


    This eye bestowed evesting vitality upon its possessor. As long as its effects weren''t sealed, the bearer''s body would be nearly impossible to destroypletely; it could regenerate indefinitely, even from being reduced to shreds. Furthermore, the Eye of Regeneration possessed a potent life force. It could assist in reviving oneself or healing others, amplifying all targeted healing effects by tenfold.


    What did this imply? Zhang Nu''s "Rebirth from within the mes" ability, which had previously only been able to be fully charged and utilized every few days, was now able to be used consecutively once ready. With the Eye of Regeneration, Zhang Nu became much harder to kill. Although the Eye of Regeneration might not have been directly usable inbat, its formidable ability significantly enhanced survivability andbat capability. Zhang Nu was naturally satisfied.


    Having acquired three of the Eight-Eyed Evil God''s eyes, Zhang Nu wondered where the remaining five might be. He decided to have the draconian legions and other forces under hismand search for them.


    After obtaining the Eye of Regeneration, Zhang Nu decided to conduct an experiment, choosing the newly recruited Ent King Grootroot as the subject. Grootroot''s internal mes had been extinguished by Zhang Nu, but due to severe damage, a slow recovery had been necessary. However, it seemed such lengthy recuperation might not have been needed after all.


    Activating the Eye of Regeneration, a green eye opened on Zhang Nu''s forehead, gazing at the Ent King. In the next moment, a scene unfolded that left all the elves and ents present in astonishment. The charred cracks on the Ent King''s trunk swiftly regained their color, and the half of the branches that had been previously withered and charred sprouted new growth as the charredyer fell away.


    Grootroot clearly felt his body, once riddled with damage from the ck Phoenix''s divine fire, being healed at an incredibly rapid pace. The regenerative power released by the Eye of Regeneration could mend any form of injury in this world. This level of healing had surpassed mortal limits, bordering on the divine, and left onlookers in awe. With such an ability, death had be a difficult feat to achieve."

 Chapter 280: Full Preparation Against Chaos Federation

    In Bachor City, themander of the Guardian Knight Order, Kroft, had his forces fully assembled. This was not just any knight order, but the empire''s core force - Guardian Knight Order, known for its dazzling and luxurious golden armor.


    Despite the order''s rtively small size, with just over 6,000 members, its strength was formidable and not to be underestimated. Each ordinary Guardian Knight possessed the power of a Level 5 overlord, and among every ten to twenty knights, there was a knight captain with Level 6 overlord-ss strength. This meant the knight order boasted several hundred Level 6 overlord-ss fighters. Such a force could easily annihte a small country without breaking a sweat. The deployment of the entire Guardian Knight Order was an exceedingly rare urrence in the Thunder Empire''s history of nearly a thousand years.


    Kroft had already received news that the Elro region had fallenpletely. The forces from Darkness City were continuing their siege, rapidly devouring the Empire''s southern territory. Apart from the Bachor Duchy, nearly half of the other noblends had already been annexed.


    The situation was dire indeed.


    Kroft personally approached the two Guardian Grand Dukes, expressing his concerns with a grave tone, "The power of the Chaos Forest is growing stronger by the day. If this continues, the situation will be increasingly unmanageable, and I won''t be able to exin it to His Majesty. I believe we cannot dy any longer and must mobilize our troops immediately!"


    Duke kely of the Eastern Duchy agreed, saying, "Old fox, I think Commander Kroft''s worries are quite justified. Based on the intelligence we have, the more territories the Demon King conquers, therger the army he canmand. We have no time to waste."


    However, Duke Kofiepol of the Western Duchy remainedposed, reminding them, "Why the rush, gentlemen? Have we forgotten the lesson from Bachor? We must not act hastily without full preparation, to avoid repeating past mistakes."


    Duke kely frowned, "Our troops are almost fully assembled. What more preparation do you have in mind? It''s better to act now rather than waste time."


    Just then, Duke Kofiepol seemed to sense something. ying with the gemstone ring on his thumb, he smiled and said, "They''re here, and just in time."


    Before Duke kely and Commander Kroft could figure out what the Grand Duke of the Western Duchy was hinting at, they heard shouts from outside.


    "Intruders!"


    "Who are you people?"


    "This is a military restricted area!"


    "Are you looking to die, barging in here?"


    Commander Kroft''s expression shifted as he enveloped himself in a sh of golden light, moving instantly to locate the source of the disturbance. He found a group of oddly dressed, mysterious individuals, with the leader being the most striking. The leader appeared to be just a gaunt old man in a gray, tattered robe, with a face full of wrinkles and sunken eyes, unremarkable in appearance but exuding an exceptionally sharp aura, like an ancient sword still capable of slicing through iron.


    With every step the old man took, his aura was released, powerful enough to repel anyone who came close. Even the attacksunched by the guards couldn''t get near him.


    "Who are you?" Kroft demanded. "You''ve got some nerve!"


    Initially, Kroft thought these were troublemakers sent by the Demon King. He immediately drew his sword from his waist, and a swipe of golden light, as if to cleave the heavens, approached the gaunt old man in an instant.However, what Kroft, the chief knight, didn''t anticipate happened before him. Just as his long sword was about to strike the old man, a barely visibleyer of densely packed sword Qi enveloped the area, trapping his sword and preventing it from advancing any further due to the immense resistance.


    "You''re not bad with a sword," the old manmented.


    Kroft nearly burst with anger upon hearing this. Although he wasn''t the empire''s strongest swordsman, as the empire''s most distinguished knight, his swordsmanship was ranked among the top in the entire empire. For his iparable mastery of the sword to be merely described as "not bad" was infuriating.


    The old man continued, "Your swordsmanship is decent, but a tangible sword is easy to parry. Only an intangible sword can be invincible."


    During the conversation, Commander Kroft felt a tremendous sense of crisis approaching. He could distinctly sense the air around him changing bizarrely, with countless sword Qi materializing out of thin air, forming hundreds of swords pointed at him, all invisible to the naked eye.


    "Oh shit!" Commander Kroft immediately retreated rapidly. The ground where he passed was shed with crisscrossing sword marks, each extending for dozens of meters as if the earth itself was splitting open.


    The gaunt old man extended his left hand and pointed into the void. A massive invisible sword de burst forth from his fingertip, reaching Commander Kroft in an instant. The speed was so fast that the empire''s chief knight had no chance to dodge.


    "Guardian Golden Form!" Commander Kroft activated the Guardian Knight''s signature skill. A golden aura, akin to sunlight, released from within him, eventually coalescing on the surface of his body, turning him into a golden figure. Unlike the ordinary Guardian Knight''s golden body, which could extend for tens of meters, Kroft''s golden body form was adjustable in size, being only two to three meters tall at the moment, with the densebat Qi highly condensed, achieving true imperviousness to des and spears.


    With a loud bang, the old man''s sword energy struck Commander Kroft. The empire''s chief knight was propelled backwards for over a thousand meters by the tremendous sword Qi, leaving behind a gorge-like gulf in the earth. This scene left everyone present in utter shock. The old man''s strength was monstrously overpowering. With just a flick of his finger, he unleashed sword Qi that carved through a thousand meters of the earth, clearly overpowering the empire''s chief knight.


    "Commander!" Dozens of Guardian Knight Captains rushed to the scene. Upon seeing theirmander being forced back, their expressions changed drastically. They all activated their Guardian Gold Form, attempting to surround and attack the inscrutable old man.


    However, at that moment, an overwhelming sword intent was released from the old man, enveloping an area of tens of thousands of meters in all directions. Swords of various styles, lengths, and appearances emerged from the ground, turning thend into a sea of swords. With a wave of his hand, swords of different shapes and sizes flew up into the air, creating a storm of des.


    "The Domain of Million Swords!" Duke kely recognized the old man''s identity: "He is the foremost of the Seven Sword Saints of the Sunset Empire, the founder of the Formless Swordsmanship!"


    Duke Kofiepol interrupted, "Lord Dao En, we have fully experienced your strength!"


    This old man, named Dao En, was one of the renowned Seven Sword Saints of the Sunset Empire. More precisely, he was the leader of the Seven Sword Saints, the most powerful among them.


    Not long ago, Xiu Si, who died alongside Duke Bachor in the Elro region, was also a Sword Saint of the Sunset Empire. He practiced the Inner-Eye Sword Style, while the old man in front of them practiced the Formless Sword Style, hence the difference in styles.


    There is no hierarchy in swordsmanship styles, but there is a vast difference in the skill levels of swordsmen. The Sunset Empire, an extremely conservative and martially inclined empire, revered the Seven Sword Saints as the pinnacle of its warriors. The other six Sword Saints were roughly equal in strength, but this one was unfathomable.


    However, what few knew was that this leader of the Seven Sword Saints of the Sunset Empire had a special identity; he was the Hero yer Satoru Sato, a Hero from the ind nation ranked 499th on the Hero Leaderboard, a Level 6 mythic entity.


    Being reincarnated as a Sword Saint of the Sunset Empire was an extraordinary stroke of luck. Over the recent period, he had in numerous demon lords in and around the Sunset Empire, now surpassing the original Formless Sword Saint Dao En in strength.


    Duke Kofiepol of the Western Duchy said, "Lord Dao En came specifically to assist us against Darkness City''s forces, and you''ve all witnessed his strength."


    Duke kely remarked, "I hadn''t expected such a legendary figure to be summoned by you, old fox. It seems this mission is assured of sess."


    Kofiepol added, "Without full preparation, we risk repeating past mistakes. I don''t wish to be the next Bachor."


    He paused before continuing, "Besides Lord Dao En, the other warriors present are also renowned figures."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The group apanying Satoru Satoprised several Heroes, primarily Level 6 overlords, among which a dark-skinned, bald Hero exuded the strongest aura.


    Introducing him, Kofiepol said, "I presume you''re the esteemed ck Barbarian King?"


    This "ck Barbarian King" was the mightiest warrior from a barbarian kingdom near the Sunset Empire. The barbarians, a branch of humanity, were simr to humans in many aspects but differed in stature, intelligence, and magical aptitude. They were known for their divine strength and robust constitution, typically standing around 2.5 meters tall.


    The warrior, named "Sanja Singh," was a Hero from the Ahsan nation, with Level 6 monarch-ss strength, ranked 4951 on the Hero Leaderboard---a formidable presence. With Sanja and Satoru Sato leading, supported by over a dozen Level 6 supreme Heroes, this squad was exceptionally powerful. Along with two Grand Dukes and the empire''s chief knight, eachmanding numerous elites and valiant fighters, this high-end assembly, bolstered by military forces, posed a significant threat, not just to kingdom-level forces but even to some weaker empire-level entities.


    Kofiepol remarked, "We''re about ready, and I believe there''s no way we can lose this time."


    Indeed, if such a formidable lineup couldn''t handle Darkness City, then it would not merely be a border issue but a dire threat to the empire''s very existence.


    Sanja, the Hero, asked Satoru Sato, "Do you think the Demon King of Darkness City is on the Demon King leaderboard?"


    "Of course," Sato replied, "Given the strength he has shown in the past, he must be at least a Level 6 monarch-ss Demon King, and such a Demon King would surely be ranked."


    He continued, "If it weren''t for this, why would I travel thousands of miles here? Killing a ranked Demon Lord is far more valuable than killing hundreds or even thousands of lesser Demon Kings."


    Since his arrival, Satoru Sato had never met an opponent he couldn''t defeat with a single sword strike. This had given him immense confidence. After all, the strongest Demon Kings known were merely at the Level 6 legendary ss, and they were few and far between. Even if he were to encounter one, with his own Level 6 mythic-ss strength and the empire''s military might, along with numerous experts to assist, he felt sure he could manage.


    Therefore, Sato was not the least bit worried. He only hoped that the Demon King he encountered would be as highly ranked as possible.

 Chapter 281: Trap Laid for the Empires Army

    Chapter 281: Trap Laid for the Empire''s Army


    In Giantree City, apanied by Nancilia and Merilyn, Zhang Nu visited once again, this time to see the Ent King.


    Ent King Grootroot was staying in Giantree City, andpared to two days ago, his condition had significantly improved. The ents have three forms: the archtree form, the ent form, and the half-ent, half-tree form. The Ent King was currently in the half-ent, half-tree form, with a towering figure hundreds of meters tall, its massive roots embedded in the soil of Giantree City, radiating with vigorous vitality.


    "Grootroot, we''vee to visit you!" Nancilia asked with concern, "How do you feel now?"


    The Ent King responded, "The damage caused by the ck Phoenix has fully recovered. I''m back to my prime, thanks to His Majesty the Demon King."


    Grootroot had been in Giantree City for some time now. After spending this period getting to know more about Giantree City, Darkness City, and the Chaos Federation, he held immense respect for the Demon King and understood why the proud elves were so devotedly following him. For Grootroot himself, it was a rebirth granted by the Demon King. Otherwise, with the ck Phoenixs divine fire corroding him, he wouldn''t have lived much longer.


    "If you like the environment of Giantree City, you''re wee to live here from now on," Nancilia continued. "With a senior from the era of the Ancient Elven Empire like you protecting Giantree City, it''s bound to develop even more prosperously and securely."


    Without hesitation, the Ent King agreed, as the importance of the Eternal Tree to the ents, and the benefits it could bring, were second to none to the elves. Living in Giantree City and the Giantree Forest was a blessing for most ents.


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied with theplete allegiance of the ent race and nned to scatter them throughout the Chaos Forest, turning them into natural guardians and sentries of the forest. This way, no matter what kind of enemies they faced, they would not be able to invade Giantree City.


    During hisst adventure, Zhang Nu obtained two blueprints, one for the "Ent Altar" and another for the "Hyper Spatial-Temporal Breeding Ranch." Both structures were Level 5 special buildings, expensive to construct but not a significant issue for Zhang Nu at this point. Seizing the opportunity, he constructed the Ent Altar within the Chaos Forest. A giant altar, resembling a tree stump covered in branches and leaves, quickly rose from the ground, emitting an aura of nature.


    The Ent Altar had two main functions. The first was to strengthen ents, and the second was to summon them. Simr to the Giant Altar in Thunder City, the Ent Altar could efficiently enhance the strength and aptitude of ents at a rtively low cost.


    Unlike typical barracks-type buildings, the Ent Altar had no limit on the number of ents it could summon, only limited by the area of the forest. Therger the forest area within the Demon King''s controlled territory, the more ents it could produce. For every 1,000 square kilometers of forest, it could summon a Level 5 lord ent. For every 10,000 square kilometers, it could summon a Level 5 overlord ent.


    The cost for individual units was lower than that of other Level 5 overlord units. Zhang Nu''s territories contained a vast amount of forest, with the Chaos Forest alone covering over 5 million square kilometers, of which at least 4.4 million square kilometers were forested areas. Including other territories'' forests, theoretically, it was possible to summon 500 Level 5 overlord-ss ents. This represented a formidable force capable of intimidating any power. The ents had a unique ability to connect directly through the forest, strengthening their collective defense as their numbers grew.


    With the addition of the Ent Altar, the Chaos Forest, the very hearnd of the Chaos Federation, would be impregnable.


    Apart from the Ent Altar, Zhang Nu also summoned the Hyper Spatial-Temporal Breeding Ranch, simr in effect to ordinary Spirit Fields but with rapid production capabilities. The differencey in its principle of operation: while Spirit Fields elerate crop growth by concentrating energy and mana within the soil, the Hyper Spatial-Temporal Breeding Ranch elerates time itself.


    In essence, once seeds or animals to be nted or bred are ced inside, a certain amount of gold can be spent to activate the eleration, instantly speeding up time within the farm from a year to even a century. This meant that in the blink of an eye in the outside world, many years could pass within the farm.


    Zhang Nu discovered that the Hyper Spatial-Temporal Breeding Ranch was not only capable of growing crops but could also breed various magical beasts, including long-lived creatures like true dragons, possibly allowing them to cultivate within the farm.


    However, the Hyper Spatial-Temporal Breeding Ranch, being a Level 5 building, and primarily a breeding ground rather than a training ground, has its limitations. Units above Level 5, as well as intelligent beings like humans, elves, and ents, cannot exploit it to bypass their natural growth processes. Despite these restrictions, Zhang Nu was still able to recognize the value of this facility. It certainly held more potential than a standard farm, as it could breed magical beasts in addition to growing crops. Moreover, certain special natural treasures, due to their unique quality and type, require time to mature and cannot be hastened simply through Spirit Fields. In such cases, the Hyper Spatial-Temporal Breeding Ranch bes invaluable.


    This was another excellent facility! Zhang Nu''s collection of top-tier buildings and facilities was already extensive. By fully utilizing the existing resources of the Chaos Federation, he could easily conquer any neighboring empire-level power.


    However, at that moment, Su Yan brought new intelligence. "Boss, there''s fresh information. The Dragons Shadow Hero Guild has received simultaneous alerts from various channels that the empire''s new army has begun to mobilize."


    Zhang Nu nodded in response, "Oh, is that so? They''re finally making a move? Where do they n to attack from?"


    Su Yan answered, "Based on the current movements, the Elro region will definitely be the first to be threatened. The Chaos Federation currently controls the Chaos Forest area, the Kregi region, the Elro region, and the waters around Holy Tides City. Among these, Elro was the most recently conquered. The federation''s integration efforts in the Elro region are still insufficient, and the deployed troops are rtively few. Moreover, the Elro region, being a major agricultural area, is very t, consisting mostly of ins."


    "If the empire''s army enters from this region, it will be difficult for the Chaos Federation to defendprehensively. They can advance from any direction, making it easy to attack various cities and forcing a passive defense. The supreme magitek fortress would not be very effective in such terrain. It can only be stationed in the main city of Elro to prevent it from being destroyed during mobilization. This exins why the empire has chosen to attack there first. After all, the empire has suffered many losses at the hands of the Chaos Federation. Retaking a region with the lowest difficulty first allows them to test the current strength of Darkness City and boost morale through this battle."


    Zhang Nu remarked, "It seems the empire''smand is being very cautious this time."


    Su Yan, somewhat worried, asked, "Boss, what should we do?"


    Zhang Nu reassured, "It''s nothing serious."


    He quickly made arrangements for Long Yi, Zhang San, Li Si, and others to lead the Abyssal Dragon Legion, the Royal Guard Legion, and an army consisting of aerial units to intercept the attack.


    The empire''s army, at least a million strong, was unlike any ordinary army of a million. It included forces like the Guardian Knight Order. Zhang Nu''s dragon legion consisted of just over a hundred abyssal dragons, and the Royal Guard Legion had only a few thousand dragon guards. Even with the addition of the Draconian Super Soldier Legion and the Federal Aerial Squadron, the total was barely over a hundred thousand.


    Defeating such an enemy under these circumstances would undoubtedly be an extremely difficult task. While Zhang Nu could deploy more troops, the scale and strength of the enemy posed a significant challenge for the current Chaos Federation. Although they couldpete, the time, effort, and cost would be enormous.


    However, Zhang Nu had a better n and an experiment he had long wanted to conduct. Among the many buildings in Darkness City, the Rift Tower of the Ancient Land of Stars was a unique existence. Each rift had its specialties, and the Ancient Land of Stars specialty was various Evil God Altars. These altars were all Level 5 special buildings with diverse functions, expensive to construct, and single-use.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhang Nu had a "Blood Moon Altar," a reward from clearing a challenge earlier, which he had yet to use. Unlike ordinary altars, this one could summon an avatar of the Evil God "Unifier of All." However, summoning an avatar required a vast number of sacrifices, which Zhang Nu did not have ess to.


    But now, with the empire''s army pressing in, weren''t they the perfect sacrifice?


    Zhang Nu personally went to the Elro region to make preparations. In a forest, he spent a hundred million gold, along with nearly a hundred thousand gemstones of various attributes, to summon the Blood Moon Altar.


    [The Blood Moon Altar] Level 5 special building. Summons a Evil God blood moon using the creatures within a 3000-mile radius as sacrifices. The more sacrifices consumed, the stronger the avatar of the Evil God that is summoned. This altar can only be used once.


    "Done," Zhang Nu said, looking at the altar filled with an evil aura. He was very satisfied. There were no human towns within a 3000-mile radius, and even the viges had been relocated.


    The next step was to lure the empire''s forces into the area. Once they stepped into this trap, a spectacr scene was bound to unfold."

 Chapter 282: The Might of the Empire Army

    Chapter 282: The Might of the Empire Army


    On the Elro ins, a massive army was moving at a speedparable to a high-speed train, clocking in at 200 kilometers per hour. As they advanced, dust and sand were thrown up into the air, and a fierce wind howled around them. The terrifying killing intent that enveloped an area of hundreds of miles was so intense that it could even alter the weather.


    Theposition of this army was incrediblyplex. The main body consisted of several hundred thousand cavalry units, each knight resplendent in shining armor, riding predominantly pegasus mounts. There was even a legion of pure mages, all mounted on flying mounts, d in standard mage robes and wielding magic staves. Among them were also towering giants, encased in armor several inches thick, resembling robots more than living beings. In addition to these, there were a variety of other units, including numerous special forces teams and unique military units, totaling dozens of different types.


    Among these smaller units, the Guardian Knight Order stood out the most. They were in the absolute central position, each Guardian Knight not only d in golden armor but also riding golden griffins. Regardless of the Guardian Knights'' own strength, thebat power of these golden griffins alone averaged between Level 3 and Level 4 lord-ss.


    Such a force was clearly assembled for a war of annihtion, capable of not just conquering any ordinary kingdom but powerful enough to challenge and destroy a near-imperial-level superpower. With such a formidable lineup, the empire had clearly spared no expense this time.


    At the forefront of this troop, the core group alone consisted of several hundred individuals, including Western Duchy Grand Duke Kofiepol, Eastern Duchy Grand Duke kely, the empire''s Chief Knight Kroft, the Formless Sword Saint, the ck Barbarian King, and others. The rest were top-tier powerhouses from the eastern, western, and southern territories, as well as elite warriors, most of whom possessed Level 6 overlord strength.


    Such a military force, even for the empire, represented a significant mobilization of resources and effort, not usually deployed lightly, highlighting the determination behind this operation. There''s no doubt that faced with such a military might, even the current Chaos Forest would feel a significant threat.


    Kofiepol was fully confident this time, unlike Bachor''s repeated failures and diminishing forces, he had gathered all possible strength and made thorough preparations beforeunching this assault.


    "Your Grace! There''s an unusual presence ahead! ording to our magic division''s reconnaissance, it appears to be an elite force from Darkness City, heading our way."


    Kofiepolughed, "How many are there?"


    A magician responded, "Approximately between 120,000 to 150,000."


    Kofiepol''sughter grew, "Hahaha, they dare to probe us with just that many? Well then, let''s give them a warm wee, shall we? Show them what true power is!"


    Duke kely had already begun issuing orders: "Inform the entire army to prepare for battle and be on alert for an enemy attack!"


    The magical messenger quickly disseminated the duke''smands throughmunication spells, ensuring every unitmander in the vast army, spread over tens of miles, received the orders clearly and promptly.


    In the blink of an eye, the massive army of over a million halted as if a paused machine. They efficiently reorganized their formation: the Guardian Knights at the forefront, the duchy knight army surrounding them for protection, the armored giants forming a circle, and the mage legion shielded in the center. With intense magical fluctuations, hundreds of thousands of elite mages cast spells simultaneously. A super-strong protective barrier enveloped the area, safeguarding all imperialbat units within.


    Just then, dense specks appeared in the distance. The Darkness Three Dragons and the four new Dragon Kings, leading the abyssal dragon legion, the royal guard legion, and the elite aerial army of Darkness City, totaling over a hundred thousand troops, loomed into view.


    The disparity in numbers between the two sides was staggering, reaching more than tenfold. In terms of quality, Darkness City''s forces, with their strongest unit being the dragon legion, were at a disadvantage. Despite the might of the abyssal dragons, which numbered only around a hundred and fifty, the opposing Guardian Knights alone numbered six thousand.


    How could such a battle be fought? The difference was vast, and the two forces were not even on the same level.


    Yet, the forces of Darkness City seemed oblivious to the empire''s formidable lineup and foundation, continuing their approach. Dark clouds loomed overhead, with crimson lightning flickering, signaling a potent attack brewing.


    Long Yi roared, "Attack!"


    "Charge! Kill! Maim!"


    "Take down these imperial dogs!"


    The abyssal dragons unleashed their abyssal lightning, the royal guards fired beams from their beholder eyes, and several elite mage groups released their long-prepared spells all at once.


    In an instant, the sky darkened as countless fearsome attacks descended upon the imperial army''s shield. Long Yi and the troops of Darkness City were stunned to see such a vast and fierce assault, which could have spelled doom for even a Level 6 monarch, barely leaving room for resistance.


    To the shock of Long Yi and the troops of Darkness City, such massive and fierce attacks, which could have spelled doom for even a Level 6 monarch, seemed to have no effect on the shield. Despite the barrage, the shield showed no signs of damage or weakening, highlighting its incredible defensive strength. After all, this was a barrier created by hundreds of thousands of elite mages, enhanced by various empire formations and treasures, reaching a skill level above S-grade.


    "Seven monarchs?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Seven Dragon Kings?"


    Both dukes and the lead knight noted the seven leading dragons at the forefront of the Darkness City forces, each radiating the pressure and aura of a monarch, clearly indicating the presence of seven monarch-ss units.


    "The Demon King is indeed growing too fast!"


    "Darkness City''s strength has increased sincest time!"


    "ording to intelligence, Darkness City is allied with the elves, but the Elven King isn''t present in this force. It seems Darkness City has yet to deploy all its military strength."


    The group quickly assessed the situation. It was clear that the current force alone could not shake the Empire''s army, but the transformation from three to seven Dragon Kings in Darkness City was truly shocking. The rapid growth of Darkness City was terrifying.


    The Hero Sato Satoru chuckled, "Good, very good. This is indeed the most powerful Demon King force I''ve encountered so far. Only such a Demon King is worth my effort!"


    Darkness City''s forcesunched several long-range attacks in session, but failed to inflict effective damage, not even managing to breach the shield.


    Long Yi, with a grim expression, immediately ordered, "Retreat!"


    Darkness City''s forces turned to leave, nning to regroup. However, retreating proved much more difficult than arriving. If Darkness City could attack the empire''s forces, the empire could certainly retaliate. Over a hundred thousand mages, averaging around Level 3 in strength, began chanting in unison. A terrifying magical fluctuation, unlike anything seen before, enveloped a hundred-mile radius of the ins.


    The next moment, thousands upon thousands of fiery meteors streaked through the dark clouds and fell upon Darkness City''s troops. Each meteor''s impact wasparable to a small nuclear explosion. In the blink of an eye, the once peaceful grasnd was utterly devastated, with Darkness City''s forces suffering tens of thousands of casualties despite their immediate defensive measures. This level of casualties in an initial sh was unprecedented, highlighting the immense power of this magic. The strength of this spell was primarily due to the sheer number of casters. Thebined might of a hundred thousand elite mages wasparable to a full-force strike from a top-tier mythic magical unit.


    "They''re trying to flee!"


    "Hmph, thinking of escaping now? Toote!"


    Duke Kofiepol loudlymanded, "Chase them down! We can''t let them return to the Chaos Forest. Not one shall escape today!"


    "Kill, kill, kill!"


    The empire''s forces surged forward with overwhelming momentum. The vast gap in strength between the two sides was evident. In the face of the Empire''s profound strength, even the elite forces of Darkness City seemed insignificant, greatly boosting the confidence of the imperial soldiers. Most of the empire''s forces were capable of flight, matching the mobility of their adversaries. Their defeat seemed certain."

 Chapter 283: The Fleeing Darkness City Forces

    Chapter 283: The Fleeing Darkness City Forces


    This time, the empire''s forces surged forward with unstoppable momentum, forcing Darkness City''s troops into a continuous retreat. This was an unprecedented situation since the war began, and the empire wasn''t about to let go of such a perfect opportunity to kick an enemy while they''re down.


    "They''re fleeing towards the southwest!" Duke kely said. "Commander Kroft, have your Guardian Knight Order lead the chase. We''ll nk them from the left and right and ensure they can''t escape so easily!"


    "Yes!" The Chief Knight immediately epted the order.


    Duke Kofiepol of the Western Duchy had no objections. Before the attack on the Elro region, he had thoroughly studied the area''s terrain. The southwest direction led to a vast, sparsely popted in, making it difficult to set up ambushes. If arge army were hiding there, it would be hard to conceal and easy to spot.


    Duke Kofiepol issued an order, "Keep the magical reconnaissance troops on alert. If any enemy movements or suspicious activities are detected, report them immediately!"


    "Yes!"


    "Rest assured, Your Grace!"


    Commander Kroft personally took action, leading the Guardian Knight Order in a direct assault. Despite the high mobility of Darkness City''s aerial troops, the imperial forces were equally capable of maneuvering swiftly, enabling them to pursue. Riding majestic golden griffins and boosted by bothbat Qi and eleration magic, the Guardian Knights rapidly closed the distance. In just a quarter of an hour, they caught up with the Darkness City troops.


    With a single strike of his Qi, Kroft cleaved through a dragon over a kilometer away, instantly splitting the abyssal dragon in half and scattering its blood and shattered scales everywhere. Such a feat, cutting down a dragon with one blow, was impressive even though it was just an ordinary abyssal dragon. Abyssal dragons, being top-tier Level 5 overlords, could contend with Level 6 overlords for some time, thanks to their formidable defense. Yet, to see one so easily bisected was startling! The Thunder Empire''s Chief Knight demonstrated terrifying strength, inspiring the soldiers and other Guardian Knights.


    Meanwhile, another figure emerged, moving even faster than Kroft without riding any mount. In the blink of an eye, he approached the Darkness City troops. Without any visible action, he passed through the ranks of Darkness City warriors, and countless sword Qi automatically formed around him and were released in all directions, instantly killing dozens of draconian royal guards near Level 5 overlord strength. Such power was astonishing, and this person was none other than the Hero, Sato Satoru. As the foremost among the Seven Sword Saints of the Sunset Empire, he was the most formidable presence in the empire''s ranks, with Darkness City''s forces having no one capable of single-handedly contending with him.


    To Sato Satoru, all except the seven dragon kings were mere fodders. He had little interest in dealing with these lesser foes; his sole target had always been the Dark Dragon King, believed to be the Demon King of Darkness City. As a Hero, Sato Satoru knew that ying the Demon King would yield the greatest rewards, especially since the coreponents of the Darkness City units were direct summons of the Demon King.


    Instead of expending effort to kill them one by one, it made more sense to directly eliminate the Demon King. Without the Demon King, the rest of the units would be of little concern. Sato Satoru ignored all other targets and pursued Long Yi, with countless invisible sword energies trailing behind him, converging into a river-like flow, all focusing into a single sword Qi.


    With a loud roar, Sato Satoru unleashed a massive invisible sword Qi that pierced through tens of kilometers in an instant, shredding dozens of Darkness City units and heading straight for the Dark Dragon King. The attack was incredibly sharp.


    "Be careful!" Earth Drake Sovereign Wang Er raised his spear to block the attack.


    However, how could a mere Level 5 Dragon King withstand a strike from a Level 6 mythic Sword Saint? With a loud bang, Wang Er''s spear broke, and the sword Qi directly hit him, causing almost fatal damage in an instant.


    "Begone!" Sato Satoru scoffed coldly, instantlyunching seven or eight extremely fast invisible sword Qi that pierced through Wang Er''s body in the blink of an eye, instantly killing him on the spot.


    A Dragon King had thus fallen. He wasn''t just any dragon but a defensively renowned Earth Drake. Even so, his defenses were as fragile as paper in front of a Sword Saint like Sato Satoru.


    Long Yi, Zhang San, and Li Si were furious! Although they knew Wang Er wouldn''t truly die and the Demon King would surely resurrect him, seeing theirrade so easily in right before their eyes filled them with rage and apprehension.


    Who was this guy? Information about him was scarce in the Dragons Shadow Hero Guild''s intelligence. Who could have imagined the empire had such a mighty fighter?


    Sato Satoru, arrogantly ignoring the surrounding abyss dragons and royal guards,ughed provocatively, "I thought the Demon King of Darkness City who killed Xiu Si was strong, but it seems your strength is mediocre, merely a bunch of clowns."


    "Come at me, all three dragons of Darkness City. Lets see how many rounds you canst against me."


    Such arrogance! No one had ever dared to be so bold towards the Darkness Three Dragons. However, Long Yi, Zhang San, and Li Si were fully aware that even if theybined their might, they could at best only contend with him, and the hope of defeating this old foe was slim. Behind Sato Satoru, the human faction had at least three or four Level 6 monarchs and hundreds of Level 6 overlord units, along with thousands to tens of thousands of Level 5 overlord units. The gap in strength was simply too vast. Once they fell within the range of his domain, escape would be impossible! From the beginning, their mission was not to fight.


    Faced with Sato Satoru''s provocation, the Darkness Three Dragons showed no response. Protected by numerous abyss dragons, royal guards, and aerial units, they continued towards the vast ins in the southwest.


    "Hmph! Cowards! Not even the courage to face a challenge!" Sato Satoru taunted, "You are praised by outsiders as nearly invincible, but it seems the reputation is unearned. Today, I''ll personally shatter the myth of Darkness City!"


    As he spoke, Sato Satoruunched continuous attacks. One after another, the abyss dragons and royal guards were helpless against his invisible sword Qi, falling to his de. Although Sato Satoru was boastful, with so many of Darkness City''s forces obstructing him, he couldn''t get close to the Dark Three Dragons for a time.


    In this manner, Sato Satoru, Kroft, and the Guardian Knight Order, closely pursued Darkness City''s army, steadily increasing their losses. If Darkness City''s army was a fleeing behemoth, then the empire''s forces were cunning hunters, continuously bleeding their prey. At this rate, it wouldn''t take long for the beast to falter. After several chases, the losses of Darkness City''s forces expanded to tens of thousands.


    At this moment, Long Yi shouted, "We''re here! Get ready to break away!"


    The Darkness City army swiftly entered a nearby forest, and as Kroft led the Guardian Knight Order about to follow, arrows shot out from the forest. Simultaneously, in front of Sato Satoru, a spatial teleportation fluctuation appeared, and an elf in green attire, with silver hair and pointed ears, holding a scepter, appeared in front of him, neutralizing the Sword Saint''s sword Qi.


    Nancilia immediately activated her domain, Divine Tree Sanctuary, enveloping the area.


    "A sanctuary? A mythic elf?" Sato Satoru did not hesitate to activate his domain as well.


    When their domains contacted, they mostly canceled each other out, but Sato Satoru had a slight advantage, thus gaining control of the field and trapping the elf in front of him.


    "So you''re the elf from the Chaos Forest?" Sato Satoru scoffed, "You''re more than just an Elven King. I didn''t expect you to be an Elven Emperor. It''s a pity you must have broken through not long ago, you stillck experiencepared to me!"


    "That''s not necessarily true!" Nancilia had prepared a countermeasure. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Two majestic Elemental Emperors were summoned, one of fire and one of ice. As the domains of ice and fire expanded, they immediately broke Sato Satoru''s domain, surprising him. He hadn''t anticipated that this mysterious elf could summon mythic elemental beings. Even though they were the most basic mythic units, they were no less powerful than top-tier monarch units. Who exactly was this elf, and how could she be so formidable?


    Under Nancilia''smand, the two elemental beings immediatelyunched an assault on Sato Satoru. Knowing she was about to be surrounded by the Guardian Knights, Nancilia didn''t linger for a fight but seized the opportunity to teleport away from the spot.


    Facing this situation, the imperial forces acted with caution and restraint, not immediately pursuing into the forest in case of an ambush. Kroft and the Guardian Knight Order stopped outside the forest, and as the main imperial forces arrived, they sealed off the forest thoroughly.


    "Theres no ambush in this forest," one of them noted. "They simply fled here in panic."


    Kofiepol personally cast a scouting spell and saw the severely wounded Darkness City army hadn''t regrouped with any other forces. After sessfully hiding in the forest, they immediately reorganized their ranks.


    "What is this...?" Kofiepol noticed something astonishing. The Darkness City army was gathering at the center of the forest, where a massive spatial distortion was taking shape, emitting intense energy fluctuations.


    At first, Kofiepol thought it might be a trap. But after observing for two minutes, he was shocked to find it forming into a spatial gate.


    "A gate! A spatial gate!" he eximed. "Damn it, they n to escape through the spatial gate!"


    Kofiepol immediately ordered, "Charge! Hurry up and attack, don''t let them get away!"


    But it was toote. The spatial gate had already formed. Long Yi, Zhang San, and Li Si led their troops through the gate, emerging from the Ster Gateway in Darkness City.


    Simultaneously, for some unknown reason, the previously clear sky suddenly turned blood-red, as if soaked in blood. An indescribably bizarre, profound, dark, and unknown aura permeated between sky and earth, as if an ancient Evil God was awakening from its slumber, about to descend upon this world."

 Chapter 284: The Ritual of Blood Moon

    Chapter 284: The Ritual of Blood Moon


    "Look at the sky!"


    "The sky is splitting open!"


    The imperial forces were terrified to discover a massive rift opening above them in the heavens. On the other side of the rift was a vast, silent, star-studded yet fear-infested, indescribable atmosphere of a distant, unknown world. At the heart of that darkness, at the end of countless star clusters,y an existence beyond mortalprehension, slumbering in the void.


    No one could see its true face, nor could anyone fully grasp the extent of its indescribable form that surpassed the limits of ordinary beings'' imagination. Its existence, whether in name or form, was a nightmare too intense for the physical and spiritual capacities ofmon beings to withstand. If ones soul or psychic wasn''t strong enough, even the most resilient and determined individual could copse into madness at the mere perception of its presence.


    At this moment, everyone present could feel its emanating aura, as if it was awakened from eons of deep slumber by some ritual... This was an Evil God awakening!


    What exactly did an Evil God represent? Descents of Evil Gods upon this world had been exceedingly rare throughout history, but they urred once every few tens of thousands of years, being referred to as a special natural disaster. Whenever an Evil God emerged, it invariably resulted in the devastation of billions of beings. Each time, to vanquish an Evil God, at least tens of millions of troops had to be mobilized, empowered with divine spells and protected by the local deities of this world, to neutralize the pollution directly caused by facing the Evil God and to hopefully defeat and seal it temporarily. However, throughout history, no Evil God had ever been in.


    At that very moment, a cmity of earth-shattering proportions seemed poised to descend once again, with the terrifying aura continuously seeping into this realm through the fissure. In just a few seconds, not only did the sky turn blood-red, but even the air, the flora, and every individual present seemed to be covered by a bloody filter.


    The empires army was enveloped by this horrifying aura and bizarre atmosphere, leaving everyone in disbelief.


    "What in the world is happening?"


    "Something is being summoned!"


    "Retreat!"


    "Quick, retreat!"


    The imperial officers first thought of retreating, but under such circumstances, where could they possibly retreat to? The area enveloped by the eerie crimson was vast. Even if they activated teleportation scrolls or simr items, escaping such a vast distance was imusible.


    At that moment, Kofiepol, kely, Kroft, the ck Barbarian King Sanja, and the Formless Swordsman Sato, who were among the top echelons of power, simultaneously sensed an unprecedented, horrifying force brewing. It was a chaotic consciousness that had awakened. Nonguage could adequately describe it; it was an existence beyond mortalprehension, impossible to gaze upon or deconstruct, with all beings mere ants before it.


    This indescribable entity, from the end of the infinite cosmos, had sensed a special ritual and cast its "gaze" across countless billions of miles to this distant world. For ordinary beings, this would herald a cmity of world-shattering proportions! Being observed by such an entity was no trivial matter; for any being not sufficiently powerful, it was extremely lethal.


    Arghhhhh!


    Countless imperial soldiers, by the tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, even up to several hundred thousand, fell into unprecedented agony as their life force and strength were drained. These forces converged andpressed in mid-air, coalescing into an invisible ck hole.


    Following that, something bizarre urred. Within a thousand-mile radius, all beings were affected by an invisible gravitational force, causing their bodies to undergo changes.


    "No, no!"


    "Help!"


    "Someone, help me!"


    A duchy knight, in terror, discovered that his skin was melting like wax, fusing with his winged mount. He lost his bnce and, while spinning in the air, collided with another knight undergoing the same melting process.


    Instead of bouncing off each other, the two knights merged like clumps of y, bing entangled and continuing to collide with morerades. In no time, hundreds, thousands of duchy knights were bizarrely "stuck" together, merging into a monstrous amalgam of thousands of limbs, countless heads, and a chaotic mix of human and equine parts.


    Such amalgamations were numerous on the battlefield. All units that were no higher than Level 5, even powerful beings like the Guardian Knights, couldn''t escape this cmitous transformation, bing part of this grotesque feast of mutation. Within mere minutes, amidst endless screams of agony, hundreds of gigantic flesh masses took shape. Each of these fleshy masses was formed from countless living beings, mounts, and various wild animals and beasts nearby. Even the most abstract expressionist painters could not envision such a wildly horrifying scene.


    The hundred or so flesh masses, having devoured enough material, seemed to havepleted their initial umtion. They then ascended to a higher stage, merging with each other to ultimately form a rtively smooth, spherical object. Meanwhile, the blood-red glow that had covered thousands of miles was now all drawn in, absorbed by this orb made of flesh, causing it to emit a dazzling blood light. This orb obscured the sun, hanging high above like a blood-red moon.


    "How could this be?"


    "What in the world is this?"


    "The army! Where is the empire''s army?" n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    At the scene, there were barely a thousand survivors left. The ritual to summon the avatar of the Evil God, the Blood Moon, could only affect and sacrifice targets up to Level 5, while Level 6 beings could resist it. Among these survivors, the vast majority were of Level 6 strength, and even those of Level 5 who survived did so because they had higher-level divine magic or other means to offset the influence of the Evil God. Yet, in the blink of an eye, an army of more than a million was gone, leaving less than a thousand. This stark reality wasid bare before them, leaving everyone in shock and disbelief. The empire''s top brass and the Heroes present had never witnessed such bizarre and terrifying methods.


    [You are being affected by the Blood Moon, -100 HP permanently, -100 MP permanently!]


    [You are being affected by the Blood Moon, -100 HP permanently, -100 MP permanently!]


    [You are being affected by the Blood Moon, -100 HP permanently, -100 MP permanently, all stats -12%!]


    [......]


    Satoru Sato looked at the continuously popping notifications, his expression turning extremely ugly. He immediately activated a high-level appraisal skill to see what exactly the object above his head was.


    [Avatar of Evil God: Flesh Moon] Level 6 mythic unit


    A Level 6 mythic unit! Satoru Sato had never encountered such a high-level existence apart from himself, being the foremost among the Seven Sword Saints of the Sunset Empire. What kind of trick was this? Could this also be an act of Darkness City? It seemed he had underestimated Darkness City''s methods.


    Before Satoru Sato could figure out how this Blood Moon was summoned, the attack of the Blood Moon had already begun. Apanied by energy fluctuations, the Blood Moon summoned countless blood-red fine needles as thin as cow''s hair. These needles fell like rain, prating everything, covering the few survivors present, making it impossible to avoid.


    [You are under attack by Deathly Blood Rain, -532 HP! You are being corroded by Evil Gods aura, all stats -34 points!]


    [You are under attack by Deathly Blood Rain, -532 HP! You are being corroded by Evil Gods aura, all stats -34 points!]


    [......]


    Satoru Sato eximed, "This thing is extremely powerful, reaching the level of an emperor. Let''s deal with it first before anything else!"


    The two Grand Dukes, the empire''s Chief Knight, and other high-ranking officials of the Thunder Empire were trapped in a state of shock and despair, finding it hard to extricate themselves. Such a massive and elite imperial army, which took so many years and so much effort from the empire and their noble houses to build, was gone in an instant, all sacrificed to summon this monstrosity before them.


    Undoubtedly, such a brutal reality was something the two Dukes and the Commander of the Guardian Knights couldn''t ept. For a moment, they were unable to respond, but it was the Hero from Ahsan nation, Sanja, who stepped forward at this crucial juncture.


    "Hmph!" he scoffed, "No matter what it is, I will blow it up!"


    Sanja activated some kind of berserker high-level skill, and his whole body instantly burst into mes, turning him into a zing fire giant. Although he didn''t know where the Blood Moon came from, it was clear that this entity was no less powerful than him. For Heroes, hunting other demons and monsters could also provide training points, but the points provided by ordinary monsters were too limited. But this was different. If he could defeat it, the cultivation points he would gain might not be much less than killing a Level 5 or 6 Demon King!


    With that thought, the Ahsan Hero breathed fire and shot up like a rocket. He turned into a fiery meteor, breaking the sound barrier and reaching speeds over ten times the speed of sound, and aimed a punch at the center of the Flesh Moon.


    "Fiery Heaven Explosion Fist!"


    This was an extremely powerful S-level skill. If this punch were tond on the ground, it would turn everything within a few kilometers into scorched earth; both its destructive power and range were terrifying! The ck Barbarian King, Sanja, believed that even if the Blood Moon was formidable, it was nothing more than a mass of flesh and blood that couldn''t possibly withstand such an attack.


    However, at this moment, something happened that shocked Sanja. As he broke through to thirty times the speed of sound, finally piercing through the aura of the Evil God and unleashing all his raging energy onto the Blood Moon, the Blood Moon seemed unaffected, absorbing all the energy.


    "How is this possible?!" Sanja waspletely stunned by this scene.


    No one knew the power of this punch better than him. Even Satoru Sato wouldn''t dare to block it directly; if hit without resistance, the oue would be instant incineration into ashes. Yet, such an attack had no effect on the Blood Moon.


    The Blood Moon released countless tentacles that bound Sanja before he could react, dragging him towards it.


    "No!"


    "No!"


    "Stop!" Sanja struggled desperately.


    He couldn''t muster any strength; it was all absorbed by the Blood Moon. Eventually, hended on the surface of the Blood Moon, sinking into it like quicksand or a swamp, and was consumed by the Blood Moon amidst his unwilling roars and struggles.


    The great ck Barbarian King, a Level 6 monarch-ss Hero, was so effortlessly defeated before the Blood Moon!


    Satoru Sato realized he couldn''t continue the fight. Even with his current strength, the chances of defeating the Blood Moon were probably no more than twenty to thirty percent. But what would it matter even if he won? The imperial army had beenpletely wiped out. With just the few of them remaining, invading the Chaos Forest was impossible.


    As a Hero, when faced with the current debacle, Satoru Sato felt he had no advantage to leverage and thus decisively chose to preserve his life. Without any intention to engage, Satoru Sato activated several spatial teleportation scrolls and escaped over a hundred miles away, leaving the affected area behind. The two imperial dukes, the empire''s chief knight, and several hundred other elite warriors had the capability to buy time for themselves, allowing for an orderly retreat. The waters of the Chaos Forest ran deep, too deep for the average person to fathom. If this attempt failed, there would be other opportunities in the future; nothing was more important than preserving one''s life.


    However, just when the ind nation Hero thought he was safe, a spatial fluctuation appeared in front of him, and a figure cloaked in a hooded cape that masked their presence was suddenly transported before him, giving off a somber and mysterious aura.


    "Who are you?!" Satoru Sato was both shocked and angered. To be able to lock on to him and appear so precisely in front of him required an incredibly advanced level of spatial magic, almost to an unbelievable extent.


    The mysterious cloaked figure calmly responded, "To someone about to die, who I am doesn''t matter."


    "How dare you!" Satoru Sato was furious. "You think you can stop me all by yourself? That''s utterly ridiculous. Do you even know who I am?!"


    The cloaked figure showed no interest in idle chatter and simply stated, "Stop wasting time. Show me what youre capable of."

 Chapter 285: Number 1 Demon King

    Chapter 285: Number 1 Demon King


    Satoru Sato was furious. He might have let the Blood Moon in the sky slide, but this person was another matter. How dare they obstruct him? Was this not suicidal?


    With a mere thought, Satoru Sato unleashed his formidablebat Qi, which instantly transformed into a massive sword Qi. This sword Qi, invisible to the naked eye, struck the figure before him directly. Though this attack seemed casual, it fully showcased Satoru Sato''s strength. Capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, even ordinary Level 6 monarch units, unless they were specialized in defense, would find it difficult to withstand this assault. However, when the sword Qi reached the mysterious cloaked figure, it vanished as if it had entered a void, being absorbed and then disappearing entirely, only to be drawn into the figure''s sleeve.


    "Is that all you''ve got?" The cloaked figure waved their other sleeve, and the sword Qi that had been absorbed and vanished was emitted once more, this time even more condensed and powerful than before.


    With a bang, the sword Qi rebounded onto Satoru Sato, who was protected by a strong aura of his own Qi. Yet, at that moment, Satoru Sato grunted, blood trickling from his nose, feeling a sharp pain in his brain.


    What was happening? He had clearly blocked the attack, so why was he still injured? Satoru Sato quickly realized that the damage wasn''t from the sword Qi itself but from another formless sword Qi hidden within it.


    "Inner Sword Style?" Satoru Sato realized, "This is Xiu Si''s Inner Sword! Damn it, I get it now, you''re the one who killed Xiu Si, you''re the Demon King of the Chaos Forest!"


    Zhang Nu, the cloaked figure, chuckled lightly, "While I no longer care much for keeping this secret, I''d prefer it not to be widely known. Since you''ve discovered it, you might as well disappear from this world along with it!"


    Satoru Sato roared back, "Big talk for someone who just took advantage of a sneak attack. Let me show you my true power!"


    A terrifying aura instantly unfurled, engulfing an area with a diameter of ten thousand meters. The entire space was pulled into a powerful domain. Countless swords of various shapes, sizes, and auras emerged from the ground, their numbers almost beyond counting.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Million Sword Sanctum!"


    "Million Sword Formation!"


    Satoru Sato mmed his hands onto the ground, and a horrifying wave of energy spread throughout the domain from beneath his feet. All the swords rose from the ground into the air, forming a formidable sword formation that locked onto Zhang Nu at the center. In the next moment, swords and sword Qi rained down like a fierce storm towards Zhang Nu. Satoru Sato thought this strike would be enough to utterly obliterate his opponent. After all, his sanctum was repelling all otherws, limiting the opponent''s power. Faced with such a forceful attack, what defense could possibly be mounted?


    However, the attacks all passed through Zhang Nu without causing him any harm.


    "This is... spatial maniption? But that''s impossible, how can you use spatial abilities within my sanctum!" Satoru Sato showed an incredulous expression.


    A sanctum of a mythic unit has the ability to repelws, blocking all types of magical systems within its area, preventing anyone suppressed by the mythic sanctum from using any kind of magic or power, including spatial abilities. Yet, the opponent used some highly sophisticated spatial technique to bend the space around their body, making all attacks pass through them.


    Satoru Sato was shocked, "You''re a myth too!"


    This was the only possible exnation. The biggest difference between mythic units and monarch units is that mythic beings can directly harness the power ofws themselves. Therefore, even in the environment of a sanctum, they can freely use the power of thews they control.


    Zhang Nu didn''t answer this question but instead took action. The formation of millions of swords that was forming around him suddenly disintegrated like dust blown by the wind. In an instant, all the swords vanished, and the entire sanctum disintegrated into nothingness. Satoru Sato felt as if he had fallen into a dark, chaotic space. ck holes appeared all around, pulling and absorbing HP and MP, significantly limiting his movement.


    "This is... a sanctum!"


    Without a doubt, this was the Demon King''s sanctum. The moment the Demon King''s sanctum was activated, Satoru Sato''s own sanctum was instantly suppressed. The disparity in strength between the two was clear and evident.


    Shocked, Satoru Sato demanded, "Who are you, really!?"


    Zhang Nu, nowpletely confident that his opponent couldn''t escape, calmly revealed, "If you really must know, then it''s fine to tell you. I am Zhang Nu."


    Hearing this, Satoru Sato was astounded. "You''re Zhang Nu, the number one on the Demon King leaderboard?"


    He was utterly shocked; he had hoped to encounter a high-ranking Demon King, but never expected to meet the top one. This was the most powerful being within the Demon King faction.


    Satoru Sato was overwhelmed with shock and fear. He immediately proposed, "I didn''t realize this was your territory. I''m willing to negotiate and coborate! There''s no need for us to fight to the death."


    Zhang Nuughed at the proposition, "Look at yourself. Do you really think you''re in a position to fight me to the death?"


    "Damn you!" Satoru Sato was furious. "Do you really think you''ve already won?"


    Zhang Nu closed his eyes without speaking, but the moment he did, a third eye opened on his forehead, revealing a blue and white eye known as the Eye of Domination. As soon as he was under the gaze of this eye, Satoru Sato immediately felt his mind descend into chaos, overwhelmed by a powerful will attempting to take over his body.


    Simultaneously, a crimson pupil and a verdant green pupil slowly emerged within the third eye, gathering alongside the Eye of Domination to form a cloverleaf-like shape, signifying the fusion of the three eyes of the Evil God.


    This new ability, obtained by Zhang Nu after collecting three eyes of the Evil God, showcased that despite the varying attributes, powers, and capabilities of each eye, they did not repel each other. Even the Eye of Death, symbolizing the power of death, could harmoniously merge with the Eye of Regeneration, associated with the force of life, defying all conventional understanding. But then, it''s challenging to exin such extraordinary entities like Evil Gods with mere humanprehension.


    Once the three eyes merged, the eyes of the Evil God resonated with each other, generating an even more formidable force. Zhang Nu concentrated his mana to gather his psychic Qi, and with the enhancement from the merged eye, he fiercelyunched it towards Satoru Sato.


    "The Inner Sword Style again!" Satoru Sato disyed a look of horror, recognizing that this attack was yet another psychic Qi strike aimed directly at his spirit.


    Under normal circumstances, such an attack wouldn''t pose a threat to him. After all, as one of the Seven Sword Saints, Xiu Si''s strength and realm were far inferior to his, and the potency of a psychic strike dependsrgely on the caster''s psychic strength, willpower, and the total amount of psychic Qi expended.


    However, the attack at this moment was enhanced andunched by Zhang Nu through the Eye of Domination. The Eye of Domination, having absorbed the powers of the Eye of Death and the Eye of Regeneration, was capable of producing a terrifying amplification effect. Coupled with Zhang Nu''s own Level 6 legendary strength, the oue of this strike was beyond doubt.


    The formless sh hit Satoru Sato without causing any physical harm, yet he copsed, eyes wide open. His soul and spirit were utterly destroyed, leaving nothing but an empty shell behind. The prestigious leader of the Sunset Empire''s Seven Sword Saints, the formidable Hero ranked 499th on the Hero Leaderboard, was effortlessly vanquished in such a manner. If other Heroes were to witness this, they would undoubtedly be terrified beyond measure.


    At the same time, Zhang Nu received a notification:


    [You''ve in a Level 6 Hero. Hero''s soul +1, Skill stone +8, Mythic crystal +1, Hero leaderboard chest +1!]


    Upon seeing the notification, Zhang Nu was quite surprised by the bounty. Among these, what surprised and seemed most valuable to him was undoubtedly the "mythic crystal." Its effect is simr to that of a monarch crystal. However, while a monarch crystal creates a unit with monarch potential, an mythic crystal creates one with epic potential. Unlike the monarch crystal, which can be used on targets of any rank, the mythic crystal requires a minimum strength of Level 5 overlord.


    Though there was a threshold for its use, it wasn''t much of an obstacle. There were plenty of candidates under Zhang Nu''smand to choose from. He quickly stowed the spoils of war and then opened his yer information panel to take a look:


    [You''ve in a Level 6 Hero. Hero''s soul +1, Skill stone +5, Monarch crystal +1!]


    [......]


    [You''ve in the Thunder Empire''s Western Grand Duke. Gold +30 million!]


    [You''ve in the Thunder Empire''s Eastern Grand Duke. Gold +30 million!]


    [......]


    [You''ve in the Thunder Empire''s Chief Knight. Gold +10 million!]


    Various kill notifications kept popping up like a stream. What shocked Zhang Nu was that not only had the Blood Moon defeated the empire''s elites, but all the empire''s military forces sacrificed during its formation were also counted as Zhang Nu''s kills, since he was the one who initiated the ritual.


    This was terrifying! An entire army of over a million, all elite troops, yielding such a massive amount of gold. Zhang Nu had merely intended to test the effect of the Blood Moon altar. He hadn''t anticipated such a sessful experiment. It was like a super city-ying weapon! It''s a pity that the Blood Moon altar is a one-time-use item. Otherwise, with such a tool, albeit somewhat inhumane, sweeping through the empire''s major strongholds would be a piece of cake!"

 Chapter 286: Hero Leaderboard Treasure Chest

    Chapter 286: Hero Leaderboard Treasure Chest


    Coming back to the point, this battle had brought immense gains. Due to summoning the avatar of the Evil God, the empire''s elite forces, numbering in the millions, were almost instantly annihted. The direct earnings in gold alone amounted to around 3 billion!


    Yes, not 300 million, but a full 3 billion! Even for Zhang Nu, and even for Darkness City, this was a staggering sum. Zhang Nu could use this money to significantly expand his military forces and even upgrade his Level 6 special buildings, taking the strength of his entire territory to the next level.


    Apart from the astonishing ie in gold, Zhang Nu also obtained arge number of Hero souls, skill stones, and two Hero leaderboard treasure chests during this battle. One was dropped by the ck Barbarian King Sanja, and the other by the Sword Saint Satoru Sato. There was not much more to say about that.


    Zhang Nu first opened the warrior treasure chest dropped by Sanja.


    [You have opened a Hero treasure chest. You''ve gained "ck Barbarian King Crystal" x1, "Level 6 Hero''s soul" x10, "Eleven Elemental Gems" x10,000 each!]


    Seeing these rewards, Zhang Nu was somewhat surprised. Although Sanja was a ranked Hero, he seemed to be more of a bottom-tier presence; Zhang Nu hadn''t expected such substantial rewards from him.


    The ten additional souls were quite valuable, and the 10,000 gems of each element, totaling 40,000 gems, included not just the seven elemental series but also spirit, soul, life, and undeath elements. This batch of gems was worth quite a lot of money. Besides, there was a special attribute crystal. While regr attribute crystals, like those for strength or agility, offer limited enhancements, this one was different.


    Upon using the ck Barbarian King Crystal, Zhang Nu immediately received a notification:


    [You''ve absorbed the ''ck Barbarian King Crystal'', HP +3000, Constitution +800, Strength +500, Agility +400. You''ve gained the S rank skill ''Fiery Heaven Explosion''!]


    The enhancement effect was indeed astonishing, significantly boosting his stats and even granting him an S rank skill. Sanja''s most potent move in life was the Fiery Heaven Explosion Fist, but the Fiery Heaven Explosion that Zhang Nu received seemed more like an upgraded version, not limited to just punch techniques.


    For a Hero ranked at the bottom of the leaderboard to yield such significant benefits, what could be expected from those ranked in the top five, or even the number one?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhang Nu immediately opened the treasure chest dropped by Satoru Sato.


    [You''ve opened a Hero treasure chest. You''ve gained "Formless Sword Saint Crystal" x1, "Level 6 Hero''s soul" x100, "Thirteen Elemental Gems" x20,000!]


    As expected, the higher the ranking, the more generous the rewards. 100 Level 6 souls, if put on the Demon King market, how much would they be worth? For a Demon King, there''s hardly any material more critical than souls, especially such high-level ones! In addition to that, the treasure chest dropped by Satoru Sato yielded gem ie from a total of thirteen elements, meaning it included the previously mentioned eleven types of gems plus the even rarer time and space gems.


    Altogether, this amounted to 260,000 gems. For Zhang Nu and Darkness City, this represented a significant resource boost, sufficient to significantly enhance the city''s strength. With such an influx of souls, gems, and gold, how could Darkness City not experience another rapid development phase in a short time?


    Zhang Nu immediately used the Hero crystal.


    [You''ve absorbed the ''Formless Sword Saint Crystal'', HP +8000, MP+5000, Agility +1000, Strength +800, Constitution +500, Will+300. You''ve gained the S-level skill ''Formless Swordsmanship''!]


    Undoubtedly, Satoru Sato''s strength far surpassed Sanja''s. Thus, the enhancement effect from absorbing the crystal dropped by Satoru Sato far exceeded that from Sanja''s, significantly boosting Zhang Nu stats.


    Truly, ying ranked Heroes seems to yield substantial additional benefits.


    After resolving the issue here, Zhang Nu used spatial movement to hurry back to the battlefield, where everything had already been cleared. The million-strong army had vanished without a trace. It wasn''t just the army that disappeared; all living creatures within thousands of miles, from insects and ants to birds and beasts, became sacrifices to the Blood Moon''s descent.


    As for the avatar of the Evil God summoned by Zhang Nu, such entities are uncontroble. Once the battle here ended, the Blood Moon quickly broke through the void and left this world, which Zhang Nu found quite regrettable. Such a powerful weapon, if reusable, would surely be very effective, especially in besieging cities, far surpassing any siege spell or equipment.


    Of course, even though it was a one-time use item, Zhang Nu was satisfied with the oue. The troops deployed by the empire were undoubtedly strong, and a head-on confrontation with the Chaos Federation would have been costly. Utilizing the Evil God to annihte them in one fell swoop significantly shortened the battle duration, reduced the Chaos Federation''s war expenses, and increased the gains from the war.


    As for the Blood Moon, even if it could be reused, Zhang Nu would not easily release it. Although the power of the Evil God was formidable, the pollution and range of destruction it causes were too vast. Deploying the Blood Moon against a city would result in the sacrifice of all its inhabitants, leaving behind nothing but a ghost town. Such an act is not only inhumane but also fosters fear among the human poptions in other imperial regions, which is detrimental to the interests of a Demon King. After all, the poption itself is an important resource.


    Once he confirmed there were no survivors, Zhang Nu quickly used his spatial abilities to return to the Chaos Forest and, using his authority as the lord of the Chaos Forest, instantly transported himself back to Darkness City.


    In the aftermath of this battle, Zhang Nu gained a vast amount of gold, souls, and gems, fundamental materials that he decided to invest entirely in the development of his territory, such as constructing some Level 6 buildings. Up to this point, Darkness City had two Level 5 special building upgrade scrolls at its disposal. With the resources Zhang Nu had acquired from this battle, along with Darkness City''s own reserves, upgrading two Level 5 special buildings was entirely feasible.


    The question then arose: which two buildings should be upgraded? Darkness City was home to many exceptional structures, including the Resurrection Altar, Soul Altar, Spirit Sanctum, Citadel of Eternity, Rift Tower, Training Tower, Trial Tower, Ster Gateway, and the Eternal Tree in Giantree City. Each of these buildings or facilities possessed powerful functions that made them worthy of an upgrade.


    Take, for instance, the Resurrection Altar, which was currently at a Level 5 standard. Should a Level 6 unit fall in battle, it could still be revived, but its strength would regress to Level 5, requiring a considerable amount of time to recover. Simrly, the Soul Altar, with its potent soul synthesis ability, had previously allowed Zhang Nu to exploit the Demon King Market, umting a substantial profit from soul arbitrage and stockpiling a wealth of souls for Darkness City.


    Nowadays, profiting from soul arbitrage was not as straightforward, mainly due to the increasing number of Level 5 souls on the market. This trend could be attributed to two factors: the rise of Demon Kings capable of ying Level 5 Heroes and the emergence of other Demon Kings who had acquired facilities akin to the Soul Altar, enabling the acquisition of high-level souls. Thus, upgrading the Soul Altar held significant value.


    If the Soul Altar and Resurrection Altar were essential for logistics and production, then the Ster Gateway and Citadel of Eternity were among the most valuable military facilities. Upgrading these structures would greatly enhance their performance, substantially improving the efficiency of territorial expansion and the conquest of empires. Other exceptional buildings and facilities each had their unique uses and contributed to the formidable foundation of Darkness City as well.


    After much consideration, Zhang Nu decided to upgrade the Ster Gateway first. The decision to prioritize the Ster Gateway over the Resurrection Altar, Soul Altar, and Citadel of Eternity was made because, although thetter facilities were slightly outdated, they were still functional and could afford to wait.


    The current radius of the Ster Gateway couldn''t cover the entire southern territory of the empire. However, by upgrading the Ster Gateway, it would gain the ability to open portals anywhere in the southern territory of the empire and the Crescent Penins. Following the battle, the empire was no longer capable of retaining control over the southern territories. Given the vast expanse and numerous cities in the south, conquering and then holding such arge area would entail substantial time and marginal costs.


    With a Level 6 Ster Gateway, the situation would change dramatically. It would enable the Chaos Federation to elerate its expansion tenfold. As the federation expanded, its ability to maintain control over new territories would also increase. During this process, numerous cities would be captured, yielding many high-quality treasure chests, ensuring a steady supply of Level 5 upgrade scrolls.


    [Expend "Level 5 Special Building Upgrade Scroll" x1, "Gold" x300 million, "Earth Gem" x40,000, "Space Gem" x20,000, to upgrade Ster Gateway?]


    Zhang Nu didn''t hesitate to confirm the upgrade, the Ster Gateway was immediately upgraded with minimal change in appearance, only growing a thirdrger, with more intricate runes etched on its surface.


    With the Ster Gateway upgraded, Zhang Nu turned his attention to the Tree of Eternity as his next upgrade target. The Tree of Eternity was one of the most versatile facilities,bining amplification, recruitment, and production capabilities in one. Even in ancient elven texts, the Ancient Tree of Eternity was the highest recorded entity. There was no mention of anything more advanced than the Tree of Eternity, even at the peak of the Elven Empire''s power; it remained a theoretical legend. No one knew what a tree more powerful than the Tree of Eternity would look like or what capabilities it might possess."

 Chapter 287: Development of the Pale Moon Peninsula

    Chapter 287: Development of the Pale Moon Penins


    As the Chaos Federation decisively defeated the imperial army, and Zhang Nu was busy rushing to upgrade the Tree of Eternity, another development was rapidly unfolding elsewhere.


    In the royal city of the Pale Moon Kingdom, the Pale Moon King was filled with anger and anxiety. Since the Grand Marshal of the Pale Moon had led the army to subdue the rebellious city of Holy Tides, not only had the campaign to quell the rebellion failed, but the Grand Marshal himself had been killed.


    If it had been a pyrrhic victory where both sides suffered heavy losses, the Grand Marshal''s death could have been somewhat justified. However, the Grand Marshal lost his life without inflicting any significant damage on Holy Tides City. Instead, the Pale Moon Kingdom''s army had been handed over to Holy Tides City on a silver tter. Was this how a rebellion was supposed to be quelled? It could even have been said that he wasplicit with the rebels, given his utterly counterproductive actions!


    As for how the situation developed afterward, it became even more absurd. It was rumored that one of the masterminds behind the Holy Tides City rebellion had been none other than the legendary Azure Water Emperor from 6,000 years ago.


    How could that be possible? Even if the Azure Water Emperor hadn''t died back then, it was highly unlikely she would have survived until now, 6,000 yearster. Merfolk lifespans aren''t much longer than humans, and even reaching Level 6 Emperor or Great Emperor status, a merfolk''s lifespan could at most extend to three or four thousand years.


    It was simply too preposterous and unbelievable.


    But what was even more absurd and baffling was that after the Azure Water Empress made a high-profile announcement of her return, almost all cities, tribes, and various factions near Holy Tides City rallied to her cause. They pledged allegiance to Holy Tides City, joining the rebel faction to collectively oppose the legitimate Pale Moon royal family.


    This infuriated the Pale Moon King and he realized that the situation was dire. If this continued, it wouldn''t be long before the entire Pale Moon Kingdom copsed, and by then, it would be toote to reverse the tide.


    The Pale Moon King couldn''t just sit idly by! After some investigation, he learned that regardless of whether the Azure Water Empress''s identity was authentic, her strength was indeed formidable, far beyond his expectations. However, it appeared that the Azure Water Empress might not be the real mastermind behind everything. Behind the Azure Water Empress, there seemed to be a demonic force led by subi, which was the true orchestrator of the entire scheme.


    After understanding the main and secondary rtionships involved, the Pale Moon King decided to attempt to resolve the issue through negotiations and sent envoys to Holy Tides City. Whether the negotiations would seed was not the main concern. The crucial point was that the Pale Moon King could use the opportunity presented by the negotiations to buy time and opportunities for himself while dying the expansion momentum of the Holy Tides City rebels.


    To the Pale Moon King''s surprise, the other party quickly agreed to the request for negotiations. The two parties agreed to meet three dayster on an ind about a thousand miles from the royal city on the Pale Moon Penins. This made the Pale Moon King realize he had an excellent opportunity. Perhaps things had been going too smoothly for the mastermind and rebel leader recently, and they had becent.


    If he could use this negotiation as a chance to eliminate them, wouldn''t that directly resolve the rebellion crisis? With this in mind, the Pale Moon King immediately began recruiting and preparing for the negotiations.


    Meanwhile, "Some unidentified individuals iming to be members of the Deep Sea Hermits have arrived and wish to meet with Your Majesty," he was informed.


    Hearing the name Deep Sea Hermits, the Pale Moon King''s face twisted into a strange expression. As the king of the Pale Moon Kingdom, how could he not have heard of the Deep Sea Hermits? It was an organization of aquatic races that was both incredibly mysterious and unfathomably profound.


    It was said that the breaking of the ancient covenant was the work of the Deep Sea Hermits. "What do these damned people want here?" the Pale Moon King fumed with anger. If it hadn''t been for these treacherous wretches breaking the covenant, the Pale Moon Kingdom would still be his rightful territory, impervious to easy conquest by foreign enemies, and the mysterious Subus Demon King wouldn''t have had a chance to invade.


    In the end, it was the Deep Sea Hermits who were the source of all evil, the root cause of all the troubles! Upon hearing it was the Deep Sea Hermits, the Pale Moon King was immediately enraged, wishing he could immediately order these people to be torn to pieces.


    Little did the Pale Moon King know, just as he was about to give the order, a distortion of light appeared before him. Suddenly, around twenty or thirty figures eerily materialized in front of him.


    The Pale Moon King was shocked: "How dare you, you scoundrels, barging into my pce! Do you really think this ce is somewhere you can juste and go as you please?"


    The Pale Moon King, with his corpulent body, rose from his throne, and a monarch domain began to spread around him. However, before it could fully expand, it was suppressed by another domain. Numerous huge, barbed tentacles entwined the Pale Moon King and the hundreds of guards around him, rendering them unable to break free.


    "We mean no harm, yet." The leader of the Deep Sea Hermits was an elderly figure with an octopus head. Despite his hunched and diminutive stature, the aura he emitted was incredibly powerful, easily that of a Level 6 monarch, allowing him to effortlessly overpower the Pale Moon King.


    The Pale Moon King demanded in a deep voice, "Who are you, and what are your intentions? The federation has already been thrown into chaos by you damned folks, and now you want to disrupt my kingdom as well?"


    "Huhhuhhuh." The octopus-headed elder chuckled coldly. "To us, the Pale Moon Kingdom is but a small pond, hardly worth the trouble. We have far more important matters at hand and wouldn''t go to great lengths to send so many people here for it."


    The Pale Moon King nced around. The elder had brought twenty-six individuals with him, each from different races, yet nearly all of them possessed the strength of Level 6 overlords. This was an undeniably terrifying force, capable of confronting several monarchs of the same level.


    The octopus elder said, "We''ve heard the rumors about Holy Tides City, and we, the Deep Sea Hermits, are very concerned about this so-called Azure Water Empress and the mysterious Demon King. Thus, we wish to coborate with you on this matter."


    The Pale Moon King, intrigued, immediately asked, "What kind of coboration do you have in mind?"


    The octopus elder exined, "Quite simple. I will lend you all the people I''ve brought with me to set a trap and kill these two individuals."


    "Why should I listen to you?" the Pale Moon King retorted.


    The octopus elder smiled. "Do you think you have a choice? Without the Deep Sea Hermits'' help, the Pale Moon Kingdom will fall within ten days, and you won''t live to see that day."


    As he spoke, the tentacles binding the Pale Moon King tightened further. Feeling the intense pressure and realizing the truth in the elder''s words, the Pale Moon King acknowledged that without this cooperation, given their strength, it wouldn''t be difficult for them to kill him. Moreover, even if they refrained from acting, once the so-called Azure Water Empress and the mysterious Demon King invaded, his doom was certain. Coborating with a dangerous organization like the Deep Sea Hermits was like making a deal with the devil, but their power was indeed worth borrowing for the moment.


    "Fine!" the Pale Moon King conceded. "I agree! But the Pale Moon Penins must remain mine. No one, including the Deep Sea Hermits, cany a finger on it!"


    The octopus elder chuckled. "That will depend on your performance. If you sessfully eliminate these two major nuisances, I can rmend you to join our organization. As long as you''re a member, continuing to rule over the Pale Moon is entirely feasible."


    As the old saying goes, if you can''t beat them, join them.


    ......


    Two dayster, the Pale Moon King carefully selected two thousand of his top powerhouses to apany him, along with the twenty-six Level 6 monarch-ss units from the Deep Sea Hermits, to the agreed negotiation site. It was more of an ambush than a negotiation. The Pale Moon King had no intention of engaging in discussions. As soon as the other party appeared and fell into the trap, they would immediatelyunch an attack, giving no chance for the opponents to sense danger or be alert.


    About an hourter, a medium-sized ship appeared on the surface of the sea. The Pale Moon King had never seen such a ship before; its structure bore distinct magitek designs, harnessing the power of wind and water for propulsion and equipped with magitek cannon. This was a magitek warship produced by a magitek shipyard.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    When the warship docked, Han Kexin, apanied by Shui Lan and her two retainers, Qiu Yue and Dong Xue, just four people in total, stepped onto the agreed meeting point and were greeted by the ugly, obese Merfolk King.


    "Ha ha ha!" the Pale Moon Kingughed derisively. "Just a few of you dare toe ashore and step onto the ind. You must be really bold or really foolish!"


    Seeing only four individuals, the Pale Moon King could hardly contain hisughter. He thought these fools were overly confident, truly believing they were here for a negotiation. Even if all four were monarchs, they were doomed to perish on this day in his eyes!


    However, just then, Han Kexin spoke up, "It''s clear that you have no intention of negotiating, and coincidentally, neither do we."


    The Pale Moon King was taken aback, "Then why are you here?"


    Han Kexin responded, "I''m here on behalf of Dark City, in the name of Empress Shui Lan, to reim the royal authority from the Pale Moon royal family. From this point on, the Pale Moon Penins will have nowful hereditary connection with you, the former king."


    Before the Pale Moon King could erupt in anger, Han Kexin deployed a prepared spell of Permanent Charm. Just as the members of the Deep Sea Hermits present, and the top experts of Pale Moon lurking nearby, thought the Pale Moon King was about to issue an attackmand in a fit of rage, something entirely unexpected happened.


    The Pale Moon King knelt down with a thud, "Yes, master. From today onwards, everything on the Pale Moon Penins is at your disposal, please feel free tomand me!"


    "What''s happening?"


    "Wasn''t His Majesty here to set up an ambush?"


    "Why would he suddenly pledge loyalty to this Demon Queen?"


    The twenty-six Level 6 members of the Deep Sea Hermits who hade to assist were utterly bewildered, having no clue what had just transpired.


    "Pale Moon King! What are you doing?"


    "Have you lost your will to live? How dare you submit to this damned Demon King!"


    Before the members of the Deep Sea Hermits could figure out what had happened, the Pale Moon King, now enraged, retorted, "Who do you think you are, showing such disrespect to my lord? Today shall mark the end for all of you!"


    "Kill these members of the Deep Sea Hermits!"


    "Attack immediately!"


    At hismand, the two thousand top experts of the Pale Moon Penins rushed forward. Although they were unclear about the bizarre change that had urred, the Pale Moon King''s order was absolute for them.


    Simultaneously, Shui Lan also made her move. Under the terrifying domain she unleashed, the twenty-six Level 6 monarch units were instantly deprived of much of theirbat power. In such a situation, with their limited numbers, Han Kexin and Shui Lan could easily handle them, so the oue of the battle was hardly in doubt.


    Han Kexin was very satisfied. The Pale Moon King was sessfully controlled. This way, a lot of trouble could be avoided. The Pale Moon King could directly use his royal authority to force the cities and regions to surrender to Darkness City, disband or even annihte families with vested interests, clearing away troubles and threats for Darkness City''s rule. This would save a lot of effort. Without deploying a single soldier or wasting time, they could swiftly take control of the entire Pale Moon Penins, allowing the mission to bepleted ahead of schedule!


    With the penins in their grasp, Darkness City would have a foothold in the Chaos Seas. With Shui Lan''s influence and Darkness City''s strength, conquering this vast sea region in the future would not be a difficult task."

 Chapter 288: World Tree

    Chapter 288: World Tree


    Two hourster, Han Qiuyue reported to Han Kexin, "Vice City Lord, the troops brought by the Pale Moon King have all sworn allegiance to us. We can move to take over the royal city at any time."


    Han Kexin nodded in satisfaction, "The royal city houses many major families and powers. Taking over the royal authority will inevitably affect the interests of many entrenched factions, so we must be prepared to counter any bacsh."


    Han Qiuyue replied, "With the Pale Moon King now a puppet under the Vice City Lord, those old nobles and aristocrats won''t be able to cause much trouble. Dongxue and I would be enough to remove any hindrance."


    Han Kexin was pleased with this. She turned to Shui Lan and said, "I need to return to Darkness City to report to the City Lord. I''ll need you to lead Qiuyue and Dongxue to secure the Pale Moon royal city for us."


    "Rest assured, Vice City Lord, there won''t be any problems," Shui Lan responded.


    Han Kexin then approached the Pale Moon King and nced at the neatly arranged bodies of the twenty-six sea n experts they had just dealt with. "Do you know where these people came from?" she asked, already aware that they were not from within the Pale Moon Kingdom.


    The Pale Moon King respectfully replied, "My master, these were high-ranking members of the Deep Sea Hermit Association, led by a mysterious Level 6 Monarch. However, the leader did not appear here. As for how they infiltrated the Pale Moon Penins, I am unsure. The Deep Sea Hermit Association is extremely secretive and meticulous. It may take some time to thoroughly investigate."


    Han Kexin frowned slightly. "The Deep Sea Hermits again. It seems this was a probe. They might have already figured out our origins and intentions."


    "Should we take any measures?" Shui Lan inquired."For now, there''s no need. Let''s focus on our own tasks and not let these minor threats disrupt our ns," Han Kexin concluded.


    At this point, she paused before continuing, "The Deep Sea Hermit Society is extremely wary of your identity. They won''t make any rash moves for the time being, but they might attempt to assassinate orunch a sneak attack on you personally during this period. It''s best to be cautious."


    The influence of the Azure Water Empress in the Chaotic Sea was immense. Once the Deep Sea Hermit Society learned of her resurrection, they would undoubtedly feel significant pressure. However, the current fragmented state of the Sea n Federation meant the Deep Sea Hermit Society had too much on their te to spare the resources or energy for such an action.


    Han Kexin concluded that there wouldn''t be any immediate threats. As for the personal safety of Shui Lan? That was even less of a concern. With Shui Lan''s formidable strength, self-preservation was hardly an issue. Killing such a prominent figure as the aquatic race''s empress within the stronghold of Darkness City, surrounded by numerous powerful allies, would be an extremely difficult, nearly impossible task even for the Deep Sea Hermit Society.


    Furthermore, even in the unlikely event that Shui Lan was caught off guard and killed, Darkness City still had the Resurrection Altar. At most, it would temporarily affect Shui Lan''s strength.


    The priority for Darkness City in the Chaos Sea was to secure the Pale Moon Penins as quickly as possible. Han Kexin entrusted the takeover of the Pale Moon royal city to Shui Lan and her core team members, and immediately teleported back to Darkness City via the teleportation tower.


    Upon her return, Han Kexin immediately sensed an unprecedented change in the atmosphere. The entire Darkness City, or more urately, the whole Chaos Forest, seemed to be brimming with life and vitality like never before.


    "What''s going on? Why is there such a significant change!" Han Kexin looked up at the sky, astonished to find that the seemingly pure and clear azure sky was covered with ayer of potent energy---a barrier!


    Han Kexin was greatly shocked. It wasn''t strange for Darkness City to have a barrier, considering it was the capital city of a great Demon King. Most of the Demon King''s buildings and facilities, as well as the Demon King''s castle, were located here. However, the issue was that this barrier wasn''t just covering Darkness City.


    Han Kexin sensed further and found the barrier to be boundless, covering such an extensive area that it seemed to epass the entire Chaos Forest. This was utterly inconceivable to her. How could there be such a powerful barrier in this world, strong enough to envelop an area as vast as four to five hundred thousand square kilometers?


    At that moment, Han Kexin felt a wave of energy from behind her. She saw the space distort, opening up a small vortex. Countless emerald tendrils were released from it, seemingly reinforcing the vortex and eventually forming a stable spatial tunnel.


    Zhang Nu and Nancilia emerged from the space tunnel filled with roots and finally appeared before Han Kexin.


    Han Kexin noticed that Nancilia was brimming with excitement and joy, resembling someone impoverished who suddenly discovered they had won a billion-dor lottery, unable to contain their overwhelming happiness.


    "What is this?" Han Kexin knew that Zhang Nu possessed formidable spatial abilities. Constructing a stable spatial tunnel with his current capabilities wasn''t particrly surprising, yet this particr spatial tunnel did not seem to be constructed solely by his powers.


    Before Zhang Nu could exin, Nancilia began to gesture excitedly, "Vice City Lord, have you seen it? His Majesty the Demon King has caused the Tree of Eternity to evolve once again, transforming it into the World Tree. This is the grace of the World Tree!"


    "World Tree!" Han Kexin was utterly baffled, "What is the World Tree?"


    Zhang Nu briefly exined, "The World Tree is a Level 6 special building, and among Level 6 special buildings, it is an exceptional existence."


    "What? Level 6!" Han Kexin was shocked.


    At the current stage, Level 5 special buildings were already the top-tier structures within Demon King territories, and only a Supreme Demon King territory like Darkness City would possess so many Level 5 special buildings. However, Level 6 buildings were extremely rare, if not entirely nonexistent. The more powerful a building''s functions, the more astronomical the costs for its construction and upgrade. The Tree of Eternity, being a formidable structure, would inevitably require a staggering amount of resources for its upgrade.


    In fact, it did. To upgrade the Tree of Eternity, Zhang Nu spent a total of 1.8 billion gold, in addition to 120,000 life gems and about 20,000 gems from each of the eleven types, excluding the undeath gems.


    It was safe to say that without the battle against the Thunder Empire, he wouldn''t have had the capital to upgrade the Tree of Eternity. And after its upgrade, it became the World Tree, a mighty divine tree not even recorded in ancient elven scriptures, possessing far greater power than the Tree of Eternity. The vast barrier covering the Chaos Forest was created by the World Tree.


    "What? You wiped out the empire''s million-strong elite forces!"


    Han Kexin had already seeded in taking down the Pale Moon King, and securing the Pale Moon Penins was just a matter of time. She had intended to return and boast about her achievements, but to her surprise, Zhang Nu had aplished something even more formidable. In just a few days, he had dealt with the massive army pressing from the north.


    As the Vice City Lord, Han Kexin was well aware of the immense pressure from the war on the northern front. Even with the strength of Darkness City and the Chaos Federation, confronting the massive force led by the two Guardian Grand Dukes would have resulted in significant casualties and losses before it could be defeated.


    Who could have imagined that arge-scale battle would never take ce?


    Zhang Nu said, "Don''t worry about that. Let''s have a look at the World Tree. As the executive vice city lord, you need to understand thetest production resources within our territory."


    Han Kexin followed the two through the spatial tunnel stabilized by tree roots. As they entered, the verdant magical roots retracted, and the stable spatial tunnel immediately copsed and vanished.


    After passing through the tunnel, the first thing Han Kexin saw was a gigantic tree. This was the Tree of Eternity that once stood in the Tree City, now officially upgraded to the World Tree. Unlike the golden glow of the Tree of Eternity, the World Tree had a dazzling blue-green crystalline texture, and the energy it radiated was even more powerful and substantial.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The World Tree was not much taller than the Tree of Eternity, but it felt entirely different. Each crystal-clear leaf, resembling carved gems or jade, seemed to contain a world within.


    Han Kexin was astounded and immediately began to examine the effects of the World Tree.


    [World Tree] Level 6 special building. Within a radius of 200 kilometers, +150% recovery rate for all units, -70% aging rate for all units, +300% training efficiency for elves, -95% aging rate for elves, +150% attribute bonus for elves. Contains a 1 million square kilometers micro-world... elerates the growth rate of animals and nts. Unlocks summonable elven poption. Unlocks the summoning of the World Tree Barrier. Enables the creation of Eternal Sacred Fruits. Unlocks the summoning of the World Tree Passage. Combat mode activatable.


    The capabilities of the World Tree were truly formidable. The spatial tunnel that Zhang Nu and Nancilia had used was, in fact, opened by the World Tree using its roots. When the Tree of Eternity was upgraded to the World Tree, it acquired spatial-temporal attributes. The World Tree could open spatial tunnels anywhere its roots could reach, using itself as a medium to instantly transport targets within this range.


    A World Tree could connect to all forests it touched. This meant that the World Tree could summon its roots in most parts of the Chaos Forest to create rapid transit pathways. This feature alone made the World Tree invaluable. At the very least, the draconian priests, who had been responsible for short-distance teleportation, could finally take a break from their busy schedules. With the World Tree, any unit in the Chaos Forest that was granted permission was able to travel quickly using the power of the World Tree.


    Moreover, the World Tree turned a 200-kilometer area into sacrednd, expanding the nned farm radius by fourfold. The existingrge farm, which was already more than sufficient for the Chaos Forest, could now support the majority of the northern empire''s poption.


    But that wasn''t all. The most distinctive feature of the World Tree was its ability to create worlds within itself. The initial world inside it spanned 100,000 square kilometers, with enhancement effects andnd spiritual energy identical to the outside world, and it also possessed automatic purification andw regtion capabilities. In essence, the inner world of this World Tree alone could have amodated nearly a whole Elven Empire, providing a home for tens of millions of elves without any issues, making it an absolutely ideal and safe haven for them.


    What was even more astonishing was that the World Tree was still growing. Its roots would cover an increasinglyrger area, and the small worlds it generated within itself would also expand, making the benefits and value it could produce in the future immeasurable by mere wealth.


    Whether forbat, defense, production, or habitation, the World Tree could significantly impact the Chaos Forest. As Han Kexin entered the inner world of the World Tree and saw the vast, fertilend rich in spiritual energy, she almost felt as if she were dreaming.


    "This World Tree is just too powerful." Zhang Nu added, "Not only that, the leaves of the World Tree are epic grade materials that are incredibly rare and can be used to craft space and time gems. The World Tree''s interior can nurture stone, wood, minerals, and even various other gem resources."


    It was worth every penny spent. The special effects and hidden abilities of the World Tree were extensive. If fully utilized, the World Tree alone could transform the Chaos Forest into a unique paradise and and of immense geomantic value on the continent.


    ......


    Meanwhile, as Zhang Nu was introducing the World Tree to Han Kexin, news of the empire''s disastrous defeat and the death of the two dukes had already spread like wildfire throughout the Thunder Empire and even reached the ears of nearby imperial powers.


    This defeat was different from any before. It was so severe that it could shake the very foundation of the empire! The rise of a Demon King''s power capable of directly threatening imperial forces posed an unprecedented challenge and danger, not only rming the emperor of the Thunder Empire but likely also causing concern among other emperors.


    A storm was brewing."

 Chapter 289: Prophet of Doom

    Chapter 289: Prophet of Doom


    The Thunder Empire suffered another defeat, and this time, it was a disastrous one. The Eastern and Western Fronts, along with the Guardian Knight Order, represented a scale of conflict unprecedented in a millennium. Typically, even in shes between imperial powers, the military forces involved would be on this level. Moreover, wars between imperial forces, short onessting a few months to longer ones extending over a year or more, would usually see both sides battling for a considerable time before a victor emerged.


    However, the Thunder Empire dispatched two Grand Dukes and its Guardian Knight Order, and in less than half a month, the war had not only barely begun but had alsopletely ended. Even more bizarrely, there were no survivors. Nobody knew exactly what had happened. Even by the standards of this world''s history and its wars, such a battle was unheard of and unseen.It was incredibly hard to believe, utterly baffling why such a thing would happen, yet it had indeed urred.


    In an instant, the entire empire, from top to bottom, was plunged into panic and despair. The very foundations of the empire were severely shaken. The spread of the Demon King''s influence had almost reached a point ofplete uncontrobility.


    Upon receiving the news, Emperor Frelio XVI slumped onto his throne, overwhelmed not by rage but by an unprecedented sense of defeat and shock.


    "How could this happen?" he murmured. "The mere Chaos Forest! How could it possibly possess such power?"


    Only a few trusted ministers were present before Emperor Frelio, the most prominent among them being Marquis Gabrin, the Empire''s Prime Minister, along with several other top-tier, influential figures of the empire.


    The Emperor clung to a sliver of hope, questioning, "So far, we haven''t seen a single soldier who has fled or been defeated return. Could this be an illusion crafted by Darkness City, a rumor they''ve spread?"


    Marquis Gabrin responded gravely, "The likelihood of that is extremely slim, as both the Duke of the West and the Duke of the East have indeed perished."


    There were many ways to sense whether someone was still alive in their world. Figures of the Dukes'' stature would undoubtedly have left a soul imprint within the empire and their respective families. A soul imprint served as proof of life; as long as one was not entirely deceased, their soul imprint would not vanish. Conversely, once a soul imprint disappearedpletely, it signified absolute death.It wasn''t just the two Dukes; the soul imprints of the Guardian Knights and the Empire''s Chief Knight, Kroft, had also vanished. With these three pivotal figures lost in battle, how could the empire''s army possibly stand undefeated?


    Emperor Frelio eximed in anger, "If that''s the case, why haven''t we seen any defeated soldiers? How could an army of over a million be entirely wiped out?"


    "That is indeed... very peculiar," Marquis Gabrin admitted, lowering his voice. "We have yet to reach a conclusion and are still investigating. Our immediate priority should be to devise a response strategy."


    The others nodded in agreement.


    Emperor Frelio furrowed his brows deeply. The annihtion of the knight orders from the eastern, western, and southern regions, as well as the empire''s core Guardian Knight order, undoubtedly dealt a tremendous blow to the empire''s strength. Yet, as a force of imperial caliber, its foundation wasn''t just limited to that. The empire''s hearnd still housed other elite troops and numerous formidable individuals.


    Among the four regions, the northern territory, known for its strongest military might and highest concentration of masters, had not yet deployed its forces and top fighters. It was too early to despair or consider the situation hopeless. Even with a significant portion of its strength severed, the empire still retained much of its power.


    The issue was that Emperor Frelio had realized they had missed the optimal opportunity to suppress Darkness City. Even if he were to personally lead the campaign and mobilize the entire nation''s resources, it might not be enough to subdue Darkness City.


    Marquis Gabrin spoke up, "Our strategy from the beginning was wed. We aimed to annex the territories of the Sunset Empire and the Azure Water Federation, focusing all our war preparations and objectives around these two powers. The Chaos Forest seemed too insignificant, merely a stepping stone toward our goals, leading us to overlook the threat posed by Darkness City and allowing its Demon King and forces to grow increasingly powerful. Now, the situation has almost be uncontroble."


    With a furrowed brow, Emperor Frelio said, "What''s the use of saying all this now? What solutions do you have?"


    Marquis Gabrin quickly responded, "At this juncture, relying solely on our nation''s strength may not be enough topletely eliminate Darkness City. Even if a full-scale national effort could lead to victory, the cost would be enormous, potentially taking at least a few hundred years to recover from."


    "The best course of action would be to seek assistance. With the Azure Water Federation now in disarray and unable to help, our only hope lies with the Sunset Empire. Given Darkness City''s current momentum, the Sunset Empire must also feel threatened."


    Emperor Frelio nodded in agreement. Marquis Gabrin was right; Darkness City had be the greatest threat to the empire. Relying solely on the Thunder Empire''s power might not be enough to counter this force. They needed to involve another imperial-level power.


    Previously, the Sunset Empire would have likely remained a bystander, watching the situation unfold from the sidelines. This was because the emergence of the Chaos Federation could act as a counterbnce and weaken the Thunder Empire, thereby restoring equilibrium to the regional powers.


    However, with the Thunder Empire on the brink of copse, should it fall entirely, the bnce in the region would be utterly disrupted. Would the Sunset Empire still have peaceful days ahead? The most critical issue was the rapid growth of the Demon King forces. If even the Thunder Empire couldn''t withstand the Demon King invasion, once the Demon King assimted the Thunder Empire, their power would likely swell to several or even more than ten times their current size.


    By then, crushing the Sunset Empire would be as effortless as a hawk preying on a chicken.


    Despite the political turmoil within the Sunset Empire, they were not fools. They would undoubtedly recognize the urgency of the situation and take action. Emperor Frelio was about to convene an inter-empire-level meeting when, unexpectedly, the pce''s barrier was suddenly breached by some external force.


    Emperor Frelio, Marquis Gabrin, and the others, being top-tier powerhouses, sensed this intrusion immediately, and their expressions changed drastically.


    "How dare?!"


    "Who goes there?"


    "Who dares to intrude into the royal pce uninvited!"


    Marquis Gabrin waved his hand, and a crystal staff appeared. He shouted loudly, "Protect the Emperor!"


    Everyone quickly gathered around the emperor to guard him. At the same time, hundreds of the pce''s foremost warriors teleported in, surrounding Emperor Frelio with a protective circle. The security within the royal pce was extremely tight, with various experts, barriers, and prohibitions. Anyone capable of bypassing these obstacles to directly breach this location must possess unfathomable strength, warranting extreme caution.


    Countless shadows emerged in the grand hall of the pce, eventually coalescing into three figures. The one in the lead was dressed in simple, tattered clothes, appearing entirely unremarkable. His face was hidden under arge hood, and he held a simrly unassuming staff, with an eerie aura swirling around him.


    Behind him stood two other figures, also heavily concealed, but their silhouettes suggested they were not human. The aura emanating from them was even more formidable than that of most individuals present, including Marquis Gabrin, indicating they might both be Level 6 monarchs or higher.


    With such fearsome beings apanying the lead figure, one could only wonder at the strength of their leader.


    "Who are you?" Marquis Gabrin demanded, "Seize them!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Hundreds of pce guards rushed forward. Each of them possessed the strength of Level 5 or 6 overlords. Their collective assault was formidable, posing a serious threat even to someone of Satoru Sato''s caliber.


    However, at that moment, the mysterious old man raised his staff. An invisible yet invasive energy, like flowing water, surged outward, passing by everyone and then a bizarre scene unfolded. The movements of all these individuals became incredibly slow, and some even appeared to be frozen in ce.


    Undoubtedly, this was a powerful control skill.


    Marquis Gabrin''s expression darkened, "The power of time? You are that legendary Prophet of Doom!"


    The old man chuckled, "Indeed, I do carry the moniker of the Prophet of Doom. You may also call me Primo, the 55th ranked Hero in the leaderboard!"


    The tales of the Prophet of Doom were widespread across thends. Rumor had it that he was an extraordinarily powerful magician with a rare, once-in-a-millennium talent for time maniption, capable of foreseeing the past and future. This is why he was dubbed a prophet. He was a legendary figure. Numerous empire-level powers had extended olive branches to him, offering generous terms such as the position of Imperial Chief Magician or even a national advisor. Yet, he remained indifferent to such offers, showing no interest whatsoever.


    The Prophet of Doom rarely intervened, but whenever he did, it was earth-shattering. Thus, despite his immense power, he remained an enigmatic figure. Who would have thought such a being would also identify as a Hero? And ranking 55th in the Hero leaderboard? Could there really be Heroes stronger than him? That seemed impossible!


    The Prophet of Doom, Primo, spoke slowly, "In the recent battle in the southern borders of your empire, a powerful Hero tragically fell. He was the Formless Sword Saint, ranked 498th on the Hero leaderboard."


    "As the foremost among the Seven Sword Saints of the Sunset Empire, he possessed the strength of an emperor. Yet, he still met his end, which only serves to highlight the overwhelming power and danger of the Demon King. He must be ranked within the top fifty, perhaps even the top thirty among Demon Kings, and has now fullye into his own. Your empire alone cannot contend with him."


    The listeners exchanged looks of disbelief. For Emperor Frelio and the empire''s elites, this was the first time they had heard of rankings for Heroes and Demon Kings. The leader of the Seven Sword Saints of the Sunset Empire was merely ranked around five hundred among the Heroes?


    How formidable, then, must those ranked in the top few dozen be? Perhaps they had reached the legendary Level 7!


    After pondering for a moment, Emperor Frelio gave Marquis Gabrin a look, and thetter immediately dismissed the surrounding elites.


    The emperor approached: "So, you mean to say, Prophet Primo, that you havee here for this Demon King?"


    "Indeed!" Primo replied. "Although I''m ranked 55th among Heroes, currently, I''m the only one who can arrive in time to assist you against him. Otherwise, this empire facesplete destruction."


    The expressions of those present soured slightly.


    Marquis Gabrin inquired, "This Demon King led to the total annihtion of our million-strong army without a survivor. We cannot fathom his insidious methods. What makes you believe you can confront him?"


    Primo chuckled, "Because I am the Prophet of Doom. No secrets can remain hidden from me."


    Intrigued, Emperor Frelio asked, "Is that so? Then perhaps, Prophet Primo, you could enlighten us, at least to understand the cause of our defeat."


    "No problem," Primo assured. "I will personally visit the southern front. No matter the secrets or tactics the Demon King possesses, they stand no chance of remaining concealed from my eyes that can peer through time!"

 Chapter 290: The Past and Future

    Chapter 290: The Past and Future


    The next day, under orders, Marquis Gabrin, the renowned Prime Minister, set out for the southern border apanied by the Prophet of Doom, Primo. Although the Marquis was a well-known figure within the empire, few in the southern territories could recognize him. As for Primo? He was even less recognizable. When he concealed his aura, he appeared to be nothing more than amon, ragged old man.


    The once-thriving city of Bachor was now in chaos. Following the death of Duke Bachor, the Bachor family struggled to maintain the prosperity of their capital city. The subsequent defeat and the news of the fall of the eastern and western dukes, along with the empire''s leading knight, only worsened the situation. Bachor City had long lost its former order. The streets, once bustling and lively, were now deste and deserted. Scores of merchants and nobles, fearing the spread of war, had begun to evacuate with their families. The ordinary citizens were living in constant fear. For them, the Demon King and the Chaos Federation represented entirely unknown threats.


    Marquis Gabrin frowned deeply, "I never imagined that the main city of the empire''s southern border would be so deste in such a short time."


    He nced at the Prophet of Doom, Primo. The mysterious old man, currently leaning on his staff, surveyed his surroundings before lowering his hood to reveal sparse hair and a withered, aged face. This was the Marquis''s first clear view of the prophet, who appeared utterly unremarkable---an unimpressive old man. His left eye was cloudy and lifeless, while his right was covered by a specially crafted metal eyepatch adorned with sealing runes.


    Marquis Gabrin asked, puzzled, "Prophet, what are you doing...?"


    Primo replied calmly, "Let me see the future of this ce."


    The Marquis was taken aback. Could the legends be true? Could the prophet indeed see into the future? If so, that would be terrifying. With such a formidable ability, it would be impossible for anyone to defeat him, and he could easily secure an invincible position for himself.


    As they spoke, the Prophet began to unseal his eyepatch. Upon removing it,yers of rune-inscribed bandages were revealed, and as these too were unraveled, the heavily sealed right eye was finally exposed. Unlike the left eye, this one resembled a fake, prosthetic eye, akin to a silver gemstone embedded in ce, emitting a strange and indescribable aura.


    In the next moment, a powerful force of time emanated from the gem-like eyeball, drawing the Prophet, the Marquis, and the two apanying Heroes into a special domain. Within this domain, the surroundings rapidly shifted. Marquis Gabrin soon saw hundreds of true dragons appear above Bachor City. The city activated its protective barrier, and countless Heroes desperately resisted.


    However, dragon mes surged continuously. Eventually, under the joint effort of seven Dragon Kings, the Elven King, the Dwarven King, the Giant King, and about ten other monarchs, Bachor City''s defenses could no longer hold and were utterly breached. The imperial garrison stationed there could not withstand the onught, and the battle was entirely one-sided, with the two forces beingpletely mismatched in strength. In the end, the conflict destroyed nearly half of Bachor City. The citizens of Bachor City had no choice but to surrender. At that moment, a figure appeared in Bachor City. This figure was very blurry, making it impossible to discern their true appearance.


    At that moment, the progression and movement of the entire space came to a halt. All the scenes shattered, the domain was dissolved, and the four individuals returned to normal spacetime.


    "This... what is this?" Marquis Gabrin asked, "It seemed like I witnessed the fall of Bachor City. Is this the fate that awaits this ce?"


    The Prophet Primo, leaning on his staff, appeared somewhat weary, indicating that even for a being of his extraordinary caliber, forecasting the fate of such a significant city was no small feat.


    "Indeed," Primo confirmed, "This is one possible future."


    The Marquis couldn''t help but inquire, "One possible future? Does that mean the future can change depending on circumstances?"


    Primo nodded, "Exactly. The future is not a fixed destiny but the inevitable oue based on various variables. If those variables change, the future can also change."


    So, it turned out, the future could be changed. Marquis Gabrin, being no ordinary individual, understood the Prophet''s implication. From the future they just witnessed, it seemed the empire had dispatched a considerable force in a final effort to defend Bachor City. However, the city''s fall was inevitable. Once Marquis Gabrin grasped this, he would likely advise the Emperor to abandon the idea of sending elite forces to save Bachor City and instead focus on preserving more cities and core territories of the empire.


    In other words, from the moment the future was revealed, it might have already begun to change. Marquis Gabrin had be a new variable in the equation. If the Empire ceased reinforcing its troops or adopted different strategies based on the Marquis''s persuasion, the ultimate future would inevitably change.


    The Marquis, impressed, said, "Prophet, your abilities are truly formidable. With your assistance, the Demon King of Darkness City is nothing to fear."


    Prophet Primo remained expressionless, but a sense of solemnity emerged. "Let me visit the battlefield to see what methods Darkness City employed to annihte a million-strong army."


    With a few teleportation spells, the group appeared above the battlefield. The ground was still littered with broken armor and weapons, but eerily, there were almost no signs of battle, not a single body, nor the stench of blood one would expect from such a conflict.


    Marquis Gabrin was puzzled, "Such arge-scale battle would surely have resulted in rivers of blood, with the stench lingering for months. It''s surprising that there''s no trace of it here."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Could this really be a battlefield? The Marquis was filled with doubt.


    Primo once again unsealed his right eye and released his special temporal domain, but this time, instead of foreseeing the future, he traced back to the past. They clearly witnessed the entire process of the Blood Moon''s emergence. The extreme horror and indescribable presence could even permeate through the flow of time, directly into the domain.


    "This... this is..." Prophet Primo said gravely, "A sacrifice to an Evil God?"


    At that moment, Primo witnessed the Blood Moon''s full formation and its role in the demise of the remaining Heroes, the Guardian Knights, and the two dukes. Eventually, the vast Blood Moon was sucked into a tearing rift and vanished from this world, heading towards the depths of the cosmos. During this process, Primo nced into the rift and could distinctly sense a consciousness beyond mortalprehension, transcending elements and time and space, sweeping across this area. In that instant, Primo felt as if his psyche had been heavily struck. Hisplexion turned exceedingly pale, and he spat out blood, promptly ending the domain and the visions of the past.


    "Prophet, are you alright?" asked Marquis Gabrin, visibly rmed.


    "Incredible. Even within the retrospective time, being noticed by that entity could result in such terrifying consequences." Primo appeared somewhat weakened as he supported himself with his staff and said in a deep voice, "As you''ve just seen, the Demon King did not directly participate in the battle. He merely used some means to summon an Evil God and conducted a ritual for it."


    Marquis Gabrin''s face turned pale with shock, "A ritual for an Evil God? So, the two dukes and the others..."


    "They all became sacrifices to the power of the Evil God, used by the Demon King," Primo exined. "However, the Empire can actually be reassured. The power of a god is not so easily borrowed; such a force cannot be summoned a second time."


    That exined everything. Such a feat, causing an army of a million to vanish, would have been beyond the capability of any being in this world; only those who have stepped into the realm of the divine, those referred to as gods, could aplish this. It was surprising that the Demon King had such means. It''s one thing for the strength of ordinary deities to be borrowed temporarily, but for him to directly summon and utilize an Evil God was an incredibly bold and risky move.


    However, as Primo mentioned, Evil Gods represent uncontroble chaos. Although the Demon King sessfully summoned an Evil God this time, the ritual and altar used for the summoning are unlikely to be reusable, so there''s no need to worry about the enemy summoning another Evil God on the battlefield.


    "There''s one more thing," Prophet Primo said. "I suspect that the true Demon King is not among the Three Dragons of Darkness City. Those three Dragon Kings are likely just a diversion, cultivated by the Demon King to attract attention."


    Marquis Gabrin was even more astonished, "What is the reasoning for that?"


    "The Darkness Three Dragons are strong, but they don''t stand out among the top-tier Demon Kings. With their strength, they might not even make it onto the leaderboard of Demon Kings, so it''s improbable that they could orchestrate such a grand scheme," Primo exined. "Moreover, I noticed a special being who wasn''t mentioned in any official reports. If I''m not mistaken, this dragon is the real Demon King!"


    Marquis Gabrin urgently inquired, "Are you sure? What does he look like? What are his abilities?"


    If this were true, it would be both astonishing and terrifying. Has the Demon King been concealing his true might from the Empire all along? This might be the primary reason why the Empire has continually underestimated its enemy and suffered defeat after defeat.


    Primo shook his head, "He was too vague."


    "Why is that?"


    Primo chuckled coldly, "There''s only one possibility: he also possesses the power of time, and it''s incredibly strong!"


    "But it doesn''t matter," he continued. "When ites to utilizing the power of time, I won''t lose to anyone... Even if he has the power of time, he can''tpete with me."


    With the information gathering nearlyplete and the prophet having sustained some injuries, plus considering this ce is currently under the influence of the Demon King''s forces, it was deemed unwise to linger any longer. They needed to withdraw quickly.


    One of the apanying Heroes stepped forward and Primo instructed, "Go to the Chaos Forest and investigate the Demon King''s main city. Do your best, but don''t overextend, your safety is paramount. With your abilities, even if discovered, you should be able to escape."


    "Yes!" responded the Hero named Jason, brimming with confidence as he epted the task.


    The prophet and the Marquis then promptly vacated the area to avoid being targeted or ambushed by the Demon King. With this intelligence and the aid of Prophet Primo, the empire could finally regain some informational advantage. This would significantly increase their chances in the uing confrontations with the Demon King."

 Chapter 291: Four More Kings

    Chapter 291: Four More Kings


    In Darkness City, within the Demon King''s spiritual space---a special realm created through the medium of the Level 5 special building, the Spirit Sanctum. In this spiritual ne---months of development had made it highlyprehensive, increasingly fulfilling various functions.


    Whenever Zhang Nu desired, he could revert to his human form within this spiritual world, experiencing life as he once did. For instance, at this moment, Zhang Nu, in human form, was sitting in a quiet, elegant caf¨¦, cutting a steak while organizing tasks for the Dragon''s Shadow Hero Guild.


    Following the conclusion of the battle, the empire''s offensive momentum had been severely weakened. As expected, it''s unlikely the empire would organize anotherrge-scale offensive in the near term, focusing instead on defensive strategies. This meant that the annexation of the entire southern territory was almost assured. To minimize losses and achieve the fastest and most efficient process, the cooperation of the intelligence system was crucial.


    Zhang Nu told Su Yan, "I want topletely annex the entire southern territory of the empire within three weeks. What you and the Dragon''s Shadow need to do is to coordinate with Darkness City''s troops from the inside and assist in controlling these cities."


    Su Yan immediately responded, "I''ve already arranged the tasks. The southern territory of the empire is already in a state of panic, and we have members of the Dragon''s Shadow in each city, just waiting for your army to take over."


    As she spoke, the admiration was evident on her face. She was somewhat puzzled about how two imperial Grand Dukes, along with the entire Guardian Knight Order, failed to prate even an inch into the Chaos Forest and were instantaneously annihted on the Elro ins. What Su Yan couldn''tprehend even more was how, in such a short period of time, Darkness City was already prepared to upy the southern territory of the empire.


    Judging from the current situation, the empire likelycked the capability to prevent Darkness City from seizing and ruling the south. If Zhang Nu sessfully aplished this task, he would acquire at least a hundred million people.


    To date, how many Demon Kings have managed to amass such a poption? A force with over a hundred million people, while it may not necessarily reach the level of imperial power, would certainly be among the top contenders at the kingdom level. This formidable force,bined with the continuously growing poption of Darkness City, would be powerful enough topete with imperial-level forces.


    Su Yan said excitedly, "Boss, with our strong army, those remnants of the empire probably can''t stop you. It''s only a matter of time before you be the first Demon King to conquer an imperial-level force!"However, Zhang Nu cautioned, "The foundation and hidden strengths of an empire are more extensive than you think. Although the Thunder Empire may not be enough to halt our expansion, we must still be careful not to throw away our advantages."


    Pausing momentarily, Zhang Nu added, "Moreover, the oue of this war will undoubtedly shock various countries. If I''m not mistaken, forces from other empires and top-ranking Heroes will definitely get involved."


    Hearing this, Su Yan tempered her excitement. She felt that her boss made a lot of sense. The Thunder Empire might no longer pose a threat, but conquering an empire was not an easy task. Furthermore, an imperial-level force is the result of various factorsing together. Such a significant power couldn''t just disappear; its eradication would disrupt regional bnce. Other imperial forces would not want to see this happen, so their involvement was inevitable.


    More concerning than the intervention of other empires, however, were the Heroes. As a Hero herself, Su Yan could ess the Hero leaderboard anytime. She noticed that the Heroes ranked in the top dozen were almost all Level 7 legendary units. Even though Zhang Nu was already very powerful, being targeted by such Heroes could still put him in danger. As the saying goes, caution is the parent of safety. The priority would be not to bask in the glory of current achievements but to stay vignt, especially in times of prosperity, and cherish the hard-won fruits of victory.


    As expected of the boss, despite his strength, he remained cautious.


    After Su Yan had logged off and left, Zhang Nu stepped out of the cafe, only to see a modern city street materialize before him. Landmarks like the White g National Tower and the Pearl Tower appeared before his eyes, creating a magically surreal atmosphere. This street was an exclusive area for Chaos Federation Demon Kings and some Heroes, designed to mimic cities from their past lives, fostering a sense of familiarity and belonging.


    Leaving this street, he entered the main urban area of the Demon King Space. By then, around six million citizens had gained ess to this spiritual space, making the city vibrant with activity. At a nce, it resembled any ordinary city, with a diverse poption of draconians, elves, humans, orcs, dwarves, and more, freely mingling. The online merchandise experience stores, in particr, were bustling with customers, contributing to the lively atmosphere.


    The spiritual space created by Darkness City had be a paradise for the subjects of the Demon King. It served not just for entertainment and leisure but also as a hub connecting tribes, towns, and the core ofmerce, where people could experience and trade online and then receive physical deliveries. With the presence of the World Tree in the Chaos Forest, the logistics and transportation within the entire forest had been greatly facilitated. Theplicated terrain that once hindered trade andmerce had turned the forest into one of the mostmercially prosperous areas.


    The active poption in this virtual city included not just the inhabitants of the Chaos Forest but also the merfolks from Holy Tides City in the Pale Moon Penins, the federated citizens from Kolo, Kregi, Elro, and over a dozen human territories, as well as merchants from non-federated regions.


    This exined the bustling activity in this area. Both the virtual city and the spiritual space operated on a subscription model. Though the fees were modest, therge user base ensured significant revenue from bandwidth fees alone, generating hundreds of thousands in profits daily, even after ounting for costs.


    "This space is still too small!" Zhang Nu mused. "I need to make it bigger."


    Lacking the necessary Level 5 special building upgrade scrolls, he set out to purchase them at high prices, offering ten million gold per scroll in the various Demon King markets. Despite the scarcity of Level 5 special building upgrade scrolls and the likelihood that only powerful Demon Kings would possess such high-level scrolls, the substantial reward offered was bound to attract attention. The offer of ten million per scroll quickly became a hot topic, drawing the interest of numerous formidable Demon Kings. It was conceivable that a Demon King in need of money might be tempted to sell.


    After posting the purchase request, Zhang Nu left the virtual world and reappeared in the grand hall of Darkness City. He took stock of his current resources: over a billion gold, tens of thousands of various elemental gems, and a reserve of several thousand souls, including over a hundred Level 6 souls.


    Holding onto such an abundance of resources without utilizing them seemed wasteful. Zhang Nu decided to put a portion of them to good use. He began with the high-quality souls, summoning Zhang Tiechui, the leading figure of Ironheart City and the federation''s chief cksmith; Jin Kui from Thunderp City; Gru from Beast City; and Bai Jie, the fortressmander of Citadel of Eternity, to the main city.


    The four subordinates quickly arrived, bowing respectfully and asking, "Greeting, my master. Has Your Majesty summoned us for a task?"


    Zhang Nu spoke, "You are considered the elders of the Chaos Federation, or those who have made significant contributions. Each of you represents your respective races. I''ve decided to cultivate you to be monarchs, to be kings, to enhance your influence within your tribes and the federation."


    The announcement took them by surprise. The Demon King intended to cultivate them into monarchs? Normally, bing a monarch had little to do with cultivation; most beings who became monarchs naturally possessed the talent for it. Such talent wasn''tmon; it was extremely rare. Unless one had a strong lineage, royalty, or noble heritage, whether a race could produce a monarchrgely depended on its fate.


    However, to the Demon King, it seemed as though assigning a king title to giants, dwarves, orcs, and humans was as trivial as handing out fruit in a queue, seemingly effortless and inconsequential. Indeed, for Zhang Nu, creating monarchs was not a difficult task. He possessed monarch crystals, the most direct method, but chose not to use them due to their rarity and value. Instead, he preferred using the Soul Baptism from the Soul Altar, sacrificing high-level souls to bestow monarch potential upon his subordinates.


    Given Zhang Nu''s current stockpile of souls, this was not a challenging task. When Long Yi became a Dragon King, it only required one high-quality Level 6 soul, which demonstrated not only Long Yi''s own strong background and talents but also the feasibility of the process. For Jin Kui, Gru, Zhang Tiechui, and Bai Jie, their talents might be average, but investing about ten Level 6 souls each would likely suffice.


    The giants, dwarves, orcs, and humans are all major races. Creating monarchs for such races would be beneficial for future governance. Moreover, kings have a strong rallying effect. If the Chaos Federation were to have a Giant King and a Dwarf King, news would quickly spread, attracting nearby giants and dwarves to join. The proportion of elves in the Chaos Federation was increasing. While elves were among the first to follow the Demon King, it was important not to favor them exclusively. Other races needed attention too, making this initiative necessary.


    Thus, the four were brought to the Soul Altar for Soul Baptism by Zhang Nu, who started the process by consuming souls. The process went smoothly, and the consumption matched expectations. After the baptism, they exuded a royal aura, sessfully awakening as monarchs.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    They knelt excitedly, expressing their gratitude to the Demon King. Jin Kui and Gru were particrly thrilled and surprised. Unlike the human mage and dwarven forgemaster, they weren''t directly summoned by the Demon King, yet they were given the opportunity to be kings, allowing them to lead their races.


    For Jin Kui, and even more so for Gru, this was an unexpected boon. Before pledging allegiance to the Demon King, Gru was merely amander in the Beast City, not even a notable figure in the Chaos Federation, let alone the wider world. But after pledging loyalty to the Demon King, his life transformed dramatically. He could never have imagined that someone like him could be a king, feeling as if he were living a dream.


    Pledging loyalty to the Demon King was the best decision he had made in his life, perhaps even in many lifetimes. Despite not being a direct summon of the Demon King, Gru''s loyalty was absolute. He vowed to use his new status as the Orc King to attract more orcs and serve the Demon King."

 Chapter 292: Fallen Druid, The Plague Master

    Chapter 292: Fallen Druid, The gue Master


    In a remote corner of the Chaos Forest, a seemingly ordinary deer cautiously navigated through the undergrowth, vigntly watching for danger. Suddenly, a fierce tiger roar echoed through the forest, and a tigerrger than a buffalo pounced in front of the deer, its massive ws poised to tear the deer apart. It was a typical scene of the survival of the fittest in the great forest.


    However, something strange happened. Just as the tiger''s ws were about to strike the deer, the deer transformed into a burst of light and stood up, effortlessly blocking the tiger''s paw with one hand. The tiger, taken aback, didn''t have time to react before it was enveloped in a gray light. Its body instantly shriveled and withered, eventually turning to dust.


    "Even a tiny insect dares to strike at me? You''re unlucky to have encountered me," said the Hero Jason with a coldugh.


    Looking around, he mumbled to himself, "This must be the Chaos Forest. It''s really difficult to sneak in here."


    Jason was not just any ordinary Hero; he was one of the most trusted subordinates of the Prophet of Doom. His strength, while slightly inferior to that of the Formless Sword Saint Satoru Sato, wasn''t far off either. Jason was also a Level 6 mythic hero, ranked 514 on the Hero leaderboard, just under 20 ranks behind Satoru Sato.


    Jason belonged to the Dark Elves, a subrace of the elves. His ss was that of a Fallen Druid. Druids are a type of mage that specializes in nature-based magic, proficient in various transformation, shapeshifting, summoning, and control skills. Typically, theyck strong directbat abilities, missing a range of offensive spells.


    Fallen Druids, also known as Dark Druids, were a divergent path from traditional druids. Not all druids could evolve into fallen druids---only a select few with strong power, high ranks, and innate talents in undead or dark magic could potentially be one. Unlike regr druids, fallen druids were also dark and necromantic mages. They integrated dark and undead magic with druidic natural magic, turning the typically benign druid spells into something malevolent and vicious.


    Within the elvenmunity, Fallen Druids were considered traitors. This was something the elves could not tolerate or ept, as their relentless pursuit of power was seen as a desecration of the Goddess of Nature, leading them to be despised by all followers of natural deities.


    Jason''s identity was far from simple. He was one of the leading figures in a dark organization known as the "Cult of the Inevitable End," recognized as the most powerful Fallen Druid known. Like Satoru Sato who was honored with the title of the Formless Sword Saint and Primo who was revered as the Prophet of Doom, Jason had his own notorious moniker, "The gue Master." This title was earned because he had orchestrated severalrge-scale gues.


    About fifty years ago, offended by a prince of a kingdom, Jason had unleashed a massive gue in retaliation, indiscriminately killing tens of millions, pushing that kingdom to the brink of copse. The desperate king had no choice but to execute his own son to appease Jason and beg for his forgiveness.


    Such an act was something even a mighty Level 7 entity like Primo could hardly achieve. While Jason might not possess strength equal to Sato''s, his level of danger was certainly no less significant. Sato, for all his power, could at most directly eliminate tens of thousands, maybe a hundred thousand people. But Jason, as a Fallen Druid, could effortlessly wipe out millions or even theoretically devastate an entire empire, leading billions to ruin. This was what made Jason so terrifying!


    Jason had two main objectives foring here. The first was to investigate the situation in the Demon King''s capital city, and the second was to use his abilities to spread a gue, attempting to create chaos within the Demon King''s forces from within.


    However, the current Chaos Forest was truly a perilous ce, a veritable den of terrifying and powerful entities. Even Satoru Sato had perished at the hands of the Demon King. If Jason were to confront the Demon King, given his strength, he would undoubtedly perish. His stealthy infiltration here was exceedingly dangerous.


    Yet, Jason did not panic. The reason he dared to venture in was that he had confidence in his own abilities. As a druid, Jason excelled in disguise, transformation, infiltration, and various specialized emergency survival techniques. He believed that even if he identally revealed himself, he could at least escape.


    The defenses of Chaos Forest were exceedingly strict. Jason discovered that the entire forest was enveloped by a massive barrier. This vast barrier not only protected the entire Chaos Forest, regting its environmental climate and defending against external attacks but also had the capability to detect the intrusion of external targets. For those below the Level 6, stealth tactics were essentially ineffective. Fortunately, Jason was a Level 6 mythic druid with superior skills in transformation and disguise, allowing him to enter disguised as a small animal and temporarily evade this formidable super barrier.


    Jason had finally infiltrated the area. "To avoid detection during reconnaissance," he thought, "I''d better release the gue first!"


    His main mission was to scout the Demon King''s capital city to understand the Demon King''s strength and the city''s defenses, among other details. This mission was fraught with danger, and Jason wasn''t entirely sure he could pull it off undetected. If discovered, his priority would be to escape, potentially leaving no time for other actions. Thus, he immediately activated his domain ability.


    "Pestilence Sanctuary!"


    Jason''s domain enveloped a small area around him, and utilizing the power of his domain, he initiated his special summoning skill.


    "gue rats, arise!"


    The ground beneath Jason''s feet churned, and numerous inconspicuous rats, norger than the size of a palm, were summoned from the gray soil. While individually weak, each rat glowed with red eyes and was wrapped in a terrifying aura. With a thought from Jason, the gue rats were released. They left the domain and entered the nearby forest, spreading at an rming rate, continuously being created and dispersed into every corner of the forest.


    These rats might seem insignificant, but each one carried a highly contagious gue, enhanced with extremely malevolent, high-level Fallen Druid magic. As tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of these gue rats actively spread the disease, it wouldn''t take a week for the gue to pervade the main regions of the Chaos Forest. By then, the entire area would be andscape of pestilence---a grotesque disaster. The native tribes of the forest wouldn''t even realize what was happening before sumbing to the disease. Moreover, this epidemic had the potential to decimate the majority of the living beings in the Chaos Forest.


    Jason''s summoning of the gue rats was highly secretive. Due to the presence of his mythic sanctuary, the outside world couldn''t detect any magical fluctuations. Only after sessfully deploying millions of these sources of infection did he finally deactivate his sanctuary.


    "Excellent!" Jason was exceedingly proud of himself. "No matter how strong this Demon King is, he has no counter to my tactics! It won''t be long before the gue fills this ce. I''d like to see how many he can save!"


    In the past, such tactics had always been foolproof for Jason, never failing. He believed this time would be no exception. However, just as he was basking in his satisfaction, an enraged voice erupted.


    "Who is it? Who dares to pollute the great Chaos Forest?"


    Simultaneously, the earth began to surge, and countless roots burst from the ground, rapidly entwining toward him.


    Jason was shocked, "Treants?"


    It turned out that the attackers were indeed treants, or rather, ents. The nearby ents had sensed therge number of gue rats and easily pinpointed Jason. The Demon King''s forest guardians, arranged throughout the Chaos Forest, yed a crucial role at this moment, which was unexpected.


    Otherwise, if the gue had spread without their knowledge, even the Demon King would have found it troubling.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What''s going on?" Jason was utterly perplexed. "Why are there treants in the Chaos Forest? The intelligence provided by the empire had no mention of this!"


    Before he could react further, the entsunched a second wave of attacks. Simultaneously, using their psychic ability for remotemunication, the ents rapidly spread the rm throughout the forest, ensuring that the entire forest was alerted in no time. The speed of their response was something the Fallen Druid had never anticipated. He had not realized that the Chaos Forest was full of ents, deeply hidden. Once alerted, there would be no ce for him to hide.

 Chapter 293: The Fallen Druids Demise

    Chapter 293: The Fallen Druid''s Demise


    Treants were very rare. Ever since the region''s Elven Empire had copsed, this species had vanished, making their presence in the Chaos Forest previously unlikely, or else the neighboring imperial powers would have noticed.


    Jason hadn''t expected such misfortune. Not only did he encounter treants, but they were also high-level treants, generally around the sixth tier in strength. Such treants had a broad sensory range, making it certain that they would detect the gue rats he had released.


    No matter, he thought. He needed to deal with them first.


    "Foolish to think you could stop me!" Jason''s gaze darkened as he coldly shouted, "Decaying Aura!"


    Instantly, an invisible energy burst forth from him. The flora at his feet and the trees nearby were immediately engulfed by this force, decaying and turning to dust at a speed barely perceptible to the naked eye. As the treants'' roots attacked, nearing Jason, they too withered and shattered. Soon after, the bodies of several treants began to decay; their once vibrant leaves turned yellow in the blink of an eye, and they perished right there.


    The disparity in strength was indeed significant. Although these treants were all Level 6 beings, the difference between a Level 6 lord, a Level 6 monarch, and a Level 6 mythic being like Jason was almost likeparing different weight sses entirely.


    Jason had cast several spells in quick session and had easily dealt with the nearby treants. Realizing it was unwise to stay longer, he nned to leave immediately after dispatching these treants. However, just at that moment, Jason sensed a ripple in the space around him.


    In the next instant, a sh of light appeared, and several figures materialized before him. Leading them was an exceedingly beautiful silver-haired elf, who appeared young yet exuded a powerful aura of authority. Apanying the silver-haired elf girl, who wielded a long staff, was a golden-haired elf woman holding a longbow. They were Nancilia and Marilyn, the two Elven Kings from Giantree City.


    Having received a warning from the Ent King, Grootroot, Nancilia had immediately used a teleportation spell to arrive here with Marilyn.


    "Cursed Fallen Druid!" Nancilia recognized Jason''s presence immediately: a defiler against the Goddess of Nature!


    Although Fallen Druids also utilized life-based magic, their spells were often perverted, aimed at spreading gues and disasters---making them the most despised traitors among the elves.


    What infuriated Nancilia even more was that this despicable Fallen Druid had dared to unleash a gue in the Chaos Forest. She nced at the witherednd and vegetation around her and raised her Elf Queen''s scepter towards him, dering, "We will not let you corrupt this forest any further!"


    Marilyn had already raised her longbow and said, "This guy is probably sent by the empire to wreak havoc. No need to waste your words! Just take him down and bring him before His Majesty!"


    The two Elven Kings of Giantree City, Nancilia and Marilyn, had significantly boosted their powers. Nancilia had recently be a Level 6 mythic unit after an adventure, and Marilyn had just undergone a powerful Demon King Super Baptism, elevating her to Level 6 as well. This meant that Jason, the Fallen Druid, now faced not only another Level 6 mythic unit but also a formidable Level 6 monarch unit. Given this situation, his chances of victory were slim.


    Recognizing the formidable challenge posed by the two elves and understanding they were not the actual Demon King, Jason made a rational decision to retreat. He knew he could handle the two elves in front of him but not additional powerful beings that might arrive upon hearing of the conflict.


    "Think you can keep me here? Let''s see if you''re capable of it!" Jason dered.


    As he spoke, his body suddenly split apart, transforming into thousands of crows that scattered in all directions with astonishing speed. The expressions of the two elves hardened. Marilyn watched the sky fill with crows, momentarily unsure which target to lock onto. The crows were not only numerous but also capable of splitting and multiplying, rapidly filling the sky like a dark cloud.


    They couldn''t let him escape. This Fallen Druid had already unleashed a gue in the Chaos Forest. Any of those gue-ridden rats could cause a catastrophe, and if they failed to neutralize this instigator and the source of the outbreak, the Chaos Forest would undoubtedly fall into disorder.


    "Divine Tree Sanctuary!" Nancilia acted swiftly.


    "Pestilence Sanctuary!" Jason released his mythic domain ability at the same time.


    The two powerful sanctuaries quickly neutralized each other. Jason was surprised to find that just as his sanctuary had expanded, it began to shrink rapidly, indicating that the opponent''s sanctuary was far stronger than his!


    In terms of power alone, Nancilia was not much stronger than Jason. However, Nancilia could easily suppress Jason''s sanctuary because her powers were enhanced within the Chaos Forest, a special effect brought by the World Tree to all elves residing nearby. Despite this, there wasn''t an overwhelming difference in the strength of their sanctuaries. Jason was capable of escaping Nancilia''s sanctuary before his power waspletely suppressed. But at that moment, Marilyn intervened. With the might of a dual domain, Jason immediately felt increased pressure.


    "This is bad!" Jason sensed his domain beingpressed even more, which slowed his attempts to break free. At that moment, several more presences were transported by the World Tree''s spatial passage.


    Giant King Jin Kui, Orc King Gru, Dwarf King Zhang Dachui, and Human King Bai Jie appeared right in Jason''s path of escape.


    "Four monarchs?" Jason''s expression changed drastically.


    Just how many monarchs were there in the Chaos Forest? Giants, orcs, dwarves, humans---none of these races had previously had kings in the Chaos Forest, with only the Elven and Dragon Kings known. This meant the true strength of the Chaos Forest was far greater than he had imagined. Jason had no time for further thought as the four monarchs released their domains. Although these domains were not particrly strong against him, they were enough topletely overwhelm him and eliminate any chance of escape.


    Two hourster, Nancilia and her group arrived at the Demon King''s castle in the Darkness City. Giant King Jin Kui was holding a bloody figure in his hand; it was none other than the Fallen Druid Jason.


    At this moment, there wasn''t a single intact spot on Jason''s body. He was barely alive, and if not for the druid''s strong vitality, he would have died many times over. Although Jason was still alive, his body was wrapped in thorns. These were the Sealing Thorns summoned by Nancilia, and given Jason''s weakened state, he was unable to break free, at least not for the foreseeable future.


    It was unbelievable that a Level 6 mythic unit like Jason had been captured alive. Jason''s strength was not much weaker than Nancilia''s; theoretically, he should have been able to escape even if he couldn''t win the fight, and certainly not be captured alive. However, with the assistance of Marilyn and several other monarch units, Nancilia sessfully captured him.


    At this moment, the great Demon King, Zhang Nu, sat on his high throne, with the Darkness Three Dragons lined up below. To the left and right stood the four Dragon Kings from Dark City and two Demonic Monarchs from Gloom City. Additionally, the hall was filled with Abyssal Dragons transformed into draconian forms. Recently, with plentiful resources at hand, Zhang Nu had replenished and significantly expanded his dragon legion. Currently, under Zhang Nu''smand, there were over five hundred abyssal dragons, with about fifty of them being Level 6 Dragon Elders. This represented an immensely formidable force.


    Jason had not lost consciousness. When he sensed the situation inside the hall, he waspletely astounded. He could hardly believe what he was seeing---over five hundred Abyssal Dragons! Even the most ordinary Abyssal Dragon possessed the strength of a top-tier Level 5 overlord and had the innate talents and abilities to hold their own against a Level 6 overlord for a period of time.


    Each of these units represented pinnaclebat power. Yet, in Darkness City, just in the Demon King''s hall alone, there were as many as five hundred of these dragons, with ten percent at the Level 6 overlord strength, plus the dozen or so monarchs present at the scene. And this was only what he could see, not the full extent of Darkness City''s forces! Jason feltplete despair. He had known that Darkness City was strong, but he had never imagined it to be overwhelmingly powerful.


    The Great Demon King stood up from his throne. Without needing a detailed exnation from Nancilia, themotion in the Chaos Forest was too significant to escape the notice of its ruler. In an instant, the Demon King traversed several kilometers and appeared before the group, his gaze falling on Jason. He quickly discerned Jason''s relevant information and a slight smile appeared on his lips.


    "Who sent you? Where are your aplices now? I advise you to confess honestly."


    Jason scoffed, "Demon King, don''t even dream about me confessing. Unless you release me, I will not make any deal with you."


    "You misunderstand," Zhang Nu chuckled lightly. "I never intended to make a deal with you. Since you refuse to talk, I guess I''ll have to do it myself."


    As he spoke, the Eye of Domination opened, and a terrifying psychic force enveloped Jason. Jason was horrified to find his consciousness being invaded. This force was so formidable that even under normal circumstances, he would struggle to fully resist the Demon King''s psychic power and the amplification of the Eye of Domination. Especially now, in his weakened state, there was virtually no resistance. The Demon King directly took control of the Hero and extracted all the information he wanted, including details about the Prophet of Doom, Primo.


    "So, top-ranked Heroes are already involved?" Zhang Nu stroked his chin. "This imperial conquest is bing more and more interesting."


    As for Jason, Zhang Nu had obtained the information he wanted. The Fallen Druid was no longer necessary to be kept alive.


    As a Hero ranked simrly to Satoru Sato, killing him could garner quite a few additional rewards.


    [You''ve in a Level 6 Hero. Hero''s soul +1, Skill stone +8, Mythic crystal +1, Hero leaderboard chest +1!]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhang Nu nced at his information panel. The notification of the Hero''s death indicated that the Hero was truly dead, thus removed from the rankings.


    At that moment, Zhang Nu noticed other notifications, one of which particrly caught his attention.


    [You have conquered the Pale Moon Royal City! 7.94 million citizens pledge allegiance to you. Do you ept?]


    Zhang Nu was very pleased. Indeed, it was a case of receiving double happiness---ying a ranked Hero and conquering a royal city!"

 Chapter 294: News On Void Seeds Whereabouts

    Chapter 294: News On Void Seed''s Whereabouts


    [You''ve conquered Pale Moon City. You''ve gained "Shining Stardust Diamond Chest" x1!]


    Now, Zhang Nu held two high-tier chests in his possession, one was the hero leaderboard chest obtained from ying the Hero; the other was the conquest chest from capturing the Pale Moon Royal City.


    Without hesitation, Zhang Nu immediately opened both chests. He first opened the Hero chest.


    [You''ve opened a Hero treasure chest. You''ve gained "gue Lord Crystal" x1, "Level 6 Hero''s soul" x85, "Thirteen Elemental Gems" x18,000!]


    Not bad at all. Although the rewards from the Fall Druid Hero chest were slightly inferior to those obtained from the Formless Sword Saint Satoru Sato, they were still quite substantial, enough to satisfy Zhang Nu. After all, the sheer value of the massive amount of gems alone was well over a billion gold, not to mention the plethora of Level 6 souls and a Hero crystal.


    Zhang Nu immediately absorbed the crystal.


    [You''ve absorbed the ''gue Lord Crystal'', HP +6000, MP +6000, Strength +400, Constitution +500, Agility +200, Will +900. You''ve gained the S rank skill ''Pestilence Sanctuary''!]


    Absorbing this new power brought certain changes to Zhang Nu''s body. What surprised him the most was that he had acquired Jason''s domain skill through the absorption of the crystal.


    Pestilence Sanctuary.


    This domain''s offensive, binding, and suppression abilities weren''t particrly strong; its primary function was to culminate and brew various natural biological disasters such as locust and rat hazards, thereby creating gues or subduing enemies. While the domain skill itself wasn''t overly powerful, it could cause a terrifyingly lethal effect. Zhang Nu, whosebat methods were already diverse and abundant, didn''tck directbat skills, making this ability particrly useful to him.


    Following that, Zhang Nu opened the conquest chest.


    [You''ve opened the Diamond Treasure Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" ¡Á200 million, "Blueprint: Ocean Pce" x1, "Blueprint: Ancient Ghost Ship" x1, "Ocean Scepter" x1, "Level 5 Special Building Upgrade Scroll" x1, and "Eleven Elemental Gems" x10,000!]


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied with the rewards. Both blueprints were Level 5 special blueprints, and Zhang Nu also obtained the much-needed Level 5 special building upgrade scroll, making these gains significant. The "Ocean Pce" was likely a barracks-type building, but it must have amplifying or supportive functions to qualify as a special building beyond just troop recruitment. Simrly, the "Ancient Ghost Ship" also had troop recruitment capabilities but served as a very special warship as well.


    Deploying these buildings on the Pale Moon Penins could significantly enhance the Chaos Federation''s control over the region. Zhang Nu nned to hand over the blueprints to Han Kexin, entrusting her with arranging their construction to consolidate their hold on the territory. In addition to the blueprints and upgrade scroll, the conquest rewards included arge amount of gold, gems, and an epic grade weapon named the "Ocean Scepter." The gold and gems were added to the treasury of the Darkness City, while the Ocean Scepter was to enhance the power of the Azure Water Empress.


    The Chaos Federation already controlled Holy Tides City. Having captured the Pale Moon Royal City, these two cities --- the political and economic centers of the Pale Moon Penins --- securing control over the entire penins was only a matter of time. Zhang Nu ordered Han Kexin to elerate the conquest process.


    He spected that conquering the penins would not only yield conquest chests from various cities and regions but, as Pale Moon Kingdom was an independent area and sovereign entity, it should yield a regional conquest chest simr to what was obtained from conquering the Chaos Forest. The power of the Pale Moon Kingdom far surpassed that of the Chaos Forest in its early days. Zhang Nu, having received such rich rewards from the Chaos Forest, believed that the rewards for conquering the Pale Moon Penins would be equally substantial.


    Nancilia stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this Fallen Druid released a gue in the forest, which might cause us some issues."


    Zhang Nu replied calmly, "The gue rats will dissipate the moment this individual dies, and as for the small area that has already been infected, there''s no need to worry; just send a Nature Priest to cleanse it."


    Hearing this, Nancilia felt relieved. She then asked, "This Fallen Druid is very powerful; he''s no ordinary foe. If he were frequently active in this area, we should have heard of him, so why does he seem so unfamiliar?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhang Nu exined, "Because he doesn''te from the empires or the Chaos Sea, he hails from a much more distant region and kingdom. Given the previous intelligence capabilities of the Chaos Forest, it''s normal not to have heard of this druid."


    "I see," Nancilia understood.


    Zhang Nu continued, "Our recent rapid development and the impressive victories we have achieved have likely caught the attention of many of the continent''s top powers and Heroes. For instance, among the Heroes whomunicated with this Fallen Druid, there are two currently in the northern empire who are far more formidable than him."


    Nancilia''s calmed heart tensed up again. Stronger than this Fallen Druid? How powerful would that be? After her encounter with Jason, she had initially estimated that his strength was roughly on par with hers, and even if she was slightly stronger, the advantage wasn''t significant. Entities stronger than him were likely to be more formidable than herself, and such individuals were rare in this world, each a renowned emperor-level powerhouse.


    However, Nancilia wasn''t worried. After all, even if the enemy was formidable, Darkness City still had the Azure Water Empress, the Vice City Lord Han Kexin, among others. Any of these figures could stand alone against formidable foes. Even in the worst-case scenario, where they encountered an enemy that even the Vice City Lord couldn''t handle, the Demon King himself could always intervene. To this day, Nancilia maintained almost blind trust in the Demon King, believing there was no task he couldn''t handle and no challenge he couldn''t ovee in this world.


    Although Nancilia was optimistic, Zhang Nu, by nature cautious, had not let down his guard. From Jason, he had learned that among the Heroes who had arrived at the empire, there was a top echelon Hero ranked around the 50th position.


    "The Prophet of Doom... Primo!"


    Through the Hero leaderboard, it wasn''t hard for Zhang Nu to deduce that this person was a Level 7 mythic. Even for Zhang Nu, dealing against such a powerful Hero still somewhat bore some risks. Given the information revealed by Jason and the rumors about the Prophet of Doom, Zhang Nu had no difficulty surmising that this Hero possessed the extremely rare power of time maniption, using it to understand the past and predict the future. This meant that he could potentially anticipate the strategies and movements of the Chaos Federation in advance,plicating the federation''s struggle against the empire.


    Zhang Nu mused to himself, "Is a Hero ranked around 50th so troublesome? It seems I shouldn''t underestimate the Hero faction."


    He believed the arrival of the Prophet of Doom was no coincidence. Despite his efforts to keep a low profile, among the active Demon Kings, few could match the influence he''d made, making it only a matter of time before more top-ranked Heroes would be drawn to him.


    Fortunately, the Chaos Federation was now well-established. Even if Heroes ranked in the top ten came challenging, they would find it difficult to shake the foundation of the federation in the short term. Zhang Nu decided to further strengthen the construction of the Chaos Federation''s Dragon Legion, utilizing this high-mobility, highbat effectiveness, and high-destructive elitebat force to elerate conquests. At the same time, he recognized the necessity to swiftly enhance his own strength.


    At that moment, Zhang Nu sifted through his crowded inbox and found a message that greatly intrigued him, sent by an old acquaintance and fellow Demon King.


    Blood Giant Wang Shi: "Hey, brother, that Void Seed you''re looking for, I might be able to help you find it."


    A clue atst? For Zhang Nu, activating his Level 6 talent wasn''t hindered by ack of talent points anymore. He had plenty of souls in his inventory if activation was needed; what really stumped his upgrade was the absence of necessary materials.


    Zhang Nu promptly responded: "Are you sure?"


    Blood Giant Wang Shi: "I''m about 80-90% sure, but this information isn''t free, and the process to acquire it is very dangerous. You won''t be able to find it without me personally guiding you. I want 2 monarch crystals and 100 million gold."


    Zhang Nu considered this for a moment. Although the price was steep, it wasn''t much for him. He had been using monarch crystals as rewards for whoever could provide effective information. Shi not only had the information but also nned to guide him personally, which justified a higher fee.


    Now was not the time to quibble over small profits. Zhang Nu wasn''t short on money. He immediately replied, "I can pay 100 million gold as a deposit, and once the task ispleted, you''ll have your monarch crystals."


    Blood Giant Wang Shi: "Fair enough, then let''s set a time to meet and discuss this in person?"


    At this stage of development, top Demon Kings typically had a stockpile of teleportation stones. With these stones, Demon Kings could visit each other, assuming there was sufficient mutual trust. Of course, this came with risks---if one was to teleport into another''s territory and be betrayed, ending up surrounded by Heroes, it could be disastrous.


    Zhang Nu had known Wang Shi for a long time, and they had maintained very closemercial rtions. Zhang Nu had imported countless gems and blueprints from Wang Shi, who in turn had bought vast quantities of food, materials, and equipment from Zhang Nu. Because of this long-standing rtionship, a basic level of trust was established.


    If obtaining a Level 6 talent material was possible, Zhang Nu was willing to pay not just a few monarch crystals and a couple hundred million gold, even ten times that if necessary. He did not want to miss this precious opportunity.


    Zhang Nu and Wang Shi quickly agreed on a n to meet in person."

 Chapter 295: Blood Giant Wang Shi

    Chapter 295: Blood Giant Wang Shi


    Wang Shi, a Level 6 monarch-ss Demon King, was ranked 483rd on the Demon King leaderboard. Although his rank might not seem very high, his inclusion on the Demon King leaderboard alone testified to Wang Shi being among the top echelon of powerful figures in the Demon King faction.


    One of the key reasons for Wang Shi''s prominence and sustained presence on the leaderboard was his longstanding cooperative rtionship with Zhang Nu, the top-ranked Demon King. Wang Shi''s territory was particrly rich in various types of gems. Zhang Nu had been purchasing most of his gems from Wang Shi, often paying slightly above the market price to secure priority buying rights. While the mark-up was modest, the volume and consistency of these transactions had allowed Wang Shi to amass considerable wealth, providing significant economic support for his territory''s development.


    At that moment, Wang Shi was in his castle. He stood over two to three hundred meters tall, with fingers asrge as train carriages, and his entire body was a vivid red. His eyes zed with red mes, exuding a powerful aura and a sense of oppression. Although Wang Shi was just a monarch, as a top-tier giant race, his physique rivaled that of dragons, allowing him to contend with Level 6 mythics due to his formidable physical strength.


    In the grand hall of his castle stood thousands of giants. The shortest of them measured fifty meters, with most standing well over one to two hundred meters tall, all of them covered in vivid red and exuding a scent of blood. Among them were four monarch units and at least twenty overlord units. This lineup clearly indicated that Wang Shi had substantial resources at his disposal.


    At that moment, in the center of the Demon King''s Hall, a spatial vortex appeared, stabilizing into a shape after a few seconds. It revealed another Demon King''s Hall, with a palpable aura of terrifying dragon fear emanating from it. A figure was released from the vortex. The moment he appeared, everyone in the hall, including the Bloody Giant Wang Shi and all other giants and Demon King units present, felt a strong sense of oppression.


    Zhang Nu looked around and realized that the Demon King''s Hall he was in now was no less imposing than the Demon Dragon Castle in the Darkness City. Since the Demon King units around him were predominantly giants, he decided to transform into his dragon form for easiermunication.


    Zhang Nu rarely used his dragon form in daily life, mainly because it was too massive. The size of a dragon was generally proportional to its strength. Upon transforming into his dragon form, Zhang Nu''s body stretched to four hundred meters in length. His immense size and majestic presence, coupled with his dominant aura, made him several times more formidable than Bloody Giant Wang Shi seated on his throne. Facing such a fearsome entity, all units under Wang Shi''smand felt as if they were facing a great enemy.


    Yet, Bloody Giant Wang Shi let out augh louder than thunder: "Hahaha, worthy indeed of brother Zhang Nu, the current foremost Demon King! Both your spirit and courage are unmatched!"


    Wang Shi was straightforward in nature. He did not tter or pander even in the presence of the foremost Demon King. In fact, Wang Shi held great admiration for Zhang Nu, especially since Zhang Nu had suggested meeting directly at Wang Shi''s castle upon receiving the message. Considering Zhang Nu''s current status, he was a figure both coveted and feared by top Heroes. Was he not afraid that Wang Shi might conspire with top-tier Heroes to set a trap and lure him into the Demon King''s castle?There was only one exnation: this foremost Demon King trusted him. Moreover, he was extremely confident in his own strength, convinced that even if he encountered an ambush, he could remain calm and retreat unscathed.


    "Are you Wang Shi?" Zhang Nu asked, his enormous ws pressing down on the floor. His majestic wings slowly spread, spanning hundreds of meters like dark clouds that could overshadow the sun, imposing an almost suffocating pressure on any lesser creature, exuding overwhelming authority.


    Wang Shi immediately stepped forward and said, "Thank you, brother, for trusting this old Wang. Rest assured, I wouldn''t invite someone of your stature here without being certain."


    "Where is the Void Seed?" Zhang Nu asked promptly.


    Wang Shi exined, "The Void Seed is an extremely rare and elusive divine stone, born at the dawn of creation. It''s a material seldom found, unavable innds, oceans, or the underworld."


    Zhang Nu asked, "Why do you say that?"


    Wang Shi exined, "The Void Seed is called so because it takes root in the void, absorbing the energies of chaos and nothingness. Once it reaches a certain stage, it can exit the void to create new spaces, even entire new worlds."


    No wonder, Zhang Nu thought as he looked around and said, "So, this ce isn''t part of any continent, ocean, or the underworld?"


    "Correct, this is the outer world. Both the resources and species here are vastly different from those onnd," Wang Shi said casually. "Alright, no time to waste, let''s set off immediately. I''ll help you acquire that Void Seed."


    Although it was their first meeting, the two were already quite familiar with each other. Zhang Nu knew his character well; this guy could make friends with anyone, carried no airs about him, didn''t put up with others'' airs, and was decisive in action.


    Zhang Nu flew out of the massive castle and was surprised by the environment outside. It was a bizarre, gigantic floating ind in a vast open space. Nearby, he could see numerous energy condensates, like small andrge suns scattered across the space, illuminating it.


    Zhang Nu knew that this ce was not the familiar surface world but an outer world detached from the. In this outer world, the air was thin, making it uninhabitable for ordinary people. The area was rife with energy turbulence and various powerful celestial bodies.


    Moreover, the outer world was home to many unique creatures, including unheard-of magical beasts and daemons, as well as species never seen on the ground. The darkest and most negative part of this world was known as the Abyss, a ce with the harshest environment within this vast space, inhabited by ancient evils and various powerful beings.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Wang Shi briefly exined, "The ce we''re heading to is a mysterious city known as the City of Void, located in the Land of Nothingness. It''s extremely dangerous."


    ording to the information Wang Shi had, it was highly probable that a Void Seed was located within the City of Void. However, not only was this city very difficult to locate, but also no one had ever sessfully entered it. Not to mention approaching the city, even the surrounding environment was unbearable for living beings.


    Furthermore, reaching the City of Void would require navigating through aplex web of forces from various extraterrestrial powers. Without a local guide, it was nearly impossible to make it there alone.


    Zhang Nu asked, "How do we get there?"


    Wang Shi calmly replied, "Don''t worry, brother, we don''t need a ship, this ind itself is a huge airship!"


    Just then, Zhang Nu felt it. In the center square of the Demon King''s city, there was a tower emitting powerful energy. It was this tower that controlled the movement of the gigantic ind, indicating the ind''s extraordinary origins.


    "Let''s set off!" Wang Shimanded, and the Demon King''s city began moving at an astonishing speed."

 Chapter 296: Fallen Angels

    Chapter 296: Fallen Angels


    In the outer world, the spatial structure was quite peculiar and drastically different from the worlds most reincarnators were familiar with. This world didn''t actually have real suns, moons, or stars; what was considered the sun and moon wereposed of elemental energies, and the stars seen in the night sky were merely reflections of energy, creating a celestial spectacle. At first nce, it might have seemed simr to the worlds known to reincarnators, but in essence, it waspletely different.


    Deep in space, a peculiar fleet was in a state of readiness. This fleet consisted of twentyrge magitek airships made from anti-gravity oresmon in the outer world, which easily maintained flight in this weak gravitational environment. The airships were densely packed with figures. Although these figures were simr in height and physique to humans, they had ck wings on their backs.


    These were members of the angelic race, specifically the Fallen Angels, as indicated by their ck wings and the dark aura that enveloped them. Also known as the celestial race, this was a very ancient lineage with extremely long lifespans, residing in various mysterious regions of the outer world. This race inherently possessed great strength. The higher the bloodline and the stronger the innate talents, the more wings an angel had.


    At that time, the majority of the Fallen Angels aboard these airships weremon Two-Winged Fallen Angels, who had rtively limited potential and served as ordinary soldiers within the angelicmunity. For every ten Two-Winged Fallen Angels, there was a Four-Winged Angel who acted as an officer, leading the group.


    In addition to these, there were even higher-ranking angels, including Six-Winged and Eight-Winged ones. There were only five Eight-Winged Fallen Seraphs, all of whom were renowned figures in the area. They had formed a troop known as the "Demon Hunters," a force dedicated to hunting down and annihting Demon Kings, having eradicated hundreds since their emergence.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    This troop, formed with the purpose of hunting demon lords, obviously had a clear origin. The five Eight-Winged Fallen Seraphs were actually five powerful Heroes; the strongest among them possessed the strength of a Level 6 monarch, while the others all had the power of Level 6 overlords.


    "Urgent report!"


    "The Bloody Ind has emerged from the Blood Demon Domain!"


    A scouting Fallen Angel kneeled before them. The leader, a Hero named Nick, who was ranked 4321st on the Hero leaderboard, smiled slightly. Although his ranking was not very high, being on the Hero leaderboard was a testament to his capabilities. Nick had had his eye on Bloody Ind for a long time. He knew that the ind was inhabited by arge group of giants and various types of Demon King minions, including the Blood Giant Demon King, a listed figure on the Demon King leaderboard. This sparked a strong interest in hunting him down.After waiting for many days, the target had finally appeared.


    Nick drew his purple lightsword, "Everyone, prepare for battle. Kill all the giants, let none escape!"


    "Yes!" Themand quickly spread throughout the troops.


    Thousands of Fallen Angel warriors, their bodies enveloped in powerful energy, left the ships. They swarmed like a dense cloud of bees. Even the most basicbat units among them possessed the strength of Level 4 elite, and with the angelic race''s ability to wield both powerful magic and martial skills, they were a formidable force, proficient in both sorcery andbat.


    "Trouble iing!" Bloody Giant Wang Shi noticed the celestial beings emerging near his territory. His expression changed dramatically, and he quickly said to Zhang Nu, "It''s the Demon Hunter Squad of the Fallen Angel race, a force specialized in hunting Demon Kings. They are very strong. We should not confront them directly; let''s retreat and defend."


    "No need!" Zhang Nu replied, eager to acquire the item he was after and not wanting to waste time. Without waiting for Wang Shi''s response, the Abyssal Dragon Demon King pped his massive wings and rapidly ascended from the ind, his colossal size quickly drawing the attention of the Fallen Angel warriors.


    "What is that?"


    "A dragon? Why is there a dragon here? And why is it so huge?"


    The region wasn''t known to harbor Abyssal Dragons, especially not one of such unprecedented size. The Fallen Angels were stunned by the sudden appearance of the dragon. However, despite their shock, their attacks did not hesitate. Powerful magics rained down like droplets on the dragon''s body, yet none could inflict even the slightest damage.


    "What''s his strength?!"


    "He must be at least Level 6!"


    The Fallen Angel warriors were shocked by the dragon''s strong magic immunity and immediately prepared tounch a joint attack.


    Using his senses, Zhang Nu gauged the number of enemies. Wanting a quick resolution, he unleashed a wave of dragon fear that instantly covered a radius of several miles, stunning all targets on the spot. Following swiftly, Zhang Nu activated his Level 3 talent skill, the Evil Dragon of Annihtion form! Although the talent was awakened at a rtively low level, it was a tremendously powerful skill. Its effectpletely elementalized his body, entering a state where as long as his energy wasn''t fully depleted, he was nearly immortal.


    "Inferno Evil Dragon!"


    Zhang Nu''s already hundreds of meters long body suddenly doubled in size, his entire body zing furiously, transforming into an elemental dragon made entirely of dragon mes. This elemental dragon was now a kilometer long. The intensely hot dragon mes twisted the very space around it, emitting light and heat so intense that it was nearly impossible to look directly at it, like a sun close at hand.


    "What the hell is this!"


    "Attack! Attack!"


    "Don''t let him get close! Keep it away!"


    The Fallen Angels, all powerful beings who had hunted many formidable abyssal creatures and powerful Demon Kings, had never encountered an entity with such an overpowering and terrifying presence. Moreover, while most of the Fallen Angels were still recovering from the overwhelming dragon fear.


    "Thunderstorm Evil Dragon!"


    Zhang Nu shifted forms again, releasing tremendous bolts of crimson lightning from his ming body, representing the devastating power of abyssal thunder.


    The Evil Dragon of Annihtion originally had only three forms: a devouring form, a me form, and a thunder form. However, at this moment, Zhang Nu fused the me and thunder forms together, transforming his entire elemental body into a fiery electrical storm. How powerful was his fiery thunderstorm? The terrifying interwoven thunder and mes further expanded his size. Now, Zhang Nu''s body spanned at least 1,500 meters in length, eclipsing the sky like a doomsday harbinger capable of ending the world.


    "Retreat!"


    "Quick, retreat!"


    The Fallen Angel leader, Nick, immediately issued the order. He sensed an unprecedented danger and oppressive force from this elemental dragon. These lightning and mes were not something a Level 6 monarch could produce, and even a Level 6 mythic might not be capable of such power. The dragon''s strength far exceeded all expectations and even understanding. Nick realized that his troops were utterly inadequate for hunting such a being; a direct confrontation would only lead to heavy casualties and a defeated retreat. Thus, he gave themand to withdraw at once.


    But it was toote.


    A blinding light erupted as the elemental dragon transformed into an energy storm, instantly colliding with the first airship. His massive body tore through the ship, which, despite its sturdy construction and protective magic, was shredded like paper. In that moment, in front of Zhang Nu, such meager defenses were no different than paper.


    As the Annihtion Evil Dragon''s body passed through the airship, countless streams of fiery thunder also swept through the ship and the nearby Fallen Angel units, leaving them no chance to resist or defend. In an instant, they were obliterated, leaving not a trace behind. Zhang Nu did not pause for even a second as he collided with the second airship, and then the third, fourth, and fifth. His elemental body could infiltrate anywhere, acting like an unstoppable storm. Nick and the other five Level 6 Heroes watched in horror as the elemental dragon demolished all the airships with overwhelming force and charged towards them.


    They couldn''t even resist. How could they possibly withstand it?


    With the speed and explosive power of lightning and the fierce, persistent burning of fire, the airships in its path stood no chance and were utterly obliterated. Even powerful Level 6 Heroes, immersed in this terrifying storm of fiery lightning and continuously scorched and bombarded, could notst more than a few seconds.


    [You''ve in a Level 6 Hero. Hero''s soul +1, Skill stone +6, Monarch crystal +1, Hero leaderboard chest +1!]


    [You''ve in a Level 6 Hero. Hero''s soul +1, Skill stone +3!]


    [You''ve in a Level 6 Hero. Hero''s soul +1, Skill stone +4!]


    [......]


    After a devastating round of assaults, Zhang Nu returned to the floating ind where Wang Shi''s territory was located. As hended, all the elemental energy copsed, and he returned to his normal physical form.


    "W-what just..." Wang Shi was utterly stunned. His subordinates and followers were equally shocked. The sky was still aze, thunder intertwined, amidst a sea of mes and dense shes of lightning. What had been a formidable fleet of Fallen Angels just a minute ago, was now nothing but a field of falling wreckage. This scene could be described as the ultimate disy of violent aesthetics.


    Swallowing hard, Wang Shi murmured, "Is this the strength of the foremost Demon King?"


    Zhang Nu, nonchnt, replied, "They were just fodders, not worth the time. Let''s hurry to our destination."


    Wang Shi was overjoyed. Zhang Nu had also resolved a significant threat for him. He had guessed that Zhang Nu was quite strong, but he hadn''t expected him to be this overwhelmingly powerful, surpassing all expectations.


    "This foremost Demon King... just how powerful is he?"


    "Hahaha, brother, you truly are invincible. I was a bit worried before, but it seems I was overly cautious. With your strength, you will definitely be able to enter the City of Void!"

 Chapter 297: Dark Celestial Kingdom

    Chapter 297: Dark Celestial Kingdom


    After more than a day, under Wang Shi''s guidance, Zhang Nu finally neared the City of Void. Wang Shi hadn''t misled him; the area surrounding the City of Void was indeedplex, teeming withrge forces and dangerous zones.


    As they were about to reach their destination, another fleet appeared ahead. Zhang Nu, puzzled, asked, "Are there more who block our way?"


    Wang Shi quickly rified, "No, that''s the army of the Dark Celestial Kingdom. We must avoid conflict with them. After all, this is an empire-level force!"


    Empire-level force? Zhang Nu was taken aback. Indeed, the outer world also boasted empire-level forces. However,pared to terrestrial empires, those in the outer world were generallyposed of celestial beings, dragon races, or other rare species. These races had individuals of formidable strength but not as populous as humans. Typically, an celestial nation with a poption of around eighteen million could possess strengthparable to surface world empires, given that the celestial race is a warrior race with hardly any weak individuals.


    Different from the hunting troop they had just faced, this fleet was from the Dark Heavenly Kingdom''s imperial fleet. Although not as strong as the previous fleet, its power was not to be underestimated. Most importantly, it represented the empire, and any rash attack could provoke severe consequences---consequences that Wang Shi was unwilling to bear. Wang Shi personally left the floating ind to negotiate with the fleet.


    "Who are you?" demanded the angelmander loudly. "Do you not know this is a restricted area? Leave immediately, or it will be considered an invasion of the empire, and you will pay a severe price!"


    Wang Shi hurriedly responded, "This is a misunderstanding, I am the lord of Bloody Ind. We havee here with no ill intentions."


    As he spoke, he tossed a token forward. The token, cradled by a surge of blood-red energy, floated toward the imperial fleet''smander. After inspecting the token and confirming its authenticity, themander gestured, and the imperial soldiers lowered their weapons.


    Themander tossed the token back, saying, "You wish to challenge the City of Void? Although you are strong, with your current strength, I doubt you will return alive.""Ha ha, there''s no need to worry, sir," Wang Shi replied confidently. "I came prepared and am quite certain of my chances. I''ve heard that destroying the City of Void will earn a substantial reward from the empire?"


    The angelmander replied indifferently, "Correct. The appearance of the City of Void has caused significant disaster and uproar. Whoever can destroy this city will indeed receive a hefty reward from the empire."


    Not only could Wang Shi earn a bounty from the number 1 Demon King, but he could also collect a substantial reward from the empire. It was truly a case of killing two birds with one stone.


    Wang Shi, greatly excited, said, "Please, sir, open the barrier for us!"


    The angelmander had little hope for the neers; over thousands of years, countless mighty figures had challenged this ce, and all had failed without exception. Destroying the City of Void? It was easier said than done. But since they were neither rtives nor close friends, and since they were eager to face their demise, why should he stop them?


    Indifferently, themander ordered, "Open the barrier!"


    As the angel mages chanted together, the space unfolded like a curtain being pulled back, releasing fierce winds and bursts of energy.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Wang Shi returned to Zhang Nu''s side and said, "Brother, once we enter, we''ll be in the space where the City of Void is located."


    Zhang Nu, puzzled, asked, "Why are there imperial troops guarding this ce?"


    Wang Shi exined, "After the City of Void appeared, it often caused spatial storms in this vicinity, affecting a very wide area and posing a significant threat. Therefore, the empire sealed it here and dispatched troops to guard it."


    For Zhang Nu, the City of Void was a ce he had long sought. It held a high probability of containing a Void Seed. However, for the empire and the local forces, the City of Void was akin to a natural disaster, prompting them even to set a bounty.


    Wang Shi said, "We will fully support you, brother. Once we take the Void Seed, the City of Void will inevitably copse. Then, we can split the empire''s bounty fifty-fifty. What do you think?"


    Zhang Nu wasn''t particrly interested in the bounty. He replied, "Splitting the empire''s reward is fine, but you should stay here and wait for my good news."


    Wang Shi was shocked, "What? Brother, I know you are strong, but don''t underestimate the City of Void. It hides too many risks and monsters, and even with great personal strength, it might be insufficient."


    Zhang Nu remained resolute. He looked towards the entrance of the City of Void. Information about it immediately appeared before his eyes.


    [City of Void] Level 7 monarch area...


    Description: Created several eons ago by an ancient outer world power at a great expense, this city not only houses powerful monsters but also has an extremelyplex spatial-temporal structure, making it a highly dangerous forbidden area."


    After reading the information, Zhang Nu realized that this ce was anything but ordinary. It was an unprecedented Level 7 area. Although it was just a monarch area, its high difficulty level was surely exceptional, likely rivaling a Level 6 mythic area. In such a ce, with Wang Shi''s capabilities, they might not be able to handle it. Even if they entered, the help they could offer would be limited. From the information provided, Zhang Nu knew that the spatial and temporal structure of the City of Void was extremelyplex, with massive turbulence that could be described as extremely intricate. Only he could navigate it freely, Wang Shi and the others would only be a burden if they followed.


    Seeing Zhang Nu''s determination, Wang Shi had no choice but to say, "Brother, you are skilled and brave, so I won''t say much more. Just be careful on your own."


    Zhang Nu nodded. His huge body, hundreds of meters in length and filled with lightning, rose with astonishing speed, leaving behind a trail of dispersing electric arcs. He crossed tens of thousands of meters in a blink and plunged into the chaotic region of the City of Void.


    "This is..."


    As soon as Zhang Nu entered the domain of the City of Void, he felt the unusual disturbances around him. The spatial and temporal structure here was highly disordered, with time and space mixed together like a muddled paste. Any creature or matter that got sucked into it was likely to be utterly destroyed, eventually disappearingpletely in the convoluted fabric of space and time. However, this kind of disturbance meant little to Zhang Nu.


    Zhang Nu activated his Spatial-Temporal Dragon form, his majestic golden aura suddenly shifting into a dreamlike silvery white. Although itcked some of its former intimidation and dominance, it gained a richness and elegance. In this form, Zhang Nu possessed strong resistance to spacetime anomalies. His body could easily withstand the tearing of spatial rifts and the warping of temporal currents. Entering the chaotic realm of time and space was like a champion swimmer entering a slightly turbulent stream. Zhang Nu could sense various temporal energies assaulting him, but they were all neutralized and dissolved upon touching his body''s surroundings. At that moment, he was like a fish gracefully navigating an increasingly turbulent river.


    His vision was blurred, no one could discern details in the chaotic flow of time and space, but he could sense the subtle changes around him. Suddenly, a strange energy fluctuation approached. From the rippling space ahead, a humanoid figure emerged, d in silvery white and wielding a long spear.


    [Void Guardian] Level 7 overlord unit...


    Description: This is a special entity born from the void, endowed with powerful temporal abilities and capable of resisting spacetime disturbances, a highly dangerous entity.


    Level 7 overlord? Zhang Nu was taken aback. It was his first encounter with a Level 7 entity. The Void Guardian teleported directly in front of him, thrusting its spear with a force that locked onto Zhang Nu instantly.


    "Interesting! A creature with spatial attributes?" Zhang Nu did not dodge the attack from the Void Guardian. However, as the attack struck, a sh of silvery white light deflected the blow. "Is that all?"


    The attack was spatial in nature---something that would be devastating for most---but in his current Spatial-Temporal Dragon state, Zhang Nu could easily withstand it, remainingpletely unharmed. Simultaneously, Zhang Nu counterattacked. Terrifying torrents of dragon fire and lightning burst forth from his body.


    [You''ve in a Void Guardian. Gold +3 million!]


    [You''ve in a Void Guardian. Gold +3 million!]


    [...]


    Three million each? That was quite profitable. But Zhang Nu wasn''t here to make money. He needed to find the passage that would lead him into the true City of Void."

 Chapter 298: Creation Stone

    Chapter 298: Creation Stone


    In this environment, where time and space were in turmoil, most scouting abilities were rendered ineffective. Zhang Nu activated his Eye of Domination to scan the vicinity, using the psychic energy it emitted, which was rtively less affected by temporal and spatial disturbances.


    After about half an hour of searching, he finally discerned a floating silver-white castle amid the chaotic flows of time and space. This castle emitted a silver-white glow, maintaining stability even within the tumultuous currents. From the information prompt, Zhang Nu immediately recognized that this was the Void City he had been searching for. This city was built several eons ago and was an ancient existence. Despite its age, it looked immactely clean, as if brand new.


    Back then, why did those ancient races construct such a city? Although Zhang Nu did not know how the Void City was constructed, he was certain that the materials used to ignore the impacts of time and space were extraordinarily unique, and the cost of constructing such a fortress was also incredibly high. It could be said that even powers at the level of an empire would likely struggle to afford such an undertaking.


    Zhang Nu learned from the information prompt of the Void City that the ancient races had a very simple purpose for building this city, which could be summed up in two words: world creation. The nature of Void City was akin to aboratory, with its primary research focus on world creation. Given sufficient energy and a Void Seed, it was theoretically possible to perform a controlled creation of a world.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Creating a world is distinct from creating a space. There are many subspaces in this world, which cannot exist independently; their essence is to function as an adjunct space attached to the main world, thus theirws are simr or close to those of the main world. If the main world copses or undergoes drastic changes, then the subspaces would naturally cease to exist. World creation refers to the creation of apletely independent world, where thews, order, and matter can be entirely different, and its entire spacetime exists independently, unaffected by the operation of other worlds.


    However, creating a world is easier said than done. The chaotic spacetime and treacherous environment around Void City likely resulted from the side effects of past experiments, and evidently, the ultimate experiment of world creation also failed.


    Zhang Nu pped his wings, drawing nearer to Void City. He could sense ayer of spacetime turbulence around the city, which was a hundred times more ferocious than the external turbulence. Even beings of the Level 6 or 7 legends would find it difficult to pass through, highlighting the turbulence''s ferocity.


    However, for Zhang Nu, this still did not pose a problem. He activated his sanctuary to unleash the power of spatial-temporalws, utilizing the silver dragon''s strong resistance and control over thew of space and time. He moved through the wild storm like a fish soaring in the wind. Finally, Zhang Nu sessfully navigated through the turbulent zone. As he entered the castle, he transformed into his dragon-human form andnded smoothly inside the castle''s gate, taking a long breath of relief.


    "I finally made it in."Zhang Nu was well aware of how dangerous this ce was. If he did not possess the Spatial-Temporal Dragon form capable of navigating through the spacetime turbulence, or if he was not naturally gifted with spacetime abilities and had not acquired the power of thews, even with his current strength, it would have been impossible to enter.


    After a brief rest, he walked into the grand hall and immediately sensed multiple unusual presences. Undoubtedly, there were monster guards within the castle. Zhang Nu felt waves of spatial fluctuations as numerous rifts appeared ahead. From these rifts, several Void Guardians stepped forth.


    Once again, these were the Level 7 overlord monsters! Void Guardians were the highest-level monsters Zhang Nu had encountered so far. Essentially magical beings, their bodies were primarilyposed of spatial energy, allowing them to appear and disappear mysteriously and bepletely immune to physical damage and most energy attacks.


    "Space Halt!"


    "Time Stop!"


    Zhang Nu unleashed powerful spacetime energy.


    The Void Guardians were strong and possessed the ability to teleport instantly. Who knew how many such creatures were nearby, and they could potentially transport hundreds or thousands in a short time. If that were the case, even with Zhang Nu''s abilities, it would be challenging to handle so many at once. Therefore, Zhang Nu activated hisw powers. He used his sanctuary''s power to lock down the nearby space while significantly slowing down the time flow, buying him more time to deal with these monsters in waves.


    As expected, although these magical creatures possessed immense strength, they were no match for Zhang Nu in terms of spatial abilities. Zhang Nu first used his sanctuary to suppress them in ce and thenunched abination of psychic attacks, soul attacks, and the Death Gaze from his Eye of Death, eliminating them both sessfully and effortlessly.


    [You''ve in a Void Guardian. Gold +3 million!]


    [You''ve in a Void Guardian. Gold +3 million!]


    [You''ve in a Void Guardian. Gold +3 million!]


    [...]


    It must be mentioned, while the Void Guardians were challenging tobat, each possessing a battle capability not inferior to a Level 6 monarch-level being, the rewards for defeating them were also quite substantial. Using his sanctuary and spacetime abilities, Zhang Nupletely gained control over the battlefield. In such a situation, he would eliminate a batch, release another batch, keeping the enemy''s numbers andbined strength always within a manageable range.


    Without expending much effort, he subsequently eliminated two hundred Void Guardians. Merely from hunting these creatures, heted five to six hundred million in coins---a figure that would be unbelievable if told, as typically, the total revenue from destroying five to eight regr imperial legions wouldn''t even amount to this much.


    After annihting all the Void Guardians, Zhang Nu then withdrew his domain power, ceasing his control over the battlefield. It was fortunate he possessed such strong control abilities; otherwise, had two hundred Void Guardians swarmed him all at once, even with his current strength, he likely would have had to avoid direct confrontation and certainly wouldn''t have won so easily.


    After clearing the Void Guardians, Zhang Nu continued deeper into Void City. The city, neither too big nor too small in scale, wasparable to the Demon Dragon Castle. From a human perspective, it was enormously exaggerated in size, but from a dragon''s viewpoint, it was just another standard pce. Along the way, Zhang Nu encountered no more obstructive monsters and eventually reached a grand hall simr in scale to the Demon King''s Hall of the Demon Dragon Castle.


    A special object there caught his attention. It emitted a unique aura. This object, floating above an altar, had a prismatic silvery sheen. Sometimes it appeared with dozens of facets, sometimes less than ten, and at other times, it had six or four sides. Its form was not fixed. It also gave off a metallic feel. If one had to describe it, the object resembled a blob of mercury continuously changing shape, appearing somewhat unstable yet radiating a very strong spatial-temporal aura.


    [Void Seed] Divine grade material


    Description: An extremely rare divine stone containing almost infinite potential and energy, hence also known as the Creation Stone.


    Atst, he had found it. The heavy burden in his heart could finally be eased. Although Wang Shi had fervently assured that the Void Seed was within Void City, Zhang Nu had remained skeptical until he saw the item with his own eyes, given the rarity of the Void Seed.


    From a material perspective, despite its extreme rarity, the Void Seed was not particrly valuable to most people or forces because it couldn''t be used to concoct potions, manufacture equipment, or create magical items. In other words, how to utilize its value remained unknown. Even the most advanced and high-end materials, if their use was not understood, only retained value for research and were not particrly lucrative.


    However, for Zhang Nu, this item was truly priceless. He had acquired it through the Demon King market for the price of merely two monarch crystals and some gold, a deal that was exceedingly worthwhile.


    Without dy, Zhang Nu moved to retrieve it. Just then, a tremendously powerful and terrifying aura suddenly descended upon the grand hall of Void City, unleashing fierce energy in an attempt to st Zhang Nu away.


    Although this was slightly surprising, it was within his expectation. The process of acquiring the Void Seed could not be that easy. Besides, Void City was a Level 7 monarch area, and until now, Zhang Nu hadn''t encountered any monarch-level monsters. Now, they had finally made their appearance.


    "Who dares to steal the Creation Stone!" echoed a powerful psychically transmitted voice in Zhang Nu''s mind. The voice, emotionless and mechanical yet piercingly sharp, could cause severe mental distress, though it was entirely ineffective against Zhang Nu.


    [Void King] Level 7 monarch unit


    Description: A magical life formposed of void energy, possessing the formidable strength of a monarch.


    Zhang Nu saw the space around him distort as massive amounts of energy converged. These energies coalesced into a regal figure, semi-translucent and silver-white, wearing a crown and wielding a greatsword.


    Zhang Nu responded calmly, "Do not stand in my way."


    The Void King drew his great sword and shed at Zhang Nu through the void. Instantly, the space around Zhang Nu fractured, as if thousands of sword des were slicing at him from every angle. With a thought, Zhang Nu activated his domain. All spatial shes and tears were instantly quelled.


    Zhang Nu raised a hand, summoning a temporal ck hole thattched onto the Void King''s body, immobilizing him. Dozens of invisible sword energies were summoned from all directions, piercing into the Void King''s body.


    Enraged, the Void King released his energy, forming a silver giant in an attempt to break free, only to be subdued once again by Zhang Nu''s Eye of Domination. Simultaneously, Zhang Nu summoned an arcane avatar. A several-hundred-meter-tall giant, wielding a space-time enhanced spear, impaled the Void King.


    [You''ve in the Void King. Gold +30 million!]


    Effortlessly dealing with this Level 7 monarch, Zhang Nu walked over to the Void Seed and gently touched the mysterious divine stone.


    At that moment, a prompt appeared: [Detected special material "Void Seed", assimte?]


    Without hesitation, Zhang Nu chose to confirm. The previously stable Void Seed transformed into streams of mercury-like silver liquid that rapidly covered and prated into his entire body."

 Chapter 299: Eternal Time Dragon

    Chapter 299: Eternal Time Dragon


    [You''ve assimted the Void Seed. You''ve unlocked the option to activate the Level 6 Talent "Void Overlord." Your talent "Spatial-Temporal Dragon" evolved into "Eternal Time Dragon." Spatial powers +200%, temporal powers +200%!]


    Zhang Nu felt a profound transformation after absorbing the divine stone. Although there was no increase in his stats, the changes in other aspects were revolutionary. The most significant change was in his talent and physique; his talent "Spatial-Temporal Dragon" had evolved into "Eternal Time Dragon."


    The effects of the talents are the same, but the skill effect shifted from an active transformation to a passive state. This meant that Zhang Nu no longer needed to actively initiate the Temporal Dragon form; he would always be in this passive state. This brought significant benefits. Typically, transformation skills cannot ovep. If Zhang Nu had activated the Spatial-Temporal Dragon transformation effect, he would not have been able to enter other transformations or states or use some regr skills.


    Now, he would always be in the Spatial-Temporal Dragon form. This not only significantly enhanced his spatial and temporal abilities but also allowed him to retain a diverse range ofbat strategies, not limited to space and time, thus substantially boosting his overallbat effectiveness.


    Besides the change in his abilities, the most important gain was undoubtedly unlocking the option for "Void Overlord." Zhang Nu''s two Level 6 talents were now "Primordial Dragon" (or Chaos Dragon God) and "Void Dominator" (or Void Overlord). With the current soul reserves in the Darkness City, activating a Level 6 talent was not difficult for Zhang Nu. The real challenge was choosing the advanced evolutionary path.


    Compared to the Primordial Dragon, the Chaos Dragon God was certainly stronger, andpared to the Void Dominator, the Void Overlord was indeed more powerful. After absorbing the Void Seed, Zhang Nu underwent a physical transformation, gaining the ability to upgrade to Void Overlord. This was the primary goal and the most significant gain of obtaining the Void Seed. As Zhang Nu absorbed the Void Seed, a voice resonated:


    [You''ve conquered Void City. You''ve gained "Lunar Diamond Chest" x1!]


    Surprised by the notification, Zhang Nu paused. A Lunar Diamond Chest? He had never heard of it before. He spected that because the map level of Void City was so high, the reward chest generated upon evaluation surpassed even the Stardust Diamond Chest level. A Lunar Diamond surely offered even higher quality rewards.


    Without hesitation, Zhang Nu opened the chest to see what it contained:[You''ve opened a Lunar Diamond Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" ¡Á400 million, "Blueprint: Void Temple" ¡Á1, "Level 5 Special Building Upgrade Scroll" ¡Á3, "Space Gems" ¡Á20,000, "Time Gems" ¡Á20,000!¡¿


    Seeing these rewards, Zhang Nu was genuinely astonished. Although he had anticipated generous rewards, he had not expected them to be this substantial. Actually, considering the overall scale, Void City wasn''t particrlyrge, and the number of monsters wasn''t overwhelming. The fact that the rewards were so substantial truly exceeded expectations, likely due to the high levels of the monsters involved. Although there were few in number, their levels were certainly formidable.


    Among the spoils of this conquest, there was only one blueprint, but it was a Level 6 special building blueprint. It''s important to note that blueprints for Level 5 and above are extremely rare. This was Zhang Nu''s first time obtaining a Level 6 blueprint directly.


    Just as hepleted his mission, perhaps due to the loss of the Void Seed disrupting some bnce, the entire Void City began to crack and shake violently, giving the impression that it could copse at any moment. At the same time, the rampant spatial turbulence seemed to elerate toward madness.


    It appeared that Void City had onest trap: once the Void Seed was removed, the city would self-destruct, triggering spatial-temporal chaos that significantly intensified the turbulence, leading to a catastrophic and irreversible self-destruction. This process was extremely dangerous. Even a Level 7 mythic being would certainly perish, ultimately ending up without a trace.


    However, for Zhang Nu, this was hardly a concern at all. He immediately reverted to his dragon form. Since absorbing the Void Seed, Zhang Nu''s body had undergone significant changes. His dark golden scales were now traced with intricate silver patterns, adding a touch of nobility and mystery to his already majestic and imposing form. His massive body was enveloped by silver-white spatial energy, which allowed him to easily navigate through the turbulent area without resistance.


    Finally, he returned to Blood Giant Wang Shi''s side.


    Wang Shi quickly said, "Brother, I''m d you''re out. I was about to go in after you if you didn''te out soon."


    "Was I in there for a long time?" Zhang Nu asked, puzzled. To him, the operation seemed quite swift, almost without any dy, and could be described as a quick and decisive battle.


    "Why do you look like you''ve been waiting for a long time?" he continued.


    Wang Shi responded, "You''ve been in there for three days and three nights."


    Zhang Nu was slightly surprised but not too taken aback. After all, the flow of time near Void City was known to be abnormal; spending some time there and experiencing time dtion orpression was expected.


    What worried Zhang Nu was the time he had been away. Could Chaos Federation and Darkness City have encountered any issues in his absence? With this thought, he realized he couldn''t stay away any longer and needed to return to Darkness City quickly. Given the critical nature of the stand-off with the empire, which was likely to pull out all stops and desperately seek reinforcements, the presence of high-level figures like the Doom Prophet being attracted to the area suggested the potential risks of a surprise attack on his home base if he was away for too long.


    Wang Shi noticed the changes in Zhang Nu''s body and remarked, "Brother, you seem quite different. Looks like you''ve seeded, haven''t you?"


    Zhang Nu nodded, "I''ve got what I wanted, and Void City will soon fall into the spatial turbulence. This ce will return to normal soon... You''ve helped me tremendously this time, here is the final payment for you."


    He then tossed out two crystals, the agreed-uponpensation. Wang Shi was overjoyed, "Great, not only did I help you find what you wanted, but I also inadvertentlypleted a long-standing imperial bounty."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Wang Shi was very much looking forward to the reward offered by the empire. Zhang Nu, however, showed little interest, "You can keep the imperial bounty for yourself as extrapensation."


    Wang Shi was surprised, "Brother, think about it, this is a bounty from the empire. It''s easy to earn at least a hundred million gold coins. Are you sure you want to give it up?"


    Zhang Nu nodded. The copse of Void City would take about two more days, and it would take another ten days to half a month for the chaos in the void topletely settle. Zhang Nu did not have that much time to wait around, "I don''t need the reward. I''m not short on money."


    Wang Shi''s assistance had been significant, and Zhang Nu considered this a fitting reward. Without further dy, Zhang Nupleted his teleportation to leave."

 Chapter 300: The Emperor Enters the Fray

    Chapter 300: The Emperor Enters the Fray


    Although the Demon King has been away these days, the Chaos Federation has steadily progressed in its invasion of the southern border of the Thunder Empire.


    In the imperial pce of the Thunder Empire, Emperor Frelio XVI listened to the reports from his subordinates, his expression growing increasingly grim. A terrifying pressure was continuously released, causing all present to feel a strong sense of oppression.


    ording to the report, nearly half of the empire''s southern territories had already fallen under the Demon King''s control. Dozens of nobles and their families had forsaken their honor to pledge allegiance to Darkness City, clearly indicating that the situation in the south had be quite evidently worse. Several marquisates and dozens of counties were practically defenseless, making it only a matter of time before they fell to the Demon King.


    The only uncertaintyy in the Bachor Duchy. Unlike the usual noble hereditarynds, the Bachor Duchy was the only duchy in the empire''s southern frontier. Thus, it possessed the broadest territory and thergest poption, as well as the strongest defenses, barriers, and most elite military forces in the south.


    However, with the Duke Bachor assassinated and the principal knightly order of the duchy nearly wiped out, relying solely on the duchy''s own defenses and troops might be insufficient to hold back the invasion from the Chaos Federation.


    The only question remaining was whether the empire would continue to send reinforcements. If the empire decided to y itsst cards, then Bachor City might still stand a chance in battle. This was undoubtedly a vexing decision. If no reinforcements were sent, the fall of the Bachor Duchy seemed inevitable. However, determining how many troops to dispatch if reinforcements are indeed sent poses another challenge. If not enough military support is provided, it could equate to merely aiding the enemy unintentionally.


    On the other hand, deploying a substantial military force would inevitably weaken the military power at the core of the empire. Should the battle end in defeat, not only would it fail to protect the Bachor Duchy, but the hearnd of the Thunder Empire would also face difficulties due to a shortage of troops.


    In a room filled with hundreds of the empire''s greatest minds, Emperor Frelio XVI demanded, "What are your opinions on the current situation in the southern territory? Speak up!"


    Yet, the hall fell silent. The power of the Darkness City''s Demon King was unfathomable, and under such circumstances, any advice could lead to unpredictable consequences, a responsibility no one was willing to shoulder.Faced with his ministers'' silence, the Emperor was visibly displeased. He scoffed, "Out of a billion people, the empire chose you as its chief ministers. Now, when the southern territory is in crisis, not one of you stands to speak. What use are you if you are so worthless?!"


    As he spoke, the imperial might of a ruler, inherited from generations and possibly nearing or at the level of a sixth-tier epic being, enveloped the room. Such a formidable presence was unbearable for ordinary individuals, and even the top talents present felt the immense pressure.


    It was then that Marquis Gabrin stepped forward. He bowed respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, I believe we should abandon Bahor City, evacuate the citizens, and withdraw the troops."


    His statement caused an uproar. The silence had beenrgely due to amon understanding---Bachor Duchy and the empire''s southern territory were likely indefensible. Advising the Emperor to personally lead troops or to send more would be too risky. If another battle were lost, the Demon King''s forces could directly threaten the capital, cing the entire empire in jeopardy.


    Yet, advising the Emperor to abandon the southern territory was sure to provoke his ire. After all, the southern territory, with its poption of one to two hundred million and its vast resources andnd, was too valuable a loss for the empire. For an emperor, nothing was more humiliating than ceding territory, even if temporarily. Suggesting such an action in public was akin to pping the Emperor''s face and admitting the empire''s incapacity.


    As expected, Emperor Frelio XVI erupted in anger: "The southern territories have been developed over two to three thousand years by dozens of my ancestors. You expect me to hand it over to a Demon King?"


    "For the ultimate victory, we must make this decision," Marquis Gabrin responded. "The Doom Prophet, Primo, has already predicted the fate of Bachor City. Even with the empire''s intervention, its fall is inevitable."


    Hearing this, Emperor Frelio furrowed his brow.


    Gabrin continued, "Sending our forces to Bachor City not only fails to guarantee repelling or holding back the Demon King''s forces but may also weaken our defenses at the capital. We must prioritize our efforts."


    "Moreover," he added, "after repeated defeats, the morale of both the people and the army in the southern territories is alreadypromised."


    "Although Bachor Duchy still has a million imperial troops, in the current situation, it''s nearly impossible for them to perform at full capacity. Even if we manage to hold Bachor City, after a major battle with the Demon King, the city will likely be reduced to ruins, and the reconstruction would take an unknown number of years. It might be better to retreat strategically."


    Marquis Gabrin reasoned, "We could concentrate all the empire''s forces around the capital, marshaling the nation''s strength to oppose the Demon King. With the capital''s defenses and the empire''s foundation, we are sure to defeat him."


    This argument seemed logical. Emperor Frelio hesitated slightly.


    Marquis Gabrin continued, "By temporarily withdrawing from the southern territories, we preserve arge portion of our troops and can maximize the preservation of the local poption. Once we reim the territory, everything can be quickly restored. Additionally, several empires, including the Sunset Empire, have agreed to send reinforcements. Allowing the southern territories to fall temporarily can enhance their sense of crisis, prompting them to send more support and significantly easing our pressure."


    Emperor Frelio''s expression gradually softened: "Your points are well made."


    Marquis Gabrin pressed on: "Your Majesty, this is not the time for hesitation. We must act immediately and cannot afford further dys. I believe that with the mobilization of the empire''s resources and the support of several forces, the Demon King will pose no significant threat."


    "How did the Prophet''s attempt to probe the Chaos Forest go?" Emperor Frelio inquired.


    Marquis Gabrin responded, "It has not gone well, Your Majesty. The Prophet dispatched a top-tier Druid Hero, but this Hero has been missing for two days. ording to the Prophet, it is likely that he has perished."


    "Dead?" Emperor Frelio was somewhat displeased. "If he ims to be a prophet, why do such things still ur? Can he not foresee them?"


    Marquis Gabrin exined, "The paths of fate are constantly changing, Your Majesty. Even the smallest disturbances can alter oues. The Druid''s fate was not something the Prophet had foreseen."


    This was not hard to understand. Even a powerful seer like the Doom Prophet Primo could not predict continuously around the clock.


    Hero Jason was sent to investigate the Chaos Forest after Prophet Primo hadpleted his predictions and past-retracings for Bachor City and the battlefields. This means that if Primo had not detected any signs of a concealed Demon King in the future of Bachor City or in the past of the battlefields, he would not have sent Jason into the forest, and Jason would not have fallen. This implied that the timeline had already changed. Primo could see the future, but what he saw was only a possibility. The future was susceptible to disturbances, and no one could truly predict destiny.


    Emperor Frelio scoffed internally. It seemed the Prophet was not all-powerful after all.


    Seeing the Emperor''s slight dissatisfaction, Marquis Gabrin quickly added, "Although this reconnaissance was not sessful, the Prophet is increasingly interested in the Demon King of Darkness City. He is gathering more allies, and it seems he is determined to not rest until the Demon King is destroyed."


    Upon hearing this, Emperor Frelio was satisfied. Although the Prophet''s abilities were not wless in predicting fate, he was continually predicting oues to ensure that even beforebat, the size of the enemy and the forces they would deploy were known. This meant that as long as the empire maintained an overall advantage in strength, it was practically impossible to lose to the Demon King. With this in mind, it seemed prudent to take measures to avoid any more significant defeats.


    After careful deliberation, Emperor Frelio XVI made a decision. He decreed, "Issue themand for the troops in the eastern and western frontiers to be recalled to the imperial fortress. Order the evacuation of all troops and resources from the southern territory and ensure theplete evacuation of the popce of Bachor Duchy!"


    Although such a move was a blow to his pride, for the sake of the greater good, Emperor Frelio made this decision. He nned to withdraw the remaining forces, allbat capabilities, and major resources from the southern territory, and simultaneously consolidate the main troops from the eastern and western frontiers.


    Thus, the residual forces from the three frontiers would gather at the empire''s core. This force would still be formidable, augmented by the imperial capital''s strength and the empire''s hidden resources. The Demon King would not be able to prate this defense, especially with additional support from imperial powers like the Sunset Empire and allies such as Prophet Primo. No matter how powerful Darkness City was,pared to an imperial power, it was still too inexperienced andcked the profound resources thate with established empires.


    As for the civilians of the southern territory? Although Emperor Frelio ordered their evacuation, in reality, this was merely a formality. How could tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of people be evacuated? The empire was prepared to abandon them, fortunately, the Demon King did not massacre civilians. Once the Demon King was repelled, it was still possible to reim these people.


    "Affirmed!" Marquis Gabrin promptly replied, "We will proceed immediately!"


    Emperor Frelio XVI then added, "Also, have the priests ready the Imperial Temple, I need to enter the Hall of Valor!"


    Upon hearing this, everyone present was greatly surprised. Marquis Gabrin, shocked, quickly asked, "Your Majesty, are you certain you want to utilize the power of the Hall of Valor? Isn''t it too early to resort to such measures?"


    Emperor Frelio XVI scoffed coldly, "The morale of the empire is low, we cannot afford any risks. We must win this time, and only by harnessing this power can I be absolutely sure of redeeming our honor."


    Seeing the emperor''s resolute attitude, the ministers dared not object further.


    The Imperial Temple of the Thunder Empire was essentially the royal mausoleum, where the remains of the emperors of Thunder Empire were interred. Exceptionally legendary figures of the empire, who had swept through their era and earned fame, were also entombed here if they achieved sufficient honor and recognition.


    Each year, the empire had expended vast resources to hold rites for the mausoleum. This mausoleum was not merely a resting ce for the dead; it had be a part of the empire''s heritage. The older it got and the more emperors it housed, the longer the rituals had been performed, and thus the more powerful it became. Inside the Imperial Templeid a special area known as the Hall of Valor.


    Apanied by hundreds of imperial priests, Emperor Frelio XVI slowly entered the Hall of Valor, where dozens of massive crystal statues were situated around the grand hall, each radiating potent energy.


    "Your Majesty!


    "Receive the Blessing of the Ancestors! Only you, the legitimate emperor of the empire, have this right! You will receive the blessing and protection of the spirits of the previous emperors, granting you near invincibility and an almost immortal state for a short time. But this blessing can only be performed once every few centuries and is one of the empire''s most important assets. Are you sure you want to use it now?"


    It was the chief priest of the Thunder Empire who spoke, an elderly man with white hair and considerable power. He held the strength of a Level 6 monarch and led the empire''s priests in conducting various significant ceremonies and rituals.


    Emperor Frelio firmly replied, "Do not dissuade me further. I know what I''m doing. I need this power now, and the empire needs it too!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "In that case..." The elderly chief priest sighed and opened the seals of the Hall of Valor. "Please, follow me, Your Majesty!"


    Emperor Frelio put down the sword he carried and followed the long line of hundreds of priests into the Hall of Valor. Soon, the doors closed, and a powerful aura began to gather in the mausoleum. Those outside were filled with awe, well aware of the power that this gathering represented---the collective force of the empire''s past emperors.


    No one had expected a mere Demon King to force the empire into revealing this trump card. With the emperor deciding to use the power of the Hall of Valor, it became clear that he intended to personally lead the campaign and confront the Demon King himself!"

 Chapter 301: Void Overlord

    Chapter 301: Void Overlord


    Meanwhile, in the capital of the Thunder Empire, the Prophet of Doom, Primo, had finished recuperating. He had exerted himself greatly recently, trying to foresee the future of the Bachor Duchy and why the imperial armies led by two Grand Dukes had met with mysterious annihtion. Additionally, he had suffered some mental strain due to being scrutinized by the Evil God known as the Unifier of All.


    Despite the lethal potential of being gazed upon by an Evil God, the gaze was mitigated by a temporal barrier. Moreover, Primo was not an ordinary Hero; he was the renowned Prophet of Doom, a Level 7 mythic figure. It was unlikely for him to be critically debilitated by merely a nce from an Evil God.


    At that moment, Primo had returned to his peak condition.


    "Jason seems to be in trouble," apanion reported to Primo. For this journey to the Thunder Empire, Primo had brought only two people with him: Jason, the gue Master and Fallen Druid, and Wil, the hero now standing before him. Wil ranked higher than both Jason and Satoru Sato on the hero leaderboard, being among the top three hundred supreme Heroes, with unfathomable strength and recognized as Primo''s strongest ally.


    "What? Jason is in trouble?!" Primo expressed his surprise. He had a lot of confidence in Jason, not only because he was a well-ranked Hero but also as a druid skilled in disguise and transformation. Primo hadn''t asked him to directly attack the Darkness City or assassinate the Demon King. With his skills, how could it be possible for him not to escape?


    "The Demon King is more difficult to deal with than we anticipated. If even Jason couldn''t infiltrate, then it''s hopeless for others," Wil said with a grave expression.


    Losing such a crucial ally undoubtedly weighed heavily on Primo''s spirits. However, the fact that the Demon King had managed to defeat Jason further confirmed his suspicions that this Demon King was extremely formidable, far more so than he had anticipated.


    "If he could kill Jason, the rewards and gains from defeating him must be incredible," Primo spected. "When can we expect our reinforcements?"


    "They are on their way and should arrive within the next couple of days... Additionally, I just received word that Emperor Frelio XVI has gone to the Hall of Valor in the Imperial Temple," Wil replied."The Hall of Valor?" A smile crept onto Primo''s face. "It seems the Emperor intends to gamble with the empire''s heritage and fate, but this could work in our favor."


    Wil, not familiar with the specifics, curiously inquired, "What''s so special about the Hall of Valor?"


    Primo exined, "The Hall of Valor harnesses the power and abilities of past emperors. By unleashing this sealed power, the current emperor''s strength could dramatically increase, perhaps by tenfold or even more. As the Emperor of the Thunder Empire, Frelerio is at least a Level 6 monarch, nearing a Level 6 mythic. Once he absorbs the power from the Hall of Valor, his strength could leap to that of a Level 6 legend."


    Wil was astonished. "A Level 6 legend? That''s almost on par with you, Primo, as a Level 7 mythic!"


    Primo continued, "Not only that, but he will also gain the heritage of past emperors, acquiring a nearly indestructible body."


    Wil was shocked. "That''s terrifying!"


    Primo responded calmly, "The power of an empire-level force isn''t as simple as it seems. That''s the true depth of an empire''s strength."


    Wilughed, "With such power, along with our assistance, plus the empire''s own resources and reinforcements from other empires, there''s no reason for us to fail this time."


    Indeed, the top ten on the Demon King leaderboard were at most Level 6 legendary units. Now, with Emperor Frelio absorbing the power of past emperors, his strength actually matched those of the strongest Demon Kings. Under these circumstances, no matter who the Demon King of Darkness City was, he couldn''t have the upper hand. Given the rtively short development time of Darkness City and the Chaos Federation, they simply couldn''t contend with the empire on an equal footing.


    Primo stood up, "Prepare arge magical formation."


    Having worked with Primo for a long time, Wil immediately guessed what Primo intended to do. "Are you nning to predict the future again?"


    Primo nodded, "To ensure we leave nothing to chance, I need to see the oue and process of the war in advance. Only then can we ensure an invincible position."


    Wil nodded in agreement. Primo''s ability with time was formidable. With it, he could foresee the battle conditions, thus gaining insights into the enemy''s strength, troop deployments, and the course of the fight. With this information, Primo could predict oues. Even if the oues were unfavorable, he could make targeted arrangements and then re-predict under altered circumstances until hepletely countered the opponent, thus securing an absolutely invincible position for his side. This ability was nearly unbeatable. Any enemy facing Primo was ultimatelypletely neutralized by him.


    Of course, foreseeing the future was not without its limitations. First, the more targets and the stronger the targets involved in the prophecy, the more energy would be consumed. If among those targets there were ones whose strength matches or even surpasses Primo''s, the visions he could see could be partially or evenrgely blurred.


    In the past, it was almost impossible for there to be a presence in Primo''s prophecies stronger than him. However, in the uing imperial war, Emperor Frelio, having merged with the power of the Hall of Valor and reached a Level 6 legend, would be slightly stronger than Primo.


    Moreover, since the battle involved the fate of the nation and included millions of units, it was challenging for Primo to see the entire process in detail. However, as a Level 7 being, his capabilities were not just for show. Primo could easily ess some visions and still obtain the necessary information from them, at least enough to discern the oue and result of the battle.


    Under these circumstances, how could Primo possibly lose? Only those who foresee the future can remain undefeated in all battles!


    By the time Zhang Nu returned to Darkness City, not much had changed during his absence, except for the continual stream of good news from both the north and south. The northern battles were progressing smoothly, with the Thunder Empire''s southern territoryrgely reduced to just the Bachor Duchy. Over a hundred towns had been captured during this period, amassing a significant collection of various quality silver and gold treasure chests.


    In the south, under the management of the Subus Queen Han Kexin, the upation of the Pale Moon Kingdom was nearingpletion, expected to wrap up within a couple of days.


    Excellent! Not bad at all!


    Zhang Nu approached the Demon King Altar, sacrificed a portion of souls to acquire 1 million talent points, and then activated his new talent without hesitation.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [You''ve activated the Level 6 Talent "Void Overlord"!]


    [You''ve received the blessings of Time and Space, spatial-temporal skill cost -90%, casting time -90%. Your Abyssal Divine Realm will be infused with the power of the Void Divine Realm, granting you immunity to all time-space damage!]


    Pleased with the effects of this talent, Zhang Nu appreciated the true value of a Level 6 skill. With the activation of Void Overlord, he would bepletely immune to time and space abilities, and his own use of such skills would not only cost significantly less but also cast much faster.


    This improvement alone was monumental. Time and space magics often suffer from long casting times and high costs, but a 90% reduction was more than just a slight improvement. Moreover, the infusion of void power into his divine realm had transformed it into a fully independent micro-world.


    Anyone who entered his realm would effectively disappear from this world. No matter how powerful the adversaries captured within his realm, even those nearing divine status, once they were inside, they could never escape. Additionally, Zhang Nu discovered an abundance of knowledge on space and time in his mind, another perk of bing the Void Overlord.


    Shortly after attaining this status, Zhang Nu sensed an omnipresent, malevolent consciousness manipting time, connected to him through the flow of time.


    "This is... someone is manipting time!"


    Now as the Void Overlord, he could sense disturbances in the timeline, detecting a fool attempting to use temporal abilities to spy on him, or more specifically, on the impending decisive battle with the empire."

 Chapter 302: Supreme Overlord of Pale Moon

    Chapter 302: Supreme Overlord of Pale Moon


    In this world, those capable of glimpsing into or controlling time were exceedingly rare. Temporal abilities ranked among the rarest of all power attributes. Anyone who possessed time powers and could easily foresee the future or trace the past must have been at least of Level 6 or higher, and the number of individuals meeting this criterion was very few.


    Zhang Nu didn''t even need to guess to know who was probing his timeline---it had to be the Prophet of Doom, Primo, a figure within the top ranks of the Hero Leaderboard. It was interesting that Primo could effortlessly discern the future. This mastery over temporal magic was something Zhang Nu might not have been able to handle as deftly, demonstrating that this prophet was indeed not unworthy of his reputation.


    With such abilities, Primo could essentially make himself invincible. No matter the opponent or how formidable they might be, he could foresee their actions and prepare ordingly. At the very least, he could avoid risks and ensure that he never found himself in a hopeless situation.


    However, what Primo couldn''t have anticipated was that while Zhang Nu wasn''t as practiced with sensory time abilities, he had already directly mastered thews of time, and now, fused with the Void Seed, had activated the Void Dominator talent.


    In terms of proficiency with time abilities, Zhang Nu could be considered far superior to Primo. This was precisely why Primo''s attempt to spy on Zhang Nu''s actions was instantly sensed by him.


    "Trying to prophesize me? Haha, how ridiculous!"


    The future can be predicted, but fate is unpredictable. Zhang Nu couldpletely disrupt the timeline, intentionally creating false visions of the future to mislead Primo and lead him to erroneous conclusions, thereby confusing him and making his cunning backfire.


    To avoid any slip-ups, Zhang Nu hid most of his dragon legion deep within his Abyssal Divine Realm. After activating the Void Overlord, his Abyssal Realm was no longer just a static subspace. With various orders andws integrated, this space had be an independent world.


    In other words, the domain realm created by Zhang Nu was essentially a small world he had crafted. This world existed in parallel to the current world,pletely independent, without any interference, and itsws were entirely under Zhang Nu''s control. This meant that the time and space within the domain were not connected to the main world''s time and space. If Zhang Nu stationed all his powerful forces in the domain space, they would effectively disappear from the time-space axis of this world and be undetectable.Under these circumstances, Primo would struggle to urately predict their status. Furthermore, Zhang Nu could also use other methods to create more illusions in the future Primo saw, thereby leveraging Primo''s abilities to create opportunities for the Chaos Federation to strike at the empire.


    At that moment, Zhang Nu received a notification:


    [You''ve conquered the Pale Moon Kingdom!]


    [You''ve gained the Pale Moon Kingdom Treasure Chest!]


    Han Kexin hadpleted her control over the Pale Moon Penins much faster than expected. It is important to note that the Pale Moon Penins, with a poption of fifty million, is not a small ce. Although the Chaos Federation absolutely overpowered the Kingdom of Pale Moon in terms of strength, conquering such a vast region typically wouldn''t be achieved overnight.


    The reason for such rapid sess, apart from Han Kexin''s extraordinary tactics, was the direct involvement of Shui Lan. Shui Lan is one of the most influential figures in the Chaos Seas, and her call to re-establish order naturally rallied various tribes and factions to respond.


    Well done indeed. The Pale Moon Penins would serve as a crucial hub connecting the Chaos Woods and the Sea of Chaos, and would also be one of the most important ports and trade centers in the northern Sea of Chaos. By controlling this region, the Chaos Forest could generate significant military and economic value.


    Furthermore, as an independent region and nation, the Demon King could obtain a special regional conquest treasure chest upon sessful conquest, simr to the situation when conquering the Chaos Woods. Not to mention that the level of the Pale Moon Kingdom was far higher than that of the Chaos Forest.


    Zhang Nu did not hesitate and immediately opened the treasure chest.


    [You''ve opened the "Pale Moon Kingdom Treasure Chest"!]


    [You''ve activated the title: "Supreme Overlord of Pale Moon"!]


    [You''ve gained "Gold" x1 billion, "Blueprint: Demon King''s Mysterious Seascape", "Blueprint: Demon King''s Rift Tower" ¡Á1, "Level 5 Special Building Upgrade Scroll" ¡Á3, and "Eleven Elemental Gem" ¡Á50,000 each!]


    As expected, the rewards were far more substantial than a regr chest. The reward of 1 billion gold alone was satisfying, let alone the two level 5 special building blueprints and three level 5 special building upgrade scrolls, whose value was incalcble. Moreover, 50,000 of each type of the eleven elemental gems was not a small number. Excluding the value of the title, a conservative estimate put the total rewards at nearly two billion---a staggering figure, and that was the reward for conquering a kingdom.


    Zhang Nu then reviewed the newly acquired title:


    [Title: Supreme Overlord of Pale Moon] Monarch Level Title.


    MP +5000 permanently.


    HP +5000 permanently.


    When within the boundaries of the Pale Moon Penins, further increase in HP and MP by 5000, all stats +25%, recovery speed +100%.


    Gains regional teleport ability, usable once every thirty minutes.


    Under your rule, the resources of the Pale Moon Penins +20%, all stats of the citizens +10%, loyalty of the citizens +10%.


    You may appoint a proxy king in the Pale Moon Penins area, who receives a stat bonus +25%, HP +5000, aging speed -60%, recovery speed +80%.


    Quite impressive. This title level was simr to the one he received as the ruler of the Chaos Woods, so the attribute effects were about the same, but clearly slightly superior. And unlike the Chaos Woods, the Pale Moon Penins was a nation. Zhang Nu could establish a king in this area, and the king would receive significant increases in stats, HP, and lifespan the moment they were appointed, which would bring considerable benefits, but they must pledge loyalty to the Demon King.


    Zhang Nu was very satisfied with such rewards. After all, during the conquest of the Pale Moon Penins, Darkness City hardly exerted any effort. Zhang Nu and the Dragon King of Darkness City''s attention was almost entirely focused on the Empire in the north. The entire process of taking over the Pale Moon Penins relied mostly on Han Kexin and her followers from Dark City, and to a lesser extent, Shun.


    For Zhang Nu, capturing the Kingdom of Pale Moon was purely a win by default, but the gains from the process were not insignificant.


    Zhang Nu reviewed the two special blueprints. The "Demon King''s Mysterious Seascape" was a special blueprint that allowed the summoning of an oceanic area in a designated region, where the lifespan, training speed, and various attributes of sea creatures were significantly enhanced.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In a way, this seascape could serve as an Eternal Tree for sea creatures. Once created, it could greatly enhance the productivity and strength of sea creatures, prolong their lives, and would be a crucial facility for attracting sea races to build maritime strength, creating tremendous economic and military value. As for the "Rift Tower"? As the name suggests, it was another dungeon rted to the sea races, from which a multitude of precious materials could be harvested.


    The value of the two blueprints was indisputable, and the three Level 5 special building upgrade scrolls were exactly what Darkness City needed for its current phase of construction. Combined with the three obtained from the Void City treasure chest, just these two chests provided six special upgrade scrolls.


    Zhang Nu no longer had to worry about which facility to upgrade first; he could now proceed with them one by one. After tallying up the spoils of war, he immediately began the development of his territory.


    [Would you like to construct the Level 6 special building "Void Temple"? This construction costs "Blueprint: Void Temple" ¡Á1, Gold x400 million, Space Gems x20,000, Time Gems x20,000!]


    Seeing the materials required, Zhang Nu was inwardly astonished. Indeed, the cost of constructing a Level 6 building was substantial. However, given the current state of Darkness City, it was well within its means to afford such expenses. Without much hesitation, Zhang Nu summoned the building.


    A pce-like structure, crystalline in appearance, materialized near the Demon King''s castle. A wave of temporal and spatial energy instantly enveloped the castle and then spread to cover Darkness City, eventually expanding to engulf the entire Darkness Valley.


    This force was invisible to the naked eye and difficult for the ordinary to sense, because it was a pure temporal and spatial energy. When it covered the entire Darkness Valley, subtle changes began to ur within it.


    The Void Temple, as a Level 6 special building, possessed several functions, one of which was the Void Barrier. The barrier released by the Void Temple not only provided strong protection but also allowed control over the space within the barrier, causing it to expand or contract. The maximum adjustment was about tenfold.


    For example, if an area had a radius of one thousand meters, once enhanced by the Void Barrier, it would instantly gain an additional 900%, with this additional space not originally existing but purely created by the Void Temple.


    The city areas of Darkness City remained unchanged, and no alterations urred nearby, but beyond these areas, vast fertile ins appeared, courtesy of the extra space brought by the Void Barrier. From the outside, the valley appeared normal. As long as the Void Barrier remained active, this space would continue to exist indefinitely."

 Chapter 303: Void Job Advancements

    Chapter 303: Void Job Advancements


    The functionality of the Void Temple was not limited to expanding space and defense. It also had a very important feature: job advancement. It could transform humans, orcs, elves, and several othermon races with units of Level 3 or above into Void Mages or Void Warriors, who are mages or warriors with spatial abilities. The highest tier it could create was a Level 6 overlord unit.


    However, unlike other job advancement towers that only required gold, the Void Temple''s transformation required the consumption of space gems, meaning the cost was much higher. Nevertheless, the special functions and overall value of the Void Temple could significantly enhance the overall strength of Darkness City and the Chaos Federation.


    After Zhang Nu constructed the Void Temple, he took out three Level 5 special building upgrade scrolls. He then upgraded the Resurrection Altar, the Spirit Sanctum, and the Soul Altar. Although upgrading from Level 5 to Level 6 special buildings was costly, the value these facilities could provide made the expense seem trivial.


    The function of the Resurrection Altar needed no boration. Once upgraded to Level 6, it meant that even if a Level 6 unit died in battle, as long as there was sufficient gold and materials to cover the costs, it could be resurrected with all its power intact. This was of great value to Zhang Nu, Han Kexin, Nancilia, and Shun, so it was prioritized as a core facility.


    As for the Spirit Sanctum and the Soul Altar, they were also top priority. Once the Spirit Sanctum was upgraded from Level 5 to Level 6, it could support far more powerful features, and its capacity for simultaneous spiritual connections jumped from 10 million units to 200 million units. The Spirit Sanctum was set to create astonishing direct and additional value in the future, and it could also be a spiritual paradise for all members and citizens of the Chaos Federation.


    The Soul Altar was also crucial. At this stage, Zhang Nu''s business of trading Level 5 souls in the Demon King Market was no longer as profitable as before, mainly because more and more demon lords had obtained facilities or methods to synthesize Level 5 souls.


    If Zhang Nu wanted to continue scalping profits from soul trading, he needed to offer something more powerful than hispetitors, and upgrading the Soul Altar was aimed at this. A Level 6 Soul Altar could synthesize Level 6 souls. At this stage, other demon lords did not possess this production capability. Thus, Zhang Nu could not only continue to trade Level 5 souls but also sell Level 6 souls at a high markup, thereby achieving greater gains.


    After upgrading three facilities, Zhang Nu still had many upgrade scrolls left. However, he was not in a hurry. He nned to slow down the development of his territory for a while and instead spent arge amount of gold to continue recruiting Abyssal Dragons.


    Ordinary Abyssal Dragons were not expensive. Each cost only 4 million gold plus a Level 5 soul. With plenty of gold and souls at hand, Zhang Nu recruited five hundred Abyssal Dragons at once and upgraded twenty of them to Abyssal Dragon Elders.The Abyssal Dragons nesting in Darkness City were about to break through to a thousand. A thousand might not seem like arge number, but these were dragons! Even the weakest Abyssal Dragon possessed the power of a top-tier Level 5 overlord, capable of summoning thunder, unleashing dragon fear, and breathing dragon fire.


    Thebat power of a thousand ordinary Abyssal Dragons wasparable to the once-pride of the empire, the Guardian Knights. Moreover, not all the dragons in the Darkness City''s Dragon Legions were ordinary Abyssal Dragons; there were also many Dragon Elders and several Dragon Kings.


    With the current dragon army, given the scale of Darkness City''s elite forces, even in a direct confrontation, they could pose a threat to the empire, capable of breaking through any duchy and prating into the heart of the empire.


    Of course, Zhang Nu considered that since the empire had a prophet with precognitive abilities stationed, he could not deploy his entire Dragon Legion openly. Instead, he temporarily moved them to the space within the Abyssal Realm. The istion of the Abyssal Realm could shield their connections with the main world. By doing this, even if Primo, the prophet, could foresee events, he would have a hard time discerning the details of this force, failing to grasp the terrifying power of this troop and thus misjudging the military strength of Darkness City.


    Just then, Li Si teleported to Zhang Nu''s side. "My lord, we have intercepted thetest news: the Thunder Empire haspletely abandoned the southern territories and is currently withdrawing all troops and resources from there," he reported.


    Hearing this, Zhang Nu was not surprised. He nodded and said, "The empire seems to be quite aware of its situation. The southern territories and the Bachor Duchy are definitely lost; their current actions might indeed minimize the losses and casualties for the empire."


    Li Si asked, "Should we pursue them?"


    Zhang Nu shook his head and said, "There''s no need to chase them down. Instead of pursuing them relentlessly, it''s better to take the time to secure Bachor Duchy, to fully control the southern territories, and to reassure the local poption."


    Li Si nodded and replied, "I will heed yourmands, my master. Long Yi is already assembling the troops. We can depart within the next two days to officially begin the attack and upation of Bachor Duchy!"


    The Chaos Federation''s attack efficiency is quite impressive. Zhang Nu realized that up to now, apart from Bachor Duchy, most of the southern territory of the empire had already fallen or was about to fall into Darkness City''s influence, being annexed as part of the federation.


    At this point, only Bachor Duchy remained. And with the empire giving up on defending Bachor Duchy, the difficulty of conquering it had greatly decreased. Zhang Nu decided to act swiftly: on one hand, upying Bachor City would surely bring high rewards, and on the other hand, Bachor Duchy was already in chaos. If order was not restored quickly, future management and operations would be challenging.


    He asked, "How many days will it take to capture Bachor City?" Li Si replied, "It''s predicted to take about seven days. The Bachor Duchy has very strong defenses and fortresses guarding each checkpoint, and our army will need to expend some effort and time to break through these obstacles."


    "Too slow!" Zhang Nu eximed. "I want Bachor''s main city taken down within three days."


    Hearing this, Li Si was stunned, "Three days? That timeline is quite tight, especially considering the distance..."


    Zhang Nu chuckled, "Distance? That''s not an issue! I n to activate the Ster Gateway, and this time, I''m personally joining the fray!"


    The conquest of Bachor''s main city was an unimaginable feat in the past. How could he not witness such a historic moment with his own eyes?


    The spatial facility of Darkness City, Ster Gateway, originally could only teleport over short distances. Since it was upgraded from Level 5 to Level 6, the capabilities of the Ster Gateway had significantly improved. Now, the teleportation range of the Ster Gateway was unimaginable before, it couldpletely bypass the border defenses of Bachor Duchy and appear directly near the main city.


    As for personally taking action, whether this would be discovered by the empire was no longer a concern for Zhang Nu. On one hand, Zhang Nu no longer needed to hide; his current abilities had already matured, giving him the capability to protect himself fully. On the other hand, while the Prophet of Doom, Primo had likely noticed Zhang Nu during his predictions of Bachor City''s fall and the imperial army''s total defeat, there was a gap in their powers. Primo would find it difficult topletely see through Zhang Nu across time.


    Since the formation of the Chaos Federation, the development of the Chaos Forest had elerated rapidly. The young Elven Empress felt that she should also contribute.


    Nancilia immediately asked, "Can we also help? We want to see for ourselves what the greatest city in the human empire''s south is like."


    Zhang Nu thought briefly before giving an affirmative reply, "No problem, your power is quite remarkable, and it can definitely provide us some assistance."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty the Demon King!" Nancilia was visibly delighted and immediately began preparations.


    It took only half a day to make the necessary arrangements. When Zhang Nu arrived at the portal, he saw an orderly array of troops, including over two hundred dragons alone. In addition, the Demon King''s Royal Guards and various aerial legions starting from at least Level 3 totaled around sixty thousand, with other various troops collectively numbering over five hundred thousand. In fact, given the current strength of the Bachor Duchy, the Demon King didn''t need to dispatch so many troops. The main reason Zhang Nu deployed so many was due to therge area and numerous cities of Bachor Duchy, considering the issue of efficiency.


    It wasn''t long before Nancilia arrived with thousands of elves. Zhang Nu nced over and said, "Since the preparations are almostplete, let''s hurry and depart. We''ll take down Bachor''s main city within two days, and capture the entire Bachor Duchy within a week toplete the integration of the empire''s southern territories!"


    "Understood!" the Demon King''s subordinates replied without dy.


    Zhang Nu personally activated the portal. A surge of intense magical fluctuations erupted, gathering a massive amount of spatial energy within the Ster Gateway, ultimately forming a huge portal. On the other side of the portal was a in, and directly opposite the portal''s exit, about several dozen miles away, was a magnificent city in a discernible field. That was indeed the main city of Bachor Duchy, the long standing headquarters guarded by generations of the Bachor Dukes.


    Without the Ster Gateway''s powerful long-range troop deployment capability, it would normally take five to six days just to reach Bachor City. But now, using the power of the Ster Gateway, it only took a moment to arrive.


    Zhang Numanded, "Begin the march!"


    Dragon One, Zhang San, Li Si, and other leaders of various races, like Jin Kui, were at the forefront, being the first to pass through the portal. Victory of this battle was never a question."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 304: Super Saiyan Emperor

    Chapter 304: Super Saiyan Emperor


    Bachor''s main city, in the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes'' secret base. Su Yan, disguised as an ordinary human, was arranging tasks for the two to three hundred people in front of her, all of whom were members of the Dragon Shadow Heroes developed in Bachor City.


    "Listen up, everyone," he began. "I''ve received urgent news from Darkness City. Our boss is about to lead arge army to Bachor City, and it''s time for our Dragon''s Shadow to shine and earn merits."


    Su Yan spoke loudly, "What we need to do is disable various defensive mechanisms of Bachor City, including the city''s protective barrier, and monitor all districts and the Hero Guilds of Bachor City, to facilitate our boss''s takeover of this city."


    "Yes! Captain!" the Dragon Shadow Heroes shouted in unison.


    These members of the Dragon Shadow Heroes were local recruits by Su Yan; most of them had never been to Darkness City, nor had they ever met the legendary Demon King.


    At this moment, learning that the Demon King was about to arrive with arge army both surprised and excited them. Their surprise stemmed from the fact that despite the considerable size of Bachor Duchy, the Demon King was able to directly attack Bachor City without having breached several strategic fortresses of the duchy.


    How was that possible? It seemed incredible. Regardless, they all eagerly awaited this day; once the Demon King sessfully took over Bachor''s main city, a vast city would certainly need administrators and agents. For the Dragon Shadow Heroes, this was a valuable opportunity for advancement.


    Su Yan quickly assigned tasks to her subordinates, who immediately epted their orders and began their operations. Recruitment for the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes had standards. With Bachor City''srge poption, which included up to about 30,000 Heroes, Su Yan and the Dragon Shadow Heroes team recruited only two to three hundred people. These recruited members were either individuals with outstanding abilities and potential or those who held a certain social status in Bachor City, making their impact significant.


    Su Yan was very confident in her subordinates. Because the city''s defending nobles and other significant figures had essentially been withdrawn by the empire, which had effectively given up on the southern territories. The Dragon''s Shadow Heroes had long been prepared for this scenario, making the Demon King''s conquest of the city almost effortless, and Su Yan''s task was to facilitate this as much as possible internally.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//omLess than half a day after Su Yan made the arrangements, "The boss is here!"


    she felt a fierce surge of energy. Su Yan quickly teleported out and from a distance, she saw the massive and unstoppable army of the Demon King approaching Bachor City with overwhelming momentum.


    "The Demon King is here!"


    "The Demon King is here!"


    "How could they arrive so fast!"


    "Impossible, this can''t be happening!"


    Everyone was stunned by the terrifying sight before them. The empire had just issued the order to withdraw the troops less than a week ago, and so far, only the military and nobility had left. Most other people hadn''t had the chance to flee yet, but who could have expected the Demon King to arrive so suddenly?


    "We''re done for! We''re all done for!"


    "Most of the empire and duchy''s forces have already withdrawn, how could Bachor now possibly withstand the Demon King''s surprise attack?!"


    Before panic could spread, and even before most people could react, all defensive measures of Bachor City, including the city''s protective barrier and various magic towers, were deactivated. Two hundred dragons simultaneously appeared in the sky above this vast city, unleashing wave after wave of terrifying dragon fear.


    Under this fearsome pressure, the military and civilians of Bachor City were immediately intimidated. Already frightened and desperate, they were unable to maintain any will to resist against such a show of force. As the will of Bachor City crumbled like a storm, countless warriors from Darkness City, descended from the sky like raindrops onto the ground.


    "Citizens of Bachor City! Surrender immediately!"


    "If you submit and swear loyalty to the great lord of Darkness City, not only will you be spared punishment, but you can also be a proud and free member of the Chaos Federation!"


    "From now on, all who resist or attempt to flee will face the severest of punishments!"


    In just a quarter of an hour, numerous tall and burly draconians, along with elves, orcs, humans, hawk-kins, and winged-folks federation warriors, entered various areas of Bachor City via airdrop. With the assistance of the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes, they smoothlypleted the takeover and control of various streets and key areas.


    In less than half an hour, the vast Bachor City hadpletely lost any possibility of resistance and was entirely paralyzed. At this time, ground troops also began entering Bachor City from all directions; for a moment, the kings of giants, dwarves, and elves all acted simultaneously. It could be said that the entire process encountered almost no significant resistance.


    Zhang Nu, apanied by Nancilia, walked into the Bachor family castle, which by then had already been abandoned as the Bachor family and their guards had evacuated in advance.


    "Is this the duke''s mansion of the empire?" Nancilia looked around curiously. "It looks so grand, almostparable to the castle in Darkness City."


    Of course. What is the status of a duke? There are only four in the entire empire. Each ducal family''s legacy, having at least a thousand or two thousand years of history, serves as the family residence and the core headquarters, naturally iparable to an ordinary noble''s castle.


    Zhang Nu nned to construct a teleportation tower here. This would effectively increase Darkness City''s control over Bachor City. Once Bachor City was fully upied, the Demon King''s army would use Bachor City as the center, rapidly expanding to upy cities in all directions. With the main city breached, what could these other cities do to resist? It seemed likely that Bachor Duchy, an area with the poption and strengthparable to an independent kingdom, would soon bepletely upied.


    About half a day passed. Long Yi flew into the duke''s castle to report to Zhang Nu: "My master, everything is proceeding smoothly. With the assistance of the Dragon''s Shadow Heroes, we have essentially eradicated the stubborn forces within the city, as well as those associated with the Hero Guilds. Other family ns and factions'' citizens have gradually sworn their allegiance!"


    Hearing the report, the Demon King was very satisfied. Thergest, most important, and most fortified city in the southern territories of the empire had been captured without any significant resistance.


    Another half-day passed, and order had been mostly restored in the city. At this time, Zhang Nu received a notification:


    [7.52 million citizens of Bachor City have pledged their allegiance to you!]


    [You''ve captured Bachor City. You''ve gained an Exquisite Lunar Diamond Treasure Chest!]


    Receiving this message, Zhang Nu smiled slightly and nodded in satisfaction. Everything was progressing smoother than anticipated; the whole process didn''t even require his intervention. The empire hadn''t yed any tricks or plots, truly decisively giving up the southern territories.


    Zhang Nu then opened the treasure chest. The quality of this chest was even higher than the one from the Void City, due to the massive scale of Bachor City. It could be said that either the Level 6 monarch-ss units or the extremely important status of the main city in the southern territories contributed to its higher valuation.


    The only regret was that Bachor Duchy was not an independent region. This meant that even if the entire duchy was conquered, it wouldn''t generate a region-specific treasure chest reward. But this wasn''t a big deal for Zhang Nu; it simply meant that the rewards for conquering the empire would bebined.


    [You''ve opened a Lunar Diamond Treasure Chest! You''ve gained "Gold" x2 billion, "Blueprint: Duke''s Altar" x1, "Level 5 Special Building Upgrade Scrolls" x5, and "Thirteen Elemental Gems" x100,000 each!]


    Seeing the rewards, Zhang Nu clicked his tongue in amazement. A whopping 2 billion gold! That amount could summon approximately five hundred Abyssal Dragons---certainly not a small number. Moreover, this was just direct ie. As for indirect ie from looting and plundering, as well as the ie generated from the upation of other cities apart from Bachor Duchy''s main city, the number was expected to reach nearly 5 billion gold coins.


    If all 5 billion gold coins were used to recruit troops, the number of Abyssal Dragons in Darkness City would increase by over a thousand. Zhang Nu''s Dragon Corps would then form an unparalleledbat force, strong enough to lead Darkness City''s army to attack any city in the empire.


    Regarding the "Duke''s Altar" blueprint that came from the treasure chest, Zhang Nu checked it and found it to be a rare Level 6 special building blueprint, very expensive to build but very powerful in effect. Once the Duke''s Altar was constructed, it would enable the summoning of imperial duke-level units. Imperial dukes were Level 6 monarch-ss entities, which exined why this blueprint was ranked at Level 6.


    Of course, for Zhang Nu, this blueprint wasn''t particrly useful. He already had plenty of high-end units at his disposal, including the monarch-ss units by his side and multiple Demonic Monarchs led by Han Kexin from Gloom City. Although the blueprint was valuable, Zhang Nu didn''t n to use it right away. The current priority was to stabilize the situation in Bachor City.


    Unable to find any suitable high-ranking members of the Bachor family, he fortunately appointed the Dark Dragon King, Long Yi, as the lord of Bachor City and sent several human units, including the Holy Knight, Bai Jin, to assist him. The scale of the city and poption that had been absorbed, and those that would be absorbed next, was enormous, so some time was needed to digest it all.


    Zhang Nu decided to simultaneously use various blueprints to rebuild the ecology and production of the southern territories while continually expanding his army and mass-recruiting troops. This was in preparation for continuing northward to directly invade the imperial capital and prepare for a decisive battle with the empire.


    Meanwhile, at the Thunder Empire''s Imperial Temple, the sealed doors of the Hall of Valor slowly opened. Emperor Frelio XVI emerged, having spent a full seven days inside, and at this moment, he had undergone a tremendous transformation.


    His hair had turned golden yellow. This golden hue was not a normal hair color. It looked more like strands of golden lightning and energy intertwined. Emperor Frelio''s eyes shone with a golden light, like two bright bulbs, and his muscles were prominently bulging, as if he possessed endless strength, ready to burst forth at any moment. At this moment, the Emperor was like a deity exalted above all.


    The empire''s Chief Priest followed the Emperor. This white-haired, elderly priest looked withered, indicating that the ceremony had taken a huge toll on him, even directly damaging his vitality and lifespan.


    The Chief Priest cautioned, "Your Majesty, you have now absorbed the heroic spirits of the previous emperors. Your power is greater than any previous emperor and you have obtained an almost immortal body."


    "But please remember!" he continued. "This peak state can onlyst for about fifteen days!"


    "After fifteen days, your power will gradually decline, and by the thirtieth day, it willpletely dissipate. So please cherish this precious heritage of the empire!"


    Emperor Frelio nodded. To counter the Demon King of the Chaos Forest, he had utilized one of the empire''s trump cards. However, Frelio believed it was all worth it. With his current state, he felt that it was impossible for anyone in the world to defeat him; he considered himself nearly god-like! No matter how strong that Demon King was. No matter how troublesome the disaster of the Chaos Forest was. This time, the empire had absolutely no reason to lose.


    Emperor Frelio XVI returned to the royal pce. At this moment, Marquis Gabrin arrived with the courtiers. When they saw the emperor''s condition and the aura he emitted, they were also greatly shocked. The imperial heritage was indeed terrifying.


    Emperor Frelio asked, "How have things been these days?"


    Marquis Gabrin answered, "While Your Majesty was performing the ritual in the Hall of Valor, the Demon King and his minions captured Bachor City and have been striking out from there. Now, most of the cities in Bachor Duchy may have already fallen into the hands of the Demon King."


    Emperor Frelio became furious and inadvertently released a burst of power, causing a violent tremor in the great hall.


    "Hmph, this damned Demon King is fast in his actions, acting recklessly and boldly as if he thinks there''s no one in the empire who can fight him?"


    "Your Majesty, please calm your anger!" Even Marquis Gabrin felt overwhelmed by the Emperor''s powerful aura at this moment.


    He quickly wiped his sweat and reassured, "Please be assured, Your Majesty, the empire has rapidly mobilized troops and entered the highest level ofbat readiness, with all the elite forces fully assembled."


    "Moreover, the Sunset Empire has sent their Eclipse Legion, the prophet Primo has summoned arge number of top ranking Heroes and renowned strongmen from the continent, and other forces have also sent reinforcements and experts."


    "With Your Majesty personally leading the campaign, with such terrifying forces arrayed against him, how could the Demon King possibly not be defeated? The empire will surely win!"


    Hearing this, the Emperor finally nodded in satisfaction. Although a vast amount ofnd and poption had been lost, if they could eliminate the Demon King, they would be able to reim what was lost. This time, the empire was sparing no effort, staking the nation''s fate, and going all out!"

 Chapter 305: The Remaining Sword Saints of Sunset

    Chapter 305: The Remaining Sword Saints of Sunset


    Emperor Frelio XVI was acutely aware that his enhanced state would notst long. He needed topletely subdue the Chaos Federation and reim the empire''s southern territories within fifteen days, and at thetest within thirty days. Failing to do so would plunge the empire into an endless prolonged conflict, a consequence the national strength of the empire could not sustain.


    Under the guidance of Marquis Gabrin, Emperor Frelio first met with reinforcements from the Sunset Empire. The support from the Sunset Empire was notrge in number---only a hundred thousand troops---which wasn''t considered much. However, this time, the Sunset Empire had not made a perfunctory effort but had indeed invested heavily.


    These hundred thousand were the famed Eclipse Knights Legion of the Sunset Empire, simr in standing to the Thunder Empire''s Guardian Knights Legion. The Eclipse Knights Legion consisted of a hundred thousand high-level knights, each selected through rigorous screening from millions of soldiers in the empire, making them the cream of the crop, both in terms of strength andbat experience.


    "Greetings, Your Majesty!" Themander of the Eclipse Legion stepped forward to salute.


    Emperor Frelio nodded slightly, "You must be the renowned Knight Commander Warren!"


    Thismander was a well-known figure in the Sunset Empire, with strengthparable to the chief knight of the Thunder Empire---a Level 6 monarch-ss entity. He had led the Eclipse Knights for twenty years, a truly remarkable figure. However, his appearance did not surprise Emperor Frelio. After all, the entire Eclipse Knights Legion had been dispatched; how could theirmander not appear?


    Emperor Frelio''s attention did not linger on Knight Commander Warren; instead, he scanned the five individuals apanying Warren. These five were distinctly different in attire and demeanor from the Eclipse Knights, each dressed differently, of various ages, and their aura was no less formidable than Warren''s.


    "These five are..." The Emperor, realizing the significance of their presence, did not wait for Warren to introduce them but instead proactively inquired about their origins.


    Warren immediately responded, "These five are from the renowned Seven Sword Saints of the Sunset Empire, five of whom havee to assist the Thunder Empire inbating the Demon King of the southern territories."So, it was as such. The Seven Sword Saints of the Sunset Empire were the empire''s most famous seven top-tier powerhouses. The Sword Saints operated independently of the empire''s control, usually disregarding imperialmands or overtures, each possessing immense strength and representing the pinnacle of the Sunset Empire''s warriors. Typically, such elusive and independent figures were difficult to gather. However, at this moment, aside from the two Sword Saints who had died, the remaining five had incredibly assembled here, which was quite astonishing.


    Emperor Frelio was naturally very surprised: "The Seven Sword Saints of the Sunset Empire, with two unfortunately having perished, I did not expect that all five remaining woulde here."


    Among the Seven Sword Saints of the Sunset Empire, two were Heroes: Sato Satoru, the leader of the Seven Sword Saints known as the Formless Sword Saint, and another, the Inner-Eye Sword Saint, Xiu Si. Both had died in battle against the Demon King. Sato Satoru was a Level 6 mythic-ss figure, the strongest among the seven. The other six Sword Saints were all of a simr level, each a Level 6 monarch-ss entity. That was to say, these five individuals here were all Level 6 monarch-ss warriors. What an incredibly powerful force they represented!


    One of the Sword Saints spoke up, "Our participation does not represent the empire, but is solely to reim the honor of the Seven Sword Saints!"


    It turned out to be so. Discontent over the fall of their tworades had driven these five Sword Saints to join forces in an attempt to restore their honor. Emperor Frelio XVI was not concerned with the reasons for their participation, as to him, the five Sword Saints were considerably strong. As long as they stood against the Demon King, they would be an asset to the Thunder Empire.


    "Good! Very good!" Emperor Frelio XVI was very pleased.


    He then, under Warren''s guidance, nced at the Eclipse Knights from the Sunset Empire. While the individual strength of these knights was not as high as the Guardian Knights, they still possessed an average strength of Level 4.


    Most importantly, while there were only a few thousand Guardian Knights, there were as many as a hundred thousand Eclipse Knights. Their tactics and martial skills, honed through specialized training, allowed for seamless cooperation, making their collective strengthparable to, if not slightly better than, the Guardian Knights. After all, despite its intense internal strife, the Sunset Empire was a nation that greatly valued martial prowess and had a long-standing cavalry culture. In terms of knight training and the number of formidable warriors, it surpassed the Thunder Empire.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    At this moment, Marquis Gabrin reminded, "The Prophet of Doom Primo has prepared a massive magical formation, which is ready to be activated soon to simte the oues of the war. Why not take a look for yourself, Your Majesty?"


    Hearing this, Emperor Frelio took it seriously. As the saying goes, knowing the enemy and knowing yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles. There were many reasons for the Thunder Empire''s sessive defeats in the southern territories, but the most crucial was the failure to urately assess the situations of both sides, leading to underestimating the enemy and resulting in disastrous defeats. However, this time was different. The forces assembled by the Thunder Empire were not only unprecedentedly strong but also bolstered by reinforcements from powers like the Sunset Empire. How could they not handle a mere Demon King?


    With the addition of the Prophet of Doom, Primo, this would likely ce the empire in an invincible position. The Demon King''s trump card was his mysterious methods and unpredictability. If the empire could precisely discern the Demon King''s movements, military scale, attack strategies, and routes, then the Demon King would stand no chance at all.


    With this thought, Emperor Frelio XVI didn''t hesitate. He immediately went with his entourage to find the Prophet of Doom, Primo. Primo had already set up a massive magical array, powered by thirty-six energy crystals built into high towers, and had even borrowed the Royal Court Mage Corp to assist with the spell casting. With these enhancements, Primo''s precognitive abilities would be significantly increased.


    Marquis Gabrin notified Primo, "His Majesty is here, you can begin now. We need to understand the Demon King''s next moves, including his attack route, timing, type and number of troops, and his strength." These were all critical pieces of information. Even knowing just one of these could bring tremendous value.


    Primo nodded, "Please rest assured, Marquis and Your Majesty. With this ceremonial site and the assistance of the Royal Court Mage Corp, I am absolutely confident that I can predict the oue and details of this battle."


    Emperor Frelio said, "In that case, let''s not dy any further, begin!"


    Primo immediately went to the center of the area and sat down. He began to chant spells, while the other mages cast spells to enhance Primo''s magical power.


    At that moment, a powerful domain instantly enveloped the area. Then, the projection of the imperial capital was cast from all directions. Everyone found themselves within this vast illusion.


    Unlike a reduced-scale sandbox map, this was a nearly one-to-one perfect scale reproduction. The projection not only replicated the imperial capital and the surroundingndscape but also perfectly recreated all the people and all the animals.


    "This is the Prophet using time magic to extract a true projection directly from the timeline!" Marquis, although he had witnessed it twice before, was still shocked by this capability.


    Moreover,pared to when they were in the southern territories, the future scenarios the Prophet was essing now were tenfold more extensive andplex in both scope and detail.


    Emperor Frelio also watched intently. He had to admit that the Prophet''s renown was well-deserved; all the projections surrounding them were from the future, preemptively demonstrating everything that was about to ur.


    Primo continued to channel his magical power, and the projection, which was moving at a normal speed, suddenly elerated dozens to hundreds of times faster---everyone''s lives and actions appeared as if on fast forward. Soon after, Emperor Frelio saw the scene he was looking for. To the north of the imperial capital, a dark line appeared, which was a massive army of at least five hundred thousand---dragons, elves, orcs, dwarves, giants, humans, and almost every other race, making it an extremely diverse and vast force.


    "Is this the army of the Chaos Forest?" Emperor Frelio''s pupils constricted slightly, his fists clenched, his expression grave.


    The Demon King''s army was drawing nearer, and the capital had already made its preparations. Various barriers, magical formations, and defensive towers were activated at the first opportunity.


    The great battle was about to begin. The first to attack the imperial capital were roughly one to two hundred powerful Abyssal Dragons, led by the Dark Dragon King and supported by long-range firepower from the Demon King''s army, quickly creating a breach in the city''s protective barrier.


    Subsequently, the Demon King''s army split into several factions. They attacked from different directions simultaneously, breaking through the imperial defense lines, diverting the capital''s attention, and then taking advantage of the chaos to infiltrate the imperial capital.


    During this battle, one particr object yed a crucial role. It was none other than the supreme magitek fortress, which had appeared several times in the southern campaign battles. Compared to before, this fortress had obviously been upgraded, making its firepower tremendously formidable. It could be said that without the firepower suppression from the supreme magitek fortress, the Demon King''s army would not have been able to easily breach the barriers and engage the empire''s army in fierce head-to-headbat.


    In addition to what was observed, Emperor Frelio and Marquis Gabrin noted several figures of interest in these projections, such as Nancilia and Long Yi, both possessing Level 6 strength, along with Zhang San, Li Si, and other king figures like the Elven King, Giant King, Dwarven King, Orc King, and Human King. It''s evident that the high-endbat capabilities of Darkness City, the variety of its military units, and its tactical methodologies wereid bare for the empire to see for the first time. This direct exposure allowed the imperial personnel to fully appreciate the formidable capabilities of Darkness City.


    "The strength of that army is terrifying! It''s no wonder then," remarked Marquis Gabrin gravely. "The strength disyed by the Demon King''s army far surpasses thebined military might of the empire''s southern territories. It''s clear that the defeat of the ducal forces was inevitable. We lost because we did not understand the Demon King well enough and underestimated the rapid growth of his forces."


    At the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief: "However, with these troops alone, it is impossible to shake the imperial capital; they are essentially marching to their demise."


    Yet, the Prophet Primo spoke gravely: "This Demon King is more than meets the eye. Do not be deceived by the appearances you see now."

 Chapter 306: Time to Seize Thunder Empire

    Chapter 306: Time to Seize Thunder Empire


    In Primo''s prophecy projection, the battle between the imperial army and the Demon King''s army was still ongoing. Despite the ferocious onught of the Demon King''s forces, it was clear that after several rounds of attacks, they had not managed to break through the defenses decisively. Failing to achieve a quick victory could lead to a weakening momentum.


    At this point, the imperial side began a full-scale counterattack. The Sunset Empire''s Eclipse Knights, who had been lying in ambush, along with the elite troops stationed nearby, all struck back at the Demon King''s army with astonishing speed. The top fighters of the imperial faction took action; the five Sword Saints, Primo, Will, and other various powerhouses, including a dozen or so Level 6 monarch-ss entities, intervened. This force effectively suppressed the Demon King''s army. The two sides were locked in a stalemate, with the Demon King''s forces visibly diminished and gradually falling into a disadvantage, on the verge of being pushed back.


    However, just at that moment, something unexpected happened. A blurred figure descended from the sky, his and the surrounding space twisted as if pixted, and he instantly eliminated nearly half of the high-level fighters on the empire''s side, catching the imperial army off guard and causing immediate chaos.


    "This is..." Both the Marquis and the Emperor focused their attention on the blurred figure.


    Prophet Primo spoke, "There''s no mistake, that''s the true Demon King of Darkness City. His power is exceedingly formidable, likely possessing top-tier space-time abilities, which is why predictions about him appear blurred and unclear."


    Indeed, behind the scenes in Darkness City, the real Demon King had yet to make a move. Even with Prophet Primo''s precognitive abilities, it was impossible to clearly discern the type of his techniques or his exact strength. But seeing how many of the empire''s strongest, including the five Sword Saints, were effortlessly wiped out, it is evident.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Demon King''s power exceeded Level 6 mythic. He might well be a Level 6 legendary entity! While in such a massive battle, the impact an individual mortal could have was limited, when one reached the level of power that the Demon King possessed, he could no longer be measured by mortal standards.


    It could be said, a legendary unit would truly be a demigod!


    With just one move from the Demon King, the situation, which had been favorable for the empire, was immediately rewritten. The Demon King''s forces, once again under the firepower suppression of the supreme magitek fortress,unched an attack on the imperial capital, causing severe destruction, and leaving half the city engulfed in mes. If this devastation continued, the imperial capital would certainly fall.Just at this critical moment, a golden, blurred figure soared into the sky. This figure was none other than Emperor Frelio. Although his form was as unclear as if distorted, it was unmistakably him. Emperor Frelio''s power was so immense that the space and time around him were difficult to measure urately. However, once he joined the battle, he quickly engaged the Demon King in a fierce fight, effectively restraining the powerful adversary.


    Seizing this rare opportunity, led by many of the empire''s top warriors, the empire sessfully destroyed the magitek fortress located in the midst of the Demon King''s army. Without the fortress''s fire support, the intensity of the attack significantly decreased. Under the leadership of the Emperor, after a tough and extraordinary battle, the imperial forces sessfully repelled the assault from the Demon King. Although they paid a heavy price, they ultimately won the war.


    The simtion ended. Primo temporarily halted the projection.


    Emperor Frelio, Marquis Gabrin, and others were deep in thought. "ording to the vision," they discussed, "the empire eventually defeated the Demon King''s army."


    "However, the Demon King was not killed, and the imperial capital suffered heavy losses. It can only be considered a pyrrhic victory. Even though we sessfully quelled this troop of the Demon King, we do not have enough strength to immediately destroy the Chaos Forest."


    Emperor Frelio nodded, "Gabrin, what do you think we should do?"


    The Marquis immediately responded, "I have memorized the key attack routes of the Demon King''s army. By strengthening our defenses specifically along these routes, we can slow down the Demon King''s offensive and reduce our losses."


    "During this attack by the Demon King''s army, the mobile magitek fortress yed a crucial role in fire suppression. If we can destroy this fortress from the start, then the Demon King won''t be able to breach the imperial capital."


    "Furthermore, the Demon King initially remained hidden and suddenly struck at a critical moment, killing nearly half of our topbat strength, which led to the turn of the situation. If we prepare in advance, not only can we avoid losses, but we might also be able to ambush the Demon King..."


    Marquis Gabrin methodically analyzed the war and made numerous suggestions for defensive adjustments and strategies to counter the Demon King''s various types of troops.


    Emperor Frelio XVI nodded in satisfaction. He turned to Primo and asked, "Prophet, after making improvements, can we initiate another prediction?"


    Primo nodded and said, "The projections on the timeline represent only one possible future direction, which can be changed. Any influence we exert may alter the scenes that appear on the timeline."


    That being so, the battle had not yet started, and the Demon King''s forces were already thoroughly analyzed by the empire. The empire knew how many monarchs were in the Demon King''s army, how many races, how many divisions, and even thebat strengths and attack strategies of different units. Under these circumstances, the empire could continually rehearse and refine its strategies. How could the Demon King possibly stand a chance?


    Meanwhile, in Darkness City, Zhang Nu received thetest news. The Demon King''s army was about toplete the total annexation of the Bachor Duchy, and recently, they had been gathering gold, materials, and blueprints abundantly.


    Just then, Zhang Nu sensed a disturbance in the timeline. A slight smile curled at the corner of his mouth. He guessed it must be that prophet simting the future again. These people could never imagine that the projection of time they were seeing had been carefully edited by someone. What they saw was significantlycking, which would lead to very severe consequences.


    "About time! Bachor Duchy has fallen! It''s also time for Darkness City to officially challenge the empire," Zhang Nu decided.


    He resolved to strike while the iron was hot and seize the entire empire in one go."

 Chapter 307: Preparation To Shatter An Empire

    Chapter 307: Preparation To Shatter An Empire


    Recently, the morale in Darkness City had been soaring. After all, significant sesses had been achieved on both the northern and southern fronts. The momentum of the Chaos Federation was growing exponentially. To advance further, the only option left was topletely upy an empire and officially ascend to the status of an imperial-level power.


    For yers in the Demon King''s faction, taking down an empire meant thepletion of the Demon King''s venture. Zhang Nu was well aware that this battle, unlike previous ones, was high in bothplexity and difficulty, so he had to be thoroughly prepared.


    First, he used a Level 5 special building upgrade scroll. Zhang Nu upgraded an important military facility of the Chaos Federation, the Citadel of Eternity. The Citadel of Eternity, as an extremely robust and mobile stronghold, could serve both as a transportation tool for military forces and provide substantial fire support on the battlefield, ying a crucial role in this fight.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [Would you like to upgrade the Citadel of Eternity? This upgrade costs "Gold" x700 million, "Ten Elemental Gems" x100,000 each!]


    [Citadel of Eternity upgraded sessfully!]


    [You have unlocked new magitek units, you have unlocked the Parallel Matrix, Citadel Cannons +100, Super Citadel Cannon +10!]


    [......]


    The Citadel of Eternity, as a Level 5 special building, had been upgraded directly to a Level 6 special building due to Zhang Nu''s use of an upgrade scroll, greatly enhancing its attributes and performance.


    Firstly, the summonable magitek units: the Citadel of Eternity unlocked the ability to summon Level 6bat units. At the same time, the number of summonable units of other levels also increased by at least threefold, significantly boosting thebat power of the Citadel of Eternity.Additionally, the Citadel of Eternity unlocked the Parallel Matrix. This feature allows the magic fortress''s main functions to operate concurrently and in parallel, thus greatly enhancing the overall strength of the fortress.


    For example, the previous version of the Citadel of Eternity could not run its mobility, teleportation, and defense capabilities simultaneously. That is, during movement or while preparing for teleportation, the magic protective barrier could not be activated. This meant that if enemies seized the opportunity to attack, they could potentially disrupt the fortress during movement or teleportation, causing severe damage or casualties instantly.


    Now, however, things were different. After the upgrade, the Citadel of Eternity gained the capability to run its magitek matrix in a parallel sequence. This meant that the defensive barrier could be activated during movement or teleportation, significantly enhancing the fortress''s security and greatly increasing its strategic value.


    In addition to the aforementioned changes, the most significant transformation of the Citadel of Eternity was that its firepower has be more formidable than before. The Level 5 Citadel of Eternity had ten standard magitek cannons and one super magitek cannon. The power of a single shot from the super magitek cannon was roughly equivalent to the full-force strike of a top-tier Level 5 mage overlord, which was powerful but clearly insufficient for the current stage.


    Now, the situation had changed. After the upgrade, the magic fortress had gained an additional 100 magitek cannons, and all magitek cannons could be upgraded to super magitek cannons. This meant that the effect of 110 Level 5 overlord-level mage unitsunching continuous full-force attacks was quite astonishing. Among these 110 super magitek cannons, 10 could be upgraded to ultimate magitek cannons, equivalent to the full-force attack of a Level 6 overlord-level magical unit. The immense power and devastating impact of these cannons could y a remarkable role on the battlefield.


    The number ofunch wells and magic missiles in the magic fortress had also significantly increased, meaning a substantial enhancement in the long-range attack capability of this supreme magitek fortress.


    Just then, Han Kexin returned. As the Prime Minister of the Chaos Federation, she was well aware of the current situation of the federation. Upon learning that Zhang Nu was about to challenge the empire, she took it very seriously and decided to halt the development of the Chaos Sea to return and assist Zhang Nu fully.


    As soon as Han Kexin arrived back, she saw the upgraded magic fortress. After understanding its capabilities, she was very excited, "I didn''t expect that after the upgrade, the magitek fortress''s firepower andbat abilities have improved so much. It''s no longer just a fortress, but arge magitek warship. With its firepower support, attacking the empire will be much easier."


    Zhang Nu, however, said, "Relying solely on this magitek fortress is far from enough. Moreover, if I''m not mistaken, the empire''s Hero, Primo, has already foreseen the upgraded magitek fortress, so the empire will definitely be prepared."


    "Are you talking about that Prophet of Doom, Primo?" Han Kexin said gravely, "I''ve seen his name on the Hero leaderboard. His abilities are indeed not easy to deal with. Do you have any counter strategies?"


    To this, Zhang Nu smiled and said, "Don''t worry about it. When ites to controlling the domain of space and time, currently, no Hero or Demon King canpare with me."


    "You really are arrogant!" Han Kexin rolled her eyes in exasperation.


    However,ints aside, she knew Zhang Nu very well. Far from being arrogant, he was exceptionally cautious. Boasting was not his style, and if he could make such a statement, it indicated that he had the confidence and assurance.


    Curious, Han Kexin asked, "So, how do you n to counter the prophet''s tactics?"


    Zhang Nu replied, "The prophet''s ability is merely to use time magic to steal real projections from the future timeline. I just need to hide some parts to prevent him from spying on them."


    This issue was somewhatplex. Simply put, Zhang Nu would divide his attacking forces into two parts. One part would be visible, attacking the imperial capital alongside the Citadel of Eternity from the front. The other part would be hidden, Zhang Nu would conceal them within the Abyssal Divine Realm, utilizing its secrecy to transport the troops onto the battlefield.


    Thus, with Primo''s abilities, he would only be able to see the forces in the open. Even using his abilities to deduce the oue of the battle would already be challenging. Neither Primo nor anyone else in the empire could expect or predict that after this round of attacks, there would be an even more fierce attack. They would only prepare defenses based on the previous battle projection.


    Zhang Nu immediately began preparations. He kept only two hundred Abyssal Dragons to move with the main army, while all other Abyssal Dragons were ced into the Abyssal Realm. Additionally, he assembled arge force from the Chaos Forest, including previously unseen elitebatants such as the Gloom City demons led by Han Kexin, the ents from the Chaos Forest, arge number of high-level draconianbat units, plus some recently recruited high-tier human and forest troops.


    In total, this force numbered about three hundred thousand. Once they were hidden in Zhang Nu''s realm, which had acquired spatial-temporal independence by absorbing the Void Seed, their existence in this world''s timeline was effectively erased. Unless they reappeared suddenly, using time magic to predict their movements was impossible, meaning they could appear from another world at any moment and disrupt all forting events on the timeline.


    With such a capability of striking unexpectedly from the shadows, Primo''s foresight bes virtually useless and meaningless to Zhang Nu, potentially even backfiring and causing the empire to entrap itself.


    During the process of amassing troops in his realm, Zhang Nu''s actions were mirrored for the Chaos Federation''s army, which gathered openly and without disguise. A massive army of five to six hundred thousand quickly formed, and if thebat units within the Citadel of Eternity were included, the size of this army could reach up to nearly a million.


    It could be said that this was thergest force assembled since the founding of the Chaos Federation. Such arge-scale mobilization of troops could not go unnoticed by the empire, and the empire would discover that the size andposition of this army were not different from the predictions of the Prophet of Doom.


    Han Kexin asked, "We have only recently conquered Bachor Duchy, and you are immediately assembling arge army to attack the core of the empire. Isn''t this too soon?"


    Zhang Nu understood the Subus Queen''s concerns. Indeed, the federation''s expansion rate had been exceedingly high recently. Such a vast territory and such arge poption could not be assimted in a short time. The Chaos Federation had not yet assimted the southern territories'' poption and was already thinking of striking directly at the imperial capital, aiming to destroy the heart and brain of the empire, which inevitably made it seem like the Demon King wanted to bite off more than he could chew.


    However, Zhang Nu said, "No, I believe the timing is almost ripe. Taking down the empire is not urgent, but we must dismantle the empire''s operations, otherwise top Heroes from all over the world will continue to be drawn here."


    So far, Zhang Nu was the only Demon King who posed a significant threat and had a great chance of conquering an imperial-level power. It was certain that news about this ce could not be kept secret for long, and in a short time, it had already attracted the Prophet of Doom, Primo. In the future, it was uncertain that more and stronger Heroes, along with their backing forces, wouldn''te here. If top-ranked Heroes, each a Level 7 legendary figure, were to join the battle, it would pose a significant threat to Darkness City.


    Since it could not be hidden anyway, there was no point in hiding anymore. Zhang Nu now only wanted toplete the conquest as quickly as possible, partly to disrupt the empire''s control in this region and partly to seize the opportunity to obtain more rewards.


    "Additionally, there''s another matter I need your help with," Zhang Nu instructed Han Kexin. "I need to find the other shards of the Eight-Eyed Evil God. I need relevant intelligence."


    Han Kexin nodded, "Leave it to me!"


    With two Level 6 talents, only one was currently activated. The other required materials that were too rare. Zhang Nu found that directly purchasing or searching for Godhood was too difficult, so he decided to take another approach, such aspletely gathering all the shards of an Evil God.


    An Evil God is still a god. Obtaining all the shards of an Evil God would effectively activate a Godhood. With the Godhood, Zhang Nu could activate his second talent and then ascend directly to Level 7, bing an existence ten or even a hundred times more powerful than he currently was.


    Just then, Li Si teleported in front of Zhang Nu. He knelt on one knee and said, "My lord, our troops have once againpleted their assembly and are ready to follow yourmands at any time!"


    "If that''s the case, then let''s prepare to move," Zhang Nu stood on the castle ramparts, looking towards the northern empire, and nodded in satisfaction, "It''s time to shatter this empire that has been entangled with us for so long!"

 Chapter 308: It Begins

    Chapter 308: It Begins


    Outside Darkness City, in front of the Ster Gateway, the Demon King''s army was gathering once again. This was an unprecedentedly massive legion, primarilyposed of four main divisions: the Draconian Legion, the Elven Legion, the Human Legion, and the Forest Allied Legion.


    The Draconian Legion, aside from Long Yi, Zhang San, Li Si, and four other Dragon Kings, Zhang Nu had selected five Abyssal Dragons of equal potential to Long Yi during this period from the Dragon Legion. These dragons, possessing excellent talents and attributes, were elevated to Dragon Kings through the Soul Altar. This meant that within the Draconian Legion, there were now twelve Dragon Kings. In addition to the twelve powerful Dragon Kings, there were also two hundred Abyssal Dragons, over five thousand Demon Eye Guards, and sixty thousand draconian super soldiers, totaling over one hundred thousand elite draconian troops, with basic unit strengths ranging from Level 3 to Level 4. One can imagine how powerful this force was.


    The Draconian Legion was the core of the Demon King''s forces. However, the Demon King''s elven and human forces had also developed to the point where they could stand alone. The Elven Legion, numbering over one hundred thousand,prised entirely of elite elves, was led by leaders such as Nancilia and Marilyn.


    As for the human troops, they had risen rapidly recently. During the process of conquering the empire''s southern territories, the Demon King naturally incorporated arge number of troops, acquired numerous blueprints, and recruited many knights, mages, and top soldiers. The number ofbatants from the human forces participating in this conflict reached two hundred fifty thousand.


    The fourth part of the Demon King''s army consisted of various forest races, such as giants, dwarves, orcs, and other forest groups, totaling about two hundred fifty thousand. The leaders of the Forest Allied Legion included the Giant King Jin Kui, the Orc King Gru, and the Dwarf King Zhang Dachui, among others. Thebat strength of all units in this legion was also much stronger than the regr imperial legions.


    This force, in terms of both number and scale, was undeniably massive, and these were not all the forces being mobilized. In addition to deploying arge number of powerful subordinates, the Demon King also dispatched fortress legions, including troops from the Citadel of Eternity. Just the magitekbat units numbered over one hundred thousand, with about eighty thousand mage units, totaling two hundred thousand.


    Overall, the scale of the Demon King''s army nearly constituted a veritable million-strong army. This force was not only terrifying in number, but their strength was also formidable, not merely amassed for the sake of numbers. Their power was enough to shock all other Demon Kings in the world.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "All warriors of the Federation! We will next pass through the Ster Gateway, using the portal to directly enter the hearnd of the empire, bypassing the outer defenses and aiming directly for the imperial capital!"


    "Our enemies this time are extraordinarily powerful!"


    "But this battle concerns the fate of the Federation! We must achieve victory and cannot afford to lose!"


    Long Yi, transformed into his dragon form, his powerful voice spread across the wilderness, making it clear to all warriors present, stirring and inspiring everyone. Winning this battle could decisively change the world''s geopoliticalndscape. The Demon King would lead the Chaos Federation to be a pivotal force in this world, potentially rewriting everyone''s destiny. The enemy was indeed very strong, targeting directly at the heart of the empire. No one dared to underestimate the empire''s depth.


    However, the warriors felt no fear. They were absolutely confident in the federation''s current strength. Moreover, even if they died in battle, as long as they performed well, they could be resurrected by the Demon King. With this in mind, why not fight with all their might?


    After Long Yi finished his speech, he transformed back into human form and descended, saying, "My master, all units have assembled, all equipment, potions, and blessings are ready, we can depart and enter the battle at any moment."


    Zhang Nu nodded in satisfaction. "Since that is the case, let us dy no longer, begin!"


    He activated the Ster Gateway, countless runes appeared on the gateway, terrifying energy continuously gathered, ultimately forming an open spatial portal. Simultaneously, above the ins near the imperial capital, the sky and earth abruptly changed color as a fierce wind arose. A vast energy gate was summoned in this location, still over two thousand miles from the imperial capital. This was the maximum range of the Ster Gateway.


    If Zhang Nu had not upgraded the gateway to a Level 6 building, summoning a portal on the imperial capital''s great ins, or even near the Bachor Duchy, would have been impossible. Even at Level 6, the Ster Gateway could not directly summon a portal near the imperial capital due to the distance. Even if a portal could be summoned across such a vast distance, the stringent defenses around the imperial capital would likely destroy it before it could fully form.


    After the spatial gate was established, over two hundred Abyssal Dragons charged out first, followed by other troops, all proceeding orderly, and quickly a quarter of the troops had passed through the spatial gate. However, just then,rge flocks of griffins suddenly appeared from all directions. Upon closer inspection, these were not just griffins but griffin riders. Each majestic golden-winged griffin carried a knight d in golden armor, members of the imperial Royal Griffin Knight Order.


    The Royal Griffin Knight Order was a well-known knight order of the Thunder Empire. Although this knight order was very powerful, it rarely participated in battle; their presence now only indicated that the empire had been well-prepared, guessing that the Demon King would appear here, so they had ambushed in advance, attempting to destroy the spatial gate. Such an act could only be achieved with prior foresight.


    Meanwhile, at the imperial capital, "Your Majesty! The Demon King''s legion has appeared!"


    "Everything is as the prophet predicted! The timing and location of the invasion are exactly urate!"


    Emperor Frelio received the news and was overjoyed. Heughed loudly, "Good, good, good, let''s see what tricks the Demon King can y this time!"

 Chapter 309: Knocking On The Empires Door

    Chapter 309: Knocking On The Empire''s Door


    Near the portal, the Demon King''s army was under attack by the empire. The Royal Griffin Knight Order, unlike typical knights, was equipped not withnces but with war hammers. Cavalry rarely use short weapons like war hammers, but in the hands of these human knights, the hammers were not easy to handle.


    Qi was seen gathering in the war hammers and the Royal Griffin Knights threw their hammers. Instantly, the hammers swelled in size dozens of times in the wind, transforming into a giant hammer interwoven with lightning, moving at an incredibly fast speed. Even the formidable physique of ogres, when struck by such a hammer, was instantly smashed into pieces. Even the average silver giants would suffer significant injuries from such a hit. This was because the Royal Griffin Knight Order uniformly practiced the "Tempest Thunder Hammer" martial technique, a long-range attack technique of considerable power.


    Although the number of Royal Griffin Knights was notrge, when theyunched a collective attack, the effect was still very powerful.


    "Everyone together!"


    "Attack the portal!"


    Under the cover of other units'' fire, the Royal Griffin Knights quickly moved to the side of the portal, jointly attacking the portal. It was known that the portal itself was not stable. If it were to sustain such a fierce attack suddenly, the portal might be disrupted, preventing the majority of the Demon King''s army from being transported. Given that the Ster Gateway, despite its convenience, has a cooldown period between activations, if the front and rear of the Demon King''s forces were separated, they would immediately find themselves in a predicament.


    "Protect the portal!" Long Yi roared as he transformed into his dragon form, releasing a vast cloud of ck mist that instantly absorbed some of the attacks, but alone, he was not enough topletely protect the portal.


    "Divine Tree Sanctuary!" Seeing the situation, Nancilia quickly activated her domain ability. Countless massive roots burst from the ground, encasing the area around the portal inyers like armor to shield it from attacks.


    At the same time, Zhang San, Li Si, and other top fighters from Darkness City also activated their domains or cast magical barriers, firmly protecting the portal within them. Although the attacks from the Royal Griffin Knights were sharp and fierce, breaking through their defense in a short time was not an easy task.The teleportation process might be slowed, but with just this amount of imperial forces, disrupting it was impossible. The empire, anticipating this, saw that breaking the portal was hopeless. Fortunately, they gave up continuing to attack the portal and instead took advantage of it to tie down the top experts of Darkness City, then quicklyunched attacks on other parts of the army that had not yet secured their footing. After a brief and intense battle, the empire, using their pre-arranged ambush, inflicted some losses on the Demon King''s army as they passed through the portal. However, in the end, the Demon King''s army still sessfully arrived.


    Meanwhile, apanied by violent spatial fluctuations, a towering and immense fortress was transported. The moment the Citadel of Eternity arrived, its formidable firepower and attack capabilities immediately assumed a dominant position on the battlefield. Upon seeing this, the imperial troops immediately made a decisive retreat without engaging in furtherbat.


    Zhang Nu stood within the fortress, observing the somewhat chaotic and disordered battlefield, but he was not angry; instead, a subtle cold smile hung at the corner of his mouth.


    "Your Majesty!" Nancilia approached and said, "The empire had anticipated that our portal would appear here, so they prepared an ambush in advance. Although it caused us some losses and trouble, it did not prevent the formation of the spatial gate."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "That''s inevitable," Zhang Nu smiled and said. "The empire just wanted to intimidate us, they weren''t truly trying to stop our invasion."


    Hearing this, Nancilia was somewhat confused. The rationale was quite simple. The empire had no real need to do this, because even if they stopped the invasion once, there would be a second and third time. As long as the Demon King still existed, war would be inevitable. Compared to the empire, the growth rate of the Demon King''s army was clearly faster. From the empire''s perspective, with the terrifyingly rapid strength increase of the Chaos Federation, time was on the side of the Chaos Federation.


    Given this, it was naturally better to conclude the war sooner rather thanter. The longer the dy, the more disadvantageous it was for the empire. And rather than having the empire tounch an offensive, it was better to respond calmly, wait at ease, and firmly hold the home-field advantage. The Demon King army dared to utilize spatial means to directly transport to the core hearnd of the empire. They must be prepared for the possibility of beingpletely annihted by the empire, as escaping would be almost impossible. If the empire could destroy them with rtively minor losses, the subsequent counterattack into the Chaos Forest will be much easier.


    Zhang Nu calmly said, "Heal the injured ones, adjust thebat formation, and we will head directly towards the imperial capital, aiming to arrive in the shortest time possible."


    "Yes!" his subordinates promptly responded.


    Following this, the Demon King''s army quickly mobilized. Two hundred Abyssal Dragons, leading a hundred thousand flying draconian troops, cleared the path ahead. All military fortresses and obstructive troops and defenses encountered along the way were struck with devastating blows immediately.


    As the Demon King''s army approached with formidable momentum, the imperial capital had already sounded the rm, and everyone was busily engaged.


    "The Demon King''s army will arrive at the imperial capital in about two days!"


    "Effective immediately, the entire city of the imperial capital is under martialw! All nonbat units must not leave their homes to avoid unnecessary trouble."


    The vast imperial capital, a city with a poption of millions, was now enveloped in a tense atmosphere. Layers uponyers of barriers were activated, magic towers were lit, and millions ofbat units entered a state of readiness, keeping everyone in the empire extremely busy.


    Marquis Gabrin approached the emperor to report, "We have deployed numerous traps and ambushes along the way, which should sufficiently weaken the Demon King''s army and give us more time to prepare."


    Emperor Frelio XVI nodded in satisfaction. Up to this point, everything was proceeding ording to n. Now, the entire poption of the outer city of the imperial capital had been relocated inside the inner city, and arge number of streets and houses in the outer city had been forcibly requisitioned by the imperial army to serve as the base forbat operations.


    Emperor Frelio himself ascended a temporarily constructedmand tform. He was apanied by nearly twenty of the empire''s top powerhouses, including the Prophet Primo, the Sunset Five Sword Saints, and Gabrin. These individuals all possessed Level 6 strength and were generally of monarch-level at the very least.


    As for Emperor Frelio himself, he was dressed in new armor that was different from his usual attire. He wore a golden armor with the appearance of a dragon coiling around it and wielded a golden crystal greatsword, the material of which was unknown. Undoubtedly, both the armor and the greatsword were epic-level equipment that were not only rare but also of exceptionally high quality even among other epic-level items.


    "Let this Demon King witness the true depth of strength an empire possesses!" Frelio dered. "He will pay the price for his ignorance and folly!"


    Frelio''s entire being radiated a powerful aura, and as he spoke, a dozen or so faint apparitions appeared behind him. These were not mere illusions; they were actually the spirits of the emperors of ages past.


    "And my Thunder Empire will avenge past humiliations and reim everything we''ve lost!"


    "Victory for the empire!" shouted Marquis Gabrin.


    Hundreds, even thousands, of the empire''s most powerful warriors and countless legions from every direction also roared in response, their cries echoing through the heavens.


    "Victory for the empire!"


    "Victory for the empire!"


    Emperor Frelio XVI loudly dered, "Initiate the ceremony!"


    The empire''s chief priest, a venerable man with white hair, led the imperial priests in beginning the ritual. Dozens of imperial altars lit up, casting various blessings, enhancements, and buffsyer byyer upon the empire''sbat units. As an imperial power, having various means and depths of resources was not unusual. Although the buffs bestowed by the empire on its troops might notpare with the divine blessings stacked by the several temples of Darkness City, they were sufficient to allow this army to perform with extraordinarybat effectiveness in theing days.


    The time soon arrived, and the empire had made all its preparations. On the distant horizon, a dark line was slowly bing visible, if one had a powerful enough vision, they would recognize that this line was none other than the two hundred Abyssal Dragons of the Demon King. nked by countless draconian royal guards and draconian battle mages transformed into drakes---numbering at least in the thousands---followed by a vast number of highly trained and baptized draconian super soldiers.


    "They areing!"


    Emperor Frelio XVI once again affirmed his confidence. Before this battle began, the prophet had conducted numerous prophecy sessions, and the empire had continuously adjusted its deployment and ns ording to these predictions, achieving near perfection under the existing conditions. At this moment, the scale and mode of the Demon King''s army''s invasion almost perfectly matched the projections seen on the timeline. Even the slight variations were normal disturbances, and everything was going ording to n.


    "Your Majesty!They have arrived!"


    "As these dragons and draconians approach, they will first use their dragon fear to intimidate our forces, causing temporary dizziness and confusion among our soldiers. Then they will use dragon me and thunder in concentrated attacks to break the protective barriers of the imperial capital, creating opportunities for breaching our defenses in the subsequent assault."


    Marquis Gabrin was speaking when the two hundred Abyssal Dragons approached. As if to confirm his words, led by Long Yi, the dragons almost simultaneously unleashed a long-umted and ferociously powerful dragon fear attack. This invisible and pervasive shockwave instantly enveloped the imperial defending forces like a nket.


    "Spiritual Barrier!" The empire was prepared. Several specially constructed altars lit up. After these altars absorbed arge number of spirit gems as offerings, they released a psychic energy that was the exact opposite in nature to the dragon fear. When the two forces collided, they neutralized each other.


    "What''s going on?!" Long Yi found that his full-strength dragon fear had not caused even the slightest impact on the humans. It was somewhat unbelievable. Psychic attacks usually have very few defensive measures.


    His expression darkened. "These humans were indeed prepared, making our dragon fear ineffective.... Never mind, let''s quickly open a gap in the outer barrier first! Everyone, coordinate with my attack!"


    As he spoke, Long Yi opened his massive jaws, and a column of dragon me, as thick as a train car, was released from his mouth. The other dragons, having prepared for a long time, also released their fire columns at the same time. All the fire columns converged with Long Yi''s, forcefully merging into one or two hundred streams of dragon mes. They ultimately coalesced into a dense super dragon me. Thisbined dragon me attack was a maneuver that Long Yi and his subordinates had developed after extensive practice, capable of instantaneously producing a force powerful enough to annihte a Level 6 mythic unit. No matter how strong the barriers of the imperial capital were, they could not withstand this attack.


    Such a terrifying attack, even a Level 6 legendary unit could not emergepletely unscathed.


    However, the empire was still well-prepared. Thousands of royal mages had readied themselves and, as if anticipating the move, summoned a massive spatial rift right in front of the super dragon fire. The dragon fire hadn''t even touched the barrier and was directly sucked into this rift. The entire space was severely distorted, causing a violent spatial explosion, but the aftershocks of this explosion were unable to threaten the barrier of the imperial capital.


    At this, the dragons were stunned. Their attacks had been countered twice. As the saying goes, the initial forceful effort weakens on the second attempt and is exhausted by the third.


    Emperor Frelio XVIughed heartily upon seeing this, "Hahaha, thanks to our prophet, their methods are now ineffective against us!"


    Just then, the massive supreme magitek fortress and hundreds of thousands of the Demon King''s army arrived from behind. Emperor Frelio XVI spoke sternly, "They''ve appeared, continue as nned, deal with this fortress first, we must not let it function!"


    Through numerous foresight sessions, Emperor Frelio XVI was well aware that the fortress not only possessed fierce firepower but also housed between one hundred and two hundred thousand magitek units and mage units. The ferocity of theirbined firepower was unimaginable, so it had to be dealt with.


    With these two sessful and perfect suppressions just now, the emperor was full of confidence. He believed that as long as they continued to follow the n, they couldpletely destroy the fortress before it could be effective, rendering it useless. And without this fortress, the Demon King''s army would not only pose no threat to the imperial capital, but they would also have no chance to retreat or escape, ultimately doomed to destruction under the empire''s trap.


    "The Demon King must die!" Emperor Frelio XVI raised his crystal giant sword, deciding to personally confront the uing Demon King. This real Demon King was very strong, but with his current state, boosted by the spirits of imperial ancestors, along with the vast imperial army, empire''s experts, and Heroes from all sides assisting him, he was fully capable of fighting and even capturing the Demon King!


    The emperor had considered every detail of this battle and believed that there was no possibility of defeat."

 Chapter 310: The Emperors Folly

    "Release the Sky Shrouding Orb!" Emperor Frelio XVI issued an order.


    At a specially constructed magic tower, nearly a thousand high-level mages sat in a circle, collectively chanting and casting spells to channel their magical power into the tower before them. As this immense magical power was converted by the tower, it eventually all flowed into a ck magical crystal orb at the top of the tower. From this orb, an intensely thick ck mist was released. This ck mist quickly spread, soon enveloping the battlefield.


    The Sky Shrouding Orb, a top-tier epic-grade item of the dark element, possessed no offensive capabilities but could release a mist that shielded all forms of perception and scanning. Such epic-grade equipment was plentiful in the arsenal of the Thunder Empire. While the Sky Shrouding Orb itself did not have directbat effects, its ability to broadly block perception and visibility could also affect their own troops.


    The primary reason the Thunder Empire deployed this item on the battlefield was to counter the Demon King¡¯s magitek fortress. The weaponry of the magic fortress, including the tens of thousands of troops housed within, could only perform optimally when targets were urately acquired. If the scanning and locking capabilities of the magic fortress could be blocked, then the fortress would quickly lose most of its threat. This would provide the empire¡¯s elites with the opportunity and time needed to sabotage the fortress.


    This tactic, having been validated through the prophet''s predictions for its feasibility, was now unfolding as a vast expanse of obscuring magic mist rapidly enveloped the battlefield. In a matter of moments, the magitek fortress was swallowed by the thick mist. Everyone found themselves trapped within the dense mist, with visibility reduced to less than half a meter, and all sensory-type magic absorbed by the fog, plunging them into a situation akin to blindness.


    Primo said, "This mist willst at most ten minutes before they find a way to disperse it. Whether we can destroy the fortress will be determined in this single effort."


    "It''s of no concern!" Emperor Frelio XVI, radiating light from his body, spoke in a deep voice, "Join me, lend me your strength to destroy the fortress and kill the Demon King!"


    As he spoke, Emperor Frelio XVI emitted a golden glow. He shone like a small sun, instantly diving into the thick ck fog before him, apanied by a whole unit of the empire¡¯s royal guard. This bodyguard unit was notrge, totaling only about ten thousand men. However, they were second only to the Guardian Knights in terms ofbat power within the Thunder Empire.


    Prophet Primo added, "Will, you go help as well, try to capture the Demon King directly for us."The Hero, Will, did not hesitate, "On it!"


    ording to Primo''s estimation, destroying the fortress would not be difficult. However, killing the Demon King would not be an easy task, but this group of super-powerful allies was sure to deplete the Demon King''sbat resources, allowing Primo to potentially take advantage of the situation.


    It was not just the Hero Will, Marquis Gabrin and four other Level 6 monarch-ss top imperial fighters, along with the five sword saints from the Thunder Empire, all followed Emperor Frelio XVI under the cover of the fog, directly charging into the midst of the Demon King''s army.


    "Out of my way!" roared Emperor Frelio XVI, enveloped in a powerful aura, as he swung his crystalline greatsword fiercely at the guards of the Chaos Federation near the fortress.


    At this moment, the Emperor himself possessed the strength of a Level 6 legendary. His power wasparable to any emperor at the zenith of the empire''s history, and the weapon in his hand was of the highest epic tier, capable of unimaginable force.


    With a sweep of golden light, hundreds of high-ranking units from Darkness City were instantly reduced to ashes. Although the firepower of the magitek fortress was ferocious, a concentrated attack would normally prevent someone as powerful as Emperor Frelio at this moment from easily getting close. But now, unable to lock onto targets and relying only on random attacks, they posed no threat to Emperor Frelio XVI.


    "Break!" Emperor Frelio XVI raised his sword, unleashing a tsunami-like surge of sword Qi that swept away hundreds, perhaps thousands of units before sting towards the fortress behind them. This strike, a full-force blow from a Level 6 legendary unit, could inflict significant damage on the Citadel of Eternity, potentially crippling part of its functionality if it hit.


    However, just then, a figure emerged from the void. Without any visible movement, the golden tsunami-like sword Qi was all drawn into the twisted space around him, ultimately being absorbed into his body.


    The Demon King raised his hand. The sword energy he had just absorbed was released from his palm, now infused with the tremendously powerful dragon thunder me.


    Boom!


    Emperor Frelio managed to block the strike. However, the Emperor was forced to retreat several hundred meters. His expression changed dramatically; although he had long known the Demon King''s strength was unfathomable, he hadn''t expected it to be to such an extent. His full-force strike had been absorbed andpressed by the opponent, then enhanced and sent right back at him. The emperor was able to withstand it only because of his weapon, armor, various essories, and several pieces of epic-grade equipment he wore, yet he still found himself at a disadvantage.


    "You''ve finally shown yourself!" Emperor Frelio XVI was not worried. Everything was going ording to n; he had anticipated that the Demon King would appear to block this strike for the fortress. As long as he could force him out early, it would serve his purpose.


    At this moment, the other powerhouses of Darkness City, such as Long Yi, Zhang San, Li Si among the ten Dragon Kings, as well as Nancilia, Marilyn, and other forest kings like Jin Kui, were overwhelmed by the empire and its allies, including Prophet Primo. They werepletely tied down and unable toe to the Demon King''s aid.


    Under such circumstances, even if the Demon King''s strength was formidable, could he withstand the emperor, along with ten supreme warriors? It was impossible! All they needed to do was act swiftly. Before the fog dispersed, if they could eliminate the Demon King and destroy the fortress, then the oue of the battle would be unequivocally decided.


    "Sanctum of Valor Spirits!"


    Emperor Frelio XVI activated his special domain, evolved after being enhanced by the spirit of the nation, instantly enveloping the Demon King within it. At the same time, Hero Will, Marquis Gabrin, and others also unleashed their own domain powers to strengthen Emperor Frelio XVI''s sanctum


    In such a situation, even if the Demon King was stronger, he could not mount a counterattack. He was inevitablypletely suppressed. Zhang Nu truly felt for the first time that someone could overpower him in terms of domain, in which his own was ineffective under the current conditions.


    "Interesting!"


    After being drawn into the domain, Zhang Nu saw clearly the eleven individuals before him. Emperor Frelio XVI was in the lead, with the ten other warriors being the weakest at level 6 monarch, and the strongest being a level 6 epic unit. Such a lineup was indeed formidable enough to contend with him.


    Zhang Nu smiled calmly, "It seems you really came prepared!"


    For the first time, Emperor Frelio XVI clearly saw the true face of the Demon King, the great menace of the Chaos Forest that had inflicted significant losses and disgrace upon the empire.


    "We''ve made thorough preparations to counter you and your forces, who will find themselves without any recourse here," said the Emperor coldly. "You are now isted, without any chance to turn the tide. You¡¯re at the end of your path."


    Zhang Nu replied, "In my view, such grand ims shouldn''t be made too early. They tend to backfire easily."


    The Emperor burst intoughter: "It appears you know nothing of my power, nor of the strength of the empire."


    "Today, you shall witness it firsthand! A power that can only be used once in centuries, not something you see every day!"


    "Valor ancestors of the past!" he called out. "Heed my summons and lend me your strength!"


    As Emperor Frelio''s words fell, powerful presences began to coalesce within the special domain, eventually forming at least fifteen spirits. These were vague in form but mighty in presence, each a manifestation of an emperor''s will and soul, each exuding an aura close to that of a level 6 monarch. This represented a terrifying force: fifteen spectral entities with the might of nearly level 6 monarchs.


    Although the Demon King''s directbat ability was stronger than the Emperor''s, the Emperor could still summon these ancestral spirits to assist him in battle by invoking the power of the empire¡¯s spirit. Even without these ten elite warriors at his side, he was confident he would not lose to the Demon King. He knew that while his power was temporary, it was nearly limitless until the ancestral spirits dissipated, and he was virtually unkible during this time.


    How could the Demon King possibly win under these conditions? Moreover, with the support of supreme Hero Will and the top-tier warriors including the Five Sword Saints, they held a crushing advantage over the Demon King.


    "How about now?" Emperor Frelio sneered. "Do you see the difference between us? If you kneel and surrender now, I might consider giving you a swift end."


    Zhang Nu shook his head, "Just numerical superiority, nothing more. Isn''t it just about getting help? Don''t you think I can do the same?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As he spoke, a spatial portal appeared behind him.


    Emperor Frelio XVI''s expression changed dramatically: "How is this possible? In my domain, how can you still summon such power!"


    The power Zhang Nu disyed was simr to a domain technique, but it was actually quite different; it was a divine realm. Compared to a regr domain, a divine realm isn''t just a simple area of effect, it''s an independent space. Zhang Nu also had direct dominion over thews of time and space, so no one could prevent him from opening a portal to his divine realm. If he wished to escape, it would be impossible for anyone to stop him. However, Zhang Nu didn¡¯t open the divine realm to flee. After the Abyssal Divine Realm opened, several figures emerged from it, led by a tall female demon, radiating deadly allure. It was none other than the subus queen, Han Kexin!


    Just as Han Kexin stepped out, shemented, "Oh, such formidable domain power, seems like our enemy this time isn''t easy to handle." She seemed unfazed by the situation.


    Following her, six Gloom City demon monarchs and countless abyssal dragons who transformed into draconian forms appeared rapidly, their numbers increasing from a few to hundreds, eventually over a thousand. Additionally, numerous ent joined them, including the ent king, Grootroot. In no time, Zhang Nu''s side was packed, though not as numerous as the emperor¡¯s personal guards, their presence was iparably stronger.


    "What''s going on!" Emperor Frelio XVI was stunned!


    Will the Hero and Marquis Gabrin were equally shocked. When did the Demon King have such a force? Why hadn¡¯t this army appeared in the prophet¡¯s projections?


    Impossible! A thousand draconians, all abyssal dragons? How could there be so many abyssal dragons in the world? Moreover, there were thousands of ents, supposed to be extinct, and a dense mass of high-level demons, from demon monarchs to soldiers, each with formidable power.


    Zhang Nu smiled and said, "It seems, who the victor will be is still uncertain."


    The imperial side was thrown into disarray. No one expected the Demon King to have such a terrifying force hidden. This army appeared out of nowhere, never featured in the prophet¡¯s forecasts, and the empire had made no preparations against them.


    Now, the emperor, deep behind enemy lines, found his clever n turning into a dangerous folly."

 Chapter 311: Lycan God Will

    Chapter 311: Lycan God Will


    Given the current situation, the empire held no advantage. The imperial forces included Emperor Frelio XVI, ten top fighters, and the emperor''s personal guards. The Demon King''s forces consisted of the Demon King himself, Han Kexin and her demonic army from Gloom City, and the dragon and ent legions.


    In terms of numbers, the imperial forces had a slight edge. However, whenparing the quality of the troops, the two sides were not even in the same league. Emperor Frelio XVI had nned tounch a surprise attack on the magitek fortress, aiming to destroy it and either kill or severely injure the Demon King. Achieving either of these objectives would have given the empire a decisive victory in this battle.


    However, from what could be seen, it was almost impossible for the empire to win. Emperor Frelio XVI had underestimated the Demon King''s formidable power, but he could notprehend why the future obtained by Prophet Primo using time magic had such a significant discrepancy. For a moment, the emperor considered several possibilities: Was there an error in the prophet''s predictions, or had the prophet tampered with something, or was there some other unknown variable at y?


    "This is impossible!" Hero Will eximed in disbelief. "Primo''s predictions are never wrong. Where did you alle from?"


    Zhang Nu remained silent, yet a burgeoning power surged from his body like raging waves and storm winds, sweeping across all directions and enveloping everyone present.


    Will felt the immense strength of this force, which simultaneously fused formidable elements of time and space. The field was still dominated by Emperor Frelio''s Sanctum of Valor Spirits, and the emperor had certainly locked down all categories of magicalws. Logically, magic should not have been possible in such an environment. The fact that Zhang Nu could use spells and unleash such powerful forces suggested only one possibility: he did not rely on externalws; he had mastered the principles of the power ofw himself.


    Such formidable temporal and spatial powers! This seemed to rify matters. Prophet Primo possessed powerful temporal abilities, and so did the Demon King, whose powers of time were even stronger than Primo''s.


    If so, just as Primo could use time magic to foresee the future, why couldn''t the Demon King use time magic to disrupt it? From the beginning, the Demon King might have been aware of Prophet Primo''s troublesome abilities, thus he secretly assembled and hid such a formidable force, then used special means to erase any trace of their appearance. This exined why Primo could not foresee these changes. If Primo had a fuller understanding of the Demon King''s strength, perhaps he would have been more cautious and careful.


    However, the Demon King had always been shrouded in mystery. No one knew the extent of the Demon King''s power, nor how many abilities he possessed. Under such circumstances, nasty surprises were unpreventable, which was why they found themselves in this predicament now."Retreat!" Emperor Frelio XVI decisively chose to withdraw.


    He knew that his side''s chances of winning were not great if the fight continued, but if they could retreat back to the imperial capital, relying on the geographical advantage and various preparations made earlier, they could at least ensure a mutually destructive oue.


    "You''ve alreadye all this way. Let''s not leave just yet!" Han Kexin spoke up. She unleashed her domain power, and at the same time, Grootroot and the demon monarchs from Gloom City also activated their domains.


    Among these demon monarchs, Han Qiuyue and Han Dongxue, were both Level 6 monarchs. The powerful domain forces from both sides shed, ultimately causing the entire space to be chaotic. Frelio''s domain quickly shrank,pressed to less than a hundred meters.


    "Your Majesty, we can''t retreat! We have no choice but to fight to the death!" Will remained quiteposed. He said to Emperor Frelio, "The biggest threat among these folks is the Demon King. With Your Majesty''s current strength and the power of the valor spirits, there is still a chance to win!"


    Hearing this, Emperor Frelio also recognized their current situation. If they chose to retreat blindly at this moment, it could lead them into an even more perilous state. Fortune favors the brave. The only option now was to fight head-on, as Hero Will said. Although the Demon King''s strength was unfathomably deep, the emperor had the home field advantage, inexhaustible power, and an almost immortal body. Under these circumstances, with the aid of fifteen ancestral spirits, if he could face the Demon King in a duel, there was still a chance to kill him.


    Emperor Frelio XVI immediatelymanded, "Distract the Demon King''s minions and create an opportunity for me!"


    "Yes!" Will and the others swiftly acknowledged themand. As Heroes, they understood that the death of the Demon King would instantly lead to the copse of his entire army, presenting the only viable opportunity.


    Will roared in a voice that was more beast than man. His cloak burst apart as his body expanded tenfold, his fur turning a golden color, interwoven with dazzling lightning.


    "The Demigod of the Wolves, Will?"


    "Unexpectedly, this Hero turns out to be the renowned Lycan God Will!"


    Since Will had always been at Primo''s side, much like his previous assistant Jason, no one had seen his true face or witnessed him acting on behalf of the empire, so his identity remained unknown.


    Once Will revealed his true form, Emperor Frelio XVI, Marquis Gabrin, and the Sunset Five Sword Saints, who were quite knowledgeable, immediately recognized him. Lycan God Will was an extraordinary figure among the werewolves, said to possess the bloodline of an ancient Lycan God, which endowed him with unique abilities, talents, and potential. He was believed to have lived for over eight hundred years.


    Who would have thought that such a powerful figure would turn out to be a Hero? However, the revtion of Will''s identity boosted the morale of the imperial side. Lycan God Will was a Level 6 mythic, but he was no ordinary mythic; he had several experiences of defeating peers, making him significantly stronger than most of his rank. With such a figure on their side, the empire''s chances of victory naturally increased.


    "Kill!" Lycan God Will transformed into a golden afterimage, bursting forth at speeds tens of times the speed of sound and instantly split into hundreds of mirages, rapidly attacking the Demon King''s forces. Several dragons were caught off guard and torn apart in midair by the hundreds of wolf mirages.


    Hundreds of golden werewolves quickly advanced towards the Demon King''s troops. The Demon King, clearly seen through the empire''s tactics, said dismissively, "This guy is yours to handle, can you manage?"


    "Leave it to me!" Han Kexin responded, and with a thought and a low shout,manded, "Come forth!"


    The next second, apanied by a loud phoenix cry, a huge golden phoenix soared into the sky. Zhang Nu looked on in surprise, as this phoenix possessed at least the strength of a Level 6 monarch, and was even nearing the mythic-ss.


    He remembered that it hadn''t been long since he had given Han Kexin the phoenix egg. How had she managed to grow the phoenix to such a size? It seemed likely that the phoenix egg inherently contained significant residual power, and Han Kexin had further elerated the phoenix''s growth by purchasing materials from the Demon King''s market.


    The golden fire phoenix then returned to Han Kexin, who merged with her pet beast. The subus wings transformed into a pair ofrger and more splendid phoenix wings, while her body was covered with armor made of phoenix divine fire.


    It should be noted that the Subus Queen already possessed the strength of a Level 6 mythic. Now, merged with the power of the phoenix, not only did she gain tremendous self-healing and regenerative abilities, but her strength was also significantly enhanced, making her even stronger than usual.


    The next second, Han Kexin instantly teleported in front of Will. With a p of her wings, countless mes, likesers, scattered across the sky, attacking the numerous mirages that quickly congregated back into one ce. Roaring, Will burst out with a roar and lunged at Han Kexin, who was mid-air. Han Kexin countered with a giant w condensed from phoenix divine fire. The two exchanged blows back and forth, each holding their own, making it hard to determine the superior fighter.


    At this time, the Demon King''s forces were also shing with the imperial troops, and the emperor himself faced off directly against the Demon King, creating a tumultuous disturbance that prevented other units, regardless of their allegiance, from getting close.


    After several exchanges with Han Kexin, Will, who excelled in closebat, gained a slight advantage, inflicting considerable damage on Han Kexin. However, having merged with the undying phoenix, her wounds instantly healed.


    "You are not just any ordinary ranked Demon Kings!" Will said gravely. "If I''m not mistaken, this Darkness City Demon King... is Zhang Nu, the number one on the Demon King leaderboard!"


    "It seems you do have some insight," Han Kexin, pping her huge phoenix wings, responded. "Now that you know his identity, surely you don''t think that an emperor, who relies on external powers, can defeat our faction''s top Demon King!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Hearing this, Will''s expression turned grim. How could the number one of the Demon King''s faction be easy to handle? Although Emperor Frelio was strong, it was still debatable whether he could win.


    "It seems I must quickly deal with this woman and then assist the emperor in killing the Demon King or stall for time until Primo joins the battle."


    Han Kexin sensed the murderous intent rising in Will. Sheughed, "I might not be as strong as him, but I''m certainly not no fodder, and more than enough to deal with you."


    "Know your ce!" Will, convinced of his superior strength from their brief encounter, was about to unleash his full power to take down Han Kexin. However, at that moment, he suddenly found himself unable to move.


    What''s going on? Will then noticed that numerous fine threads, which connected to his spirit and soul, had immobilized him.


    "I''ve never been one for head-on battles," Han Kexin said coldly. "While you were distracted just now, I had already set up and prepared. It''s toote for you now, you no longer stand a chance!"

 Chapter 312: Beginning Of The End Of Thunder Empire

    Chapter 312: Beginning Of The End Of Thunder Empire


    Zhang Nu and Emperor Frelio exchanged blows for dozens of rounds. What seemed like a long fight was actually just a blink of an eye. The emperor could clearly feel that the Demon King held an absolute advantage in sheer power. Even though both were at the level of a Level 6 legendary, the Demon King had continually enhanced his stats and mastered various new skills after reaching Level 6 legendary status, even absorbing the crystals of several top Heroes.


    The disparity in their raw strength was significant. In every aspect, the Demon King was an extremely terrifying entity, but the emperor also had his own advantages. First, he was fighting on home turf. He could continuously draw power from the temple and Hall of Valor, thus obtaining an almost inexhaustible supply of HP and MP recovery.


    Additionally, Emperor Frelio was equipped from head to toe, inside and out, with epic gear. Even a mere fodder, if d in such top-tier equipment, could exhibit considerablebat effectiveness, let alone the current Emperor Frelio. He could also summon the spirits of past emperors. These spirits were indestructible; as long as Emperor Frelio was alive and the empire''s temples remained intact, they could revive indefinitely, each possessing the strength of a Level 6 monarch.


    Thus, the actual gap between the two sides seemed not so vast. Emperor Frelio XVI believed that with his current capabilities, even when facing the great Demon King, he was fully capable of holding his own.


    However, before Emperor Frelio could contemte further, Zhang Nuunched an attack. He instantly gathered a Mind Qi and unleashed a fierce mental attack, stabbing a psychic sword directly into Frelio¡¯s psyche.


    -5000!


    This was a master technique of the Inner-Eye Sword School of the Sunset Empire. Frelio suffered significant damage and was also afflicted with severe psychic trauma, which theoretically should have left him dazed or weakened. However, a ne around Frelio¡¯s neck shed with light. All his abnormal mental conditions were removed, and simultaneously, his health rapidly restored to its peak state in the blink of an eye.


    "Hahaha! It''s impossible to defeat me in this state with your methods!" Emperor Frelio XVI was full of confidence. "Now, I am bolstered by the fortune of the entire empire, gathering the national spirit of the entire empire. What are youpared to that, thinking you can contend with me?"


    As he spoke, the various rings on Frelio¡¯s hands each released different energies. Layer uponyer of powerful enhancements and strengths continually enveloped him, substantially increasing his already formidable aura by nearly double.Indeed, he was difficult to handle. Zhang Nu noted that Frelio¡¯s equipment was far more extensive than expected. In addition to his highly defensive golden armor and extremely powerful crystal sword, Frelio''s cape, shoes, rings, ne, bracelets, and even his helmet were all enveloped with potent auras. That was to say, Emperor Frelio was adorned from head to toe. He wore dozens of pieces of gear, each of epic quality. Any one of these items was not inferior to Zhang Nu¡¯s Heart of Space in terms of quality, and the power and effects they could unleash were astonishing.


    These items epassed defense, attack, support, healing, and control. With the emperor naturally bolstered by the empire''s spirit, any damage or physical harm he received could rapidly heal, unless he could be killed in one blow. Otherwise, this man was nearly immortal. But how could a Level 6 legendary being, so terrifyingly powerful, possibly be killed in a single attack? No matter how one looks at it, it seems like a fairy tale!


    "I want to see what tricks you still have left!" Emperor Frelio roared furiously, and his fifteen spirit avatars charged simultaneously, swiftly surrounding Zhang Nu.


    "Fiery Heaven!"


    Zhang Nu activated an S-tier skill. A fierce explosion of fire instantly blew away the fifteen nearby spirits. However, the spirits were immortal. Despite being severely damaged and blown apart, they would soon recover.


    Zhang Nu teleported in front of Emperor Frelio, using a sword technique to condense a de of thunder and me, indestructible and further bolstered with Mind Qi, he swung it, creating a dense flurry of sword light.


    "It''s useless!"


    "You can''t kill me!"


    Emperor Frelio calmly released a defensive shield to block the attacks. As the attacksnded from all directions, he felt no threat or pressure.


    Such a feeble attack trying to kill him, the Emperor?


    "Hmph, has the Demon King run out of tricks?¡± But just as the Emperor was about to activate the effects of his epic gear, he was shocked to discover that his armor and various epic gears were unresponsive. "What''s going on? What have you done!"


    Emperor Frelio then realized that each of Zhang Nu''s sword strikes, though they did not break his defenses, released a subtle blood-red aura. This aura was not just any aura, but the corrupted blood emitted by the fragment of the Evil God known as the "Source of Corruption"!


    The effect of the corrupted was extremely powerful, and when a sufficient dose was umted, it could corrupt anything in the world. The barrage of attacks from Zhang Nu was actually a feint; during this process, arge amount of corrupted blood had coated the Emperor''s entire figure. While it had not yet prated the Emperor''s body, the epic gear enveloping him had been contaminated. Their functions ceased, rendering them as useless as mere iron.


    "Damn it!"


    Emperor Frelio realized the danger and quickly moved out of the Demon King''s attack range. He tried to cleanse the corrupted blood from his gear using his Qi and magic, but the contamination from the Evil God proved difficult to remove with conventional means.


    This left Emperor Frelio without his usual defenses.


    Zhang Nu seized the opportunity for an attack and wasted no time. The vertical eye on his forehead opened, unleashing the powers of the Eye of Death, the Eye of Dominion, and the Eye of Regeneration¡ªall strong forces of an Evil God manifested simultaneously.


    "Death Sacrifice!"


    Zhang Nu activated Death Sacrifice, converting all his HP into power. Normally, using such power would be nearly suicidal, but Zhang Nu, with his internal undying phoenix fire and the S-tier skill, Rebirth from within the mes, could restore himself to full condition. He continued to use Death Sacrifice and Rebirth from within the mes repeatedly. By leveraging the power of the Eye of Regeneration and the abundant phoenix fire, he repeatedly sacrificed his HP.


    After several cycles, the power Zhang Nu had umted was unimaginably immense. He concentrated all this immense power and energy into the vertical eye on his forehead, preparing for the attack.


    This next strike, amplified by at least five rounds of Death Sacrifice, was so potent that not only peers of the same level but even beings a rank higher or even aplete Evil God might struggle to withstand it. Although the attack had not yet struck, Emperor Frelio already sensed the danger. He instinctively wanted to flee but was immobilized by an overwhelmingly powerful psychic force that almost blotted out the sky, pinning him in ce.


    "Shit!!" Emperor Frelio XVI''s face turned pale with horror. Zhang Nu had neutralized the emperor''s equipment with corrupted blood, repeatedly amplified the power of his Death Sacrifice using the Eye of Regeneration, and then used the Eye of Dominion to control Emperor Frelio XVI.


    Finally, he activated the Eye of Death.


    Zhang Nu unleashed a "Death Gaze"!


    Emperor Frelio''s armor shattered instantly, and in terror, he shouted, "I am willing to negotiate! Stop!"


    Negotiate? It was toote! The Demon King had no need to negotiate with a defeated foe! Emperor Frelio was overwhelmed by the devastating power of the Evil God, which was after all Zhang Nu''s strongest single-target attack skill, especially after it had been boosted by so many rounds of HP sacrifice as the cost.


    -999999!


    Emperor Frelio''s HP pool was wiped out. Even in his wildest dreams, the emperor could not have imagined that after receiving the blessings of the empire''s fortune and the spirits of past emperors, he could still be killed, and the adversary had onlyunched one attack.


    "No!" In his screams, the emperor''s body irreversibly disintegrated. This famous, ambitious emperor of the empire cracked and ultimately turned to ashes, with no one able to stop this process.


    [You have in the Thunder Empire Emperor, Gold +17???!]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Thunder Emperor was dead. He died so swiftly, so decisively, without even a chance to resist. Remember, he was a Level 6 legendary being at the time! What does Level 6 legendary represent? It''s the standard of an emperor-level strength!


    The process of Zhang Nu defeating Emperor Frelio wasn''tplex. He could say he hardly exerted any effort in dealing with this adversary and he resolved the biggest enemy and threat to the Chaos Federation.


    With the emperor''s fall, the fate of the entire empire was approaching its end. The great Thunder Empire, from this moment, began to copse officially. This ce would soon be the first empire-level power to be conquered by the Demon King!"

 Chapter 313: Battle Of Time

    As Zhang Nu finished off Emperor Frelio, the battle involving Han Kexin was also nearing its end. Lycan God Will was a formidable figure, and if it were just about brute strength, even Han Kexin, fused with the phoenix, was no match for him. However, Han Kexin''s abilities in controlling psychic and soul proved to be the perfect counter to this type of opponent. When the straightforward, brawny Will faced the adept maniptor Han Kexin, his impressive speed, strength, and ability to fight with duplicates couldn''t be fully utilized. After a struggle, Will died frustratingly at Han Kexin''s hands. This was the first time Han Kexin had killed an adversary so high in level and ranking, providing her with invaluable experience.


    With the Emperor and the Hero, Will, gone, the mainbat forces of the empire had fallen. What impact could the remaining imperial elites and the five Sword Saints hope to make?


    In a state close to despair, Marquis Gabrin and the five Sword Saints, under the control of Han Kexin and the Ent King Grootroot, were quickly annihted by several powerful arcane incarnations summoned by the Great Demon King. As for the elite troops led by the emperor, though they were a highly trained unit, they stood no chance against hundreds of Level 5 and above demons, thousands of abyssal dragons, and thousands of high-level ents. It was nearly a clean sweep.


    "Everything unfolded nearly as you nned," Han Kexin remarked as she approached Zhang Nu. "This battle has turned out to be far less challenging than anticipated, and it seems the capital will fall much easier than we thought."


    Han Kexin could hardly believe it even now that the emperor had simply perished so suddenly. Indeed, if Emperor Frelio XVI had opted for caution, he could have remained safely within the capital. Supported by the empire''s multitude of powerhouses and the capital''s defenses and heritage, umted over thousands of years, it would have been exceedingly difficult for the Demon King to breach it swiftly.


    However, Emperor Frelio did not choose this safer route. Driven to annihte the Demon King''s forces and decisively break their power, he ventured to the front lines himself. Tragically, this aggressive move backfired, leading to his downfall.


    Zhang Nu cautioned, "We mustn''t let our guard down yet. The imperial army remains a formidable force, particrly with several hidden powerhouses among them."


    The capital is a massive city with a poption ranging from ten to twenty million. Even though Zhang Nu''s forces numbered around a million, controlling the capital without causing major upheaval would present a significant challenge, especially since the main body of the imperial army was still intact.


    Especially noteworthy was a Hero ranked in the top fifty---Prophet of Doom, Primo. Zhang Nu sensed that Primo was not merely a Level 7 mythic with innate time magic capabilities. His right eye, which harbored a fragment of an Evil God, significantly amplified his temporal abilities. This fragment was crucial; it was linked to the three fragments in Zhang Nu''s possession, originating from the Eight-Eyed Evil God. Specifically, it was one of the eyes, wielding and embodying the power of time---one of the most revered powers among the Eight-Eyed Evil God''s diverse abilities.This Eye of the Evil God could potentially be the most powerful and valuable fragment of the Eight-Eyed Evil God, and the most challenging to contend with. After ascending to Level 7, Prophet Primo likely awakened a portion of his godhood. This awakening enabled him to suppress the eye''s influence, preventing irreversible deformations and mutations to his body, though undoubtedly, Primo had not fully unleashed the eye''s power.


    Such an opponent could not be taken lightly, even by Zhang Nu. While Zhang Nu could sense the fragment of the Evil God within Primo, Primo could also detect the fragments within Zhang Nu. However, the lingering effects of the magical fog meant that even Primo could not discern the specifics of the ongoing battle.


    At that moment, Primo had a foreboding premonition. For someone of his caliber, proficient in time magic, such premonitions typically carried predictive power. He had never before experienced such an ominous feeling, which almost certainly indicated that something significant was urring. Just then, the fog was pierced. Hundreds of energy swords, condensed from thunder and me, shot towards him. These swords filled the space around Primo almost instantaneously.


    "What?!" Primo''s expression changed dramatically. As a Level 7 mage, he could acutely feel the terrifying and immense power concentrated within these thunder-me swords.


    "Damn it! What happened to Frelio?" In frustration, Primo swept his staff through the air, unleashing a surge of temporal energy that dramatically slowed the lightning-fast velocity of the energy swords.


    Following this, several S-rank spells erupted from Primo. Waves of energy, the antithesis of thunder and me, met the iing swords, instantly neutralizing this formidable force.


    "Has Frelio failed?" Primo wasn''t just a mighty prophet with the power of foresight; he was also an unfathomable Level 7 mage. With the fog that had been blocking his senses nowrgely dissipated, Primo was shocked to find that the auras of Frelio and Wil had eerily vanished.


    Something was amiss! Primo realized that the situation might have taken a turn beyond his foresight. Just as he was about to initiate a teleportation spell to escape the area, a powerful force field descended upon him while he was still dealing with the thunder-me swords, sealing the surrounding space and time.


    Amanding figure appeared before him. Primo spoke gravely, "It''s you! Demon King!"


    Although the two had never met, they could sense each other''s formidable presence. Primo even recognized several familiar Evil God auras emanating from Zhang Nu. Who else could it be but the Demon King?


    As Zhang Nu unleashed the formidable power of space-timews, he spoke calmly and leisurely, "Your eye is quite remarkable, but I believe I need it more than you do, so hand it over!"


    In the next instant, his space-time abilities transformed into a turbulent maelstrom. The space within a few thousand meters radius around Primo violently distorted, resembling an abstract painting. Primo''s expression darkened. He had anticipated the Demon King''s space-time capabilities to be strong, but not to this extent.


    "Time Freeze!" Primo immediately cast a powerful spell. Instantly, the space around him seemed to hit pause, halting everything in motion and turning the entire battlefield into a static backdrop.


    Zhang Nu was also affected by this force, but he countered by releasing his own time powers, which neutralized Primo''s efforts. The two were locked in a standoff for several minutes. Although there appeared to be no change, the battle was intensely fierce.


    Primo said solemnly, "Your mastery of time is indeed greater than mine. Without this Eye of Time, I indeed could not win against you. But in the presence of this eye, you too have no chance of defeating me!"


    During the conversation, Primo''s silver right eye unleashed power magnified tenfold, significantly boosting his time magic by dozens or even hundreds of times. This sudden surge allowed him to gain a clear advantage in the sh of time powers against Zhang Nu.


    From the outside, it seemed that Primo''s burst of power was overwhelming. The Demon King seemed destined to be subdued by the force of time, which would likely decide the oue of their battle. However, to Primo''s surprise, although he momentarily surpassed his opponent with his burst of time power, Zhang Nu, bathing in the torrent of time, remained unaffected and kept his normal state.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "What''s going on?" asked Primo with a grim expression.


    Zhang Nu smiled and replied, "I am the Void Overlord, able to easily resist the forces of space and time. Your power cannot affect me."


    It was known that Zhang Nu inherently possessed high resistance to space-time. If he activated his Time Dragon form, he could navigate through any distorted or chaotic space-time. Ever since activating the Void Overlord talent, Zhang Nu had been able to easily counter abnormal space-time effects, even those generated by the power of the Evil God''s Eye, making it exceedingly difficult for Primo to truly impact him.


    "ying with time in front of me?" Zhang Nu taunted with a sneer as he began to gather his power.


    Despite being shocked that Zhang Nu could ignore the abnormal changes in space-time, Primo was still confident in his ability to at least protect himself with such power, if not defeat the Demon King. However, at that moment, Zhang Nu made his move. He fully unleashed the power of the Eye of Domination, forming a powerful psychic sword Qi that shed down with unexpected speed.


    "What... a psychic attack!" Primo''s face showed utter horror.


    He feared no form of physical attack, whether it be elemental forces like wind, fire, water, earth, or even light, dark, and thunder, as all such attacks would be influenced by the flow of time around him. But psychic attacks were different! They had no trajectory to follow and were almost instantaneous, striking Primo directly!


    Blood streamed from Primo''s every orifice. Before he could even plead, another round of the Demon King''s assault descended upon him. After a dozen rounds, the Demon King thoroughly overpowered the Hero. In a final, despairing gaze, Primo was struck by a breath infused with corrupted blood, rendering him momentarily silent. In the next instance, bolts of hellish lightning struck, decisively ending the battle.


    [You''ve in a Level 7 Hero, Skill stone +8, Mythic crystal +1, Hero leaderboard chest +1!]


    As the fog cleared, everyone realized that the situation had spiraledpletely out of control. The Emperor was dead, as were the Heroes Primo and Wil... Over a dozen beings, each at least a Level 6 monarch, had been utterly defeated by the Demon King in one fell swoop!


    "It''s over! All is lost!"


    "The empire is on the brink of copse!"


    "We can no longer stand against the Demon King!"

 Chapter 314: Conclusion of Campaign

    Chapter 314: Conclusion of Campaign


    At the moment of Prophet Primo''s death, a powerful energy burst from his body. A silver light shot forth, none other than Primo''s Eye of the Evil God. The eye, seemingly reactivated, attempted to escape amidst the chaos as Primo fell. Each fragment of an Evil God could awaken its own consciousness, and this eye, sensing the overwhelming power of the Demon King and realizing it could not reim the three fragments from him, chose to flee to preserve itself.


    "Escaping?" Zhang Nu scoffed coldly. With a gesture, he extended his hand, and his domain power immediately enveloped the area, trapping the Eye of the Evil God in midair with the forces of time and space. Despite the eye''s formidable power, equivalent to a Level 6 or 7 monarch on its own, such strength posed no threat to Zhang Nu.


    After trapping the Eye of the Evil God, Zhang Nu immediately unleashed a "Death Gaze" upon it. The silver eye was instantly covered in dense cracks that quickly spread. With a loud bang, the eye shattered into pieces. However, its divine nature of immortality manifested, and the shattered fragments reformed into the shape of an eyeball, albeit now inactive, resembling a silver crystal.


    Zhang Nu grasped it in his hand.


    [Eye of Time] A fragment of the ancient Eight-Eyed Evil God, with each eye embodying a distinct power of the Evil God---this one representing time.


    As expected, this eye was indeed one of the fragments of the Eight-Eyed Evil God. Without hesitation, Zhang Nu absorbed the fragment:


    [Evil God fragment assimtion sess!]


    [Maximum MP +8000!]


    [You''ve gained a new talent: Eye of Time!]


    [ Your "Eye of Time" has resonated with "Eye of Death", "Eye of Domination", and "Eye of Regeneration", all four eyes of Evil God''s strength +50%, Evil God''s power +100%, maximum HP +12000, maximum MP +12000, all stats +500!]


    This fourth eye fusion, due to their shared origin, caused all the Evil God Eyes to resonate, further enhancing their powers and significantly boosting Zhang Nu''s attributes, markedly elevating the Demon King''s strength once more.


    With his current power level, even among Level 6 legendaries, Zhang Nu stood as one of the absolute strongest. After his breakthrough to Level 6, not only had he absorbed the power of multiple Heroes and activated the Level 6 talent "Void Overlord," but he also possessed talents from half of the Eight-Eyed Evil God, making his innate power unmatched. In this condition, he was invincible among his peers, even against other legendary beings.


    Upon opening the treasure chest obtained from the in Prophet of Doom, Primo, Zhang Nu was astounded. Previously, the strongest heroes he had faced were only ranked around the top 500, such as Satoru Sato and Jason. However, Primo was ranked within the top 50.


    [You''ve opened a Hero treasure chest. You''ve gained "Prophet of Doom Crystal" x1, "Level 7 Souls" x150, "Thirteen Elemental Gems" x120,000 each!]


    Upon seeing the rewards, Zhang Nu was taken aback. Primo, being a Level 7 mythic entity, naturally dropped a Level 7 Hero''s soul. Unexpectedly, aside from Primo''s own soul, the Hero leaderboard chest also yielded an astonishing 150 Level 7 souls! Level 7 souls are incredibly rare and highly sought after. Not many in the realm of the Demon King could im ess to such high-quality souls. The quality of these souls transcends mere offerings, making this find exceptionally remarkable.


    As for the "Prophet of Doom Crystal"? It is a crystal infused with the power of a Hero. Zhang Nu used it immediately without hesitation.


    [You have absorbed the "Prophet of Doom Crystal", HP +8000, MP +20000, Agility +500, Strength +800, Constitution +500, Will +3000. You''ve gained a SS-rank Prophet''s Legacy!]


    Compared to previous crystals he had absorbed, the power from Primo''s crystal was significantly stronger. Zhang Nu not only gained a huge boost in stats but was also pleasantly surprised to acquire Primo''s main magical skills through the SS-rank "Prophet''s Legacy." This included several S-rank skills, dozens of A-rank skills, and hundreds of B-rank or lower skills. Given Zhang Nu''s current MP pool and magical capabilities, even if he were to rely solely on magical attacks inbat, there would be few in the world capable of standing against him.


    After the deaths of the emperor and the Prophet of Doom, the battle''s oue was no longer in doubt. The Demon King''s army, unstoppable and supported by a session of powerhouses from the Chaos Federation, effortlessly overwhelmed the Eclipse Knights of the Sunset Empire under the fury of the Abyssal Dragon Legion.


    Despite the vast scale of the war, despite persistent resistance from some imperial hardliners, and despite numerous unexpected events during the battle, the oue was inevitable. With the Citadel of Eternity''s overwhelming firepower and thebined efforts of the Dragon and Ent Legions, the imperial defenses finally copsed after two days and nights of fighting. The Demon King''s forces officially took control of the capital, securing every district and beginning the work of offering clemency and managing post-war efforts.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Gaining the allegiance of the capital''s popce was no easy task due to their deep-seated sense of imperial honor and belonging. Long-term imperial propaganda had instilled a strongly negative view of the Chaos Federation, leading to significant resistance.


    Ultimately, Han Kexin stepped forward. Using her power of Permanent Charm, she took control of the empire''s highly revered Chief Priest. His prominent status in the capital meant that when he called on the people to cease their resistance and embrace the new era, it attracted widespread attention and significantly shifted public sentiment. More and more citizens had chosen to surrender to His Majesty the Demon King. Once a significant number of citizens had defected, a notification prompted the Demon King.


    [You''ve conquered the Thunder Imperial City, and received "Shining Lunar Diamond Chest" x1!]


    Zhang Nu received the notification and could finally breathe a sigh of relief. The message signified the sessful conclusion of the campaign, with the Demon King''s forces firmly in control of the imperial capital."

 Chapter 315: Radiant Church

    Chapter 315: Radiant Church


    In the center of the continent, there was a vast region known as the "ins of Holy Light." These ins were not under the jurisdiction of any national power. However, the entities that resided here were as formidable as those of an imperial power, and in terms of influence, they even surpassed many imperial powers.


    The reason was simple. The headquarters of the Radiant Church was located on the ins of Holy Light. The Radiant Church was thergest known church in the world, with influence spanning over a hundred regions and nearly ten billion followers. Though it had not established a nation, it profoundly impacted the world.


    At the heart of the ins was a ce known as the City of Holy Light. The City of Holy Light was the central hub of the Radiant Church and one of the most mysterious and unfathomable ces in the world. For any devout follower of the Radiant Church, the greatest lifetime achievement was to make a pilgrimage to this holy city.


    At that moment, in a majestic underground temple in the city, the space was filled with a nearly tangible energy of light elements, illuminating every corner so brightly that even without a single candle lit, the space was brighter than daylight, as if enveloped under a giant invisiblemp.


    A simply dressed elder, appearing unremarkable and around seventy years old, was sitting cross-legged at the center of the temple. In front of him stood a massive statue, resembling thousands of serpents coiling around a giant transparent crystal. At that moment, this crystal was gathering and containing a tremendous, terrifying energy.


    This crystal was no ordinary crystal. It was the Heart of Holy Light, the most sacred relic of the Radiant Church. The power umted inside the Heart of Holy Light was the collective faith transmitted by the prayers and sacrifices of billions, perhaps even more, of the church''s followers. Over thousands of years, the strength of this power had grown beyond mortalprehension. It was the Radiant Church''s strongest trump card, and in the face of this force, any known mighty being on this world would seem insignificant.


    Lucas Crest, the former Pope of the Radiant Church, was meditating in front of the Heart of Holy Light. Although Lucas had stepped down from his role as Pope, he still wielded significant influence within the Radiant Church. After all, even the current Pope was merely one of his disciples.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Teacher!"


    At that moment, a melodious yet solemn voice was heard. Apanied by a swath of light, a graceful figure in white appeared behind Lucas. This was a woman whose age was difficult to discern; her figure and skin were indistinguishable from that of a young girl, yet her demeanor was profoundly dignified and majestic. She was dressed in a golden papal robe and held the Staff of Radiance. Her attire and the legendary item in her hand clearly indicated her identity.


    Saint Delores, the current Pope of the Radiant Church. Delores''s mentor was Lucas, the former Pope standing before her. Although Delores had assumed the papacy five years ago, she had not fully taken over all the church''s duties and often consulted her legendary predecessor on various matters.


    Lucas Crest slowly opened his eyes. "Your Holiness visiting personally suggests something significant has urred. Speak," he said.


    Saint Delores responded calmly, "The capital of the Thunder Empire has been breached. From the information we''ve gathered, it was not another nation but a powerful Demon King who has captured the city."


    "A Demon King?" Lucas''s face showed a rare ripple of surprise and concern. "An empire has fallen to the expansion of a Demon King so quickly? It appears the growth and danger posed by this Demon King are much greater than I had anticipated."


    Saint Delores added, "One of our Bishops also fell previously in battle against this Demon King. Now that he is about to conquer an empire, his power will grow unprecedentedly strong, potentially disrupting the global bnce of power fundamentally."


    Lucas stated calmly, "Understood. I shall personally intervene to gauge the true extent of this Demon King''s power... You have only recently assumed the papacy, and your immediate priority should be to establish your authority. The ability of this Demon King to directly seize an imperial capital city underlines the severity of the threat. All forces across the continent will surely feel endangered."


    "Are you suggesting I confront this Demon King myself?" asked Delores.


    "No," Lucas replied, "this Demon King is not as easily handled as you might think. I must take action myself. Your role will be to support me."


    Delores always felt that her teacher had changed significantly in recent times. Unbeknownst to her, her mentor, the legendary Pope Lucas, had actually be a Hero ranked seventh on the Heroes Leaderboard. Each of the top ten on this leaderboard possessed at least Level 7 legendary strength, with rtively narrow gaps between them. Lucas was undoubtedly among the apex of this era''s power hierarchy.


    Such was the reason why ordinary Demon Kings rarely caught his attention. However, this particr Demon King had be too prominent. His existence threatened not only Lucas but the bnce of the entire continent. As the ultimate power behind the Radiant Church, such a threat was intolerable and had to be eliminated.


    ......


    Meanwhile, in the capital of the Thunder Empire, after a brief period of turmoil and chaos, the city eventually settled down smoothly. The Demon King and his allied legions sessfully took control of the area. Though they had sessfully captured the capital, signaling the empire''s irreversible decline, Zhang Nu remained vignt. So far, the Chaos Federation had only secured the southern territories and the capital.


    Zhang Nu was aware that the empire still had intact forces in the north, and despite the deaths of the Guardian Dukes protecting the east and west, these regions still retained considerable strength. Additionally, the empire maintained millions of troops and numerous military fortresses across various locations. For a Demon King, the sheer size of an empire-level power was immense. Even someone as powerful as Zhang Nu would struggle to digest such a massive "piece of meat" quickly, potentially leading to internal strife and consumption issues.


    Zhang Nu''s n was straightforward. While strengthening his control over the capital and the southern territories, he also intended to find a suitable and prestigious figure to support as the new emperor of the empire. However, this new emperor would need to remain under the control of the Great Demon King. This approach would stabilize the situation as quickly as possible.


    Zhang Nu opened the conquest chest.


    [You''ve opened the Lunar Diamond Chest. You''ve gained "Gold" x10 billion, "Blueprint: Supreme Imperial Treasury" x1, "Blueprint: Supreme Imperial Barracks" x1, "Level 5 Special Building Upgrade Scroll" x10, and "Thirteen Elemental Gems" x500,000 each!]


    This chest was obtained from capturing the capital. The sheer amount of gold alone was an astonishing ten billion, and the two blueprints received were also extremely rare Level 6 special building designs. The rewards also included Level 5 special building upgrade scrolls and a significant amount of gems.


    However, Zhang Nu knew that while the numbers seemedrge, they were far from the total gain from this conquest. The city beneath his feet was the heart and brain of the empire, having umted thousands of years of imperial heritage. Whether it was the imperial pce treasury or the nobles'' wealth in the capital, there was an immense fortune to be had.


    If plundered thoroughly, wouldn''t the Dragon Legion''s resources reach the skies? Zhang Nu was well aware that with his sessful campaign against the empire, his identity and power could no longer be concealed. He must swiftly enhance his strength and influence to secure a powerful means of self-protection."

 Chapter 316: Ice Queen of the North

    Chapter 316: Ice Queen of the North


    The northern border of the Thunder Empire was characterized by its snowy mountains and high teaus. The snow here never melted, even after tens of thousands of years, making it appear inhospitable and scarcely popted at first nce. However, the reality was different.


    The northern territory was rich in natural resources, especially gold, crystals, and gems. These resources alone made the northern border just as prosperous as the other three territories. Moreover, the Duke of the North held an advantage that the other ducal territories did not.


    The current Duke of the North, known as the Ice Queen, Ophelia Frelio, shared the same lineage with the emperor---both were Frelios, not coincidentally. Historically, the northern Frelio family and the imperial Frelio family were one and the same thousands of years ago but split apart. Today, the northern branch was effectively a cadet branch of the royal family, with Emperor Frelio essentially being Duke Ophelia''s kinsman.


    This rtionship and shared heritage made the northern family the most stable and esteemed among the four ducal families and the most powerful in the empire. How powerful was the North? To put it in perspective, thebined strength of the South, East, and West---each led by a Guardian Grand Duke---was required to barely match the North. With only two Guardian Dukes, they would not have been enough to challenge the North.


    This was the strength of the North. Duke Ophelia''s talents wereparable to those of Emperor Frelio XVI, possessing the strength of a Level 6 monarch; the dukes of the other territories simply could not match her. Thus, Duke Ophelia held a very high position within the empire, and her nickname, "Ice Queen," was well-earned. In the north, shemanded as much authority as a king, and even the emperor himself would have found it difficult to intervene in northern affairs.


    "Duke! It''s bad! We have verified the news!"


    "The imperial capital has indeed been attacked by the Demon King''s forces and has fallen!"


    "The status of Emperor Frelio and the others is unknown, but judging from the informationing through various channels, the prospects seem grim."


    In the great hall of the Duke of the North, six marquises, thirty counts, and hundreds of lower nobility such as viscounts and barons, along with numerous northern government officials, had all gathered. Anxiety and heaviness marked every face present.


    Regarding the Demon King, those assembled were not unfamiliar. The territories of these feudal lords had not been free of the Demon King''s presence. However, it was unimaginable that in the distant southern territories of the empire, a Demon King could grow strong enough to conquer the entire south and even the great imperial capital. It was too incredible to believe. Everyone was unable to ept this reality. The atmosphere in the room immediately turned deathly silent.


    Duke Ophelia broke the silence, her voice cold: "With both the imperial capital and the south fallen, the situation in the empire is as precarious as a pile of eggs. What do you suggest we do next?"


    The nobles looked at each other, unsure.


    At that moment, amanding general stood up and said, "Mydy, I suggest we immediately establishmunication with the nobles and armies of the central and northeastern regions of the empire to form arge force capable of resisting the Demon King."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This suggestion was immediately met with opposition.


    An elderly marquis with white hair stood up: "It''s impractical! Impractical! Even if we disregard the Duke Bachor of the south''s oue, as far as I know, His Majesty did not underestimate the enemy. He sought reinforcements from all quarters and even invoked the power of the Hall of Valor. Despite these efforts, they still suffered a devastating defeat. The situation is essentially decided..."


    The general retorted angrily, "Are we to betray the empire and submit to a Demon King?"


    Just then, another voice chimed in. "I also think that mobilizing troops rashly is too reckless," a middle-aged nobleman stepped forward. He was somewhat portly and unassuming in appearance, yet he was the well-known Marquis rence. Marquis rence, not yet forty, was reputed to be the second most powerful noble in the north, right after Duke Ophelia.


    Ambitious as always, he had long sought to leverage Ophelia''s status and lineage for his own and his family''s greater benefit and power. Indeed, if not for Ophelia''s unique position, rence might even have tried to secure the duke herself. By doing so, he could gain not only the most beautiful and powerful woman in the empire but also secure the Frelio family''s rights and power in the north.


    Now, with the royal family in decline and the empire in turmoil, rence saw an opportunity. He exined, "It''s almost impossible for us to change our fate by ourselves, even the Emperor himself has unfortunately perished for his country. The empire''s weakening or even temporary decline is inevitable. What we need to do is not to stop the disaster, but focus on preserving the lineage and heritage of the empire!"


    "Remember, the duke also has royal blood. Even if the royal family in the capital is exterminated by the Demon King, there is still hope to reestablish the empire as long as we remain."


    "So, we should neither surrender nor resist recklessly. We should seal off the north and have the duke dere herself the seventeenth emperor."


    Hearing this, everyone was astonished. But upon reflection, it seemed like a viable n. Debates ensued about fighting back, allying, or dering independence, as everyone calcted their own interests, only Ophelia, sitting on the ducal throne, furrowed her brows. She was unable to decide for the moment. Her intuition told her that this Demon King was extraordinary. Her subordinates often seemed too short-sighted. They might not truly realize the Demon King''s strength.


    Before Ophelia could make a final decision, the ducal hall was suddenly swept by a furious wind, and a terrifying presence and oppressive force, like a storm conjured from thin air, descended abruptly among everyone.


    "Such formidable pressure!"


    Everyone was forced back, their faces filled with horror. Some of the less powerful nobles and guards instantly lost consciousness and fell to the ground, incapacitated.


    Ophelia rose from her seat, surrounded by a powerful and nimble aura of frost. She sternly said, "Dragon fear? It''s the Demon King!"


    The remaining conscious nobles and officials of the north regained theirposure. When they looked intently ahead, they saw a figure d in dark golden scales, radiating a mysterious aura, filled with majesty and dominance, boldly making an unhidden appearance in the center of the hall.


    It was none other than the Demon King himself, Zhang Nu.


    Zhang Nu hade alone. He could sense that there were several Level 6 entities present, including at least four of monarch-level strength, which was indeed formidable. Certainly, the Bachor Duchy of the South did not possess such mighty force. Nevertheless, even such forces were of little concern to him. With his current strength and condition, Zhang Nu did not regard these figures as a significant threat.


    The Demon King''s gaze fell directly on the Duke of the North, "Greetings, I am the founder of the Chaos Federation, the lord of Darkness City, the conqueror of the empire, also known as the Demon King by your ounts."


    At these words, everyone present was shocked. Who could have imagined the Demon King would be so bold as to appear directly in the heart of the north? How did he manage to break in? The capital city of the north had strict spatial restrictions; spatial magic was supposedly unusable here, yet the Demon King had clearly used spatial methods to arrive. It was unbelievable, inconceivable. The capabilities of the Demon King likely far exceeded what anyone could imagine.


    Ophelia, feeling immense pressure, nheless maintained herposure as a duchess and did not show fear, but instead challenged, "Do you intend to take us all on by yourself?"


    "No, that''s not my intention. If I wanted to destroy you, I wouldn''t need to personally act." the Demon King dered, his arrogance reaching an extreme. He didn''t regard the imperial forces of the north as a threat at all.


    He continued, "The reason I''vee here, traveling thousands of miles, is simply to invite you to work for me."


    Ophelia scoffed, "Invite me? What could I possibly do for you? What task is so significant that it would require my personal involvement?"


    The Demon King exined, "I want you to go to the imperial capital, dere your ession, and be the seventeenth Emperor of the Thunder Empire."


    Upon hearing this, everyone in the room was stunned into silence. The Demon King hade all this way with a fearsome presence, just to invite the Duke of the North to the capital to be the emperor? This was indeed a lot to process all at once.

 Chapter 317: Show Of Strength

    Chapter 317: Show Of Strength


    Everyone present was no fool. After the death of Emperor Frelio XVI, it was certain that the direct descendants of the imperial family had been purged by the Demon King''s forces. For the Demon King, although he had sessfully conquered the empire, maintaining control was more challenging than obtaining it. The empire was vast, with a poption of a billion and countless cities and provinces.


    With the limited manpower of the Chaos Federation and the Demon King''s own limited forces, it was unlikely they could control such arge area effectively. Direct rule by the Demon King would only lead to widespread fear among local authorities and citizens, ultimately causing social order to copse and significant poption loss.


    Supporting a new emperor was the best solution. The new emperor needed to be someone capable of exerting considerable influence throughout the empire to reassure the citizens and ensure loyalty to the central authority. The Demon King merely needed to control this emperor to govern the entire empire, and currently, the only suitable candidate for this position was the duchess of the north.


    This was the main reason why the Demon King had personally appeared here. Ophelia scoffed, "Don''t be deluded. I, Ophelia Frelio, the Duke of the North, will never submit orpromise to the enemies of the empire."


    Her outright refusal was expected. How could the proud Grand Duke of the North so easily relinquish her dignity and be a puppet controlled by the Chaos Federation? For someone of her noble heritage, honor is often more important than life itself.


    "I hope you understand that you don''t really have a choice. After all, I''m not here to ask for opinions." The Demon King said calmly, "You can gracefully be an empress, but if you refuse dignity, then I''ll help you achieve it."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Such arrogance. Even if the Demon King was powerful, it was incredibly insulting to so brazenly challenge the entire Northern elite with just his own presence.


    "Don''t waste words with him! He''s only one man! If we all work together, we can certainly defeat him!"


    Marquis rence, impatient to act first, valued Duchess Ophelia as an important asset. If she were taken by the Demon King and set up as a puppet empress, not only would he lose a valuable asset, but the entire North would fall into the hands of the Demon King. What would be left for him then? This was utterly uneptable!It wasn''t just the marquis who found this uneptable. All the nobles present, all the beneficiaries of the old imperial order, could not ept such an oue. So the only opportunity seemed to be to strike, despite knowing the Demon King''s inconceivable strength.


    "Blizzard Domain!"


    Marquis rence unleashed his domain power. Suddenly, the environment around Zhang Nu turned into a raging snowstorm, as if a traveler was caught in a blizzard, rapidly draining away all warmth.


    "Interesting, a mere marquis with the strength of a Level 6 monarch?"


    Within the southern, eastern and western regions of the empire, although it was possible to find such supreme powerhouses like the Mage King, Halyfax among themon folk, officially there were only three Level 6 monarchs which were the dukes. In the north, apart from Duchess Ophelia herself, there were other Level 6 monarch units among the feudal nobles, a fact that alone demonstrated the northern region''s significantly greater strengthpared to the other three regions. Of course, a mere Level 6 monarch like rence was far inferior in strength to Bachor. The possibility of him posing a threat to Zhang Nu was virtually nonexistent.


    The next second, the blizzard suddenly dissipated. rence''s domain copsed, not because it was overridden by a stronger one, but because it was simply shattered. rence''s face was filled with horror. There was only one possibility for such an urrence! The opponent had established a sanctuary, overpowering his domain at the fundamental level of strength, indicative of at least an mythic entity.


    "What''s going on!" rence found himself unable to move.


    Every inch of space around him had be hundreds of times more solid than steel, trapping him firmly in ce. Not only rence, but all the high-ranking officials and nobles present found themselves locked in this spatial containment, unable to escape while also experiencing a hundredfold discrepancy in the flow of time.


    From the Demon King''s body, a thick cloud of blood-red mist was released. This mist, enhanced with the corrupted blood and mind Qi, instantly swept through the entire hall, injecting itself into everyone''s bodies and minds. Affected by the corrupting blood, their equipment''s properties were neutralized, their physical strength diminished, and their magical abilities rendered unusable, making it even harder for them to escape their predicament.


    Simultaneously, within the sanctuary, countless snakes, insects, rats, and scorpions surged out like a fountain or a tide, swarming over rence almost instantly under a hundredfold time eleration. This ability, which Zhang Nu had acquired from the Fallen Druid Jason''s Pestilence Sanctuary, allowed him to summon various dreadful gues and pestilential species to spread disease or inflict damage.


    Amidst horrific screams, the marquis was rapidly gnawed down to a skeleton. His power was meaningless before Zhang Nu. Under the dual control of the corrupted blood and spatial confinement, facing the swarm elerated a hundred times, he couldn''t react in time.


    Thus, a powerful Level 6 monarch perished so casually. During this process, other people present also met simr fates. The Demon King had dominated all the high-level figures present without ever moving a muscle, not even lifting a finger, simply suppressing them with his domain and other mysterious powers.


    "Are you sure you want to fight me?" the Demon King asked, and the duchess fell silent in response.


    She could clearly sense the immense temporal and spatial forces surrounding them; everyone else was trapped in a painfully slow temporal field. It was unimaginable that someone could create such a massive time dtion, affecting so many people over such a wide area. In such a scenario, even if the Demon King were to sit down and sip tea, it would seem like only a second or two had passed from the opponent''s perspective---apletely asymmetrical battle.


    Although she did not respond, the duchess summoned a crystal-clear ice spear. This was the Icebreaker War Spear, an epic weapon passed down through generations in the northern duchy, powerful both as a weapon and as a staff, particrly suited to a spellde like Ophelia.


    Zhang Nu chuckled, "Commendable courage!"


    As he spoke, he reached out his hand, and thunder and me wildly converged in his palm, eventually forming a nearly tangible thunderme magic sword. Ophelia was once again deeply shaken. The Demon King had not equipped any physical weapon; he had merely summoned special energy with his mana and used a unique martial technique to solidify this energy into a weapon.


    However, the Thunderme Magic Sword in the Demon King''s hands was not only infused with energy rivaling that of epic-grade equipment, but it was also bolstered by mind Qi, formless sword Qi, and corrupted blood among other enchantments. Effectively, the weapon the Demon King casually conjured surpassed the power and effects of most epic-grade weapons in the world.


    Before Ophelia could formte a response strategy, the Demon King casually swung his sword through the air. Yet, the de cleaved through space, appearing instantly in front of her.


    "What?!" Ophelia was horrified! The seemingly casual sh by the Demon King had incorporated spatial abilities, meaning that once he locked onto her, no matter her position, direction, or posture, his sword would inevitably strike her. What mastery of space was this?


    Ophelia gritted her teeth and blocked the de. The next second, a mountainous force was unleashed from the de,bining the destructive power of thunder and me with the pervasive corruption of the vile blood.


    After enduring for about three seconds, Ophelia screamed and was flung backward. When she looked up, the Demon King had already teleported in front of her, casting a towering and massive shadow over her, filling her with unprecedented despair. Never in her lifetime did this proud Grand Duchess, Ophelia, have encountered a being as powerful as the Demon King. Even a mere casual strike from him was more than she could handle; his strength surpassedmon understanding and seemed almost divine!


    "Game over!" Zhang Nu grasped her as effortlessly as an adult picking up a chick,pletely overpowering the Grand Duchess who had no ability to resist.


    They were not on the same level! To the current Zhang Nu, the notion of monarch held little significance; such beings could not pose any threat to him."

 Chapter 318: Integration of Thunder Empire

    Chapter 318: Integration of Thunder Empire


    The Phipps family was one of thergestmercial dynasties in the Thunder Empire, owning the empire''srgest bank, winery, and ntations, while also being involved in transportation and the mercenary business. The family''s fixed assets amounted to tens of billions of gold coins. The dynasty had persisted for five hundred years.


    The current head of the family was a sixty-year-old named Morgan Phipps, who had once been awarded a baronial honor by the empire for his substantial charitable donations, and he was ambitiously nning to take his family to greater heights.


    However, fate had other ns. Morgan could never have imagined that the vast empire, which was enjoying a prosperous and stable phase, steadily growing stronger with aspirations to expand its territories, could copse so suddenly. Morgan had seen Emperor Frelio''s ambition to annex nearby kingdoms and even the surroundingnds of the empire itself and had hoped to strategically position his family to profit from these developments.


    Unexpectedly, the great empire fell apart. This happened so swiftly that Morgan had no time to react. With the Phipps family''s extensive business andplex industrial ties, it wasn''t something that could be easily dismantled overnight.


    What now? The empire was ruined, yet not entirely. The territories under the Demon King''s control constituted less than one-fifth of the entire empire, meaning that the vast majority of the poption and cities were still unupied by his forces. One could imagine that these areas, whether popted by civilians or officials and nobility, were falling into unprecedented panic, and a major copse and mass exodus were inevitable.


    It wouldn''t take long for the news that the Emperor had been killed, the imperial capital had fallen, and the imperial army had been utterly defeated to spread throughout the empire like wildfire. Within as little as ten days or as long as a month, an unprecedented wave of panic and escape would engulf the empire, with at least half of the empire''s poption trying to flee before the Demon King could gain control over their area. Once this trend of copse took shape, the disintegration of the empire was inevitable. The region would struggle to unify again for the next twenty years, with orderpletely disrupted, making business almost impossible.


    Old Morgan also felt despair. He thought about making a drastic decision to abandon all of the family''s fixed assets, umted over five hundred years, and take only a portion of the assets to seek refuge in another empire, away from the fearsome power of the great Demon King.


    However, the problem was that the Demon King''s minions had already taken control of the imperial capital. Some tried to bribe them for a chance to escape, but these minions were fanatically loyal to the Demon King and almost none of them wavered in the face of lucrative offers, which was truly astonishing.


    What to do? Old Morgan was already overwhelmed with headaches when suddenly his son, young Phipps, rushed in."Father!" he eximed, "Something big has happened!"


    Morgan, already weary, felt his face fall further. "Another twist in the situation? I''d like to see how much worse this can possibly get!"


    Th young Phipps quickly replied, "Father, this might not be bad news. We''ve received word that the Northern Guardian Duke, Ophelia, has recently arrived in the imperial capital. She has dered that she will ascend to the throne as the seventeenth emperor of the empire."


    "What?" Morgan was shocked.


    With three of the empire''s four Guardian Dukes dead, and the imperial capital''s Emperor, prime minister, and minister of the military, among other top aristocratic authorities,pletely eradicated, if there was anyone left who could stabilize the situation, it would only be this remaining Guardian Duke.


    No one expected that, under the circumstances of the Demon King''s upation of the imperial capital, Duchess Ophelia would return and announce to the nation her intention to take the throne. By lineage and status, Ophelia indeed was the only one currently qualified and capable of inheriting the imperial throne. But the question was, how could the Demon King allow this?


    Eagerly, Old Morgan asked, "What was the Demon King''s reaction?"


    His son quickly responded, "After Lady Ophelia announced her ascension as the seventeenth emperor, she also dered that she would start peace talks with the Chaos Federation, aiming to resolve the conflict without further violence and ensure the safety of the people."


    Upon hearing this, Morgan finally understood. There seemed to be two possibilities.


    The first possibility was that the northern duke, Ophelia had calcted her moves: she had colluded with the southern Demon King to eliminate the legitimate lineage of the Frelio royal family to ascend to the throne herself. This was all a maneuver for power in the battle for the imperial crown. The second possibility was that the Demon King had actively invited Ophelia to be the emperor, aiming to stabilize the popce by supporting such a puppet empress to prevent a major copse and ensure order, thus better controlling the empire.


    However, both possibilities had issues. Ophelia teaming up with the Demon King could indeed resolve the situation in the imperial capital. But would she not fear the possibility of inviting a wolf into her own house? After all, the Demon King had defeated the dukes of three territories. This theory seemed imusible.


    The second possibility seemed more reasonable. But the Duke of the northern territory was famously proud; how could she willingly be a puppet empress? Moreover, Ophelia held significant prestige in the empire, and while her bing empress could stabilize the situation, she would not be easily controlled.


    Although unsure of the exact circumstances, any stabilization of the empire was good news. Ophelia''s announcement of her ascension as emperor had significantly calmed the public, effectively preventing the total disintegration of the empire.


    Young Phipps asked, "What should we do now?"


    Old Morgan said gravely, "The situation is still unclear. Let''s wait and see for now."


    Two dayster, the northern Grand Duke, Ophelia Frelio, entered the imperial temple and officially underwent the Frelio family''s rites of passage and inheritance, bing the seventeenth emperor of the Thunder Empire.


    At the same time, Empress Ophelia met with the Darkness City''s Demon King. Ultimately, both sides signed a ceasefire and peace agreement. The contents of the agreement were made public. The three most critical points were as follows:


    First, the status quo of the upied territories would remain unchanged. The Demon King promised to withdraw from the imperial capital, to not harm the lives and property of the empire''s citizens, and to refrain from causing further conflicts without reason.


    Second, the empire would join the Chaos Federation as a member state, effectively bing a part of the federation. Empress Ophelia would be the Vice President of the Chaos Federation and pledge allegiance to the Demon King of Darkness City.


    Third, Darkness City would gain the right to station troops in all imperial fortresses, with the responsibility of maintaining the empire''s territory, quelling rebellions, and defending against external enemies.


    Undoubtedly, this was an unequal treaty thatpromised the empire''s sovereignty. The Demon King had no intention of relinquishing control over the southern territories of the empire. Not only did the empire cede the southern territories to the Demon King, but it also became subordinate to him, integrating into the Chaos Federation and losing its military sovereignty.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    However, the empire had no choice. As the defeated party, it had to pay a significant price and offer substantial concessions to ensure its survival. At the very least, the empire could still maintain its daily operations.


    Young Phipps anxiously said, "Father, we should leave quickly. The new emperor is clearly a puppet!"


    "No, we don''t need to leave," Old Morgan said, feeling a sense of relief after learning about the peace agreement. "This Demon King is not a simple-minded one... There might be greater opportunities here than elsewhere!"


    The empire, at least, would not disintegrate, and this was undoubtedly the result of the Demon King''s strategy. Old Morgan realized that this Demon King was far from being just a brute with mere strength. This move not only saved a lot of time that would have been spent in further conquest but also maximized his own benefits. It was a very shrewd move.


    For themon people, the empress''s ascension and the signing of the agreement stabilized their morale. The Demon King, in effect, controlled the empire, and his power was bound to increase further. Given the Demon King''s aggressiveness and ability to conquer, could the surrounding empires and other forces remain untouched? Rather than running away, it might be better to stay here. By aligning with the powerful, one could secure more benefits.


    Old Morgan thought for a moment and then announced, "To celebrate Empress Ophelia''s ascension, I have decided to donate half of our family''s assets!"


    Upon hearing this, the members of the Phipps family were stunned. What was the head of the family trying to do? Donating half of the assets seemed like an excessively generous gesture.


    In reality, for businessmen like Morgan, it didn''t matter who truly held power. What they needed was simply a stable order and a conducive environment formerce. During the creation of a new order, many previous leaders who couldn''t keep up would fall, inevitably creating numerous vacancies and brewing new opportunities. If seized properly, these could lead to significant advancements.


    Compared to that, sacrificing half the owned assets amounted to nothing."

 Chapter 319: Thunder Empires Treasury

    Chapter 319: Thunder Empire''s Treasury


    In the imperial pce, the Great Demon King stood on a high tform, overlooking the Imperial Pce of the capital, untouched by the war. This massive structure, the most fortified and pivotal center of power in the empire, had been captured without shedding a drop of blood.


    Han Kexin approached from behind, apanied by Ophelia, who was dressed in the imperial robes. Ophelia had now be Emperor Frelio XVII. There was no sign of dissatisfaction or coercion on her face; instead, she exhibited an expression ofpliance and submission.


    This scene, if seen by the aristocracy, would undoubtedly astonish them. After all, the former Duchess of the North, known as the Ice Queen Ophelia, was once a figure of proud and cold demeanor, who would rather break than bend. Even in death, such a figure would not likely yield.


    Yet, within just a few days of captivity by the Great Demon King, she seemed to have fully epted her role as a puppet empress, as if she had beenpletely reced. However, Ophelia had not been swapped. The drastic change in her was simply due to the effect of Han Kexin''s Permanent Charm. This "Permanent Charm" is one of Han Kexin''s most powerful abilities, capable of imprinting a permanent psychic mark on any target weaker than her.


    Under Zhang Nu''s directive, Han Kexin applied the Permanent Charm to Ophelia. After being affected by this potent ability, Ophelia became unwaveringly loyal to the Chaos Federation and the Darkness City, her way of thinkingpletely altered from before. She wouldn''t realize anything was amiss.


    Zhang Nu nced over the information of his new subordinate:


    [Imperial Emperor: Ophelia] Level 6 mythic unit


    Ophelia''s strength was initially that of a Level 6 monarch. However, since her coronation as the emperor, she astonishingly became a Level 6 mythic. This was due to the tradition where each new emperor must receive coronation and blessings in the temple, recognized only with the Frelio royal bloodline. Sessful coronation would bestow the strength of the empire''s spirit upon the emperor. Being an emperor was more than just a title and status; it was a powerful enhancement that could push a top-level Level 6 monarch further, thus elevating Ophelia to an mythic level of strength.


    By then, Ophelia was not far behind Han Kexin in terms of capability. Although the Subus Queen had absorbed Wil''s Hero crystal and gained continuous growth, she was far beyond her initial breakthrough to Level 6, her power remained at the mythic ss.The likelihood of sessfully deploying Permanent Charm on a target of the same rank and level, especially when the overall power difference was substantial, was not typically high. But considering Ophelia''s current situation, her psychic mark remained unaffected. This was expected as once a psychic imprint was sessfully applied, it was unlikely to be shed regardless of the target''s level of growth, as it fundamentally altered the cognitive processes of a sentient being.


    Zhang Nu asked, "What''s the situation now?"


    Ophelia replied, "Your Majesty, the empire has temporarily quelled the chaos, but in the east, west, and north territories, some nobles and other forces are still attempting to rebel and dere independence."


    Han Kexin smiled and said, "The empire is restructuring and going through aplete overhaul of the system. These traditional nobles, still entrenched in their old ways, are the primary beneficiaries of the previous order. It''s inevitable that some shortsighted fools resist the changes."


    Zhang Nu nodded. The territorial nobles around were unlikely to willingly hand over theirnds. He hadn''t received a notification of having fully conquered the empire yet, presumably because of these stubborn resistors.


    The Demon King stated directly, "I will leave the Abyssal Dragon Legion to assist you. You must resolve these rebels within a month."


    Ophelia responded softly, "Thank you, Your Majesty. With the support of your Dragon Legion, we should need no more than fifteen days, not a month. These rebels are hardly a significant threat."


    Zhang Nu was pleased with her confidence. Fifteen days to stabilize the empire was indeed swift. Securing the empire quickly would not only bring substantial rewards from the newly conquered regions but also allow more time for development and fortification against potential threats from other areas.


    With the fall of the Thunder Empire, Zhang Nu''s true power could no longer be concealed. He anticipated that moving forward, almost every Hero and Demon King would keep a close watch on Darkness City. The most elite Heroes might even coborate to challenge him. In the end, though Zhang Nu was a formidable Level 6 legend, facing a coalition of the top ten Heroes without absolute certainty of victory posed a significant risk, he wasn''t entirely sure he could handle them.


    For this reason, in the uing period, Zhang Nu nned to prepare on two fronts. One was to swiftly integrate resources, enhance his military, and assimte the vast area and resources of the Thunder Empire. The other was to urgently boost his own abilities, such as unlocking his final talent and advancing to Level 7, to ensure thorough preparedness.


    As he contemted these ns, Han Kexin reported another update, "By the way, the other task you assigned to me is also nearlyplete."


    After conquering the capital, it was inevitable to plunder the spoils of war. The Thunder Empire, an empire with nearly a billion people and thousands of years of history, surely had substantial reserves in its capital. These resources would be vital for the development and construction of Darkness City. Upon entering the city, Zhang Nu had instructed Han Kexin to secure the essible treasures for mitigating wartime losses and funding reconstruction efforts.


    Zhang Nu immediately inquired, "How much in spoils have we secured so far?"


    Han Kexin replied, "We have preliminarily tallied the reserves in the national treasury and the royal treasury. It looks like we have at least the equivalent of five hundred billion standard continental currency in reserves. If converted to Demon Ging gold, that''s about fifty billion."


    Hearing this figure, even Zhang Nu gasped. He had anticipated that the treasury of a prospering, flourishing empire with nearly a billion people would not be modest. Yet, the actual amount still shocked him. If this haul was converted entirely into gold, it would amount to a staggering fifty billion Demon King gold. If used to recruit abyssal dragons, imagine how many could be added.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The wealth of the empire was truly formidable!


    However, Zhang Nu was aware that this was only the savings from the national and royal treasuries. The empire''s assets were not limited to merely currency and gold. If the value of various gems, crystals, materials, equipment, and the wealth amassed from the confiscation of assets from the millennial families in the capital were included, the total spoils of war could very well be equivalent to around one hundred billion Demon King gold. Such an enormous figure, even for Zhang Nu, represented an astonishingly astronomical sum."

 Chapter 320: Searching for Godhood

    Chapter 320: Searching for Godhood


    Besides the spoils gained in the capital, the upation chests from each city fortress were also a significant part of the war loot throughout the conquest. These chests didn''t typically contain much gold individually. Apart from the main chests acquired from the major cities of the four territories, most ordinary cities yielded between one million and several million, with only a fewrger cities potentially securing up to ten million in gold rewards.


    However, the empire had numerous cities, and these amounts added up to a substantial sum. More valuable than these coins were the various blueprints; these blueprints were the most crucial resources for territory development.


    Zhang Nu had umted a vast collection of blueprints. He believed that with these blueprints, not only could he stabilize the empire''s situation, but he could also enhance its long-term strength, turning the imperial citizens into loyal Demon King followers. It was worth noting that the Thunder Empire''s poption was close to a billion. Even though the war and turmoil had led to a loss or discement of ten to twenty percent of the poption, the remaining popce was still vast and capable of ying a significant role.


    After capturing the imperial capital, Zhang Nu acquired two Level 6 special construction blueprints: the "Supreme Imperial Treasury" and the "Supreme Imperial Barracks." These Level 6 buildings were particrly valuable. Zhang Nu first built the "Supreme Imperial Barracks."


    This building had a straightforward function: it recruited all troop types from the empire, ranging from elite to overlord level, from Level 1 to 6. From lowly infantry captains to high-ranking Guardian Knights, any troop type that had ever appeared in the empire could be summoned using this supreme barracks. Moreover, the recruitment cap was very high, sufficient to rebuild the empire''s lost forces and rapidly restore the empire''s strength in a short period.


    Additionally, all these newly recruited units were directly under the Demon King''smand, further strengthening his control over the empire. Indeed, a Level 6 barracks building was incredibly valuable, even for the Chaos Federation.


    Following that, the treasury was constructed. The people of Darkness City felt a powerful tremor as an unusually grand, sturdy, and massive structure rose abruptly from the ground. This building was exceptional. Though grand and majestic, it resembled a mountain sculpted into an artistic creation and had no visible entrances, making it seem less like a conventional building.


    The Supreme Imperial Treasury had a straightforward function: it connected with all the subjects of the Demon King, providing storage and retrieval capabilities. Essentially, it functioned like a portable bank and warehouse. The subjects of the empire could directly summon the treasury to store wealth or other important items, making it highly practical. Through this treasury, the Demon King could essentially monitor all his subjects'' possessions and even manage their assets on a controlled risk basis, such as providing loans or financing construction.


    However, the capacity of the treasury was not unlimited. With an anticipated poption of nearly one billion under the Demon King''smand, it would be impossible to amodate everyone''s belongings in the treasury, even though it was vast.Zhang Nu nned to first offer treasury ess to the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce, public storehouses in various cities, and various wealthy merchants and families. This would not only enhance the efficiency of the trading merchants but also enable control over local elite families using the treasury.


    Overall, the two blueprints obtained from the imperial capital were quite beneficial. However, considering the current situation in Darkness City, the immediate boost in power provided by these two blueprints was still quite limited.


    After returning to Darkness City, Zhang Nu immediately expanded the scale of his legion, recruiting arge number of Guardian Knights for the empire and supplementing Darkness City with numerous abyssal dragons. Given the current situation in Darkness City, where gold was almost too abundant to spend, Zhang Nu not only increased the strength of the Chaos Federation by recruiting and purchasing horses, but he also elerated investments in his own power.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Currently, with the soul reserves avable to Darkness City, Zhang Nu could ascend to Level 7 at any moment. However, he wished to collect a Godhood, aiming to activate the Chaos Dragon God talent to enter Level 7, thereby fully unleashing his strength and potential.


    Despite high rewards offered for a long time, there had been no leads on obtaining a Godhood. Zhang Nu felt it unlikely to acquire information on Godhood through conventional intelligence channels or the Demon Kingwork. The only method he could think of involved assembling aplete Evil God through fragments. Though it was an evil entity, it was still a deity capable of condensing a Godhood.


    Currently, Zhang Nu possessed five fragments of Evil Gods: the "Eye of Death", "Eye of Domination", "Eye of Regeneration", "Eye of Time" from the Eight-Eyed Evil God, and the "Source of Corruption" from the Source of Cmity. Both the Eight-Eyed Evil God and the Source of Cmity were extremely powerful deities. However, it was evident that Zhang Nu had a greater chance of assembling the Eight-Eyed Evil God, given that he already possessed half of its fragments.


    By finding the remaining four eyes, Zhang Nu could obtain the full capabilities of the Eight-Eyed Evil God. He could then use the deity''s divine nature to condense a Godhood, therebypleting the ultimate evolution to be the Chaos Dragon God.


    Zhang Nu considered offering high rewards but realized it might not work and was too inefficient. Instead of passively waiting for information, he decided to actively search for the fragments. With half of the Eight-Eyed Evil God already in his possession, Zhang Nu discovered during the integration and use of the fragments that there was a strong resonance between them, especially among those from the same source.


    Having four eyes of the Evil God, he could unleash a potent evil presence. Zhang Nu thought he might use the power of these four eyes to induce resonance in the other eyes, thereby pinpointing their locations. By doing so, he would make the search more efficient, saving a great deal of effort. Immediately, Zhang Nu began to experiment. He activated all four Evil God eyes simultaneously, releasing an invisible psychic energy that was extremely subtle and undetectable to others. Though weak, it could project far, scanning like radar for any target that would resonate with it.


    Within just one day, Zhang Nu sensed a faint resonance feedback from a very distant direction. It worked! The method was viable! It seemed that having half of the fragments of an Evil God could indeed facilitate the search for the others in this manner."

 Chapter 321: Behemoth Giant Great Chieftain

    Chapter 321: Behemoth Giant Great Chieftain


    In the north, there was a vast in known as the Savage Beast Prairie, one of thergest ins on the continent. Its size wasparable to several empiresbined, nurturing a power known as the Savage Beast Empire, an empire-level force. This empire, popted by orcs known for their strong reproductive capabilities, boasted a poption upwards of two billion. In terms of poption size, this empire surpassed most other empires in strength.


    Despite its formidable strength, the vast poption and extensive territory meant that the empire''s ability to manage its regions was not strong. The entire empire adopted a chieftaincy system. The Savage Beast Empire consisted of over one hundred and eighty chieftaincies. Each chieftaincy was led by a Great Chieftain, who ruled over anywhere from dozens to hundreds of tribes, and each Great Chieftain was a renowned powerhouse within the empire.


    In the southwestern region of the Savage Beast Empire, there was an area known as the Behemoth Hignds. This ce was home to millions of Behemoth Giants, one of the most powerful races within the Savage Beast Empire. The strength of every adult Behemoth Giant wasparable to that of Titans or Abyssal Dragons, making them one of the most formidable beings, second only to the top-tier upper races.


    Hero Amit recently became the supreme ruler of the Behemoth Hignds by defeating the previous Great Chieftain, making him the new chieftain of the area. Amit was no ordinary Hero. He possessed the strength of a Level 6 Legendary, ranking him 38th on the Hero Leaderboard, a position significantly higher than that of the Prophet of Doom, Primo, indicating that Amit''s raw power exceeded Primo''s.


    Why was Amit so strong? The reason was simple: Amit had the bloodline of the primal behemoth, which was inherently much stronger than that of an ordinary behemoth. However, Amit scoffed at the leaderboard, aware that the information it captured was limited and that his true strength was undoubtedly underestimated by it.


    Why was Amit so confident? The reason was straightforward! Amit had integrated three fragments of an Evil God! As a primordial behemoth, one of the most ancient and mystical behemoths, he naturally possessed a trace of divinity, needing only to reach a certain level of strength to activate his divine bloodline and soul. As a Hero, Amit had the capability to directly integrate fragments of Evil Gods. Amit was acutely aware of the incredible benefits and enhancements he could derive from the Evil God fragments, and thus, he had spent a significant amount of time collecting these fragments.


    Currently, Amit had a total of four Evil God fragments, three of which, "The Eye of Element," "The Eye of Wraith," and "The Eye of Destruction"---were from the same origin. Amit sessfully integrated these three rted fragments. When these fragments resonated with each other, both their power and quality significantly increased.


    This was why Amit consistently believed that the Hero Leaderboard severely underestimated him. Amit was confident that with the power of the Evil God fragments he possessed, he could challenge beings at the Level 7 Legendary, and thus he should logically rank among the top ten Heroes. However, the leaderboard could not sense the power of an Evil God, leading to a significant underestimation of Amit''s capabilities.


    Amit was searching for the whereabouts of other eyes of the Evil God, sharing a simr goal with someone else who hoped to collect all the fragments of the Eight-Eyed Evil God. However, unlike a certain Demon King, he aimed to be the next Eight-Eyed Evil God himself, while the Demon King merely wanted to use the Evil God''s divine essence as a stepping stone for further advancement.On this particr day, Amit felt the Eyes of the Evil God within him stir uncontrobly. It seemed that four eerie eyes were staring at him through the boundless void. Amit realized that these were not just any eyes, but the very ones he had been desperately seeking. Clearly, these four eyes were now in the hands of a single individual, who was using them to locate him.


    Amit''s expression darkened, but he soon smirked, "It seems another yer is luckier than I am, having collected four eyes and now setting their sights on mine."


    Although he realized that this mysterious entity had locked onto him and would soon appear nearby to attempt to seize the three Eyes of the Evil God he possessed, Amit was not panicked. He had always been supremely confident in his strength, firmly believing that no one could defeat him head-on.


    Amit knew that even though he had one fewer Eye of the Evil Godpared to his adversary, he possessed another fragment of an Evil God. Moreover, even without the four integrated Evil God fragments, Amit''s strength would still rank him among the top thirty Heroes on the leaderboard, making him one of the most formidable beings in the world. He had every reason and confidence to believe in himself.


    Even if, for argument''s sake, the adversary was ranked higher or was a more powerful entity, what of it? This was the Behemoth Hignds in the Savage Beast Empire, one of the most perilous ces. Amit was the great chieftain of the Behemoth Chieftaincy,manding dozens of Behemoth tribes with countless powerful warriors at his side, holding the home-field advantage, and ready to vanquish anyone who dared to challenge him.


    "Marvelous!" Amit eximed. "I was wondering where to find these eyes! I never expected some fool would deliver them right to my doorstep!"


    Heughed heartily, "And to deliver four at once no less! With these four eyes, bing the Eight-Eyed Evil God is without any doubt!"


    Although Amit was filled with confidence and did not believe he could lose to anyone, he acknowledged that anyone capable of collecting four Eyes of the Evil God must be formidable, whether through strength or sheer luck. On such a critical matter, he knew better than to underestimate his opponent and risk a disastrous defeat.


    "Summon my generals!" Amitmanded. "Inform the Five Behemoth Kings to bring their core subordinates to meet me!"


    Within half a day, five behemoth giants, each radiating the aura of a monarch, arrived with their respective followers. All five of these behemoths were Level 6 monarchs.


    "Greetings, Great Chieftain!" they saluted. "May I know why the Great Chieftain has urgently summoned us?"


    Although the Behemoth Great Chieftain was not the Emperor of the Savage Beast Empire, his status as the top chieftain was nearly on par with that of an emperor. In the eyes of these behemoths, the Great Chieftain, who possessed the bloodline of the primal Behemoth, held an even higher status than the Emperor of the Savage Beast Empire.


    Amit spoke in a stern voice, "I sense that a formidable foe is about to arrive here. I need your strength to confront him and ensure he does not leave alive!"


    The five behemoth kings were shocked to hear this. They knew the strength of their Great Chieftain better than anyone. The previous Great Chieftain, an emperor-level powerhouse, hadsted less than ten rounds against him. Such power had already reached the level of a Great Emperor, perhaps even stronger than the usual emperor-level beings! With the Great Chieftain''s capabilities, he could traverse the world unchallenged. What kind of being could possibly make him so cautious?


    Despite their shock and confusion, the five Behemoth kings did not idle. They immediately set up defenses, positioning their elite soldiers around the Great Chieftain and deploying tens of thousands of elite Savage Beast Empire orc shamans and mages to prepare formations and various traps. Such preparations were formidable. No single adversary, nor even an imperial military force, could hope to shake their defenses and pose a threat to the Great Chieftain in a short time.


    Amit was very satisfied with his subordinates'' readiness. Although he felt these measures might be superfluous, as the saying goes, better safe than sorry.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Now, all he needed was a bit of patience. He just had to wait for the fool to deliver themselves into his hands."

 Chapter 322: Snow Elf Demon King

    Chapter 322: Snow Elf Demon King


    In the vast Behemoth Hignds, known for their sparse poption and roaming magical beasts, there also roamed a Demon King of moderate strength. Within a mountain range in these hignds, lived Tang Xuemei, a snow elf. Snow elves, a branch of the elf family, predominantly inhabited the perpetually frozen territories, thrived in cold environments, and were adept at ice magic. Aside from their snow-white skin and hair, their features closely resembled those of other elves.


    Tang Xuemei had recently ascended to Level 5. Although her power was not strong enough to ce her on the Demon King leaderboard, she was still considered reasonably sessful among her peers.


    At that moment, Tang Xuemei felt anxious because she had just been contacted by a figure whose name thundered throughout the realm. Nowadays, no Demon King could be unaware of this name, given his immense fame.


    "It''s about time!" Tang Xuemei prepared to receive her guest, gathering her closest dozens of lieutenants in the square in front of the snowy mountain castle to wait.


    About a quarter of an hourter, the space warped into a portal, and a tall, burly figure, whose presence was understated yet still oppressive, slowly emerged. Tang Xuemei caught sight of the figure and swallowed hard. It was the legendary strongest Demon King---Zhang Nu! Tang Xuemei had never dreamed that she, a neitherrge nor small character, would have the chance to meet such a figure in person. The excitement was overwhelming.


    The tales of the legendary Zhang Nu were well known among the Demon Kingmunity. It was said that he had in several top-ranking Heroes, including one ranked around the top fifty, marking the highest-ranked Hero known to have fallen to date. Furthermore, Zhang Nu had sessfully conquered an empire. He was likely the only Demon King among many to have sessfully breached the capital of an imperial power. How this man managed such a feat was beyond herprehension as a Demon King; it was simply unthinkable.


    After the Great Demon King teleported to the snowy mountain castle using a teleportation stone, the portal generated by the stone began to copse. After all, each teleportation via the stone was intended for a single individual and would rapidly disintegrate afterpletion. However, something unexpected happened. Zhang Nu pointed towards the portal created by the teleportation stone, and an immense yet invisible energy immediately surged into it, causing the rapidly closing portal to reopen.


    One by one, figures emerged from the portal---individuals of various races, each exuding a terrifyingly formidable presence. Tang Xuemei could clearly sense that any one of them could easily crush her like an ant.


    It was terrifying and overwhelming. Was this the power of the No. 1 Demon King? Was this his foundation of power? He had actually managed to maintain the spatial portal created by the teleportation stone, allowing what was supposed to be a one-time-use portal to operate steadily and continue transporting. It was unbelievable and astounding.Zhang Nu''s gaze fell on the Snow Elf Demon King in front of him, and he nodded: "Thank you for your help. Here is something small in appreciation, I hope you will ept it."


    With that, Zhang Nu handed Tang Xuemei a skill stone. As Tang Xuemei received the skill stone, she almost thought she was dreaming. The details of the skill stone are as follows.


    [Skill Stone: Ice Age] Level 5 S-rank skill stone.


    A level 5 ice-type skill stone and an S-rank skill stone at that! Tang Xuemei had never even dreamed that she could obtain a skill stone of such caliber. The Demon King was indeed generous right from the start!


    "Thank you!" She expressed her gratitude excitedly.


    Zhang Nu appeared indifferent. Although an S-rank skill stone was extremely precious, for him, who had sessfully conquered the imperial capital, it was just another addition. His loot included multiple S-rank skills acquired from the Prophet of Doom Primo and a plethora of high-level skill stones from other top-ranked Heroes. To him, it wasn''t much.


    Zhang Nu then introduced hispanions: "These are my assistants, the Subus Queen Han Kexin, the Thunder Empire Empress Ophelia, the Elven Empress Nancilia, the Sea Tribe Empress Shun, and my two other followers, Zhang San and Li Si."


    He had brought six subordinates in total. Han Kexin, Ophelia, Nancilia, and Shun were all Level 6 mythics. Among them, Han Kexin''s strength was so formidable that she was nearing legendary ss. Even Zhang San and Li Si had evolved and now also possessed Level 6 mythic ss strength.


    This meant that each of Zhang Nu''s subordinates was of mythic-ss existence.


    The foundation of the Chaos Federation and the No. 1 Demon King was terrifyingly robust. Although Tang Xuemei did not know their exact strengths, she could sense their power and terror from their titles alone. The disparity was immense! In front of the No. 1 Demon King, she felt she was hardly qualified even to carry his shoes.


    Han Kexin asked, "Are you sure the person you''re looking for is here?"


    Zhang Nu sensed the area briefly and nodded, "There''s no mistake. A person who has managed to collect three Eyes of the Evil God is unlikely to be ordinary."


    He then turned to Tang Xuemei, who was familiar with the area, and asked, "Who is the strongest person or yer around here?"


    The Eyes of the Evil God were often scattered and sealed in various ces. Forcing a fusion with an eye without the right conditions would only lead to being overwhelmed by its power, eventually turning into a twisted, chaotic monster. Such a creature, even if it retained its intelligence, would likely cause disturbances and end up being hunted down, making it unlikely for anyone to continuously collect three pieces unless they were a yer with divine lineage capable of countering the power of the eyes, just like himself. Thus, asking directly for the strongest local made sense.


    Tang Xuemei quickly replied, "In the Behemoth Hignds, there isn''t a Hero or Demon King who hasn''t heard of Amit the Behemoth Chieftain!"


    Han Kexin frowned slightly upon hearing this, "Amit? I''ve seen him on the Hero Leaderboard. He seems to be ranked around thirty-eighth, simr to that Prophet of Doom Primo."


    However, Zhang Nu corrected her, "You can''t think like that. He has at least three eyes from the same Evil God. His power should not be underestimated."


    Tang Xuemei added hastily, "Exactly, Amit''s influence covers the entire Behemoth Hignds. Not only all Heroes, but even we Demon Kings shudder under his rule."


    Amit had be the uncrowned king of the area. Most Demon Kings on the hignds had been in by him and his followers, and those like Tang Xuemei who had survived did so by regrly paying tribute. In fact, from the beginning, Amit intended to ''fatten'' them like pigs, preparing to ughter them once they had grown plump.


    Tang Xuemei spoke with a face filled with fear and dread, "There once was a very powerful Demon King who tried to challenge Amit but failed, and he didn''t even get to see Amit''s face. He is simply too powerful, nearly impossible to defeat. Even the Kaiser of the Behemoth Empire refers to him as a brother... We are oppressed under his rule, living in constant fear every day!"


    Hearing this, Nancilia was unconcerned. She smiled and said, "No matter how formidable someone might be, they can''t be a match for His Majesty. Since His Majesty ns to deal with him personally, your days of oppression are about to end, rest assured!"


    The young elf always had immense confidence in the great Demon King.


    Han Kexin asked, "What do you n to do? This is still his territory, after all."


    Zhang Nu thought for a moment and said, "Although I''m pretty sure he is the target we''re looking for, I still want to confirm it first to avoid a wasted trip."


    "Do you want to test him first?" Han Kexin suggested, "Let me control a few of his subordinates to probe his actual strength and capabilities!"


    "There''s no need for that," Zhang Nu said as a silver eye opened on his forehead, emitting a powerful and invisible energy.


    Everyone present changed color at the sight, especially those who sensed the nature of the energy.


    "Is this... the power of time?"


    Empress Ophelia, Empress Shun, and the others, were all experienced and knowledgeable individuals, yet, none of them had ever seen such a powerful force of Time; it was unimaginably strong.


    As the silver Eye of Time shone brightly, a massive projection appeared before everyone. When the projection became clear, everyone''s expressions changed drastically once again, for the images shown were not acquired through spatial reconnaissance. These were temporal projections fetched from the far end of the timeline---visions of the future.


    "His Majesty is peeking into the future!" Nancilia eximed in shock. "I never thought such a terrifying ability could exist in this world!"


    Even the future could be scrutinized! Even someone as formidable as the Prophet Primo had to rely on a special mythic sanctum to project future timelines within its bounds. Zhang Nu needed no such measures. With his talent as the Void Overlord, he now transcended time and space, effortlessly manipting the fundamentalws of time and space to serve his purposes. Zhang Nu was currently simting the oue of a direct assault on Behemoth City with his six subordinates.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The images revealed that the city''s defenses were indeed robust. Amit had clearly prepared well in advance. Zhang Nu''s use of the Eye of Time had allowed him to locate Amit, who could sense Zhang Nu through the resonance and had prepared ordingly. In addition to arge number of Behemoth warriors and elite forces from the Savage Beast Empire set in traps, Amit''s main force to counter Zhang Nu consisted of two types: The six Behemoth Kings, each with the prowess of top-tier Level 6 warriors.


    Beyond these six Behemoth Kings, there was another significant force that could not be overlooked---the Hero Cohort. Clearly, Amit was the most powerful supreme Hero of the Savage Beast Empire, revered by all other Heroes within the empire. Amit, facing a formidable enemy, would naturally mobilize this force. This ambush force indeed yed a significant role in thebat scenarios disyed.


    Of course, the visions from the timeline projection showed that despite Amit''s thorough preparations, he ultimately fell to Zhang Nu. Zhang Nu''s side did suffer some casualties among his subordinates, but such losses were minor for him, as the fallen could be resurrected at the Demon King''s Altar of Resurrection.


    "Interesting!" Zhang Nu closed his Eye of Time, a yful smile tugging at his lips. "This guy''s preparations were more thorough than I expected."


    The others exchanged looks. Even with such meticulous preparations, Amit had lost to the formidable No. 1 Demon King. And now, without the battle even starting, all their deployments,bat strategies, and hidden abilities had been exposed. In this state, it would be surprising if Amit wasn''t thoroughly defeated!


    Zhang Nu pondered for a moment and then said, "Let''s make some preparations and set off early tomorrow morning. We should be able to give him a surprise."


    Tang Xuemei was utterly speechless. This Amit, the top Hero in the Savage Beast Empire, was practically a sovereign there, second only to the Great Kaiser in both prestige and status. To them, the Demon Kings, he was like an unscble mountain.


    Yet now, he was being set up as prey, clear and straightforward.


    Due to Amit''s various disys of power and dominance, Tang Xuemei had always believed that there was no bnce between Heroes and Demon Kings; that Demon Kings could not possibly ovee Heroes. Only now did she realize that the Demon King faction was not at all inferior to the Hero faction. With a Demon King like Zhang Nu at their helm, it wasn''t impossible for the Demon King faction to surpass the Hero faction.


    The next day, after making all the necessary arrangements, the Great Demon King set off with his subordinates."

 Chapter 323: Direct Confrontation

    Chapter 323: Direct Confrontation


    In Behemoth City of the Savage Beast Empire, ten of thergest Heroes groups, with six having received Amit''smand in time, arrived to make their preparations for the impending confrontation.


    Each of these six Heroes groups was led by a famously powerful individual. The weakest among these leaders boasted the strength of a Level 5 monarch. The strongest among them was a Hero named Kim Tae-ji, ranked 4953 on the Hero Leaderboard. Although he was one of the lower-ranked Heroes on the leaderboard, being listed at all meant he possessed strength not inferior to a Level 6 mythic.


    Kim Tae-ji was astounded by the formidable assembly: "Lord Amit, with your strength, what kind of enemy could possibly warrant such caution and vignce from you?"


    Amit, in his original behemoth form, could tower over five hundred meters tall, but he had used a technique to reduce his size to just twenty meters for the asion. Although this made him less conspicuous, the aura he exuded was undiminished, filled with the oppressive and ferocious presence of a top-tier Behemoth.


    Amit replied with a hint of pride, "This battle is of great significance to me. Being cautious and careful is always wise."


    Hundreds of high-leveled Heroes exchanged nces at the scene.


    Amit continued, "If you help me win this battle against the invaders, everyone who participates will be richly rewarded. I promise you a swift rise to power within this empire, bing its true rulers!"


    Hearing this, the Heroes at the scene all showed intrigued expressions.


    Kim Tae-ji tentatively asked, "Are you suggesting that...?"Amit did not hide his intentions. "The Savage Beast Emperor''s strength isparable to mine, but if I obtain what I want from this battle, even he will pose no threat to me. You should understand what this implies."


    Upon hearing this, everyone present became excited and invigorated. Amit was a Level 6 legend, ranked around the 30th on the Hero Leaderboard, and controlled all Heroes and Demon Kings within the empire''s territories. With such a person gaining even greater power, leveraging his prestige within the empire,manding a million behemoths, using the Demon Kings'' allegiance for support, and utilizing the Heroes infiltrated across all societalyers as insiders--- At that time, Amit could rise up and seize the throne of the empire.


    If Amit became the new supreme ruler of the empire, wouldn''t those following him be elevated to control over this vast force? With this thought, everyone grew even more excited. Although those with keen intuition had guessed that this day mighte, who could have imagined that it would arrive so swiftly?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Before anyone could further contemte, suddenly, an immensely powerful surge of energy manifested above Behemoth City. The force was so formidable that even Amit, a superbly powerful being, visibly paled and disyed deep apprehension.


    "Here theye!"


    "Everyone, get ready!"


    The Heroes quickly rushed outside the grand hall. As they beheld the scene before them, their expressions changed dramatically. The previously clear sky was now filled with a tumult of energy and lightning.


    "What is this?"


    "Such powerful energy!"


    "Is it some kind of grand magic?"


    "Everyone, be ready to block the attack outside the barrier!"


    "Where is the enemy?"


    "Find him quickly!"


    The powerhouses of Behemoth City scrambled in confusion. Countless energies converged in the sky into a vortex, ultimately focusing into a single point, transforming into a massive bolt of lightning that descended from the center of the vortex and pierced through the barrier with a deafening boom. A giant, hundreds of meters tall,posed entirely of energy and wielding an energy spear, stood up from the crater. A mere wave of his hand was enough to create a storm.


    Seeing this, Amit''s expression shifted. "This is an Arcane Avatar, not its true form. The actual caster must be hiding nearby, maintaining this incarnation. Find him quickly."


    "Understood!" Six behemoth chieftains, a dozen of the top-tier Heroes, and hundreds of first-ss warriors along with their followers, rapidly began to search for the location of the invader''s real body.


    "Sensed something!"


    "They seem to be to the south!"


    "There''s more than one, move fast and disrupt them!" The group moved towards the direction of the sensed presence, where they encountered Han Kexin, Nancilia, and others already in position. The battle erupted immediately and became fiercely intense.


    Meanwhile, Amit engaged the Arcane Giant Avatar inbat. Both the Behemoth Giant and the Arcane Giant were of Level 6 mythic strength, and their battle was evenly matched, with neither side gaining the upper hand.


    "Indeed formidable! You''re no ordinary foe!" Amit burst into heartyughter: "But why do you think you can win on my turf?!"


    The Arcane Giant demonstrated tremendous strength, but being on enemy territory was definitely a disadvantage. Amit had a host of supporters and tens of thousands of reinforcement at his side. While the opponent also had allies, they were already under siege.


    "Stop holding back! We both possess Eyes of the Evil God. Today, let me see whether yours or mine are superior!"


    As Amit spoke, three eyes suddenly appeared on his forehead, side by side. These were the blue "Eye of Element", the purple "Eye of Wraith", and the ck "Eye of Destruction", each emitting a terrifying aura.


    "Die!"


    Amit didn''t give his opponent a chance to strike. He activated the Eye of Destruction first, channeling the power of all three Evil God Eyes into the ck eye, which unleashed a powerful st of energy that struck the Arcane Giant. The force of the attack was immensely powerful. The Arcane Giant''s spear shattered instantly, and then its body was pierced through. Moreover, the ck energy of destruction spread like a web throughout the giant''s entire body.


    Amit sneered, "My Eye of Destruction is the most devastating among the eight Eyes of Evil God. Be it dead or alive, or even pure energy, nothing can withstand it."


    He was extremely proud. With the Eye of Destruction, Amit had defeated countless foes. No one had ever survived a full strike from the Eye of Destruction, and he did not believe this opponent could withstand it either. Although it was just an arcane manifestation, once it was destroyed, it would cause a powerful bacsh sufficient to injure its caster, exposing vulnerabilities that could be exploited.


    However, just as the Arcane Giant''s defenses were breached, a presence hidden within suddenly moved to the forefront---it was none other than Zhang Nu.


    Amit''s expression changed. He hadn''t expected that his opponent was not hiding at a distance but concealed within the Arcane Avatar itself. That exined it. He was trying to draw away Amit''s elite guards to create an opportunity for close-quartersbat. This guy was truly overconfident. Didn''t he know that Behemoths were the upper-echelon race best at closebat? Creating such a short gap was not only unlikely to result in victory but would likely lead himself into a perilous situation.


    At that moment, Zhang Nu unleashed the power of the Eye of Regeneration, instantly negating the negative effects of the Arcane Avatar''s destruction and, as he closed in on Amit, activated the Abyssal Realm, enveloping the powerful behemoth.


    By the time Amit realized something was amiss, it was toote.


    In the next instant, throughout Behemoth City, tens of thousands of elite Behemoths and warriors of the Savage Beast Empire were baffled to find that both the invader and the great Chieftain Amit had vanished. There were no traces of spatial transfer; it was as if they had been swallowed by a parallel universe that had appeared and disappeared suddenly."

 Chapter 324: Behemoth Heros Divine Realm

    Chapter 324: Behemoth Hero''s Divine Realm


    When Amit realized what had happened, he found himself plunged into a void resembling a chaotic universe. This void was dim, almost devoid of light, with countless fragmented inds floating through it.


    "A domain?" he questioned initially. "No, this isn''t just a domain."


    At first, Amit thought he had entered a domain skill, but upon closer perception, he understood that it wasn''t a domain but a fully structured divine realm. Divine realms were exceedingly rare, a thousand times more so than domains. Domain skills were something that anyone entering the monarch level could master, but a divine realm was entirely different. Only a very select few with divine talents could awaken their own divine realm, creating a unique space out of nothing.


    Once entered, it was nearly impossible to leave. This space had aplete temporal structure that operated under natural conditions, making it particrly suited for banishment, sealing, or forcibly dragging an opponent into an ambush. This was difficult to deal with.


    Amit''s shock was brief before he regained hisposure. Although divine realm skills were extremely rare, considering his opponent''s unique identity, it wasn''t surprising. Since his opponent had absorbed so many Evil God fragments, it indicated that, like Amit, he possessed a divine lineage or had even awakened a divine soul, making it indeed likely for him to develop a divine realm.


    The opponent had also cleverly lured him into the divine realm. This move rendered the deployment of tens of thousands of elites futile, maximizing the reduction of Amit''s advantages and increasing the likelihood of victory.


    "Having the ability to deploy a divine realm shows you''ve got some skill. No wonder you dared toe alone into my territory." Amit remarked with a smirk.


    Amit''s towering body, hundreds of meters tall, was wrapped in a terrifyingly violent energy that wasn''t diminished even within the confines of the divine realm.


    He continued with a sneer, "But if you think just a divine realm is enough to deal with me, you''re underestimating me far too much!"


    Since they were both dragged into a divine realm, Zhang Nu was not in a hurry to make a move. He watched the behemoth Hero with interest, "It seems you''re quite confident in yourself!"


    Amit burst outughing, "It''s merely a divine realm? You really think you''re the only one who can use one? Today, you shall witness my divine realm!"


    With a low growl, a powerful spatio-temporal energy burst forth from Amit''s body, expanding like an inting balloon and quickly enveloping Zhang Nu. In the next instant, the surroundings morphed, and both Zhang Nu and Amit found themselves in a vast valley of stone---clearly, another divine realm.


    The behemoth Hero Amit also had the ability to create a divine realm. When a unit is pulled into a divine realm, unless the creator of the realm releases them, there are theoretically only two ways to escape actively.


    The first is to kill the creator of the divine realm. If the creator ispletely destroyed, the divine realm naturally ceases to exist. The second method is to also activate a divine realm, enter one''s own divine space, and then use that space as a medium to return to the main world.


    Amit employed the second method. Possessing the capability for divine realm creation himself, he responded to Zhang Nu''s divine realm activation by deploying his own space, then used it to shift back to Behemoth City.


    "You think you can escape my trap?" Amitughed wildly. "That''s impossible, today you won''t be able to leave, just resign yourself to your fate and die!"


    As he spoke, Amit closed his divine realm. He intended to forcibly transport Zhang Nu back to Behemoth City. Amit was arrogant, but he was very cautious in his actions. Even though he was extremely confident in his own power, he preferred not to risk a one-on-one confrontation with the invader. Both inside and outside Behemoth City, the number of powerful entities was innumerable. Even if Amit did not act personally, he could utilize these forces, relying on a sheer numbers strategy to overwhelm the invader.


    Why should he take the risk of fighting personally?


    Amit was well aware of the unpredictability and potency of the Evil God''s power. The opponent had more Evil God eyes than him, so being cautious was always the right approach in such circumstances.


    However, just as Amit attempted to transport back to the main world, he was shocked to find that the surrounding space hadn''t changed. He was back in the Abyssal Divine Realm, chaotic, dark, akin to the depths of outer space.


    "What''s going on? This is impossible! Why am I still here?" Amit eximed, his eyes widening. "I clearly used my divine realm as a medium to return to the main world!"


    Zhang Nu responded calmly, "The reason is quite simple. The ce you are in now is what you perceive as the main world."


    How could this be possible? The so-called divine realm space is actually a subspace created based on the main world. This space''s time, space,ws, and rules are all interconnected with the main world, much like branches growing from a trunk---seemingly independent yet unable to detach from the main body.


    Amit''s inability toprehend what was happening was normal because, having absorbed a Void Deed, Zhang Nu''s divine realm was unlike any other. It wasn''t a subspace; it was aplete world. When Amit activated his divine realm in this world, he essentially established a subspace reliant on this world. Naturally, when trying to return to the main world, he would end up back here.


    This meant that from the moment he was dragged in, Amit had no possibility of escape. Even if he managed to kill Zhang Nu, this world would not copse, and he would still be trapped here forever.


    Amit, furious as thunder, roared, "Damn you! You dare to y me like this, I''ll make you regret evering into this world!"


    As they spoke, the Eye of Destruction unleashed another attack. A terrifying beam of energy instantly split the ind beneath their feet into two and struck Zhang Nu. However, as the destructive force swept over, Zhang Nu warped into a void mirror image, dodging Amit''s attack in an inconceivable manner.


    "This is... the power of time!" Amit realized in shock that Zhang Nu hadn''t evaded the attack in a conventional way but had used the power of time to create a temporal mirror image.


    This method of dodging could be called perfect evasion because Zhang Nu had anticipated and avoided the attack before it was even made, leaving only a mirror image to attract the force.


    Zhang Nu, calm andposed, looked at Amit. The silver Eye of Evil God in his forehead flickered with light, surrounded by an extremely potent aura of space-time energy, filled with a mysterious and powerful oppressive force.


    "Although you possess three Eyes of Evil God,pared to mine, your eyes are still far inferior," Zhang Nu stated matter-of-factly.


    The more Eyes of Evil God one had, the greater the amplification from their resonance. The power generated by three eyes resonating together could not match the strength of four. Moreover, not only did he possess four eyes, but Zhang Nu also held the most exalted and powerful among the eight, the Eye of Time. As long as this eye was present and his power remained undrained, he was nearly an unbeatable deity.


    "Abyssal Scales!" Amit wasted no time, activating another of his Evil God talents. His thick behemoth fur rapidly shed, and scale after scale began to emerge on his skin.


    "This is..." Zhang Nu slightly narrowed his eyes.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He could sense a powerful aura of the Evil God. These scales were not ordinary; they were fragments of a certain Evil God, and they possessed exceptionally formidable abilities.


    Amit was indeed an eptable adversary. However, regrettably for him, he was no match for Zhang Nu. Because all of his hidden information, all his skills and talents, his past, and his future, were transparent to Zhang Nu. The oue of this battle was preordained.


    There was no possibility of a turnaround in this fight!

 Chapter 325: Stalemate

    Chapter 325: Stalemate


    Activating the Abyssal Scales, Amit underwent a significant transformation. His entire body, from head to toe, was covered in thick scales, including his eyes, which were shielded by ayer of ck, transparent scales. These scales shimmered with a metallic sheen, making him resemble a mechanical behemoth.


    Upon seeing this, Zhang Nu fully unleashed the power of the Evil God Eyes. His four Evil God Eyes arranged into a four-leaf clover pattern, creating a peculiar and eerie set ofpound eyes.


    Amit dered coldly, "The defensive power of my Abyssal Scales is limitless, stronger than any legendary equipment. Nothing can harm me!"


    The next moment, Zhang Nu initiated Death Gaze. A surge of immensely powerful necrotic energy enveloped Amit instantly. How formidable was the Death Gaze whenbined with the power of four Evil God Eyes? It could be said that any mythic being that took this hit squarely would most likely be annihted instantly. Yet, Amit remained unscathed. His ck, crystal-like scales suddenly took on a dark red sheen, exuding a magnificent and eerie aura.


    "Ha ha ha!" Amitughed arrogantly. "Useless! Not only does your attack fail to harm me, but it also channels energy into my Abyssal Scales. Eventually, all your attacks will serve to empower me."


    During the conversation, Amit also activated his three Evil God Eyes, which formed a clover pattern. The power of the Eye of Element was unleashed, defying the sealed space and transforming into torrents rushing toward Zhang Nu. However, these attacks simply passed through Zhang Nu without effect.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    This was futile because Zhang Nu, now endowed with the "Void Overlord" talent, possessed both "Spatial Phasing" and "Temporal Mirage" abilities. Spatial Phasing allowed him to distort and fold the space around him, making all attacks pass through him and miss. Temporal Mirage could alter the surrounding time, causing all attacks to ur too early or toote to hit him.


    The former was a spatial evasion skill, and thetter was a temporal evasion skill---both were supremely perfect and virtually unsolvable methods of evasion. Since bing the Void Overlord, Zhang Nu had relied on these two powers. Unless an opponent reached a near-divine level, all forms of attack---magical, physical, and anything tangible---were ineffective against him. As the Void Overlord, Zhang Nu could nullify these attacks from both temporal and spatial dimensions, rendering it virtually impossible for them to cause him any harm.


    Amit''s expression soured, "You can''t kill me, and I''m not entirely sure I can handle you either. How about a truce? Let''s pretend today''s conflict never happened. With our strengthsbined, there''s nothing in this world that could stop us."As he spoke, he was bombarded by dozens of Zhang Nu''s magical attacks---various dragon mes, sword Qis, lightnings, and high-level spells---all of which Amit''s Abyssal Scales absorbed.


    The Abyssal Scales, after absorbing significant energy, began to change their solid properties, transitioning into a state between solid and liquid. It was clear that Amit was using the Evil God Scales in a manner simr to ''borrowing arrows with thatched boats'', absorbing and umting a massive amount of energy within his body, which would be terrifying once unleashed.


    This piece of the Evil God fragment, from a defensive standpoint, could be considered even more powerful than any legendary equipment.


    Zhang Nu dismissed the offer nonchntly, "A truce is not out of the question, but only if you hand over the three eyes."


    "Go to hell!" Amit erupted in anger. "Do you think just because you have time and space abilities, I really have no way to deal with you? Your space-time abilities can indeed defend against all elements, energy, physical attacks, and all tangible assaults. But the powers that target the soul and the psyche! They aren''t entirely affected by space and time!"


    Amit activated the Eye of Wraith among his three Evil God Eyes, representing the power of the Evil God''s soul, which could directly attack the soul. Spatial-temporal techniques could neutralize any attack, but they were not entirely immune to psychic and soul-based attacks, so theoretically, this method was effective.


    [You have received a ''Soul Destroyer Gaze'' attack, HP -5000!]


    Zhang Nu felt a slight difort. The attack finally had an effect on him, indicating that his opponent indeed had some capability. However, a 5000-point damage might seem a lot for others, but for Zhang Nu at this stage, it was trivial, akin to a mere scratch.


    Zhang Nu decided not to waste more time and condensed a massive sword from high-density thunder mes in his hand.


    "It''s useless! Your attacks can''t harm me!" Amit was confident in his defensive scales.


    Yet, the next second, Zhang Nu''s sword de, which tore through space from thousands of meters away, pierced into the behemoth Hero''s body.


    -45220! A casual sword strike caused massive damage!


    Amit couldn''t believe it, "How is this possible, my defense... it was ineffective!"


    The Evil God fragment - Abyssal Scales, though not originating from the same source as the Eight Eyed Evil God, was still a powerful Evil God fragment and should be enhanced by the presence of other fragments. As a super-strong defensive Evil God ability, no one had ever breached Amit''s defense before.


    He couldn''t believe that it had been broken by a seemingly ordinary sword strike. After a closer sensing, Amit discovered the problem. The sword in Zhang Nu''s hand, surging with infernal thunder mes, was imbued with a corruptive Evil God aura, distinctly different from the power of the Eight Eyed Evil God. It seemed that this power was suppressing the defensive effect of the Abyssal Scales!"

 Chapter 326: End of the Behemoth Hero

    Chapter 326: End of the Behemoth Hero


    "Impossible! My scales!"


    "How could they lose their effectiveness?" Amit, impaled by Zhang Nu''s sword, was filled with disbelief.


    It wasn''t just the Abyssal Scales that had failed. Under normal circumstances, even without any preparation, a single stab from Zhang Nu shouldn''t have caused such exaggerated damage. This one strike had taken away more than half of the powerful Hero''s HP.


    The reason Zhang Nu could inflict such high damage was not only due to the suppression effect of the Abyssal Scales contaminated by the Corrupted Blood but also because Amit''s own defense had been weakened.


    "This power! It''s the power of the Evil God!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You possess another Evil God''s power!"


    Amit finally realized what was happening. He noticed that not only were the Abyssal Scales on his body infiltrated by a mysterious Evil God aura, but even his skin, flesh, and internal organs were now filled with this eerie energy.


    This power, stemming from the Evil God fragment known as the Source of Corruption, was created by consuming Zhang Nu''s own life force. While its offensive and defensive capabilities were not as strong as those of other Evil God fragments, it was insidiously pervasive. In theory, as long as there was enough of the Corrupted Blood, and it was pure enough, it could nullify the effects of all equipment in this world and prevent people''s abilities from functioning.


    Zhang Nu had seeminglyunched a series of meaningless attacks with dragon breath, lightning, and various spells against Amit, which had caused no harm at all. However, in reality, during these attacks, Zhang Nu had burned a significant portion of his own life force to create arge quantity of Corrupted Blood, mixing it into the attacks and letting it all fall on Amit.This vast amount of Corrupted Blood, produced at a great cost to Zhang Nu''s life force, should have been detectable by Amit, who could have noticed the unusual drop in Zhang Nu''s life force. Yet, Zhang Nu had used the Eye of Regeneration to keep his HP stable, masking the depletion.


    In this way, it seemed as if Amit had been washed by a round of meaningless attacks, but in truth, he had been thoroughly drenched in the Corrupted Blood from head to toe. This pervasive energy had corroded his scales and entered his body, spreading through every inch of his flesh, organs, and bones.


    By the time Amit realized this, it was toote. The Corrupted Blood was not a spell and could not be dispelled by any potion or spell. Once an ordinary person was contaminated by a drop of the vile blood, they could never rid themselves of its influence for life. Even top-tier legendary weapons, once polluted by the Corrupted Blood, would be worthless scrap, impossible to repair by ordinary means.


    Amit had been thoroughly soaked in the Corrupted Blood. Now, not only were the effects of his Abyssal Scales suppressed, but his own defense had been nearlypletely dismantled. This was why a single strike had caused such tremendous damage.


    Zhang Nu said, "You''ve already lost!"


    Amit, furious beyond measure, roared, "Damn you, you despicable creature! You dare to use such underhanded tactics against me!"


    As he spoke, Amit''s three Evil God Eyes activated simultaneously,unching another powerful soul attack on Zhang Nu, causing him minor damage.


    "Still not admitting defeat?" Zhang Nuughed heartily. "Your scales do have impressive damage absorption capabilities, but ultimately, it''s just a fragment of an Evil God. Do you think that, even under normal circumstances, I wouldn''t have a way to counter your defenses?"


    Indeed, the Abyssal Scales were not invincible. If Zhang Nu focused the power of his four Evil God Eyes and repeatedly attacked, he could use Death''s Gaze to inflict severe damage on Amit. Moreover, if Zhang Nu used the Eye of Domination tounch a direct attack, Amit would likely be unable to withstand it. The Abyssal Scales did not possess the ability to absorb psychic attacks, so Zhang Nu had no shortage of methods to deal with Amit.


    Even in a head-on confrontation, Zhang Nu was confident. However, there was no need to go to such lengths when simpler methods would suffice.


    Zhang Nu activated the Evil Dragon of Annihtion form, instantly transforming into a dragon over a thousand meters long, with a bodyposed entirely of surging lightning mes. The overwhelming power emanated from him, enveloping everything.


    "Shit!"


    Amit could sense that this opponent aimed to take advantage of his current weakened state to finish him off. However, being corroded by the blood of pollution, Amit''s condition was extremely dire. His resistances and defenses had been eroded away, and his various innate abilities and skills were sealed and unusable. The dominance of the Corrupted Blood was evident.


    Despite his innate skills being rendered useless, Amit still had some means of defense. He activated the three Evil God Eyes, creating ayer of elemental shield and ayer of soul shield. These shields, formed directly from the power of the Evil God, were incredibly strong, not inferior to S-rank defensive magic.


    Yet, the next moment, the elemental dragon that Zhang Nu had transformed into descended upon him like an overwhelming tidal wave.


    Realizing the severity of the situation, Amit quickly activated the Eye of Destruction, shooting out a ck beam of destructive energy in an attempt to counter the oing torrents of lightning mes. The ck energy continually destroyed and dispersed the lightning mes, but the sheer volume of lightning mes that Zhang Nu released was too much.


    Amit couldn''t sustain the Eye of Destruction indefinitely, so within a few seconds, he began to falter. In that brief moment, the lightning mes engulfed him. The torrents of energy flowed through his body like countless rivers, each second releasing immense energy and explosions, tearing apart the elemental shield, evaporating the soul shield, and rapidly destroying every inch of his body.


    "No! Stop! Stop it!" Amit realized with horror that, in his current state, his resistance and defense were almost negligible. There was no way he could withstand such terrifying lightning attacks.


    Finally, amidst his agonized screams, Amit''s scales shatteredpletely. His body turned to charcoal, inch by inch disintegrating into ashes and vanishing into the air. Ultimately, his massive form was almost entirely pulverized into dust, and even his soul did not escape unscathed. In the end, only a few items survived. These were three eyeballs and a translucent ck crystal scale. At the same time, Zhang Nu received a notification:


    [You''ve in a Level 6 Hero, Hero''s soul +1, Legend crystal +1, Skill stone +14, Hero Leaderboard Chest +1!]


    It was a sess. Zhang Nu had sessfully killed this powerful Hero.


    In truth, Amit was not weak at all. He was the strongest opponent Zhang Nu had encountered thus far. However, from the beginning, Zhang Nu had dragged him into his divine realm, nullifying Amit''s home-field advantage and securing his own.


    Amit''s racial talents were no less than Zhang Nu''s, and he possessed the strength of a Level 6 Legend. A head-on confrontation would have required considerable effort to defeat him. But Zhang Nu had started by catching him off guard and controlling him with the Corrupted Blood. Under these circumstances, Amit stood no chance. His abilities and information had beenpletely exposed, rendering any tactics meaningless.


    The biggest gain from this encounter was not just the three Evil God Eyes, but also a piece of Evil God Fragment and the luxurious rewards of a Hero ranked around thirties. This journey had indeed been highly rewarding.


    For Zhang Nu, the significance and value of this victory were immense."

 Chapter 327: Seven Evil God Eyes

    Chapter 327: Seven Evil God Eyes


    Zhang Nu immediately absorbed the three Evil God Eyes.


    [Assimtion of Evil God fragment sessful!]


    [Maximum HP +10000!]


    [You''ve gained a new talent: Eye of Destruction!]


    [Your "Eye of Destruction" has resonated with "Eye of Time", "Eye of Regeneration", "Eye of Death" and "Eye of Domination".]


    [Ability strength of the five Evil God Eyes +50%, Evil God power +50%, maximum HP +12000, maximum MP +12000, all stats +500!]


    ......


    [Assimtion of Evil God fragment sessful!]


    [Maximum MP +15000!][You''ve gained a new talent: Eye of Element!]


    [Your "Eye of Element" has resonated with "Eye of Destruction", "Eye of Time", "Eye of Regeneration", "Eye of Death" and "Eye of Domination".]


    [Ability strength of the five Evil God Eyes +50%, Evil God power +50%, maximum HP +14000, maximum MP +14000, all stats +600!]


    ......


    [Assimtion of Evil God fragment sessful!]


    [Maximum MP +20000!]


    [You''ve gained a new talent: Eye of Wraith!]


    [Your "Eye of Wraith" has resonated with "Eye of Element", "Eye of Destruction", "Eye of Time", "Eye of Regeneration", "Eye of Death" and "Eye of Domination".]


    [Ability strength of the five Evil God Eyes +50%, Evil God power +50%, maximum HP +20000, maximum MP +20000, all stats +800!]


    ......


    After Zhang Nu absorbed the three Evil God Eyes, he could clearly feel his strength soaring significantly.


    If, before this, Zhang Nu, relying solely on his innate abilities without the Evil God talents, was already a standout among Level 6 legendary units, then at this moment, the resonance and amplification of the seven Evil God Eyes had pushed his HP, MP, and all stats to a higher level. In terms of pure innate talent and stats alone, Zhang Nu was now one of the top legendary-ss units. Hisbat power was beyond the imagination of others.


    Furthermore, with the addition of the Evil God power and talents, Zhang Nu was not just invincible at his level; he could even challenge higher-level legendary beings. It was important to note that after reaching Level 6, each subsequent level became extremely difficult to achieve. The higher the level, the less likely it was to challenge and surpass units of the same rank. However, Zhang Nu''s current strength was unquestionablyparable to that of a Level 7 legendary unit. The progress and the sheer power he had gained were astonishing and almost unbelievable.


    Zhang Nu had one more Evil God fragment, the "Abyssal Scales" dropped by Amit. After some thought, he decided to use it.


    [Assimtion of Evil God fragment sessful!]


    [Maximum HP +5000!]


    [You''ve gained a new talent: Abyssal Scales!]n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [Evil God power +50%, maximum HP +4000, maximum MP +4000, all stats +200!]


    Compared to the Evil God Eyes, the benefits from absorbing this Evil God fragment was noticeably lower. This was because it was an independent Evil God fragment and could not resonate with the other fragments within his body. Only fragments of the same origin could resonate and amplify each other. The more same-origin Evil God fragments were absorbed, the greater the amplification effect would be, showing a step-like growth.


    Although this Evil God fragment''s benefits were not particrly impressive, it still increased his Evil God power and granted a new talent. Zhang Nu already possessed strong defense and damage absorption abilities. With the addition of the Abyssal Scales, his ability to absorb attacks became even more formidable.


    Even with just these gains, this operation was already very sessful. The Eight-Eyed Evil God had a total of eight fragments, and Zhang Nu had now collected seven of them. This meant he was only one fragment away. Once he found thest fragment, Zhang Nu would fully activate the power of the Eight-Eyed Evil God, awakening the Godhood within himself and acquiring the power and divinity of a deity.


    However, Zhang Nu was not in a hurry. With seven Evil God Eyes already in his possession, finding thest one would not be difficult. The resonance between the Evil God fragments gave him confidence that he could locate it no matter where it was hidden.


    Aside from the Evil God fragments, the most valuable loot this time was the in Hero rewards. Amit was a legendary Hero, so among his dropped items was a legendary crystal. The value of this crystal was immeasurable. While it might not be useful for Zhang Nu, it held tremendous value for many others. For most people, this crystal was more valuable than four Evil God fragments.


    The legendary crystal could enhance potential and talent. The target for using a legendary crystal needed to have mythic-ss qualifications, and this crystal''s function was to elevate those qualifications to the legendary-ss. Although the level remained the same, the essence underwent a transformation and evolution.


    But more than the legendary crystal, what truly interested Zhang Nu was the Hero leaderboard reward chest.


    [You''ve opened the Hero treasure chest. You''ve gained "Primeval Behemoth Crystal" x1, "Level 7 Soul" x200, "Thirteen Elemental Gems" x150,000 each!]


    As expected, the Hero reward chest contained the Hero crystal, souls, and gemstones. The scale of the rewards was astonishing, even more generous than the chest dropped by the Prophet of Doom.


    Zhang Nu used the Hero crystal.


    [You have absorbed the "Primeval Behemoth Crystal": HP +20,000, MP +10,000, Strength +3000, Agility +1500, Constitution +3000, Will +1000. You have gained the SS-rank skill: Primeval Behemoth Form!]


    A surge of immense power enveloped Zhang Nu, further enhancing his already overwhelming stats. The new ability he acquired was the "Behemoth Form"! This was an SS-rank transformation skill, though it was not strictly a transformation skill. Zhang Nu could transform into a behemoth, gaining all the innate abilities of a Primeval Behemoth.


    If true dragons were the rulers of the sky, then behemoths were the rulers of thend. The bloodlines of both were ofparable levels. The Primeval Behemoth, with its divine bloodline, possessedbat prowess, destructive power, and various talents beyond the imagination of ordinary beings.


    With this skill, Zhang Nu could transform into a Primeval Behemoth at will and gain all the corresponding abilities. This meant Zhang Nu now had dual forms, and for pure closebat, the behemoth form was several times stronger than the dragon form, with manybat talents that dragons did not possess.


    This ability was extremely useful. Zhang Nu nodded in satisfaction, feeling that his goals had been more than achieved. It was time to finish up, leave this ce, and attend to other matters. Of course, Zhang Nu also wanted to test his new ability."

 Chapter 328: Primeval Behemoth Form

    Chapter 328: Primeval Behemoth Form


    Outside Behemoth City, Han Kexin and the others were trapped in a valley. Over ten thousand high-ranking orc wyvern mages and a thousand top-tier Hero mages from the six Hero groups hadbined their powers to seal the entire valley with barrier-type magic. In this situation, spatial items or spells could not be used, significantly increasing the difficulty of breaking out.


    Han Kexin, having fused with the Undying Phoenix, was enveloped in zing mes, greatly enhancing both her magical and closebat abilities. Despite this, several attempts to break out were thwarted by the concentrated attacks and spells.


    However, these high-ranking mages and Heroes were not the main force of the encirclement. The primary force consisted of arge number of behemoths, flooding into the valley and forming a surrounding force. Mobilizing such arge number of behemoths was a formidable task for any faction.


    Even for Han Kexin and herpanions, each possessing mythic-ssbat power, facing such a massive force of high-ranking units and the continuous influx of reinforcements posed a significant challenge. There was a real possibility of being trapped.


    "Apocalypse Fire Rain!"


    Han Kexin unleashed her immense power. Under her powerful magic, the very sky seemed to change, asrge swathes of fiery red clouds were summoned from the void, covering the entire valley sky. It was as if an endless sea of fire was rolling and surging overhead.


    Next, thousands upon thousands of meteor fireballs were created from the fiery clouds, falling towards the Behemoth City''s numerous forces. Han Kexin focused her attacks on the gathered behemoth giants, as their massive size and limited mobility made them perfect targets.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Hundreds of behemoth giants were enveloped by this immensely powerful spell. A formidable fire meteor struck one of the more ordinary behemoth giants. The giant roared furiously, its entire body covered in blood-red, violent aura, and it tore through the truck-sized meteor apart with a single swipe.Although the behemoth''s ferocious attack shattered the meteor, the fiery magical energy contained within it could not be easily dispelled. The energy instantly engulfed its dozens of meters tall body, burning it fiercely. However, ayer of red aura enveloped the behemoth''s body. With this aura as a protective barrier, the fire''s damage was insufficient to kill it.


    Seeing this, Han Kexin frowned slightly, "These guys are really tough!"


    The behemoths, one of the most formidable and ferocious ancient superior races in this world, second only to true dragons and titans, might not possess strong magical talents but boasted a physiqueparable to, if not surpassing, dragons and titans.


    Not only did the behemoths have incredibly formidable defenses, but these particr behemoths, under the leadership of their Behemoth Kings, had activated a skill that linked the aura and Qi of all theirpanions. It was somewhat simr to the Blood Ritual skill of the draconian priests. With this skill, the behemoths formed a unifiedbat entity, able to distribute a portion of the damage from attacks across the entire group.


    In such a situation, even a powerhouse like Han Kexin, when using wide-area attack spells, could not instantly kill these gigantic creatures. While she could take down a few, causingrge-scale casualties and quickly breaking theirbat strength was impossible.


    "Surround them! Don''t let them escape! They have nowhere to run!"


    One of the Behemoth Kings roared, not only amplifying the other behemoths but also causing mental harm to their enemies.


    -500!


    Han Kexin felt a slight pain in her head, leading to a brief moment of dizziness. However, Nancilia quickly used a dispel spell to remove the abnormal state from her.


    Blizzard Empress Ophelia drew an epic-grade icy broadsword and swung it directly at the behemoth emitting the psychic attacks. The immense sword energy seemed to cleave the earth itself, ultimately hitting the target.


    The behemoth used its ws to block the sword energy, being pushed back several dozen yards. With a roar, it managed to shatter and disperse the sword energy at the cost of breaking its ws.


    This Behemoth King, a Level 6 monarch unit, had withstood an attack from a Level 6 mythic unit. This showcased the racial advantage of the behemoths; their formidable physique was beyond human imagination. Of course, during this exchange, the Behemoth King did sustain some injuries, but it was quickly healed by the high-ranking orc priests nearby.


    The area was swarming with behemoths. Even the most ordinary ones possessed the strength of a Level 4 overlord, while the slightly stronger ones boasted the power of a Level 5 overlord. In terms of high-endbat power at Level 5, they were on par with the Darkness City''s Abyssal Dragon Legion and the Thunder Empire''s Guardian Knights.


    Moreover,pared to the Guardian Knights, behemoths at Level 5 or above, even if not yet reached monarch-ss, could easily surpass humans in both offense and defense due to their superior physical constitution.


    "Their numbers are overwhelming! Even for us, we don''t have enough strength to hold out here indefinitely!" Zhang San and Li Si were currently holding the front line, while the others were considering strategies for breaking through.


    Shui Lan suggested, "We should concentrate our efforts and first eliminate the six Behemoth Kings. Without their leadership, the other behemoths will lose their formations."


    This proposal seemed worth trying. The reason the behemoths could share their aura and battle Qi came from the six Behemoth Kings, who usedmander-type skills to significantly enhance the behemoths'' survival andbat abilities. By directly taking down the Behemoth Kings, they could disrupt this skill, making it easier to deal with the other behemoths usingrge-scale spells.


    Han Kexin agreed, "The Behemoth Kings have extremely high defenses. With the support of theirmander skills, even my attacks can''t take them down in one go."


    Hearing this, Nancilia, Ophelia, and Shui Lan all frowned. Han Kexin''s magical prowess was among the best of them. If even her attacks were ineffective, the others would likely face simr difficulties.


    As for physical attacks? What a joke! Behemoths were different from true dragons, who had high magic resistance. Behemoths were the opposite, with extremely formidable physical resistance. Even though Zhang San and Li Si had advanced to mythic-ss units, relying on physical or Qi attacks to kill a Behemoth King would be extremely challenging.


    "We have no other choice! Time is running out! We can only give it our all!"


    Before Han Kexin could finish speaking, the space in front of her twisted, and a majestic, towering figure emerged.


    "Your Majesty!"


    Everyone was astonished to see Zhang Nu. Han Kexin and the others hadn''t expected Zhang Nu to appear so quickly and unharmed, indicating the oue of his battle with Amit.


    The members of the Savage Beast Empire were all in shock and disbelief. Had the Great Primeval Behemoth Amit really lost? Impossible! It couldn''t be! Moreover, how had Zhang Nu arrived here? The area was under a spatial lock! No spatial magic, tools, or equipment should work. Why, then, was he able to teleport here without any issues?


    Zhang Nu took a quick nce around, understanding the situation. He nodded and said, "Leave this to me."


    The leader of one of the Heroes'' groups angrily demanded, "Damn it, who are you, and where is our boss?"


    Zhang Nu didn''t hold back. "Fair question. I am Zhang Nu. As for your leader..."


    He dropped his usually low-key demeanor and revealed his identity directly. This caused a huge stir among the present Heroes, who were shocked and incredulous.


    Zhang Nu?


    The top-ranked Demon King on the leaderboard! The one recognized by the game as the most powerful Demon King. If it was him, then Amit was indeed likely to have met a grim fate.


    "Don''t listen to his lies!"


    "There''s no way our boss could lose!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Get him! Trap him here! Once the boss arrives, they''ll have no escape!"


    The Heroes tried to muster their courage. However, the retreating expressions on most of their faces showed that their bravado was merely a facade.


    "Behemoth Form!"


    Zhang Nu activated his newly acquired ability. His draconian form suddenly expanded, growing over a hundred timesrger, transforming into a dark-gold-furred behemoth.


    In this behemoth form, Zhang Nu''s size rivaled that of his dragon form, appearing even more muscr. Each dark-gold strand of fur wasparable to multi-meter-long metal spears. An incredibly fierce and violent aura emanated from him, unlike any mere transformation skill. When Zhang Nu took on this form, he also replicated all of the behemoth''s innate abilities, proving it was far more than just a cosmetic change. Upon seeing his transformation, both the native behemoths and the Heroes'' faction yers were plunged into unprecedented shock.


    Zhang Nu activated the Evil God Eyes, with the massive eyeball forming a seven-leaf shape. The ck pupil, representing the power of destruction, released immense energy and aura. This aura was channeled into his ws.


    Behemoths were renowned for their unparalleled closebat prowess. Now,bined with the immense destructive power of the Evil God, Zhang Nu''s w swipe across the air instantly struck a Behemoth King.


    Despite the Behemoth King''s special skill that dispersed damage, it was still torn to shreds without any suspense. Under the ck energy, its massive body disintegrated into powder. Even more terrifying was the spread of this tremendous damage. The shared damage instantly transmitted to hundreds of other behemoth giants, leaving ck w marks on them almost simultaneously.


    In the next moment, amidst agonizing screams, hundreds of behemoth giants were reduced to ashes. Zhang Nu hadn''t activated any additional skills; it was just an ordinary w swipe that annihted hundreds of behemoth giants.


    Witnessing this scene, the shock felt by everyone present was beyond words!"

 Chapter 329: Now Thats A Lotta Damage

    Chapter 329: Now That''s A Lotta Damage


    Zhang Nu''s form was quite unique. It wasn''t just a simple transformation skill. If he opened his information panel now, Zhang Nu could see that his attributes and various talents had undergone significant changes.


    ......


    Name: Zhang Nu


    Level: 6


    Race: Primeval Behemoth (Special Form)


    Level 1 Talents: Death w, Destruction w, ughter Fest, Blood Amplification, Bloodthirst Berserk.


    Level 2 Talents: Inferno Feast, Annihtion Might, Doomsday Roar, Destruction Storm.


    Level 3 Talents: Tyrant Domain, Death Hunt, Primeval Bloodline.


    Level 4 Talents: Endless Bloodlust, Tyrant Cage, Tyrant Sanctuary.Level 5 Talents: Tyrant Divine Realm, Immortal Physique, World-Ending Fury.


    Level 6 Talents: Primeval Behemoth.


    ......


    In simple terms, Zhang Nu retained all his stats and some skills while fully transforming into a powerful and massive behemoth.


    The Hero Amit''s race, in terms of talent, was not inferior to that of the Abyssal Dragon, which exined his formidable power. Zhang Nu''s stats and overall strength, however, were far superior to Amit''s. When he hunted Amit, obtained his Hero Crystal, and acquired the behemoth form, it could be said that the current Primeval Behemoth Zhang Nu was even stronger than Amit himself.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The surviving five Behemoth Kings, along with other high-ranking behemoths and the six Hero groups of the Savage Beast Empire, were utterly stunned when they saw Zhang Nu in his current form. Who could have imagined that this Demon King had obtained Amit''s Primeval Behemoth form? Did it mean that he had truly defeated the nearly demigod-like Amit? How was that even possible?


    Moreover,pared to Amit, this guy''s strength was not only not weaker but had reached an almost unfathomable level. The attack Zhang Nu had just used was one of the behemoth''s innate skills, "Destruction w," which had a strong defense-ignoring effect.


    Even without any additional power, such an attack from Zhang Nu would have been enough to kill a monarch-ss opponent. The behemoth''s damage capabilities and the skill''s defense-ignoring nature were incredibly potent. Not to mention Zhang Nu had infused it with the power of the Evil God. With the power of the Evil God Eyes, especially now that Zhang Nu possessed seven of them, the destructive force he could unleash was unparalleled. The power of this single w strike was unimaginably terrifying.


    If the Behemoth King hadn''t used the damage-sharing skill, it would have been a straightforward death, and most of the damage would have been redundant. However, this Behemoth King was linked to his subordinates through hismander-type skill. As a result, the damage he couldn''t bear was distributed to the others, ensuring that every bit of damage was fully absorbed by the behemoth giant legion.


    Ignoring defense and with incredibly high damage, this exined why Zhang Nu''s single strike managed to take out hundreds of high-level behemoths. Among these giants, there were many Level 5 overlords, whose strength was nearlyparable to that of an Abyssal Dragon, making them the strongest basebat units.


    Before anyone else could react, Zhang Nu continued to unleash behemoth skills. Everyone could clearly see Zhang Nu''s body turn crimson, as if it were burning, though the mes were blood-red. Zhang Nu''s entire behemoth form transformed into a state somewhere between energy and flesh. His already terrifyingly strong and violent aura was increasing exponentially, by tenfold or twentyfold, reaching a level that was truly intimidating.


    The mere presence of his murderous aura alone was enough to make units below Level 4 overlord unable to look at him directly. For those below Level 3 overlord, being within a thousand meters of Zhang Nu would result in death within five seconds.


    A Behemoth King''s expression changed drastically: "This is the chieftain''s World-Ending Behemoth form!"


    The so-called World-Ending Behemoth was actually the behemoth''s Level 5 talent "World-Ending Fury." It wasn''t a transformation skill but a state skill, simr to "Death Sacrifice." It boosted strength by burning the user''s essence and blood, which was essentially HP. However, Death Sacrifice only enhanced skill power and, as an A-rank skill, its boost wasn''t very high. World-Ending Fury was different. As a Level 5 Behemoth Tyrant talent, its effects were iparable.


    Under the effect of World-Ending Fury, every point of HP consumed could be used to increase strength, agility, or damage by 1 point for one minute. This meant that the higher the base stats, the stronger the enhancement effect. With Zhang Nu''s current HP exceeding hundreds of thousands of points, and with skills like the Eye of Regeneration and Rebirth from Within the mes to aid him, the effects he could achieve using this skill were beyond ordinaryprehension.


    Additionally, behemoths had many berserker-type skills. For instance, its Level 4 talent "Endless Bloodlust" increased attributes and skill effectiveness the more HP was lost. As long as HP hadn''t hit zero, the behemoth wouldn''t be weak or severely injured, maintaining its peak state and gaining an extraordinary resistance to control-type skills.


    Zhang Nu poured all hundred and eighty thousand points of HP into the "World-Ending Fury" skill. This HP was converted into a damage boost of equal points, meaning that any attack Zhang Nu made would inflict an additional hundred and eighty thousand points of damage. Furthermore, under the berserker effects of "Endless Bloodlust," "Bloodthirst Berserk," "ughter Fest," and "Behemoth Tyrant," Zhang Nu''s attributes were exponentially amplified. With his HP reduced to just 1 point, the enhancements became exceptionally formidable.


    Zhang Nu''s current attack power was so overwhelming that even his own body would lose most of its HP if hit by a single of his own attacks. It was essential to note that Amit, a Level 6 legendary Hero, wasn''t a weak opponent by any means. Zhang Nu''s victory wasrgely due to his ability to counter Amit''s strengths effectively. During their battle, Amit never had the chance to utilize these capabilities fully.


    "Damn it! Kill him quickly! His HP is critically low!"


    "Just one attack! Just a single attack, and he''ll be dead!!"


    A Behemoth King roared, charging forward with a collision skill. He shattered a nearby hill and rushed towards Zhang Nu, intending to kill him, who had only 1 point of life force left.


    "Admirable courage! But too naive!" Zhang Nuughed, extending a single finger. He used no skill, merely pointing at the Behemoth charging with devastating force. The moment his finger touched the Behemoth King -


    -357,589!


    With just a casual finger point, Zhang Nu inflicted over 350,000 damage. The Behemoth King didn''t even have time to scream before the destructive power obliterated him into nothing! It was incredibly terrifying! Everyone was stunned by the horror! A casual point annihted the Behemoth King! Zhang Nu''s current damage output was so immense that touching him meant certain death. No one in this world could withstand his power!


    That point could shatter anything!


    "Attack!"


    "Use magic attacks!"


    "Use ranged attacks!"


    Despite knowing Zhang Nu''s terrifying strength, they weren''t about to give up the opportunity. Zhang Nu''s life force was extremely low; although he could kill anyone he touched, he was also very vulnerable to being killed. These people were clearly underestimating the situation. With the Eye of Regeneration, how could Zhang Nu be killed? With his current abilities, he could easily revive on the spot ten times over without any problem!


    However, Zhang Nu had no intention of letting them seed. He activated the Level 5 Behemoth Tyrant''s talent "Immortal Physique". His previously burning red body suddenly turned golden. This skill was extremely powerful. It could enhance defense by hundreds of times in a short period. In this state, the Behemoth Tyrant was practically invincible and indestructible!


    This skill seemed specifically designed toplement "World-Ending Fury," granting the behemoth immense explosive power and terrifying survivability. This showcased how strong Amit truly was. If he hadn''t been caught off guard and poisoned by Zhang Nu''s Corrupted Blood, even Zhang Nu would have needed considerable effort to defeat him.


    "It''s useless!"


    "Our attacks are ineffective!"


    "We can''t win this!"


    A leader of one of the Hero groups realized the problem: "Retreat, retreat for now. His berserk state won''tst long!"


    Indeed, both "World-Ending Fury" and "Immortal Physique" had very short durations. If they chose to evade now, they could turn the tide once the skill effects wore off, right?


    Unfortunately, they knew nothing about true power.


    Zhang Nu activated the Eye of Domination. A wave of unparalleled, terrifying psychic power enveloped everyone present, immobilizing them and stripping them of their ability to act. Immediately after, he activated the behemoth talent "Death Hunt!" Dozens of red energy tendrils extended from Zhang Nu''s body, grasping the remaining four Behemoth Kings, the leaders of the Hero groups, and various empire elites and high-level Heroes.


    The behemoth talent "Death Hunt" was not just a grasping skill but also capable of transmitting damage. This meant that any damage received by one of the captured targets would be shared by all the others.


    "Eye of Destruction!"


    Zhang Nu''s ws gathered ck energy so intense it distorted and even fractured the space around it, exuding an aura of despair. In the next moment, Zhang Nu extended his finger once more. The destructive finger strike pierced the heart of a captured Hero.


    -550,000!


    The instant attack spread out. Dozens of captured targets simultaneously felt Zhang Nu''s strike. The four Behemoth Kings, unable to contain the damage, transferred it to their subordinates. In an instant, thousands of high-level behemoths and high-level Heroes were obliterated, vanishing as if they had never existed in this world."

 Chapter 330: Returning from Behemoth Highlands

    Chapter 330: Returning from Behemoth Hignds


    Although in terms of proportion, Zhang Nu''s all-out strike wiped out less than one-tenth of the encircling forces, in terms of quality, it was devastating. Those reduced to dust by Zhang Nu''s single strike included the remaining four Behemoth Kings, the leaders of the sixrgest Hero groups of the empire, and hundreds of high-level behemoths and Heroes.


    In other words, Zhang Nu''s attack nearly obliterated the core strength of the encircling forces. This scene was incredibly shocking for both the surviving enemies and thepanions from Darkness City, like Han Kexin and Nancilia, rendering them in disbelief.


    "This... how is this possible!" Han Kexin, also a Demon King, couldn''t imagine someone achieving such an inconceivable feat. Nancilia, Shui Lan, and Ophelia were all left in a state of shock, this moment destined to be unforgettable for them.


    Shui Lan said, "I didn''t sense even a trace of magical energy, nor any elemental power. This means that what His Majesty the Demon King just performed wasn''t magic!"


    If it wasn''t magic, then it was a physical attack. That made it even more inexplicable why it was so devastating. This single attack had almostpletely shattered the enemy''s morale andbat capability.


    "Run!"


    "We can''t defeat him!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The remaining behemoths and orcs, witnessing the situation, were utterly demoralized and quickly lost the will to fight, leading to a rapid andplete copse of their forces.


    Han Kexin approached Zhang Nu and asked, "Should we pursue them?"Zhang Nu shook his head and replied, "Don''t pursue a cornered enemy, especially since this isn''t our territory."


    As he spoke, the murderous aura around Zhang Nu began to subside quickly. The effect of the Immortal Physique was also fading. Even for Zhang Nu, this extreme burst state could only be maintained for about a minute; it was impossible to sustain such a high level of power for long.


    After Zhang Nu returned to his normal state, his HP was down to just one point. Under normal circumstances, this would have quickly rendered him weak, but the Rebirth from Within the mes skill activated immediately. Not only did Zhang Nu recover, but he also returned to full health. In other words, if the enemy persisted, Zhang Nu could unleash another round of attacks. Utilizing the Rebirth from Within the mes and the Eye of Regeneration, he could repeat this process two, three, or even four times, making him virtually unbeatable.


    The battlefield was a mess. Han Kexin released soul threads around the bodies of the Behemoth Kings, drawing in their lingering souls. For Han Kexin, these souls were very useful. Among her Level 5 talents was one called Soul Shepherding, which allowed her to turn captured souls into her soul ves. Thus, high-quality souls held great value for Han Kexin.


    Among the targets Zhang Nu had eliminated were six formidable Behemoth Kings. Even among other Level 6 monarch units, these were among the elite. If Han Kexin could turn them into soul ves, her power would increase significantly.


    Zhang Nu didn''t linger. He and his subordinates used the teleportation stone to return directly to the Chaos Forest from the Behemoth Hignds.


    ......


    About half a dayter, the Snow Elf Demon King Tang Xuemei arrived in the area and was stunned by the remnants of the battle. At that moment, her scouts returned with news.


    "My lord, we''ve confirmed the information. Behemoth Chieftain Amit and his six Behemoth Kings... all have been killed!"


    Hearing this, Tang Xuemei was incredulous. She widened her eyes. "Amit is dead? He really just died like that? How is it possible for someone so powerful to be killed?"


    Even if the one they were up against was the No. 1 Demon King, this was still Amit''s territory. If Amit had engaged in a prolonged battle of wits and strength with Zhang Nu and eventually died, Tang Xuemei might have been able to ept it. But from the moment Zhang Nu attacked to the time he left, it was less than half a day. Such a highly ranked, renowned Hero with special abilities and unfathomable strength had perished so quickly, which seemed very abrupt. Moreover, six Behemoth Kings, Amit''s top subordinates, and at least a thousand prominent figures of the hignds had also fallen in this ce.


    Tang Xuemei, shocked by the events, decided to keep this secret. The matter was so astonishing that, on one hand, no one would likely believe her, and on the other hand, it could damage her standing in Zhang Nu''s eyes. Who knows, with this connection with the No. 1 Demon King, she might soar to great heights in the future!


    However, Tang Xuemei clearly underestimated the situation. Some things couldn''t be contained just by keeping silent. During Zhang Nu''s sweep of the behemoths and the Heroes'' groups, at least tens of thousands of the Savage Beast Empire''s top elites and experts were present. Many of them had escaped. These people had eyes and mouths and would surely spread the news, embellishing it as they did. Moreover, the Behemoth Hignds were home to hundreds or even thousands of Demon Kings and tens of thousands of Heroes. Such a significant event was impossible to keep under wraps.


    That evening, when Tang Xuemei opened the Demon King channel, she was astonished to find that the channel was already buzzing with discussions about this very topic.


    "Shocking!"


    "Eyewitnesses confirmed!"


    "The No.1 Demon King, Zhang Nu, has made a move!"


    "Hero Amit, ranked in the top thirty or forty, was annihted by Zhang Nu in just a few minutes, without any chance to fight back."


    "Not only that, but Zhang Nu also single-handedly faced the strongest troops of the Behemoth Hignds and killed tens of thousands of behemoths and high-level orcs with just one finger."


    "Nonsense!"


    "How is that possible? Are you telling stories here?"


    "Zhang Nu is a legend!"


    "The rise of the Demon Kings is just around the corner!"


    Various rumors about Zhang Nu were spreading and fermenting in the chat channels. With many eyewitnesses and numerous Demon Kings like Tang Xuemei drawn to the scene to investigate, the credibility was quite high. This caused a huge sensation and various factions had learned of this news!


    As the protagonist of the events, Zhang Nu naturally saw the various chat channels buzzing about him, making him a hot topic once again. However, this didn''t matter much to him. Zhang Nu never cared about others'' opinions.


    The urgent task at hand was to find thest Evil God Eye. Since there were only eight Evil God fragments in total, acquiring the final one would allow him to fully consolidate the power of the Eight-Eyed Evil God.


    This step was crucial for Zhang Nu.


    Of course, while enhancing his personal strength, Zhang Nu did not forget to build his territory and develop his subordinates. Among the loot this time, there was one exceptionally precious item. This item was none other than the legend crystal. Its use had rtively stringent prerequisites, as it could only evolve a being from the mythic to the legendary level.


    Without much thought, Zhang Nu decided to use this crystal on his top subordinate, the Subus Queen, Han Kexin. This way, Han Kexin would be a Level 6 legendary being like himself. Her personal abilities, permanent charm, and soul shepherding were all extremely powerful and useful.


    As her strength increased, all her talents would be more refined and potent. Zhang Nu was on the verge of reaching Level 7, and as the second-inmand of Darkness City, Han Kexin shouldn''tg too far behind."

 Chapter 331: Heart of Holy Light

    Chapter 331: Heart of Holy Light


    Holy City.


    Pope Saint Delores once again entered the forbidden area. When she arrived, her mentor, the former pope---one of the most legendary popes in history---was still sitting before the Heart of Holy Light.


    "Teacher!" Saint Delores respectfully bowed.


    Lucas Crest opened his eyes and asked, "What is it? More news about the Demon King?"


    Pope Saint Delores responded, "Yes, we just received thetest intelligence. The Demon King from Thunder Empire''s Darkness City appeared in the Savage Beast Empire two days ago."


    Lucas was slightly taken aback. "He appeared in the Savage Beast Empire? What did he suddenly go there for? The Savage Beast Empire is too far from the Demon King''s territory. It''s unlikely he ns to conquer it."


    Delores replied, "The specific motive is unclear, but he, along with several of his subordinates, appeared in the Behemoth Hignds of the Savage Beast Empire. They killed six tribal Behemoth Kings and the renowned Behemoth Great Chieftain!"


    Upon hearing this, Lucas''s expression changed slightly. "Amit? Him?" He immediately opened the yer interface and scanned through the Hero Leaderboard.


    Lucas''s expression turned grim as he confirmed that the Primeval Behemoth, Amit, had indeed disappeared. This indicated that the number one Demon King, Zhang Nu, had targeted Amit, and Amit had already been killed by Zhang Nu.Delores said in a serious tone, "As far as I know, this Behemoth Great Chieftain possessed the legendary qualities of a Primeval Behemoth, akin to a demigod, making him an exceptionally powerful being.


    "Moreover, the six Behemoth Kings of the Behemoth Hignds, each of them has the strength of a top-tier Level 6 monarch. They could even rival an imperial-level powerhouse."


    "From what the followers have gathered, the Great Chieftain and the Behemoth Kings were killed together. This indicates that the Behemoth Great Chieftain was not careless, he had anticipated that the Demon King woulde."


    The Pope''s words undoubtedly revealed a terrifying truth. An entity with strength close to that of a demigod, along with a host of powerful subordinates and ample preparation and defenses, was still killed on his own turf.


    Who would believe such a thing if it were told? The strength of this behemoth was greater than that of most emperors in this world. Even if he couldn''t be called invincible, he was rarely matched. Even as the Pope, Delores had no absolute confidence in defeating this behemoth one-on-one. But such an incredible event had indeed urred, filling everyone with a profound sense of horror.


    "Is that how it is...?" Lucas said calmly. "This is a big problem. After killing the Behemoth Great Chieftain, the Demon King''s power will likely increase even further. Now, even I am not confident I can handle him!"


    Hearing this, Delores was shocked. "What? Even you, teacher...?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It seemed unbelievable! This man was one of the most legendary and powerful popes in the history of the Radiant Church. Delores found it hard to believe that there could be an opponent her teacher couldn''t confidently face.


    Lucas said, "The growth rate of the Demon King is terrifying. This Demon King has nowpletely lost control. If we don''t eliminate him quickly, I''m afraid he will destroy this world."


    Delores did not realize the gravity of the situation! She quickly asked, "What are you nning to do, teacher?"


    Lucas said, "We can''t dy any longer. I''m preparing to take action immediately. Although my strength alone may not be enough to eliminate him, if I borrow the power of the Heart of Holy Light, I think it will be usible!"


    Upon hearing this, Delores''s face changed again. She looked at the object in front of Lucas. It was a brilliant light orb, surrounded by hundreds of dragon stone statues... This was the Heart of Holy Light that Lucas mentioned!


    This was the core artifact of the Radiant Church! It could even be said that the entire Radiant Church and the faith of all its followers were concentrated here. It was also the source of all divine magic for the clergy. If anything were to happen to this artifact, the Church would be finished.


    "I know what you''re worried about," Lucas said. "But we have no choice. Don''t worry, no one can withstand this power. For the sake of saving this world, some risks are worth taking!"


    Delores understood well. Although she was the current pope, her prestige and influence were far inferior to her teacher''s. Since her teacher had already made this decision, no matter how inappropriate she felt it was, she couldn''t change it and could only carry it out.


    ......


    The next day, two hundred Cardinals and thirty-six Holy Robed Bishops gathered in the Church''s forbidden grounds. Delores personally presided over the ceremony to extract the Heart of Holy Light from the forbidden area. As the ceremony concluded, the hundreds of dragon stone carvings around the Heart of Holy Light seemed toe alive, circling the light orb rapidly and shrinking until they formed a head-sized, portable object.


    This was the Heart of Holy Light. In essence, it was a piece of divine-grade equipment!


    Throughout the countless civilizations and empires in this continent''s millions of years of history, no more than ten pieces of divine-grade equipment had ever appeared. Now, fewer than five were known to exist. It was exceedingly rare but divine-grade equipment wielded terrifying power. Each piece could allow its user to dominate a region, and with such an item, one could unleash god-like power.


    It could be said that bringing out the Heart of Holy Light indicated the church was truly serious this time. Holding the Heart of Holy Light, Lucas felt a surge of excitement. With this item, he felt nearly omnipotent. Having spent so much time in the forbidden grounds, he had been researching the use of this item. Now, he finally had it in his possession, and his goal was achieved.


    For Lucas, who already possessed the strength of a Level 7 legendary being,parable to a demigod, having the Heart of Holy Light meant he had nothing to fear from any opponent. However, Lucas remained very cautious. He knew that the Great Demon King Zhang Nu was no simple adversary. Zhang Nu''s rise to power suggested that his strength and abilities were far beyond those of a typical Level 6 legend. This guy undoubtedly had some powerful trump cards.


    To ensure sess, Lucas decided to invite several top-tier Heroes to assist him. If he could enlist the help of at least two more Heroes from the top thirty rankings, then defeating this Demon King would be certain. If he could bring in someone ranked in the top ten like himself, annihting the Darkness City would be a breeze."

 Chapter 332: Succubus Empress

    Chapter 332: Subus Empress


    Darkness City.


    When Zhang Nu found Han Kexin again, the Subus Queen had undergone significant changes. Zhang Nu could clearly sense that, although her level hadn''t changed, her strength had at least increased several times.


    [Subus Empress: Han Kexin] Level 6 legendary


    "Looks like everything went smoothly," Zhang Nu nodded with great satisfaction.


    After defeating the Primeval Behemoth Amit, Zhang Nu obtained the legend crystal. While such an item was of no use to him, already being a legendary existence, it was highly beneficial for Han Kexin, helping her bloodline evolve. As a result, Han Kexin sessfully became a Level 6 legendary existence. Han Kexin''s ranking on the Demon King leaderboard had instantly soared to around the tenth position, nearly making her one of the top ten Demon Kings.


    Zhang Nu asked, "Have there been any changes?"


    Han Kexin replied, "Of course, my stats have all been enhanced. Not only that, but my skills have also changed and their effects have greatly improved."


    Han Kexin demonstrated on the spot.


    With a light flick of her left hand, she shot out ten purple threads. The threads flew into the air and gathered, forming into several spirit bodies, each exuding a powerful aura. Among them were six Behemoth Kings, as well as Heroes Will and Jason, totaling over ten spirits. Zhang Nu was somewhat surprised. From what he knew, Han Kexin''s Soul Shepherding skill could summon a maximum of six soul ves. Unexpectedly, she could now summon ten at once, including two who were legendary beings in their lifetime.These soul ves weren''t created out of thin air; they were crafted using the corresponding souls through the secret arts of the Subus Empress. They could be used repeatedly, and their strength was close to what they had in life, allowing them to use most of their original abilities and talents. However, soul ves couldn''t be resurrected. If they were killed during use, their souls would be destroyed as well, so caution was necessary.


    Han Kexin exined, "I can now control up to twelve soul ves, and I can manage even legendary units of the same level!"


    So that exined it. Her increased rank significantly enhanced her skill effects. With just this ability, Han Kexin could easily handle and suppress most beings of the same level. Moreover, her improvements didn''t stop there. Her other skills were also enhanced. For instance, her permanent charm could now be used on legendary targets with a much higher sess rate and a reduced cooldown time.


    "With your current strength, you can definitely hold the line on your own," Zhang Nu said. "I''m going to entrust you with the task of consolidating the federation. You need to resolve the issues as quickly as possible."


    Han Kexin confidently replied, "No problem!"


    The Chaos Federation was currently vast. Apart from the headquarters and the origin point, the Chaos Forest, it included the Pale Moon Penins and the entire Thunder Empire to the north. Compared to the Thunder Empire, the Chaos Forest''s territory was too small. Thus, fully integrating such arge area was not an easy task in a short time.


    In the four duchies and border regions of the Empire, there were still many feudal nobles either forming rebel forces or dering independence, unwilling to surrender their hereditarynds and power. These issues needed to be addressed gradually. However, Zhang Nu no longer needed to handle such minor matters personally, as he had more important things to do.


    Recently, the Chaos Federation had been developing rapidly. Zhang Nu had seven high-ranking members under hismand, all of whom had mythic or higher-ss strength. Apart from Han Kexin, who had be a legendary figure, there were: Elven Empress Nancilia, Sea Empress Shui Lan, Human Empress Ophelia, and the three Dragon Emperors of the Darkness City, Long Yi, Zhang San, and Li Si.


    Zhang San and Li Si inherently had the potential to be mythic units. Through the means of the Demon King''s baptism and other methods, Zhang Nu easily elevated them. In contrast, Long Yi did not initially have the talent to be a Dragon Emperor. However, Zhang Nu used a mythic crystal to elevate Long Yi to Dragon Emperor, making him one of the most significant figures in the Darkness City.


    As for the other mythic crystals, Zhang Nu nned to cultivate one or two Demonic Emperors. After all, the demon n of the Gloom City, under Han Kexin, had great potential and could enrich the high-endbat power structure of both the Darkness City and the Chaos Federation.


    In addition to these emperor-ss figures, the Chaos Federation currently had over twenty monarch-ss entities. Zhang Nu, possessing the Soul Altar that could bestow kingly potential, could mass-produce monarch-ss units. These units served as the regional leaders under the Demon King''s control, ensuring stability and order across various territories.


    Given the current situation, there were two main tasks to aplish. The first task was topletely conquer the Thunder Empire to obtain the super reward for conquering the entire empire. The second task was to find thest Evil God Eye. Once Zhang Nu found the final Evil God Eye, he could sessfully advance to Level 7.


    Zhang Nu entrusted Han Kexin with the former task to free up enough energy and time to focus on thetter. After giving instructions to Han Kexin and his subordinates, Zhang Nu set out again. Using the resonance ability of the Evil God fragments, he roughly pinpointed the location of thest Evil God Eye and embarked on his journey.


    Han Kexin didn''t remain idle either. She immediately began taking action. She was very satisfied with her current status and position. Although confident that she could do well even without joining under Zhang Nu''s banner, it was clear that she would never have achieved her current sess on her own. Han Kexin was now one of the top ten Demon Kings. If she wanted to advance further, she needed to seize the reward for conquering the empire as quickly as possible.


    However, while she was actively deploying measures to quell the empire''s rebellion, Empress Ophelia approached Han Kexin.


    "Vice City Lord! I have important information!"


    Ophelia''s status within the federation was certainly below Han Kexin''s, given that Han Kexin was the Vice City Lord of Darkness City, the Prime Minister of the federation, and the second-inmand of the entire Demon King Alliance.


    Han Kexin asked, "What information?"


    Ophelia replied, "An emissary from the Radiant Church''s Pope Saint Delores has secretly contacted me."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Hearing this news, Han Kexin raised an eyebrow, bing cautious. "The pope? What does she want?"


    Ophelia responded, "I''m not entirely sure. Saint Delores wants to meet with me in secret. I suspect it''s highly likely that they n to take action against the former empire or the federation."


    "The Radiant Church...the pope!" Han Kexin''s eyes narrowed slightly.


    She suddenly recalled that the former pope of the Radiant Church was none other than Lucas, ranked seventh on the Hero leaderboard. Considering this, it seemed that Pope Delores''s approach was a probe to test the water, with the true mastermind being the seventh-ranked Hero, Lucas.


    Han Kexin said, "Your suspicion is correct. The top echelon of the Radiant Church has long been controlled by the Heroes. They intend to move against us."


    Ophelia quickly asked, "How should I respond?"


    After some thought, Han Kexin said, "Since Her Holiness the Pope wants to meet, then let''s meet her."


    Ophelia understood Han Kexin''s implication. She said "we," meaning Han Kexin nned to apany Ophelia to meet Pope Delores. Since the Radiant Church wanted to probe the Chaos Federation, why shouldn''t the federation seize this opportunity to probe the Radiant Church in return?

 Chapter 333: Meeting of Empress Ophelia & Pope Delores

    Chapter 333: Meeting of Empress Ophelia & Pope Delores


    The Radiant Church was an organization that rivaled, if not surpassed, most empire-level forces in the world. Nearly every pope throughout history had possessed emperor-ss power. Furthermore, the Radiant Church''s followers were scattered across every nation, region, and race.


    Facing such a powerful entity, one could not afford to be careless. With Zhang Nu away, Han Kexin, as the current highest-ranking administrator, had the responsibility to control all potential threats.


    Early the next morning, after a thorough disguise, Han Kexin and Empress Ophelia set off for the Imperial Cathedral. This cathedral was not located within the imperial capital but was built in a small independent town named Cathedral Town, situated eight hundred miles from the capital.


    The empire and the church had an agreement. The church''s clergy would provide free assistance to the empire and even aid in battles when necessary. In return, the empire allowed them to preach within its borders and granted them a special fief. Cathedral Town was this fief and the church''s regional headquarters within the empire. Though small in scale, it had no imperial administrative officials, no stationed imperial soldiers, and no imperial citizens living within it. It was an entirely self-governed area controlled by the church.


    At that moment, apanied by the sound of wings pping, dozens of majestic golden griffins descended from the sky. From each griffin dismounted a Guardian Knight d in golden armor and wielding a massive sword. Among these dozens of knights, two female figures stood out.


    One of them was dressed in imperial attire, with the Frostbane Sword of the Grand Duke of the North at her waist, exuding a cold and regal aura. She was the current legitimate ruler of the empire, the seventeenth emperor of the Frelio family. Beside the Ice Empress stood a young woman dressed in a starry robe, the royal chief mage. Although her face was obscured by therge hood of her mage''s robe, it was clear from her graceful figure that she was a young woman.


    "Greetings, Your Majesty!"


    The Cardinal of the Thunder Empire, an elderly man with white hair, bowed respectfully.


    Ophelia said calmly, "Where is Her Holiness the Pope?"The Cardinal quickly replied, "Her Holiness has also arrived. Please, Your Majesty, follow me into the cathedral."


    Ophelia nced around the surroundings. Although Cathedral Town was a special fief granted to the church, ording to the rules, it was not permitted to stationrge military forces here. Given the town''s small size, the area was predominantly popted by priests and clerics, with few purebat units such as knights.


    Ten minutester, Ophelia walked into the opulent cathedral. A woman with a pure aura, dressed in the white robes of a religious pope, stood at the front with a powerful presence. She was apanied by eight attendants, consisting of four knights and four clerics.


    The Cardinal quickly introduced, "Your Majesty, this is Her Holiness the Pope. To meet you in person, she has gone to great lengths, even teleporting directly from the Holy City."


    Ophelia, without wasting any words, asked bluntly, "Your Holiness, given your esteemed status, I assume you wouldn''t meet with me without good reason. Please get straight to the point. As you know, I am quite busy these days."


    Dolores calmly replied, "Your Majesty, I understand your busy schedule, so I will keep it brief."


    "We are aware that under the invasion of the Demon King of the Chaos Forest, the empire has suffered severe losses and has been greatly weakened, even forced to sign some unequal treaties."


    "Our church has always been dedicated to maintaining peace and justice in the world. We cannot tolerate the threat posed by the Demon King, who is filled with aggression and a desire for conquest."


    "If Your Majesty is willing, we hope to join forces with the empire. The Radiant Church will spare no effort to drive out the invaders and restore the independence of the empire''s sovereignty."


    Upon hearing this, Opheliaughed, "Your Holiness, with all due respect, your capabilities are not sufficient to contend with the Demon King."


    These words caused the expressions of the other clergy present to change drastically. Dolores was the current Pope, her power could be described as unfathomable, and she had offered to help the empire restore its sovereignty. Yet, she was met with the empress''s ridicule. Has this empress gone mad? Even at the height of the empire''s power, the previous emperor would not dare speak to the Pope in such a manner. The Pope not only possessed immense strength but also wielded great influence in this world, with numerous ways to make the empire suffer.


    Dolores replied coolly, "It seems Her Majesty is determined to be a vassal of the Demon King. Despite being a sovereign ruler, you grovel before an invader."


    Ophelia did not argue, "So what if I do?"


    Dolores stated, "If Your Majesty remains stubborn, then for the future of the empire and for the other nations and people of the continent, I will be forced to take extreme measures."


    As she spoke, the entire cathedral began to tremble. Countless magical runes appeared on the floor, spreading rapidly in the blink of an eye. Ophelia could clearly sense that at least five different magic formations and restrictions had been activated within the cathedral. A force of suppression and sealing now targeted Ophelia. Even with her Level 6 legendary strength, she would be weakened by at least sixty to seventy percent in such circumstances.


    Ophelia''s face turned cold. "It seems that Your Holiness never intended to negotiate with me. Attacking me within my own country?! Hasn''t the church be too arrogant?"


    Dolores responded calmly, "Everything is for the sake of this world and the people of the Thunder Empire."


    Ophelia unleashed her power, attempting to counteract the force surrounding her.


    "It''s useless!" Dolores said withposure. "The Demon King is not in the empire. With your power, you can''t escape. We need you to issuemands for this empire and to prevent the Demon King frompletely conquering it."


    However, Dolores suddenly felt a ferocious psychic attack struck her. Her expression changed dramatically as she felt intense pain in her brain. She immediately cast several targeted spells and divine arts to counteract the unbelievably powerful psychic assault.


    "Who are you?" Dolores instantly pinpointed the source. Her gaze locked onto the woman in the starlit robe beside the empress. "I will ask again! Who are you!?"


    Han Kexin did not hide. She removed her robe, revealing her true appearance.


    The Pope eximed, "A demon? No, you''re not just any demon. What exactly are you?"


    Her face turned pale because she could clearly sense that this woman who had suddenly appeared possessed strengthparable to her own, at least Level 6 legend. Initially, she believed that with her preparations and her own power, controlling an empress who had juste into power wouldn''t be difficult. But now, an unexpected variable had emerged.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The Demon King should have already left the Darkness City. So, who is this powerful woman who appeared out of nowhere? What is her rtionship with the Demon King?

 Chapter 334 - Dolores Retreat

    From all directions of the cathedral, hundreds of priests and high-ranking Radiant Knights stormed in. Meanwhile, the dozens of Guardian Knights that Ophelia had brought were now being blocked outside by a barrier.


    "Domination Sanctuary!"


    Facing the situation, Han Kexin smiled seductively and spread her arms. A powerful and invisible force erupted from her body. Instantly, everyone present, including Dolores, found themselves in a space filled with countless threads.


    In this space created by Han Kexin, all powers except for those rted to psychic and soul magic were sealed. Moreover, the church personnel on the scene could clearly feel that they hadpletely lost control of their own bodies. A stronger force was dominating their movements, evenmanding their brains to cast various spells.


    Such terrifying control abilities!


    Dolores had never encountered such powerful psychic techniques before. However, she did not back down. She began to radiate a myriad of holy lights, which acted like countless sharp swords, instantly tearing through the surrounding threads. Dolores, enveloped in holy light and stepping on the radiant path, advanced toward Han Kexin, resembling a legendary saintess. This was her own sanctuary.


    The two sanctuaries shed, with the forces of both sides colliding intensely. In terms of the power and level of both domains, they were evenly matched, resulting in a mutual cancetion. Ultimately, the confrontation ended in a stalemate, with neither side gaining the upper hand.


    Han Kexin narrowed her eyes slightly. It seemed this person truly deserved the title of the current pope of thergest church. If she hadn''t recently boosted her strength with the legend crystal, she would have been at a significant disadvantage. But now, Han Kexin was not intimidated.


    Dolores also felt Han Kexin''s immense power. Her expression turned serious as she said, "It appears you are from the Darkness City. I didn''t expect that under that Dragon Demon King''smand, there would be someone as powerful as you."


    Previously, Dolores had underestimated the Darkness City Demon King. She had thought that using the church''s most important artifact, the Heart of Holy Light, to deal with such a Demon King was overkill. But now it seemed her mentor''s approach was entirely justified. This woman was clearly not the Demon King of Darkness City, yet her strength was enough to rival Dolores, the Pope. One could only imagine how powerful the true Demon King must be.


    Today, Dolores had intended to control the Frelio Empress but ended up encountering a formidable opponent. Given the circumstances, she aimed to capture both women. Although Dolores didn''t fully understand Han Kexin''s abilities or her role within the Chaos Federation, she was confident in her own strength. Whether it was the Frelio Empress or this mysterious subus, they were undoubtedly crucial to the Demon King. If she could subdue them in this operation, it would be akin to crippling the Demon King before the church''s confrontation with him.


    Dolores raised her scepter. An even more dazzling aura was released from the scepter, instantly filling the entire space.


    "What''s this?"


    Han Kexin was shocked to discover that Dolores'' Radiant Sanctuary had suddenly strengthened several times over. Initially, both their domains were of equal level, able to cancel each other out. However, the sudden enhancement of the Pope''s domain gave her an overwhelming advantage.


    Han Kexin''s domain waspletely suppressed. Everyone present was now engulfed in a space filled with blinding light. The omnipresent light elements inflicted significant damage on Han Kexin, a demonic race entity. Additionally, Dolores used her control over thew of dominion to instantly seal all powers except for light-based and divine spells. This meant that Han Kexin could no longer use any of her elemental magic.


    "A legendary-grade equipment?" Han Kexin identified the issue.


    Although the Radiant Pope''s power was on par with hers, the equipment made all the difference. Han Kexin had a few epic-grade items, which significantly boosted her abilities, but Dolores, as the Radiant Pope, evidently had far superior gear. Beyond the epic-quality ornaments and the robe, Dolores'' scepter emanated power and aura that far surpassed the epic-grade. It was a legendary-grade item, and among legendary-grade equipment, it was an exceptional piece.


    Dolores, her face stern and imposing, coldly stated, "Do not resist in vain. You cannot withstand the radiant light."


    Han Kexin scoffed, "Empress Ophelia, I''ll leave the cardinal and the others to you. As for this pope, she''s mine to deal with!"


    Ophelia drew her epic-grade ice sword and immediately charged toward the cardinal and other targets. Although Dolores'' sanctuary could seal various powers, Ophelia, having reached mythic-ss and mastering thew of ice, could still use her abilities even when other aspects ofws were suppressed or missing. Additionally, Ophelia was skilled in both magic and martial arts, making her fighting abilities and battle techniques unaffected in this situation.


    Having just freed herself from her restraints, Han Kexin was now able to join the battle.


    Seeing this, Dolores'' expression turned even colder. "Stubborn fools. In that case, I will purify you in the name of the radiant light!" As she spoke, she unleashed a beam of light.


    In response, Han Kexin summoned her phoenix. Her Undying Phoenix, a divine beast, was not significantly weakened by the sanctuary and immediately intercepted the pope''s attack, exploding into mes mid-air. The mes scattered and fell like raindrops, eventually gathering back onto Han Kexin. Merging with the phoenix, she gained even greater power and agility and then activated her Soul Shepherding skill.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In the next second, six Behemoth Kings appeared around Han Kexin. Though they were in spirit form, their presence was nearly indistinguishable from real behemoths. They all simultaneously unleashed the behemoth control skill---Death Hunt!


    Six red auras, like snares, ensnared Dolores. Her expression changed drastically. She had never seen an ability like this, which could summon six entities almost at the mythic-ss level out of thin air.


    But that wasn''t all. Han Kexin continued her Soul Shepherding, releasing two more spirits. One was the werewolf Hero Will, who had died by her hand, and the other was the fallen druid Jason from the Chaos Forest. Two mythics!


    While controlling these eight powerful soul minions, each possessing nearly the same abilities as when they were alive, and with her own power as a Level 6 legendary being, Han Kexin had Dolores looking somewhat beleaguered despite her superior equipment.


    Damn it! She had greatly underestimated her!


    Han Kexin, with these soul minions and the Undying Phoenix granting her formidable regenerative abilities, was a match even for someone as strong as Dolores. Despite the pope''s near-endless supply of mana, the battle dragged on with no clear victor in sight. They had already exchanged dozens of moves, and it was evident that Dolores couldn''t quickly end the fight.


    Logically, if the battle continued, Han Kexin would eventually exhaust herself. Furthermore, finding a w and eliminating a few of Han Kexin''s soul minions could break the stalemate. However, time was not on her side. After all, this was the Demon King''s territory. How could the Demon King remain unaware of such a fierce battle urring here? Dolores could already sense several powerful beings approaching the cathedral. If the Demon King was among them, it would be the end for her.


    The operation had failed!


    Dolores understood the gravity of the situation. Without hesitation, she chose to retreat immediately. Just as Han Kexin was getting into the heat of battle, Dolores suddenly exploded into a light so intense it seemed capable of scorching both psyche and soul. Han Kexin had to step back. She could withstand the attack herself, but her fragile soul minions couldn''t, and she didn''t want them to be destroyed, so she withdrew them preemptively.


    Taking advantage of this moment, Dolores retrieved a remote teleportation device. A surge of powerful spatial energy condensed around her like a dark cloud, enveloping her entirely before she vanished the next second.


    "She escaped?"


    Han Kexin was a bit stunned. Dolores hadn''t been at a disadvantage, so why had she suddenly fled? The reason quickly became apparent. Three powerful auras appeared as the three Dragon Emperors of Darkness City were teleported in by Li Si''s magic. They hade to reinforce her.


    Fortunately for Dolores, she had fled just in time. Otherwise, even she would have found it extremely difficult to deal with simultaneous attacks from the three Dragon Emperors. With Han Kexin present as well, Dolores would have been in serious trouble.


    "What a pity. I almost had her!"


    Han Kexin was somewhat dissatisfied with the result, but she didn''t dwell on it. The Pope of the Radiant Church was indeed powerful, but not so much that Darkness City had to be overly cautious of her.

 Chapter 335: The Abyss

    Chapter 335: The Abyss


    "Teacher, I have failed," Dolores reported upon returning to the Holy City.


    Lucas narrowed his eyes. "Darkness City doesn''t have just one top-tier Demon King. If I''m not mistaken, the one you fought is also a supreme Demon King ranked in the top ten!"


    "Why do you say that, teacher?" Dolores asked.


    Lucas exined, "A being with strengthparable to yours, perhaps even greater, couldn''t have appeared out of nowhere. Their growth must have a traceable trajectory. I am aware of the most powerful entities on the continent, in the oceans, within the underworld, and even in outer realms. I''ve never heard of a subus bing such a strong entity, and the fact that she left no trace throughout her growth suggests she emerged suddenly in an extraordinarily short period."


    "There''s only one exnation for this scenario," Lucas continued, "She''s a Demon King!"


    Now it made sense to Dolores. She immediately asked, "What should we do next?"


    Lucas replied, "This Demon King may be strong, but she is likely just a subordinate of the No. 1 Demon King, Zhang Nu. She doesn''t pose a significant threat to us. The real concern is Zhang Nu himself."


    After a brief pause, he continued, "But I have already contacted two allies. Their strength is on par with mine. With their assistance and the power of the Heart of Holy Light, eliminating this troublesome Demon King will be a simple task."


    Dolores was extremely surprised. She had never heard of anyone in this worldparable to the legendary pope in front of her, let alone two such individuals appearing at once. Lucas''s strength was already immense. If he could summon two allies of the same caliber, the three of them,bined with the power of the Radiant Church, would be unstoppable by any force in this world.Lucas continued, "The Demon King Zhang Nu is currently not in Darkness City, otherwise, you wouldn''t have retreated so easily. Given this, we must seize the opportunity..."


    Lucas was indeed very cautious because the opponent''s strength was evident. No matter how arrogant one might be, facing a contender capable of holding the top spot among the Demon Kings warranted utmost caution. The church quickly mobilized. A grand and far-reaching war to eradicate the Great Demon King was swiftly brewing.


    ......


    Meanwhile, Zhang Nu also began to take action. Before leaving Darkness City, Zhang Nu had already glimpsed the future through the power of time. Although he could only see the future of this region, Zhang Nu knew that within a few days, Darkness City and even the Chaos Federation would face invasion from external enemies.


    The invaders were none other than forces led by the Radiant Church. Zhang Nu was acutely aware of the gravity of this situation. The number of powerhouses and prodigies within the Radiant Church surpassed that of an empire-level force. ording to the Hero leaderboard, one of the top ten heroes, the former Pope of the Radiant Church, was a Level 7 legendary being.


    Although Zhang Nu''s current strength and the power of the Evil God made it not too difficult for him to contend with a Level 7 legendary demigod, he couldn''t afford to becent. Zhang Nu believed that the news of him killing the Primeval Behemoth Amit could not be kept hidden. Hero Lucas, targeting him, would undoubtedly make thorough preparations.


    This battle was extremely important, crucial to whether the Chaos Federation could firmly establish its position within the continent. Therefore, Zhang Nu decided to hasten his search for thest Evil God fragment. Only by activating the Chaos Dragon God talent and sessfully breaking through to Level 7''s strength could he confidently face all challenges.


    If his guess was correct, thest Evil God Eye was the "Eye of Space." This Evil God Eye had already escaped its seal and had been wandering in the outside world for a long time. Due to its unique attributes, it was difficult for ordinary people to capture it. But at this moment, based on Zhang Nu''s senses, the Eye of Space was located in the Abyssal Space. This world wasposed of four parts: the surface, the underworld, the ocean, and the outer world.


    The so-called Abyss was actually the deepest part of the outer world, a special region filled with evil aura, dark creatures, and various dangerous entities. For others, this ce was extremely dangerous. However, as an Abyssal Dragon, Zhang Nu''s return to the Abyss was like a king returning to his ownnd.


    The journey from Darkness City to the Abyssal Space was extremely far, so Zhang Nu needed to use a Demon King''s territory as a transit checkpoint. Fortunately, he knew someone in the outer world. Zhang Nu used a teleportation stone to arrive at the territory of Blood Giant King Wang Shi. Naturally, Wang Shi personally came to greet him.


    "Brother! It''s been a while! You''ve been making quite a stirtely! Just recently at Behemoth Hignds... you actually went to the home base of a top-ranked supreme Hero and killed him. That event was earth-shattering news!"


    Wang Shi was quite the chatterbox, but Zhang Nu wasn''t interested in small talk.


    "Let''s move on from that. I need a favor. I want to enter the Abyss to take care of some business. Can you make it easier for me?"


    Wang Shiughed heartily, "No problem at all! Leave it to me!"


    ......


    Half a dayter, Wang Shi led Zhang Nu to a teleportation array.


    "The outer space is muchrger than the surface world, the underworld, and the oceanbined. Relying solely on physical movement would be exhausting, so the best way to enter the Abyss is through an Abyssal Teleportation Array," Wang Shi exined. "This Abyssal Teleportation Array has been passed down through the ages, likely crafted by ancient outer world inhabitants millions of years ago. As long as you can afford the price, you can use it."


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Nu was quite satisfied. This made things much easier. Although Wang Shi was a Demon King, he seemed to get along well with the local powers. Through his mediation, they quickly secured permission to use the teleportation array.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After paying the necessary fees, the teleportation array activated. Zhang Nu was transported to a ce that resembled the depths of the cosmos. This ce was almost devoid of light, with extremely thin air, and was filled with a vast amount of chaotic matter.


    [You are being eroded by the Abyssal Aura, HP -0!]


    [You are being eroded by the Abyssal Aura, HP -0!]


    [......]


    It seemed to be the correct destination. Zhang Nu nodded in satisfaction. This was indeed the Abyssal Space. Now, he just needed to find the Eye of Space.

 Chapter 336: Titans of the Abyss

    Chapter 336: Titans of the Abyss


    Zhang Nu sensed the area. The Eye of Space was not far from here. Once he sessfully locked onto its position, Zhang Nu immediately utilized his spatial abilities to reach the location. In just a moment, Zhang Nu traversed thousands of miles and arrived at the ce where he had sensed the Eye of Space. However, upon arrival, he frowned.


    "What''s going on? I clearly sensed it, so why isn''t it here?"


    Zhang Nu found himself in a fragmented floating ruin. The ce still bore many traces of the Evil God''s aura. In the massive ruins, he could even see creatures created by the Evil God''s power. From all these signs, it seemed Zhang Nu had note to the wrong ce. Given this, why was the Eye of Space not here?


    There was only one possibility. The Eye of Space had fled.


    Zhang Nu showed a yful smile. "Interesting. It knows to run away. It seems this Eye of Space has developed quite a high level of intelligence."


    When Zhang Nu used the resonance of the Evil God fragments to locate the other pieces, the Eye of Space would undoubtedly sense it as well. In other words, the resonance was bidirectional. Zhang Nu could sense the Eye of Space, and the Eye of Space could also sense Zhang Nu''s eyes. Realizing that all seven fragments were in the possession of a single being, the Eye of Space, possessing any measure of wisdom, would understand its current predicament.


    The Evil God''s Eye of Space represented the spatial power of the Eight-Eyed Evil God. If it decided to escape, even a being several levels stronger might not be able to catch it. However, the Eye of Space was very unlucky---it had encountered Zhang Nu. This meant it had no chance of escaping.


    Zhang Nu, with just a slight sensing, could track it down immediately. During the chase, Zhang Nu continually used the Evil God resonance to update the Eye of Space''s location, while the Eye of Space kept changing its position. Though the Eye of Space was cunning, its spatial abilities were no match for Zhang Nu''s.


    The chase soon reached its conclusion as Zhang Nu teleported to a massive floating ind. This ind was more than ten timesrger than the Darkness Valley and waspletely shrouded by a huge barrier. Although it was impossible to see inside, the powerful energy emanating from it was unmistakable.This ce was no ordinary location. The Eye of Space had hidden itself within it. As Zhang Nu gazed at the ind, relevant information immediately appeared before him.


    [Titan City] Level 6 legendary Demon King''s main city...


    Description: This is the territory of the Dark Titan Demon King Tarak Khan, featuring extremely powerful facilities and defenses.


    "A Demon King''s territory?" Zhang Nu raised an eyebrow. He hadn''t expected such a coincidence. Chasing the Eye of Space had led him straight into another Demon King''s city, and not just any Demon King.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The Dark Titans were a race on par with Abyssal Dragons, sometimes even slightly superior in certain talents and overall abilities. As for this Demon King, Tarak Khan, Zhang Nu had seen his name before. When the Demon King rankings first appeared, this Demon King was ranked 8th. However, the rankings had seen some movement recently, and Tarak Khan had dropped to the 11th position, just below the 10th-ranked Han Kexin. Such minor changes in rank were normal, given the real-time updates of the Demon King rankings. It was to be expected that they wouldn''t remain static.


    Zhang Nu didn''t know this Demon King personally, but considering that they were both Demon Kings, he figured he might have some clout to resolve the issue peacefully. Since he didn''t conceal his aura, Titan City quickly sensed his presence. The pitch-ck barrier openedyer byyer, revealing an immensely grand and colossal giant city. The buildings were uniformly over a thousand meters high, towering like mountains, exuding a sense of oppression.


    The entire Demon King city was shrouded in an eerie glow of electricity. Before Zhang Nu could closely examine the functions and types of these buildings, numerous powerful auras locked onto him. A number of titans, nearly a hundred meters tall and as ck as ink, took to the sky. Surrounded by crackling ck lightning, they moved with astonishing speed, wielding lightning spears as they swiftly approached Zhang Nu.


    Within moments, Zhang Nu found himself surrounded. Hundreds of lightning spears forged by the titans'' dark lightning were pointed at him.


    "How dare you invade the great Titan City! Who are you and what are your intentions?"


    These titans, all of them at least Level 5 overlords, had five leaders who were Level 6 monarchs. Each titan had a cold expression, and the ck lightning emanating from them was the Dark Titan Divine Thunder. Its power far surpassed the Abyssal Dragon''s Abyssal Thunder, as lightning was the strongest and mostmon ability among titans.


    It seemed their temperaments were not particrly friendly. If Zhang Nu''s aura hadn''t been so overwhelmingly powerful, causing them unease and fear, they likely would have attacked first without giving him a chance to exin.


    Facing this situation, Zhang Nu calmly responded, "I have no intention of invading. I was merely tracking something and identally ended up here. I wish to meet your lord."


    A Titan King shouted, "Who do you think you are? Our master is not someone you can have an audience with just because you wish to!"


    Zhang Nu''s eyes narrowed slightly. These titans were clearly not in the mood to negotiate. Just as he was contemting whether to demonstrate to them a bit of his power, a sudden, overwhelmingly oppressive surge of lightning began to gather from all directions. The lightning carried an aura far more powerful than that of dozens or even hundreds of titansbined.


    A Level 6 legendary aura! Only a Demon King couldmand such power here!


    As the Dark Titan Divine Thunder converged like rivers flowing into the sea, a figure emitting a strong presence emerged from the center. By rights, a giant or titan''s strength was often rted to their size, but this titan, who appeared, was not as tall as the others, standing only about a fifth of the height of an ordinary Dark Titan. Nevertheless, this still made him several dozen meters tall.


    This figure was none other than Tarak Khan, ranked 11th on the Demon King leaderboard, just surpassed by Han Kexin. Zhang Nu spected that unless the opponent also had the talents of an Evil God, theprehensive strength of this Demon King would be on par with Han Kexin, not posing much of a threat to him.


    Tarak Khan asked, "You don''t seem like a Hero. Who are you?"


    Zhang Nu replied, "I am Zhang Nu, the Demon King of Darkness City!"


    Upon hearing this name, the Titan Demon King''s expression changed dramatically.

 Chapter 337: Final Fragment

    Chapter 337: Final Fragment


    "Zhang Nu! The number one Demon King!"


    Tarak''s expression grew serious, a peculiar gleam shing in his eyes. He coldly asked, "What are your intentions here?"


    Zhang Nu got straight to the point, "I am tracking something extremely important to me. It''s currently hiding in your territory. I hope you can allow me ess, and I will certainly offer something in return."


    Hearing this, Tarak burst intoughter, "This is my territory. Do you think you can juste and go as you please without regard for me?"


    Zhang Nu replied calmly, "If I truly didn''t respect you, there would be no need for this conversation."


    Tarak was furious. Although Zhang Nu''s words were honest, they sounded like a challenge to him. Despite not ranking as high as Zhang Nu, Tarak was still a top-tier Demon King, enjoying significant influence and close ties with many factions in his region. He couldn''t swallow this insult easily.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Here, in my domain, anything within it belongs to me!" Tarak, calming himself, said, "If you want to enter and retrieve what you seek, that''s possible. But first, you must pay a purchase fee of 10 billion gold!"


    Zhang Nu chuckled, "It seems you don''t want to negotiate."


    Tarak scoffed, "I''ve already named a very reasonable price. Whether you can afford it is not my concern. If youck the ability to pay, that''s your problem, not mine."Zhang Nu shook his head. He initially intended to resolve the issue through propermunication and peaceful means. However, it seemed that wasn''t necessary anymore. Since Tarak was so uncooperative, Zhang Nu saw no reason to extend him any more courtesy. It was time to solve this in a way Tarak could understand and ept. With this thought in mind, powerful energy began to surge around Zhang Nu.


    Tarak sneered, "You want to fight? In my territory? You''re audacious. Let me show you just how foolish you are!"


    Tarak''s refusal to give the No. 1 Demon King any respect stemmed not only from his confidence in his own strength but also from his desire to capture Zhang Nu. If he could sell Zhang Nu to the Heroes or extract value from him in various ways, the benefits would be enormous. He might even take Zhang Nu''s ce as the top Demon King.


    Tarak was not ignorant of recent events. He knew that just a few days ago, Zhang Nu had gone to Behemoth Hignds and, on the enemy''s turf, sessfully killed the powerful Hero Amit. ording to public information, Amit was also a Level 6 legend.


    Despite this, Tarak was not reckless. He dared to take action mainly due to his advantageous position. Unlike the Heroes, a top-tier Demon King''s domain was filled with buildings of magical power, facilities for attack, defense, and support, all of which could be directly connected to the Demon King.


    Titan City had countless offensive and defensive structures, as well as numerous support and enhancement facilities. This home-field advantage was something Heroes could never possess. Moreover, Tarak had many powerful subordinates. Besides the mighty warriors of his own race, he had numerous allied elites and top fighters sent by coborating factions.


    The allied forces included two Level 6 mythics, four Level 6 monarchs, and a considerable stationed army from allied races. His own tribe boasted one Level 6 mythic, four Level 6 monarchs, and many Level 5 monarchs. Such strength was formidable even by abyssal standards. Given these circumstances, there was no reason for him to lose.


    Tarak unleashed thousands of Dark Titan Divine Thunderbolts, which rained down on Zhang Nu like a torrential storm. "Let''s see what makes you the number one Demon King!"


    Zhang Nu, facing a full-strength attack from an opponent of equal rank and a race just as powerful as his own, remained unfazed. He immediately activated his Abyssal Scales. In the next second, the scales on Zhang Nu''s body turned pitch ck, like the depths of night. Simultaneously, he activated his Abyssal Devouring talent.


    No matter if it was Tarak or the other dark titans, all their attacks vanished upon contact with Zhang Nu, as if absorbed into nothingness. Zhang Nu effortlessly absorbed the terrifying force, which could easily destroy a city, and then released it back as a ckser beam aimed at Tarak.


    All of this happened in an instant. Tarak was forced back several hundred meters, suffering significant damage, and his expression grew even more serious. However, at that moment, a light emanated from an altar within Titan City. The light instantly healed Tarak''s wounds, making them vanish without a trace, as if he had never been injured.


    "Everyone attack together! Concentrate your fire! His defense may be high, but he can''t withstand ourbined assault!"


    Tarak once again gathered his power, while hundreds of dark titans, tens of thousands of Demon King followers, and various high-level offensive structuresunched a massive attack. The overwhelming offensive force, like a tsunami, surged towards Zhang Nu.


    Even for a being of Zhang Nu''s caliber, a Level 6 legendary existence, directly enduring such an assault would significantly deplete his HP. Zhang Nu could have used Spatial Phasing or Temporal Mirage to evade the attacks, but he chose not to. Instead, he unleashed the power of time, dispersing it in all directions.


    This technique, known as Time Warp, severely distorted and disrupted the flow of time around him. What would have been a simultaneous strike was fragmented into a series of staggered attacks, rendering the concentrated fire ineffective. With the attacks no longer synchronized, their collective power was diminished.


    Zhang Nu absorbed the dispersed energy and condensed it into a massive sword. This sword was a fusion of the energies from Tarak, the hundreds of dark titans, the thousands of Demon King followers, and various offensive attacks. Moreover, Zhang Nu infused it with dragon me, abyssal lightning, and corrupted blood, making it even more formidable.


    Sensing danger, Tarak immediately attempted to escape using a teleportation skill. In the next instant, Zhang Nu tore through the space in front of him, and the devastating sword emerged from the void before Tarak. Zhang Nu swung the sword at Tarak''s back, but it pierced him from the front, slicing through the Dark Titan Demon King''s invulnerable body as easily as a hot knife through butter, cutting him in half.


    However, just as it seemed the battle was decided, it was far from over. Tarak activated a special ability from one of the structures within his territory. His body, which had been cleaved in two, instantly reformed, showing no signs of injury or side effects.


    "Hahaha! No matter how many times you attack, it''s useless! This is my turf, you can''t kill me!" Tarak''s confidence was unshaken. He still had many tricks up his sleeve.


    At this moment, Zhang Nu sensed that the Eye of Space, which had been hiding near Titan City, used the time Zhang Nu was entangled with Tarak to recover and had now disappeared without a trace.


    "It seems... I can''t afford to be dyed by you any longer," Zhang Nu muttered to himself.


    As he spoke, a strange scene unfolded. The entire world froze instantly, and everything came to a standstill. In the next moment, the whole world shattered like a mirror, and the Titan Demon King, his followers, and all the formidable beings in Titan City vanished before his eyes. Zhang Nu reappeared above Titan City, with time reverting to the moment he had just arrived. This wasn''t time reversal but rather Zhang Nu using his temporal abilities to foresee events.


    This time, Zhang Nu didn''t hesitate. He no longer considered giving face to the Titan Demon King. He directly unleashed his spatial-temporal powers, tearing through the barrier surrounding Titan City and entering the ancient ind. Before the Titans could react, he immediately locked onto the Eye of Space.


    "Trying to escape again?"


    The Eye of Space had hoped to use the titans on this ind to stall Zhang Nu, not expecting him to catch up so quickly. In the next instant, the eye unleashed its spatial power, attempting to tear open space and flee.


    However, Zhang Nu''s temporal and spatial power instantly locked down the surrounding space, rendering the Eye of Space immobile. Zhang Nu''s control over time and space was far beyond what a mere Eye of Space could resist.


    "Die!" Zhang Nu activated Death Gaze, instantly reducing the HP of this Level 6 mythic Evil God Eye to zero. The eye exploded but quickly reformed, ultimately transforming into a jade-like orb with no trace of life, shaped like an eyeball.


    Mission aplished! The final piece of the puzzle was finally in hand.

 Chapter 338: Evil God Essence

    Chapter 338: Evil God Essence


    [Assimtion of Evil God fragment sessful!]


    [Maximum MP +30000!]


    [You''ve gained a new talent: Eye of Space!]


    [Your "Eye of Space" has resonated with the "Eye of Wraith", "Eye of Element", "Eye of Destruction", "Eye of Time", "Eye of Regeneration", "Eye of Domination", and "Eye of Death"]


    [Ability strength of the eight Evil God Eyes +100%, Evil God power +100%, maximum HP +30000, maximum MP +30000, all stats +1000!]


    The moment Zhang Nu absorbed the Eye of Space, he could clearly feel the eight Evil God fragments within him undergoing an indescribable, peculiar transformation. Eight different types of powers were almost perfectly merging together, like eight pieces of a puzzle forming aplete picture, these originally independent entities had fusedpletely.


    Ultimately, they transformed.


    This wasn''t a simple arithmetic addition of seven plus one equaling eight. The moment all eight Evil God Eyes were collected, Zhang Nu could distinctly feel a profound impact and change in his very life essence. This was a qualitative leap.


    With the eight Evil God Eyes fused into one, the eight types of Evil God power no longer remained separate. Theybined to form an extremely powerful and unique force of evil, which began to condense within him into a mysterious aura that surpassed the ordinary limits of mortal beings. If his guess was correct, this mysterious aura was divine in nature, a godhood unique to this Evil God.At the same time, Zhang Nu heard a notification sound.


    [You have activated "Evil God Essence: Eight-Eyed Evil God," granting you the potential to obtain all the talents and powers of the Eight-Eyed Evil God!]


    [All stats +2000!]


    [Maximum HP +100, 000!]N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [Maximum MP +100, 000!]


    [You have acquired a new talent skill: Eight-Eyed Evil God!]


    The increase in power was overwhelming. Zhang Nu could clearly feel that after sessfully merging the eight Evil God Eyes, they had transformed into what was known as the Evil God essence, flowing through his body. The boost to his stats was astounding. Already incredibly powerful, Zhang Nu''s strength now, fused with the Evil God essence, made him nearly invincible before reaching Level 7. Even when facing Level 7 entities, even Level 7 legendaries, Zhang Nu now held them in little regard.


    Upon gaining the Evil God Essence, Zhang Nu unlocked a new skill.


    [Eight-Eyed Evil God] Talent skill. Retains all non-bloodline racial talents and transforms into an evil god form. In the evil god form, immunity to all damage and abnormal statuses is granted. However, 1% of life force is lost every second, and the form canst for a maximum of 5 minutes.


    From the skill description, it seemed like a transformation skill. However, it was far more than a mere transformation. This skill could transform him into the Eight-Eyed Evil God. Despite the limited duration, thebat power in this form was beyond mortalprehension. In the Evil God state, Zhang Nu was no longer mortal. Gods were immortal and indestructible, so in the Evil God state, he couldn''t be killed. All attacks would be rendered ineffective against him. This was an incredibly terrifying ability!


    And yet,pared to acquiring the transformation talent skill of the Eight-Eyed Evil God, the most significant gain for Zhang Nu was the Evil God essence now condensed within him. With this godhood, he could activate the Chaos Dragon God. Zhang Nu had traveled this far with precisely this ultimate goal in mind. However, before he could thoroughly examine the godhood essence, he suddenly sensed powerful auras closing in.


    Zhang Nu didn''t need to guess; it was the Dark Titan Demon King, Tarak, who had discovered his presence again. But this time, there was no need for further civilized interaction.


    Zhang Nu smiled coldly, "Perfect timing to test this new power on you!"


    Meanwhile, Tarak was rallying his forces. He had sensed an extremely dangerous presence using rare and powerful spatial-temporal magic to break through his barriers and spatial restrictions.


    "Preposterous!" Tarak was clearly enraged. "To intrude on my territory, do they not know my reputation and might? I''ll make sure they die a painful death!"


    With this in mind, his orders were swiftly issued. Hundreds of titans and several top subordinates were now ready. Tarak himself transformed into countless streaks of lightning, ascending from his Demon King''s castle into the sky. Just as he was about to lock onto the invader''s exact location andunch an attack, an unprecedented pressure enveloped the entire Titan City.


    Tarak had reigned supreme in this ce for a considerable time. Since reaching Level 5, he had feared no opponent. But now, sensing this aura, Tarak felt an inner tremor. It was akin to a rabbit encountering a giant wolf, a profound oppression emanating from the very essence of his being, affecting him at the bloodline and soul level.


    Dark Titan bloodline was among the mightiest, arguably surpassing even the Abyssal Dragon. As one of the pinnacle races of this continent, how could there exist a creature capable of exerting such pressure and primal fear on him?


    Before he could ponder further or assemble all his subordinates, the space suddenly tore open forcibly. This urrence in Titan City was inconceivable, as the city, like any major human metropolis, was fortified with various spatial restricting arrays. Normal spatial magic shouldn''t have been possible in his city, let alone one having such a significant effect.


    "Who are you? Show yourself!" Tarak demanded, feeling increasingly agitated. Even a powerful being like him found this situation overwhelming.


    At that moment, a dark green figure stepped out from the portal. Zhang Nu had transformed into his Evil God form. Upon seeing Zhang Nu''s current state, Tarak gasped in shock.


    "What...are you?" Tarak stammered in disbelief. "We have no quarrel or grudge. Why must you confront me?"


    "No quarrel? I wouldn''t be so sure," Zhang Nu replied. "Just because there isn''t one now doesn''t mean there won''t be one in the future!"


    Such words, confident and resolute about an uncertain future, might seem unreasonable or unjustifiable to an outsider. But Zhang Nu, having glimpsed the future through his time abilities, knew there was no point in negotiating with this Dark Titan.


    Tarak, through no fault of his own, found himself at odds with a being who had foreseen their inevitable conflict. Zhang Nu, for his part, decided that eliminating Tarak now would save future trouble. Thus, Tarak''s only fault was being in the wrong ce at the wrong time.

 Chapter 339: Evil God Zhang Nu

    Chapter 339: Evil God Zhang Nu


    At this moment, Zhang Nu transformed into a massive humanoid shape, resembling a towering mountain that blocked out the sky. Strangely, no one could urately describe his detailed appearance.


    Tarak, the Dark Titan Demon King, a powerful being at the Level 6 legendary, with divine bloodline and soul, was the only one who could roughly discern Zhang Nu''s outline. He appeared as an enormous figure, about 800 meters tall, somewhat resembling a giant. His body seemed to be covered in scales, but the size, shape, and color of these scales, as well as the features of this demon god, were ''unstable''.


    It might sound contradictory, but Tarak couldn''t use any words to describe this monstrous entity before him. This being was unlike anything within his realm of understanding, indescribable and unfathomable. It was as if there was a glitch in the program---every moment, the aura, shape, and every detail of this monster changed. Different people might see entirely different forms of this entity at the same time.


    Thousand faces, thousand forms, indescribable!


    The reason for this phenomenon was that they were now facing a true god, one representing chaos and unpredictability---an Evil God of chaos and evil. Unless one reached the level of a god themselves, it was impossible to see the true form of such a being. Even if the Evil God stood right before them, it would remain beyondprehension because the Evil God itself was the epitome of indescribable and unfathomable.


    [You gazed upon an Evil God, you suffer mental corruption. HP -500!]


    [You gazed upon an Evil God, you suffer mental corruption. HP -500!]


    [You gazed upon an Evil God, you suffer mental corruption. HP -500!]


    As Tarakmunicated with Zhang Nu, just by gazing at this being before him, he felt his HP rapidly draining away. An indescribable force was quickly corroding his vitality.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//omAt the same time, he was being observed in return.


    [You were directly gazed upon by an Evil God. MP -300, will -10 permanently!]


    [You were directly gazed upon by an Evil God. MP -300, will -10 permanently!]


    [You were directly gazed upon by an Evil God. MP -300, will -10 permanently!]


    This was incredibly terrifying. Both of them were clearly doing nothing but merely looking at each other. Yet, even this mutual gaze caused such a significant impact, with even his stats experiencing permanent decline. It was unfathomable and left him feeling bewildered.


    This situation was obviously not unique to him alone. Tarak, the most powerful entity in this city, struggled to withstand the Evil God''s gaze and attention. This meant that his subordinates, who were not as strong as he was, were undoubtedly faring much worse.


    "Ahhhhhhh!"


    "What is this!?"


    "No! I don''t want to see it, save me!"


    "I see eyes, so many eyes! Eyes!"


    In his Evil God form, Zhang Nu''s immense size made it impossible for the residents of Titan City to miss him. Those with weaker strength and lower mental endurance instantly went mad upon seeing him, unable to withstand the psychic impact brought by the Evil God.


    "This is a god!"


    "We''re all going to die!"


    "It''s over! We''re doomed!"


    "Hahaha! Let''s all die together!"


    The weaker units and low-levelbat units, upon seeing Zhang Nu, fell into madness due to the overwhelming psychic shock. The entire Titan City was filled with the sounds of chaos and fighting. Zhang Nu hadn''t even begun to act. The Evil God aura and psychic energy emanating from him had already caused severe impacts on these people, driving them intoplete madness.


    Tarak had never encountered such a terrifying existence. Even without taking any actions, Zhang Nu''s mere presence could affect tens of thousands, even millions of beings. His very existence was synonymous with chaos and destruction.


    "Kill it! Hurry up and take him down!"


    Tarak realized that against such a monster, they had to destroy or drive him away immediately. Otherwise, even if this creature did nothing, the city he painstakingly built would be doomed. Thus, Tarak personally joined the fight.


    Hundreds and thousands of titans, along with the powerful subordinates under the Titan Demon King, still retained their sanity due to their immense strength, temporarily resisting the Evil God''s aura and psychic corruption. In the blink of an eye, thousands of Titan Divine Thunders, top-tier magic attacks, and powerful defensive structuresunched a concentrated assault on Zhang Nu.


    -0!


    -0!


    -0!


    .......


    In his Evil God state, Zhang Nu was immune to all damage. As long as his power didn''t deplete, he would not fall. Gods are immortal and indestructible. Mortal attacks, magic, and methods could not inflict even the slightest harm on a deity. Basking in the storm of attacks, Zhang Nu felt no threat at all.


    Is this what it feels like to be a god? To be this powerful?


    For the first time, Zhang Nu felt an overwhelming sense of invincibility, as if he could manipte any power and regard all beings as mere ants. This was absolute power, an undeniable supremacy in the hierarchy of life. Even though Tarak was a formidable Level 6 legendary entity, with talents and bloodlines even stronger than those of the previously defeated Amit, it meant nothing to Zhang Nu. To Zhang Nu, all beings beneath a god were insignificant. As long as Tarak had not attained godhood, he could not harm Zhang Nu in his Evil God form.


    "You overestimate yourself, you insignificant ants!" Zhang Nu taunted, his voice imbued with the maddening chaos of the Evil God''s aura. Everyone who heard his voice was greatly affected.


    Simultaneously, Zhang Nu summoned the Abyssal Divine Thunder. Countless crimson bolts of lightning erupted from his body. The effect of these lightning strikes in his Evil God state was vastly different from when he was in dragon form. At this moment, each bolt was infused with an intense concentration of the Evil God''s aura. Not only was this attack ten times stronger than in his normal state, but even if it didn''t kill its target instantly, it would inflict unbearable damage. The Evil God''s aura would severely affect both the body and soul.


    In an instant, the entire Titan City was engulfed in the surging lightning. Buildings, swept by this terrifying force, were pierced through and utterly demolished, as if a flood had ravaged them. As for the residents of Titan City, they stood no chance. Those struck by the lightning were instantly turned to ashes. Even the stronger individuals who survived the initial strike fell into madness and grotesque mutation, ultimately losing their minds and attacking theirrades.


    Too powerful! What kind of strength is this? Could this creature really be just a Level 6 legend?


    Tarak waspletely shocked by Zhang Nu''s power. He realized that he would not be able to defeat this monster before him. Should he retreat? But if he did, what would be of the Demon King City he had painstakingly built? Tarak had always been supremely confident in himself. He couldn''t believe that someone could invade his stronghold, ignore all resistance, and rampage as if it were a yground. No, he had to escape! He had no means to stop this Evil God!


    Just as Tarak decided to flee, Zhang Nu sensed his intention, "I told you, you cannot escape!" Zhang Nu dered, and the eight eyes on his body began to glow simultaneously.


    Eight beams of energy shot out from the Evil God Eyes, converging into one formidable st that engulfed Tarak. Facing this attack, Tarak had no room to resist. Despite his immense strength, it was like trying topete with the sun using a candle. In less than three seconds, Tarak, the once formidable Demon King, waspletely obliterated by the Evil God''s power unleashed by Zhang Nu. The battle was decisively over.

 Chapter 340: The Ascension Begins

    Chapter 340: The Ascension Begins


    Zhang Nu''s use of the power of the Eight-Eyed Evil God was more than enough to instantly kill Tarak. However, he did not go for the kill. It would be a waste to directly eliminate such a powerful Demon King. After all, Tarak ranked around the top ten among Demon Kings. Killing him within the same faction would yield no rewards, but leaving him for Zhang Nu''s own Heroes to finish off would bring immense, unparalleled rewards.


    Thus, at the moment Tarak was about to be killed, he found that everything, including the flow of time, had stopped. His destroyed body began to rapidly repair itself.


    "This is... the power of time!"


    He realized, in utter despair, that not only could he not defeat this entity, but he couldn''t even die a swift death. Zhang Nu had used the power of time to rewind his state from certain death to near-death. Tarak had never felt such hopelessness before. He never imagined that an individual could possess such overwhelming strength. It was beyond anyprehensible description.


    "What on earth are you?"


    Although he knew he was doomed, he at least wanted to understand what kind of entity he was up against. He activated an S-rank insight skill, hoping to glean detailed information about Zhang Nu.


    [Abyssal Dragon (Eight-Eyed Evil God Transformation)] Level 6 divine unit, HP???, MP???...


    Despite his Level 6 legendary titan strength and the powerful effects of his S-rank insight skill, the information Tarak could see was extremely limited. He could only discern Zhang Nu''s race, state, and level.


    Level 6... Divine Unit!Tarak had never imagined that a divine unit could exist in this world. The fact that the No. 1 Demon King was a divine unit was simply unbelievable and exined why Zhang Nu was so overwhelmingly powerful.


    Previously, the Dark Titan Demon King had always believed that even if he wasn''t the strongest being in the world, he was certainly among the top few. He thought that only a handful of beings were qualified to challenge him. However, after facing Zhang Nu, he realized the enormous gap between himself and the true strongest being. This gap was the difference between a legendary unit and a divine unit. Such a disparity couldn''t be ovee by mere numbers.


    Before obtaining the essence of the Evil God, Zhang Nu, despite his immense strength and deep power, couldn''t entirely disregard enemy quantity. After all, HP was finite, Zhang Nu was also limited by his extremities; he could die from exhaustion or losebat capability when his power was depleted.


    However, after collecting all eight Evil God fragments and fully grasping the essence of the Eight-Eyed Evil God, Zhang Nu could transform into an Evil God for a short period. In this Evil God form, he retained all his abilities. The most significant change was his transcendence from the limitations of ordinary beings, ascending from a legendary unit to a divine one.


    No one should underestimate this leap. It was more significant than any previous rank transitions, even more than all the previous rank transitionsbined.


    The leap from mortal to divine was monumental. A god''s life force was eternal and indestructible; there was no method in this world to truly kill a god. A god''s mana was infinite, able to draw strength from the very roots of the world, making it nearly impossible to deplete a god''s power through exhaustion.


    Therefore, in his transformed state, Zhang Nu possessed at least two key traits. First, he had true immortality, rendering him impossible to kill. Second, his power was limitless; he could continuously unleash his strongest attacks without the concern of running out of mana.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Locked HP and MP, as if he were cheating. Mortals, no matter how powerful, even those with the legendary prowess of a supreme pope, reaching Level 7 legend, could not single-handedly challenge an entire empire. But a god could. After all, there were ancient records of Evil Gods bringing about the apocalypse.


    Evil Gods, chaotic and malevolent, were still gods. Throughout history, sealing an Evil God required thebined efforts of at least five empire-level forces, mobilizing millions of elite warriors and all their strongest champions to restrain the god. With the aid of specific supreme artifacts, they could separate the god''s godhood to dismantle its immortality. However, this method essentially only sealed the Evil God.


    Once the fragments of the Evil God reunited, the Evil God would be instantly resurrected. Zhang Nu had fully awakened and stolen the power of an Evil God. Although he could not yet fully wield all the power of an Evil God in his current state, the power he possessed was more than sufficient to deal with a mere Demon King city.


    ......


    Half a dayter, the battle at Titan City had settled. The Titan Demon King had been sealed by Zhang Nu using the power of the Evil God and imprisoned in his divine realm.


    Despite the destruction of most of the city''s infrastructure, a considerable number of giants had survived. However, these surviving giants had undergone significant transformations. For instance, one dark titan was now covered in ck scales with ck bone spurs protruding from its body. In addition to its two normal eyes, it had three pairs of eyes arranged side by side on its chest and abdomen, totaling eight eyes.


    From their appearance, they were no longer titans but ssic monstrosity minions of the Evil God. Zhang Nu had used the power of the Evil God to corrupt the entire Titan City. The weaker units had mutated intopletely insane, mindless Evil God monsters. Stronger beings had also been corrupted and influenced by the Evil God, undergoing irreversible physical and spiritual distortions, ultimately being transformed into minions of the Evil God.


    As minions, they fell under Zhang Nu''s control. These titans and giant units, already formidable, had be even more powerful after being infused with the vast power of the Evil God. Titan City was valuable to Zhang Nu, so he had corrupted these titans. He nned to take control of the city and develop it into a stronghold in the Abyss.


    "That''s about it. I should head back," Zhang Nu said, having aplished his goal.


    He didn''t linger in the Abyssal World and activated the teleportation stone, returning to the main hall of the Darkness City.


    Zhang Nu had only been gone for two days. Zhang San and Li Si reported the recent events to him. Upon learning about the conflict between Han Kexin and Ophelia with the Radiant Pope at the cathedral, Zhang Nu merely let out a cold scoff. He immediately knew who was behind it---Lucas, the former Radiant Pope.


    Zhang Nu promptly utilized the power of time to predict the uing events. From his predictions, he saw that Lucas would soon lead a coalition army to attack the Demon King. This coalition would be extraordinarily powerful, with several immensely strong Heroes besides Lucas, and many potent trump cards.


    One of these trump cards was the Radiant Church''s core artifact, the "Heart of Holy Light", which possessed tremendous power and was the only thing that could pose a threat to Zhang Nu in his Evil God state. After all, only something of divine proportions couldbat a divine entity.


    Although none of these events had transpired yet, Zhang Nu clearly saw them in his vision. He hadn''t anticipated the Radiant Church having such a powerful artifact capable of opposing an Evil God. Fortunately, he had foreseen this intelligence, otherwise, facing it unprepared could have resulted in some significant setbacks. This made it clear that although Zhang Nu had be almost invincible to all the world''s Heroes, these top-tier Heroes still had some cards to y. It''s always wise to be cautious.


    Zhang Nu decided to proceed with his breakthrough. To prepare, he summoned Han Kexin. When Han Kexin learned of Zhang Nu''s n, she was both excited and thrilled. "You''ve gathered all the materials needed for the breakthrough? Does this mean you can immediately ascend to Level 7?"


    Zhang Nu nodded, "Yes, I''ve met the conditions to reach Level 7. However, transitioning from Level 6 to Level 7 is an immense transformation. I anticipate this process will take some time."


    Han Kexin asked, "How long do you think it will take?"


    Zhang Nu estimated, "Around seven days. But ording to my calctions and predictions, the Radiant Church''s forces will arrive near the Chaos Forest in about five to six days."


    Han Kexin nodded, "Go ahead and focus on your breakthrough. I''ll hold them off. With the current strength of the Chaos Federation, we should be able to handle the Radiant Church."


    Zhang Nu shook his head, "No, you mustn''t underestimate them. The Radiant Church is not that simple!"


    He then shared his visions with Han Kexin. After witnessing the scale of the Hero coalition and the demon-ying army, Han Kexin was deeply shocked. "I didn''t expect Lucas to be able to muster such a force!"


    Zhang Nu said, "Even with our current power, dealing with their assembled forces wille at a significant cost..."


    "So, until I return, your task is to hold the line. I will grant you the highest authority!"


    Han Kexin thought for a moment and then nodded firmly. "If it''s just a matter of maintaining defense, with our capabilities, it shouldn''t be a problem!"


    After making the necessary arrangements, Zhang Nu wasted no time and began his breakthrough. The Darkness City had an extensive reserve of souls, allowing Zhang Nu to easily gather one million soul points.


    [You''ve activated the Level 6 Talent "Chaos Dragon God"!]


    [You''ve activated all Level 6 talents, meeting the conditions for advancement. Congrattions on reaching the highest tier strength in this world!]


    [You are about to advance to a divine-ss unit!]


    [You will need seven days toplete the ascension!]


    Zhang Nu activated his final talent. This activation meant that Zhang Nu was on the verge of advancing from a Level 6 unit to a Level 7 unit. Moreover, by consuming the essence and godhood of the Evil God, Zhang Nu had activated the Chaos Dragon God. This breakthrough would propel him from a Level 6 legend directly to a Level 7 divine!


    In other words, after this advancement, Zhang Nu would directly ascend to godhood. He would be a true Dragon God!

 Chapter 341: Quelling the Rebellion

    Chapter 341: Quelling the Rebellion


    Zhang Nu''s prophecy was undoubtedly crucial. Han Kexin fully understood the arrival time andposition of thetest wave of Heroes and the demon yer army. Armed with this valuable intelligence, she could begin making preparations well in advance.


    The Chaos Forest was now united and solidified. With ample resources, the recruitment and training process had progressed remarkably. Currently, the Abyssal Dragon Legion boasted a total strength of around eight thousand true dragons, with eight hundred Dragon Elders, fifty Level 5 Dragon Kings, and twenty Level 6 Dragon Kings.


    Additionally, the Gloom City''s Demon Overlord Legion had grown to nearly two thousand, including twenty Level 5 Demon Monarchs and eight Level 6 Demon Monarchs. Within the Gloom City, two demons of high status next to Han Kexin, Han Dongxue and Han Qiuyue, had also been elevated to mythic-ss great demons with the help of mythic crystals.


    Coupled with the Chaos Forest''s top-tier fighters, led by Nancilia, the assembled force was formidable. Even among the most powerful empire-level forces, few could rival such a lineup. It was a force to be reckoned with, one that could even be described as terrifying.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Even so, Han Kexin dared not be careless. From Zhang Nu''s shared vision, she saw the formidable strength of the enemy. Several top ten-ranked Heroes formed a luxurious lineup that was no less powerful than the coalition of strong fighters in the Chaos Forest. Most importantly, the enemy possessed a divine artifact. Given this situation, without Zhang Nu personally stepping in, Han Kexin wasn''t confident in facing them head-on. Therefore, she needed to take some targeted measures to resist this highly perilous challenge.


    In addition to fortifying the main camp, further enhancing defensive facilities, and increasing the size of elite troops, it was also necessary to finalize the consolidation of the Thunder Empire. Although Darkness City had effectively conquered the empire, the vastness of its territory meant that some local areas still had rebellious factions dering independence or insurgents establishing their own control. As a result, there had been no notification ofplete upation.


    ording to Zhang Nu''s prediction, the empire and the federation had at least five days to sort this mess out. Over the past days, Empress Ophelia and the federation''s elite fighters had already wiped out a significant portion of the rebels. Five days, though very short, should be sufficient if utilized well. Han Kexin believed it was enough time to prepare adequately.


    Han Kexin used the teleportation tower to travel to the Thunder Imperial Capital and meet with Empress Ophelia, informing her about the impending threat the Federation was facing.


    "The Radiant Church is preparing to attack Darkness City?" Ophelia had recently fought alongside Han Kexin against the Radiant Church''s Pope, Saint Delores. The Church preparing to attack the Demon King wasn''t surprising, but Ophelia hadn''t expected it to happen so soon.Han Kexin, with a serious expression, said, "The current Pope, Delores, is too young to be a real threat, but the former Pope will be personally leading the assault. The Church will be putting all its resources into this attack and will even utilize their ultimate artifact. In such a situation, only the city lord can stand against them."


    After a pause, she continued, "However, the city lord is undergoing a critical breakthrough and will be in seclusion for at least seven days. Our task is to hold off all external threats until he emerges."


    "This time, the Church will directly attack Darkness City, so I need to draw on the Empire''s forces for reinforcement. But to do that, we must first stabilize the internal situation within the Empire. How is the suppression of the rebels going?"


    Ophelia promptly responded, "Most rebels are not a significant concern, but there is a particrly stubborn rebel force in the western territory. ording to the intelligence and evidence I''ve gathered, the Sunset Empire is involved."


    After understanding the situation, Han Kexin grasped the overall picture. The Thunder Empire was divided into five major regions: the imperial district and the four duchies. After Ophelia sessfully ascended to the throne, the imperial core region, the northern territory, and the southern territory were the first to be pacified.


    The imperial district was directly governed by the capital, the northern territory was Ophelia''s ducal fiefdom, and the southern territory had long been under Darkness City''s control. Therefore, more than 80% of the rebels were concentrated in the eastern and western territories. In the eastern territory, rebel forces had been almost entirely wiped out by thebined efforts of the empire and the Chaos Forest.


    Only the Western Territory continued to see waves of rebellion, seemingly endless like wildfire. Ophelia discovered that the reason the Western Territory rebels were so difficult to eradicate was likely due to external forces infiltrating the region. Part of the western territory borders the Sunset Empire, which definitely did not want the Thunder Empire to restore order, especially not when it had fully allied with the Demon King''s forces.


    As a result, the Sunset Empire was likely providing significant support to western territory marquises, counts, and other feudal lords, as well as organizations like mage towers and mercenary groups. This made it impossible topletely extinguish the rebellion.


    Han Kexin frowned, feeling very frustrated. If it weren''t for the setbacks in the western territory, Darkness City would have alreadypleted its total conquest of the empire.


    Ophelia quickly said, "I''ve already mobilized the empire''s intelligence agencies. I believe it won''t take long to locate the masterminds behind this."


    "There''s no time! I''ll head there personally!" Han Kexin made a decisive choice.


    The empire had teleportation stations in the main cities of the four duchies. Han Kexin issued her orders, and within an hour, Han Qiuyue and Han Dongxue, two mythic-ss demons, arrived along with eight high-level Demon Monarchs from the subus race and over a thousand Level 5 greater demons.


    Han Kexin led this demonic force to teleport to the main city of the western territory. Using the draconian priest''s teleportation barrier, she quickly deployed her subordinates. When it came to gathering intelligence, subi, with their abilities in maniption, mind reading, bewitching, and charming, were absolutely effective. In reality, it wasn''t that difficult to investigate. The Sunset Empire was simply supporting local old nobility, using their resources and influence to incite trouble.


    With this in mind, they just needed to capture more nobles and use psychic techniques to forcibly extract information from their minds. Afterpiling various pieces of intelligence, Han Kexin quickly uncovered the masterminds'' ns, identities, and locations.


    Han Qiuyue immediately came to report after organizing the information.


    "Vice City Lord, we''ve uncovered the truth! The mastermind is indeed the Sunset Empire. To create chaos in the Thunder Empire and prevent Darkness City from controlling it, the crown prince of the Sunset Empire has personallye to the western territory and has been secretly persuading and mobilizing forces."


    Han Qiuyue continued, "All the recent events were orchestrated by this crown prince and the Sunset Empire. If it weren''t for their interference, the western territory would have been pacified long ago."


    With the intelligence in hand, Han Kexin breathed a sigh of relief. She sneered, "Good, very good. So it is the Sunset Empire. Now that we know, resolving this issue won''t be difficult."

 Chapter 342: Thunder Empire Conquest Completion

    Chapter 342: Thunder Empire Conquest Completion


    In the western territory of the Thunder Empire, in a rtively inconspicuous small town, where the crown prince of the Sunset Empire, Miles, was staying. He and his followers disguised themselves as a mercenary group while secretly conducting various activities to dy or overthrow the rule of the Thunder Empire.


    However, the process was not going smoothly. Miles funded one influential noble family or faction after another in the western territory, exploiting the conflicts arising from their disrupted vested interests to incite rebellion. Yet, the empire''s response was too quick and strong. These local noble rebellions were insignificant and were immediately suppressed as soon as they emerged, with no real chance of sess. Miles knew this approach was unsustainable, as even he, the crown prince, had limited resources at his disposal.


    At that moment, a young man, around sixteen or seventeen, wearing silver armor, burst in excitedly. "Brother! Great news! Fantastic news!"


    This young man was none other than Miles'' ninth brother, Dick. The Sunset Empire''s royal family had declined, with the regent wielding absolute power. Despite the many princes, none were particrly outstanding, and Dick was especially unremarkable. However, Miles knew that Dick had awakened as a Hero. He was a Hero with royal blood. Because of this, the crown prince valued him greatly, hoping to use Dick to attract the support of the Hero factions and thus counter the regent''s absolute power to reim their rights.


    Miles asked, "In our current situation, it''s only a matter of time before we''re out of resources. What good news could there be?"


    Dick, excited, said, "I just received intelligence that the Radiant Church has decided to dere war on the Chaos Forest and Darkness City. Both the current and former Popes are making a move, nning to use all their power to annihte the Demon King forces entrenched in Darkness City!"


    Hearing this news, Miles was overjoyed. How strong was the Radiant Church? He knew all too well! If such a powerful force was to fully engage the Demon King, even the terrifying presence in Darkness City would have to be cautious.


    The Radiant Church not only possessed strengthparable to any empire-level force on the continent, but its influence was also widespread. It could be said that among the known nations today, most were under the influence of the Radiant Church. If the Church personally took action, a call to arms would undoubtedly rally strong individuals from all over, a level of influence and appeal that no empire-level force could match.


    Dick continued, "You might not know this, but the previous pope of the Radiant Church is actually Lucas, the seventh-ranked Hero. He is a Level 7 demigod!"Level 7 demigod---this was the term for Level 7 legendary powerhouses. In this world, the 7th level was the highest level. Those who reached this level possessed partial divinity, such as an indestructible soul or divine bloodline. Such powerhouses could move mountains and split seas, single-handedly face an entire army, and even crush a kingdom. Therefore, they were referred to as demigods.


    Miles had heard of the former Pope. This Pope was one of the greatest and most legendary in the history of the Radiant Church and was nearly the strongest being in the world. His strength and prestige were unparalleled. With him taking action, Darkness City''s days were numbered.


    Miles burst intoughter. "Excellent, truly excellent! This is heaven''s blessing. Once Darkness City is destroyed, the Thunder Empire will surely copse. At that time, the greatest beneficiary will be our Sunset Empire!"


    Dick added, "That''s right, brother. With your foresight, once Darkness City falls, at least the entire western region of the Thunder Empire wille under your control. Then, you can definitely eliminate the regent king!"


    Both of them were excited, feeling like they had finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel.


    But just then, a charming, maic female voice with a teasing tone said, "In such broad daylight, you two are really having a delightful dream."


    Hearing this, the two princes were shocked. Although this ce was just an inconspicuous mercenary base, it was surrounded by Sunset Empire''s top warriors and was heavily guarded with various wards and restrictions. Who could possess such skills to appear here silently?


    When Miles looked up, he saw a tall, stunningly beautiful subus sitting on the roof of a nearby building, gazing at them as if they were fools.


    "Who are you?" Miles asked angrily, frowning.


    Dick drew his sword, preparing to attack.


    The subus said calmly, "I am Han Kexin, prime minister of the Chaos Federation and Vice Lord of Darkness City."


    Hearing this, Dick, who was about to strike, was shocked.


    "You... you... you''re Han Kexin, ranked tenth on the Demon King leaderboard, and you serve Zhang Nu?!"


    What did this mean? Being ranked tenth on the Demon King leaderboard meant having at least the power of a Level 6 legend! Although Dick was a royal-born Hero, his strength was not particrly impressive. Currently, he was only Level 5 overlord, which was insignificant in front of this powerful Demon King.


    "Guards! Come quickly!" Dick immediately shouted at the top of his lungs. But eerily, the surroundings remained as silent as the grave, none of the hidden guards they had arranged emerged.


    Han Kexin shook her head. "Don''t waste your breath. While you were daydreaming just now, I dealt with all the riff raff around here."


    "Impossible!" The two princes fell into unprecedented shock and despair. Among the guards they had stationed nearby, more than ten were Level 6, including even a Level 6 monarch. With such a lineup, even if they couldn''t defeat the opponent, they shouldn''t have been silently taken out.


    Realizing he was no match for Han Kexin, Dick quickly said, "What do you want? We can negotiate."


    "What I want, you can''t give." Han Kexin shook her head. "I have no interest in talking to small fry. Miles, kill him."


    In the next moment, a massive sword Qi shed from behind, striking Dick. He didn''t react in time. As he fell, he saw his other half gushing blood like a fountain, and the one who had killed him was none other than the crown prince he had been supporting, Miles.


    "How could this be?" Though fatally wounded, Dick didn''t die immediately.


    He saw Miles walk past him naturally, then kneel before the Subus Queen, bowing respectfully. "I offer you my highest respect, my master!"


    Han Kexin nodded in satisfaction. Ever since bing a legend, her permanent charm ability had grown significantly stronger. Previously, using this ability required a high cost and had a long cooldown time. But now, things were different. She could control it more precisely: using more power for stronger targets and less for weaker ones. This not only improved the effectiveness but also reduced side effects and risks, shortening the cooldown period considerably.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The Sunset Empire crown prince, Miles, was a Level 6 monarch, yet Han Kexin had only used less than a fifth of her power toplete the mind control. The ability would be ready again in less than twenty hours.


    Han Kexin said, "Your status is very useful to Darkness City. From today onwards, you will be my pawn in the Sunset Empire. I will support you in ascending to be the emperor of the Sunset Empire."


    Miles gratefully kowtowed again, "Thank you, my master!"


    "You don''t need to call me master. I am the Vice City Lord of Darkness City. Just call me Vice Lord," Han Kexin replied. She then jumped down and continued, "Now, hand over all the information and contacts of the rebel factions you''ve been secretlymunicating with."


    Miles quickly responded, "Yes, I dare not deceive you, Vice Lord."


    Following that, the crown prince meticulously provided all the details about the rebels and the forces preparing for an uprising in the western territory of the Thunder Empire.


    Dick''s consciousness grew increasingly blurry. In his final moments, all he felt was fear. He knew exactly what kind of person crown prince Miles was---patient, determined, and highly ambitious. Yet, such a person had beenpletely manipted by Demon King Han Kexin. Terrifying! Absolutely terrifying! If the Vice Lord of Darkness City was this powerful, how much more terrifying must the true Demon King of Darkness City be?


    Han Kexin gently pped her hands, and the next second, two figures appeared beside her---two stunning demon beauties. They were none other than Han Kexin''s direct subordinates, the mythic-ss demons Han Qiuyue and Han Dongxue.


    Han Kexin asked, "Did you hear and remember everything clearly? Go!"


    "Yes! Give us two days, and not a single rebel will be left!" The two mythic demons received their orders and immediately vanished in two shes of light.


    Against the remaining rebels, Han Kexin didn''t need to act on it personally. With the help of the two mythic-ss demons and the warriors from Darkness City and the empire, eliminating these rebels was a simple task.


    Two dayster, good news arrived. Darkness City and the Empire, with thunderous momentum and a thorough, ruthless approach,pletely eradicated all rebel forces and potential rebel factions across the region.


    At this moment, Han Kexin received a notification:


    [You''ve conquered the Thunder Empire!]


    [You''ve gained "Thunder Empire Treasure Chest" x1!]


    Han Kexin was overjoyed upon receiving the news. She hadn''t expected toplete the conquest of the Empire so swiftly, right after resolving the issues in the western territories.


    A treasure chest from an empire''s conquest! How luxurious would that be?


    Zhang Nu had granted Han Kexin the highest authority. She was allowed to im and open the treasure chest on Zhang Nu''s behalf. Of course, any titles or bound items obtained would automatically belong to Zhang Nu. However, Han Kexin could manage the resources and blueprints acquired from the chest.


    Given the looming threat, she had the flexibility to act as needed. Han Kexin had achieved her goal ahead of schedule. She sessfullypleted the integration of the Thunder Empire before the enemy''s arrival. This meant she could mobilize the empire''s elite warriors and utilize the abundant resources to further strengthen Darkness City''s foundation and power.


    Although the uing enemies were formidable, Han Kexin felt more confident and prepared for the challenge.

 Chapter 343: Thunder Demon Emperor & The Tome of Demon King

    Chapter 343: Thunder Demon Emperor & The Tome of Demon King


    Conquering an empire-level force by a Demon King was unprecedented. This was the first time it had ever happened. Although it was mainly Zhang Nu''s work, Han Kexin, as the second-inmand of Darkness City, had contributed her fair share.


    With Zhang Nu''s permission, she opened the empire chest on his behalf.


    [You''ve opened the "Thunder Empire Treasure Chest"!]


    [You''ve activated the title: Thunder Demon Emperor!]


    [You''ve gained "Gold" x80 billion, "Blueprint: Demon King''s Reincarnation Tower" x1, "Blueprint: Demon King''s Heavenly Altar" x1, "Blueprint: Demon King''s Eternal World", "Level 6 Special Building Upgrade Scroll" x1, "Level 5 Special Building Upgrade Scroll" x20, "Level 5 Building Upgrade Scroll" x100, "Thirteen Elemental Gems" x4 million each, "Tome of the Demon King" x1...]


    Eighty billion gold! Over fifty million gems! Dozens, even hundreds of building upgrade scrolls! Han Kexin was utterly stunned by the sheer magnitude of these rewards. Besides the ludicrous amount of resources, the reward included three special blueprints and an item that appeared to be equipment.


    Her attention was immediately drawn to this piece of equipment, as it emitted an incredibly powerful aura. It looked like a tome, ancient and unadorned, seemingly carved from a thick b of stone. Despite its in appearance, it exuded an aura far stronger than any epic-grade equipment she had ever seen. This item was definitely extraordinary!


    Han Kexin took out the tome.


    [Tome of the Demon King] Divine-grade item, exclusive to Demon Kings. Four stats +5000, MP +100,000, HP +100,000, recovery effects +500%. Provides the ability to cast spells from thirteen different schools up to S-rank and bestows the Demon King with the ability to create resources.A divine-grade item! Han Kexin was astonished. The moment she held the item, she felt a tremendous surge in her power. The temporary boost in various stats and skills was enough to elevate her from a Level 6 legendary Demon King to a top-tier legendary entity. This was beyond powerful. She had never seen anything like it.


    However, the Tome of the Demon King wasn''t strictly an item; it was more of an auxiliary tool. Divine-grade items were incredibly rare, each with the power to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. The unique qualities of this tome made it one of a kind.


    Apart from being a potent item, the Tome of the Demon King could also create mountains, ins,kes, and mines out of thin air. Essentially, it could alter thendscape to generate resources. This ability had significant implications for a territory. In theory, as long as there was enough MP, Zhang Nu could elevate an unreachable underground gold mine to the surface, transforming it into a vast open-pit mine.


    Additionally, he could create forests, gather spiritual energy to form spirit fields, rivers, andkes out of thin air. This meant that with sufficient MP, the Chaos Federation would never have to worry about resource shortages. Han Kexin then examined the three special blueprints obtained from the treasure chest: the Reincarnation Tower, the Heavenly Altar, and the Eternal World. Although she couldn''t determine their exact functions before construction, the brief descriptions and information provided indicated their extraordinary nature.


    First was the Reincarnation Tower. This blueprint could only be utilized by Demon Kings who had reached Level 6 or above and was exclusively obtainable from treasure chests of conquered empire-level forces. In other words, only those who sessfully conquered an empire could acquire this special blueprint.


    The Reincarnation Tower had a unique function. When a Demon King grew tired of their current world or had exhausted all possibilities, they could use the Reincarnation Tower to reincarnate into another world. In simple terms, it was a ticket, or a pass, to the next stage or world. Only Demon Kings who had conquered empires could obtain the key to the next level of the game or world.


    Even if a yer entered a new world, the achievements from the current world would not disappear. yers could return to this world through death or other means, retaining the territories and abilities acquired here. So far, only the Darkness City had the capability to build a Reincarnation Tower, and only the Demon King of the Darkness City possessed the potential to explore new worlds.


    As for the other two blueprints, the Heavenly Altar was likely an extremely special type of altar, while the Eternal World seemed to involve creating a resource-rich, material world exclusively for Darkness City. However, the specific details would only be clear after their construction.


    Compared to these blueprints, Han Kexin was currently more interested in the "Level 6 Special Building Upgrade Scroll" obtained from the treasure chest. A Level 6 upgrade scroll implied the ability to create a Level 7 building. Han Kexin''s first thought was of the World Tree. Among all the buildings in the Chaos Forest, the World Tree was undoubtedly the mostprehensive and cost-effective due to its mysterious and powerful nature.


    The World Tree was already astonishingly powerful. If it could be upgraded further to Level 7, it would be even more formidable. Even if the Church''s allied forces arrived, it would be difficult for them to prate the Chaos Forest or disrupt its terrain, thanks to the enhanced World Tree.


    At the same time, in the castle of Darkness City, Zhang Nu was at a critical breakthrough stage. He had not lost consciousness and could remain clear-headed, even able tomunicate with Han Kexin through the yer interface.


    Han Kexin opened the treasure chest with Zhang Nu''s permission. Upon opening the chest, Zhang Nu received a new title, "Thunder Demon Emperor," simr to his titles "Supreme Overlord of Pale Moon" and "Ruler of Chaos Forest," but even more powerful in its effects.


    ......


    [Title: Thunder Demon Emperor] Legendary Title.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    MP +50,000 permanently


    HP +50,000 permanently


    Four stats +3000


    When within the boundaries of Thunder Empire, further increase in HP and MP by 50,000, all stats +125%, recovery speed +500%, regional teleportation is enabled.


    Under your rule, the resources of the Thunder Empire +30%, all citizens'' stats +25%, loyalty of the citizens +20%, aging speed -20%.


    You canmand the power of the empire''s spirit, greatly enhancing your own or specific targets'' strength and levels.You may appoint two proxy kings within the empire, who receive a stat bonus +25%, HP +30,000, aging speed -80%, recovery speed +80%.


    ......


    The effects were exceptionally strong. The Thunder Empire was vast, and its empire''s spirit was substantial. Moreover, the title itself offered significant stats boosts, greatly enhancing Zhang Nu''s power.


    Of course, at this moment, Zhang Nu was not particrly focused on these details. He had reached the most critical stage of his ascension. If anyone could see Zhang Nu''s current state, they would be astonished to find that he no longer had a physical form.


    The entire grand hall of the Darkness City castle was enveloped in a mass of chaos. This chaos appeared like mist but was actually a special power formed within the void,pletely elusive and indescribable.


    Zhang Nu''s body had disappeared. As he crossed the final threshold and advanced to Level 7, Zhang Nu was no longer just an Abyssal Dragon. He was bing the Chaos Dragon God. A Chaos Dragon God was born from chaos and had no specific form. During this advancement process, Zhang Nu was reshaping himself to emerge as a new, transcendent dragon entity.


    Then, he would engage in a decisive battle, sweeping away all potential enemies and ultimately achieving the mostplete conquest.

 Chapter 345: Before The Storm

    Chapter 345: Before The Storm


    In Darkness City, all the high-ranking members of the Chaos Federation, including Nancilia, were gathered.


    Han Kexin asked, "ording to the city lord''s prediction, the enemy is going tounch a surprise attack from the west, through the direction of the Sunset Empire. How are our defensive preparations?"


    Nancilia immediately stood up and said, "Rest assured, Vice City Lord. Since we received the alert, we have been preparing for battle with all our might. Grootroot has led the main force of the ents to fortify the western front, and other tribal forces have already arrived."


    Han Kexin was pleased to hear this. Although Zhang Nu''s ability to predict the enemy''s direction, number, and identity through his time abilities was incredibly advantageous and made surprise attacks nearly impossible, it still wasn''t foolproof against an overwhelmingly powerful enemy.


    Han Kexin reminded them, "The enemies we face this time are exceptionally strong. We must not act recklessly. Our primary goal is to dy and wait for the city lord toplete his ascension sessfully."


    Hearing this, Nancilia couldn''t help but ask, "Vice City Lord, our alliance is already very strong. Even if the Sunset Empire mobilizes its entire nation against us, it would be difficult to even shake us. Why are we being so cautious?"


    From her perspective, they shouldn''t have to trouble the Demon King for everything. Nancilia''s own strength had grown significantly, and she was now nearly Level 6 legend. The vice city lord''s power was even more profound, and they had the support of giants, ents, and humans. How could they possibly be threatened? Even if the Sunset Empire mobilized its entire nation, Nancilia did not believe they posed a threat.


    Han Kexin said, "It seems necessary to give everyone a heads-up and make sure you all have a clear understanding of the enemy we are about to face. The Sunset Empire is not a significant threat on its own, but the enemy forces this time, while borrowing the path through the Sunset Empire, are not primarilyposed of Sunset Empire troops."


    Empress Ophelia of the Thunder Empire asked, "Is it the Radiant Church?"Han Kexin nodded, "Yes, this time, the Church has mobilized its elite troops, the entire college of bishops, and various knight orders. Nearly all of them areing, including the two living Popes. This force is no less powerful than the main army of any empire in this world. Furthermore, the Church''s influence is immense, allowing them to easily call upon the armies of ten, or even dozens, of nations."


    "Thus, thebined strength will be unlike anything we''ve faced before."


    Everyone exchanged nces. Although Nancilia had a high level of intelligence, she was ultimately limited by her experience and did not fully grasp the gravity of the situation. Han Kexin decided to put it more inly.


    "ording to the future seen by the city lord, the enemy forcesing to attack us include no less than three Level 7 demigods!"


    These words shocked everyone. Level 7 was an unattainable realm for most. Who could have imagined that three such beings woulde at once? This was a grand disy of power and force.


    Han Kexin said, "In addition to the legendary former Pope of the Radiant Church, there are two other Heroes whose power rivals Lucas''s!"


    "One of them is the Holy Dragon Hero, Wang Badao, currently ranked sixth on the Hero leaderboard, one rank higher than Lucas."


    Upon hearing this, everyone present was shocked.


    Han Kexin continued, "ording to the information revealed by the city lord, this Holy Dragon Emperor is the ruler of the Holy Dragon Empire, an independent continent located in the ocean world outside our own. Not only does it have a poption of several hundred million, but it also boasts arge number of dragon-kinds. It is said that there are nearly 100,000 true dragons, making it the known ce with the highest number of dragon-kinds and dragons. The overall strength of the Holy Dragon Empire far exceeds that of most other empires."


    "Upon receiving Lucas''s invitation, Wang Badao not only readily epted but also mobilized the Holy Legion. This elite unit, though notrge in number, represents the most formidable fighting force in Badao''smand, consisting mainly of nearly a thousand holy dragons.


    "To put this in perspective, holy dragons are not ordinary dragons. Their potential even surpasses that of abyssal dragons. Although the total number is insignificantpared to other armies, theirbat strength exceeds that of the Thunder Empire''s entire Guardian Knight Order at its peak. Badao''s power alone is terrifying enough. Adding this elite force, it undoubtedly possesses the strength to annihte nations. This shows how seriously he is taking this mission. After all, taking down the number one Demon King is an opportunity worth seizing for any Hero."


    No wonder.


    Nancilia finally understood. Unless the Demon King himself took action, even with the Vice City Lord''s abilities, it would be a nightmare to deal with this threat.


    Han Kexin further detailed, "The other Hero is Mandell, an Eighteen-Winged Fallen Angel, the most talented being in the history of the fallen angel race. Mandell ranks tenth on the Hero leaderboard. Although he is slightly lower than Wang Badao and Lucas in ranking, their actual strength levels are quite simr."


    "He is not only the strongest in his race but also one of the most renowned legendary figures in the outer world, serving as the supreme guardian of a certain celestial empire. Under hismand is a force known as the Eternally Cursed Demon me Legion."


    The Eternally Cursed Demon me Legion, abbreviated as the Demon me Legion, was a specialized forceprising 10,000 demon me fallen angels, each meticulously trained and selected, with an average strength of Level 5 overlords. The Demon me Legion''s strength rivaled that of the Holy Dragon Legion. Dealing with these two powerful beings alone would already be incredibly challenging.


    Moreover, the Radiant Church would be going all out, and the forces led by the legendary Pope Lucas were bound to be even more formidable than those of the two Heroes''. Additionally, with reinforcements from dozens of other nations, including the Sunset Empire, thebined strength would be daunting.


    No one thought Han Kexin was being overly cautious anymore. On the contrary, they felt immense pressure. The Chaos Forest was strong, but could it really withstand such an overwhelming invasion?


    Seeing the apprehensive and tense expressions on everyone''s faces, Han Kexin smiled and spoke in a more rxed tone, "There''s no need to worry, everyone. The city lord will emerge from his seclusion in a day or two. At that point, mere three demigods won''t be an issue."


    "Our most important task now is to defend the forest well during the city lord''s seclusion. We must not let the enemy approach the Darkness City by even a step!"


    At this moment, Marilyn, the deputy city lord of Giantree City, spoke up, "But, Vice City Lord, the enemy''s lineup this time is incredibly terrifying. Although we have many powerful warriors, it won''t be easy to hold off so many elite troops and powerful individuals on our own!"


    Without a doubt, the three demigods would definitely be a formidable issue, even without considering the numerous Level 6 mythic and monarch units and the various super legions. This was far stronger than the forces they faced when invading the empire.


    Han Kexin said, "I didn''t have absolute confidence in minimizing our losses before. But now, if everything goes as nned, we can significantly reduce our casualties and even achieve our goals with minimal losses."


    Her words surprised everyone. Given the enemy''s overwhelming advantage in troops and strength, it seemed unlikely that the Chaos Forest could hold its ground, let alone achieve victory.


    Han Kexin continued, "Before the city lord went into seclusion, he entrusted me with some crucial items. With these, the enemy won''t be able to breach our defenses."


    Han Kexin''s n was straightforward. They recently acquired a Level 6 special building upgrade scroll from a treasure chest, which was too valuable to waste. Although Darkness City had many auxiliary buildings, some even at Level 6, the most worthy of upgrading was the World Tree in Giantree City. Han Kexin had already checked the upgrade requirements. It needed a staggering 10 billion gold and millions of gemstone materials. The cost was extremely high, almost absurd, but the city''s finances could handle it.


    If the Level 6 World Tree were upgraded further, what kind of existence would it be?


    ......N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Shortly after, the two demigod Heroes arrived above the Chaos Forest.


    "The entire Chaos Forest is shrouded in an enormous barrier. Its size and strength are unparalleled," Mandell said. "As expected of the number one Demon King Zhang Nu. Such a massive barrier is something I''ve never seen before, but believing it can stop us is too naive."


    Just as they were about to act, something astonishing happened. From the depths of the Chaos Forest, an unimaginable power erupted, causing the entire barrier enveloping the forest to undergo a monumental transformation!

 Chapter 346: World Tree Barrier

    Chapter 346: World Tree Barrier


    The Chaos Forest underwent a startling transformation. From afar, Wang Badao and Mandell observed countless golden lights suddenly appearing within the vast expanse of the forest.


    Wang Badao eximed in shock, "What is that?"


    Mandell frowned, "I don''t know, but I can sense an unusually terrifying energy fluctuation!"


    While the two Heroes were still trying toprehend what was happening, an even more astonishing sight unfolded. The lights within the forest rapidly grew, each transforming into a giant tree, towering over a thousand meters high. Each tree radiated a golden glow, ethereal and dreamlike, almost indistinguishable from the World Tree, except for being slightly smaller.


    In just ten minutes, the entire Chaos Forest, spanning tens of thousands of miles, was dotted with these enormous trees, each appearing at intervals of a hundred miles. Even the Thunder Hignds was covered with these towering golden trees. The entire Chaos Forest, and even areas beyond the forest, were now bathed in the glow of these trees, transforming the region into a divine and dream-like realm.


    What was going on? How did these golden trees appear? Were they real?


    While the two Heroes hesitated, unsure whether what they saw was real or an illusion, the nearest golden tree summoned a portal. Through these portals, Darkness City''s troops were rapidly transported to the location. Each tree served as a means of teleportation. Even vast armies could be instantly transported to any corner of the Chaos Forest. Thus, in an instant, the Darkness City''s forces had arrived.


    Mandell carefully sensed and concluded, "These giant trees'' auras are interconnected, with their core source deep within Darkness City. This must be the effect of some powerful Demon King structure!"


    Both Wang Badao and Mandell found this hard to believe. Despite their extensive knowledge of high-level Demon King buildings, nothing could have prepared them for such an extraordinary phenomenon. Even the most advanced structures couldn''t possibly achieve such an exaggerated effect, causing divine trees to sprout throughout the entire forest. It was simply too incredible."Let¡¯s not worry about it too much! We¡¯ll just breach it!" Mandellmanded and over ten thousand fallen angels simultaneously gathered their power, sending beams of ck light down likesers.


    "Boom! Boom! Boom!"


    Amidst the deafening explosions, the barrier of the Chaos Forest remainedpletely intact. It wasn''t just unbroken; it showed no signs of significant depletion. The surface of the barrier burned with raging mes, a result of the demonic energy failing to prate and instead clinging to the shield, attempting to erode it.


    "How is it so tough!?" Mandell was astonished. No one understood the power of the Demon me Legion better than he did. This barrage should have been enough to shake the barrier of an imperial capital.


    It was important to note that an imperial capital''s barrier was the most fortified line of defense in an empire, protecting a rtively small area. Yet here, the Chaos Forest''s barrier was not only as strong, if not stronger, but it also covered the entire forest. This was equivalent to the vast expanse of at least an entire kingdom, several hundred timesrger than the area covered by an imperial capital''s barrier. Generally, therger the area a barrier covered, the weaker its protective capabilities should be.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Unbelievable! How can a barrier be this strong? Such a thing has never appeared in this world before!"


    "Hmph, I refuse to believe it!" Wang Badaomanded his subordinates, "Unleash the Annihtion Ray!"


    Thousands of holy dragons received the order and immediately opened their mouths, gathering an immense amount of radiant energy. Once it reached a terrifying density, the next second, the beams all converged on Wang Badao. This surprising move was indeed eye-catching.


    However, Wang Badao didn''t panic at all. His body suddenly crystallized, transforming into apletely transparent crystal dragon. This crystal dragon wasposed of countless perfect facets, and when the beams struck these facets, they converged into the center of the crystal dragon, forming an incredibly powerful energy.


    In an instant, the originally colorless and transparent crystal dragon began to emit a blinding lightparable to the sun, absorbing the light attacks from thousands of holy dragons. The brightness was so intense that it could blind an ordinary person.


    "Break!" Wang Badao roared, releasing intense light from orifices, and then unleashed a powerful beam from his mouth. This beam was extraordinary in power, as it not only contained Wang Badao''s immense strength but also thebined power of the entire Holy Dragon Legion.


    The immense light was like a sword, an invincible sword of judgment. As the enormous beam descended, it indeed caused some damage to the Chaos Forest''s barrier. However, even such a powerful attack only managed to create a small opening in the barrier. It did not destroy or significantly weaken the barrier''s overall defensive capability. While this opening might allow experts like Wang Badao and Mandel to enter instantly, it was still quite risky, making it easy for them to fall into a trap.


    "The famous Holy Dragon Emperor. Hmph! It turns out you''re just so-so."


    Han Kexin, Ophelia, and Nancilia had appeared. Han Kexin held the Book of the Demon King in her hands, emitting an aura that wasparable to that of a Level 7 legend.


    She taunted, "Do you dare toe down and face me?"


    Wang Badao''s expression grew dark. He had known that the Darkness City and Chaos Forest would be tough to conquer, but he hadn''t expected them to be this formidable.


    "What''s wrong? Are you scared?" Han Kexin provoked.


    Wang Badao ultimately held back. After all, he wasn¡¯t foolish enough to fall into an obvious trap.


    At that moment, another voice cut through the tension. "Merepdogs of the Demon King, what gives you the right to be so arrogant before us?"


    A white figure appeared overhead, none other than Lucas.


    "Did you really think that hiding behind a barrier makes you untouchable? Breaching it is no challenge for me!"

 Chapter 347: Forest of World Trees

    Chapter 347: Forest of World Trees


    "It''s the seventh-ranked Hero, Lucas!" Han Kexin immediately recognized him. As a demigod Hero, Lucas''s strength wasparable to the other two. In her current state, Han Kexin knew she stood no chance against him in a fair fight unless she broke through to Level 7.


    However, what truly concerned Han Kexin wasn''t just Lucas''s strength, but the Heart of Holy Light in his possession. This artifact was one of the few divine relics on the continent, making Lucas even more dangerous than the other two demigod Heroesbined.


    The Level 6 Giant King, Jin Kui, roared in anger, "What arrogance! Let''s join forces and show him what we''re made of!"


    Jin Kui, now Level 6, was among the elite of the Level 6 monarchs. His strength was nearly at the pseudo-mythic level. He had been itching for a chance to prove himself and believed that with his several thousand Golden Giants, even a Level 7 entity would find them troublesome. Besides, it wasn''t just the giants present, but countless other forces. If all these minor annoyances werebined, even a Level 7 would have to think twice.


    However, Han Kexin quickly stopped the Giant King''s reckless action.


    "Do not be rash!" she warned. "Avoid his attacks at all costs! This man is extremely dangerous. Whatever attack heunches, evade it with all your might. Do not try to withstand his offensive head-on!"


    Only a few, including Nancilia, understood Han Kexin''s caution. Most others did not grasp why the vice city lord was so apprehensive about Lucas. After all, the enemy''s numbers were limited. All of the elite forces of the Dark City were present. Even if several Level 7 entities led the attack, the geographical advantage should give them a decisive upper hand, right?


    It was understandable that the forces had such confidence. The Darkness City had justpleted the upgrade of the Level 6 special building, "World Tree," to the Level 7 special building, "Forest of the World Trees."


    The "Forest of the World Trees" was essentially a forestposed of multiple World Trees. The dramatic transformation of the Chaos Forest, with World Trees sprouting everywhere across tens of thousands of miles, was due to this. These countless World Trees were not mere copies or replicas. They were genuine World Trees yet not entirely so. The Level 7 special building "Forest of the World Trees" featured one Mother World Tree, with the rest being Offspring World Trees.The primary difference between the Mother Tree and the Offspring Trees was that the Offspring Trees'' functions were not fully developed. As long as the Mother Tree remained intact, the Offspring Trees could not be destroyed. Although the Offspring Treescked the full range of the Mother Tree''s powers, they still had significant abilities such as transforming spiritual soil, healing injuries, enhancing stats, serving as teleportation nodes, generating barriers, and repelling invaders.


    At this moment, the Chaos Forest was filled with innumerable World Trees. Theirbined power created a formidable defense, which, theoretically, even Level 7 demigods would find difficult to breach.


    However, there was no time for anyone to ponder further. Lucas had already begun his attack. As billions of beams of light converged into a small, fist-sized orb in his palm, the sky seemed to darken, and the once bright sun grew dim.


    Lucas, like a deity,manded, "Have your subordinates retreat. I will breach this barrier!"


    Wang Badao and Mandell observed the glowing orb. They realized that this seemingly small energy ball was, in fact, a powerful artifact. This artifact had been activated, and even beings as strong as themselves felt a deep sense of dread upon sensing its power.


    "What is this? Why does it possess such formidable energy?" they wondered.


    They had never encountered such a terrifying artifact. The only term that came to mind was divine artifact. Given the ancient and powerful history of the church, it wasn''t surprising that such an organization could possess a divine artifact.


    The two exchanged nces. Despite their esteemed status, the reason they epted the Church''s invitation wasn''t for something as trivial as world peace. Their sole purpose was to seize the opportunity to defeat the number one Demon King. However, seeing Lucas wield this artifact made them feel their chances dwindling. Were they really just here to act as free henchmen?


    The thoughts of the two Heroes were ignored by Lucas. "Ignorant insects! Feel the true power of the Judgment of Holy Light!"


    With his immense mana, Lucas harnessed the vast energy of the Heart of Holy Light, extracting just a fraction of its power. However, even this fraction,posed of the faith of millions, was enough to unleash catastrophic power capable of creating miracles.


    In the next moment, a thread of energy from the Heart of Holy Light summoned thousands of light wyrms. Each wyrm, with a body asrge as a mountain and lengths exceeding a thousand meters, wasposed entirely of holy light. Despite being formed of light, each wyrm scale shimmered with a golden, lifelike texture.


    "Roar!"


    The energy-filled wyrms collided with the barrier, emitting immense light and heat, like red-hot swords piercing ice. This attack was not only overwhelmingly destructive but also covered a terrifyingly vast area. Lucas targeted a radius of hundreds of miles within the barrier.


    As the energy shed and emitted melting sounds, it took only a moment to create numerous breaches. If the barrier of the Chaos Forest was like a massive fruit, then these wyrms were like voracious worms eating away at it. Their efficiency was astounding. Under their relentless assault, the grand barrier became riddled with holes. This process was ongoing, with more and more breaches continuously being created.


    Nancilia''s eyes widened in shock. "By the goddess, what kind of power is this..."


    The Holy Dragon Wang Badao, after absorbing the power of thousands of holy dragons, had managed only to create a single breach in the grand barrier. But Lucas, wielding the power of his artifact, had unleashed an attack surpassing Badao''s, causingrge-scale damage to the barrier over hundreds of miles. Lucas hadn''t even used his full strength. He had merely activated a sliver of the Heart of Holy Light''s power, yet this tiny fraction was enough to alter the very fabric of reality.


    Finally, the people of Darkness City understood why Han Kexin had warned them against facing Lucas head-on. The power of a divine artifact was akin to the power of a god, rendering ordinary beings insignificant like ants before such greatness.


    While the inhabitants of Darkness City were thoroughly shocked, Lucas did not revel in his apparent sess. On the contrary, he frowned slightly. There was no doubt about the power of the Heart of Holy Light. Even in a world where other divine artifacts existed, matching the Heart of Holy Light was nearly impossible.


    The reason for this was simple: the Heart of Holy Light''s strengthy not only in its divine quality but also in the umted faith of countless believers over tens of thousands of years. This umtion, this sedimentation, was something no other artifact possessed. This was why wielding the Heart of Holy Light meant being invincible. However, this divine artifact had two inherent ws.


    Firstly, the power of the Heart of Holy Light was finite. Every bit used diminished the total reserve. Lucas had just expended at least 500 years'' worth of umted energy from the artifact. To replenish this, the church would need to develop for another 500 years.


    Secondly, activating the Heart of Holy Light required an immense amount of MP. Even with Lucas''s considerable abilities, he couldn''t unleash all its power in one go without risking fatal bacsh.


    Thus, while the Heart of Holy Light made Lucas nearly invincible, its usage required extreme caution. Lucas noticed that despite the barrier of the Chaos Forest being riddled with holes, it had not been entirely destroyed as expected. This indicated that the barrier''s strength and resilience were beyond his initial estimation. At this moment, the perforated barrier was slowly healing. Lucas had realized that the barrier also possessed powerful regenerative and self-repair capabilities, surpassing even the defenses of the Holy City''s forbidden grounds.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''I can''t afford to waste any more of the Heart of Holy Light''s power,'' Lucas thought.


    Lucas halted his attack and announced, "The Demon King''s barrier is now useless. Attack immediately!"


    He didn''t need to say it twice. The two Heroes had already issued theirmands. Holy Dragons in their white draconian forms and Demon me Legion''s angels with burning wings surged forward like piranhas smelling blood,unching their assault at breakneck speed.


    With the barrier''s defensive capabilities neutralized, Han Kexin, as the suprememander, swiftly issued orders: "Nancilia, Ophelia, Shui Lan... you will follow my lead."


    "Ent and elven units, engage the Holy Dragon Emperor Wang Badao! The Three Dragon Emperors and the Darkness City Dragon Legion will take on the Fallen Angel Mandell!"


    "Remember, no one is to advance recklessly. Allbat must take ce within the range of the sacred trees!"


    Han Kexin quickly organized her forces, dividing them into several groups to handle the invading enemies. Despite the intimidating power of the Heart of Holy Light, Han Kexin was confident in her preparations and abilities to withstand the onught.


    Seeing this, Lucas sneered, "Foolish!"


    With those words, the Heart of Holy Light in Lucas''s hand transformed into a holy sword, which he then gripped firmly. "You must be Han Kexin, ranked tenth among Demon Kings. It''sughable that Zhang Nu sends a woman to die in his stead."


    With a slight wave of the holy sword, a surge of energy shed through the barrier and shot toward Han Kexin.


    "Fine, then. I''ll start with you as an appetizer before the main course," Lucas taunted.

 Chapter 348: Stalemate & Retreat

    Chapter 348: Stalemate & Retreat


    In that instant, Han Kexin felt an overwhelming sense of danger. She realized that Lucas had locked onto her. To evade the attack and avoid involving others, she quickly casted blink, teleporting herself ten kilometers away.


    Boom!


    The sword energy struck the forest, carving out a massive ravine in the earth.


    Lucas, having locked onto Han Kexin''s aura, dered, "You can''t escape!"


    As he spoke, the holy sword transformed into a holy spear. Lucas raised the spear and hurled it toward Han Kexin. Whether a holy sword or spear, these were manifestations of the Heart of Holy Light, and no armor could withstand an attack from such a divine artifact. Even an epic-grade shield would shatter instantly upon being struck by this holy spear. In other words, a divine artifact''s attack could ignore all defenses.


    Despite Han Kexin''s formidable strength, shecked the resistances and powerful defenses needed to withstand a direct hit from the holy spear, which would spell certain doom. Her figure flickered constantly as she cast teleportation spells with impressive speed, barely requiring any cooldown. She reappeared in different locations each second, sometimes creating illusions or phantasms. But it was futile.


    The holy spear, acting like a homing missile, persistently targeted her real self. Moreover, it began to split: one spear became two, two became four, and four became eight, until a dense shower of golden spears filled the sky. Han Kexin found herself with fewer and fewer ces to dodge.


    Lucas proimed, "No one can escape this attack. Stop wasting your efforts!"


    Suddenly, Han Kexin halted in her tracks. Dozens of holy spears were mere inches away. In this critical moment, she summoned an item that instantly blocked all the beams of light. Although the residual energy still caused her considerable harm, she ultimately managed to block the attack."How is this possible? What the hell is that thing?"


    "It can actually withstand the power of a divine artifact!"


    The object that blocked the attack was a stone tome. Despite its unassuming appearance, it bore the full brunt of the Heart of Holy Light''s power without sustaining a single scratch.


    Lucas was taken aback. This was absolutely impossible. Not even a legendary-grade item could withstand the power of a divine artifact without any damage. The only usible exnation for an item achieving such a feat was that it, too, was a divine artifact.


    Lucas''s eyes widened. "A divine artifact!"


    Indeed, it was none other than the Tome of Demon King. The item Han Kexin had summoned was of the same divine quality as the Heart of Holy Light. While the Tome of Demon King was more auxiliary in nature, the Heart of Holy Light, forged from the faith of countless beings, held far more energy than any other equipment or even divine artifact.


    "Vice City Lord, are you alright?" Nancilia instantly teleported to Han Kexin''s side. With a wave of her hand, she cast a healing spell, quickly restoring Han Kexin''s HP.


    Simultaneously, Ophelia, Shui Lan, and a dozen other top-tier powerhouses of Darkness City also rushed to Han Kexin''s side. Grasping the now-shrunken Tome of the Demon King, Han Kexin, empowered by its strength, had a power levelparable to that of a Level 7 legendary.


    With a mere thought, Han Kexin activated her Soul Shepherding ability, releasing ten powerful soul puppets, including Will and Jason, to spread out in all directions.


    Lucas''s expression turned grim. Thebined strength of the powerful individuals around Han Kexin was formidable enough to contend with him. Holding a divine-grade artifact like the Tome of Demon King, Han Kexin could withstand the direct attacks from the Heart of Holy Light, nullifying Lucas''s greatest advantage.


    Of course, Lucas had another option. He could unleash more of the Heart of Holy Light''s power to summon a cataclysmic attack topletely suppress these opponents. However, the cost would be immense. Topletely eliminate Han Kexin and the elites before him, Lucas would need to expend millennia''s worth of faith, which was a significant expenditure even for the Heart of Holy Light.


    Surveying the battlefield, Lucas noticed that Mandell and his Demon me Legion were entangled with the three Dragon Emperors, dozens of Dragon Kings, thousands of Dragon Elders, and numerous other dragons from Darkness City. For the moment, the fight was at a stalemate. Meanwhile, Wang Badao and his forces were also being held back by tens of thousands of ents, elves, giants, and orcs.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    As the barrier began to recover, each World Tree emitted powerful energy. This not only significantly enhanced the recovery and stats of Darkness City''s forces but also elerated the repair of the barrier and summoned roots and ents to assist in the battle.


    For the Demon yer Army, this meant they faced a situation where every tree could be an enemy. Seeing this, Lucas hesitated. Unleashing thousands of years'' worth of the Heart of Holy Light''s power would undoubtedly kill Han Kexin, but the cost to himself would be enormous. What if Han Kexin was just a decoy put forward by Zhang Nu? The possibility was very high. After all, Zhang Nu had not shown up at all. After much deliberation, Lucas decided to retreat.


    He called out to the other two, "We''ve tested their strength enough. Let''s pull back and regroup with the main force."


    Wang Badao and Mandell agreed. They felt continuing the fight was pointless, so they led their troops out of the Chaos Forest.


    "Vice City Lord! We held them off!" The members of the Chaos Federation were ecstatic. They had united to repel three demigods.


    However, Han Kexin wasn''t happy. This was just a small portion of the enemy''s power. If it was this difficult to fend off this group, how much harder would it be when the full force attacked?


    Just then, a celestial phenomenon appeared over Darkness City. A massive, indistinct creature materialized above the Darkness Valley. When Han Kexin saw it, she was stunned. It was unmistakably a dragon, but not a western dragon---an eastern divine dragon from her past world!


    Its body was covered in dark gold scales, it had nine ws, and it exuded a majestic, awe-inspiring presence as if it were the embodiment of the divine and chaos.

 Chapter 349 Full On Clash

    The three Heroes returned to the main force, clearly not expecting the Chaos Federation to be so formidable. No wonder they had managed to conquer the entire Thunder Empire. Although the resistance was intense and Darkness City had deployed a considerable number of elite forces, it was certain that this was not all of Darkness City''s strength.


    The fullbat power and entire forces of the Chaos Federation couldn''t possibly be just this small number. It seemed that this battle would be more challenging than they had imagined.


    Lucas wore a grave expression. After some thought, he approached the other two.


    "From this confrontation, even though Demon King Zhang Nu did not personally intervene, the Chaos Federation still possesses the power to crush an empire-level force," Lucas said solemnly. "This is too big of a threat. If the Demon King''s forces grow out of control, it will be unstoppable. If we can''t extinguish Darkness City in time, they will eventually sweep across the entire world!"


    He paused, emphasizing each word: "Then, there will be no ce for Heroes!"


    Wang Badao and Mandell fell silent. Lucas was not exaggerating. Zhang Nu was incredibly dangerous. The best time to eliminate a Demon King was before they grew too powerful. Initially, Heroes held a significant advantage, while the Demon King was at a disadvantage. However, as the Demon King''s power grew, the situation would reverse, potentially turningpletely upside down. The achievements Zhang Nu had already attained were indicative of this swing.


    The problem was that Zhang Nu and his Darkness City were so formidable. Why should Wang Ba Dao and Mandel give their all? Even with the current strength of Darkness City, attacking woulde at a significant cost. Their most powerful armies would suffer heavy losses. Was it really worth it?


    Lucas had the Heart of Holy Light, a massive force from the Radiant Church that rivaled an empire, and reinforcements from dozens of countries. With this artifact and these reinforcements, the two of them couldn''t possibly outdo Lucas. Were they expected to exhaust themselves fighting the Demon King only for Lucas to reap the rewards? If that were the case, neither of them would be willing. After all, they weren''t ordinary people.


    Lucas understood their concerns. He immediately promised, "You two needn''t worry. If I y the Demon King, we will split the Demon King''s reward chest equally. How does that sound?"


    Their interest was piqued. Wang Badao asked, "Really?"


    Lucas replied, "I can sign a contract with you."


    The two Heroes exchanged nces and ultimately agreed to the n.


    There were three main rewards for hunting down a Demon King.


    First, killing the Demon King itself granted a direct kill reward. Second, destroying the Demon King''s altar yielded an extermination reward for eradicating the Demon King''sir. Third, if the Demon King was listed in the Demon King leaderboard, one would receive a Demon King treasure chest.


    These three rewards were all incredibly valuable.


    The first reward had the potential to grant the abilities, experience, talents, and bloodline of the Demon King. The second reward was rted to the scale of the Demon King''s forces and territory. Therger the scale of the exterminated Demon King, the more impressive the extermination chest would be. The third reward was, of course, connected to the ranking of the Demon King. The higher the Demon King ranked, the greater the rewards.


    It wasn''t difficult to imagine that as the number one Demon King, Zhang Nu''s rewards in any of these three categories would be astonishing.


    Lucas expressed his willingness to offer the third reward as the spoils to be divided between the two of them, meaning he nned to keep the other two rewards for himself. Although this distribution n was somewhat unfair, it was still better than getting nothing at all.


    It should be noted that as the number one Demon King, the reward chest generated by Zhang Nu would contain an impressive quantity and quality of rewards. Just for this chest alone, Wang Badao and Mandell were willing to take action.


    Mandell immediately responded diplomatically, "Lucas, you''re too kind. What you said makes perfect sense. If a Demon King like Zhang Nu is not eliminated, he will eventually be a major threat to all of us Heroes. Therefore, it is our duty to contribute to the effort against the Darkness City."


    Wang Badao straightforwardly added, "In that case, let''s get ready quickly and strive to take down the Darkness City in one go!"


    The two of them set aside their thoughts, which pleased Lucas greatly. Although he had paid a price, it was worth it. Lucas had his own schemes, knowing that contracts could have loopholes to exploit. Once a distribution contract was signed, Lucas indeed couldn''t avoid distributing the rewards. But what if, before the distribution, one of the distributors met with some unfortunate ident or died in battle against the Demon King?


    In short, even though the three of them had their own ulterior motives, they reached a consensus.


    After signing the contract with the two Heroes, Lucas immediately issued orders to all the legions and factions. This time, there would be no more probing. Lucas decided that the entire coalition wouldunch a full-scale attack. The goal was to overthrow the Darkness City in one go.


    About half a dayter, the Demon yer Army officially arrived at the Chaos Forest, entering from the western Thunder Hignds.


    The Thunder Hignds was vast and sparsely popted, with scarce vegetation. However, at that moment, every hundred miles or so stood a towering golden tree, which was the Offspring World Tree. The Thunder Hignds was also within the range of the Forest of World Tree.


    Despite the unique geology of the Thunder Hignds making it difficult for other trees to grow, it did not hinder the World Tree''s growth and creation. With the appearance of the World Tree, the climate of the Thunder Hignds underwent significant changes. More and more spiritual soil emerged, and vegetation quickly began to flourish. It was believed that it wouldn''t be long before the barren Thunder Hignds turned into a vast, fertile grasnd.


    The Darkness City was well-prepared for the church coalition''s invasion. Han Kexin utilized the World Tree to transport troops from various ces ahead of time, deploying them on the Thunder Hignds.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    This time, besides the several hundred thousand elite forest coalition forces and the Darkness City Dragon Legion, there were also the Guardian Knight Order of the Thunder Empire and various human units. In addition, there was the massive Citadel of Eternity. This magitek fortress had been upgraded to a Level 6 Supreme Magitek Fortress, with dozens of magitek cannons already prepared and hundreds of thousands of magitek troops ready.


    In terms of numbers, excluding the fortress troops, the Demon King''s coalition had about one million soldiers, while the church coalition had about two million. Although the Demon King coalition seemed to be at a numerical disadvantage, given the various barriers, fortresses, and natural geographical advantages, it didn''t appear to be at a disadvantage.


    However, the actual situation was different. The church coalition, despite only being twice the size of the Demon King coalition, had terrifyingbat power. After all, there were three demigod Heroes among them!


    The troops under the church coalition''smand included many units that were not inferior to the Guardian Knights, with Level 6 monarchs, mythics, and even legendary powerhouses. Among them were no fewer than five Level 6 legendary figures, including super-powerful beings like Delores. The rest were supreme Heroes ranked just below Lucas and Wang Badao, within the top ten. This lineup was absolutely beyond imagination and more thanpensated for any geographical disadvantages.


    Wang Badao looked at the densely arranged Demon King''s army on the Thunder Hignds and sneered, "It seems that the Darkness City side is ready for a desperate fight!"


    Mandell, puzzled, asked, "But why would they choose to make their stand on the Thunder Hignds instead of retreating to the Darkness City? Do they really think they can stop us with just this number of troops in such an environment?"


    There was no need for the Demon King''s army to defend the Thunder Hignds because it was a sparsely popted and rtively barren ce. Even if the church coalition army took it, it wouldn''t significantly impact the Darkness City. ording to Lucas''s n, he intended to capture the Thunder Hignds and use it as a strategic base tounch a full-scale assault on the Chaos Forest. He hadn''t expected the Darkness City to be so bold, choosing to confront them head-on.


    Lucas pondered and said, "Their willingness to risk everything and deploy the majority of their forces here only shows their confidence in this battle!"


    The two Heroes thought about it and realized it made sense. The Darkness City''s confidence allowed them to face their opponents directly, preferring to give up the stronghold''s advantages rather than let the church take theirnds and cities.


    Wang Badao said, "The grand barrier of the Chaos Forest is too strong. It looks like we''ll have to use the power of the artifact to break it again!"


    "Allow me!" Lucas, now fully recovered and back to his peak state, released the Heart of Holy Light into the air.


    The Heart of Holy Light immediately expanded from the size of a small fist to the size of a small mountain in the blink of an eye. The massive ball of light emitted an immense brilliance. The light was almost tangible, like water, and poured onto the barrier below. The barrier started to thin and fade rapidly, visibly weakening.


    The barrier, which spanned several hundred miles, was being consumed in an incredibly short time. Everyone present was astounded by the power of the artifact! Only Lucas looked pained, knowing that this disy of power had cost at least two thousand years'' worth of faith energy stored in the Heart of Holy Light. The price was steep, but to eliminate Zhang Nu and destroy the Darkness City, it was necessary.


    Lucas shouted, "The grand barrier of the Chaos Forest is now extremely weak. Everyone, follow my orders and attack immediately!"


    Wang Badao and Mandell also issued theirmands. In an instant, millions of troopsunched their assault on the Thunder Hignds from different directions and in various ways, covering an area with a radius of at least two hundred miles.


    The battle was imminent, and it promised to be a cataclysmic confrontation. This would be a monumental battle destined to be recorded in history!

 Chapter 350: World Treants

    Chapter 350: World Treants


    The battle for the Thunder Hignds was arge-scale conflict with a battlefield radius spanning several hundred miles, divided into numerous smaller skirmishes. In such a massive battle, if no decisive, overwhelming factor emerged, it could easily drag on for days, nights, or even longer.


    Lucas did not rush to take action. He first observed the battlefield carefully. He sensed something peculiar about this fight. Firstly, the scale of the Chaos Federation''s participating forces was extraordinarilyrge. The Abyssal Dragon Legion alone numbered twenty thousand, in addition to a vast number of Guardian Knights, high-level demons, and ents.


    The total number of these top-tier troops exceeded thirty thousand. Such a massive force was enough to cause significant resistance and casualties for the church coalition. Even under the leadership of three demigod-level Heroes, victory would be hard-won and likely close to a pyrrhic victory. The Radiant Church would inevitably suffer great losses from this battle.


    However, this did not concern Lucas. To him, the Radiant Church was not of paramount importance. As long as he could secure victory in this battle, destroy the Darkness City, and eliminate the Demon King Zhang Nu, any cost would be worth it. Even if it meant sacrificing the entire Radiant Church, it would still be worthwhile. After all, if he could destroy the Darkness City and kill Zhang Nu, the rewards would make Lucas the number one Hero, elevating him to a god-like status.


    At that point, with his own power and the artifact Heart of Holy Light, no force in the world could oppose him. The Radiant Church, no matter how strong, was just a faction. Once he achieved absolute power, what need would he have for any particr faction when he couldmand any force to his will?


    At this moment, Lucas felt a sense of gravity, not because of the battle situation, but due to a strange phenomenon he couldn''t understand. Why hadn''t the Demon King Zhang Nu appeared yet?


    The Demon King Army was not weak. With the home-field advantage of the Chaos Forest, their forces could match the church coalition evenly if the topbat powers on both sides didn''t engage. In such circumstances, the topbatants'' importance would directly determine the battle''s oue.


    Han Kexin had already shown such formidable strength, enough to resist a Level 7 legendary figure. Logically, Zhang Nu should be even stronger than Han Kexin. If Zhang Nu were to engage and leverage the vast numbers of the Demon King''s forces, it wouldn''t necessarily lead to a decisive victory, but it would certainly increase their chances significantly.


    So, why wasn''t he taking action?Lucas shared his confusion with the other two demigod Heroes. Mandell said, "There must be a reason why Zhang Nu isn''t taking action. Either he''s unable to return in time due to some reasons, or he''s preparing some other scheme against us."


    Wang Badao nodded, "Makes sense. Which possibility do you think is more likely?"


    "I think it''s probably the second one," Lucas concluded. "Zhang Nu killed the Prophet of Doom Primo and very likely has stolen Primo''s abilities. He should have foreseen this battle and prepared in advance."


    Indeed, using the prophet''s abilities, if he could foresee the battle, how could Zhang Nu, the Lord of Darkness City and the number one Demon King, miss such a crucial fight? What could be more important than this?


    Lucas proposed, "I have an idea. Let''s have our troops continue fighting the Demon King''s army while the three of us each lead an elite unit directly towards the Darkness City."


    The others agreed. Wang Badao said, "I support this. If the enemy is indeed plotting something, we can uncover and disrupt it in time. If he''s absent, we can seize the opportunity to destroy Darkness City. Without their base, even if he has extraordinary abilities, it will be futile."


    After their discussion, the three immediately took action.


    Lucas led thirty-six archbishops from the Radiant Archdiocese and five hundred Pdins from the Holy Order. Each archbishop was a Level 6 overlord, and even the weakest of the knights were top-tier Level 5, with a tenth of them reaching Level 6.


    Wang Badao and Mandell also selected some elite troops from their forces.


    "Let''s go!" Lucas activated a space-attribute skill, transporting this elite unit from the rear of the battlefield directly to the center of the Chaos Forest.


    "Damn it! Vice City Lord! Those three have left!" Nancilia sensed the spatial fluctuation and immediately reported to Han Kexin, "They''re going to attack the Darkness City!"


    Han Kexin''s eyebrows furrowed slightly at first, but then, as if sensing something, she smiled. "If they had made such a move yesterday, we would have had to fight for time with our lives. As for now... let them go!"


    It was toote! Han Kexin knew well that the Darkness City would not be easily breached!


    Lucas sessfully used his teleportation skill to transport an elite force of over a thousand top-tier units to the vicinity of the Darkness City. From a distance, he could see the entire Darkness City shrouded in a massive barrier.


    Unlike other areas, the density of World Trees within a few hundred miles of the Darkness City was much higher. In this vicinity, there was even a colossal World Tree, over ten timesrger and reaching a height of tens of thousands of meters. The energy it emitted was far stronger than that of other World Trees.


    This was no ordinary tree. It was the core mother tree of the World Tree!


    Unlike other World Trees, the power of the Mother World Tree was vastly superior. When it sensed intruders entering this area, hundreds of World Tree Priests, led by Arch-Priestess Gu Yi, acted from atop the Mother Tree. The towering World Tree immediately unleashed its immense power, causing the surrounding hundreds of Offspring World Trees to undergo astonishing transformations. These energy-filled World Trees all transformed into ents, each possessing at least the power of a Level 6 overlord.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    At this instance, the three demigod Heroes faced not only a barrier several times stronger than one outside but also a massive group of Level 6 overlord units. Moreover, these Level 6 overlord units, being transformed World Trees, could draw power from the earth and had nearly infinite stamina. The longer the battle dragged on, the more formidable the attrition they would cause.


    "Damn it!" Lucas hadn''t anticipated encountering such a predicament.


    Butpared to these formidable World Treants, what truly shocked and intimidated Lucas was the sight above Darkness City. Countless chaotic ck clouds were brewing, and within them, a colossal dragon, thousands of meters long with nine ws, was forming.


    "This dragon''s aura..." Wang Badao sensed a hint of the dragon fear. Even as the Holy Dragon Emperor, the pinnacle of dragon-kind, he felt like an ant before a giant dragon. It was an absolute suppression of bloodline and status!


    "What''s going on?" Wang Badao was incredulous. "Isn''t Zhang Nu an abyssal dragon? Why is he transforming into this?"


    Mandell''s face turned pale with fear. "No, this is Level 7''s aura. He''s breaking through!"


    Finally, they understood. Lucas, with a grim expression, said, "If his aura is this terrifying even before the breakthrough, the consequences will be unimaginable if he seeds... We must stop him!"


    The three Heroes were all demigods, but from the dragon before them, they could sense the aura of a true god!


    Demigods and true gods might seem simr in name, but they were vastly different,pletely iparable. A demigod merely possessed a touch of divinity. In contrast to a true god, they were leagues apart, not even in the same realm.

 Chapter 351: The Demon King Has Awakened

    Chapter 351: The Demon King Has Awakened


    Wang Badao pped his wings and instantly swooped down, unleashing a dense stream of dragon mes that struck the barrier of Darkness City. Despite the intense burning, the barrier remainedrgely unchanged.


    At the same time, the surrounding World Treantsunched their attacks. Their golden leaves glowed, releasing energy that condensed into energy balls in their hands and then were hurled forward.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Dozens of energy balls came flying! Wang Badao swiftly dodged and shielded himself with his wings. With his strong resistance and defense, he managed to withstand the attacks without significant harm.


    Although the attacks weren''t a direct threat, the treants'' power was considerable. With hundreds of them around, even someone as strong as Wang Badao would find himself under pressure if they all focused their attacks simultaneously. More importantly, while Wang Badao could defend himself, his subordinates could not. As the battle continued, several holy dragons were struck down and killed---each one a crucialbatant, irreceable and vital to their forces.


    At this moment, Mandell waved his hands through the air, drawing countlessplex magical symbols around him. These symbols formed a magic formation hundreds of meters in diameter. When the formation activated, it created a massive ck hole at its center, indicating at least a S-rank skill! The energy attacks from the World Treants were all absorbed into the magic formation and the ck hole.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Mandell said, "This magic can hold for at most two minutes. We must break the barrier quickly!"


    Wang Badao shouted, "Lucas, what are you waiting for? Only the artifact can break the barrier quickly!"


    "Alright! Fine!" Lucas responded.Despite feeling some reluctance, Lucas had no choice but to unleash the power of the Heart of Holy Light. This time, he released four to five thousand years'' worth of umted faith energy, summoning a massive orb of light. It resembled a sun, illuminating a radius of hundreds of miles with its scorching rays, blinding anyone who looked directly at it.


    "Go!" Lucasmanded, and the orb of light shot towards the sky above Darkness City, descending like a falling sun into the valley. It exploded with a brilliance thousands of times brighter than the sun.


    In an instant, the explosion''s light engulfed a radius of a hundred miles. Even those far away on the Thunder Hignds could feel the intense light from miles away, a testament to the terrifying power of this attack. In a sh, the surrounding World Treants and all the flora were torn to shreds by the piercing rays, leaving only scorched marks. The attack was incredibly powerful, covering a hundred-mile radius and instantly obliterating at least a hundred World Treants. While the sheer force didn''t destroy the valley, it burned a massive hole in the barrier and caused significant damage to some buildings within the valley.


    "Such power!" Wang Badao and Mandel were both stunned. They knew the artifact was formidable, but they hadn''t expected it to be this strong.


    Lucas sneered, "Zhang Nu, your death is imminent. Today, no one can save you!"


    "Attack!"


    Wang Badao and Mandell led their respective troops to storm into the Darkness Valley but were met with resistance from various Level 5 and 6 defensive facilities within the valley. Of course, while these defensive facilities were formidable, they couldn''t stop this powerful force, and the number of troops stationed in the Darkness Valley was limited. In such circumstances, thebined might of the three demigod Heroes and their elitebat units could almost certainly breach Darkness City, or at the very least, cause significant damage in a short period.


    Noticing the strong resistance from Darkness City, Lucas decided to end the battle quickly. He once again activated the Heart of Holy Light, summoning thousands of gigantic swords of light. Each of these colossal swords was tens of meters long, descending from the sky towards the core area of Darkness City.


    Lucas aimed to destroy the Demon King''s castle in one fell swoop, disrupt the first Demon King Zhang Nu''s breakthrough, either killing or severely injuring him, and thereby deciding the oue of this battle.


    However, as Lucas was ready to strike, something strange happened. An invisible energy emanated from the castle within Darkness City, changing the very fabric of the world around it. This "change in the world" was not just a metaphor. Everywhere the invisible energy reached, all light and color were stripped away, leaving only ck and white outlines like an X-ray image.


    Simultaneously, all the swords of light froze in mid-air. It wasn''t as if they were forcibly stopped by some power; they simply couldn''t get any closer. The space around them was infinitely stretched, making every centimeter span thousands of miles. Time around them was also infinitely stretched, so each second outside equaled a hundred or a thousand days for them.


    In the blink of an eye, all the swords of light vanished into nothingness. Meanwhile, the invisible energy continued to spread, covering the holy dragons, demonic me angels, holy order pdins, and radiant archbishops. As soon as this energy enveloped them, these powerful beings became motionless, as if time itself had stopped. Then, the pdins and archbishops alike began to wither and age visibly, eventually turning to dust.


    "What is this?!"


    Lucas, Wang Badao, and Mandell couldn''t react in time and were caught in the energy field as well.


    Lucas felt all light infinitely stretched out. He fell into a bizarre dimension where time and space were highly distorted, like an alternate reality.


    [You are affected by the Void Chaos Domain. All skills below SSS level are unusable. All non-divine abilities are unusable. Space is stretched by a million times. Time is slowed down by a million times...]


    What kind of power was this? A domain skill?


    Lucas was incredulous. He had never seen such a domain skill before! He knew his situation was dire. He was now in a space-time that was almost infinitely vast, where distances were unimaginably stretched, and time seemed endlessly prolonged. Additionally, all magic and most abilities were sealed and unusable. What kind of power was this? Was it really a domain skill? How could such a powerful domain skill exist in this world?


    No, he had to escape!


    Lucas tried various methods, but almost nothing worked in this environment. He could only raise the Heart of Holy Light, burning several thousand years'' worth of faith energy. Countless rays of light emanated from the Heart of Holy Light, temporarily illuminating the colorless and lightless domain. Lucas momentarily freed himself from the time-space distortion and also liberated Wang Badao and Mandel from the same state. Using the power of the artifact worked! It could counteract this strange energy!


    Before the three could celebrate or devise a n, a voice came from ahead.


    "So this is the Heart of Holy Light?" The voice, calm andposed, continued, "Not bad. As expected of a divine artifact, it truly has some capabilities."


    The three Heroes felt a chill in their hearts. They realized it very clearly.


    The Great Demon King had awakened.

 Chapter 352: Chaotic Dragon God

    Chapter 352: Chaotic Dragon God


    The situation for the three Heroes was incredibly precarious. The entire space within several dozen miles was enveloped by the Demon King''s power, turning it into a domain where space was almost infinitely stretched and time was almost infinitely slowed.


    In this environment, what used to be just a few centimeters now stretched for hundreds of miles. The normal passage of a few seconds was slowed by a million times, effectively freezing them in both time and space. This was an extremely advanced form of temporal and spatial maniption. Even beings as powerful as demigods would find it nearly impossible to break free, unless they could harness the power of a true deity.


    Without the divine artifact, Lucas and hispanions would undoubtedly face certain death. They wouldn''t even qualify to engage the Great Demon King, who could crush them as easily as ants. However, with the power of the Heart of Holy Light, Lucas managed to create a makeshift sanctuary. The artifact''s power barely countered the spatial-temporal lockdown, preventing them from beingpletely immobilized.


    Despite this, it was not easy. Lucas could feel the Heart of Holy Light''s power being rapidly depleted. The artifact alone was not sufficient to contend with their opponent. The only reason they could barely hold their ground was the umted faith energy of tens of thousands of years.


    "How can it be this strong?" Lucas muttered in disbelief.


    There was no doubt---the Great Demon King had sessfully broken through. But even at Level 7, they should still be on the same level. Yet, the current situation felt nothing like an equal battle; it was a one-sided crushing defeat.


    Just then, the bubble of light that Lucas had created in the endless void began to shake violently. Something was invading.


    First, a massive dragon''s head appeared, followed by a body extending over a thousand meters, covered in dark scales with a golden sheen, and nine imposing ws. This was not a typical western dragon. It was an eastern divine dragon, a majestic nine-wed dragon. The dragon fear was thousands of times stronger than even the top-tier Dragon Emperor like Wang Badao. Mortals couldn''t hope to look upon it directly. Not just mortals---even Level 7 beings felt unprecedented pressure.


    Suddenly, their yer interface were shing with warnings:[You have gazed directly at a god. Life Force -500, MP -5 permanently!]


    [You have gazed directly at a god. Life Force -500, MP -5 permanently!]


    [You have gazed directly at a god. Life Force -500, MP -5 permanently!]


    [.....]


    It became clear that this dragon before them was no longer an ordinary dragon. It had long surpassed Dragon Kings and Dragon Emperors; it was a genuine Dragon God. Whether virtuous or evil, gods are not to be looked upon directly. Mortal mental strength cannot withstand the influence of a deity, and thus, mortals who gaze upon a deity would suffer severe mental damage or be driven mad by the influence of an evil god.


    Despite reaching the demigod level, the three Heroes had only attained a semnce of divinity. They had not truly be gods, and the leap from demigod to true godhood was far greater than thebined progression from Level 1 to 7.


    When Zhang Nu forcibly entered the sanctuary of the Heart of Holy Light, he felt a scorching energy radiating from all directions. This was the Heart of Holy Light exerting its suppressive force. Undeniably, the Heart of Holy Light was a genuinely powerful artifact, especially after absorbing such an immense amount of faith energy, making its power truly terrifying. However, no matter how powerful the Heart of Holy Light was, it remained an equipment. It was nearly invincible against any target below the divine-ss, but it couldn''t threaten a true god.


    In a sh of light, the nine-wed divine dragon''s form shrank and ultimately transformed into a human figure. Zhang Nu didn''t be a draconian; instead, he morphed into a young man with a handsome and dignified appearance. He wore a ck dragon robe and, aside from his regal aura, looked much like an ordinary man.


    Since bing the Chaos Dragon God, Zhang Nu had undergone an earth-shattering transformation, no longer bound by his previous race or form. As a result, Zhang Nu could appear in his divine dragon form and transform into a human with near-perfect ease.


    After transforming into his human form, Zhang Nu floated in mid-air with his hands behind his back, continuing to confront the three Heroes. Although his reduced size lessened the sense of oppression, the sense of danger and his imposing presence remained undiminished.


    "Damn it!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Strike him as one! I refuse to believe there''s anyone in this world who can withstand the three of usbined!"


    Wang Badao and Mandell spoke, then simultaneously flew toward Zhang Nu. At this point, hesitating or retreating was meaningless. They could only fight desperately to create an opportunity for Lucas to use the immense power within the Heart of Holy Light to defeat the Great Demon King.


    Wang Badao spewed a stream of golden dragon mes, while Mandell summoned a giant ck python. The golden and ck forces struck Zhang Nu simultaneously. Zhang Nu merely waved his hand as if swatting away flies, instantly absorbing both attacks. The full-force strikes of two demigod Heroes were insignificant to the Great Demon King, not even causing an inconvenience.


    "Too weak!" Zhang Nu said, unleashing his dragon fear. It was less a dragon fear and more a divine presence.


    [You are affected by the Dragon God''s Presence. HP -3000 permanently, MP -500 permanently, stunned for 5 seconds!]


    [You are affected by the Dragon God''s Presence. HP -3000 permanently, MP -500 permanently, stunned for 5 seconds!]


    The two demigod Heroes lost their ability to act almost simultaneously. With a mere thought, Zhang Nu filled the surrounding space with fire and lightning, which instantly engulfed the two andunched a barrage of attacks.


    [You are struck by Dragon God''s Lightning. HP -4000 permanently, Constitution -50 permanently, Agility -50 permanently!]


    [You are struck by Dragon God''s me. HP -4000 permanently, Constitution -50 permanently, Will -50 permanently!]


    [You are struck by Dragon God''s Lightning. HP -4000 permanently, Constitution -50 permanently, Agility -50 permanently!]


    The two Heroes were utterly shocked. The Great Demon King''s attacks were not only immensely powerful, but each strike also caused permanent damage and stat loss. In mere moments, they lost tens of thousands of maximum HP and thousands of stat points, which could not be restored by any healing or medication. Even if they survived this battle, their strength would be immensely diminished.


    Seeing this, Lucas hurriedly activated the Heart of Holy Light, knowing that now was not the time to be stingy with its power. If Wang Badao and Mandelll were killed, how could he possibly withstand this newly ascended Demon King alone?


    At that moment, Zhang Nubined lightning and fire, creating a nearly colorless chaotic thunder me. He then split it into two massive flying swords that flew towards the two Heroes.


    [You are struck by Chaotic Thunder me. HP -20,000 permanently, MP -10,000 permanently, all four stats -1000 permanently!]


    How were they supposed to fight against this? It wasn''t something any mortal could withstand! The two Heroes were utterly panicked, feeling their bodies weaken to the extreme. Even if they survived, they would never regain their former strength.


    "Stop!!"


    But Zhang Nu showed no mercy. He created hundreds of chaotic thunder mes out of thin air, instantly teleporting them onto the two Heroes, forming unavoidable attacks. In their agonizing and unwilling screams, the two demigod-level Heroes were incinerated into nothingness. Zhang Nu hadn''t moved an inch, nor had he expended any effort. The attacks he casually created with his thoughts were enough to make any Hero despair.


    Lucas''s face turned ashen. He had known the two were no match, but he hadn''t expected the battle to end so quickly.


    The Great Demon King teleported in front of him and said, "Your turn."


    Lucas''s expression fluctuated. "You are indeed powerful, but with the Heart of Holy Light, I might not lose to you. I even have the confidence to take you down with me."


    Zhang Nuughed. "Really?"


    Gritting his teeth, Lucas said, "I demand peace talks with Darkness City. Otherwise, I will unleash the full power of the Heart of Holy Light. Even if it means mutual destruction, I will erase you and your city from this world."


    At this point, this imbecile still dared to make threats.


    Zhang Nu sneered, "Is that so? Then I would like to see if the Heart of Holy Light is truly as powerful as you im."

 Chapter 353: End of Lucas

    Chapter 353: End of Lucas


    Clearly, the Demon King had no intention of negotiating. Seeing this, Lucas knew that without a desperate fight, he wouldn''t survive this ordeal. Clenching his teeth, a vicious expression appeared on his face. Yet, deep down, he hesitated. He wasn''t sure how far he should go. If he fully unleashed the power of the Heart of Holy Light, Lucas was confident he could take down the Demon King before him. But was it really worth it?


    In that moment of hesitation, Zhang Nu sneered, summoning countless thunder mes from all directions, which converged in his palm to form a massive war spear. With a swift motion, he hurled it.


    The war spear pierced through space without any flight process, prating Lucas''s back and pinning him in ce with almost impossible-to-evade precision. All magical defenses and shields were rendered useless against this attack.


    [You are struck by Chaotic Thunder me. HP -10,000......]


    One casual strike had caused such immense damage. Lucas''s face turned pale with fright, and he no longer hesitated. The Heart of Holy Light in his hand rapidly shrank, and he swallowed it like a pill. This guy actually consumed the Radiant Church''s supreme artifact.


    The scene was shocking, but Zhang Nu seemed to have anticipated it. He neither stopped Lucas nor showed any surprise. Lucas''s every move was almost impossible to hide from his insight and foresight.


    "So what if you''re a god?" Lucas''s skin began to crack all over, releasing intense light from these fissures as well as from his eyes, mouth, nose, and ears. His aura surged wildly. He let out a hysterical roar, "Now that I''ve merged with the Heart of Holy Light, I can even challenge a true god!"


    In the next second, Lucas''s bodypletely exploded. His flesh disintegrated, reced by a giant of light dozens of meters tall, as if the God of Light himself had descended to the mortal world, exuding an aura that surpassed all beings.


    "Die!"After transforming into the giant of light, Lucas extended a massive hand to crush Zhang Nu. This attack seemed simple, but it was exceptionally powerful. If struck, dozens of suppressive and sealing divine spells imbued within would simultaneously activate. However, Zhang Nu did not dodge. Such an attack might easily overpower any Level 7 entity, but it was ineffective against a being who had already entered the realm of the divine.


    Lucas realized that as the giant hand of light struck the Demon King, it felt like hitting a ck hole, with all energy and divine spells being absorbed. It seemed that an invisible spherical barrier surrounded Zhang Nu, absorbing any force that touched it.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    At the same time, Zhang Nu extended a single finger and lightly poked the giant hand of light. Like a drop of dark ink in clear water, the entire hand turned red in the next instant. Moreover, this red hue began to spread. The red energy emanated an extremely filthy and evil aura, the essence of corruption created by the Source of Corruption.


    After ascending to the divine level, the corrupted blood created by Zhang Nu was thousands times more potent than before. Even a Level 7 being would be frantically corrupted by an Evil God''s blood upon contact. In the end, the Heart of Holy Light was just an artifact and the corrupted blood could taint all things. With Zhang Nu''s current power, the corrupted blood he created could weaken, nullify, or even cause artifacts to lose control.


    "Arghh!" Lucas retreated and decisively severed his right arm. By sacrificing his arm, he avoided the corrupted blood from spreading throughout his body, barely saving himself.


    "Damn it!" Lucas noticed that the Great Demon King was surrounded by a substantial amount of red aura. Zhang Nu frantically created more corrupted blood and summoned dozens of flying swords formed from chaotic thunder mes, infusing them with the corrupted blood.


    All the flying swords were then teleported, striking Lucas instantly without any trace of their flight. The attacks pierced Lucas''s body in dozens of ces, each strike carrying the power of the Dragon God and the aura of the Evil God. Such an onught not only caused significant depletion to the Heart of Holy Light but also allowed a considerable amount of corrupted blood to infiltrate and permeate through the giant of light''s body.


    Now, the entire giant of light was suffused with red tendrils spreading rapidly like blood vessels, covering him in no time.


    "I can''t move!" Lucas was horrified to find that, having been severely injured by the Dragon God''s power and affected by the corrupted blood, his body was nowpletely immobilized.


    Simultaneously, Zhang Nu underwent a transformation once more. This time, the Great Demon King did not take on the form of the nine-wed Dragon God but instead transformed into a towering monster over a hundred meters tall, covered in green scales, twisted and indescribable.


    No one could precisely describe its appearance. Its very existence seemed to epitomize chaos.


    This was the form of an Evil God. After evolving into the Chaos Dragon God through the divine essence of the Eight-Eyed Evil God, the fragments of the Evil God within Zhang Nu had not disappeared. He still retained the ability to enter the state of the Evil God. Compared to when he was at Level 6, the aura and power Zhang Nu now emitted in his Evil God form were enough to rece the Eight-Eyed Evil God; he was the new Eight-Eyed Evil God!


    "Do not think you can just kill me! If I die, we die together!" Lucas,pletely desperate, decided to go all out. He prepared to release the Heart of Holy Light within him, unleashing nearly 100,000 years'' worth of faith energy in one go.


    How powerful was this force? If fully released, it would wipe out the entire Darkness City, the Darkness Valley, and most of the Chaos Forest. Thousands of kilometers ofnd, all life within it, would be obliterated. This was why Lucas was confident he could take Zhang Nu down with him, because no one could withstand such an attack.


    But at that moment, the eight eyes of Zhang Nu merged into one. Zhang Nu unleashed a unique attack skill of the Evil God, where the eight eyes released eight different energies that fused into a single ck beam. In an instant, it struck Lucas in advance. The full-force attack of the Eight-Eyed Evil God was extraordinary, directly suppressing the power of the Heart of Holy Light, preventing its release for a moment.


    Within the next second, there was a blood-curdling scream. Lucas cried out in despair, "No! No!"


    But it was toote. Under thebined attack of the eight eyes, Lucas was instantly obliterated, crushed by the immense power. All that remained was a glowing object, the size of a fist, floating in the air---presumably the Heart of Holy Light.


    Finally, the three troublesome Heroes had been dealt with. With Zhang Nu''s breakthrough to Level 7 divine, even these demigod Heroes were no longer a threat to him.


    "It''s time to end this battle once and for all!" Having eliminated the three demigods, Zhang Nu did not stop. He continued to take action.

 Chapter 354: A Gods Might

    Chapter 354: A God''s Might


    Because Lucas and the three Heroes led a portion of their elite troops away from the main battlefield, the pressure on the Demon King''s army was greatly reduced. Under Han Kexin''s leadership, the Demon King''s army sessfully resisted the church coalition army''s attack and even began to gain the upper hand.


    "What''s going on? The situation is looking grim," Regent Prince Carlos of the Sunset Empire had a foreboding feeling. Logically, once theyunched a surprise attack on Darkness City and killed the true Demon King, the abyssal dragons and draconian forces should have disappeared.


    But why was the Demon King''s army still unaffected? Why hadn''t Darkness City been breached?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Additionally, what shocked Prince Carlos was that, despite the church mobilizing such a massive force, with numerous factions sending their elites and the Sunset Empire sparing no effort to join the battle, they still couldn''t gain the upper hand against the Chaos Federation''s army. Instead, they felt suppressed. After all, this was the Demon King''s home turf. If the battle continued like this, it wouldn''t take more than two days for the church coalition to bepletely overpowered and inevitably slide into defeat.


    How long had Darkness City been developing? How did it already possess such formidable strength! Prince Carlos''s sense of foreboding grew stronger, and he even began to have thoughts of retreating. Perhaps opposing the Demon King had been a mistake from the very beginning.


    However, before a strategy could be formted, a strange aura suddenly descended upon the battlefield. A massive spatial rift opened in the sky above the Thunder Hignds, and a ck nine-wed divine dragon slowly emerged from it.


    "His Majesty!"


    "It''s His Majesty the Demon King!"


    Although Zhang Nu had transcended the dragon race and officially became a deity, significantly changing his appearance, his primary subordinates like Han Kexin and Nancilia could still recognize him. After all, who else in the Chaos Forest could possess such majesty?Zhang Nu''s Dragon God form had no size constraints; he could maintain a length of about a kilometer or effortlessly expand several hundred times. At this moment, Zhang Nu''s body spanned over a hundred kilometers, resembling a massive mountain range, hovering above the Thunder Hignds. From any point on the battlefield, one could clearly witness this magnificent presence.


    Gods were not to be gazed upon directly, especially by those cursed and despised by the said divine being. The moment the church coalition saw the Chaos Dragon God, they fell into unprecedented panic. Their mana strength, life force, and various stats were all affected.


    "Damn it!"


    "How can the Demon King be this powerful!"


    "Bloody hell, he''s enormous!"


    "Who cares! No matter how strong he is, he''s still just one being. With such arge size, he''s an easy target!"


    "That''s right, we have an army. Attack! He couldn''t withstand us all!"


    The church coalition army was vast, with numerous Heroes and top-tier warriors from various nations. These individuals could barely resist the divine pressure and were now attempting to join forces to repel the Dragon God.


    Zhang Nu coldly sneered. "Mere ants, dreaming of ying a god?"


    His voice echoed through the heavens, shaking the very sky. Thousands, even tens of thousands, of attacks flew toward Zhang Nu, only to vanish as if they had been swallowed by the void.


    At the same time, an indescribable and unparalleled force emanated once more from the Chaos Dragon God''s body. Any area touched by this power quickly lost all color, as if plunged into a space-time frozen in absolute stillness.


    At this point, it was toote for Prince Carlos to flee. As the colorless domain swept across the battlefield, he too was caught in a space where time stretched infinitely and space expanded without end. Neither Prince Carlos, Pope Dolores, nor any of the church''s strongest warriors or the coalition''s elite, whether they were holy dragons or fallen angels, could resist. None had reached the level of a demigod. Forget about fighting back---once they were caught in the time-space domain, they couldn''t even struggle or perceive their surroundings. Everyone froze in ce, their faces twisted in fear, trapped in this eerie domain.


    Zhang Nu made his next move. His colossal dragon tail, spanning hundreds of miles, crackled with divine mes and lightning. With a single sweeping motion, tens of thousands, even a hundred thousand troops were obliterated, wiped out without the slightest resistance.


    This scene unfolded before the eyes of Han Kexin and the others. Although they too were caught in the space-time domain, Zhang Nu spared them since they were his allies, allowing them to witness this near-apocalyptic spectacle.


    A vast army---an army powerful enough to conquer empires---was utterly annihted with a casual sweep of Zhang Nu''s tail. The remaining forces of the church coalition were utterly insignificant before the Chaos Dragon God, unable even to pose the slightest threat.


    Terrifying! Absolutely terrifying!


    Zhang Nu did not annihte the entire church coalition. He needed to be selective in his kills. For instance, someone like Regent Prince Carlos was of no use and could be swatted away like a fly. His existence held no value, so eliminating him and his close associates would only benefit Zhang Nu. Han Kexin had already secured control over the Crown Prince Miles of the Sunset Empire. With Prince Carlos out of the way, the crown prince could seamlessly take over the entire Sunset Empire on behalf of Darkness City.


    On the other hand, someone like Dolores could be spared and captured. The church''s influence and its vast territories were significant. If Zhang Nu could absorb this massive force under his banner, it would undoubtedly serve Darkness City well, elerating the Demon King''s conquest of the world.


    In short, from the moment the Chaos Dragon God appeared, the once-mighty church coalition had be nothing more than meat on the chopping block, with its fate entirely in Zhang Nu''s hands. After this battle, the path to world domination by the Demon King was set. No force in this world could stand in his way.

 Chapter 355: Number 1 Hero

    Chapter 355: Number 1 Hero


    News of the Chaos Forest and the battle of the Thunder Hignds spread like wildfire. When the world learned that thebined might of three top-ranked Heroes, the entire Radiant Church, the Sunset Empire, and a dozen other factions had been utterly defeated by the Great Demon King of Darkness City, despair swept through the ranks of warriors worldwide.


    The no.1 Demon King, Zhang Nu, had be an unstoppable force. His power had reached an unfathomable level, beyond anything the world had ever seen. The rise of the Demon King faction was now an undeniable reality. There was no one left who could stand in his way.


    While most of the Hero faction fell into despair upon hearing the news, a few exceptions remained.


    The world beyond, the outer world---the vast, expansive realm---dwarfed thend, the underworld, and the oceansbined. In these distant and mysterious regions, ancient and enigmatic powersy hidden. The zing me Celestial Kingdom was one such force, an ancient seraphim kingdom with a history predating the entire human era.


    The crown prince of the zing me Kingdom, Takuto Sanya, was a formidable Hero, ranked 398th on the Hero leaderboard. However, what counted as formidable for him would likely amount to little more than cannon fodder against the no.1 Demon King, Zhang Nu. Takuto Sanya wasn''t even worthy of challenging Zhang Nu in battle. Even Han Kexin, the second-inmand of Darkness City, was an insurmountable obstacle for him.


    "The Radiant Church... actually lost?" Takuto Sanya had only recently learned about the Radiant Church''s campaign against the Demon King. Before he could delve further into the situation, news of the church''s defeat had already reached him.


    But how could this be possible? Could the Demon King''s forces really be that powerful?


    Feeling deeply unsettled, Takuto Sanya decided to visit the Supreme Sanctuary of the zing me Celestial Kingdom. He believed this matter needed to be brought to the attention of the one within. The Supreme Sanctuary of the zing me Celestial Kingdom was the most sacred ce in the entire kingdom. It waspletely independent of the kingdom''s power structure, and not even the emperor of the celestial kingdom had the authority tomand the sanctuary''s guardians. Only the most powerful beings of the zing me Kingdom had the privilege to enter the sanctuary and be eternal guardians.


    As Takuto Sanya approached the sanctuary, he immediately felt an overwhelming pressure. The sanctuary was guarded by powerful eighteen-winged seraphim, the most renowned eternal guardians of the zing me Kingdom, each possessing immense strength.Takuto Sanya dered, "I am the crown prince of the kingdom. I require an audience with the Grand Guardian!"


    The Grand Guardian he referred to was the master of the Supreme Sanctuary, the chief warrior of the zing me Celestial Kingdom, and its most formidable protector---a figure of such prominence that even the emperor rarely had the chance to meet them.


    One of the eighteen-winged seraphim responded coldly, "The master does not grant audiences to anyone. You must leave immediately." Despite being the crown prince, the sacred guardians showed no sign of deference.


    But at that moment, a voice suddenly echoed from deep within the grand and ornate pce: "Let him in."


    Upon hearing these words, the guardians finally stepped aside.


    Takuto Sanya immediately entered the sanctuary. After passing through a series of opulent and dreamlike halls, he finally reached the innermost chamber of the sanctuary, where he saw a figure floating in midair.


    It was a woman. Behind her, thirty-six resplendent wings shimmered with golden mes, perfectlyplementing her long silver hair, giving her an aura of divine majesty. This was the Master of the Sanctuary. She also held another title---Emilia Ray, the no.4 Hero.


    Emilia asked calmly, "What brings you here?"


    Takuto Sanya quickly ryed the information he had just learned. "The Radiant Church is by no means a third-rate power. They not only possess a divine artifact but also wield forces that can rival those of the zing me Celestial Kingdom! Yet, despite this, they suffered a crushing defeat in their campaign against Darkness City. The legendary pope, even with the artifact in hand, was defeated by the Demon King!"


    "You understand what this means!"


    Emilia''s brow furrowed. "Are you certain of this information?"


    Takuto Sanya replied, "Absolutely. If the situation weren''t so dire and beyond control, I wouldn''t havee here specifically to seek you out!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Emilia''s expression darkened. "Although I have descended as the Master of the Supreme Sanctuary in the zing me Celestial Kingdom, I am bound by certain restrictions and cannot leave the sanctuary easily."


    "I never imagined that the Demon King''s power would grow to this extent in such a short time."


    Takuto Sanya hurriedly asked, "Do you have any confidence in defeating Zhang Nu?"


    Emilia shook her head. "Based on your description, if Zhang Nu was able to kill Lucas, who wielded the Heart of Holy Light, that''s something even I couldn''t achieve."


    "The Heart of Holy Light is not just an artifact; it has absorbed the faith of billions of believers over countless millennia. For Zhang Nu to defeat Lucas without perishing himself indicates that Zhang Nu has undoubtedly be a divine being!"


    Takuto Sanya eximed, "Then what are we to do? Are we just supposed to sit and wait for Darkness City to conquer everything?"


    "Not necessarily," Emilia replied, as if something had just urred to her.


    Takuto Sanya seemed to see a glimmer of hope. "Is there still a way?"


    Emilia nodded. "Since Zhang Nu has reached divine-ss, we''ll need another god to deal with him. I know the location of the no.1 Hero, Isaac."


    This statement carried a lot of weight. A god to counter a god...Although Emilia was the no.4 Hero and incredibly powerful, she was still just a demigod. Her strength wasn''t significantly greater than that of Lucas. The Supreme Sanctuary also housed an artifact, but its power wasn''t stronger than that of the Heart of Holy Light.


    Since Lucas had proven through experience that a demigod-level Hero with an artifact couldn''t stand against the no.1 Demon King, it could only mean that the Demon King had ascended to divine level. But who was this divine being meant to counter him? Emilia mentioned the no.1 Hero, Isaac.


    Takuto Sanya was shocked. "Are you saying that, like the no.1 Demon King Zhang Nu, the First Hero is also a divine being?"


    Emilia nodded. "Yes, he was fortunate enough to descend into a fully intact Evil God."


    "What? He descended into an Evil God!" Takuto Sanya was stunned.


    He knew that some Heroes had be mighty beings like Emilia and Lucas, while others had risen to positions of supreme power, such as emperors of empires. But he had never imagined that a Hero could directly be a god.


    Emilia continued, "But he wasn''t entirely fortunate. The Evil God he upied is in a deep slumber, and under natural conditions, it won''t awaken for thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of years."


    It sounded like this no.1 Hero was under even greater constraints than Emilia. However, even though the Evil God was asleep, it didn''t mean it waspletely inactive. Isaac could still interact with the outside world through psychic projections or by controlling other living beings.


    Takuto Sanya asked, "What should we do?"


    Emilia replied, "It''s simple. We need to find the location where he''s slumbering and awaken him from the river of time."


    Takuto Sanya asked, "Can Isaac really deal with Zhang Nu?"


    Emilia responded, "At this level of confrontation, it''s difficult for even me to predict the oue. But even if Zhang Nu has ascended to divine status, he''s still a newly emerged god.


    "In contrast, the Evil God that Isaac has merged with is an ancient ruler, one who has spanned countless ages. Even among Evil gods, it''s considered exceptionally powerful. If even Isaac can''t stop Zhang Nu, then it means we''ve lost this game."


    Hearing this, Takuto Sanya nodded. Although there was still no absolute certainty, it was clear that Isaac had a much better chance. Since there was still hope, they had to try. The Demon King''s territory was expanding at an exponential rate; if they didn''t put an end to this strongest Demon King soon, the situation would inevitably spiral out of control.


    ......


    Meanwhile, in Darkness City, the battle hade to an end. The city had captured hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war, consisting of elites and powerful figures from various nations and factions. These prisoners were now at the mercy of the Demon King, their fates entirely dependent on his will.


    Zhang Nu sat in his castle, with no trace of the Demon King remaining on him. He had reverted to his normal human appearance, his aurapletely concealed, making it easy for an ordinary person standing before him to mistake him for just another human.


    Standing beside him was a tall demon---none other than the Subus Empress, Han Kexin. She was reporting, "We achieved a resounding victory in this battle. The casualties on our side have been arranged for resurrection at the altar."


    "We have captured the current Pope of the Radiant Church, Dolores, along with several other leaders and top figures from various factions. These individuals can be controlled permanently through my enchantment."


    "As long as we control these people, the territories and forces they currently govern will be swiftly infiltrated by us. Sooner orter, we will be able to take over without shedding a drop of blood."


    Zhang Nu was pleased and asked, "How are things progressing with the Sunset Empire?"


    Han Kexin responded, "Rest assured, we have already taken control of the crown prince of the Sunset Empire. With Regent Prince Carlos eliminated by us in the Thunder Hignds, his faction is now leaderless. I''ve dispatched our top experts to assist the crown prince in staging a coup upon his return to the Sunset Empire."


    "It won''t be long before the old emperor is dethroned, the regent''s factionpletely eradicated, and the new emperor publicly aligns the Sunset Empire with the Chaos Federation. We will be able to take over this empire without a single casualty!"


    "Excellent! Excellent!" The Demon King was very satisfied.


    Conquering an empire-level force hadn''t been easy, but now, he was about to secure one effortlessly. While there would certainly be some unrest and localized conflicts, it was a small price to pay inparison. And it wasn''t just the Sunset Empire---the Chaos Sea to the south was also on the verge of being annexed. The Demon King''s power was about to expand at an astonishing rate!

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 356 - Formless Black Nightmare

    The zing me Celestial Kingdom was hosting a grand ceremony. Thousands of chosen seraphim surrounded arge pool of tinum mes, and after a series ofplex rituals, these seraphim threw themselves into the fiery sea. Immediately, the entire sanctuary began to tremble. After the sacrificial offerings of thousands, the sacred mes in the giant pool gradually shrank, eventually gathering together and forming into a burning holy sword.


    Witnessing this, Takuto Sanya was filled with excitement. He murmured to himself, "This is the legendary Eternal me that never extinguishes!"


    The sword wasn''t just ordinary sacred fire; it was the zing me Kingdom''s national treasure, an artifact powerful enough to safeguard the entire nation: the Eternal me!


    The Eternal me had been sealed within the sacred pool beneath the Supreme Sanctuary for at least ten thousand years, never having been released. Each use required an extremelyplex ritual and came at a great cost. Its significance to the zing me Kingdom was akin to that of the Hall of Heroes in the Thunder Empire. As a symbol of the kingdom''s foundation, an item of this magnitude could not be used lightly. However, in response to the crisis posed by the Demon King, the Grand Guardian Emilia herself had requested the use of this powerful artifact!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The moment Emilia made contact with the Eternal me, it transformed into countless streams of fire, entering her body through every pore.


    Emilia''s strength was already at the level of a demigod. Now, after merging with this divine artifact, her power had risen to that of a pseudo-god.


    "We can set out now!" she dered.


    Emilia approached Takuto Sanya. Normally, she couldn''t leave the sanctuary; all the eternal guardians of the temple possessed boundless life, but the price of this eternal life was that they had to remain within the sanctuary. The farther they strayed from the sanctuary, the more their power would be diminished, eventually leading to possible decay and death.


    This was why Emilia, despite being the no.4 Hero, rarely left the sanctuary.


    But now, that concern no longer applied. The core of the sanctuary''s power was the Eternal me, and Emilia had directly fused it into her body. She had not only gained near-divine strength but was also no longer bound by the sanctuary''s radius. However, she couldn''t stay away from the sanctuary for too long. Without the support of the Eternal me, the sanctuary would eventually copse.


    Takuto Sanya asked, "Where are we going now?"


    Emilia tossed him a teleportation stone and said, "We''re going to the end of the abyss." With that, she activated the teleportation stone.


    After leaving the zing me Celestial Kingdom, they instantly appeared in an extremely eerie and dark space. This ce was bizarre, as if time and space hade to a halt, with projections visible in every direction.


    It felt like being inside a super matrix made of countless mirrors. However, this was moreplex than a matrix of mirrors; these were the unique dimensional mirrors at the end of time and space. Passing through these mirrors could potentially lead to an exit from this world. Of course, there was a greater likelihood of falling into the void and ceasing to exist entirely.


    The entire space was filled with a foreboding atmosphere. Takuto Sanya didn''t dare to move in such an environment, knowing that even the slightest wrong move could result in being swept into endless nothingness.


    Emilia extended her hand, and the Eternal me burst forth from her palms, instantly forming a protective shield that enveloped them both.


    "Follow me!" Emiliamanded as the two began to move. With the protection of the Eternal me, they passed through countless dimensional mirrors until one of the mirrors shattered, revealing an isted and chaotic space before them.


    "What is this...?" Takuto Sanya immediately felt a terrifying force invading him as soon as they entered.


    [You have been corrupted by Evil God''s aura. HP -5 permanently!]


    [You have been corrupted by Evil God''s aura. HP -5 permanently!]


    [You have been corrupted by Evil God''s aura. HP -5 permanently!]


    [......]


    Takuto Sanya''s face turned pale. He had encountered Evil God seals before, but typically, the corruption would cause a loss of HP or a temporary decline in stats---never had he seen corruption that resulted in a permanent loss of life.


    Emilia unleashed a burst of Eternal me, and under its radiant glow, the Evil God''s aura was neutralized. Only divine power could counteract divine power. The Eternal me was a divine weapon, and a fully manifested Evil God was also a divine-level entity, meaning they could cancel each other out.


    Under the light of the Eternal me, Takuto Sanya, relying on his exceptional vision and perception, was barely able to make out their surroundings.


    They stood in an ancient and enormous stone temple. The entire temple was empty, save for a colossal stone statue towering a thousand meters high. The statue was indescribably eerie. Though it was a solid, lifeless object, Takuto Sanya found it impossible to describe its form. It was clearly a stone sculpture, yet it appeared different every time he looked at it.


    At times, it had a thousand hands and feet; at other times, a thousand heads and tails. It seemed like a constantly shifting cloud of smoke, or perhaps it existed in a higher dimension, where lower-dimensional beings like Takuto could only perceive one aspect of it at a time, unable toprehend its full nature.


    There was no doubt---the source of the Evil God''s auray within this enigmatic statue. This must be the physical form of a powerful Evil God.


    Takuto Sanya was stunned. "This is..."


    Emilia exined, "This Evil God is known as the ''Formless ck Nightmare,'' a being of immense power even among Evil Gods. Eons ago, the ck Nightmare was banished by thebined forces of the celestials. The no.1 Hero, Isaac, is within this very Evil God."


    The no.1 Hero was actually an Evil God---this was almost beyond belief.


    Emilia continued, "I''m going to awaken him now. Be prepared for his nightmare creatures!"


    As she spoke, she soared into the air, braving the aura emanating from the slumbering Evil God as she approached the statue. Then, Takuto Sanya noticed a sudden appearance of twisted ck fog around the Evil God''s body. From this fog, numerous terrifying, indescribable creatures began to emerge.These must be the nightmare creations of the Evil God.


    These creatures didn''t belong to this world. They were beings peeled away from the Evil God''s dreams during its slumber. As a symbol of chaos and the most powerful disruptor of order, the Evil God''s nightmares could be materialized. Over countless millennia, it was unimaginable how many monsters the Evil God had created within its nightmares. The more nightmare creations there were, the stronger the nightmare became, and if unleashed, it could lead to a cataclysmic event.


    At this moment, the presence of Emilia and Takuto Sanya had disturbed the Evil God''s slumber, causing its dream to loosen, allowing some of these nightmare creations to leak into reality.


    "Hold off these nightmares!" Emiliamanded as she unleashed a wall of Eternal me. Any nightmare creature that touched the me was instantly incinerated, reduced to ashes.


    Takuto Sanya''s body and weapons were imbued with the Eternal me, protecting him from the Evil God''s aura and allowing him to effectivelybat the nightmare creatures.


    The two split up. While Takuto Sanya drew the attention of the nightmare creatures, Emilia transformed into a fiery meteor, swiftly ascending to the top of the thousand-meter-high statue. She gathered a mass of Eternal me in each hand and pressed them against the statue. In the next moment, the raging mes surged into the statue, spreading across its entire surface in the blink of an eye. The entire statue became covered in web-like patterns, with fire flowing through each line. At the same time, the aura of the Evil God suddenly intensified tenfold.


    A secondter, a deafening explosion shook the area. Like a volcanic eruption, the Eternal me flooded the entire temple in an instant, incinerating all the nearby nightmare creatures.


    "Did it work?" Takuto Sanya cautiously retreated, fully alert. He could clearly sense that something within the center of the Eternal me explosion had awakened. Even through the intense ze, its presence could not be concealed.


    Soon, the mes died down. The thousand-meter-tall statue that had dominated the ancient temple was now gone, vanished without a trace as if it had been erased from existence. Simultaneously, the terrifying aura of the Evil God also disappeared.


    Takuto Sanya looked puzzled. Could it be that Emilia''s attack had been too fierce? The Eternal me, being a divine-ss power, was indeed capable of harming divine beings. Had the Evil God, still in its slumber, been burned to death?


    But just then, the remaining mes parted on their own, and a dark figure emerged from within. This figure was only about three meters tall, seemingly without a physical body, d in a tattered ck robe. Underneath the hood was a void of nightmare-like darkness. No legs were visible beneath the robe, only countless writhing tentacles.


    Takuto Sanya''s expression grew serious. The Evil God hadn''t perished---this was indeed the rank 1 Hero, Isaac.


    The Evil God, "Formless ck Nightmare," had no true physical form and could appear in any shape or form it desired, even manifesting as a purely psychic presence. At this moment, Isaac had suppressed his divine nature to avoid releasing the mind-shattering aura of the Evil God.


    Isaac sent out a telepathic wave: "Finally, I am free. You understand the consequences of unsealing me. You wouldn''t do this without reason."


    Indeed, unsealing the no.1 Hero meant unsealing a fully-formed Evil God. No Hero could stand against such a being, and Isaac posed a significant threat to any nation or Hero. Emilia would not have released Isaac unless absolutely necessary.


    Takuto Sanya stepped forward and said, "Honorable Isaac, we need your help now. You are the only one among all the Heroes who can defeat the rank 1 Demon King!"


    "The rank 1 Demon King?" Isaac didn''t ask for details. Instead, his all-pervasive psychic power directly invaded Takuto Sanya''s mind, instantly reading all of his memories and acquiring all the information in a sh.


    "Interesting," Isaac remarked. "A Demon King has be a god?"


    "Very well, I understand your request. I will deal with him."


    After processing the information, Isaac''s thoughts flicked, and Takuto Sanya''s head exploded.


    "But you are too weak to be my ally," Isaac said coldly.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 357 - Arrival of the Evil God Hero

    Takuto Sanya was killed. Emilia neither felt anger nor shock. Her rtionship with Takuto Sanya was rather ordinary. He had been somewhat useful, but his death wasn''t a significant loss. Now that Isaac was free, he should be sufficient to deal with Zhang Nu.


    At the same time, Emilia was fully aware that a Hero like Isaac, who had merged with an ancient Evil God, had undergone a fundamental change. Whether this was ultimately good or bad was hard to determine.


    This is easy to understand. A yer is, after all, just a human, with a limited lifespan and experiences. In a sense, a yer''s memory is like a tiny droplet of water, while the will of an ancient Evil God is like a vast ocean. When that droplet falls into the ocean, even though the powerful influence of the game creators ensures that the droplet''s will remains dominant, it is still incredibly smallpared to the vastness of the ocean. A Hero who controls the body of a powerful Evil God must contend with memories spanning millions or even tens of millions of years---an overwhelming and immense force. This inevitably affects the yer''s personality and sanity.It wasn''t just Isaac who faced such issues---Emilia herself had undergone a profound transformation. She had once been an ordinary middle-aged woman, but after inheriting the memories of this body, which spanned 100,000 years, everything about her---her thoughts, her personality, her very being---had changed drastically. In truth, even Emilia couldn''t clearly say whether it was the yer who dominated this powerful native being, or if the powerful demigod had consumed the yer.


    Isaac''s divine body was even more ancient, and the memories of the Evil God were far more chaotic, frenzied, and illogical. The dimensions of information the Evil God could process were beyond anything a normal person couldprehend. Under such influence, Isaac''s actions had be unpredictable.


    Emilia asked, "What are your ns now?"


    Isaac responded with a dark and maniacalugh. "ns? I don''t think I need such things!"


    Emilia frowned. "Are you nning to go straight after the number one Demon King Zhang Nu? Isn''t that too reckless? I think we should consider our approach carefully and seek cooperation from the major factions."


    Isaac replied, "In a battle between gods, numbers don''t matter. Besides, I don''tck followers. You can make whatever arrangements you like, but right now, all I want is to have a good fight with Zhang Nu."


    Isaac had long had enough. To most, being reincarnated as an Evil God, starting with divine-ss power, would seem like a stroke of incredible luck. But in reality, it was anything but. Isaac''s mind was filled with the frenzied and chaotic memories of the Evil God. He felt as though his soul was being subjected to constant torment, every second inching closer to madness under the pressure.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    For this reason, he couldn''t wait any longer. There was only one thought in his mind now---either kill Zhang Nu, or be killed by him!


    "I''ll go ahead!"


    After Isaac sent out this message telepathically, his gray-ck robed figure suddenly vanished as if he had evaporated, disappearing from the spot with incredible speed. Emilia couldn''t even sense Isaac''s movement path. This was because Isaac was not a physical entity in essence---the "Formless ck Nightmare" was an Evil Godposed of pure psychic energy. This Evil God never had a fixed form.


    Emilia murmured to herself, "Having this one personally take action, dealing with the rank one Demon King Zhang Nu should be no problem, right?"


    Emilia''s confidence wasn''t unfounded. Even though Zhang Nu had be incredibly powerful, evolving to a godly level, he had only just broken through. On the other hand, Isaac had inherited an ancient Evil God.


    The Formless ck Nightmare was an exceptionally powerful and formidable entity, even among all the Evil Gods. If anyone could take on Zhang Nu, it would be Isaac.


    ......


    At this moment, in Darkness City, Zhang Nu and Han Kexin had not been idle over the past few days. The recent victory not only firmly established the foundation of the Demon King''s rule but also provided an opportunity for the Demon King''s forces to expand further.


    First, Zhang Nu aimed to annex the Sunset Empire and the Radiant Church. The Sunset Empire was one of the two major empires near Darkness City, and once it was conquered, the Chaos Sea to the south would be easily brought under control, allowing the Demon King to establish dominion over the entire region. As for the Radiant Church, it was the most influential, widespread, and widely followed religious organization on the continent. In some ways, its value surpassed that of a typical empire-level power.


    Zhang Nu ordered Han Kexin to manipte the crown prince of the Sunset Empire to annex the empire, while he personally traveled to the holynd of the Radiant Church---the Holy Light ins, often referred to as the center of the world.


    The current Pope of the Radiant Church, Dolores, had already been controlled by Han Kexin, and the Radiant Church''s founding artifact, the "Heart of Holy Light," was now in Zhang Nu''s possession. Given these circumstances, there was no doubt that the Radiant Church would ultimately have no choice but to submit to the Demon King''s rule.


    Meanwhile, Han Kexin sessfully installed the new emperor in the Sunset Empire and swiftly eliminated the rebellious nobles and factions within the country.


    In the end, these two key regions both fell under the Demon King''s control.


    At this moment, Zhang Nu received the relevant notifications:


    [You''ve conquered the Sunset Empire!]


    [You''ve gained "Sunset Empire Treasure Chest" x1!]


    [You''ve conquered the ins of Holy Light.!]


    [You''ve gained "Radiant Church Treasure Chest" x1!]


    Zhang Nu sessfully acquired these two high-level treasure chests. Without hesitation, he opened them immediately.


    [You''ve opened the "Sunset Empire Treasure Chest"!]


    [You''ve activated the title: Sunset Demon Emperor!]


    [You''ve gained "Gold" x70 billion, "Blueprint: Demon King''s Reincarnation Tower" x1, "Blueprint: Demon King''s Heavenly Altar" x1, "Level 6 Special Building Upgrade Scroll" x1, "Level 5 Special Building Upgrade Scroll" x20, "Level 5 Building Upgrade Scroll" x100, "Thirteen Elemental Gems" x4 million each, "Sword of the Demon King" x1...]


    Another tens of billions in gold coins! Millions of gems! Dozens to hundreds of building upgrade scrolls! In addition to these abundant resources, the rewards included special blueprints and a piece of equipment of divine quality!


    Although the blueprints were duplicates and not particrly useful to Zhang Nu, the equipment caught his attention. Zhang Nu typically didn''t rely heavily on equipment, especially now that he had ascended to divine ss. The reason this particr item interested him was simply because it was a divine artifact!


    On the surface, it appeared to be a very simple, unremarkable stone sword. However, beneath its modest exterior, it exuded an overwhelming sense of power, far surpassing any epic-grade equipment.


    After ncing at its attributes:


    [Sword of the Demon King] Divine-grade item, exclusive to Demon Kings. Four stats +20,000, MP +300,000, HP +300,000. Each target killed will have their abilities absorbed, further enhancing the sword''s power.


    As expected, this was yet another ridiculously powerful divine weapon. Unlike the Tome of Demon King from the Thunder Empire Treasure Chest, which was more focused on creating resources and aiding development, the Sword of the Demon King was a quintessentialbat weapon. The more enemies it killed and the more territory it conquered, the stronger the sword would be, with virtually limitless potential.


    Very impressive! Zhang Nu was extremely satisfied.


    Zhang Nu then proceeded to open the second treasure chest.


    [You''ve opened the "Radiant Church Treasure Chest"!]


    [You''ve activated the title: Radiant Demon Lord!]


    [You''ve gained "Ruler of Eternal Night Evil God Fragments" ¡Á8!]


    Compared to the treasure chests he had opened in the past, this one was clearly different. Although Zhang Nu had only conquered the Holy Light ins and takenplete control of the Radiant Church, the scale of the conquest---in terms of cities, poption, and overall size---was not on par with that of an empire.


    However, the Radiant Church''s influence and reach extended across almost all surface nations. The church was also teeming with powerful individuals, including numerous mythic and legendary figures, and even demigods like Lucas, who could nearly rival deities with the help of artifacts. Thus, in terms of difficulty, conquering the Radiant Church was a greater challenge. Perhaps because of the unique nature of this faction and location, the rewards given were also unique.


    When Zhang Nu saw the reward, he was momentarily stunned. This time, the reward included eight fragments of an Evil God. What was even more bizarre and astonishing was that all eight fragments came from the same Evil God.


    At this moment, the fragments were in an inactive state, but because they were in such close proximity, it was clear that they were rapidly reviving. If not used quickly, there was a high likelihood that the Evil God would be released.


    Zhang Nu already possessed the power of the Eight-Eyed Evil God and had himself ascended to be the Chaos Dragon God. While adding another Evil God to his arsenal would certainly enhance his strength, the cost-effectiveness was not as high as it once might have been. It would be more of an embellishment rather than a significant upgrade.


    After some consideration, Zhang Nu decided to give the eight fragments to his most trusted subordinate, Han Kexin.


    At this point, Han Kexin had already developed divine traits, but she would not be able to gather the necessary materials to advance to Level 7 anytime soon. Given this, it made more sense for her to gain the power of an Evil God. By wielding the power of the Evil God, Han Kexin could temporarily attain divine strength. Although she would certainly fall short of a true deity, she would still be a formidable force.


    ......


    Two dayster, over the Chaos Forest, countless ck clouds emerged from the darkness. A terrifying and maddening aura rapidly spread, enveloping the entire region.


    This aura was none other than that of the Formless ck Nightmare.


    The rank 1 Hero, Isaac, had arrived.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 358 - Eternal Night vs Black Nightmare

    Isaac arrived above the Chaos Forest, releasing his psychic power to envelop the entire Darkness Woods. He could clearly sense a powerful force lurking within Darkness City, one that made him feel a surge of excitement.


    The intelligence was indeed urate---there was a divine being here, just like himself.


    After the battle at Thunder Hignds, Darkness City had rapidly developed in just a few short days. The buildings and facilities were all renewed, and the progress of the various troops and legions was astonishing, far beyond what one would expect. Under these circumstances, even a divine being would find it difficult tounch a sessful frontal assault in a short time.


    As Isaac hovered over the Chaos Forest and unleashed his psychic power, Darkness City immediately seemed to detect his presence. Tens of thousands of abyssal dragons began to rise from all directions within the forest. The sheer number was overwhelming. Just the number of abyssal dragons taking to the skies was in the tens of thousands, including five thousand Level 6 Dragon Elders, three hundred Dragon Kings, and at least ten Dragon Emperors. Such a terrifying dragon legion had the power to crush and incinerate any empire on the''s surface.


    However, even when faced with such a formidable dragon legion, Isaac remained unfazed. He slowly began to condense his form, releasing a massive ck fog from the void. This ck fog gathered together, eventually forming a giant beast massive enough to shroud the entire Chaos Forest. This beast''s appearance wasn''t fixed; at first nce, it resembled a colossal, monstrous bird. But this was not Isaac''s true form, as Isaac, being a pure psychic entity, did not possess a physical body. What appeared above the Chaos Forest was actually Isaac''s projection.


    In other words, this super colossal beast, entirelyposed of ck fog and resembling a giant bird, was merely Isaac''s mental projection. Although not his true body, the mental projection of an Evil God was still an incredibly powerful force. Ordinary people, without any protection, would instantly be driven mad or turned into monsters if they even approached the Chaos Forest, overwhelmed by the all-epassing, frenzied psychic power.


    Nheless, the entire Chaos Forest was guarded by the power of the World Tree. Under its protection, the nts, animals, and inhabitants of the forest were not significantly affected.


    At that moment, the wings of the nightmare beast pped, and thousands, even tens of thousands, of monsters were released from its massive body. These were all powerful Evil God creatures. One of the most potent abilities of the Formless ck Nightmare was creating monsters through nightmares.This Evil God could create various nightmare creatures with mere thoughts, materializing his delusions and madness into reality.


    During his countless years of being sealed, the ck Nightmare''s deranged mind and imagination had already created innumerable nightmare creatures. Now, under Isaac''s control, the Evil God began to unleash these nightmare beasts stored in his mind.


    Unquestionably, the number of these creatures far exceeded anything most people could imagine. In an instant, the nightmare beast released tens of thousands of them, and the rate of unleashing didn''t slow down. Before long, the skies above the Chaos Forest were filled with an inked sea of nightmare monsters.These nightmare creatures, each one a spawn of the Evil God''s long slumber, were born from nightmares and, once materialized in the real world, became powerful Evil God monsters. The types of these monsters were incredibly diverse---almost none were alike, and nearly each and everyone of them had different abilities. However, all were infused with the essence of the Evil God, spreading corruption wherever they went.


    Soon, the dragons of the Chaos Forest shed with these Evil God monsters. Despite their formidable strength, the dragon legion of Darkness City could barely hold back the nightmare army. The Evil God, by sheer will alone, had created a force powerful enough to challenge the might of Darkness City.


    Such power was truly terrifying---a testament to the divine nature of Isaac.


    Isaac sent out a powerful telepathic wave that resonated throughout the Chaos Forest, affecting every living being within it: "Stop wasting time. You know full well that no army or defense can stop my invasion!"


    At that moment, an overwhelming aura erupted from the direction of Darkness City, like a volcano that had been suppressed for millennia finally exploding. A dark aura spread across the sky, plunging the entire Chaos Forest into pitch-ck darkness, where one could not even see their hand in front of their face.


    "Has he finally appeared?" Isaac could clearly sense a powerful aura, one that was on the same level as his own. From the nature of this aura, it seemed that the opponent was also an Evil God.


    So that''s it, he thought. The so-called no.1 Demon King was just someone who absorbed the power of an Evil God? Isaac sneered inwardly. Although both were Evil Gods, they were fundamentally different.


    The Demon King had gained his power by collecting Evil God fragments, eventually inheriting the full strength of an Evil God. However, power obtained through inheritance was never as potent as direct merging. Even after inheriting the Evil God''s power, there was still a period of adjustment; it was impossible to fully harness the Evil God''s strength immediately.


    Isaac, on the other hand, had directly merged with the Evil God''s body in a manner akin to soul possession, instantly gaining all of the Evil God''s memories and instincts. While the side effects were significant, this method allowed Isaac to fully ess the Evil God''s entire power, including its experience and innate abilities---something that couldn''t be achieved by merely absorbing Evil God fragments.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Then, the endless darkness swirled and eventually coalesced into a figure. This figure was entirely shrouded within what appeared to be a ck hole, making it impossible to discern its true form from the outside.


    "So, you are the First Demon King?" Isaac sneered. "How disappointing!"


    He had clearly misunderstood. Although the being before him radiated the aura of a divine entity, it was obvious that this was not the Great Demon King Zhang Nu. The one who had emerged to confront Isaac was merely Zhang Nu''s subordinate, Han Kexin.


    Having obtained eight fragments of the Evil God "Ruler of Eternal Night," Han Kexin had now inherited all the power of this Evil God. As a result, although her own power had not yet reached divine-ss, she could temporarily wield god-like strength by channeling the Evil God''s power. Moreover, by acquiring the Evil God''s divine essence and physique, she hadid the groundwork for her own future advancement to godhood.


    At this moment, Han Kexin had fully unleashed the power of the Eternal Night Evil God. Hidden within the ck hole, she had transformed into a manifestation of endless darkness, as if capable of devouring everything in existence.


    "Die!" Isaac unleashed an overwhelming surge of psychic energy. The moment this psychic power was released, it rapidly materialized, transforming into tens of thousands of nightmare creatures that swarmed toward Han Kexin.


    Han Kexin, hidden within the ck hole, made no move to resist, allowing the countless nightmares to invade. As these nightmare creatures, born from the Evil God''s psychic energy, approached the ck hole, they were instantly swallowed up, shredded, and absorbed by the immense power of the ck hole.


    However, despite this, Isaac did not relent. The ck Nightmare''s formidable power continued to pour forth, seemingly inexhaustible, as it relentlessly invaded the domain of the Eternal Night.


    This level ofbat had long surpassed the understanding of ordinary people.


    The two forces were locked in a stalemate. Although the ck Nightmare ''s psychic energy was immensely powerful, it could not easily break through the domain of the Eternal Night. Meanwhile, the ck hole created by the Eternal Night was constantly being eroded by the ck Nightmare''s psychic power. Both were divine-ss entities, fully capable of posing a threat to one another.


    Han Kexin could clearly feel it. Every moment, Isaac was unleashing hundreds or even thousands of nightmare creatures to invade her domain of Eternal Night. Although this process consumed a significant amount of Isaac''s psychic power, her domain was also rapidly being eroded.


    Each time a nightmare creature was crushed, it left behind traces of the ck Nightmare''s psychic energy. In a matter of moments, Han Kexin suddenly realized that her domain was already filled with the ck Nightmare''s energy, and this residual energy was beginning to coalesce and gather."This is...?!!" Han Kexin realized the danger and quickly summoned the Demon King''s Tome, attempting to further enhance her power using this divine artifact.


    However, by then, the countless fragments of the Evil God''s psychic energy had already converged, finally forming a ck-cloaked figure in front of Han Kexin.


    "You''ve lost!" Isaac''s maniacal psychic wave echoed as thousands of Evil God tendrils extended rapidly toward Han Kexin.


    These tendrils appeared to be physical attacks, but they were, in fact, manifestations of psychic energy. Fortunately, Han Kexin was no ordinary person. Not only did she possess the power of the Ruler of Eternal Night, but she was also a top-tier psychic and soul maniptor, with the strength of a demigod. Under these circumstances, and with the added support of the Demon King''s Tome, she barely managed to resist the ck Nightmare''s further psychic invasion.


    However, the difference in their strengths was bing increasingly apparent. Though the battle had not yet been decided, it was clear that Isaac, the Formless ck Nightmare, had been suppressing the Eternal Night from the very beginning. Han Kexin''s power was evidently inferior to Isaac''s.


    "It''s useless! Stop your futile resistance! No one can stop the nightmare; your fate is to be eternally devoured by it, and your psyche will be new fuel for the nightmare!" Isaac taunted.


    Han Kexin felt her energy depleting rapidly. She was struggling more and more, with no chance to counterattack.


    "I can''t defeat him!" After about an hour of stalemate, Han Kexin could no longer maintain her Evil God form. Since she hadn''t evolved to the divine level herself, she was relying purely on the Evil God fragments to unlock this power.


    As her energy and stamina were exhausted, Han Kexin finally lost the ability to sustain her Evil God form. The ck hole she had created instantly disintegrated and vanished, and her figure emerged from the abyss of darkness.


    She looked pale and was almostpletely drained of strength.


    The ck Nightmare, Isaac, let out a triumphant psychoticugh. In truth, it wasn''t easy for one Evil God to defeat another. Though the power of the Eternal Night was somewhat weaker than his own, her ability to devour and absorb energy was incredibly strong. Isaac had to create and release at least a hundred thousand nightmare creatures just to sessfully infiltrate her domain with his psychic energy and manifest within it. Only by doing so did he gain a chance at victory.


    Throughout the battle, the Ruler of Eternal Night continuously absorbed and utilized energy, operating like a perpetual motion machine, endlessly drawing power. This process drained a significant portion of Isaac''s own strength. Yet, despite the effort, it was all worth it. Devouring another Evil God''s psychic energy would surely make Isaac''s nightmares even stronger!


    But just as victory seemed certain, something unexpected happened.


    Dozens of Isaac''s nightmare tendrils were about to pierce Han Kexin''s mind when suddenly, a sh of sword Qi appeared out of nowhere, severing the tendrils in an instant. At the same time, a presence far more powerful than the Eternal Night Evil God descended upon them.


    Isaac''s expression changed drastically. "Another divine entity!"


    Zhang Nu had not transformed into his Dragon God or Evil God forms. He stood there in white robes, with ck hair and dark eyes, looking entirely human as he appeared abruptly in the midst of the battle between the two Evil Gods.


    It was well known that ordinary beings could neither gaze upon nor approach an Evil God. Even getting close to an Evil God would lead to madness or sudden death, and in the worst cases, their bodies, souls, and minds would be corrupted, twisted beyond recognition. Yet here was Zhang Nu, in human form, casually walking into the fray.


    Though Zhang Nu appeared to be just a normal human, Isaac could sense the overwhelming power emanating from him.


    Zhang Nu spoke calmly, "The fact that you could defeat my subordinate is indeed impressive."


    "Subordinate?" Isaac was stunned upon hearing this.


    Under the immense power and psychic energy of the ck Nightmare, Isaac could easily gauge the strength of his opponents. It was clear that this individual, who had suddenly appeared, was far more powerful than the Ruler of Eternal Night.


    Isaac asked, "Who are you?"


    "Zhang Nu," came the reply.


    At that moment, Isaac realized the gravity of the situation. After expending so much effort to finally overpower the Eternal Night Evil God, he discovered that she wasn''t even the rank one Demon King, Zhang Nu!


    A being so powerful, who had already stepped into godhood, was merely one of Zhang Nu''s subordinates!

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 359 - Divine Battle

    "Stand down," Zhang Nu ordered immediately after interrupting the duel between the two Evil Gods.


    Han Kexin, not being a true divine entity, had already exceeded expectations by holding out for as long as she did,rgely thanks to the Demon King''s Tome she carried with her. However, this was her limit. In her current state, she wouldn''tst three more rounds against Isaac.


    "Understood!" Han Kexin responded promptly and retreated as ordered. Despite not gaining much from the battle, she felt she had learned a great deal.


    After using a spatial magic spell to retreat, only Zhang Nu and Isaac remained, facing each other. Zhang Nu stayed in his human form, showing no visible signs of power, while Isaac, being a formless entity, made it clear that this would be another battle beyond theprehension of ordinary mortals.


    Isaac''s crazed telepathic voice echoed, "Hahaha! If the two of you had joined forces, I might have had trouble dealing with you. But now, do you really think you can stand against me alone?"


    As he spoke, the Nightmare Beast began to writhe, releasing ten powerful creatures from within its body. These ten creatures each had a different appearance but were all shrouded in a potent Evil God aura. Even sensing just a trace of it would be enough to drive someone insane or cause them to mutate horribly.


    Zhang Nu''s gaze swept over the creatures. Each of these Evil God monsters was at a demigod level, which surprised him. He hadn''t expected the ck Nightmare''s power to be so formidable, capable of spawning such demigod-ss entities out of thin air. These ten monsters, any one of which could dominate a region or secure the fate of an empire in the surface world. And yet, such powerful entities were brought forth effortlessly by the Nightmare Evil God. Isaac''s power was truly extraordinary.


    With a single thought, Zhang Nu unleashed the power of space and time, instantly enveloping everything around him in an almost frozen space. Within this space, all activities on the temporal and spatial nes were brought to a halt. The ten demigod Evil God monstrosities, summoned just moments ago, were rendered motionless.


    A simple, ancient-looking stone sword appeared in Zhang Nu''s hand. Though it appeared unremarkable, it emanated an extraordinarily powerful aura.


    In a sh, Zhang Nu appeared in front of one of the Evil God monsters---a creature with a hundred heads and a hundred arms. With a swift thrust, he plunged the sword into the creature''s body. Powerful energy radiated from the sword, and chaotic dragon mes engulfed the monster entirely. Within the blink of an eye, the creature was reduced to ashes.


    The immense power and various energies within the monster were not lost but instead absorbed entirely by the stone sword. After ying the creature, the sword''s appearance began to change, with the rough stone texture bing slightly smoother.


    Zhang Nu''s form flickered as he moved rapidly, and before the remaining nine monsters could react, they too were cut down by the Demon King''s sword, now wreathed in chaotic lightning mes. The power of these nightmare monsters waspletely drained and absorbed into the sword. By this point, the stone texture of the sword had entirely vanished, reced by a near-crystalline appearance.


    Zhang Nu had effortlessly in ten demigod monsters. Now, his attention shifted to the countless other Evil God creatures swirling in the sky, locked in battle with the abyssal dragons of Darkness City. However, Zhang Nu had already taken control of the entire space-time continuum, therefore these battling creatures appeared like frozen images.


    With another swift movement, Zhang Nu swung his sword in arcs. The Evil God monstrosities, seemingly frozen like y sculptures, shattered under his attacks as if they were nothing more than fragile toys. The power of the tens of thousands of Evil God creatures was all absorbed into the stone sword in Zhang Nu''s hand. The weapon had now fully transformed into a crystalline object, radiating a brilliant halo of light, its immense power evident to anyone who could perceive it.


    "Damn it! Space-time maniption, is it?"


    Zhang Nu had just in ten demigod monsters and then wiped out thousands upon thousands of other nightmare creatures with an air of calm and ease. However, in reality, the entire process took only a fraction of a second---a mere thousandth of a second. Since time was nearly at a standstill, no one else could perceive or witness Zhang Nu''s actions except for the Formless ck Nightmare, Isaac.


    The reason was simple. On one hand, both Zhang Nu and Isaac were divine entities. On the other hand, Isaac''s primary powery in the realm of the mind. Any movement of elements or matter is subject to the constraints of time and space. However, psychic energy is a unique type of energy that can exist independently of time and space. Thus, Isaac was able to see every moment of Zhang Nu''s sweeping annihtion.


    But Zhang Nu was a divine being himself, and he also possessed the power of the Eight-Eyed Evil God. Isaac found himself unable to prevent any of this. All physical means were trapped within Zhang Nu''s control of time and space, and even spiritual attacks had a very limited effect.


    "Don''t get too full of yourself!" Isaac''s will grew increasingly violent. Zhang Nu could clearly feel a powerful force awakening and sweeping across, instantly enveloping his domain.


    In the next moment, Zhang Nu was plunged into an endless void, surrounded by indescribable, bizarre, and fantastical scenery.


    "This is... a dream realm!"


    Isaac''s voice echoed from all directions, "You''ve been drawn into my dream. Within my dream, time and space are under my control. Let''s see what you''re capable of now!"


    As expected, Isaac couldn''t keep hisposure any longer. He unleashed his dreamscape, pulling Zhang Nu into it. Since this nightmare was a creation of the ck Nightmare Evil God, all thews, time, and space within it were subject to Isaac''s control and even alteration, which would significantly weaken Zhang Nu''s abilities in manipting time and space.


    Simultaneously, a figure in a gray-ck robe, adorned with thousands of writhing tentacles, appeared before Zhang Nu. Unlike the outside world, the ck Nightmare didn''t have a physical form. Therefore, he couldn''t manifest directly in the real world. But a dreamscape is not bound by the constraints of the material world, allowing even non-physical entities to take shape. The figure before Zhang Nu was the true form of the Evil God.


    Isaac''s purpose was straightforward: he had dragged Zhang Nu into his dreamscape to settle their battle once and for all.


    However, instead of panicking, Zhang Nu responded with a knowing smile and calmly said, "To be honest, I was just wondering how I could deal with you. I didn''t expect you to just hand me an opportunity."


    Isaac, in his original form, was merely a mass of intangible psychic energy. Zhang Nu had no way to directly attack this energy, which meant that even if he could defeat Isaac in the physical world, he would have no means to kill or seal him.


    But now, things were different.


    Isaac had materialized himself. While this allowed the ck Nightmare to wield immense power and attack directly, rather than relying on his nightmare creatures to fight indirectly, it came with a significant cost. By materializing, he became tangible and vulnerable to attacks. Isaac had, in effect, exposed himself to danger. And Zhang Nu had been struggling to find a way to deal with him before this opportunity presented itself.


    Isaac was undoubtedly aware of this risk, but he was supremely confident in his abilities. He believed that within his dreamscape, his powers would be magnified many times over. No matter how strong Zhang Nu''s abilities were, controlling the chaotic time and space within a dreamscape would not be easy. In Isaac''s mind, this meant that the Demon King''s defeat was inevitable.


    "Let me show you what a true nightmare is!"


    From the darkness surrounding Isaac, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of phantoms began to emerge. These phantoms were not physical entities but terrifying creatures created by the ck Nightmare within his dreamscape. Each one had the potential to materialize in the real world. During the countless millennia of his imprisonment, the Nightmare Evil God had never ceased his activities within the dreamscape. The army of nightmares he had created, if fully unleashed, would not only be a disaster for individuals but could also spell doom for the entire world.


    Just then, this overwhelming force, capable of bringing about a catastrophic cmity, was converging madly upon Isaac. Various forms and shapes of nightmare creations were drawn to him, gathering around their master like rivers flowing into the sea.


    "Intriguing..." Zhang Nu''s expression tightened as he witnessed the scene.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The Formless ck Nightmare, Isaac, was consuming his own nightmares! Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of these terrifying nightmare creatures were being absorbed into Isaac''s being, merging with him. The Nightmare Evil God was already an immensely powerful deity, but now, with the addition of millions of nightmares fused into his body, his strength had transcended the limits of imaginations.


    "Do you see it? This is true power!"


    Isaac''s manic spirit had been magnified many times over. If this power had been released into the real world, the mere force of his psychic waves could have annihted an entire kingdom.


    "You will never be able to defeat a nightmare!"As he spoke, Isaac made his move. A massive storm erupted from his body, a tempest that contained not only the power of the Evil God himself but also millions of nightmare creatures condensed within it. Even a deity would likely wither and perish in the face of such an assault.


    Seeing this, Zhang Nu did not dare to be careless. He had to admit that the power of this Nightmare Evil God was indeed stronger than he had anticipated. Under normal circumstances, facing such an attack, even he would not risk confronting it head-on and would likely have to retreat, possibly paying a significant price in the process. And yet, the current Zhang Nu had no such fears.


    The Demon King''s Sword in his hand had already absorbed an immense amount of power, which he now unleashed in a single burst. At the same time, Zhang Nu frantically conjured chaotic lightning mes, channeling all of his power and the divine sword''s energy into one concentrated strike.


    With a swing of his sword, Zhang Nu aimed at the storm before him. The sword light shed through the tempest, and the two forces locked in a fierce struggle. At first nce, it seemed that Zhang Nu''s sword energy was unable to break through the nightmare storm.


    But as Zhang Nu unleashed the chaotic lightning mes, tens of thousands of nightmare creatures were vaporized in an instant. Although their numbers were significant, they were not enough to turn the tide. However, the energy from the vanquished nightmares was absorbed by the Demon King''s Sword, which in turn fueled more lightning mes, creating a powerful cycle.


    This mighty artifact ensured that Zhang Nu''s strength remained at its peak without diminishing, while the nightmare storm, no matter how formidable, would eventually reach its limits.


    "What''s happening?"


    "No, this can''t be!"


    Isaac, the Formless ck Nightmare, couldn''t believe his eyes. His overwhelmingly powerful assault was being held back by a mere sword, and his own strength was rapidly draining.


    "Arghhh---!! What have you done?" For the first time, Isaac felt fear. He realized that the rank 1 Demon King''s power was not inferior to his own, and with a powerful artifact that seemed perfectly suited to counter him, he was quickly losing ground.


    "Game over!"


    As the nightmare storm weakened, the light of the sword and the chaotic lightning mes grew ever stronger. Sensing that victory was near, Zhang Nu focused all his power and, in a final burst, merged with the Demon King''s Sword, transforming into a dragon-like figure. In the next instant, the sword pierced through the storm, striking Isaac directly. Isaac''s body was impaled, and he burst into mes as the chaotic lightning mes consumed him. The power of the mes was immense, capable of destroying any material or energy.


    "Ah---!"


    Isaac, the Nightmare Evil God, let out a maddened howl. His body was shattered, and the entire nightmare realm copsed, releasing an overwhelmingly powerful energy wave that rippled through the universe. Even tens of thousands of miles away, people could sense the abnormality of this energy, with entire nations falling into nightmares, and some mortals experiencing various mental disturbances.


    [You''ve in the Hero Isaac, Divine Soul +1, Godhood +1, Hero Leaderboard Chest +1!]


    [You''ve opened the Hero treasure chest. You''ve gained "Level 7 Soul" x500, "Fifteen Elemental Gems" x5 million each, "Nightmare Evil God Fragment" x8!]


    The rank 1 Demon King, Zhang Nu, had officially defeated the rank 1 Hero, Isaac. In this divine battle, there was no doubt that the Demon King had emerged victorious once again. This victory not only earned Zhang Nu a substantial amount of souls and materials but also rewarded him with yet anotherplete set of Evil God fragments.


    Though Isaac was dead, the Evil God was not. For deities are immortal and indestructible. When defeated, they merely revert to inanimate fragments. If these fragments are reassembled, it won''t take long before they regain their vitality and resurrect. At that point, a new generation of the Nightmare Evil God would arise.


    The oue of this battle held great significance. Even Isaac had fallen to Zhang Nu, and not even divine-ssbat power could conquer Darkness City. This fact underscored one undeniable truth: Darkness City was now invincible. No matter how many Heroes might unite against it, it would be to no avail.


    The dominance of Demon King Zhang Nu over the world was now unstoppable.


    If this game were a chess match, then at this moment, the final move had already been yed.


    Checkmate.

 Vol. 1 - Chapter 360 - Unified World & The End of a Journey

    The zing me Celestial Kingdom had gathered an army of a million soldiers, ready for battle. Emilia herself was prepared to lead them in support of Isaac. However, before the army could fully assemble, a piece of devastating news struck like a bolt from the blue.


    "Emilia! Terrible news!"


    "Isaac''s name has been erased from the Hero leaderboard!"


    Dozens of Heroes from the zing me Kingdom rushed to find Emilia, and all of them realized a terrifying truth. The battle between the rank 1 Demon King, Zhang Nu, and the rank 1 Hero, Isaac, had already reached its conclusion. Isaac''s might had failed to destroy Zhang Nu and Darkness City!


    How could it have ended so quickly? Emilia was stunned.


    One of the Heroes asked, "What should we do?"


    Another shouted, "We should fight Darkness City with everything we''ve got!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    But Emilia remained silent. She understood there was no hope left. If Isaac, with his divine power, couldn''t defeat Zhang Nu, then the chances for the other Heroes to resist were even more slim, perhaps nonexistent.


    "It''s over! The moment Isaac was defeated, this game between Heroes and the Demon King ended. Any action we take from here on will be futile!"


    Emilia had lost her fighting spirit. She knew there was no chance left. The advantage that Heroes held was primarily in the early stages. Once a Demon King''s growth surpassed a certain threshold, they wouldpletely dominate the Heroes. For the Heroes to reverse the situation would be nearly impossible.


    The reason was simple: the Demon King''s potential for growth was almost limitless, while the growth rate of Heroes paled inparison. Who could have predicted that Zhang Nu''s rise and growth would be so rapid?


    Now, after defeating Isaac, Zhang Nu would inevitably absorb Isaac''s power. The rank 1 Demon King was already overwhelmingly powerful, and with the added strength of the rank 1 Hero, how could anyone hope to fight against him? Such overwhelming power was enough to make anyone despair at the mere thought of it.


    The rank 1 Demon King, Zhang Nu, had seen his power skyrocket, and his influence and subordinates would inevitably grow at an astonishing rate. Conquering other empires would be effortless. With each empire he vanquished and each region he upied, the Demon King would amass vast resources, leading to a significant surge in his power.


    The Demon King''s strength would continue to grow endlessly, to the point where even if all the world''s Heroes united against him, they wouldn''t be able to halt this overwhelming momentum. Instead, they would be crushed into oblivion.


    Emilia made a decision---the only viable choice left. She resolved to lead the other Heroes of the zing me Celestial Kingdom, along with the emperor and the leaders of the empire, to personally travel to Darkness City and pledge their allegiance to the Demon King. If they couldn''t defeat him, they would join him. Even if it meant losing this game, at least they could preserve their lives and positions.


    Zhang Nu, the Great Demon King, could no longer be judged by the standards of mere mortals. He had be a supreme deity walking among men. Bowing down and pledging loyalty to such a divine being was no disgrace.


    ......


    Meanwhile, within the Chaos Forest and Darkness City, Zhang Nu remained in his human form, dressed in pristine white robes, with ck hair and ck eyes. He appeared unremarkable as he sat on the grand and imposing Demon King''s throne. Before him, his subordinates stood in a line.


    Thanks to the victories at the Thunder Hignds, the conquest of the Sunset Empire and the Radiant Church, and the defeat of the Hero Isaac, the resources acquired had led to the rapid development of the Chaos Federation''s power. Now, the entire upper echelon of Darkness City''s forces had advanced significantly.


    Zhang Nu had acquired the Demon King''s Sword, the Demon King''s Tome, and absorbed the power of the Nightmare Evil God. His own strength continued to grow, reaching a level that could rival even the ancient gods.


    As for his subordinates, Han Kexin had already be a quasi-god. She was on the verge of reaching Level 7 and, with the power of the Ruler of Eternal Night, possessed enough strength to contend with ordinary divine beings.


    Zhang Nu''s other subordinates, including Long Yi, Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Er, the ten dragon leaders, had all ascended to Level 7 and be demi-gods. Additionally, Nancilia, Shui Lan, Jin Kui, Bai Jie, and Gru had also reached Level 7, awakening their divinity and bing demi-gods.


    Moreover, the number of dragons in the Chaos Forest had now surpassed eight million, with over 500,000 abyssal dragons among them. This level of power was beyond what any nation or force in the world could imagine or withstand.


    From this moment on, Zhang Nu had truly be a Supreme Demon King, towering over all of history. There was no longer any force in this world that could escape his shadow or resist his rule.


    "Your Majesty! Our army has sessfully conquered the Chaos Sea!" Shui Lan reported with excitement. "The various forces of the Chaos Sea, including the Deep Sea Hermit Association, have crumbled under the might of Darkness City. We are on the brink of unifying the entire Chaos Sea!"


    Shui Lan, the Azure Water Empress, felt a surge of exhration as she briefed the situation. Not only had she regained her peak strength of Level 6, but she had also advanced further, reaching the level of a Level 7 demigod.


    It could be said that Shui Lan was now ten times stronger than she had been in the past. Moreover, with the backing of Darkness City, she had sessfully conquered the Chaos Sea. Unlike six thousand years ago, when she had forcibly united various factions through the Azure Water Covenant to maintain a fragile bnce, this time, the entire Chaos Sea had been fully integrated into the Chaos Federation, directly governed by Darkness City. Shui Lan would serve as the Chaos Federation''s proxy ruler in the Chaos Sea.


    This centralization of power,bined with the overwhelming strength of Shui Lan and Darkness City, would bring about a true and unprecedented peace to the Chaos Sea.


    Zhang Nu was very pleased with this news. With the Thunder Empire, the Sunset Empire, and the Chaos Sea all under his control, the three major forces surrounding the Chaos Forest were now firmly in his grasp. After integrating these three empire-level forces, along with the Radiant Church, which surpassed even empires in influence, the surface world no longer had any obstacles in his way.Han Kexinthen also reported, "Recently, over a hundred factions, each at least at the kingdom level, have been attempting to make contact with Darkness City. They hope to secure peace by expressing their submission and promising tributes."


    Hearing this, Zhang Nu smiled. He asked, "What do you think?"


    Han Kexin replied, "Simply offering tribute and submission in exchange for peace is not enough. Onlyplete surrender and eptance of upation will suffice. Darkness City will not allow any independent factions to exist!"


    Zhang Nu nodded in agreement. "Exactly. They must join the Chaos Federation and ept direct rule from Darkness City. Any force that dares to resist the new order has no right to exist!"


    He paused for a moment before continuing, "I''ll leave this matter in your hands."


    Han Kexin immediately epted themand. "Rest assured, I''ll take care of it!"


    She felt a surge of excitement. Among the factions attempting to negotiate with Darkness City were not only those from the surface world but also from the outer world, the oceans, and even the underworld. There were about ten empire-level entities among them.


    If Darkness City could sessfully upy and assimte these factions, the rewards and treasure chests obtained from these conquests would surely make Darkness City ten times more prosperous than it is now!


    ......


    At that moment, an aura appeared above Darkness City. Inside the Demon King''s hall, where nearly twenty demigod-ss powerhouses were gathered, everyone felt its presence as soon as it appeared.


    "Who dares trespass into the Chaos Capital?"


    The Demon King''s officers were all furious.


    Nancilia remarked, "I don''t sense any hostility. It seems they''re not here to attack. Let''s go and meet them."


    The group left the castle and looked up at the sky, where they saw tens of thousands of eighteen-winged seraphim. In the midst of these top-tier seraphim were the Emperor of the zing me Celestial Kingdom and the highly ranked Hero, Emilia Ray, the Lord of zing me.


    "The zing me Celestial Kingdom seeks to join the Chaos Federation!"


    "We will ept the rule of His Majesty, the Demon King!"


    "We voluntarily offer our entire nation in service to His Majesty!"


    Emilia knew this was her only chance at survival. If the Demon King did not ept their surrender, no matter where she fled, she would be doomed. So, they hade to surrender.


    The seraphim were known for their pride. A race that dwelled in the heavens, they rarely deigned to interact with mortals on the surface. Yet now, they had brought their leaders to surrender, which astonished the onlookers.


    However, Zhang Nu remained indifferent. There was no force left in this world that could stand against him.


    Although the zing me Celestial Kingdom was one of the most powerful empire-level forces, Zhang Nu could easily obliterate them if he desired. Whether they surrendered or not was of little consequence to him.


    Of course, their voluntary surrender spared him some trouble, and given the zing me Celestial Kingdom''s significant influence in the outer world, their submission would likely prompt other factions to follow suit. The world was vast, and each region needed a proxy to govern it.


    Zhang Nu calmly dered, "I ept your surrender. Darkness City will reward those who are loyal, but if I discover any disloyalty, do not me me for being ruthless."[You''ve conquered the zing me Celestial Kingdom!]


    [You''ve gained "zing me Celestial Kingdom Treasure Chest" x1!]


    [You''ve activated the title: Eternal Ruler of the Outer Worlds!]


    [You''ve gained...]


    Zhang Nu quickly assimted the zing me Celestial Kingdom, and soon after, he received the corresponding rewards for this conquest. Before he even had time to sort through these rewards, news of his sess spread. After a few troublemakers were swiftly dealt with by Han Kexin, the rest of the world''s factions finally saw the writing on the wall.


    Hundreds of factions came forward to pledge their allegiance.


    [You''ve conquered the Savage Beast Empire!]


    [......]


    [You''ve conquered the Izumo Empire!]


    [......]


    [You''ve conquered the Holy Sword Empire!]


    [......]


    [You''ve conquered Dragon Ind!]


    [......]


    [You''ve conquered the Shadow Empire!]


    One after another, factions were quickly brought under his control. Heroes and Demon Kings alike submitted to his rule. The number of Zhang Nu''s subjects soared, and Darkness City''s wealth in blueprints, materials, and resources grew exponentially. With these assets, the Demon King could create resources, armies, and expand in every way possible.


    This not only made his kingdom more prosperous, but it also paved the way for theplete transformation of this world, establishing an unprecedented unified order. By the time his power had reached this level, the game was already over.


    The Great Demon King Zhang Nu had thoroughly conquered the world, and it was only a matter of time before he ruled every being and dominated every corner of thend.


    As the supreme ruler, there was no longer anything in this world that could threaten Zhang Nu. Without any challenges left, he made a decision: once he had conquered everything, he would embark on a new journey.


    If he wished, countless other worlds awaited his arrival and conquest.


    But that, of course, is another story.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 361 - New Game

    [Wee to the Second Round of the Game!]


    [This round is set in an open-world battle royale!]


    [Every yer you encounter is an enemy.]


    [You can earn great rewards by eliminating other yers. Once you die, you will lose your eligibility for the game and be returned to the previous world!]


    [......]


    [Please choose your yer identity within 10 minutes!]


    Zhang Nu opened his eyes. He found himself in a grand hall, surrounded by tens of thousands of statues. These statues represented various races, but they were all of the same size and height... So this is the second round of the game?


    This game was not unfamiliar to Zhang Nu. In the previous round, yers were divided into two factions: Demon Kings and Heroes. The paths for yers in these two factions werepletely different.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    To put it simply, yers in the Demon King faction participated in a kind of strategy game. They were confined to a fixed location where they had to build their forces, recruit followers, and develop their territories. On the other hand, yers in the Hero faction engaged in a role-ying game, where they could choose an identity, roam freely, level up by defeating monsters, and challenge Demon Kings across various regions.


    In thest round, Zhang Nu was the most powerful and sessful yer in the Demon King faction. He was the first to conquer empires and crush all other yers. Over the following decade, with an almost overwhelming advantage, he became the world''s most powerful Demon King.


    Once his power reached its peak, Zhang Nu found there were no more challenges or excitement left. So he delegated the tasks of defending his territory and further development to his subordinates, and he decided to take part in this new round of the game.


    Unlike the previous round, this was a free-for-all battle royale. This meant there were no factions, and yers could kill anyone they encountered, earning substantial rewards from their fallen opponents. The ultimate goal was to be thest one standing.


    Zhang Nu didn''t ponder too deeply into it. His experience from the previous game taught him that, for a Hero, choosing the right starting point was crucial. A good starting point could allow him to soar to great heights and stay ahead of everyone else in any situation. With this in mind, Zhang Nu scanned the statues around him. Information began to automatically appear before his eyes. Although Zhang Nu couldn''t bring his power, equipment, or forces from the previous world into this one, his unique ability remained perfectly intact.


    Zhang Nu''s special ability was simple: he could see through all hidden information. Whether it was a monster, a person, an item, or a location, Zhang Nu could view all the details he wanted. The target''s full status, data, and abilities would appear as an interface before him.


    There wasn''t much time to waste. He needed to choose an identity quickly. Zhang Nu began to scan the information appearing from the statues before him.


    [Hunter from Green River Vige], Low-grade potential, not rmended...


    [Constable from Ping''an County], Low-grade potential, not rmended...


    [Bear YaoGuai of ck Wind Cave], Mid-grade potential, rmended...


    [Earth Guardian of Mount Cangming], Mid-grade potential, rmended...


    Seeing this information, Zhang Nu was slightly surprised. This world was very different from the previous one. The biggest difference was that thest world leaned towards a Western fantasy setting with battle Qi and magic, whereas this world had YaoGuais, earth guardians, and all sorts of spirits.


    It was clear now---this second round of the game was set in a XianXia (immortal cultivation) world.Zhang Nu noticed that most of the potentials appearing before him were either low or mid-grade, which was far from satisfactory. He continued searching and quickly found one or two high-grade options.


    [Thousand-Year Fox YaoGuai of Qingqiu Kingdom], High-grade potential, rmended...


    [Disciple of Xuantian Sect (Innate Dao Body)], High-grade potential, rmended...


    These identities seemed promising, but with a bit more time remaining, Zhang Nu decided to keep looking.


    [Disciple of Xuankong Temple (Vajra Buddha Body)], High-grade potential, rmended


    [Thousand-Year Ghost Cultivator of Wangu Demonic Abyss], High-grade potential, rmended...


    A few minutester, Zhang Nu found two more options. However, time was running out. He needed to make a choice quickly, or the system would force one upon him.


    Just then, an intriguing piece of information appeared before him.


    [Orphan of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains (Supreme Sacred Body)], Super-grade potential, highly Rmended...


    Interesting. Zhang Nu took a closer look, and more detailed information appeared.


    [Orphan of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains (Supreme Sacred Body)], Super-grade potential


    Description: This is a mysterious orphan from the depths of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. Although parentless, they possess the Nine Heavens Supreme Immacte Sacred Body, granting them immense potential to overpower others in their realm. They are also immune to all evils and impervious to all spells.


    Time was running out. Zhang Nu made his choice. He selected the Orphan of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. The game''s notification sounded in his mind.


    [Selection Complete!]


    [Reincarnation Initiated!]


    [Please prepare yourself, yer!]


    Zhang Nu felt a brief wave of dizziness. When he recovered, he found himself in a vast, untouched mountain range. The ground beneath him was covered in lush grass, and a clear stream flowed nearby, brimming with vibrant life. At the same time, Zhang Nu was surprised to discover that he seemed to have shrunk---or more urately, his age had regressed. After being reborn into this body, Zhang Nu found himself around fourteen or fifteen years old.


    Opening the yer interface, Zhang Nu''s stats appeared before him.


    yer: Zhang Nu


    Level: Qi Gathering Stage One (0/100)


    Identity: Mysterious Orphan of the Ten Thousand Mountains


    Stats:


    Vitality: 10,000/10,000


    Essence: 10,000/10,000


    Physique: 100


    Soul: 100


    Mind: 100


    Talent: 100


    Ability: Supreme Sacred Body (Talent)


    Seeing this information, Zhang Nu felt quite satisfied. This was indeed a world of cultivation. In this world, the cultivation levels were divided into four major realms: Qi Gathering Stage, Core Formation Stage, Longevity Stage, and Ascension Stage. Each major realm was further divided into ten minor levels.


    Zhang Nu had just descended into this world, so his initial level was only at Qi Gathering Stage One. However, despite the low starting level, Zhang Nu had immense potential.


    Zhang Nu examined his talent.


    [Supreme Sacred Body]: All stats are 100 times those of other cultivators at the same level. All cultivation techniques have their effects enhanced tenfold, and the amount of spiritual energy required for each level-up is reduced by 90%.


    This talent provided a straightforward and overwhelming boost. Normally, a cultivator at Qi Gathering Stage One would start with 100 health and vitality, and all other attributes at 1. But Zhang Nu''s attributes were one hundred times that. This meant that with this talent, Zhang Nu was absolutely invincible among those at the same level, and even within the same major realm, he would be hard-pressed to find an opponent.


    Additionally, all cultivation techniques he learned would automatically reach their highest level. With such talent, given time to grow, he would undoubtedly be an unrivaled and terrifying existence.


    Not bad!


    Zhang Nu was very pleased!


    He took a look around. This seemed to be an untouched mountain forest, a ce where no one had ever set foot. He felt it might be necessary to leave this area.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 362 - Rat YaoGuais

    Zhang Nu had barely walked a short distance before he encountered a wild creature. His special ability, which allowed him to discern all information about creatures and objects, immediately came into y.


    [Golden Elk], Qi Gathering Stage One


    Vitality: 100, Spiritual Power: 100


    Skill: Bewitching Musk...


    Description: Amon creature living in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. Although it hasn''t yet transformed into a YaoGuai, it possesses a certain level of magical power.


    This creature''s level was slightly higher than Zhang Nu''s. Normally, someone at Zhang Nu''s Qi Gathering Stage One would avoid such a threat. However, Zhang Nu did not hesitate. With a powerful leap, he shot forward like a cannonball, instantly appearing before the Golden Elk.


    The Golden Elk, startled, released a cloud of bewitching mist. Zhang Nu, upon inhaling the mist, only felt a fragrant scent but was otherwise unaffected. He then struck the elk directly. With a loud crash, the elk was sent flying several dozen meters, mming heavily into a tree trunk.


    -422!


    A massive damage value appeared on Zhang Nu''s yer interface. Despite being only at Qi Gathering Stage One, Zhang Nu''s attributes were on par with those of cultivators at Qi Gathering Stage Six or Seven.


    In short, he was a monster in his own right.


    [You have in the Golden Elk, Spiritual Energy +1, Crystal +1!]


    The Golden Elk that Zhang Nu defeated dropped a crystal, which was equivalent to currency in this world. However, given the remote and wild location he found himself in, these crystals were of little use for the moment. The immediate priority was to find a way out of this ce.


    The kill also earned him 1 point of spiritual energy, which was essentially the experience points needed to level up. To advance from Qi Gathering Stage One to Qi Gathering Stage Two required 1000 spiritual energy points. However, due to his Supreme Sacred Body, Zhang Nu only needed one-tenth of the usual amount, or just 100 points, to level up.


    Zhang Nu wasted no time as he searched for an exit while relentlessly hunting monsters.


    [You have in the Fanged Boar, Spiritual Energy +1, Crystal +1!]


    [You have in the Shadow Wolf, Spiritual Energy +1, Crystal +1!]


    [You have in the Crimson Fire Tiger, Spiritual Energy +2, Crystal +2!]


    The monsters Zhang Nu encountered were mostly at Stage One, with asional Stage Two creatures. Despite only being at Qi Gathering Stage One, Zhang Nu''s overpowering attributes allowed him to easily dispatch these monsters, none of which could even scratch him. Instead, they were all defeated in a single strike.


    The mountain range was vast, and Zhang Nu journeyed for three days and nights, ying hundreds of monsters along the way. Finally, he umted enough spiritual energy to level up.


    [Breakthrough sessful!]


    [Current Level: Qi Gathering Stage Two!]


    At the moment of Zhang Nu''s breakthrough to the next level, he felt an overwhelming surge of energy rushing into his body from all directions.


    He opened his personal information panel, revealing the following attributes:


    yer: Zhang Nu


    Level: Qi Gathering Stage Two (0/100)


    Identity: Mysterious Orphan of the Ten Thousand Mountains


    Stats:


    Vitality: 20,000/20,000


    Essence: 20,000/20,000


    Physique: 200


    Soul: 200


    Mind: 200


    Talent: 200


    Ability: Supreme Sacred Body (Talent)


    All his stats had doubled. Zhang Nu''s base stats were already impressive, and with his attributes doubled, he now possessed the powerparable to a cultivator at Qi Gathering Stage Eight.


    Just then, Zhang Nu heard some noiseing from ahead. Initially thinking it might be a wild beast, he was surprised when two figures jumped out. Could it be humans? Had he finally encountered other people?


    Upon closer inspection, Zhang Nu''s expression became strange, as the figures in front of him were not humans at all. They were two creatures with the heads of rats and the bodies of humans, clearly minor YaoGuai with some cultivation.


    [Rat Guai Soldier], Qi Gathering Stage Three


    Vitality: 200, Spiritual Power: 300,


    Skills: Earth Traversing Spell...


    Description: A minor YaoGuai from ck Wind Cave, known for being cunning and very vicious.


    The two minor YaoGuai noticed Zhang Nu as well.


    "What''s a human doing here? Capture him quickly!"


    Despite being at Stage Three, these were merely minor YaoGuais, and they posed no real threat to Zhang Nu, who could easily dispatch them with a flick of his finger. However, Zhang Nu did not resist. He allowed the Rat Guai to capture him.


    "Ha ha ha!"


    "Who would''ve thought we''d catch a living human! If we present this human to the king, he will surely reward us handsomely!"


    With that, Zhang Nu was dragged into a mountain cave. It was a typical YaoGuaiir, though quite small in scale, housing only a few dozen lesser YaoGuai. As for the so-called king, he was only at Qi Gathering Stage Four.


    [Rat YaoGuai Leader], Qi Gathering Stage Four (Elite),


    Vitality: 750, Spiritual Power: 800


    Skills: ck Wind Technique, Earth Traversing Spell, Fire Maniption...


    Description: The YaoGuai Leader of ck Wind Cave, who by chance learned the ck Wind Technique and possesses considerable strength.


    "A human?"


    The YaoGuai Leader was surprised to see a human brought before him. After all, how could there be a human in the depths of this mountain? However, he wasn''t interested in learning where Zhang Nu came from. He immediately ordered his minions to strip Zhang Nu and prepare him to be roasted.


    But then, Zhang Nu broke free from his restraints and, in a sh, appeared before the YaoGuai Leader,nding a powerful punch to his chest.


    -523!


    The YaoGuai Leader was sent flying, his chest caving in as he spat blood, his face full of disbelief. Crap! This human is a wolf in sheep''s clothing!


    From the power of that punch, this human had to be at least at Qi Gathering Stage Six. And not just any cultivator, but one who focused on body cultivation, possessing an exceptionally tough physique!


    Sensing danger, the YaoGuai Leader tried to use his Earth Traversing to flee. But Zhang Nu wasn''t going to give him the chance. With a flicker, Zhang Nu''s figure appeared like a ghost, delivering a brutal roundhouse kick that shattered every bone in the Rat YaoGuai''s body, mming him into the cave wall.


    With a loud crash, the wall crumbled under the force of Zhang Nu''s kick, a testament to his immense power.


    -533!


    [You have in the YaoGuai Leader, Spiritual Energy +80, Crystal +120!]


    This YaoGuai wasn''t just a Stage Four monster; he was also an elite monster, which meant the rewards were particrly abundant."Rat king is dead!"


    "The king is dead!"


    The sight of their leader being in threw the Rat YaoGuais into chaos. They scattered in a panic, like headless flies. Zhang Nu acted swiftly, taking down each YaoGuai with a single punch or kick. Within minutes, the entire Rat YaoGuaiir was wiped out.With that done, Zhang Nu had umted nearly 300 spirit energy from this wave of monsters.


    At that moment, a treasure chest appeared. This was a reward chest, which yers could find after conquering or subduing a location---whether it''s a YaoGuai settlement like this one or a city or sect.


    Opening the chest, Zhang Nu received a notification:


    [You have opened a treasure chest and obtained "ck Wind Technique Manual" ¡Á1, Crystal x200!]


    He had obtained a skill book, which Zhang Nu quickly examined. It was a jade slip inscribed with the words "ck Wind Technique," radiating a mysterious energy.


    At the same time, rted information appeared before him:


    [ck Wind Technique], White Quality, wind-type primary cultivation technique, can be cultivated up to the third level.


    For cultivators, techniques and spells are crucial. Techniques are generally divided into primary and auxiliary types. A cultivator can only practice one primary technique at a time; if a more advanced primary technique is obtained, it usually reces the previous one. Choosing a technique is also critical. For example, someone who has long practiced a water-element technique might find it difficult and even dangerous to switch to a fire-element technique due to potential conflicts and the risk of deviating into madness.


    However, Zhang Nu had no such concerns. His Supreme Sacred Body could harmonize with any technique, automatically integrating all techniques he practiced. For Zhang Nu, the more techniques, the better.


    As for spells? Spells, or arts, are simr to external active skillspared to techniques which are akin to internal passive skills. Some techniquese with associated spells, and spells are not limited to any one technique. Even those without a primary cultivation technique can develop various spells.


    Without hesitation, Zhang Nu began cultivating the ck Wind Technique.


    [You haveprehended the ck Wind Technique, Max Spiritual Power+10% ¡Á10, All Stats +5% ¡Á10, and acquired the spell "ck Wind"!]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The moment Zhang Nu mastered the ck Wind Technique, both his spiritual power and all his stats saw a significant increase. Normally, such a low-level technique would offer minimal boosts, but because Zhang Nu possessed the Supreme Sacred Body, the effects of all techniques he practiced were multiplied by ten. As a result, the enhancements were substantial.


    Upon mastering this technique, Zhang Nu experienced a sudden surge in his overall abilities. Feeling exhrated, he thought, "So this is the power of the Supreme Sacred Body? It''s incredibly strong!"


    As he spoke, he concentrated his spiritual power, and in an instant, a small ck tornado formed in his palm. This tornado was made up of countless tiny wind des, and when Zhang Nu released it with a wave of his hand, itpletely destroyed the structure of the cave. The power of this single strike was strong enough to be a lethal threat to most cultivators in the Qi Gathering Stage, and Zhang Nu was only at the second stage.


    After leaving the YaoGuaiir, Zhang Nu continued his journey, hunting various monsters along the way, for seven days and nights.


    [You have sessfully broken through! Current cultivation: Qi Gathering Stage Three!]


    On his journey, Zhang Nu had in numerous YaoGuai and beasts. Thanks to his Supreme Sacred Body, which required only one-tenth of the usual spiritual energy to break through, he easily achieved yet another breakthrough during this time.


    He opened his yer stats interface to review his current attributes:


    yer: Zhang Nu


    Level: Qi Gathering Stage Three (1242/2500)


    Identity: Mysterious Orphan of the Ten Thousand Mountains


    Stats:


    Vitality: 35,000/35,000


    Essence: 35,000/35,000


    Physique: 400


    Soul: 400


    Mind: 400


    Talent: 400


    Abilities:


    Supreme Sacred Body (Talent)


    ck Wind Art (Cultivation Technique)


    Zhang Nu had sessfully leveled up again. Even without considering the buffs from his cultivation methods, his base stats were already astonishing. When factoring in the boosts from his techniques, there were few cultivators within the same major realm who could stand against him.


    At that moment, the dense forest finally gave way, and Zhang Nu saw a small mountain vige appearing before him.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 363 - New Map Unlocked

    When Zhang Nu finally arrived at the small mountain vige, he was immediately alerted by an interface prompt indicating that he had entered a new map and was about to unlock a new quest. This prompt made Zhang Nu realize that the vige might be hiding significant secrets. No matter what, he was determined to explore the vige, hoping to find something that could aid in his cultivation, possibly even something that could enhance his cultivation level. The thought of advancing his cultivation filled him with excitement.


    Without hesitation, Zhang Nu stepped into the vige. However, he failed to notice the changes urring behind him---the vige was once again shrouded in mist, as if it had never existed. Unaware of these changes, Zhang Nu continued his exploration, leading to increasinglyplex events.


    Upon entering the vige, Zhang Nu was surprised to find that it appeared very peaceful and harmonious, a stark contrast to the tension of a battle-royale game. The atmosphere was so tranquil that it almost seemed out of ce. Zhang Nu, guided by the system''s hints, knew he needed to find the vige chief''s house. Although he was participating in a deadly game, the system asionally provided crucial information about key individuals, and this time, it pointed him to the vige chief.


    But having just arrived in the vige, Zhang Nu had no idea where the vige chief''s house was located. Determined to find it, he began searching the vige.


    After much effort, Zhang Nu finally saw a viger and immediately stopped him. "Hello, I would like to ask where the vige chief''s house is?"


    Upon hearing Zhang Nu''s words, the viger''s expression darkened. It was as though he hadn''t expected an outsider to enter the vige. His gaze turned dangerous, clearly showing that Zhang Nu was not wee there. "You better leave quickly. Our vige does not wee outsiders," the viger warned.


    Zhang Nu frowned after hearing this, finding the viger''s response strange. Why were outsiders not allowed in? What secret was this vige hiding? Was there something even bigger going on, with outsiders merely being seen as troublemakers?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Dear viger, I am new here and identally got lost in your vige," Zhang Nu said, feigning a bitter tone. "I didn''te here on purpose. I hope you can show me the way to the vige chief''s house. I would leave if I could, but I don''t know the way."


    He was intentionally trying to evoke sympathy from the viger, hoping that his disy of hardship would soften the man''s attitude. However, after hearing Zhang Nu''s words, the viger only grew colder. It seemed as though he had heard such excuses countless times before, always leading to the same vile oues.


    "You people always y the sympathy card," the viger sneered. "I''m telling you, that doesn''t work on us. You should leave immediately, or we won''t let you go so easily."


    Zhang Nu quickly caught onto the key detail in the viger''s words: the viger had said "you people," which meant Zhang Nu wasn''t the only outsider who hade to the vige. Were there other yers from the escape game here as well? The thought of facing other participants in the game stirred Zhang Nu''s blood with excitement.


    "Alright then, since you''ve chosen not to tell me, I''ll leave for now. If fate allows, we''ll meet again."


    After saying this, Zhang Nu turned and left. However, in reality, he had no intention of leaving the vige. He hadn''t yet found what he was searching for in this ce. Most importantly, the words of the viger clearly implied that there were other people in the vige. Zhang Nu couldn''t just leave without meeting them.


    For the next while, Zhang Nu wandered around the vige, but soon noticed something: the vigers truly had an aversion to outsiders. As long as he remained unnoticed, things were fine. But if they spotted him, they would hurl harsh words at him. Zhang Nu found this very strange. What kind of vige would be filled with people so hostile toward outsiders?


    Before long, Zhang Nu spotted someone unusual. He immediately realized that this person might be another participant in the game. Quietly observing, Zhang Nu chose to hide, wanting to see what this person was up to and whether they had gathered any useful information.


    Zhang Nu trailed the man, trying to figure out his intentions. However, the man was no novice. He quickly noticed Zhang Nu''s presence, recognizing him as another yer in the game. The man had been on guard against everyone in the game from the start. Unlike Zhang Nu, this man didn''t have the luxury of a strong starting point. He had been assigned a lowly role as a hunter from Green River Vige and couldn''t afford to expose himself too early.


    The man had blended into the vige by disguising himself as an NPC, seamlessly integrating with the locals, so that no one would suspect anything unusual about him. However, despite his best efforts, he had made a slip, and Zhang Nu had spotted him. Now that Zhang Nu was tailing him, the man knew it was time to teach his pursuer a lesson.


    Thinking this, the man named Liu Hai quickly ducked into an alley, relying on his knowledge of the vigeyout after spending some time there. Zhang Nu, still unfamiliar with the vige, began to panic when Liu Hai disappeared from view. He rushed over, searching left and right, but before he could leave, a gust of wind from an iing strike alerted him.


    Zhang Nu swiftly dodged the attack and turned to see it was the very man he had been following. Now, Zhang Nu knew that this man wasn''t to be taken lightly---he must have some skills of his own to have noticed Zhang Nu''s presence.


    "Who are you? If I''m not mistaken, you''re not from this vige, are you? Hasn''t anyone told you that outsiders aren''t wee here?"


    Zhang Nu, hearing Liu Hai''s words, couldn''t help but feel like he was being treated as a fool. It was obvious that Liu Hai wasn''t a local, so where did he find the nerve to lie so confidently?


    "You might be able to fool others, but you can''t fool me. You''re not from this vige, are you? I suppose we''re both in the same situation."


    Liu Hai''s face darkened at Zhang Nu''s response. He hadn''t expected Zhang Nu to see through him so easily. After all, he had sessfully deceived many of the vigers, killing them and gaining considerable power in the process. But now, standing before someone who had instantly figured him out, Liu Hai knew Zhang Nu wasn''t an ordinary opponent.


    Realizing he couldn''t afford to offend Zhang Nu, Liu Hai softened his tone, aware that he could be the one to die if this encounter turned hostile.


    "Since you''ve chosen to be upfront with me, I won''t hide the truth from you either. I am indeed a participant in this battle-royale game, and I''m guessing you are too."


    Zhang Nu nodded, slightly surprised by Liu Hai''s sudden honesty but quickly understanding his reasoning. It was clear that Liu Hai felt outmatched and had recognized he couldn''t afford to provoke someone of Zhang Nu''s caliber.


    "You seem pretty familiar with this vige. How long have you been here?"


    Liu Hai, realizing there was no point in hiding anything further, decided to answer truthfully. He had already made up his mind to form an alliance with Zhang Nu. If things went well, this partnership could carry him through the game. Liu Hai believed that someone as sharp as Zhang Nu would have great potential, and aligning with him might be his best chance for survival and victory."I''ve indeed been in this vige for quite some time," Liu Hai admitted. "When I entered the game, I was assigned the role of a hunter in Green River Vige. I''ve had to kill a few people to gain enough strength to survive."


    Zhang Nu observed Liu Hai''s openness with growing interest. It became evident that Liu Hai was signaling his loyalty and hinting at a desire to form an alliance.


    "Am I to understand that you want to team up with me?" Zhang Nu asked bluntly. He preferred direct conversations and wasn''t one to entertain roundabout discussions. If Liu Hai was serious about working together, Zhang Nu was willing to consider it.


    "Yes," Liu Hai replied candidly. "I hope we can form an alliance. My potential, as you''ve likely noticed, isn''t enough for me to survive on my own. I don''t have ambitions to lead this game---I just want to make it through alive."


    Zhang Nu nodded, sensing a strange sincerity in Liu Hai''s words. There was something about Liu Hai''s desperation to survive that felt genuine.


    "Alright," Zhang Nu said. "I promise you, as long as you remain loyal, I will ensure you survive until the end."


    Liu Hai''s eyes gleamed with an emotion that Zhang Nu couldn''t quite identify, though it didn''t seem threatening. Instead, Zhang Nu felt a growing certainty that choosing Liu Hai as an ally had been a wise move.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 364 - Strange Village

    "Since that''s the case, let me introduce myself first. My name is Zhang Nu. You can just call me by my name. What about you?" Zhang Nu asked, even though he already knew Liu Hai''s name. It was out of politeness and courtesy to formally inquire. After all, while Zhang Nu had ess to certain information, that didn''t mean everyone else did.


    Upon hearing Zhang Nu''s words, Liu Hai cupped his fists in greeting and responded, "I''m Liu Hai. Feel free to call me by my name as well."


    With that, their alliance was solidified,ying the groundwork for what wouldter be a powerful six-man team.


    As they walked together, Liu Hai couldn''t help but notice how conspicuous Zhang Nu appeared. "Zhang Nu, it might be better if I take you back to my ce to change into something more suitable for the vige. The people here are suspicious of outsiders."


    Zhang Nu nodded in agreement, having already noticed the vigers'' wariness earlier. He was curious about what was truly going on in this ce.


    "You''re right," Zhang Nu said. "There''s something strange about this vige. It''s odd for such a remote ce to be so hostile towards strangers. There must be some hidden secret here."


    After hearing Zhang Nu''s words, Liu Hai nodded. Before long, Zhang Nu had changed into clothes that matched Liu Hai''s, blending in with the vigers. Zhang Nu stayed close to Liu Hai, posing as one of his new subordinates. Liu Hai guided him through the vige, helping him familiarize himself with theyout.


    Zhang Nu quickly noticed that Liu Hai had a way with people. Nearly everyone in the vige greeted Liu Hai with a smile and seemed genuinely warm toward him. This eased Zhang Nu''s mind---he wouldn''t need to worry about handling social rtions in the vige, as Liu Hai seemed more than capable of managing that aspect.


    After they finished their walk through the vige, Zhang Nu gave Liu Hai a teasing look. "I didn''t expect your standing in the vige to be so good. Seems like you''re doing quite well here. No one even suspects that you''re an outsider."


    Liu Hai responded with a smirk,ced with a hint of irony. The vigers hadn''t noticed he was from the outside, most likely because of how well he had hidden himself.


    "That''s just something you need to have when you''re out in the world. Better to have more friends than enemies."


    Zhang Nu agreed. He realized that in unfamiliar ces, having allies was crucial. Liu Hai''s ability to blend in and make connections was a valuable asset.


    Suddenly, Zhang Nu''s expression turned serious as he looked at Liu Hai. He had a hunch that Liu Hai could lead him to the vige chief''s house, where something important was surely hidden. After all, the system had given him a clear hint about that ce.


    "Do you know where the vige chief''s house is? Since this vige seems so strange, why don''t we start by investigating the chief?"


    Liu Hai nodded, finding Zhang Nu''s suggestion reasonable. However, despite spending a long time in the vige, Liu Hai had never actually seen the chief in person. The chief always stayed inside his house, never once showing himself.


    "The chief has always remained in his house, issuing orders. No one has ever seen him. He mostlymands us to avoid outsiders or to search for useful items. The vigers practically worship him, thinking he''s some kind of deity sent to protect them."


    Zhang Nu frowned at this. The whole situation felt off. It didn''t seem possible that an ordinary person could issue such specific orders or know so much.


    "Don''t you think there''s something suspicious about the chief? How could an ordinary human know exactly what needs to be done? It seems like too much of a coincidence."


    Liu Hai nodded again in agreement. However, he didn''t know exactly what was wrong. Thest order the chief had given was to forbid outsiders from entering the vige.


    "I''m not entirely sure either. The vige only became so hostile to outsiders because of the chief''smand. We don''t really know why, but we follow his instructions without question. We push strangers away, and if they don''t leave willingly, we force them out."


    Zhang Nu nodded thoughtfully. He realized how lucky he was to have met Liu Hai and formed an alliance. Without him, Zhang Nu would likely have been another outsider driven away from the vige. Now, the top priority was to figure out the truth about the mysterious vige chief."Why would the vige chief suddenly seal off the vige for no apparent reason?" Zhang Nu pondered aloud.


    "We should definitely check out the chief''s house," he continued. "Even though the chief never shows himself, there might be some clues around his residence."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Liu Hai nodded. He had wanted to investigate the chief''s house for a while, but had always been hindered by the vige''s security measures. Every time he got close, an rm would be triggered, and the vigers woulde to stop him.


    "If your cultivation isn''t strong enough and you approach the chief''s house, you''ll definitely run into trouble," Liu Hai exined. "I''ve tried to get near the house before, but each time, the vigers turned me away before I could get close. Luckily for me, they see me as one of their own. If I were an outsider, I''d probably be dead by now."


    Zhang Nu grew more intrigued by the situation. "How could someone sense that you''re approaching from so far away? This chief clearly isn''t just a regr person. Could he be a YaoGuai or some other kind of spirit?"


    Liu Hai nodded in agreement. He had simr suspicions but couldn''t confirm anything without getting closer.


    "Whatever the case, it''s clear that this chief is no ordinary man," Zhang Nu concluded. "To have this much influence over the vigers and such heightened awareness of his surroundings---he must be something other than human."


    "I''ve thought the same thing," Liu Hai admitted. "But we won''t know for sure until we get closer."


    Zhang Nu wasn''t entirely sure if his current cultivation level would allow him to approach the chief''s house safely. However, his Supreme Sacred Body made him far stronger than most, and his rate of advancement was unusually fast. If even he couldn''t get close, it was unlikely anyone else could.


    "Let''s give it a try," Zhang Nu suggested. "Even if I''m not at my peak yet, we won''t know unless we make the attempt."


    After hearing Zhang Nu''s words, Liu Hai nodded in agreement, realizing it was best to let Zhang Nu investigate. He understood that Zhang Nu wouldn''t be satisfied until he had tried for himself. There was also no doubt that something important was hidden at the vige chief''s house---otherwise, outsiders wouldn''t be kept away so strictly.


    Liu Hai quickly led Zhang Nu to the vicinity of the chief''s residence. This small vige seemed to be full of secrets, and the chief''s house was located on the far outskirts, almost as if he was guarding the vige boundary.


    Zhang Nu found it strange---why would the vige chief live so far from the vige center? Typically, a leader''s home would be in the middle or close to it. But this vige chief did the opposite, settling in the most remote part. Clearly, there was something the chief was either hiding or protecting.


    When they were about a kilometer away from the chief''s house, Liu Hai stopped. "If you keep going straight, you''ll reach the chief''s ce," he said. "I can''t go any further. If we get any closer, we''ll be noticed."


    Zhang Nu nodded, understanding that Liu Hai''s cultivation level wasn''t high enough to proceed. Since Liu Hai couldn''t go on, Zhang Nu would have to continue alone.


    "Alright, leave the rest to me," Zhang Nu assured him. "I''ll investigate the chief''s ce and gather what I can."


    Liu Hai nodded in agreement, and at that moment, the two of them felt like oldpanions. They trusted each other implicitly, as if they could leave their backs exposed to one another without worry, although the two of them had just met.


    Zhang Nu calmed himself and began to regte his internal energy, adjusting his breathing and footsteps until they were nearly silent, like a cat walking stealthily. Liu Hai, watching Zhang Nu in action, was genuinely impressed. He couldn''t help but envy Zhang Nu''s high level of cultivation. He wondered how he could ever hope to match Zhang Nu''s abilities, feeling that if he could reach that level, he would be incredibly happy.


    One day, Liu Hai believed, his cultivation would reach the same heights as Zhang Nu''s. He was determined to grow stronger and make it to the end of this challenge.


    Meanwhile, Zhang Nu continued to slowly approach the vige chief''s house. As he drew nearer, he noticed something strange---there wasn''t a single viger nearby. Yet, Liu Hai had warned him that as soon as he entered this area, vigers would show up to block him.


    This inconsistency puzzled Zhang Nu. The area waspletely deserted, with no sign of any vigers. So how could they suddenly appear to stop him? Was Liu Hai lying, or was there indeed some hidden secret here that exined everything?

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 365 - Cold Beauty

    Zhang Nu didn''t have much time to ponder; he could only inch closer to the vige chief''s house, eager to uncover the truth hidden there. As he approached, a figure suddenly appeared ahead---a woman, dressed in a flowing white gown, with an air of icy beauty surrounding her.


    Instinctively, Zhang Nu hid himself, though he wasn''t sure why. It was just his immediate reaction. A momentter, he realized he didn''t really need to hide. After all, he hadn''t wronged this person, nor had they met before, so there was no reason for him to feel nervous. However, since he had already concealed himself, there seemed little reason to reveal his presence now. If he did, he might rm her and alert the vige chief.


    As the woman moved closer to the vige chief''s house, Zhang Nu found himself wanting to follow her. However, before he could move further, vigers suddenly appeared around him, as if they had materialized from thin air. Zhang Nu tensed, scanning the faces around him. Who were these vigers? How had they managed to arrive so quickly without him noticing?


    "Who are you? Didn''t we already tell you that this area is forbidden in our vige? Why are you here?"


    After hearing the viger''s words, Zhang Nu was momentarily at a loss, unsure how to respond. Though he wore Liu Hai''s clothing, the fact remained that he was an outsider to the vige. However, it was clear that the vigers hadn''t recognized this and seemed to judge him solely based on his attire.


    "Sorry, uncle, I was just here to retrieve something I dropped. I didn''t mean to trespass into the forbidden area."


    The viger seemed to take his excuse at face value and waved him off dismissively.


    "Hurry up and get your things, then leave. Next time I catch you here, it won''t matter whose kid you are---I won''t let you off."


    Nodding and bowing slightly, Zhang Nu quickly gathered his things and made a hasty exit. Just as he left, he caught a glimpse of the cold woman''s mocking gaze. She was standing right behind the vigers, yet it was as though they couldn''t see her at all,pletely ignoring her presence.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    This baffled Zhang Nu even more. What was going on? Why did the vigers seem blind to the woman, yet be so focused on him? Could it be that they could only see men?


    Slowly retreating, Zhang Nu made his way back to where Liu Hai had been waiting. As soon as he saw Zhang Nu, Liu Hai leapt down from the tree he was perched in.


    "So, did you find anything?"


    Shaking his head, Zhang Nu exined, "I didn''t get close enough to the vige chief''s house before the vigers spotted me. You were right---they appeared out of nowhere, as if they materialized from thin air. They surrounded me in an instant, and I didn''t hear a single footstep."


    After listening to Zhang Nu''s exnation, Liu Hai nodded, realizing that he had experienced a simr situation before. He too was baffled by how the vigers seemed to appear out of nowhere and why they possessed such strange abilities.


    "I suspected something was off with these vigers from the beginning," Liu Hai remarked. "But I couldn''t quite figure out how to exin it---they just seem to appear from thin air. What do you think is going on? Why is this vige so strange?"


    Zhang Nu, equally perplexed, shook his head. But what unsettled him the most was the mysterious woman. She had calmly walked toward the vige chief''s house without any of the vigers attempting to stop her.


    "After I entered the vige, I saw a woman ahead of me," Zhang Nu said. "She was a graceful, young woman, but the vigers acted as if they couldn''t see her. They didn''t try to stop her at all, as if she belonged there."


    Liu Hai was even more shocked upon hearing this. He had never encountered someone with such a high cultivation level. Based on his understanding, only someone with immense power could approach the vige chief''s house. But Zhang Nu already had the highest cultivation level he had ever seen, and even he couldn''t get close. So, just how powerful was this woman that the vigers were entirely unaware of her presence?

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 366 - Nights Wailing

    "How could that be possible? Is it possible that that woman''s cultivation level surpasses even yours?" Liu Hai asked, his disbelief clear. "I always assumed only those with high cultivation could get close to the vige chief''s residence. I haven''t been able to even approach it."


    Zhang Nu pondered Liu Hai''s words. Perhaps it was true that only individuals with significant power could approach the vige chief''s house. Despite having chosen an advanced aptitude, Zhang Nu found it hard to believe that someone could possess a potential higher than his or progress faster in cultivation.


    "I''m not sure," Zhang Nu replied thoughtfully. "But for now, let''s return to your house and review what we know. We need to figure out what''s really happening."


    Liu Hai agreed, and the two quickly made their way back to Liu Hai''s home. Once there, theybined all the information they had gathered, but it still wasn''t enough to form a clear picture.


    "Right now, it''s obvious that our cultivation level isn''t sufficient," Zhang Nu said. "Do you know of any ces nearby where we can hunt beasts or monsters? We need to improve our cultivation quickly if we want a chance at getting closer to the vige chief''s house."


    Liu Hai''s face brightened as a thought came to him. "Yes, there''s a ce not too far from here called Nine Fox Ridge. It''s filled with Yao Beasts (ÑýÊÞ), and I''ve been going there to strengthen my cultivation."


    Zhang Nu nodded. "Good. Then we''ll head to Nine Fox Ridge tomorrow. The only thing we can do now is increase our cultivation and hope to discover something new along the way."Liu Hai nodded at Zhang Nu''s words, but neither of them noticed the presence of a graceful figure standing outside the window, silently listening to their conversation. The mysterious woman, after overhearing their discussion, let out a softugh. Yet, the sound of herughter quickly faded into the wind, as though nothing had ever happened.


    Unaware of her presence, both Zhang Nu and Liu Hai carried on, oblivious to the fact that she seemed indifferent to their ns. It was as if their intentions to enhance their cultivation held no significance in her eyes.


    That night, as the two meny down to rest, preparing to sleep, an unsettling sound suddenly echoed through the vige. They heard eerie wails, filling the night with an otherworldly presence.


    Zhang Nu, spending his first night in the vige, was startled and immediately sat up, turning to Liu Hai for answers.


    "What''s going on? How could a normal vige be filled with such wailing? Could there be something else lurking in this vige?"


    Liu Hai shook his head. He had experienced the same unsettling noises on his first night here and had gone to investigate but found nothing out of the ordinary. It seemed that, even though the wails filled the air, the vige remained unchanged.


    "When I first heard the sounds, I went out to investigate too, but I didn''t find anything unusual. The vige looks the same as it does during the day, except for theck of light. And if you go outside, the wailing doesn''t stop. It only gets louder, almost as if it''s deliberately trying to scare you."After hearing Liu Hai''s words, Zhang Nu found the vige even more unsettling. ording to their observations, this ce did not seem like a normal vige where people should be living. The eerie phenomenon that urred every night was strange enough, but the fact that the vigers acted as though nothing was wrong made the situation even more suspicious.


    Despite the eerie wails filling the air, the vigers appearedpletely unbothered. They lived their lives without ever showing fear or seeking help to banish what seemed to haunt their vige.


    Zhang Nu asked, "But with all that wailing, don''t the vigers react at all? Don''t they fear their children could be frightened?"


    Liu Hai shook his head and replied, "None at all. It''s like they''ve gotten used to it. In fact, if the wailing didn''t happen for a night, they''d probably find it strange. It''s almost as if they''ve grown up with it."


    Hearing this, Zhang Nu furrowed his brows, feeling an increasing curiosity about the strange nature of this vige.N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 367 - Nighttime Discussion

    It was bing increasingly clear to Zhang Nu that this vige was far from ordinary, and every strange urrence only fueled his determination to uncover its hidden secrets. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that something sinistery beneath the surface, something that could not remain hidden for long. Zhang Nu was resolute---he would get to the bottom of this.


    Meanwhile, in a ce where neither Zhang Nu nor Liu Hai could see, the mysterious woman was still lurking, observing their conversation. Amused by their naivety, she found their efforts almostughable. If they stepped outside now, Zhang Nu, with his cultivation skills, would undoubtedly be able to sense something unusual in the air---something that might have eluded Liu Hai''s perception.


    "How dull," she murmured softly, her voiceced with amusement. And then, with an almost ghostly movement, she vanished into the shadows.


    None of them noticed her departure, and momentster, the mysterious woman reappeared in front of the vige chief. The vige chief''s expression did not change upon seeing her, as though he had expected her arrival all along.


    "Old man, it seems your vige has attracted quite a few outsiders," she said with a bemused tone.


    The vige chief raised an eyebrow, surprised. He had clearly ordered that no outsiders be allowed in, and the vigers would not dare disobey him. So why were there strangers wandering about?


    "How could that be? I explicitly gave orders to keep outsiders away. Are my vigers no longer listening to me?"


    The woman smiled slyly, her lips curling into a mocking grin. "Those bumbling fools, they couldn''t even tell those two apart from their own people, just because they changed clothes."


    She chuckled softly before adding, "I didn''t expect your vigers to be so dull-witted. They can''t even spot outsiders dressed in the same attire."


    The chief''s expression darkened. He hadn''t anticipated the woman to insult his vigers so openly, especially when he had agreed to coborate with her. He felt there was no need for such disrespect."Enough, I''ve already agreed to cooperate with you," the vige chief said with a stern expression. "There''s no need for you to keep insulting my vigers. If you continue with these insults, don''t me me for being hostile."


    The woman chuckled softly, clearly unimpressed by the chief''s words. To her, the idea of the vige chief posing any threat wasughable. After all, he was just a mere mortal, and no matter how strong he was, he couldn''t possibly surpass her power.


    "Oh? I''m intrigued," she replied mockingly. "I''d love to see how you n to make good on that threat."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Her tone and demeanor made it evident that she looked down on the vige chief. While the chief was indeed powerful in his own right, he was nowhere near the level of this mysterious woman. The reason he had chosen to submit to her demands was solely to protect his vigers from her wrath. He wasn''t in a position to challenge her openly, and he knew that.


    The chief was acutely aware that if he pushed back against her now, it would only bring harm to the vige. He had to think beyond his pride and focus on the bigger picture, ensuring the safety of everyone under his care. Sacrificing his ego was a small price to pay for protecting the vige from destruction.


    "What do you want me to do?" the chief asked calmly. "Should I drive those people out, or do you want me to deal with them permanently?"


    The woman sighed, clearly finding the situation tedious. In truth, she didn''t see those people as a significant threat. However, she couldn''t deny that Zhang Nu and hispanion had potential. If they were given the time and opportunity to grow, they might one day be strong enough to challenge her.


    She relished the thought of an actual opponent who could match her strength. For far too long, she had existed without any real challenge, effortlessly dominating all who stood before her. Perhaps, if Zhang Nu and hispanion continued to develop, they could provide her with the excitement she longed for.


    For now, though, they were still far too weak to be of any concern.


    "The vige may no longer see peaceful days. That man''s arrival here will surely bring endless trouble. I have a feeling he''s not as simple as he seems, and one day he''ll grow into a formidable force."


    The vige chief, though unsure of the full meaning behind the woman''s words, understood the potential threat. If this man had the capability to grow and be dangerous, it would be better to eliminate him now rather than let him continue to develop.


    "If he will one day rival you, why not stop him now while we can, and nip it in the bud??"


    The woman, however, found the chief''s mindset incredibly dull. The only reason the chief found life interesting was because he had an entire vige to protect. If the vige chief no longer had anything left to protect, he would likely be as lonely and deste as she was.


    "I just want to see how far he can grow," she said. "The omens suggest someone will emerge to challenge us, a youth who may ultimately destroy us."


    "I''m curious whether that youth is him."


    Upon hearing her words, the vige chief found her logic absurd, as if she were a madwoman. Knowing full well that destruction could be on the horizon, she remained indifferent and nonchnt. If that was her mindset, there was nothing more to be said. Let her pursue her folly, and when she meets her end, the vige would rejoice.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 368 - Illusionary Formation

    The next day arrived swiftly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    At dawn, Zhang Nu and Liu Hai had already prepared to head to the Nine Fox Ridge, where they hoped to improve their cultivation level and defeat numerous Yao Beasts.


    "Be very careful on this road," Liu Hai advised. "Don''t underestimate it. This ce is crawling with monsters, even though it may seem empty at first."


    "Trust me, they''re already watching us closely."


    Liu Hai was speaking from experience, having learned these lessons the hard way. On his first trip to the mountain, he''d been deceived by a minor YaoGuai skilled in illusions. If not for a stroke of luck that allowed him to see through the trick, he would have perished.


    Zhang Nu nodded in acknowledgment. Liu Hai''s advice was invaluable, and he had no intention of letting him down or losing his trust.


    Before long, the two reached the foot of the mountain, where Zhang Nu could immediately sense numerous eyes observing them. However, he refrained from revealing his abilities just yet, not wanting to rm Liu Hai.


    "Zhang Nu, be extremely cautious. No matter what happens, don''t let your guard down," Liu Hai advised.


    Zhang Nu nodded in response, and the two of them began their ascent up Nine Fox Ridge. As soon as they stepped onto the ridge, they both felt a subtle shift in their surroundings, as though they had suddenly entered another realm.


    "Be careful, Zhang Nu. We may have already fallen into a YaoGuai''s illusion," Liu Hai warned.


    Zhang Nu nodded again. To him, a mere illusion YaoGuai was nothing to fear. With his high cultivation, he was confident he could defeat the YaoGuai and further strengthen his power. However, he needed to ensure that Liu Hai remained unaware of his abilities.


    Although Zhang Nu''s special physique made him immune to such illusions, he couldn''t afford to let Liu Hai suspect anything. As long as Liu Hai remained trustworthy, there would be no issues, but if he harbored any ill intentions, it could lead to more people attacking Zhang Nuter on.


    Zhang Nu and Liu Hai continued walking when they suddenly encountered an illusionary formation ahead. Zhang Nu immediately recognized it as a simple illusionary array, one that posed no threat to him. However, Liu Hai, with his significantly lower cultivation level, was far more susceptible to its effects. He could easily be lost within the illusion and forget his original purpose.


    Zhang Nu watched as Liu Hai, seemingly under the influence of the array, wandered toward a shadowy forest. Although they had only recently met, Zhang Nu felt that Liu Hai had been genuine in his assistance. Liu Hai had openly shared everything he knew, treating Zhang Nu as a trusted ally.


    Just as Liu Hai was about to step further into danger, Zhang Nu acted swiftly, pulling him back and tapping on Liu Hai''s temples twice. Within moments, Liu Hai regained his senses, realizing how close he hade to falling for the illusion once again. Without Zhang Nu''s intervention, he might not have escaped the array.


    "Thank you, Zhang Nu. I warned you about this earlier, and yet I was the one who almost got caught," Liu Hai said, with a self-deprecating tone.


    Zhang Nu simply nodded. "It''s fine. Your warning helped me stay cautious. Let''s proceed carefully."


    With heightened vignce, they continued forward and eventually exited the illusion. As they did, the Illusion YaoGuai opened its eyes. Though it had only set a basic illusionary trap, it knew that ordinary people wouldn''t have been able to break free so easily. It realized that Zhang Nu and Liu Hai were not to be underestimated.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 369 - Second Level

    Since they had the power to break free from her illusion array, the Illusion YaoGuai wondered if they could withstand the next formation she was preparing. The thought made her more excited, eager to see how they would react.


    "Send Lao Wu (ÀÏÎå: Fifth Brother) to test their strength," she ordered with a sly grin. "Let''s see what they''re truly capable of, daring to enter Nine Fox Ridge."


    "Yes, my Lady," her subordinate responded, bowing respectfully before leaving to carry out the order.


    Meanwhile, Zhang Nu and Liu Hai were entirely unaware of the YaoGuai''s ns. Their focus was solely on hunting down beasts to enhance their cultivation.


    Suddenly, a pack of snarling wolves appeared in their path. However, instead of feeling fear, Zhang Nu and Liu Hai''s eyes lit up with excitement as though this was exactly what they had hoped for. Without hesitation, the two exchanged nces and charged headlong into the wolf pack.


    The battlemenced in a flurry of attacks. Zhang Nu set his sights on the wolf leader, knowing that taking down the strongest would grant him significant rewards. As for the rest of the pack, Liu Hai took responsibility, using the opportunity to refine his own abilities.


    After Zhang Nu defeated the wolf pack leader, his personal stats interface showed a noticeable improvement:


    yer: Zhang Nu


    Level: Qi Gathering Stage Three (1280/2500)


    Identity: Mysterious Orphan of the Ten Thousand Mountains


    Stats:


    - Vitality: 35,000/35,000


    - Essence: 35,000/35,000


    - Physique: 450


    - Soul: 450


    - Mind: 450


    - Talent: 450


    Abilities:


    - Supreme Sacred Body (Talent)


    - ck Wind Art (Cultivation Technique)


    Although Zhang Nu advanced, the improvement was modest and didn''t lead to any significant changes in his power. As expected, defeating the low-level wolf pack leader yielded only a minor boost in his abilities, consistent with what Zhang Nu had expected.


    Turning his attention to Liu Hai, Zhang Nu deliberately refrained from intervening in Liu Hai''s battle. He understood that stepping in would hinder Liu Hai''s own progress. Grateful for this, Liu Hai focused on defeating the wolves himself, determined to improve.


    When Liu Hai finally finished off the remaining wolves, Zhang Nu gave him an approving nod. He had anticipated that Liu Hai might call for help but was impressed that Liu Hai managed to handle the situation alone.


    "How are you feeling? Have you made any progress?" Zhang Nu asked.


    Liu Hai, feeling proud, nodded confidently. He felt that his skills had significantly improved and was now ready to ascend higher into the mountains.


    "I''ve made great strides," Liu Hai replied, "and I can apany you further in now."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Zhang Nu nodded at Liu Hai''s words, and the two continued their ascent. Unbeknownst to them, everything they did was being watched by the Illusion YaoGuai, though she seemed indifferent to it all. To her, the wolves they had just fought were merely the lowest-ranking creatures with only basic cultivation. The real challenges would begin once they reached the second level of the mountain.


    Sure enough, once Zhang Nu and Liu Hai stepped onto the second level, they felt an increase in mental pressure. There were creatures here that were far more powerful than the wolves they had encountered below. Zhang Nu, with his stronger cultivation, hardly noticed the pressure, but Liu Hai, having just advanced, was struggling to adapt.


    "Zhang Nu, something about this ce feels off," Liu Hai remarked, visibly anxious. "I get the sense that something dangerous is lurking here."


    Zhang Nu shook his head slightly. He couldn''t sense the same danger that Liu Hai felt, perhaps because his own cultivation was much higher.


    "You might be right. We should tread carefully from here. Hardly anyone dares climb this high, and only those with real cultivation can make it to this level. The beasts here might have be far more powerful," Zhang Nu agreed.


    Liu Hai nodded, adopting a more cautious approach as they continued forward. However, as they took their first steps deeper into the second level, the ground beneath them began to tremble violently. Suddenly, they found themselves facing an unexpected foe---a Hundred-Year Tree YaoGuai.


    Reacting quickly, Zhang Nu shoved Liu Hai to the side and rolled away himself, both of them narrowly avoiding the violent tremors. As they regained their footing, they scanned their surroundings cautiously, though there seemed to be no immediate threat visible. Yet the ground continued to quake ominously, as if it intended to crush them under its weight.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 370 - Tree YaoGuai

    At this moment, Zhang Nu and Liu Hai were unsure of what had just transpired. Both of them felt confused and bewildered, realizing they needed to find stable ground to stand on immediately.


    "Liu Hai, get up into the trees now," Zhang Numanded.


    In Zhang Nu''s mind, the only safe option was the treetops. He believed it was the best ce for them to regain their footing. However, what seemed like a good idea unknowingly led them right into danger.


    Without hesitation, Liu Hai followed Zhang Nu''s instructions, leaping onto a towering tree alongside him. But the moment they perched atop the tree, the ground, which had been violently shaking moments earlier, suddenly became calm.


    Seeing this abrupt change, Liu Hai felt both amazed and unnerved.


    "What''s going on, Zhang Nu? Why did the shaking stop as soon as we climbed the tree?" he asked, his voice filled with confusion.


    Zhang Nu shook his head, equally puzzled. He couldn''t figure out what connection there was between the tremors and their movement. What hidden factor had they overlooked? Something was clearly being concealed from them, but Zhang Nu couldn''t quite grasp what it was.


    "I''m not sure," he admitted. "Let''s try going down again. If the ground starts shaking as soon as we touch it, then we''ll know it has something to do with us. If that''s the case, we may need to stick to traveling through the treetops."


    Liu Hai nodded in agreement, and the two of them prepared to test Zhang Nu''s theory. Just as the two prepared to leap back down to the ground, a vine suddenly appeared and coiled tightly around their bodies. Zhang Nu instantly realized that they had fallen into a trap. It was highly likely that the Illusion YaoGuai had conspired with the Tree YaoGuai to set up this borate snare.


    "What''s happening, Zhang Nu?" Liu Hai asked, his voice filled with confusion.


    Zhang Nu''s face darkened as he responded, "We''ve been tricked."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Liu Hai was shocked. If they had indeed fallen into a trap, how were they supposed to escape? Would they just wait here helplessly to meet their doom?


    "So, what do we do now?" Liu Hai asked, cing his full trust in Zhang Nu. By now, he clearly viewed Zhang Nu as his greatest support.


    Zhang Nu shook his head, uncertainty clouding his mind. He wasn''t entirely sure what their next move should be either. All he could do was try his best.


    "I''m not sure yet. We need to figure out if it''s someone controlling these vines or if it''s the work of the Tree YaoGuai."


    Liu Hai nodded, and the two began brainstorming ways to free themselves. However, after struggling for what felt like hours, they were still stuck, unable to find a solution. They started to regret their rash decision to climb the tree, which now left them trapped.


    "Zhang Nu, it doesn''t seem like anyone is attacking us directly. These vines are part of the tree, so maybe the tree itself is targeting us."


    Zhang Nu nodded in agreement. He had already begun to suspect as much. If the Tree YaoGuai was responsible, then being surrounded by trees only made things worse. There was no way every tree here could have gained consciousness, right?


    "We better hope this is the only tree that''se to life. Otherwise, we''re in serious trouble," Zhang Nu said grimly.


    After hearing Zhang Nu''s serious tone, Liu Hai was taken aback. If even Zhang Nu was showing concern, it meant the situation was indeed dire. He didn''t want to perish here; he was determined to survive. His loyalty to Zhang Nu stemmed from his belief that Zhang Nu would lead him to victory.


    "No way, Zhang Nu! We can''t give up like this. We have to find a way out of here! We still need to make it to the end."


    Zhang Nu nodded, recalling his initial goal. He had survived the previous game and emerged as a king. There was no way he would allow himself to be defeated so easily in this round. He needed to quickly locate the Tree YaoGuai''s weakness and eliminate it.


    "Liu Hai, I''ll search for the Tree Guai''s weak point. Meanwhile, you check the other trees to see if they''ve also be sentient."


    Liu Hai agreed, even though they were still trapped. With determination, he pulled out his trusted dagger and aimed at a healthy-looking tree nearby. As he threw the dagger, it flew swiftly toward its target, but just before it struck, the tree shifted slightly, causing the de to misspletely.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 371 - They Are All Sentient

    After seeing what happened, Liu Hai had a bad feeling. He suspected that every tree in this area had be sentient. To confirm his theory, heunched another attack on two nearby trees. Both dodged his strikes with ease.


    "Zhang Nu, I think every tree here has awakened sentience," Liu Hai said, his tone filled with unease. "I just tested two more trees, and both evaded my dagger just before it struck."


    Zhang Nu was taken aback by this revtion. If every tree in thisnd had be sentient, the danger they faced was far greater than anticipated. If the trees banded together to attack, their current strength might not be enough to fend them off.


    "It seems we''re in real trouble now. If all the trees here are sentient, they might team up against us," Zhang Nu replied grimly.


    Liu Hai, recognizing the truth in Zhang Nu''s words, grew even more serious. They couldn''t allow these Tree YaoGuais to unite against them.


    Meanwhile, the ancient Hundred-Year Tree YaoGuai listened to their conversation and chuckled inwardly. To the YaoGuai, Zhang Nu and Liu Hai seemed foolish. Even if the surrounding trees hadn''t gained full consciousness, it would still protect them, aiding their cultivation. The YaoGuai felt confident that their misunderstanding would make them easier to defeat. The warning from its superior now seemed unnecessary---these two were far less formidable and calcting than initially believed.


    The Tree YaoGuaiunched another attack on Zhang Nu and Liu Hai, with the vines tightening around them, causing increasing pain. They quickly realized they couldn''t allow the vines to keep binding them, or they would be crushed under the pressure.


    "Liu Hai, we must break free from this Tree YaoGuai immediately," Zhang Nu said urgently. "If we let it keep wrapping us like this, it will strangle us to death."


    Liu Hai nodded in agreement, but he found himself at a loss, unable to figure out how to escape from the tightening grip of the vines.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Zhang Nu, what should we do? How do we break free from this?"


    Zhang Nu shook his head in frustration, but both noticed something rming---the vines seemed to tighten even more after they spoke about escaping. Liu Hai wondered if it was just his imagination or if the Tree YaoGuai was reacting to their conversation.


    "Liu Hai, do you feel like these vines are tightening even more?" Zhang Nu asked.


    Liu Hai immediately nodded. He had noticed the same thing and was about to mention it. It became clear to them that the situation was not just a figment of their imagination. The Tree YaoGuai had likely overheard their n to escape and was now trying to crush them.


    Now, both of them were gasping for air, the vines coiling tighter with each desperate struggle. Their attempts to free themselves only seemed to make the vines constrict harder, pushing them closer to suffocation.


    At that critical moment, as Zhang Nu was on the verge of suffocation, he heard a voice echoing deep within his mind.


    "Use your blood, use your blood, and you will break free of the bonds."


    Zhang Nu didn''t know whether to trust this voice, unsure if it was real or a mere trick of his desperate mind. However, with no other options, he chose to take the gamble. If the voice was right, he and Liu Hai could break free from the Tree YaoGuai''s restraint. If it was wrong, his death would onlye a little sooner, and at this point, that didn''t matter much.


    Slowly, Zhang Nu raised the small de in his hand and sliced his palms. With blood dripping from his hands, he grabbed the vines tightly, as if trying to burn them with his touch.


    The ancient tree, sensing Zhang Nu''s blood, began to shudder violently. It had never expected that this human''s blood to be its weakness. The tree desperately tried to shake Zhang Nu off, but now it was as helpless against him as Zhang Nu had once been against its constriction.


    Liu Hai, thrown forcefully to the ground by the vine''s sudden movements, looked up in a daze to see Zhang Nu still entangled, but with the upper hand in this deadly struggle.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 372 - Blood of Ancient Yao Beast

    Before Liu Hai could act, he quickly lost consciousness. Zhang Nu noticed that the moment his blood made contact with the Tree YaoGuai, the creature began to tremble violently. Realizing that the YaoGuai was genuinely afraid of his blood, Zhang Nu gripped its vines even tighter, refusing to let it escape so easily.


    Meanwhile, far away on the mountain''s peak, the Illusion YaoGuai sensed Zhang Nu''s blood and was shocked. Throughout history, only one type of blood could restrain the Tree YaoGuai---blood from the Ancient Yao Beasts. However, ording to the Illusion YaoGuai''s knowledge, those ancient creatures had long since perished. How could this be?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Could Zhang Nu possibly be a descendant of the ancient Yao beasts?


    The Illusion YaoGuai''s excitement grew. If Zhang Nu truly carried that bloodline, devouring him could greatly enhance its power.


    Unaware that his identity had been exposed, Zhang Nu had no idea about his potential lineage. Suddenly, the Tree YaoGuai, out of desperation, mmed Zhang Nu forcefully to the ground, knocking him unconscious. Upon seeing Zhang Nu copse, the YaoGuai panicked and fled, no longer daring to confront either Zhang Nu or Liu Hai.


    Fearful for its own survival, the Tree YaoGuai abandoned its position and retreated, although it remained within the second level of the mountain, choosing instead to hide and wait in another location.


    When Zhang Nu and Liu Hai slowly regained consciousness, they found themselves lying on the ground, unharmed. Liu Hai was the first to wake up, and when he saw Zhang Nu stirring, he quickly helped him sit up.


    "Zhang Nu, how are you feeling?" Liu Hai asked with concern.


    Zhang Nu, still feeling a bit dizzy, raised his hand and noticed that it had been bandaged. "Did you bandage my hand? Thank you," Zhang Nu said with gratitude.


    Liu Hai waved it off casually. "No need to thank me. If it weren''t for you, I''d still be trapped by that YaoGuai."


    "We''re friends, after all. There''s no need to be so formal?" Liu Hai added, then asked curiously, "But why was the Tree YaoGuai afraid of your blood? If it''s so powerful, why didn''t you use it earlier?"


    Zhang Nu shook his head, still unsure himself. "I honestly don''t know. I kept hearing this voice telling me that my blood would work, so I decided to give it a try. I didn''t expect it to actually be effective."


    Liu Hai nodded thoughtfully, realizing that whoever had whispered to Zhang Nu probably knew more about his true identity than Zhang Nu did himself.


    "If even you don''t know the answer, there''s no point in dwelling on it," Liu Hai said. "Now that we''re free, it''s clear the Tree YaoGuai has been dealt with. Let''s continue exploring and see if we can find anything that might help us level up."


    Zhang Nu nodded, and the two of them resumed their search. Yet, after a while, they realized there wasn''t much left to help them grow stronger. It seemed as though the Tree YaoGuai had taken its offspring with it, leaving behind only the weaker ones.


    Just when they were about to give up, they stumbled upon a small stream.


    "Zhang Nu, our luck''s been pretty bad, don''t you think?" Liu Hai muttered. "Why haven''t we found anything useful?"


    Zhang Nu shook his head, feeling that something wasn''t quite right. If the Tree YaoGuai had fled, how could it have taken all its descendants with it so quickly? Was this some kind of trick to mislead them?


    "If there''s truly nothing left in thisyer, then the Tree YaoGuai must have hidden everything," Zhang Nu spected. "But what could be so important that it would go to such great lengths to conceal it?"


    Liu Hai shook his head, uncertain. "Who knows? Maybe this ce was the Tree YaoGuai''sir. Or it could have absorbed the weaker creatures to power up."


    Zhang Nu considered this, thinking that Liu Hai''s theory made sense. The Tree YaoGuai might have consumed all the other creatures in the area to enhance its strength.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 373 - A Trap Awaits

    Zhang Nu felt that the situation was far moreplex than it appeared. Even if the Tree YaoGuai had lived for a hundred years, how could it resort to devouring its own kind? Still, aside from Liu Hai''s theory, he couldn''t think of any other exnation.


    "It seems like that''s the only possibility," Zhang Nu said. "Let''s rest for a moment, replenish our water supplies, and then keep going."


    Liu Hai nodded in agreement. With Zhang Nu by his side, he felt confident he could continue advancing step by step. Without him, he likely wouldn''t have made it past the second level.


    Zhang Nu took out his canteen, drank a few sips of water, and filled it again from the stream. He didn''t realize the potential danger in consuming this water without checking it first---a mistake that would bring trouble in the future. Zhang Nu hadn''t noticed this detail, and Liu Hai, who trusted himpletely, followed suit and filled his own canteen.


    After the two finished resting, they packed their things and prepared to move on. However, the Tree YaoGuai, hiding nearby, overheard their entire conversation. It knew that if they didn''t kill it, they wouldn''t be able to proceed any further. But what the pair didn''t realize was that the Tree YaoGuai could call upon the Illusion YaoGuai and trap them in a beautiful dream, making it easier to control them.


    The Tree Guai grinned at the thought of finally turning the tables on the two who had injured it earlier. Now it had the chance to repay them in full.


    Soon, the Tree Guai contacted the Illusion YaoGuai. However, when the Illusion Guai received the message, it felt nothing but disdain for the Tree Guai, seeing it as nothing more than a failure, incapable of handling two ordinary humans. Now, the Tree YaoGuai had the audacity to ask for help to deal with them, a request that seemedughable, even delusional.


    Still, the Illusion YaoGuai knew it couldn''t afford to openly break ties with the Tree YaoGuai. The tree''s roots spanned across the entire mountain, and if they had a falling-out now, survival would be difficult in such a hostile environment. So, with thinly veiled contempt, the Illusion YaoGuai responded with a simple "fine" and agreed to coborate with the Tree YaoGuai to set a trap.


    Meanwhile, Zhang Nu and Liu Hai remained oblivious to the danger awaiting them. They continued to march forward with confidence, as if the path ahead held something wondrous for them. Their focus was entirely on the journey forward, paying no attention to their surroundings, unaware that they had already fallen into the trap prepared by the Illusion and Tree YaoGuai.


    As they pressed on, they reached the third level of the mountain. Upon arrival, they noticed that the sunlight was no longer as strong, casting the area in a strange dimness. The mountain had a total of six levels, and they had just reached the halfway point."Zhang Nu, don''t you feel that the atmosphere here is oppressive? It''s like something is lurking around," Liu Hai asked, his voice tense.


    Zhang Nu nodded in agreement, sensing that the third level held much greater danger than the previous ones.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The heaviness in the air was palpable, and the faint sunlight barely reached them, casting eerie shadows across the terrain. "Be on guard. I have a feeling that whatever''s here is far more formidable. Look at how the sunlight can''t even prate through," Zhang Nu warned.


    Liu Hai nced upward, noticing that the sun barely filtered through the dense canopy above. He realized Zhang Nu was right---they couldn''t afford to be careless, especially after their close call with the Tree Guai on the lower level. If it hadn''t been for the strange power of Zhang Nu''s blood, they would''ve been killed by now.


    As they continued forward, their steps became more cautious. Neither of them knew what awaited, but the tension was unmistakable. The creatures on this level were different---far more resilient and aggressive.


    The third level was teeming with life, particrly snakes. These creatures, quick and evasive, were known for their deadly attacks and their ability to avoid detection. The snakes were coiled in the shadows, silently observing Zhang Nu and Liu Hai''s movements, though the pair remained oblivious to their presence, pressing on into the unknown.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 374 - Ocean of Snakes

    As Zhang Nu and Liu Hai continued walking, they gradually noticed something felt off. They had been traveling for quite some time, yet there wasn''t a single monster in sight. It was puzzling---had all the creatures on the third level moved up to higher levels, or had someone else cleared them out?


    "Zhang Nu, don''t you think this is strange?" Liu Hai asked, his voice filled with unease. "We''ve been walking for so long, but haven''t encountered a single creature."


    Zhang Nu nodded in agreement. It was indeed baffling. After so much time, it didn''t make sense that they hadn''t encountered at least one creature, even a low-level one.


    "You''re right. Something is definitely off. Stay alert," Zhang Nu replied. "I also have this feeling that something or someone is watching us from the shadows."


    A chill ran down Liu Hai''s spine. He hadn''t sensed anything, yet Zhang Nu seemed sure of it.


    "Are you sure, Zhang Nu? I haven''t sensed anything. Could there really be someone watching us?" Liu Hai asked nervously.


    Zhang Nu didn''t rule out the possibility. He didn''t know who or what might be keeping an eye on them, nor their intentions. However, for now, that wasn''t the priority. They needed to either find these creatures or keep moving upward in search of others.


    "If they haven''t attacked us yet, it likely means they don''t mean us harm---for now," Zhang Nu advised. "Let''s keep moving upward, and unless absolutely necessary, don''t act rashly."


    Liu Hai nodded in agreement, and the two continued cautiously on their journey.


    At this moment, several snakes were quietly following Zhang Nu and Liu Hai, seemingly curious about what these two would do next. Before long, Zhang Nu could hear the distinct hissing sounds from the surroundings. Zhang Nu, being particrly sensitive to such noises, had missed it earlier due to the smaller number and quieter volume. But now, the sound was unmistakable, growing louder and more numerous, as if they were being surrounded.


    "Hold on," Zhang Nu said cautiously. "I think something is approaching us."


    Liu Hai, now alert, scanned their surroundings, yet saw nothing. He wondered if Zhang Nu was being overly cautious. "Zhang Nu, could you have misheard? I don''t see anythinging toward us."


    Shaking his head, Zhang Nu closed his eyes, extending his spiritual sense to probe the area around them. Though there were no signs of humans or other creatures nearby, he knew that didn''t mean the danger wasn''t there. The thick grass and dense trees provided ample cover for whatever might be lurking.


    Once Zhang Nu extended his spiritual sense further into the underbrush, a chilling sight met his awareness---countless snakes were slithering toward them. It was as if they had be prey, and the snakes were the hunters. Seeing this mass of serpents, Zhang Nu felt a wave of unease wash over him, triggering his trypophobia. He had never seen so many snakes in his life. It seemed clear that the creatures dominating this third level were indeed these snakes.


    "I know what''sing toward us! It''s snakes," Zhang Nu said, his voice tense. "There are thousands of them heading in our direction. We need to get out of here immediately."


    Upon hearing this, Liu Hai felt his skin crawl. He was terrified of such slimy creatures, especially in such overwhelming numbers.


    "Then what are we waiting for? Let''s get out of here!" Liu Hai urged, his voice full of revulsion. "There''s nothing more disgusting than a horde of wriggling snakes."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Zhang Nu nodded in agreement, and they quickened their pace. However, the faster they moved, the quicker the snakes seemed to slither after them. These creatures were far more familiar with the terrain and knew how to close in on their prey.


    Before long, Zhang Nu sensed that the snakes were surrounding them from all directions, drawing closer by the second. They were toote to escape now.


    "Stop," Zhang Nu said suddenly. "We''re not going to outrun them. I can feel it, they''re less than ten meters away from us, and they''reing from every direction."


    Liu Hai''s heart raced as fear set in. The thought of being surrounded by thousands of snakes made his skin crawl even more. If what Zhang Nu said was true and they werepletely surrounded, there was no telling how many of these creatures they would have to face.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 375 - Talisman

    "What should we do now? There are so many snakes---how can we possibly deal with them?" Liu Hai''s voice trembled as he looked to Zhang Nu for an answer. He had ced all his hope in Zhang Nu, relying on him to find a way out of this terrifying situation.


    Zhang Nu could sense the pressure mounting. Liu Hai had pinned all his expectations on him, but Zhang Nu knew it was a mistake to think he had all the answers. He wasn''t sure he could sessfully fend off the swarm of snakes, nor did he have a clear n.


    "Don''t put all your hopes in me," Zhang Nu said, his voice tense. "I don''t know how we''re going to deal with these snakes either. Honestly, I hate them as much as you do."


    Liu Hai nodded, realizing they were both in the same situation. If they were going to survive, they would have to face this together. These snakes were indeed some of the most revolting creatures they had encountered, and their situation seemed dire.


    What the two didn''t realize, however, was that their conversation hadn''t gone unheard. The snakes, having heightened senses, had picked up on their words, and this seemed to provoke them further. The horde of snakes began to move even faster, seemingly enraged by the outsiders who had dared to invade their territory.


    Zhang Nu, sensing the change in the snakes'' movements, quickly conjured a protective barrier around himself and Liu Hai. He hoped it would buy them enough time to figure out their next move and prevent the snakes from closing in too quickly.


    Just as Zhang Nu and Liu Hai had finished putting up the protective barrier, the swarm of snakesunched themselves at it. The sight was truly horrifying for the two, who had never encountered anything so terrifying. The snakes attacked relentlessly, mming into the barrier as though they had no regard for their own safety. Some even crawled up and over the shield, fiercely trying to break through from above.


    Zhang Nu and Liu Hai both knew that at the current rate of assault, the barrier wouldn''t hold much longer unless they found a way out.


    "Zhang Nu, what should we do now?" Liu Hai''s voice trembled with panic. "If they keep attacking like this, our barrier won''tst much longer."


    Zhang Nu nodded, fully aware that Liu Hai was right. He was racking his brain for ideas, but his intense aversion to snakes made it difficult for him to think clearly.


    Meanwhile, the Illusion YaoGuai and the Tree YaoGuai watched with satisfaction from a distance. They had always underestimated the snake tribe, but seeing the fearsome effectiveness of the snakes against Zhang Nu and Liu Hai, they couldn''t help but smile. For all their arrogance, the snakes were proving to be an effective weapon against the humans.


    Zhang Nu finally came up with an idea: they could attempt sword flight to escape, or perhaps use talismans to repel the snakes. Though it was risky, it seemed like the best option they had.


    "Can you use talismans?" Zhang Nu asked.


    Liu Hai shook his head. "How could I? I''ve never learned anything like that. If I did, I wouldn''t be panicking right now."


    Zhang Nu realized that he would have to handle everything himself. "In that case, leave it to me. Just make sure to reinforce the barrier. Whatever happens, don''t let any of these snakes get through while I''m drawing the talisman."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Liu Hai nodded and immediately cast a strengthening spell on the barrier. But to the swarm of snakes, Liu Hai''s spell was hardly intimidating. Though the snakes didn''t have high cultivation, their sheer numbers made up for it. Before long, Liu Hai was struggling to maintain the barrier.


    "Zhang Nu, hurry up! I can''t hold them off much longer!" Liu Hai called out, his voice filled with urgency.


    Zhang Nu nodded and sped up his drawing. As soon as he finished the talisman, he pped it onto the barrier. The moment it made contact, the barrier seemed to gain an invisible reinforcement. In an instant, the talisman''s power surged, sending the snakes flying away from the shield.


    Liu Hai was left dumbfounded by the sight. He had never imagined talismans could be used in such a way.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 376 - Somethings Off

    After witnessing Zhang Nu''s incredible abilities firsthand, Liu Hai realized that Zhang Nu wasn''t exaggerating---he truly had the skills to ascend all the way to the top of Nine Fox Ridge. However, while they had momentarily repelled the swarm of snakes, these creatures were relentless, continuously lunging at them as if driven by an unyielding determination. Their sheer numbers were overwhelming, and Liu Hai felt they wouldn''t be able to fend them off for long.


    "Zhang Nu, this isn''t working. How can we get rid of these snakes once and for all?"


    Zhang Nu shook his head, feeling helpless. He knew this wasn''t a sustainable solution, but something about the situation felt off. Ever since they had arrived here, he had been sensing something strange, as if someone was manipting events behind the scenes. This intuition had saved him before, during thest game, and now it was ring up again. Could there be something more to this?


    "The only thing I can tell you is that something doesn''t feel right about this situation. I think we''ve walked right into a trap, but I can''t figure out exactly where we went wrong."


    Liu Hai, hearing Zhang Nu''s words, seemed confused, struggling to understand what he meant. "What do you mean by that, Zhang Nu? Do you really think there''s something off about all this?"


    Zhang Nu''s instincts had rarely led him astray in the past, and he knew they had to remain cautious, as there was likely more to this threat than met the eye.


    After listening to Liu Hai, Zhang Nu nodded in agreement, his suspicions growing stronger. The situation didn''t seem right at all. How was it that upon reaching the third level, the sunlight had suddenly diminished so drastically? If every level had creatures with certain cultivation levels, it was possible they could possess abilities to block the sky. But even if all the snakes here had reached the third stage, it still wouldn''t be enough to obscure half the sunlight. This only indicated that something or someone had been manipting the environment around them.


    "Yes," Zhang Nu said, "I suspect that everything we''re seeing might be an illusion."


    "Once YaoGuai reach a certain level of power, they do gain abilities that can block out the sun. But think about it---when we reached the second level, the sun was still bright. How is it that as soon as we entered the third level, the sun suddenly disappeared? Even if the creatures here are highly cultivated, there''s no way they could block out so much sunlight on their own. This means that there''s something else going on---everything we''re seeing might be fake."


    Liu Hai, hearing Zhang Nu''s analysis, felt a chill run down his spine. Whoever was behind this must be extremely powerful to be able to deceive them so thoroughly. They had unwittingly fallen into this trap, and this hidden force had manipted their perception of reality to such an extent that they hadn''t even realized it. Now, they were up against a formidable foe, one capable of distorting their surroundings to such a dangerous degree.


    "Is that so? Then what should we do now, Zhang Nu?" Liu Hai asked anxiously. "Are we just going to sit here and wait to die? Isn''t there any way to escape?"


    Zhang Nu shook his head, still uncertain about the best course of action. He wasn''t entirely sure if his ideas would work or if they even applied to the situation they were facing. Everything was still unclear.


    "I don''t know what we should do yet," Zhang Nu admitted. "We have no idea if what we''re seeing is real or just an illusion. And without knowing that, we''re stuck without a clear solution."


    Liu Hai understood the gravity of Zhang Nu''s words. But he also knew that if they didn''t act soon, the snakes would overwhelm them, and they would be in serious trouble. These snakes were deadly, and if they swarmed them, their bodies would be devoured in seconds.


    "But Zhang Nu, regardless of everything else, our priority has to be dealing with these snakes in front of us," Liu Hai urged. "Once they''re out of the way, we can take the time to think about what''s really going on."


    Zhang Nu nodded and refocused his attention on the snakes. If this entire environment was an illusion, then these snakes were likely not real either. The challenge was figuring out how to disrupt the illusion and escape.


    "I''m almost certain that what we''re seeing isn''t real," Zhang Nu said thoughtfully. "We''re probably caught inside some sort of illusion formation. The more we feed into our fear of these snakes, the stronger their attacks will be. But if we can stop fearing them, they''ll disappear on their own, and we''ll be free of this mess."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 365: Cold Beauty

    Chapter 365: Cold Beauty


    Zhang Nu didn''t have much time to ponder; he could only inch closer to the vige chief''s house, eager to uncover the truth hidden there. As he approached, a figure suddenly appeared ahead---a woman, dressed in a flowing white gown, with an air of icy beauty surrounding her.


    Instinctively, Zhang Nu hid himself, though he wasn''t sure why. It was just his immediate reaction. A momentter, he realized he didn''t really need to hide. After all, he hadn''t wronged this person, nor had they met before, so there was no reason for him to feel nervous. However, since he had already concealed himself, there seemed little reason to reveal his presence now. If he did, he might rm her and alert the vige chief.


    As the woman moved closer to the vige chief''s house, Zhang Nu found himself wanting to follow her. However, before he could move further, vigers suddenly appeared around him, as if they had materialized from thin air. Zhang Nu tensed, scanning the faces around him. Who were these vigers? How had they managed to arrive so quickly without him noticing?


    "Who are you? Didn''t we already tell you that this area is forbidden in our vige? Why are you here?"


    After hearing the viger''s words, Zhang Nu was momentarily at a loss, unsure how to respond. Though he wore Liu Hai''s clothing, the fact remained that he was an outsider to the vige. However, it was clear that the vigers hadn''t recognized this and seemed to judge him solely based on his attire.


    "Sorry, uncle, I was just here to retrieve something I dropped. I didn''t mean to trespass into the forbidden area."


    The viger seemed to take his excuse at face value and waved him off dismissively.


    "Hurry up and get your things, then leave. Next time I catch you here, it won''t matter whose kid you are---I won''t let you off."Nodding and bowing slightly, Zhang Nu quickly gathered his things and made a hasty exit. Just as he left, he caught a glimpse of the cold woman''s mocking gaze. She was standing right behind the vigers, yet it was as though they couldn''t see her at all,pletely ignoring her presence.


    This baffled Zhang Nu even more. What was going on? Why did the vigers seem blind to the woman, yet be so focused on him? Could it be that they could only see men?


    Slowly retreating, Zhang Nu made his way back to where Liu Hai had been waiting. As soon as he saw Zhang Nu, Liu Hai leapt down from the tree he was perched in.


    "So, did you find anything?"


    Shaking his head, Zhang Nu exined, "I didn''t get close enough to the vige chief''s house before the vigers spotted me. You were right---they appeared out of nowhere, as if they materialized from thin air. They surrounded me in an instant, and I didn''t hear a single footstep."


    After listening to Zhang Nu''s exnation, Liu Hai nodded, realizing that he had experienced a simr situation before. He too was baffled by how the vigers seemed to appear out of nowhere and why they possessed such strange abilities.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "I suspected something was off with these vigers from the beginning," Liu Hai remarked. "But I couldn''t quite figure out how to exin it---they just seem to appear from thin air. What do you think is going on? Why is this vige so strange?"


    Zhang Nu, equally perplexed, shook his head. But what unsettled him the most was the mysterious woman. She had calmly walked toward the vige chief''s house without any of the vigers attempting to stop her.


    "After I entered the vige, I saw a woman ahead of me," Zhang Nu said. "She was a graceful, young woman, but the vigers acted as if they couldn''t see her. They didn''t try to stop her at all, as if she belonged there."


    Liu Hai was even more shocked upon hearing this. He had never encountered someone with such a high cultivation level. Based on his understanding, only someone with immense power could approach the vige chief''s house. But Zhang Nu already had the highest cultivation level he had ever seen, and even he couldn''t get close. So, just how powerful was this woman that the vigers were entirely unaware of her presence?

 Chapter 366: Nights Wailing

    Chapter 366: Night''s Wailing


    "How could that be possible? Is it possible that that woman''s cultivation level surpasses even yours?" Liu Hai asked, his disbelief clear. "I always assumed only those with high cultivation could get close to the vige chief''s residence. I haven''t been able to even approach it."


    Zhang Nu pondered Liu Hai''s words. Perhaps it was true that only individuals with significant power could approach the vige chief''s house. Despite having chosen an advanced aptitude, Zhang Nu found it hard to believe that someone could possess a potential higher than his or progress faster in cultivation.


    "I''m not sure," Zhang Nu replied thoughtfully. "But for now, let''s return to your house and review what we know. We need to figure out what''s really happening."


    Liu Hai agreed, and the two quickly made their way back to Liu Hai''s home. Once there, theybined all the information they had gathered, but it still wasn''t enough to form a clear picture.


    "Right now, it''s obvious that our cultivation level isn''t sufficient," Zhang Nu said. "Do you know of any ces nearby where we can hunt beasts or monsters? We need to improve our cultivation quickly if we want a chance at getting closer to the vige chief''s house."


    Liu Hai''s face brightened as a thought came to him. "Yes, there''s a ce not too far from here called Nine Fox Ridge. It''s filled with Yao Beasts (ÑýÊÞ), and I''ve been going there to strengthen my cultivation."


    Zhang Nu nodded. "Good. Then we''ll head to Nine Fox Ridge tomorrow. The only thing we can do now is increase our cultivation and hope to discover something new along the way."Liu Hai nodded at Zhang Nu''s words, but neither of them noticed the presence of a graceful figure standing outside the window, silently listening to their conversation. The mysterious woman, after overhearing their discussion, let out a softugh. Yet, the sound of herughter quickly faded into the wind, as though nothing had ever happened.


    Unaware of her presence, both Zhang Nu and Liu Hai carried on, oblivious to the fact that she seemed indifferent to their ns. It was as if their intentions to enhance their cultivation held no significance in her eyes.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//omThat night, as the two meny down to rest, preparing to sleep, an unsettling sound suddenly echoed through the vige. They heard eerie wails, filling the night with an otherworldly presence.


    Zhang Nu, spending his first night in the vige, was startled and immediately sat up, turning to Liu Hai for answers.


    "What''s going on? How could a normal vige be filled with such wailing? Could there be something else lurking in this vige?"


    Liu Hai shook his head. He had experienced the same unsettling noises on his first night here and had gone to investigate but found nothing out of the ordinary. It seemed that, even though the wails filled the air, the vige remained unchanged.


    "When I first heard the sounds, I went out to investigate too, but I didn''t find anything unusual. The vige looks the same as it does during the day, except for theck of light. And if you go outside, the wailing doesn''t stop. It only gets louder, almost as if it''s deliberately trying to scare you."After hearing Liu Hai''s words, Zhang Nu found the vige even more unsettling. ording to their observations, this ce did not seem like a normal vige where people should be living. The eerie phenomenon that urred every night was strange enough, but the fact that the vigers acted as though nothing was wrong made the situation even more suspicious.


    Despite the eerie wails filling the air, the vigers appearedpletely unbothered. They lived their lives without ever showing fear or seeking help to banish what seemed to haunt their vige.


    Zhang Nu asked, "But with all that wailing, don''t the vigers react at all? Don''t they fear their children could be frightened?"


    Liu Hai shook his head and replied, "None at all. It''s like they''ve gotten used to it. In fact, if the wailing didn''t happen for a night, they''d probably find it strange. It''s almost as if they''ve grown up with it."


    Hearing this, Zhang Nu furrowed his brows, feeling an increasing curiosity about the strange nature of this vige.

 Chapter 367: Nighttime Discussion

    Chapter 367: Nighttime Discussion


    It was bing increasingly clear to Zhang Nu that this vige was far from ordinary, and every strange urrence only fueled his determination to uncover its hidden secrets. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that something sinistery beneath the surface, something that could not remain hidden for long. Zhang Nu was resolute---he would get to the bottom of this.


    Meanwhile, in a ce where neither Zhang Nu nor Liu Hai could see, the mysterious woman was still lurking, observing their conversation. Amused by their naivety, she found their efforts almostughable. If they stepped outside now, Zhang Nu, with his cultivation skills, would undoubtedly be able to sense something unusual in the air---something that might have eluded Liu Hai''s perception.


    "How dull," she murmured softly, her voiceced with amusement. And then, with an almost ghostly movement, she vanished into the shadows.


    None of them noticed her departure, and momentster, the mysterious woman reappeared in front of the vige chief. The vige chief''s expression did not change upon seeing her, as though he had expected her arrival all along.


    "Old man, it seems your vige has attracted quite a few outsiders," she said with a bemused tone.


    The vige chief raised an eyebrow, surprised. He had clearly ordered that no outsiders be allowed in, and the vigers would not dare disobey him. So why were there strangers wandering about?


    "How could that be? I explicitly gave orders to keep outsiders away. Are my vigers no longer listening to me?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The woman smiled slyly, her lips curling into a mocking grin. "Those bumbling fools, they couldn''t even tell those two apart from their own people, just because they changed clothes."She chuckled softly before adding, "I didn''t expect your vigers to be so dull-witted. They can''t even spot outsiders dressed in the same attire."


    The chief''s expression darkened. He hadn''t anticipated the woman to insult his vigers so openly, especially when he had agreed to coborate with her. He felt there was no need for such disrespect."Enough, I''ve already agreed to cooperate with you," the vige chief said with a stern expression. "There''s no need for you to keep insulting my vigers. If you continue with these insults, don''t me me for being hostile."


    The woman chuckled softly, clearly unimpressed by the chief''s words. To her, the idea of the vige chief posing any threat wasughable. After all, he was just a mere mortal, and no matter how strong he was, he couldn''t possibly surpass her power.


    "Oh? I''m intrigued," she replied mockingly. "I''d love to see how you n to make good on that threat."


    Her tone and demeanor made it evident that she looked down on the vige chief. While the chief was indeed powerful in his own right, he was nowhere near the level of this mysterious woman. The reason he had chosen to submit to her demands was solely to protect his vigers from her wrath. He wasn''t in a position to challenge her openly, and he knew that.


    The chief was acutely aware that if he pushed back against her now, it would only bring harm to the vige. He had to think beyond his pride and focus on the bigger picture, ensuring the safety of everyone under his care. Sacrificing his ego was a small price to pay for protecting the vige from destruction.


    "What do you want me to do?" the chief asked calmly. "Should I drive those people out, or do you want me to deal with them permanently?"


    The woman sighed, clearly finding the situation tedious. In truth, she didn''t see those people as a significant threat. However, she couldn''t deny that Zhang Nu and hispanion had potential. If they were given the time and opportunity to grow, they might one day be strong enough to challenge her.


    She relished the thought of an actual opponent who could match her strength. For far too long, she had existed without any real challenge, effortlessly dominating all who stood before her. Perhaps, if Zhang Nu and hispanion continued to develop, they could provide her with the excitement she longed for.


    For now, though, they were still far too weak to be of any concern.


    "The vige may no longer see peaceful days. That man''s arrival here will surely bring endless trouble. I have a feeling he''s not as simple as he seems, and one day he''ll grow into a formidable force."


    The vige chief, though unsure of the full meaning behind the woman''s words, understood the potential threat. If this man had the capability to grow and be dangerous, it would be better to eliminate him now rather than let him continue to develop.


    "If he will one day rival you, why not stop him now while we can, and nip it in the bud??"


    The woman, however, found the chief''s mindset incredibly dull. The only reason the chief found life interesting was because he had an entire vige to protect. If the vige chief no longer had anything left to protect, he would likely be as lonely and deste as she was.


    "I just want to see how far he can grow," she said. "The omens suggest someone will emerge to challenge us, a youth who may ultimately destroy us."


    "I''m curious whether that youth is him."


    Upon hearing her words, the vige chief found her logic absurd, as if she were a madwoman. Knowing full well that destruction could be on the horizon, she remained indifferent and nonchnt. If that was her mindset, there was nothing more to be said. Let her pursue her folly, and when she meets her end, the vige would rejoice.

 Chapter 368: Illusionary Formation

    Chapter 368: Illusionary Formation


    The next day arrived swiftly.


    At dawn, Zhang Nu and Liu Hai had already prepared to head to the Nine Fox Ridge, where they hoped to improve their cultivation level and defeat numerous Yao Beasts.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Be very careful on this road," Liu Hai advised. "Don''t underestimate it. This ce is crawling with monsters, even though it may seem empty at first."


    "Trust me, they''re already watching us closely."


    Liu Hai was speaking from experience, having learned these lessons the hard way. On his first trip to the mountain, he''d been deceived by a minor YaoGuai skilled in illusions. If not for a stroke of luck that allowed him to see through the trick, he would have perished.


    Zhang Nu nodded in acknowledgment. Liu Hai''s advice was invaluable, and he had no intention of letting him down or losing his trust.


    Before long, the two reached the foot of the mountain, where Zhang Nu could immediately sense numerous eyes observing them. However, he refrained from revealing his abilities just yet, not wanting to rm Liu Hai.


    "Zhang Nu, be extremely cautious. No matter what happens, don''t let your guard down," Liu Hai advised.Zhang Nu nodded in response, and the two of them began their ascent up Nine Fox Ridge. As soon as they stepped onto the ridge, they both felt a subtle shift in their surroundings, as though they had suddenly entered another realm.


    "Be careful, Zhang Nu. We may have already fallen into a YaoGuai''s illusion," Liu Hai warned.


    Zhang Nu nodded again. To him, a mere illusion YaoGuai was nothing to fear. With his high cultivation, he was confident he could defeat the YaoGuai and further strengthen his power. However, he needed to ensure that Liu Hai remained unaware of his abilities.


    Although Zhang Nu''s special physique made him immune to such illusions, he couldn''t afford to let Liu Hai suspect anything. As long as Liu Hai remained trustworthy, there would be no issues, but if he harbored any ill intentions, it could lead to more people attacking Zhang Nuter on.


    Zhang Nu and Liu Hai continued walking when they suddenly encountered an illusionary formation ahead. Zhang Nu immediately recognized it as a simple illusionary array, one that posed no threat to him. However, Liu Hai, with his significantly lower cultivation level, was far more susceptible to its effects. He could easily be lost within the illusion and forget his original purpose.


    Zhang Nu watched as Liu Hai, seemingly under the influence of the array, wandered toward a shadowy forest. Although they had only recently met, Zhang Nu felt that Liu Hai had been genuine in his assistance. Liu Hai had openly shared everything he knew, treating Zhang Nu as a trusted ally.


    Just as Liu Hai was about to step further into danger, Zhang Nu acted swiftly, pulling him back and tapping on Liu Hai''s temples twice. Within moments, Liu Hai regained his senses, realizing how close he hade to falling for the illusion once again. Without Zhang Nu''s intervention, he might not have escaped the array.


    "Thank you, Zhang Nu. I warned you about this earlier, and yet I was the one who almost got caught," Liu Hai said, with a self-deprecating tone.


    Zhang Nu simply nodded. "It''s fine. Your warning helped me stay cautious. Let''s proceed carefully."


    With heightened vignce, they continued forward and eventually exited the illusion. As they did, the Illusion YaoGuai opened its eyes. Though it had only set a basic illusionary trap, it knew that ordinary people wouldn''t have been able to break free so easily. It realized that Zhang Nu and Liu Hai were not to be underestimated.

 Chapter 369: Second Level

    Chapter 369: Second Level


    Since they had the power to break free from her illusion array, the Illusion YaoGuai wondered if they could withstand the next formation she was preparing. The thought made her more excited, eager to see how they would react.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Send Lao Wu (ÀÏÎå: Fifth Brother) to test their strength," she ordered with a sly grin. "Let''s see what they''re truly capable of, daring to enter Nine Fox Ridge."


    "Yes, my Lady," her subordinate responded, bowing respectfully before leaving to carry out the order.


    Meanwhile, Zhang Nu and Liu Hai were entirely unaware of the YaoGuai''s ns. Their focus was solely on hunting down beasts to enhance their cultivation.


    Suddenly, a pack of snarling wolves appeared in their path. However, instead of feeling fear, Zhang Nu and Liu Hai''s eyes lit up with excitement as though this was exactly what they had hoped for. Without hesitation, the two exchanged nces and charged headlong into the wolf pack.


    The battlemenced in a flurry of attacks. Zhang Nu set his sights on the wolf leader, knowing that taking down the strongest would grant him significant rewards. As for the rest of the pack, Liu Hai took responsibility, using the opportunity to refine his own abilities.


    After Zhang Nu defeated the wolf pack leader, his personal stats interface showed a noticeable improvement:


    yer: Zhang Nu Level: Qi Gathering Stage Three (1280/2500)


    Identity: Mysterious Orphan of the Ten Thousand Mountains


    Stats:


    - Vitality: 35,000/35,000


    - Essence: 35,000/35,000


    - Physique: 450


    - Soul: 450


    - Mind: 450


    - Talent: 450


    Abilities:


    - Supreme Sacred Body (Talent)


    - ck Wind Art (Cultivation Technique)


    Although Zhang Nu advanced, the improvement was modest and didn''t lead to any significant changes in his power. As expected, defeating the low-level wolf pack leader yielded only a minor boost in his abilities, consistent with what Zhang Nu had expected.


    Turning his attention to Liu Hai, Zhang Nu deliberately refrained from intervening in Liu Hai''s battle. He understood that stepping in would hinder Liu Hai''s own progress. Grateful for this, Liu Hai focused on defeating the wolves himself, determined to improve.


    When Liu Hai finally finished off the remaining wolves, Zhang Nu gave him an approving nod. He had anticipated that Liu Hai might call for help but was impressed that Liu Hai managed to handle the situation alone.


    "How are you feeling? Have you made any progress?" Zhang Nu asked.


    Liu Hai, feeling proud, nodded confidently. He felt that his skills had significantly improved and was now ready to ascend higher into the mountains.


    "I''ve made great strides," Liu Hai replied, "and I can apany you further in now."


    Zhang Nu nodded at Liu Hai''s words, and the two continued their ascent. Unbeknownst to them, everything they did was being watched by the Illusion YaoGuai, though she seemed indifferent to it all. To her, the wolves they had just fought were merely the lowest-ranking creatures with only basic cultivation. The real challenges would begin once they reached the second level of the mountain.


    Sure enough, once Zhang Nu and Liu Hai stepped onto the second level, they felt an increase in mental pressure. There were creatures here that were far more powerful than the wolves they had encountered below. Zhang Nu, with his stronger cultivation, hardly noticed the pressure, but Liu Hai, having just advanced, was struggling to adapt.


    "Zhang Nu, something about this ce feels off," Liu Hai remarked, visibly anxious. "I get the sense that something dangerous is lurking here."


    Zhang Nu shook his head slightly. He couldn''t sense the same danger that Liu Hai felt, perhaps because his own cultivation was much higher.


    "You might be right. We should tread carefully from here. Hardly anyone dares climb this high, and only those with real cultivation can make it to this level. The beasts here might have be far more powerful," Zhang Nu agreed.


    Liu Hai nodded, adopting a more cautious approach as they continued forward. However, as they took their first steps deeper into the second level, the ground beneath them began to tremble violently. Suddenly, they found themselves facing an unexpected foe---a Hundred-Year Tree YaoGuai.


    Reacting quickly, Zhang Nu shoved Liu Hai to the side and rolled away himself, both of them narrowly avoiding the violent tremors. As they regained their footing, they scanned their surroundings cautiously, though there seemed to be no immediate threat visible. Yet the ground continued to quake ominously, as if it intended to crush them under its weight.

 Chapter 370: Tree YaoGuai

    Chapter 370: Tree YaoGuai


    At this moment, Zhang Nu and Liu Hai were unsure of what had just transpired. Both of them felt confused and bewildered, realizing they needed to find stable ground to stand on immediately.


    "Liu Hai, get up into the trees now," Zhang Numanded.


    In Zhang Nu''s mind, the only safe option was the treetops. He believed it was the best ce for them to regain their footing. However, what seemed like a good idea unknowingly led them right into danger.


    Without hesitation, Liu Hai followed Zhang Nu''s instructions, leaping onto a towering tree alongside him. But the moment they perched atop the tree, the ground, which had been violently shaking moments earlier, suddenly became calm.


    Seeing this abrupt change, Liu Hai felt both amazed and unnerved.


    "What''s going on, Zhang Nu? Why did the shaking stop as soon as we climbed the tree?" he asked, his voice filled with confusion.


    Zhang Nu shook his head, equally puzzled. He couldn''t figure out what connection there was between the tremors and their movement. What hidden factor had they overlooked? Something was clearly being concealed from them, but Zhang Nu couldn''t quite grasp what it was.


    "I''m not sure," he admitted. "Let''s try going down again. If the ground starts shaking as soon as we touch it, then we''ll know it has something to do with us. If that''s the case, we may need to stick to traveling through the treetops."Liu Hai nodded in agreement, and the two of them prepared to test Zhang Nu''s theory. Just as the two prepared to leap back down to the ground, a vine suddenly appeared and coiled tightly around their bodies. Zhang Nu instantly realized that they had fallen into a trap. It was highly likely that the Illusion YaoGuai had conspired with the Tree YaoGuai to set up this borate snare.


    "What''s happening, Zhang Nu?" Liu Hai asked, his voice filled with confusion.


    Zhang Nu''s face darkened as he responded, "We''ve been tricked."


    Liu Hai was shocked. If they had indeed fallen into a trap, how were they supposed to escape? Would they just wait here helplessly to meet their doom?


    "So, what do we do now?" Liu Hai asked, cing his full trust in Zhang Nu. By now, he clearly viewed Zhang Nu as his greatest support.


    Zhang Nu shook his head, uncertainty clouding his mind. He wasn''t entirely sure what their next move should be either. All he could do was try his best.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I''m not sure yet. We need to figure out if it''s someone controlling these vines or if it''s the work of the Tree YaoGuai."


    Liu Hai nodded, and the two began brainstorming ways to free themselves. However, after struggling for what felt like hours, they were still stuck, unable to find a solution. They started to regret their rash decision to climb the tree, which now left them trapped.


    "Zhang Nu, it doesn''t seem like anyone is attacking us directly. These vines are part of the tree, so maybe the tree itself is targeting us."


    Zhang Nu nodded in agreement. He had already begun to suspect as much. If the Tree YaoGuai was responsible, then being surrounded by trees only made things worse. There was no way every tree here could have gained consciousness, right?


    "We better hope this is the only tree that''se to life. Otherwise, we''re in serious trouble," Zhang Nu said grimly.


    After hearing Zhang Nu''s serious tone, Liu Hai was taken aback. If even Zhang Nu was showing concern, it meant the situation was indeed dire. He didn''t want to perish here; he was determined to survive. His loyalty to Zhang Nu stemmed from his belief that Zhang Nu would lead him to victory.


    "No way, Zhang Nu! We can''t give up like this. We have to find a way out of here! We still need to make it to the end."


    Zhang Nu nodded, recalling his initial goal. He had survived the previous game and emerged as a king. There was no way he would allow himself to be defeated so easily in this round. He needed to quickly locate the Tree YaoGuai''s weakness and eliminate it.


    "Liu Hai, I''ll search for the Tree Guai''s weak point. Meanwhile, you check the other trees to see if they''ve also be sentient."


    Liu Hai agreed, even though they were still trapped. With determination, he pulled out his trusted dagger and aimed at a healthy-looking tree nearby. As he threw the dagger, it flew swiftly toward its target, but just before it struck, the tree shifted slightly, causing the de to misspletely.

 Chapter 371: They Are All Sentient

    Chapter 371: They Are All Sentient


    After seeing what happened, Liu Hai had a bad feeling. He suspected that every tree in this area had be sentient. To confirm his theory, heunched another attack on two nearby trees. Both dodged his strikes with ease.


    "Zhang Nu, I think every tree here has awakened sentience," Liu Hai said, his tone filled with unease. "I just tested two more trees, and both evaded my dagger just before it struck."


    Zhang Nu was taken aback by this revtion. If every tree in thisnd had be sentient, the danger they faced was far greater than anticipated. If the trees banded together to attack, their current strength might not be enough to fend them off.


    "It seems we''re in real trouble now. If all the trees here are sentient, they might team up against us," Zhang Nu replied grimly.


    Liu Hai, recognizing the truth in Zhang Nu''s words, grew even more serious. They couldn''t allow these Tree YaoGuais to unite against them.


    Meanwhile, the ancient Hundred-Year Tree YaoGuai listened to their conversation and chuckled inwardly. To the YaoGuai, Zhang Nu and Liu Hai seemed foolish. Even if the surrounding trees hadn''t gained full consciousness, it would still protect them, aiding their cultivation. The YaoGuai felt confident that their misunderstanding would make them easier to defeat. The warning from its superior now seemed unnecessary---these two were far less formidable and calcting than initially believed.


    The Tree YaoGuaiunched another attack on Zhang Nu and Liu Hai, with the vines tightening around them, causing increasing pain. They quickly realized they couldn''t allow the vines to keep binding them, or they would be crushed under the pressure.


    "Liu Hai, we must break free from this Tree YaoGuai immediately," Zhang Nu said urgently. "If we let it keep wrapping us like this, it will strangle us to death."Liu Hai nodded in agreement, but he found himself at a loss, unable to figure out how to escape from the tightening grip of the vines.


    "Zhang Nu, what should we do? How do we break free from this?"


    Zhang Nu shook his head in frustration, but both noticed something rming---the vines seemed to tighten even more after they spoke about escaping. Liu Hai wondered if it was just his imagination or if the Tree YaoGuai was reacting to their conversation.


    "Liu Hai, do you feel like these vines are tightening even more?" Zhang Nu asked.


    Liu Hai immediately nodded. He had noticed the same thing and was about to mention it. It became clear to them that the situation was not just a figment of their imagination. The Tree YaoGuai had likely overheard their n to escape and was now trying to crush them.


    Now, both of them were gasping for air, the vines coiling tighter with each desperate struggle. Their attempts to free themselves only seemed to make the vines constrict harder, pushing them closer to suffocation.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At that critical moment, as Zhang Nu was on the verge of suffocation, he heard a voice echoing deep within his mind.


    "Use your blood, use your blood, and you will break free of the bonds."


    Zhang Nu didn''t know whether to trust this voice, unsure if it was real or a mere trick of his desperate mind. However, with no other options, he chose to take the gamble. If the voice was right, he and Liu Hai could break free from the Tree YaoGuai''s restraint. If it was wrong, his death would onlye a little sooner, and at this point, that didn''t matter much.


    Slowly, Zhang Nu raised the small de in his hand and sliced his palms. With blood dripping from his hands, he grabbed the vines tightly, as if trying to burn them with his touch.


    The ancient tree, sensing Zhang Nu''s blood, began to shudder violently. It had never expected that this human''s blood to be its weakness. The tree desperately tried to shake Zhang Nu off, but now it was as helpless against him as Zhang Nu had once been against its constriction.


    Liu Hai, thrown forcefully to the ground by the vine''s sudden movements, looked up in a daze to see Zhang Nu still entangled, but with the upper hand in this deadly struggle.

 Chapter 372: Blood of Ancient Yao Beast

    Chapter 372: Blood of Ancient Yao Beast


    Before Liu Hai could act, he quickly lost consciousness. Zhang Nu noticed that the moment his blood made contact with the Tree YaoGuai, the creature began to tremble violently. Realizing that the YaoGuai was genuinely afraid of his blood, Zhang Nu gripped its vines even tighter, refusing to let it escape so easily.


    Meanwhile, far away on the mountain''s peak, the Illusion YaoGuai sensed Zhang Nu''s blood and was shocked. Throughout history, only one type of blood could restrain the Tree YaoGuai---blood from the Ancient Yao Beasts. However, ording to the Illusion YaoGuai''s knowledge, those ancient creatures had long since perished. How could this be?


    Could Zhang Nu possibly be a descendant of the ancient Yao beasts?


    The Illusion YaoGuai''s excitement grew. If Zhang Nu truly carried that bloodline, devouring him could greatly enhance its power.


    Unaware that his identity had been exposed, Zhang Nu had no idea about his potential lineage. Suddenly, the Tree YaoGuai, out of desperation, mmed Zhang Nu forcefully to the ground, knocking him unconscious. Upon seeing Zhang Nu copse, the YaoGuai panicked and fled, no longer daring to confront either Zhang Nu or Liu Hai.


    Fearful for its own survival, the Tree YaoGuai abandoned its position and retreated, although it remained within the second level of the mountain, choosing instead to hide and wait in another location.


    When Zhang Nu and Liu Hai slowly regained consciousness, they found themselves lying on the ground, unharmed. Liu Hai was the first to wake up, and when he saw Zhang Nu stirring, he quickly helped him sit up.


    "Zhang Nu, how are you feeling?" Liu Hai asked with concern.Zhang Nu, still feeling a bit dizzy, raised his hand and noticed that it had been bandaged. "Did you bandage my hand? Thank you," Zhang Nu said with gratitude.


    Liu Hai waved it off casually. "No need to thank me. If it weren''t for you, I''d still be trapped by that YaoGuai."


    "We''re friends, after all. There''s no need to be so formal?" Liu Hai added, then asked curiously, "But why was the Tree YaoGuai afraid of your blood? If it''s so powerful, why didn''t you use it earlier?"


    Zhang Nu shook his head, still unsure himself. "I honestly don''t know. I kept hearing this voice telling me that my blood would work, so I decided to give it a try. I didn''t expect it to actually be effective."


    Liu Hai nodded thoughtfully, realizing that whoever had whispered to Zhang Nu probably knew more about his true identity than Zhang Nu did himself.


    "If even you don''t know the answer, there''s no point in dwelling on it," Liu Hai said. "Now that we''re free, it''s clear the Tree YaoGuai has been dealt with. Let''s continue exploring and see if we can find anything that might help us level up."


    Zhang Nu nodded, and the two of them resumed their search. Yet, after a while, they realized there wasn''t much left to help them grow stronger. It seemed as though the Tree YaoGuai had taken its offspring with it, leaving behind only the weaker ones.


    Just when they were about to give up, they stumbled upon a small stream.


    "Zhang Nu, our luck''s been pretty bad, don''t you think?" Liu Hai muttered. "Why haven''t we found anything useful?"


    Zhang Nu shook his head, feeling that something wasn''t quite right. If the Tree YaoGuai had fled, how could it have taken all its descendants with it so quickly? Was this some kind of trick to mislead them?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "If there''s truly nothing left in thisyer, then the Tree YaoGuai must have hidden everything," Zhang Nu spected. "But what could be so important that it would go to such great lengths to conceal it?"


    Liu Hai shook his head, uncertain. "Who knows? Maybe this ce was the Tree YaoGuai''sir. Or it could have absorbed the weaker creatures to power up."


    Zhang Nu considered this, thinking that Liu Hai''s theory made sense. The Tree YaoGuai might have consumed all the other creatures in the area to enhance its strength.

 Chapter 373: A Trap Awaits

    Chapter 373: A Trap Awaits


    Zhang Nu felt that the situation was far moreplex than it appeared. Even if the Tree YaoGuai had lived for a hundred years, how could it resort to devouring its own kind? Still, aside from Liu Hai''s theory, he couldn''t think of any other exnation.


    "It seems like that''s the only possibility," Zhang Nu said. "Let''s rest for a moment, replenish our water supplies, and then keep going."


    Liu Hai nodded in agreement. With Zhang Nu by his side, he felt confident he could continue advancing step by step. Without him, he likely wouldn''t have made it past the second level.


    Zhang Nu took out his canteen, drank a few sips of water, and filled it again from the stream. He didn''t realize the potential danger in consuming this water without checking it first---a mistake that would bring trouble in the future. Zhang Nu hadn''t noticed this detail, and Liu Hai, who trusted himpletely, followed suit and filled his own canteen.


    After the two finished resting, they packed their things and prepared to move on. However, the Tree YaoGuai, hiding nearby, overheard their entire conversation. It knew that if they didn''t kill it, they wouldn''t be able to proceed any further. But what the pair didn''t realize was that the Tree YaoGuai could call upon the Illusion YaoGuai and trap them in a beautiful dream, making it easier to control them.


    The Tree Guai grinned at the thought of finally turning the tables on the two who had injured it earlier. Now it had the chance to repay them in full.


    Soon, the Tree Guai contacted the Illusion YaoGuai. However, when the Illusion Guai received the message, it felt nothing but disdain for the Tree Guai, seeing it as nothing more than a failure, incapable of handling two ordinary humans. Now, the Tree YaoGuai had the audacity to ask for help to deal with them, a request that seemedughable, even delusional.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Still, the Illusion YaoGuai knew it couldn''t afford to openly break ties with the Tree YaoGuai. The tree''s roots spanned across the entire mountain, and if they had a falling-out now, survival would be difficult in such a hostile environment. So, with thinly veiled contempt, the Illusion YaoGuai responded with a simple "fine" and agreed to coborate with the Tree YaoGuai to set a trap.


    Meanwhile, Zhang Nu and Liu Hai remained oblivious to the danger awaiting them. They continued to march forward with confidence, as if the path ahead held something wondrous for them. Their focus was entirely on the journey forward, paying no attention to their surroundings, unaware that they had already fallen into the trap prepared by the Illusion and Tree YaoGuai.As they pressed on, they reached the third level of the mountain. Upon arrival, they noticed that the sunlight was no longer as strong, casting the area in a strange dimness. The mountain had a total of six levels, and they had just reached the halfway point."Zhang Nu, don''t you feel that the atmosphere here is oppressive? It''s like something is lurking around," Liu Hai asked, his voice tense.


    Zhang Nu nodded in agreement, sensing that the third level held much greater danger than the previous ones.


    The heaviness in the air was palpable, and the faint sunlight barely reached them, casting eerie shadows across the terrain. "Be on guard. I have a feeling that whatever''s here is far more formidable. Look at how the sunlight can''t even prate through," Zhang Nu warned.


    Liu Hai nced upward, noticing that the sun barely filtered through the dense canopy above. He realized Zhang Nu was right---they couldn''t afford to be careless, especially after their close call with the Tree Guai on the lower level. If it hadn''t been for the strange power of Zhang Nu''s blood, they would''ve been killed by now.


    As they continued forward, their steps became more cautious. Neither of them knew what awaited, but the tension was unmistakable. The creatures on this level were different---far more resilient and aggressive.


    The third level was teeming with life, particrly snakes. These creatures, quick and evasive, were known for their deadly attacks and their ability to avoid detection. The snakes were coiled in the shadows, silently observing Zhang Nu and Liu Hai''s movements, though the pair remained oblivious to their presence, pressing on into the unknown.

 Chapter 374: Ocean of Snakes

    Chapter 374: Ocean of Snakes


    As Zhang Nu and Liu Hai continued walking, they gradually noticed something felt off. They had been traveling for quite some time, yet there wasn''t a single monster in sight. It was puzzling---had all the creatures on the third level moved up to higher levels, or had someone else cleared them out?


    "Zhang Nu, don''t you think this is strange?" Liu Hai asked, his voice filled with unease. "We''ve been walking for so long, but haven''t encountered a single creature."


    Zhang Nu nodded in agreement. It was indeed baffling. After so much time, it didn''t make sense that they hadn''t encountered at least one creature, even a low-level one.


    "You''re right. Something is definitely off. Stay alert," Zhang Nu replied. "I also have this feeling that something or someone is watching us from the shadows."


    A chill ran down Liu Hai''s spine. He hadn''t sensed anything, yet Zhang Nu seemed sure of it.


    "Are you sure, Zhang Nu? I haven''t sensed anything. Could there really be someone watching us?" Liu Hai asked nervously.


    Zhang Nu didn''t rule out the possibility. He didn''t know who or what might be keeping an eye on them, nor their intentions. However, for now, that wasn''t the priority. They needed to either find these creatures or keep moving upward in search of others.


    "If they haven''t attacked us yet, it likely means they don''t mean us harm---for now," Zhang Nu advised. "Let''s keep moving upward, and unless absolutely necessary, don''t act rashly."


    Liu Hai nodded in agreement, and the two continued cautiously on their journey.At this moment, several snakes were quietly following Zhang Nu and Liu Hai, seemingly curious about what these two would do next. Before long, Zhang Nu could hear the distinct hissing sounds from the surroundings. Zhang Nu, being particrly sensitive to such noises, had missed it earlier due to the smaller number and quieter volume. But now, the sound was unmistakable, growing louder and more numerous, as if they were being surrounded.


    "Hold on," Zhang Nu said cautiously. "I think something is approaching us."


    Liu Hai, now alert, scanned their surroundings, yet saw nothing. He wondered if Zhang Nu was being overly cautious. "Zhang Nu, could you have misheard? I don''t see anythinging toward us."


    Shaking his head, Zhang Nu closed his eyes, extending his spiritual sense to probe the area around them. Though there were no signs of humans or other creatures nearby, he knew that didn''t mean the danger wasn''t there. The thick grass and dense trees provided ample cover for whatever might be lurking.


    Once Zhang Nu extended his spiritual sense further into the underbrush, a chilling sight met his awareness---countless snakes were slithering toward them. It was as if they had be prey, and the snakes were the hunters. Seeing this mass of serpents, Zhang Nu felt a wave of unease wash over him, triggering his trypophobia. He had never seen so many snakes in his life. It seemed clear that the creatures dominating this third level were indeed these snakes.


    "I know what''sing toward us! It''s snakes," Zhang Nu said, his voice tense. "There are thousands of them heading in our direction. We need to get out of here immediately."


    Upon hearing this, Liu Hai felt his skin crawl. He was terrified of such slimy creatures, especially in such overwhelming numbers.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Then what are we waiting for? Let''s get out of here!" Liu Hai urged, his voice full of revulsion. "There''s nothing more disgusting than a horde of wriggling snakes."


    Zhang Nu nodded in agreement, and they quickened their pace. However, the faster they moved, the quicker the snakes seemed to slither after them. These creatures were far more familiar with the terrain and knew how to close in on their prey.


    Before long, Zhang Nu sensed that the snakes were surrounding them from all directions, drawing closer by the second. They were toote to escape now.


    "Stop," Zhang Nu said suddenly. "We''re not going to outrun them. I can feel it, they''re less than ten meters away from us, and they''reing from every direction."


    Liu Hai''s heart raced as fear set in. The thought of being surrounded by thousands of snakes made his skin crawl even more. If what Zhang Nu said was true and they werepletely surrounded, there was no telling how many of these creatures they would have to face.

 Chapter 375: Talisman

    Chapter 375: Talisman


    "What should we do now? There are so many snakes---how can we possibly deal with them?" Liu Hai''s voice trembled as he looked to Zhang Nu for an answer. He had ced all his hope in Zhang Nu, relying on him to find a way out of this terrifying situation.


    Zhang Nu could sense the pressure mounting. Liu Hai had pinned all his expectations on him, but Zhang Nu knew it was a mistake to think he had all the answers. He wasn''t sure he could sessfully fend off the swarm of snakes, nor did he have a clear n.


    "Don''t put all your hopes in me," Zhang Nu said, his voice tense. "I don''t know how we''re going to deal with these snakes either. Honestly, I hate them as much as you do."


    Liu Hai nodded, realizing they were both in the same situation. If they were going to survive, they would have to face this together. These snakes were indeed some of the most revolting creatures they had encountered, and their situation seemed dire.


    What the two didn''t realize, however, was that their conversation hadn''t gone unheard. The snakes, having heightened senses, had picked up on their words, and this seemed to provoke them further. The horde of snakes began to move even faster, seemingly enraged by the outsiders who had dared to invade their territory.


    Zhang Nu, sensing the change in the snakes'' movements, quickly conjured a protective barrier around himself and Liu Hai. He hoped it would buy them enough time to figure out their next move and prevent the snakes from closing in too quickly.


    Just as Zhang Nu and Liu Hai had finished putting up the protective barrier, the swarm of snakesunched themselves at it. The sight was truly horrifying for the two, who had never encountered anything so terrifying. The snakes attacked relentlessly, mming into the barrier as though they had no regard for their own safety. Some even crawled up and over the shield, fiercely trying to break through from above.


    Zhang Nu and Liu Hai both knew that at the current rate of assault, the barrier wouldn''t hold much longer unless they found a way out.


    "Zhang Nu, what should we do now?" Liu Hai''s voice trembled with panic. "If they keep attacking like this, our barrier won''tst much longer."Zhang Nu nodded, fully aware that Liu Hai was right. He was racking his brain for ideas, but his intense aversion to snakes made it difficult for him to think clearly.


    Meanwhile, the Illusion YaoGuai and the Tree YaoGuai watched with satisfaction from a distance. They had always underestimated the snake tribe, but seeing the fearsome effectiveness of the snakes against Zhang Nu and Liu Hai, they couldn''t help but smile. For all their arrogance, the snakes were proving to be an effective weapon against the humans.


    Zhang Nu finally came up with an idea: they could attempt sword flight to escape, or perhaps use talismans to repel the snakes. Though it was risky, it seemed like the best option they had.


    "Can you use talismans?" Zhang Nu asked.


    Liu Hai shook his head. "How could I? I''ve never learned anything like that. If I did, I wouldn''t be panicking right now."


    Zhang Nu realized that he would have to handle everything himself. "In that case, leave it to me. Just make sure to reinforce the barrier. Whatever happens, don''t let any of these snakes get through while I''m drawing the talisman."


    Liu Hai nodded and immediately cast a strengthening spell on the barrier. But to the swarm of snakes, Liu Hai''s spell was hardly intimidating. Though the snakes didn''t have high cultivation, their sheer numbers made up for it. Before long, Liu Hai was struggling to maintain the barrier.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Zhang Nu, hurry up! I can''t hold them off much longer!" Liu Hai called out, his voice filled with urgency.


    Zhang Nu nodded and sped up his drawing. As soon as he finished the talisman, he pped it onto the barrier. The moment it made contact, the barrier seemed to gain an invisible reinforcement. In an instant, the talisman''s power surged, sending the snakes flying away from the shield.


    Liu Hai was left dumbfounded by the sight. He had never imagined talismans could be used in such a way.

 Chapter 376: Somethings Off

    Chapter 376: Something''s Off


    After witnessing Zhang Nu''s incredible abilities firsthand, Liu Hai realized that Zhang Nu wasn''t exaggerating---he truly had the skills to ascend all the way to the top of Nine Fox Ridge. However, while they had momentarily repelled the swarm of snakes, these creatures were relentless, continuously lunging at them as if driven by an unyielding determination. Their sheer numbers were overwhelming, and Liu Hai felt they wouldn''t be able to fend them off for long.


    "Zhang Nu, this isn''t working. How can we get rid of these snakes once and for all?"


    Zhang Nu shook his head, feeling helpless. He knew this wasn''t a sustainable solution, but something about the situation felt off. Ever since they had arrived here, he had been sensing something strange, as if someone was manipting events behind the scenes. This intuition had saved him before, during thest game, and now it was ring up again. Could there be something more to this?


    "The only thing I can tell you is that something doesn''t feel right about this situation. I think we''ve walked right into a trap, but I can''t figure out exactly where we went wrong."


    Liu Hai, hearing Zhang Nu''s words, seemed confused, struggling to understand what he meant. "What do you mean by that, Zhang Nu? Do you really think there''s something off about all this?"


    Zhang Nu''s instincts had rarely led him astray in the past, and he knew they had to remain cautious, as there was likely more to this threat than met the eye.


    After listening to Liu Hai, Zhang Nu nodded in agreement, his suspicions growing stronger. The situation didn''t seem right at all. How was it that upon reaching the third level, the sunlight had suddenly diminished so drastically? If every level had creatures with certain cultivation levels, it was possible they could possess abilities to block the sky. But even if all the snakes here had reached the third stage, it still wouldn''t be enough to obscure half the sunlight. This only indicated that something or someone had been manipting the environment around them.


    "Yes," Zhang Nu said, "I suspect that everything we''re seeing might be an illusion."


    "Once YaoGuai reach a certain level of power, they do gain abilities that can block out the sun. But think about it---when we reached the second level, the sun was still bright. How is it that as soon as we entered the third level, the sun suddenly disappeared? Even if the creatures here are highly cultivated, there''s no way they could block out so much sunlight on their own. This means that there''s something else going on---everything we''re seeing might be fake."


    Liu Hai, hearing Zhang Nu''s analysis, felt a chill run down his spine. Whoever was behind this must be extremely powerful to be able to deceive them so thoroughly. They had unwittingly fallen into this trap, and this hidden force had manipted their perception of reality to such an extent that they hadn''t even realized it. Now, they were up against a formidable foe, one capable of distorting their surroundings to such a dangerous degree.


    "Is that so? Then what should we do now, Zhang Nu?" Liu Hai asked anxiously. "Are we just going to sit here and wait to die? Isn''t there any way to escape?"


    Zhang Nu shook his head, still uncertain about the best course of action. He wasn''t entirely sure if his ideas would work or if they even applied to the situation they were facing. Everything was still unclear.


    "I don''t know what we should do yet," Zhang Nu admitted. "We have no idea if what we''re seeing is real or just an illusion. And without knowing that, we''re stuck without a clear solution."


    Liu Hai understood the gravity of Zhang Nu''s words. But he also knew that if they didn''t act soon, the snakes would overwhelm them, and they would be in serious trouble. These snakes were deadly, and if they swarmed them, their bodies would be devoured in seconds.


    "But Zhang Nu, regardless of everything else, our priority has to be dealing with these snakes in front of us," Liu Hai urged. "Once they''re out of the way, we can take the time to think about what''s really going on."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhang Nu nodded and refocused his attention on the snakes. If this entire environment was an illusion, then these snakes were likely not real either. The challenge was figuring out how to disrupt the illusion and escape.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "I''m almost certain that what we''re seeing isn''t real," Zhang Nu said thoughtfully. "We''re probably caught inside some sort of illusion formation. The more we feed into our fear of these snakes, the stronger their attacks will be. But if we can stop fearing them, they''ll disappear on their own, and we''ll be free of this mess."

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 377 - Escaping the Illusion

    Liu Hai shook his head fiercely after hearing Zhang Nu''s words. How could he possibly not be afraid in this situation? Snakes were his worst fear, and now there were an ocean of them surrounding him. It was already a miracle that he hadn''tpletely copsed from fear. He couldn''t just ignore it and pretend everything was fine. Every time he closed his eyes, the terrifying scene yed over and over in his mind.


    Seeing Liu Hai''s reaction, Zhang Nu understood just how terrified he was. If Liu Hai couldn''t confront this fear, they would both be trapped in this illusion forever. Worse still, they might die here once their spiritual energy was exhausted.


    "Liu Hai, do you really want us to stay trapped here forever? If you can''t ovee this fear, we won''t be able to escape," Zhang Nu said, urging him.


    Liu Hai understood the gravity of the situation, but understanding wasn''t enough. He simply couldn''t ovee the terror he was feeling.


    "Zhang Nu, I beg you, please stop pushing me. I can''t face this, I just can''t pretend these snakes aren''t here. Maybe you should go on without me. I can''t ovee this fear," Liu Hai replied, his voice filled with helplessness.


    It was clear that if Liu Hai could have ovee this challenge, he wouldn''t have said such things. Zhang Nu knew how much Liu Hai valued his life. Hearing him speak like this filled Zhang Nu with guilt. He med himself for not realizing this was a trap earlier and for not warning Liu Hai in time, leading them to this dangerous situation."Liu Hai, it''s alright. This is my fault for not realizing something was wrong sooner," Zhang Nu reassured. "Trust me. Close your eyes and don''t think about anything. Leave everything to me. When you open your eyes again, we''ll be back in the real world, and this terrifying scene will be gone."


    Hearing Zhang Nu''s words, Liu Hai knew that his inability to ovee his fear had already caused Zhang Nu a lot of trouble. If he continued to resist, there would be no way for either of them to escape. While he could ept being stuck due to his own shorings, he couldn''t bear the thought of Zhang Nu being trapped as well because of him. Zhang Nu was loyal and would never abandon him.


    "Zhang Nu, thank you... for not giving up on me," Liu Hai said, closing his eyes and cing all his trust in Zhang Nu, surrendering control of the situation entirely.


    Zhang Nu felt a surge of warmth after hearing Liu Hai''s gratitude and seeing the trust he ced in him. Since Liu Hai believed in him sopletely, he couldn''t afford to let him down. He was determined to lead them both out of this danger.


    With that thought, Zhang Nu closed his own eyes and began chanting a calming incantation in his mind. Slowly, a yellow aura appeared around him, expanding outward. The aura began to sh with the swarm of snakes surrounding them, and soon enough, the yellow energy overpowered the snakes, vanquishing thempletely.As Zhang Nu sensed what was happening, he opened his eyes. The sight before him was almost unbelievable. He and Liu Hai were still on the second level of the mountain, and standing right in front of them, preparing to attack, was none other than the Tree YaoGuai that had previously fled. The snakes they had seen in their dream were nothing more than the Tree YaoGuai''s branches.


    "Liu Hai, wake up! We need to fight again," Zhang Nu urgently called out.


    Liu Hai immediately opened his eyes without any hesitation. He had already taken Zhang Nu''s words to heart and trusted himpletely. Upon seeing the Tree YaoGuai, Liu Hai felt both a wave of relief and disbelief. However, now that it was confirmed to be the same Tree YaoGuai, Liu Hai was eager to take his revenge.


    "So, it was you, Tree YaoGuai, ying tricks on us, scaring me like that for so long!" Liu Hai growled. "You''ll pay for it now!"


    That pent-up frustration from earlier? It had all been building up for this moment. Zhang Nu found the scene amusing---it suited Liu Hai''s bold, impulsive character perfectly.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The Tree YaoGuai, however, looked stunned. It hadn''t expected Zhang Nu and Liu Hai to break free from the illusion, especially considering how powerful the Illusion YaoGuai''s techniques were.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 378 - Direct Confrontation

    The Tree YaoGuai was stunned to see that Zhang Nu and Liu Hai had escaped the illusion crafted by the Illusion YaoGuai. It had severely underestimated these two. If the Tree YaoGuai had known they were this powerful, it would never have dared to provoke them.


    Realizing the danger it was now in, the Tree YaoGuai decided that it could no longer afford to stay. If it didn''t flee immediately, it risked bing nothing more than another casualty, just another spirit crushed under their power. With this thought, it quickly attempted to escape.


    However, Zhang Nu and Liu Hai shared a quick nce, instantly understanding each other. In perfect synchronization, they blocked the Tree YaoGuai''s path from both sides. The Tree Guai grew furious, surprised that these two dared to hinder its escape. Did they not fear its wrath? After all, the second level of the mountain was entirely under its control.


    "If you know what''s good for you, you''ll step aside. Otherwise, I won''t hold back!" the Tree YaoGuai threatened.


    But Zhang Nu and Liu Hai were unfazed. They didn''t take the Tree Guai''s words seriously. In their minds, it was the YaoGuai who needed to be ''sensible'' here. They had no intention of letting it get away.


    "You must be mistaken, YaoGuai," Liu Hai taunted. "You''re the one at our mercy now. It''s you who should be pleading with us."


    Zhang Nu nodded in agreement, his gaze cold and determined as it rested on the Tree YaoGuai. While Zhang Nu had never underestimated the YaoGuai race, this Tree YaoGuai had proven especially formidable. It had sessfully set up aplex illusion to trap them, and its tactics showed a level of intelligence and power beyond most YaoGuai. If he could defeat this YaoGuai, the victory would surely lead to a significant boost in his strength.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Liu Hai, you distract this Tree Guai while I find a way to ambush it. We can''t let it escape from here alive," Zhang Numanded, his tone filled with determination. Liu Hai nodded in agreement, ready to execute the n. What they failed to realize was that every word had already reached the ears of the Tree YaoGuai.


    This entire level was under the Tree YaoGuai''s control, so avoiding detection was nearly impossible---especially with Zhang Nu speaking so boldly. The Tree YaoGuai was enraged, feeling as though they were tantly ignoring its presence.


    "You two really have the nerve to n an ambush against me, right in front of me?" the YaoGuai scoffed. "Do you think I can''t hear you? You''re standing in my domain!"


    Zhang Nu and Liu Hai had indeed forgotten that this territory belonged to the YaoGuai. But even now, Zhang Nu refused to acknowledge the mistake, unwilling to show weakness.


    "And what if you did hear us?" Zhang Nu shot back. "There''s nothing you can do to stop it. The result is already set---your defeat."


    The YaoGuai seethed with anger at Zhang Nu''s audacity. It couldn''t believe the sheer arrogance of these humans, even after revealing their n.


    "You really don''t know how powerful I am, do you?" the Tree Guai hissed. "You''ve pushed me too far. I''ll make sure neither of you leaves this ce alive. One of us will die today, and it''s not going to be me."


    Zhang Nu and Liu Hai exchanged a look, their minds made up. They knew exactly who would be the one to fall in this battle---it would be the Tree YaoGuai."You think we''re afraid of you?" Zhang Nu sneered. A mere Hundred-Year Tree YaoGuai is hardly worth fearing."


    With that, Zhang Nuunched an attack on the YaoGuai. In an instant, he leapt into the air, using the speed granted by the ck Wind Arts he had cultivated. His speed was so fast that the Tree YaoGuai could barely track his movements. Still, the YaoGuai, relying on its keen senses, managed to dodge the attack just in time.


    The YaoGuai''s eyes glimmered with newfound interest as it observed Zhang Nu''s capabilities. It hadn''t expected these two men to possess such strength, especially Zhang Nu''s incredible speed. Even the fierce Fire Wolves that roamed thesends couldn''t match him in swiftness.


    "Much more impressive than I expected," the Tree Guai remarked. "I didn''t think you''d be this fast. But in the face of absolute power, speed and skill mean nothing."


    After making this deration, the YaoGuai stood its ground, staring at Zhang Nu with a mix of disdain and curiosity, as if to show that it didn''t fear his attacks at all. To the YaoGuai, Zhang Nu''s efforts seemed like nothing more than a mild annoyance.


    Seeing the YaoGuai''s overconfidence, Zhang Nu knew this was his best opportunity to strike. The creature had let its guard down, providing the perfect moment for an all-out attack.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 379 - Stalemate

    When Zhang Nu heard the Tree YaoGuai speak so confidently, he knew the creature had fallen for his ploy. The Tree YaoGuai assumed that Zhang Nu''s only asset was his speed, but it was gravely mistaken. Zhang Nu wasn''t just fast; he possessed formidable strength as well.


    With a smirk, Zhang Nu replied, "Oh? Is that so? Are you so certain speed is all I''ve got?"


    The Tree YaoGuai felt a sudden wave of unease. It realized that Zhang Nu might be concealing more than just speed, perhaps he had power beyond what the Tree YaoGuai anticipated. Acting on this suspicion, the Tree YaoGuai swiftly shifted positions, instantly moving behind Zhang Nu. It was determined not to give Zhang Nu any opportunity to strike.


    The YaoGuai''s movement was astonishing, almost as if it had stepped into another dimension. Its speed was beyond anything Zhang Nu had expected. In the blink of an eye, it had appeared behind him.


    "Do you think I only have strength?" the Tree YaoGuai sneered. "I''ve already told you, this entire mountain is my domain, but you refused to listen. If you think you can kill me here, you''re gravely mistaken."


    Zhang Nu was beginning to realize the gravity of the situation. This was the Tree YaoGuai''s home turf, its roots were intertwined with the mountain itself, allowing it to move anywhere effortlessly. It could escape orunch an attack from any point. Killing it in this ce would be far more difficult than Zhang Nu had initially thought.


    Understanding this, Zhang Nu quickly returned to Liu Hai''s side, fully aware that the situation had be far moreplicated than they had initially thought. A new strategy was needed to ovee this powerful opponent.


    "Liu Hai, you need to stay on high alert. Any one of these trees could be the Tree YaoGuai. This is its territory, and defeating it is going to be far from easy."


    Upon hearing Zhang Nu''s words, Liu Hai was stunned, his worldview practically shattered. He had never imagined that the Tree YaoGuai could be so cunning and brazen. It had set up multiple escape points around them, making it nearly impossible to capture.


    "How on earth can we catch the Tree YaoGuai?" Liu Hai asked. "Are we just going to let it keep running circles around us?"


    Zhang Nu shook his head. He wasn''t sure what to do either. At this point, neither of them knew how to make a decisive move against the Tree YaoGuai. Both Zhang Nu and Liu Hai were fully focused on the Tree YaoGuai''s movements, knowing they had no choice but to leave their back to each other.


    Both of them stood alert, scanning their surroundings carefully. They didn''t know where the YaoGuai might strike from next. If they dropped their guard for even a second, they could easily fall victim to its tricks.


    Just then, a voice echoed from the shadows, taunting them.


    "You two trust each other so much, don''t you? Standing there with your backs to one another... Aren''t you even a little worried that I might possess one of you?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    When Liu Hai heard the Tree YaoGuai''s voice, he instinctively wanted to pull away from Zhang Nu''s back. However, Zhang Nu immediately understood that the YaoGuai was just trying to sow fear and division between them.


    "Liu Hai, calm down," Zhang Nu said firmly. "It''s me. Are you really afraid the Tree YaoGuai could possess me? If anyone should be worried, it should be me, not you."


    Hearing Zhang Nu''s words, Liu Hai found an unexpected sense of calm. Zhang Nu was right; it made no sense for him to be the one worrying when it was Zhang Nu who should have been more concerned. With this realization, Liu Hai steadied himself, standing firm and scanning their surroundings with renewed confidence.


    Meanwhile, the Tree YaoGuai, hidden in the shadows, ground its teeth in frustration. It had hoped to break their trust, to get them to expose their weaknesses. But Zhang Nu had seen through the trick immediately, and now, the YaoGuai realized that defeating these two might not be as simple as it first thought. Injured and outmatched, it knew it had to change tactics before it was toote.


    "I''ll give you both one chance," the Tree YaoGuai called out. "If you leave now, I''ll allow you to go unharmed."

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 380 - Truce

    ¡°If you two remain stubborn and insist on fighting me to the death, I won¡¯t hold back anymore. The only oue will be your deaths.¡±


    Hearing the Tree YaoGuai¡¯s threat, Zhang Nu and Liu Hai felt a surge of anger, but deep down, they both knew the YaoGuai was right. They weren¡¯t yet capable of taking on such a powerful foe. At their current level, the Tree YaoGuai¡¯s strength was beyond their grasp. To defeat it, they needed more time to cultivate and grow stronger. Liu Hai had made up his mind¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to die here.


    Perhaps if Zhang Nu were alone, he might have a chance to take down the Tree YaoGuai. But Zhang Nu was hesitant to reveal his full strength, as he still wasn¡¯t sure if he could fully trust Liu Hai. Zhang Nu didn¡¯t know whether Liu Hai¡¯s loyalty was genuine or if he was simply pretending, waiting for the right moment to betray him.


    ¡°What do you think, Zhang Nu?¡± Liu Hai asked, his voice filled with concern. ¡°I think we should leave now. Dying here isn''t an option.¡±


    Zhang Nu considered Liu Hai¡¯s words and nodded in agreement, Liu Hai¡¯s assessment of the situation was correct. If Zhang Nu were on his own, he could take the risk and fight the YaoGuai. But with Liu Hai by his side, the situation was moreplex.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. We can¡¯t stay here. We need to leave immediately and not give this YaoGuai any more chances. If we die here, we¡¯ll only be fertilizer for its power.¡±


    The Tree YaoGuai, overhearing Zhang Nu¡¯s words, sneered in agreement. In its eyes, the two were nothing more than future sustenance¡ªmere insects, unworthy of even a second thought.¡°Have you two made up your minds yet? Don''t think for a second that I can''t hear everything you¡¯re saying. I¡¯ve told you before, this ce is my domain. Every word you speak reaches my ears.¡±


    ¡°I advise you to decide quickly. If you insist on challenging me to a fight to the death, I won¡¯t hold back, and I¡¯ll make sure to end this swiftly.¡±


    The Tree YaoGuai spoke with confidence, fully aware that he held the upper hand. Thisnd had nurtured him since he was small, and he felt no obligation to show mercy to Zhang Nu or Liu Hai. Sooner orter, he would take care of them.


    What made things even moreplicated was that both sides seemed distrustful of one another, with each ready to strike. However, a battle right now would be futile. Neither side could inflict a decisive blow on the other. A truce, followed by a period of rest and growth, would be the wisest choice for all involved. Only after regaining their full strength could they settle this once and for all.


    Both Zhang Nu and the Tree YaoGuai were highly rational. Continuing the fight would only drain their energy. Better to retreat, strengthen their abilities, and return to face off when both sides were at their peak.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll hold you to your word,¡± Zhang Nu said coldly. ¡°You said you would let us leave peacefully, so I¡¯ll trust you this time. We¡¯ll head down the mountain right now. But if you go back on your word and attack us, we¡¯ll make sure to take you down with us, no matter what.¡±As Zhang Nu prepared to descend the mountain, he issued a stern warning to the Tree YaoGuai. He feared that the YaoGuai might take advantage of their guard being down during the descent andunch a sudden attack. However, the Tree YaoGuai, upon hearing Zhang Nu''s words, remained indifferent. He had made his promise and had no intention of breaking it. He wasn¡¯t the type to go back on his word or embarrass himself in such a manner.


    "Rest assured," the Tree YaoGuai replied coldly, "I am well aware of what I said. If I said I¡¯d let you leave, I won¡¯t harm either of you."


    This YaoGuai was indeed one that valued his word, unlike other YaoGuai who might act deceptively in simr circumstances. Zhang Nu and Liu Hai sessfully descended the mountain, and once they were clear of it, they both let out a sigh of relief. Now that they had left the mountain, the Tree YaoGuai could no longer threaten them.


    "Zhang Nu, are we really giving up here?" Liu Hai asked, still clearly uneasy. "Are we just going to let this YaoGuai stop us here?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Despite Liu Hai''s disappointment, he could sense that Zhang Nu had concealed some of his true strength. However, Liu Hai chose not to ask about them. He knew well that everyone had their secrets, and not everything could be shared with others.


    Zhang Nu shook his head resolutely. He fully intended to return and take down the Tree YaoGuai. In fact, he was certain that once he seeded in defeating it, his cultivation would rise dramatically.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 381 - Hostility in the Village

    After Zhang Nu and Liu Hai left, the Tree YaoGuai could no longer maintain hisposure. He spat out a mouthful of blood, wiping his lips fiercely before casting a furious nce in the direction they had gone. Though seething with anger, he knew there was nothing more he could do to them at the moment.


    Watching from afar, the Illusion YaoGuai couldn¡¯t help but sneer. It seemed that the Tree YaoGuai wasn''t as powerful as he imed to be. He had dared to challenge her, but now he had been humiliated by two young brats. Amused by his downfall, the Illusion YaoGuai appeared before the Tree YaoGuai, relishing the opportunity to mock him.


    ¡°Well, well, Tree Guai, I never expected to see you like this. I thought you were something special, challenging me before. Weren¡¯t you always boasting about your power?¡± she taunted. ¡°You couldn¡¯t even handle two mere boys¡ªwhat a disappointment to the master.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Her words cut deep. Everyone knew how much the Tree YaoGuai revered their master. Ever since his first encounter with their master, he had been infatuated, despite knowing their master only regarded him as a pawn. Despite this, the Tree YaoGuai could never allow anyone to harm or speak ill of the master.


    ¡°Enough! My business is none of your concern,¡± he growled. ¡°You¡¯d do well to mind your own affairs. Those two¡ªif theye back¡ªwill be much stronger next time."


    The Illusion YaoGuai, unfazed by his warning, dismissed him with a wave. She saw him as weaker than before and felt he was no longer her equal.


    "I''ll manage my affairs just fine," she said coldly. "Why don¡¯t you worry about patching yourself up? You look downright pathetic.¡±


    With that, she vanished, leaving behind only a mocking smile that the Tree YaoGuai would not soon forget.At this moment, the Tree YaoGuai harbored intense resentment toward Zhang Nu and Liu Hai. If it weren¡¯t for them, he wouldn¡¯t have been so belittled by the Illusion YaoGuai. What worried him most was the possibility that the Illusion YaoGuai might report this failure to their master. If the master were to learn of his defeat, he would never be able to lift his head in their presence again.


    He had once vowed to be the sharpest weapon in their master¡¯s arsenal. Yet, despite his cultivation efforts, he had only reached this level of power and couldn¡¯t even break free from Nine Fox Ridge. The thought of the master being disappointed in him gnawed at his soul. He needed to intensify his cultivation and eliminate Zhang Nu and Liu Hai. He was certain that once he killed Zhang Nu, his power would surge significantly, allowing him to finally leave Nine Fox Ridge. For some reason, the Tree YaoGuai instinctively felt that killing Zhang Nu would lead to a tremendous increase in his abilities. He had always trusted his instincts, and now was no different.


    ¡­¡­


    Meanwhile, Zhang Nu and Liu Hai had returned to the vige, but they werepletely unaware of the shift that had urred during their absence. Upon their arrival, they were not met with the usual warm smiles of the vigers. Instead, they were greeted by cold, hostile res full of resentment.


    Noticing the drastic change, Liu Hai felt a chill of fear rise within him.


    "Uncle, auntie, why are you looking at us like that?" he asked, his voice filled with confusion. "What happened?"


    After hearing Liu Hai''s words, the vigers could no longer conceal the anger in their eyes. They had always treated Liu Hai as one of their own, but they never expected that he would bring an outsider to harm their vige.


    "Liu Hai, oh Liu Hai, we always considered you a member of our vige."


    "But we didn''t expect you to betray us by secretly bringing an outsider here."


    "Did you forget what the vige chief said? No outsiders are allowed into our vige."


    "Yet you not only ignored the vige chief''s words but even hid this outsider among us."


    Upon hearing the viger''s words, Zhang Nu was shocked; he didn''t understand how the vigers had found out. Previously, when he appeared before them, they couldn''t tell that he wasn''t from the vige. But why, after just one trip away, did the vigers now have such sharp perceptions?


    Liu Hai was even more stunned by what the viger said; he didn''t know how to respond.


    "Uncle, auntie, is there some misunderstanding? Take a good look¡ªit''s me, Liu Hai, and the person beside me also lives in our vige. How could you suddenly not recognize us?"

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 382 - Exposed

    At this moment, Liu Hai couldn¡¯t possibly admit that Zhang Nu wasn¡¯t a viger. If he confessed now, it would only confirm the usations against him. Seeing that Liu Hai was still refusing to acknowledge the truth, the vigers'' disappointment deepened.If Liu Hai had admitted that Zhang Nu was an outsider and taken responsibility, the vigers might have shown him leniency. After all, they had cared for him for so long. However, his continued denial and attempt to deflect me were unexpected and only made things worse.Now, the vigers saw no reason to be polite to him. If Liu Hai didn¡¯t care about them or their rules, why should they care about him? They weren¡¯t foolish, and there was no reason to protect someone who had turned his back on them."Liu Hai, after everything we''ve done for you, you still refuse to admit the truth?" one viger said, his voice full of disappointment.


    ¡°We treated you like family, but now it¡¯s clear we were wrong about you. You¡¯ve just been using us this whole time.¡±


    An elderly woman, highly respected in the vige, voiced this harsh truth. Her words carried weight, and many vigers quickly sided with her. Sure enough, the looks in their eyes changed, viewing Liu Hai as a traitor.


    Liu Hai felt incredibly ufortable. He had never done anything to betray the vige or its people. So why were they treating him like this? Where had he gone wrong? Why were they ming him for everything?¡°Granny, I really don¡¯t understand what you mean,¡± Liu Hai said, his voice filled with confusion. ¡°What did I do wrong for you to target me like this? If I¡¯ve made a mistake, I¡¯ll change. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    The elderly woman sighed deeply upon hearing Liu Hai¡¯s words. In her heart, she had already lost all hope in him. At one point, she had believed that Liu Hai could be the vige¡¯s beacon of hope, but now it was clear that he was no different from the outsiders who sought to destroy their vige.¡°Liu Hai, do you know? I once thought you would be the hope of this vige,¡± the old woman began, her voice heavy with disappointment. ¡°I was even prepared to tell you everything. But now I see how wrong I was. You¡¯re no different from those outsiders trying to destroy our home. How could I have ever considered you our savior?¡±


    ¡°This was my mistake, and I won¡¯t make it again,¡± she added, her gaze full of sorrow as she looked at Liu Hai. Her words were soaked with regret, and it was clear that the vigers had epted her judgment without question. No one believed in Liu Hai anymore.


    At this point, Zhang Nu realized that their identities had likely been exposed. There was no point in trying to argue their way out of it. However, he couldn¡¯t shake his curiosity. Why was this vige so adamant about keeping outsiders away? Could it be that the vige harbored a deeper, darker secret? And why did the vige echo with strange, wailing cries every night, as though it were a normal urrence? Something here was deeply amiss.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//omZhang Nu held back Liu Hai, stopping him from speaking further. He whispered to him, ¡°There¡¯s no point in arguing anymore. They¡¯ve already figured out who we really are. If you don¡¯t want to be thrown out of the vige, your only option now is to appeal to their emotions. Convince them to let us stay.¡±


    Liu Hai, trusting Zhang Nupletely, nodded in agreement. If it hadn¡¯t been for Zhang Nu, he would¡¯ve died back at Nine Fox Ridge. Since Zhang Nu suggested ying the emotional card, Liu Hai was fully prepared to do so.


    ¡°Uncles, aunts,¡± Liu Hai began, his voice filled with sincerity, ¡°I never wanted things toe to this. I¡¯ve been wanting to tell you the truth for a long time, but the vige chief¡¯s warnings terrified me. I was afraid that if you found out about my true identity, you¡¯d make me leave. And if I leave, I¡¯ll have nowhere else to go. I don¡¯t even have a family to return to.¡±


    Following Zhang Nu¡¯s advice, Liu Hai started to appeal to their emotions. He believed that the vigers still had some feelings for him, and if they heard him speak from the heart, perhaps they would let him stay. Surely, they wouldn¡¯t be so heartless as to throw him out just like that.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 383 - Emotional Act

    Upon hearing Liu Hai¡¯s emotional confession, the elderly woman who had just moments ago seemed so righteous and firm was suddenly uncertain. Her earlier confidence in using Liu Hai stemmed from his refusal to admit he was an outsider. But now, with Liu Hai openly confessing and showing vulnerability, she began to question whether she was being too harsh.


    ¡°You... You were denying everything before. Why admit it all now? Did the man next to you put you up to this?¡± she asked, recalling how Zhang Nu had whispered something to him before Liu Hai¡¯s sudden change in tone.


    Liu Hai knew it was time to fullymit to his act. His face took on a look of sorrow, as if the old woman owed him a fortune.


    ¡°Granny, this has nothing to do with the man next to me,¡± he said, his voice filled with remorse. ¡°I¡¯ve realized my mistake. I never should have deceived you all. You¡¯ve treated me like family all this time, but I repaid you by lying. I¡¯m truly not worthy of your kindness, and I¡¯m so sorry for what I¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°I only hid the truth because I wanted a ce to belong. I didn¡¯t want to live a life of loneliness, without a home. You¡¯re probably wondering why I have the clothing of a viger. That¡¯s because, though I wasn¡¯t originally from this vige, someone from here saved me.¡±


    ¡°From that moment on, I admired this vige deeply. I wore these clothes as a way of pretending to be one of you, hoping I could serve in ce of the one who saved me. I¡¯vee to see this vige as my home, and I beg you, Granny, please give me one more chance to prove myself.¡±


    At this moment, Liu Hai had seamlessly woven all the facts and fabrications together. While he truly wasn¡¯t originally from the vige, the body he inhabited had belonged to a viger. He couldn¡¯t afford for them to discover the full truth¡ªthat he had taken over this body. If they found out, the vigers would likely never forgive him.


    The elderly woman, after hearing Liu Hai¡¯s heartfelt words, couldn¡¯t help but feel pity for him. He was, after all, an orphan saved by one of their own vigers. It made sense that he would develop a deep attachment to this vige. Plus, he had already lived here for several years, and in her eyes, he couldn¡¯t be the one the vige elder had warned about¡ªthe one destined to bring ruin to the vige.


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell us the truth sooner, child?" she asked, her tone much gentler now. "If you¡¯d just been honest, none of this would have happened. I misunderstood you, and that¡¯s my fault. I owe you an apology."


    The elderly woman had decided to believe Liu Hai. In her heart, she knew that he wasn''t a bad person¡ªhe had lived in the vige for years and had always treated everyone with kindness and respect. He didn¡¯t seem like the person the vige chief had warned them about¡ªthe one destined to bring ruin to the vige.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had it tough all these years, haven¡¯t you? No wonder you¡¯ve always been so respectful and helpful to everyone. We were wrong to doubt you. I promise you, from now on, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re treated well, like the good child you¡¯ve always been.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    At that moment, it was as if the elderly woman had epted Liu Hai as her own grandson. Her words were sincere and filled with warmth, fully embracing him once again into the vige fold.When Zhang Nu saw how the situation had unfolded, he was leftpletely speechless as he stared at Liu Hai. He couldn¡¯t believe that Liu Hai had managed to twist the narrative so effectively, and even more shocking was how easily the vigers had bought into his story. Zhang Nu wasn¡¯t sure if it was Liu Hai¡¯s persuasive skills or simply the vigers'' readiness to trust that led to this oue.


    Meanwhile, the elderly woman, now seemingly convinced of Liu Hai¡¯s exnation, turned her suspicious gaze towards Zhang Nu. Although Liu Hai¡¯s story had been epted, she still had questions about Zhang Nu¡¯s presence.


    "And what about the person standing next to you?" she asked, her tone still carrying a trace of suspicion. "You grew up here, but who is he?"


    Zhang Nu understood that the old woman was right to be wary. After all, he had only recently arrived in the vige, making him an obvious source of suspicion. He knew he needed to shift her focus quickly.


    ¡°Granny, to tell you the truth, my situation is quite simr to Liu Hai¡¯s,¡± Zhang Nu said smoothly. ¡°That¡¯s the only reason he took me in.¡±


    The vige elder, after hearing Zhang Nu¡¯s exnation, surprisingly didn¡¯t press further. Instead, she seemed to soften, her expression turning sorrowful as she regarded Zhang Nu. It appeared the harsh reality of both his and Liu Hai¡¯s tragic circumstances had touched her deeply.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 384 - Villages Secret

    When the vige elder spoke, she echoed the warnings of the vige chief, who had long predicted that an outsider would bring ruin to theirmunity. The vigers, deeply wary of strangers, were determined not to let anyone threaten their safety.


    "My child," the elder began, "although your story is tragic, you should never havee to our vige. You must leave immediately. We will gather money for your travel expenses, but you cannot stay."


    As Zhang Nu heard this, a bitter smile curled at the corner of his mouth, filled with irony. It was as if once again, the entire world had turned its back on him, abandoning him when he needed refuge. His expression radiated a deep sorrow, as though this rejection was a familiar burden, one he had carried his entire life.


    The elder, observing Zhang Nu''s despondence, felt a pang of sympathy. Yet, she couldn¡¯t allow him to stay. The risk was too great, and the vige chief¡¯s warning about an outsider bringing destruction weighed heavily on her.


    "Is the whole world abandoning me once more?" Zhang Nu''s voice was tinged with defeat. "It seems I was born to be cast aside. No one has ever wanted me, and now, you too will discard me."


    His words, filled with resignation, left a gloomy air around him. Liu Hai, watching the scene unfold, couldn¡¯t help but think Zhang Nu was quite the actor. His emotions, especially his tears, seemed toe with ease.


    The elder sighed deeply. She understood Zhang Nu''s suffering and that his survival had been a challenge. But the vige¡¯s future was at stake, and the chief had warned of an outsider bringing doom.


    "My child, I can see how hard your life has been, and I know you''ve suffered. But you cannot stay here. Our vige chief warned us that an outsider will destroy this vige. We¡¯ve stopped allowing strangers in for years, and we cannot make an exception for you."Upon hearing the elder''s words, Zhang Nu finally understood the source of the rumors¡ªit was the vige chief himself who had spread the ominous warning. A threat of such magnitude, the destruction of the vige, exined why the vigers were so wary upon discovering he was an outsider.


    With this new knowledge, Zhang Nu couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the mysterious red-d woman he had seen could also be a significant part of the looming disaster. Perhaps it was time to share what he had witnessed with the vigers.


    "Granny," Zhang Nu began, "since you¡¯ve been straightforward with me, I won¡¯t hide anything either. I¡¯ll leave as you¡¯ve asked, but I¡¯ve seen someone here who doesn¡¯t belong¡ªthere¡¯s a woman in red, and I believe she could y a part in the threat to this vige."


    As soon as Zhang Nu mentioned the woman in red, the elder¡¯s expression shifted dramatically. It was clear she hadn¡¯t expected him to know about her. Seeing her reaction, Zhang Nu immediately sensed that this woman might hold a key to the vige¡¯s fate. Why else would the vige elder react so strongly?


    The elder, clearly flustered, quickly masked her worry with a forced smile. ¡°Is that so? It appears we may have overlooked something,¡± she replied. ¡°Rest assured, if this woman is a danger, we will deal with her. Just as we¡¯ve asked you to leave, we won¡¯t allow her to stay here either. Once we return, we¡¯ll investigate, and if she¡¯s still around, she¡¯ll be made to leave.¡±


    Zhang Nu nodded after hearing the elder¡¯s words, though deep down, he knew she was not being truthful. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was something much more significant about the red-d woman than the elder was willing to admit. Why was the elder so apprehensive about this mysterious woman? Who was she, exactly?


    Zhang Nu also noticed that the other vigers, especially the younger ones, appeared puzzled upon hearing about the red-d woman. Their worried expressions contrasted sharply with the elder generation¡¯s reaction, as if the younger ones were unaware of her existence.


    This confirmed Zhang Nu¡¯s suspicion that the vige harbored a deep, well-guarded secret, something the older generation was intentionally hiding from the youth. What could be so important that they would go to such lengths to keep it concealed?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Despite these unanswered questions, Zhang Nu decided it was best to leave, at least for the moment. He looked around at the vigers, then addressed the elder once more.


    ¡°Well then, Granny, I won¡¯t cause any more trouble for the vige,¡± he said calmly. ¡°I¡¯ll leave now, and I hope my presence here hasn¡¯t brought any misfortune.¡±


    Zhang Nu¡¯s words were sincere, but he had no intention of leaving permanently. He would return, determined to uncover the vige¡¯s secrets.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 385 - Chiefs Omen

    Zhang Nu¡¯s words were merely a tactic to lower the vigers'' guard. He intended to return once their suspicions had fully subsided. As he left, Liu Hai anxiously watched him go, struggling to understand why Zhang Nu would leave so easily.¡°Are you really going to let Zhang Nu leave like this?¡± Liu Hai pleaded with the vigers. ¡°His story is just like mine, but at least I was fortunate enough to have you all take me in. If he leaves now, there may be no one left in the world who cares for him. He might grow to hate this world, and who knows what kind of harm that resentment could cause?¡±The elder woman understood Liu Hai¡¯s concerns; she knew the potential danger of pushing Zhang Nu away. But their vige was already in a precarious situation, and she couldn¡¯t afford to take risks.¡°Liu Hai,¡± she began, her tone gentle but firm, ¡°this is a hardship that everyone must face at some point. Life presents different challenges to us all, and Zhang Nu¡¯s path is not yours. The vige chief has warned us about outsiders for a reason, and it¡¯s our duty to follow his guidance.¡±Liu Hai, hearing this, realized the vigers were conflicted. They pitied Zhang Nu, but none dared defy the chief¡¯s orders. The timing of Zhang Nu¡¯s arrival had indeed been unfortunate; otherwise, he might not have been treated as an outcast.


    But there was something that intrigued Liu Hai¡ªthe elder¡¯s cryptic mention of the vige''s potential destruction. Why was their vige at risk? The thought gnawed at him, making him wonder what greater danger loomed over them all.


    ¡°Granny, even if I can understand what you''re saying, could you at least tell me this: Why did the vige chief say that if outsiderse to our vige, the vige will be destroyed? Why make such an absurd statement?¡±


    Liu Hai desperately wanted to know the reasoning behind the vige chief¡¯s ominous words. What basis did the chief have for making such ims?


    The elder woman, hearing Liu Hai¡¯s question, found herself at a loss for how to exin. The vigers had always obeyed the chief¡¯s words without question, as doing so had protected them from many disasters in the past. Defying the chief had never ended well. In fact, there had been a time when vigers had ignored his warnings, leading to a devastating gue that wiped out half the vige. Since then, everyone had obeyed the chief without fail to prevent another catastrophe.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Liu Hai, this has always been our vige''s tradition. I know that there are many things you, the younger generation, don¡¯t understand, but as long as we listen to the chief, we can avoid cmity. We may disobey our parents at times, but we must always heed the chief''s words. It¡¯s the only way for our vige to continue thriving.¡±


    Liu Hai, hearing the old woman¡¯s exnation, couldn''t help but think how absurd it all sounded. Why did everyone have to follow the vige chief''s every word? Why did the chief wield so much power? What had happened in the past that made the vigers so dependent on his guidance?


    The more Liu Hai thought about it, the stranger it seemed. The vige¡¯s deep-rooted obedience to the chief felt unnatural, and the supposed ancient tradition that justified this power only made things more mysterious.Soon, the crowd dispersed, and the vige elder, with a face full of helplessness, said sternly to Liu Hai, "Liu Hai, Granny knows you have a kind heart, but you must not bring that person back again. If I find out that you¡¯ve brought him back, I won¡¯t let you stay in this vige any longer."


    Her tone was severe, as if the moment she found Zhang Nu in Liu Hai¡¯s home, she would immediately expel both of them from the vige. Hearing this, Liu Hai didn¡¯t dare to act recklessly.


    Reluctantly, Liu Hai began thinking of a way to meet Zhang Nu outside the vige. The whole situation seemed absurd to him. When night fell, Liu Hai didn¡¯t go to sleep; he waited patiently, knowing that Zhang Nu would return. He was certain that Zhang Nu wouldn¡¯t leave so easily and woulde back to uncover the truth behind the vige¡¯s strange behavior.


    Sure enough, in the middle of the night, Liu Hai heard movement outside his house. He knew it was Zhang Nu. Liu Hai quietly opened the door for him, careful not to alert the other vigers. If they were caught, both he and Zhang Nu would be expelled from the vige for sure.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 386 - Howling

    When Zhang Nu saw Liu Hai waiting for him, he quickly followed him inside the house.


    "Did you manage to find out anything new today?" Zhang Nu asked, eager to learn what Liu Hai had discovered. Liu Hai, understanding that Zhang Nu wanted to know everything, had no intention of hiding the truth. He hoped Zhang Nu would trust him.


    "I did manage to learn something," Liu Hai said. "It turns out that the people in this vige have always followed the vige chief''s words as if he were some sort of god. His authority here is absolute, and whatever he says, they obey without question. Even if the chief ordered them to die, they would do so without hesitation."


    Zhang Nu was shocked to hear this. How could people be so blindly obedient? Could it really be that this vige had been following the chief''smands for generations?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "It appears this vige holds even more mysteries than we anticipated," Zhang Nu said, deep in thought. "I need to find a way back in to investigate. I have to understand what''s really happening here."


    Liu Hai nodded but looked uncertain. "Given how much these vigers fear outsiders, it won''t be easy for you to return," he said with a sigh. "They won¡¯t let anyone in so easily."


    Zhang Nu understood that Liu Hai was right. The task ahead would be difficult, but he was determined. No matter how hard it was, he needed to get back into the vige and uncover the truth behind its strange customs."We need toe up with a way to make them invite outsiders into the vige willingly," Zhang Nu suggested, his tone thoughtful. "That way, it''ll be easier for me to move around without raising suspicion. The problem is, what kind of excuse should we use?"


    Liu Hai frowned, feeling even more at a loss. Just as they were struggling to find a solution, the eerie wailing began again, even louder and more unsettling than before. The sound carried a new level of terror that made their skin crawl.


    ¡°Do you feel like this time the sound is different?¡± Zhang Nu asked, his voice tense.


    Liu Hai, now focused, listened closely. Zhang Nu was right¡ªthe sound had changed. But what did it matter to them? As far as Liu Hai was concerned, the vige always stayed unharmed, no matter how terrifying the noise became.


    ¡°So what if the sound is more horrifying this time?¡± Liu Hai shrugged. ¡°The vige will stay safe, and the people will keep ignoring it. To them, this is nothing new.¡±


    Zhang Nu considered Liu Hai¡¯s words but couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was wrong. This time, it felt like the vige¡¯s uneasy calm was about to be shattered.


    "I think this time, it''s different..." Zhang Nu murmured. "Something bad might be about to happen."


    Just as he finished speaking, they heard a blood-curdling howl from outside¡ªthis time, it didn¡¯t sound like the usual wails. The cries seemed disturbingly human, as if the vigers themselves were wailing in agony. Zhang Nu couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something terrible had happened.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it sound like a person crying out?¡± Zhang Nu asked, his voice tense. ¡°What could have happened to make a human scream like that?¡±


    Liu Hai, though unsettled, shook his head and peeked outside. Sure enough, Zhang Nu was right. The once peaceful night was now disrupted as lights flickered on throughout the vige, shattering the usual calm.


    ¡°Zhang Nu, you need to get out of here, quickly,¡± Liu Hai said, turning back to him. ¡°No one can know you were here. If they do, they¡¯ll me us for whatever¡¯s happening.¡±


    Zhang Nu nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. He slipped out of the house, taking care not to be seen. Once he was gone, Liu Hai tried to calm himself andy back down, but before long, his front door burst open, and several vigers rushed into his house. Jolted awake, Liu Hai sat up, his face showing shock and confusion. He nced at the familiar faces around him with fear.


    ¡°Granny, uncle, auntie, what are you all doing here? Did something happen?¡±

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 387 - Missing Children

    "Why is everyone here in my house?" Liu Hai asked, clearly startled by the unexpected gathering.


    The vige elder nced at Liu Hai, noting his groggy state. It seemed that he hadn¡¯t been out or done anything suspicious, but she still needed to ask. Although she suspected that Liu Hai might not bepletely truthful, her years of experience allowed her to often tell the difference between truth and lies.


    ¡°Liu Hai, I need to ask you something. Were you here sleeping all night?¡± she asked, her voice firm. ¡°Did Zhang Nue back at any point?¡±


    Liu Hai looked around at the gathered vigers, clearly confused, as though he had no idea why Zhang Nu was being brought up.


    ¡°Granny, what are you implying?¡± he asked, bewildered. ¡°How does this have anything to do with Zhang Nu? He hasn¡¯t been to my house at all! Ever since I came back, I¡¯ve been quiet and thoughtful, especially about why outsiders aren¡¯t allowed here. But I understand how important it is to listen to the vige chief. I¡¯ve taken this very seriously. I wouldn¡¯t risk bringing someone like Zhang Nu here, and he definitely hasn¡¯t been around.¡±


    The old woman, satisfied with his response, nodded approvingly. However, she remained perplexed by the situation. If Zhang Nu hadn¡¯t been near Liu Hai¡¯s home, why had children from the vige mysteriously disappeared?The elderly woman sighed, her expression softening as she addressed Liu Hai.


    "So that''s how it is. In that case, we elders owe you an apology. Don¡¯t let it weigh on you," she said. "On behalf of all the uncles and aunts here, I¡¯m sorry."


    Liu Hai quickly waved it off, not wanting to make it a big deal.


    ¡°No need for that, Granny. It¡¯s understandable you¡¯d suspect me, given I sheltered Zhang Nu without permission,¡± he said. ¡°But I still don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening in the vige tonight. Why are so many people out and about? If there¡¯s anything I can do to help, just let me know.¡±


    The elderly woman listened carefully, her trust in Liu Hai deepening as his tone seemed genuine and heartfelt. No one could tell that Liu Hai was simply trying to ease their suspicions. In fact, Liu Hai saw this situation as an excellent opportunity to get Zhang Nu back into the vige.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ to be honest, something strange has happened tonight,¡± the elder admitted, her voice heavy with concern. ¡°Several children from different families have gone missing¡ªthree, maybe four families all at once. The parents are beside themselves with worry. Some thought Zhang Nu might be responsible, which is why we came looking for you. But since this has nothing to do with you, we¡¯ll let it go. Just make sure Zhang Nu doesn¡¯te back.¡±


    Liu Hai nodded, but inwardly, he was shaken. The disappearance of the vige children was rming. How could this have happened so suddenly? This might just be the perfect reason to get Zhang Nu back into the vige. He couldn''t let this opportunity slip by and was determined to get to the bottom of this mystery."Granny, I can¡¯t believe something so serious has happened in the vige, and I had no idea," Liu Hai said with concern. "If that''s the case, I might bear some responsibility for being unaware. How about this, let me join you in the search? With more hands, we can work faster and maybe figure out who¡¯s responsible for this awful act.¡±


    The vige elder was visibly moved by Liu Hai''s offer, her eyes brimming with tears. His words resonated deeply with her. Since Liu Hai had volunteered, it seemed only right to let him help. After all, having more people meant a greater chance of finding the missing children sooner.


    Liu Hai quickly followed the group to one of the homes where a child had disappeared. He nced around the house, but nothing appeared out of ce, there were no signs of forced entry or anything that seemed unusual.


    "Jun Hao¡¯s family, what exactly happened?" the vige elder asked. "How could your child disappear so suddenly? Is it possible the child wandered off without you noticing?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The woman, who had been crying, quickly shook her head. This was impossible. Every night, at this time, her child would already be fast asleep. There was no way her child would sneak out on their own, especially not along with so many others.


    ¡°Granny, there¡¯s no way my child left the house on their own,¡± she sobbed, her voice shaking. ¡°At this hour, they¡¯re always in bed. What kind of sin have Imitted to deserve this? Why did my child vanish without warning?¡±

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 388 - Accusations and Suspicions

    Liu Hai listened attentively, growing more uneasy as the conversation continued. How could something like this happen so suddenly? Children don¡¯t just vanish without a trace¡ªthere had to be more to the story. He had no idea who could be responsible, but he was certain it wasn¡¯t Zhang Nu. Zhang Nu had his principles and would never resort to something like this. Besides, Zhang Nu had been with him the entire time, and he could vouch for that, though revealing it to the others wasn¡¯t an option.


    "Jun Hao¡¯s parents, please don¡¯t lose hope," Liu Hai said, trying tofort them. "No one could have foreseen something like this. It¡¯s a strange and tragic event, but we are all working hard to help you find your child. Rest assured, everyone is doing their best to investigate, and I believe we¡¯ll find the children soon."Despite his efforts to console them, the couple only cried harder, as if they had already lost their child forever. Their wails resembled mourning, as though they had resigned themselves to the worst possible oue. Liu Hai found their behavior strange. The children were missing, yes, but no real evidence of a tragedy had emerged yet. So why were they grieving as if the worst had already happened?"Please don¡¯t despair," Liu Hai continued, keeping his voice steady. "I¡¯m sure your children will be found safely. If something terrible had urred, we would have heard rumors by now. At first light tomorrow, we¡¯ll begin a thorough search. I¡¯m confident we¡¯ll find them."The couple, after hearing Liu Hai''s words, showed no gratitude towards him. Instead, they ced all the me squarely on him, as though their child''s disappearance was entirely his fault.


    "How can you even have the nerve to say something like that to us?" the woman cried out, her voice filled with anger and grief. "This is all your fault! If you hadn¡¯t brought that outsider into the vige, none of this would¡¯ve happened to our child. The vige chief warned us not to let any outsiders in, saying it would lead to the vige¡¯s destruction. But you didn¡¯t listen! You insisted on bringing Zhang Nu back, and now look what¡¯s happened! My child is missing! Tell me, how am I supposed to get my child back?"


    Tears flowed down her face as she spoke, her grief evident. She looked as though she would rush to Zhang Nu and demand answers, convinced he was responsible for their tragedy.


    Liu Hai, however, felt their usations werepletely unfounded. This had nothing to do with Zhang Nu. Zhang Nu hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, so why were they ming him for everything that had happened?


    "Why are you so certain that Zhang Nu is responsible?" Liu Hai asked, his voice steady. "Did anyone actually see him do anything? Since Zhang Nu left the vige, he hasn''t returned. How could he possibly be involved in this? There must be some other exnation for what''s happened."


    But the vigers looked at Liu Hai suspiciously. It was as if his defense of Zhang Nu only deepened their doubts. Normally, anyone would assume Zhang Nu was responsible, so why was Liu Hai so adamant that Zhang Nu had nothing to do with it?"Liu Hai, tell Granny the truth," the old woman said sternly. "Why are you so sure this has nothing to do with Zhang Nu? Was he with you when these things happened?"


    Hearing the question, Liu Hai¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He realized that his earlier words might have raised suspicions, and now they were scrutinizing him more closely. But there was no way he could simply admit that Zhang Nu had been with him as it would only make things worse.


    "Granny, think about it," Liu Hai replied, trying to sound as calm as possible. "If Zhang Nu were really the one behind all of this, why didn¡¯t anything happen while he was in the vige? Why is it only after he left that these strange things started happening? Doesn¡¯t it seem more like someone is trying to frame him?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The old woman paused, considering his exnation. What Liu Hai said did make some sense, but something about it still didn¡¯t sit right with her. Why was Liu Hai so quick to defend Zhang Nu with such certainty?


    Before she could respond, another viger interrupted angrily, "Granny, don¡¯t trust him! He¡¯s the one who sheltered Zhang Nu. They¡¯re working together! He¡¯d love nothing more than to see this vige destroyed! How can he possibly be on our side?"


    The old woman¡¯s gaze hardened as she looked at Liu Hai, conflicted. For the first time, she began to doubt whether keeping him in the vige had been the right decision. Even if Liu Hai wasn¡¯t the one who would bring destruction to the vige, his close connection to Zhang Nu was troubling.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 389 - Tai Chi?

    However, the situation couldn¡¯t be judged solely based on assumptions. The vigers needed to investigate thoroughly, and everyone agreed to head to the mountain in the morning.


    "Junjun¡¯s parents, Liu Hai might have a point," the vige elder finally spoke. "What he¡¯s saying could be true. This might not be Zhang Nu¡¯s doing. We¡¯ve all met Zhang Nu and he doesn¡¯t seem like the kind of person to do something like this. Let¡¯s search the vige first tonight. If we don¡¯t find the children, we¡¯ll head to the mountain in the morning."


    The distressed parents reluctantly nodded at the elder¡¯s suggestion. Liu Hai could tell that apart from the vige chief, this old woman held the most respect in the vige. No one dared to contradict her. Soon, everyone began searching the vige, looking for any trace of the missing children.


    However, after thoroughly scouring the area, they found nothing unusual. The vige was unusually lively for such ate hour, but no clues emerged. When the vigers returned to Jun Hao¡¯s house in the early hours, they were exhausted and disheartened. It seemed clear that the children were not in the vige.


    Seeing their empty-handed return, the elder sighed. "If the children aren¡¯t here, then it seems they¡¯ve made their way up the mountain."


    The vige elder was now convinced that Zhang Nu had nothing to do with the disappearances. If he had wanted revenge, he wouldn''t have taken the children to the mountain¡ªit didn¡¯t make sense. What Zhang Nu would gain from such an action remained unclear, but one thing was certain: they had to find the children as soon as possible.


    ¡°Since we couldn¡¯t find them tonight, I¡¯ll speak with the vige chief first thing in the morning,¡± she dered. ¡°We¡¯ll ask for his guidance on this matter. After that, we¡¯ll head up the mountain to search. No matter what, we must find those children.¡±After hearing the old woman¡¯s words, the vigers nodded in agreement. Throughout the conversation, Liu Hai had been closely observing her, trying to understand what set her apart and made the others follow her so unquestionably. It became clear to him that the eldermanded immense respect and held significant authority in the vige.


    At her word, everyone dispersed quickly, heading back to their own ces. Seeing this, Liu Hai was struck by how much authority the old woman held¡ªher words seemed to carry unquestionable weight. The vigers'' unwavering trust in her was apparent.


    Yet, one thing still puzzled Liu Hai. Despite the strange urrences, why did they need to consult the vige chief? Would the chief actually provide answers or help them find the missing children? Liu Hai couldn¡¯t help but think it was a waste of time; they should be heading to the mountain to search immediately.


    Even though these thoughts raced through his mind, Liu Hai decided not to voice them. He realized that questioning the elder or the vige¡¯s decisions might only stir up trouble. He knew that if he raised these concerns now, the vigers would likely react with hostility. So, he held his tongue and resolved to join the group when they headed to the mountain the next morning.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//omAt dawn the next morning, Liu Hai rose from his room, feeling the effects of the previous night''s events. He noticed that many vigers were still asleep, worn out from themotion. Liu Hai, however, did not rush to wake them for the search on the mountain, understanding that they needed proper rest.


    To pass the time, he began practicing Tai Chi in his home. Despite its slow and fluid movements, Tai Chi harnessed great defensive power, using softness to ovee hardness.


    Unbeknownst to Liu Hai, Zhang Nu had grown anxious, curious about what had transpired in the vige the night before. Zhang Nu soon arrived at Liu Hai''s doorstep, only to be met with the sight of Liu Hai calmly practicing Tai Chi. This sight left Zhang Nu baffled and fuming, he had been concerned, while Liu Hai seemed unbothered.


    ¡°Liu Hai, why are you doing Tai Chi right now?¡± Zhang Nu asked, frustration evident in his voice. ¡°What happenedst night? Why did so many peoplee out?¡±


    Upon seeing Zhang Nu at his door in broad daylight, Liu Hai instantly became cautious. He knew Zhang Nu wouldn¡¯t risking to his house unless something unusual was going on.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 390 - Among Us

    ¡°Zhang Nu, what are you doing here?¡± Liu Hai asked sternly. ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to leave? Why have youe back?¡±


    Liu Hai¡¯s tone was firm, almost confrontational, as though Zhang Nu¡¯s presence was unwee. Zhang Nu, taken aback, stared at Liu Hai, confused by the sudden change in attitude. Only yesterday, their rtionship seemed strong¡ªwhy was Liu Hai behaving this way now?


    ¡°Liu Hai, what¡¯s going on with you? What are you saying?¡± Zhang Nu asked, his voice full of confusion. ¡°I came back to investigate what happenedst night. We still have unfinished business here. Why would I leave so easily?¡±


    Liu Hai listened, growing more convinced that something was wrong. Although he and Zhang Nu did have unfinished tasks, Zhang Nu had never spoken so vaguely before.


    ¡°What unfinished business are you talking about?¡± Liu Hai replied sharply. ¡°I only took you in because I pitied you. But now, you dare return? You know full well that the elder said outsiders in the vige will bring ruin to us.¡±


    ¡°If you keep showing up, you¡¯re deliberately bringing disaster upon our vige. I took you in out of kindness, and this is how you repay me?¡± Liu Hai spoke with moral conviction, positioning himself on the high ground.


    He was certain that this was a test set up by the vige chief, so he showed no signs of faltering. Meanwhile, the elderly woman nearby nodded in agreement with Liu Hai¡¯s words. His firm stance convinced her that Zhang Nu was not involved in the events of the previous night, as he hadn¡¯t visited Liu Hai¡¯s house after all. However, she knew that some questions remained unanswered, and it wasn¡¯t time to draw conclusions just yet."Liu Hai, I''ve never had such intentions. You should know that I came here for other reasons," Zhang Nu said firmly. "Aren''t our goals aligned?"


    As Liu Hai listened, he became more convinced that Zhang Nu''s words were growing increasingly nonsensical. It was bing clear to him that this wasn''t the real Zhang Nu, but rather someone sent by the vige chief to test him. The real reason he and Zhang Nu knew each other was due to the deadly game they had both been involved in, not because they had any shared purpose in the vige. The story this person was spinning sounded more and more absurd.


    ¡°What are you rambling about?¡± Liu Hai asked sharply. ¡°What secret could this vige possibly hold? I¡¯ve lived here for years and never heard anything about it. How could you know anything?¡±


    ¡°What exactly are you here for? If you don¡¯t exin yourself, I¡¯m not letting you off so easily,¡± Liu Hai continued, his tone growing stern. It was clear he was beginning to doubt Zhang Nu and even resent his presence.


    The elderly woman, observing the exchange, was satisfied with Liu Hai¡¯s ignorance and nodded approvingly. It was time to move on. She still needed to gather the rest of the vigers to search for the missing children.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Zhang Nu said. ¡°Believe whatever you want. But know this, I have never harbored any ill will toward this vige.¡±


    ¡°I came here today only to understand what happenedst night. I didn¡¯t leave the vige. I¡¯ve spent the whole night watching. I saw the vige lit upte into the night, and that¡¯s why I came to ask you what happened.¡±


    ¡°But now that you¡¯ve misunderstood my intentions, I have nothing more to say. I¡¯ll leave.¡±


    After Zhang Nu finished speaking, he turned and left without hesitation, and Liu Hai made no attempt to stop him. He was certain that the person standing before him was not the real Zhang Nu but rather a decoy sent by the vige to test him. What surprised Liu Hai, however, was how convincing the impersonation was. The mimicry was nearly wless, down to Zhang Nu¡¯s tone and manner of speech.


    Had Liu Hai not known Zhang Nu so well, he might have fallen for the trick. If he had been deceived, both he and Zhang Nu would have been caught by the vigers. Watching the figure of the fake Zhang Nu fade into the distance, Liu Hai finally let out a sigh of relief.


    The appearance of this impostor only confirmed what Liu Hai had suspected all along: something was deeply wrong with the vige. It reinforced his belief that there was more to this ce than met the eye. Determined not to let down Zhang Nu, Liu Hai resolved to uncover the secrets lurking behind the vige''s facade.


    Later, he would head to the mountains to search for the missing children, making sure not to let anyone see through his ns.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 391 - Confusion

    The vige chief, sitting quietly in the courtyard, observed how effortlessly Liu Hai had evaded their probing questions. Despite this, the chief remained unconvinced that the situation was as straightforward as it appeared. However, how could he share his suspicions with the others? If the vigers saw Liu Hai¡¯s seemingly honest behavior, they would undoubtedly believe him, which might make the chief appear overly harsh. It was better to keep an eye on Liu Hai''s actions from the shadows, watching closely to see what he would do next.¡°It seems that Liu Hai isn¡¯t involved in anything suspicious, and judging by his reaction, that outsider didn¡¯t go to his housest night either,¡± the chief remarked. ¡°As for why these strange urrences have started in the vige, I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    Upon hearing the chief¡¯s words, the elderly woman grew more anxious. If Zhang Nu wasn¡¯t responsible, then who was? Could there be another outsider in the vige?


    ¡°Chief, what do you mean by that?¡± she asked. ¡°Are you suggesting that there¡¯s another outsider in our vige?¡±


    The chief neither confirmed nor denied this possibility. His role was to predict the vige¡¯s fate and ensure its safety, but he couldn¡¯t be certain of every detail.


    ¡°As for whether there¡¯s anyone else in the vige, that¡¯s something you¡¯ll need to observe carefully,¡± the chief responded. ¡°Not every outsider necessarily brings destruction to our vige.¡±


    The elder woman was even more puzzled by the chief¡¯s cryptic words. What exactly was he trying to say? Was he implying that Zhang Nu wasn¡¯t a threat? If so, who or what would be the real danger to their vige?The elderly woman¡¯s face paled after hearing the vige chief¡¯s words, deeply shaken by the notion that the chief¡¯s powers were growing weaker. For generations, the vige had relied on the chief¡¯s abilities to safeguard them and predict the vige¡¯s fate. The thought of the chief losing his strength was nothing short of catastrophic for the vige.


    ¡°Chief, what do you mean? How could your powers be weakening? Has something happened?¡± she asked, her voiceced with fear.


    The vige chief shook his head, a sigh escaping his lips. He understood that this was a natural progression for every chief. There were always unforeseen challenges, and vige leaders had to face them alone. They had already sacrificed much for the vige, and it was time for the people to learn to stand on their own.


    "Some things you need to discover for yourselves," he exined. "I cannot always reveal everything, and if you rely on me for every answer, it will do you more harm than good. The vige won¡¯t survive long if you can¡¯t develop the ability to think critically and respond to these challenges. Blind faith in me will only make it easier for those with ill intentions to manipte you."


    The elderly woman¡¯s worry deepened. If the chief¡¯s power was indeed weakening, the vige could be on the brink of disaster. Perhaps the chief wasn¡¯t warning them about people like Zhang Nu, but rather urging them to be wary of those with malicious intentions. Still, what could they do about the missing children now?


    The elderly woman, deeply worried, asked, "Vige chief, what should we do about the missing children? If even you have no solution, where will we go to find them?"


    The vige chief shook his head. These were matters they needed to learn to handle on their own. Reflecting on his declining powers, he realized that once his abilities faded entirely, he too would just be an ordinary person. When that day came, there would be no one left to predict their fortunes or keep their vige in its pure and peaceful state.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The chief could feel his lifespan shortening, knowing that death was nearing. But what troubled him most was that he still hadn¡¯t found a suitable sessor to take his ce. Without a new leader, how could the vige hope to survive and thrive? Despite the weight of this burden, he chose not to share his weakening condition with anyone. He knew that if word of his failing health spread, it would plunge the vige into chaos, filling its people with fear and unrest.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 392 - Sudden Shift

    The elderly woman had no choice but to step outside, her face heavy with worry. Though she couldn''t reveal the full truth about the vige chief''s condition, she knew they had to find the missing children on their own. She prayed that the heavens would protect them and that the children would be found safe and unharmed. Otherwise, the vige might be nearing its downfall.


    Quickly, she gathered the vigers together. However, she kept the chief¡¯s deteriorating state to herself, knowing it wasn¡¯t the right time to reveal such news. If she told the vigers now¡ªon top of the recent child disappearances¡ªpanic and hysteria would surely set in. Worse, she suspected there were traitors within the vige. Revealing their vulnerabilities might y right into those individuals¡¯ hands.


    "I just spoke with the chief, but he''s currently in seclusion and unable to assist us," she exined. "We can¡¯t rely on him for everything. This time, we must resolve this issue ourselves."


    The vigers, however, were visibly displeased. Many felt it was the chief¡¯s duty to protect them, especially in dire times like this.


    ¡°Granny, what do you mean?¡± one viger eximed angrily. ¡°Isn¡¯t it the chief¡¯s job to watch over us? He¡¯s always done so in the past!¡±


    Another chimed in, ¡°Seclusion or not, this is an emergency! Can¡¯t we just call him out? We need his help!¡±The elderly woman felt a deep sense of disappointment upon hearing the vigers'' words. It was clear now that everything the vige chief had warned her about wasing true. The vigers had grown increasingly dependent on him, to the point where they no longer wanted to think for themselves, even about small matters. She realized that when the chief''s abilities inevitably faded, these vigers might not forgive him so easily.


    "Can''t you all stop relying on the chief for everything?" she snapped. "We''re all capable of independent thought. We should be taking responsibility for these problems ourselves. What use is having your own minds if you''re just going to burden the chief with everything?"


    In her youth, the elderly woman had been someone who wouldn''t stand for any nonsense, and even now, she wasn¡¯t one to let others question her decisions. The vigers, who had always respected her, fell silent. They understood that she wanted them to support the chief instead of putting all the weight on his shoulders.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Several other elders stepped forward, agreeing with her. They reminded everyone that while they could still rely on the chief for now, the future was uncertain. The current chief was getting old, and they had no idea who his sessor would be. What would happen if the vige had no one to lead them when his powers eventually waned? This was something that needed to be addressed before it was toote.


    "We need to start solving our problems on our own," one elder said.


    "We can''t depend on the chief forever. He''s only human."


    "Even his predictions might fail one day, so we should follow his advice but also be prepared to act independently."The vige elders voiced their concerns one after another, and the younger vigers quickly fell silent, filled with respect and a bit of fear. In their vige, things were very different from the outside world. In most ces, the elderly might not always be respected, but here, their opinions carried weight.


    For the vigers, the older someone was, the more authoritative they became. The elderly were seen as wise and capable of understanding the world in ways the younger ones could not. Only the elderly were deemed worthy of making decisions and passing judgment.


    "Alright then, let''s head up the mountain and start searching for clues about the missing children," one elder suggested. "If we can find any evidence, it will help us figure out what to do next."


    As Liu Hai listened, he grew more uneasy. Something ain¡¯t right. The elder woman, who had always shown deep respect for the vige chief and wouldn¡¯t make a move without his counsel, was now suddenly encouraging everyone to act without him. It was as if she knew something was going to happen to the chief, or that he wouldn''t be able to help them as he once did.


    This strange shift in attitude from the elders left Liu Hai with a growing sense of dread, though he tried to convince himself it was just his imagination. But deep down, he feared his suspicions might be all too real.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 393 - The Villages Life Source

    The vige chief, always aware of the goings-on in the vige, felt a sense of relief when he learned of the vigers'' actions. However, that feeling quickly dissipated. In the next moment, his expression shifted drastically, as if something had disturbed his very life force. A wave of unbearable pain washed over him, causing him to grimace in agony.


    He knew immediately that the vige''s "Life Source" had been tampered with. It was because of this interference that his powers were slowly weakening. The vital question now was: who had meddled with the Life Source, and why? Could it be that someone had uncovered the vige¡¯s long-held secret that had sustained its prosperity for generations? Only a handful of the vige elders, those held in the highest esteem, knew of the Life Source and its significance.


    Could it have been one of the elders themselves? The vige chief was full of doubts. If the elders were involved, surely the old woman would have known about it. Now, he realized he needed to dig deeper, to determine whether it was an outsider or someone from within the vige who had interfered with the Life Source.


    ¡­¡­n/?/vel/b//in dot c//omNow, Liu Hai and the group had finally arrived at Nine Fox Ridge. The vigers appeared anxious, especially since none of them had ever ventured there before. All their lives, they had only heard terrifying stories from the vige elders about how dangerous Nine Fox Ridge was.


    The elders had always warned them that unless absolutely necessary, no one should enter the ridge because most who went in never came out alive. As the vigers pushed forward in arge group, it was as if they were using each other''s presence to boost their courage.


    Liu Hai couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly as he watched them. They had no idea that he and Zhang Nu had already wiped out all the creatures on the first level. After the vigers explored the firstyer for a while, they found nothing out of the ordinary, which left them even more puzzled. The vigers weren''t sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. If the firstyer was clear, did that mean that danger awaited them on the higher levels?


    Liu Hai knew that continuing further could be risky¡ªhe and Zhang Nu had barely survived their encounter on the secondyer. If these vigers tried to ascend any higher, they were likely to face the same fate. Seeing that the group was preparing to move upward, Liu Hai quickly stepped in to stop them.


    ¡°Granny, do we really have to keep going up?¡± Liu Hai asked, concerned. ¡°I¡¯ve hunted here before, and I know how terrifying it can get. Without someone powerful to protect us, we may not make it out alive.¡±


    The old woman gently patted Liu Hai on the shoulder, reassuring him with a calm smile. Although the ridge was home to dangerous creatures, she assured him that they wouldn¡¯t be harmed. She exined that during the selection of each new vige chief, the elders always made the journey up the ridge.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Liu Hai,¡± she said with a knowing nod. ¡°Just stay close to us. I promise, no harm wille to you.¡±Liu Hai was taken aback by the old woman¡¯s confidence. How could she guarantee their safety? Did she really understand the terrifying dangers lurking on this mountain? The tree demon on the second level was especially fearsome¡ªthere was no way the vigers could handle it on their own.


    Reluctantly, Liu Hai decided to push forward with the others. Even if it cost him his life, he was determined to ensure the vigers made it through unharmed. He stayed on high alert, wary that a monster could leap out at them at any moment.


    But to Liu Hai¡¯s astonishment, they reached the mountaintop without encountering a single demon. This was beyond belief. When he and Zhang Nu had ventured here before, they had run into the tree demon as soon as they reached the second level.


    Puzzled, Liu Hai remembered the old woman¡¯s earlier assurance. Could it be that she, or perhaps the group of elders, had something to do with their safe passage? He noticed that several of the elders who usually kept to themselves hade along on this trek. It was as if their presence was needed to keep something at bay on the mountain.


    Liu Hai couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was more to the rtionship between Nine-Tailed Fox Ridge and the vige than met the eye. The elders might know far more than they were letting on, and this entire situation was starting to seem deeply connected to the vige¡¯s secrets. With these thoughts swirling in his mind, he continued to follow the group, unsure of whaty ahead.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 394 - Facade

    Before long, Liu Hai reached the mountaintop with the others, surprised by how effortlessly they¡¯d ascended. Once there, the group of elders appeared to be searching for something in particr. Curious, Liu Hai approached the old woman.


    ¡°Granny, what exactly are you all looking for?¡± he asked. ¡°Would you like us to help?¡±


    The old woman shook her head. ¡°No need. This is a task for us elders. We can handle it.¡±


    Liu Hai¡¯s surprise only grew. Could the elders really manage this alone? Who exactly were they, that they could lead everyone safely to the top without any sign of the monsters he and Zhang Nu had encountered before? It was as if they were oblivious to the dangers usually present on this mountain. The vigers, especially the younger ones, generally avoided the mountain due to the rumors of monsters. Liu Hai himself wouldn¡¯t havee here if it weren¡¯t necessary for his training.When the YaoGuai living in the mountain caves saw Liu Hai and the vigers approaching, they found it intriguing. Previously, these vigers, especially the younger ones, had rarely ventured up the mountain. Now, seeing that even vigers were starting to pursue cultivation, they felt their longstanding warnings had been ignored.


    ¡°I never expected the two to be from that vige,¡± Illusion YaoGuai sneered. ¡°And he¡¯s even starting to cultivate. Such foolish ambition.¡±


    Tree YaoGuai, however, shook his head, sensing more behind the scenes. Although Liu Hai possessed some cultivation abilities, they were far weaker than thepanion who had been with him before. ¡°This one may be cultivating, but his aptitude is pitifully low. Compared to the one who apanied himst time, he¡¯s practically worthless.¡±


    Illusion Guai¡¯s eyes gleamed greedily, as if he were contemting possessing the bodies of both men. Observing this, Tree YaoGuai chuckled softly. In his view, mortal cultivators, regardless of their skill, would inevitably meet their end with age.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Of course, only you would find such lowly vessels appealing. These are just frail mortals, their lives fleeting and fragile.¡± Tree Guai said with a hint of mockery. ¡°If it¡¯s bodies you¡¯re after, there are plenty in this world who would willingly offer themselves.¡±


    Unfazed, the Illusion YaoGuai cast him a scornful nce, recognizing the underlying meaning in his words. Instead of engaging further, the phantom¡¯s attention shifted back to the group. ¡°Have you noticed anything strange in that vige recently? Why are all these humansing up the mountain now?¡±


    Tree YaoGuai shrugged, equally perplexed. Despite his watch over the area, he had not sensed anything particrly unusual in the vige recently.At that moment, the elder knelt at the mountain''s peak, softly chanting a mantra. Watching this, Illusion and Tree Guai shook their heads¡ªthey sensed it was finally time to reveal themselves.


    Liu Hai observed the elder intently, wondering what she was doing. Suddenly, a faint glow appeared in front of her, visible to everyone present. All the vigers immediately knelt down, chanting ¡°immortal¡± with reverence. Liu Hai was taken aback, recognizing that this figure was no immortal but rather a YaoGuai.


    He sensed the faint aura of YaoGuai energy surrounding the presence. Yet, he couldn¡¯t share this realization with the vigers¡ªthey would never believe him. This YaoGuai had likely been revered as a deity by the vige for ages, which is why its appearance seemed so natural to them.


    The younger vigers, seeing what they believed to be a divine figure protecting them, broke into smiles of relief. They were convinced their vige would remain safe and flourish for generations. At this point, Illusion YaoGuai materialized within the glowing aura, radiating an appearance of pure sanctity, as if he were untouchable and above all worldly disturbances.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 395 - Tragedy

    ¡°Why have you summoned me? Do you have something to say?¡± Illusion YaoGuai maintained an air of arrogance, clearly presenting himself as above the vigers before him.


    When the elder saw Illusion YaoGuai appear, she became visibly emotional. Summoning him sessfully was a hopeful sign that their vige still held favor. However, she could not discuss everything in front of the vigers, so she focused on asking about the children.


    ¡°Honored immortal, do you happen to know where the children of our vige have gone? Just yesterday, three of our children vanished without a trace, and we¡¯ve yet to find any sign of them.¡±


    Illusion YaoGuai seemed surprised by the old woman''s words¡ªhe hadn¡¯t heard of anything like that. How could children simply vanish without cause? Perhaps some creature had taken them? But this vige was under his and the other YaoGuai¡¯s protection; no creature should dare harm its people.


    ¡°Very well. I will investigate at once,¡± Illusion YaoGuai replied, closing his eyes and moving his hands as though calcting some mystical insight. Liu Hai, watching this performance, could tell Illusion YaoGuai was simply pretending. He knew that the entity before them was a YaoGuai, but the vigers couldn¡¯t distinguish between a YaoGuai and an immortal¡ªthey only cared that this being before them could grant their wishes.


    Liu Hai felt utterly frustrated, if Zhang Nu were here, he could expose the true nature of this YaoGuai. But alone, Liu Hai had to remain cautious. Once they descended the mountain, he would ry everything to Zhang Nu, hoping he could devise a n to handle this situation.Soon, Illusion YaoGuai opened his eyes, gazing at the vigers with a sorrowful look.


    ¡°Those children have already met a tragic fate. If you wish to recover their bodies, you may find them at the foot of the mountain.¡±


    The old woman was struck by these words, struggling to ept the reality. The children had only gone missing the night before; how could their lives have been taken so swiftly? What was happening here? Who could have done such a thing?


    ¡°Honored Immortal, might you tell us whomitted this terrible act? The children were so young, yet they met such a fate,¡± the old woman implored.


    Illusion YaoGuai hesitated. He didn¡¯t wish to be entangled in this matter, but the first vige leader had bound them to a pact. As long as the Tree of Life stood, they werepelled to protect this vige. Only when the Source of Life vanished would they be free from their obligations. But over the centuries, the Source of Life had only grown stronger, revealing that they had been deceived by that initial vige leader. Yet, bound by the curse, they couldn¡¯t further their cultivation without assisting the vigers.


    ¡°This was done by the evil spirits of the mountain. If you wish to rid yourselves of them, you must seek a Daoist yourselves,¡± Illusion YaoGuai replied and, with that, he vanished.


    Seeing Illusion YaoGuai disappear, the old woman copsed to the ground in shock. So, it truly had been the mountain¡¯s malicious spirits behind the children¡¯s disappearances¡ªit had nothing to do with Zhang Nu or Liu Hai. Regret washed over her, and she hoped that Zhang Nu and Liu Hai wouldn¡¯t resent them for having wrongly used them.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s go down to the base of the mountain and retrieve the remains of the children,¡± Liu Hai said solemnly. The others nodded, feeling a sense of defeat. They had climbed the mountain with such determination, only to find that the children had already perished, their bones lying at the mountain¡¯s base. Had they known sooner, they wouldn¡¯t have needed to climb so far.


    When they reached the foot of the mountain, they searched until they found the remains of the three children. Wild animals had stripped the bodies down to bare bones. The old woman¡¯s eyes filled with tears at the sight, deeply saddened by the grim discovery. Liu Hai, equally troubled, realized that if the evil spirits in the mountains were truly responsible, dealing with them woulde at a great cost. Perhaps this would be the perfect reason to bring Zhang Nu back here.


    However, Liu Hai knew this wasn¡¯t the time to discuss such matters. It could wait until they returned to the vige. Soon, they headed back to the vige with the remains of the children, where the anxious parents waited at the entrance, hearts heavy with hope and dread.

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 396 - Return

    When the parents saw their children¡¯s bones returned to them, they were overwhelmed. Just yesterday, these children had been running around, full of life, and today, they were nothing but a pile of white bones. It was an unbearable reality for anyone. They felt as if their world had crumbled, but life had to go on. They knew they couldn¡¯t lose all hope in living, even in this despair.


    ¡°Take care of yourselves,¡± the old woman said with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve done all I can for now. But know that such incidents may happen again. I need to discuss how we¡¯re going to deal with this going forward.¡±


    Hearing the elder¡¯s words, the parents nodded, determined that no other children should ever suffer such a fate. They would make sure to protect their children better in the future.


    Liu Hai walked alongside the elder as they left the group. ¡°Granny, have you thought of a way to solve this?¡± he asked. ¡°These days, there are many fraudulent exorcists. Finding someone truly capable of dealing with these malicious spirits will be difficult.¡±


    The old woman knew exactly what Liu Hai meant, she had considered these things well in advance, but had yet to find a suitable candidate.


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware,¡± she replied, ¡°but the most important thing is figuring out a course of action. We have to find an exorcist. Even the slimmest chance of sess is worth it if it means preventing more children from falling victim to such horrors.¡±After hearing the old woman¡¯s words, Liu Hai felt that this was the right moment to bring up Zhang Nu, and perhaps she would agree to it now.


    ¡°Granny, I really think Zhang Nu would be willing to help us,¡± Liu Hai said. ¡°He has some expertise in handling these matters. If we could invite him back, I¡¯m certain he could help us get rid of these evil spirits.¡±


    The old woman shook her head. ¡°We just chased Zhang Nu away,¡± she replied. ¡°How can we ask him toe back now? He may not be willing to help us after how he was treated. It¡¯s better that we find another way instead of cing all our hope on Zhang Nu.¡±


    But Liu Hai looked at her with urgency. How could they not put their hope in Zhang Nu? If Zhang Nu wasn¡¯t involved, he¡¯d never have a reason to return to the vige. Liu Hai needed Zhang Nu back if there was any hope of a resolution.


    ¡°Please trust me, Granny. Zhang Nu isn¡¯t that petty. If he knew what was happening here, he¡¯d want to help. Let me speak with him. I know he¡¯ll agree to help us.¡±


    The old woman looked at Liu Hai with a loving, sympathetic gaze. She could tell he was speaking sincerely. With Liu Hai going to Zhang Nu, there was a chance he would agree to return. However, she couldn¡¯t help but feel regretful. After all, they had just driven Zhang Nu away, and now they were asking him toe back to help. It seemed unfair to Zhang Nu.N?v(el)B\\jnn¡°You¡¯re right. Go ahead and try to reach out to Zhang Nu for us,¡± the elder said. ¡°If he¡¯s willing to return, we¡¯re prepared to offer a substantial reward and ensure he has a ce in the vige.¡±


    Liu Hai nodded immediately, and without wasting any time, he set out from the vige to find Zhang Nu. The elder didn¡¯t stop him; in fact, she was hopeful Liu Hai could find Zhang Nu quickly. The sooner he was found, the sooner he could deal with the troubles guing them.


    ¡­¡­


    Zhang Nu, having kept an eye on the vige, was aware of the events unfolding. He knew the vigers had gone up to Nine Fox Ridge, but he hadn¡¯t followed them, worried he might be discovered. Instead, he kept a low profile, waiting nearby in anticipation that Liu Hai mighte looking for him.


    Sure enough, it wasn¡¯t long before Liu Hai arrived. Zhang Nu saw him and quickly gestured for him toe over.


    ¡°Liu Hai, what exactly happened in the vige?¡± Zhang Nu asked urgently. ¡°Why did Granny lead you all up Nine Fox Ridge?¡±


    Liu Hai shook his head, signaling that he would exin it allter. Right now, the most important thing was that Zhang Nu finally had a chance to return to the vige.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everythingter,¡± Liu Hai reassured him. ¡°Right now, you cane back to the vige. Granny and the others won¡¯t object this time.¡±


    Zhang Nu looked at Liu Hai in surprise. ¡°Are you serious? I can actually go back to the vige now? I thought outsiders were still forbidden to enter?¡±

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 397 - Supernatural

    Although Zhang Nu was a bit skeptical, he still followed Liu Hai back to the vige. He trusted that Liu Hai wouldn¡¯t deceive him, and if Liu Hai was saying this, it meant the vigers had finally epted him and acknowledged he was no threat to them.


    As Zhang Nu walked closely behind Liu Hai, he had many questions he wanted to ask, but he sensed that Liu Hai wouldn¡¯t answer them right away. Only once they reached the vige would he know the full story.


    When they finally arrived, Liu Hai led him straight to the old woman they had spoken to previously. At the sight of her, Zhang Nu instinctively took a step back, fearing that she might turn on him. He knew these elders in the vige were not as simple as they appeared; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to ascend Nine Fox Ridge so easily.


    The old woman noticed Zhang Nu¡¯s reaction, and a trace of disappointment crossed her face. Yet she didn¡¯t me him, understanding that this was all due to her own actions. She had driven him away without reason, so his wariness was justified.


    ¡°Child, I know now that I was wrong,¡± she said gently. ¡°It was foolish of me to send you away without considering the truth. I hope you can forgive me.¡±


    Hearing these words, Zhang Nu quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, the old woman wasn¡¯t setting a trap for him. It seemed Liu Hai¡¯s words were indeed true, and the elder had genuinely begun to ept him.


    ¡°Granny, what are you saying? You were just being cautious for the sake of the vige, which ispletely understandable,¡± Zhang Nu replied. ¡°But why the sudden change of heart?¡±


    The old woman realized that Liu Hai hadn¡¯t informed Zhang Nu of everything, which was probably for the best. After all, it was they who needed Zhang Nu¡¯s help, so it was only right for them to exin the situation directly. They felt genuinely ashamed for once insisting on driving him away, only to now ask for his assistance. But with no other options left, they could only hope Zhang Nu would agree to help.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ I know asking this of you now might make you resent me,¡± the elder said heavily. ¡°But we have no other choice. Recently, the children in our vige have suddenly started disappearing. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening, but we hope you might help us investigate.¡±


    Zhang Nu was taken aback by the old woman¡¯s words. He hadn¡¯t anticipated such a situation, and the thought that the vige¡¯s children had gone missing without reason left him shocked.


    ¡°Granny, what do you mean?¡± he asked. ¡°How could the vige¡¯s children have all gone missing? Are we dealing with something supernatural?¡±


    The old woman nodded. Indeed, there had been strange events in the vige recently. Although they could manage the situation for now, they desperately needed a way to resolve it.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she replied. ¡°Recently, there have been some strange urrences in the vige¡­ Not long ago, the children suddenly disappeared without a trace. When we finally located them, they were reduced to nothing but bones, with not a single piece of flesh remaining.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Zhang Nu was taken aback by the old woman¡¯s words. How could any creature devour an entire human body so quickly?


    ¡°How is that even possible?¡± he asked. ¡°Even under unnatural circumstances, the flesh of a body wouldn¡¯tpletely disappear within just two days.¡±


    Everyone was well aware of how imusible this sounded, which was exactly why they had reached out to Zhang Nu. Somehow, they felt he possessed a mysterious strength that could help. Now that they understood Zhang Nu posed no threat to the vige, they were convinced he might actually be able to save them from this predicament.


    Zhang Nu realized how challenging this would be. On his own, he doubted he could solve this mystery, and he didn¡¯t want the vigers to ce all their hopes on him alone.


    ¡°Granny,¡± he began, ¡°I¡¯ll do everything I can to help. But I can¡¯t guarantee that I¡¯ll be able to resolve this entirely, especially since we don¡¯t yet know what we¡¯re dealing with.¡±


    The elder nodded, relieved that Zhang Nu was willing to investigate. His support was already more than they had hoped for. As for the final oue, they knew it would ultimately fall on them to handle whatevery ahead.


    ¡°We understand,¡± she replied. ¡°We¡¯re grateful for any help you can give.¡±

 Vol. 2 - Chapter 398 - Suspect

    ¡°Thank you for your willingness to help us investigate,¡± the old woman said earnestly. ¡°If you¡¯re able to assist us, the entire vige will be deeply grateful. And I assure you, should you ever need anything in the future, we will not hesitate to help.¡±


    Zhang Nu nodded. Even without the elder¡¯s promise, he would have given his all to help. Right now, his priority was examining the children¡¯s remains to understand what had happened.


    ¡°Granny, if I¡¯m to handle this matter, may I take a closer look at the children¡¯s remains? Observing them closely might provide clues about the nature of their injuries.¡±


    The old woman, understanding his reasoning, didn¡¯t hesitate to agree. ¡°Of course. If you think it will help, follow me. The remains haven¡¯t been buried yet, so you¡¯ll still have a chance to inspect them.¡±


    Zhang Nu followed the elder to the site where the remains were kept. Families of the children were gathered, weeping inconsbly over the loss. Seeing their anguish, Zhang Nu felt deeply sympathetic but knew now wasn¡¯t the time for emotional distraction. He needed to focus on the investigation.


    As Zhang Nu closely examined the remains, a chilling realization struck him. The children¡¯s bones were unnaturally cleanpletely stripped of flesh, with no signs of residual tissue. Under normal circumstances, even if wild animals had scavenged them, there would still be traces of muscle or skin. This pointed to something far more sinister and deliberate.


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t the work of ordinary beasts,¡± Zhang Nu murmured to himself. ¡°This was nned. It¡¯s unlikely the mountain creatures were involved either, considering the vigers were able to ascend to the Nine-Tailed Fox Ridge without harm. So who or what could have done this, and why?¡±


    As Zhang Nu mulled over the situation, he observed the crowd¡¯s reactions. Most were overwhelmed with grief, but one individual stood out, a young man who seemed indifferent, even contemptuous. His face briefly betrayed a mocking expression, as if he found the entire situation trivial or amusing. Could this man have a deeper connection to the tragedy?


    Zhang Nu fixed his gaze on the man, silently resolving to investigate further. Nearby, Liu Hai noticed Zhang Nu¡¯s intense focus on someone and approached him.


    ¡°Zhang Nu, do you already have a lead?¡± Liu Hai asked, his tone curious yet cautious. ¡°Do you suspect someone?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Zhang Nu shook his head at first but then nodded slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but I have a hunch. Look over there¡ªthat young man with the impassive face. Everyone else here is grieving, but he lookspletely detached. I even caught a flicker of disdain on his face earlier. There¡¯s more to this story, and I suspect he¡¯s part of it.¡±


    Following Zhang Nu¡¯s gaze, Liu Hai spotted the man. Sure enough, his demeanor was out of ce. The faint sneer on his lips was both unsettling and incriminating.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Liu Hai whispered. ¡°That man doesn¡¯t seem like a decent person at all. Should we inform the elder? She knows everyone in the vige and might have insight into his background.¡±


    Zhang Nu nodded. ¡°It¡¯s worth consulting her, but we shouldn¡¯t reveal everything just yet. Until we have solid evidence, it¡¯s best to keep our suspicions to ourselves.¡±


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!