Moreover, Ao Cha detected a strong scent of blood on him.
Then, Ao Cha suddenly remembered something, his face darkening as he asked, “Where are the people we left behind? Where’s Pizai?”
The man reached behind his waist and pulled out a head, tossing it in front of Soul Merchant’s ranks.
“Pizai? This him?”
Ao Cha glanced at it—it was indeed his right-hand man, a seven-star evolved, his top fighter. And now, he was dead.
“Who the hell are you?!”
Ao Cha knew things wouldn’t end peacefully today and signaled his subordinates to prepare.
“Go to the underworld and ask Demon Gold, Abyss Mountain, and Bei Zi.”
Hearing this, Ao Cha’s eyes widened in shock, his pupils nearly splitting. Instinctively, he uttered a name, just like the women earlier.
………………………………
When Ye Zhongming appeared, Xiaohua’s face lit up with joy.
She knew that if this man had returned, he would surely help them. At the same time, she kept whispering to Wang Xiaorui, “He’s our savior.”
Despite her joy, Xiaohua was still worried. She knew this man was strong—strong enough to defeat her effortlessly—likely an eight-star evolved, the same level as Ao Cha.
But Ao Cha had brought many subordinates while this man was alone. The situation was still dire.
Xiaohua quietly prepared herself for battle.
They would still have to fight desperately.
But when Ao Cha uttered the name “Ye Zhongming,” Xiaohua’s mind went blank for several seconds before she could think again.
Him? Ye Zhongming? The King of Cloud Peak? The leader of the number one faction in the national rankings? The one the female guards swore loyalty to?!
Why was he here? Why was he disguised as a lone wanderer in the apocalypse?
The name Ye Zhongming caused an uproar among both the women and the Soul Merchant members.
These people followed Ao Cha and knew far more than the average Soul Merchant member. They were aware of some of the guild’s history. Though Soul Merchant now boasted ten Saints and three deputy leaders, claiming to be at its peak, the truth was that its golden age had been early in the apocalypse, when its leaders were among the strongest in the country, feared by all.
Yet even then, Cloud Peak and Ye Zhongming had crushed them, sending Soul Merchant into hiding and cementing Cloud Peak’s dominance in the minds of its members.
Of course, no one in Soul Merchant would ever admit this.
Over the past two years, the Soul Merchant had quietly rebuilt, waiting for the right moment to take revenge. But Cloud Peak’s growth had been staggering—from a small faction with a few strong individuals to a superpower that now topped the national rankings.
Soul Merchant had no choice but to bide its time—until this three-way alliance. In a short period, the guild had gained the opportunity it had dreamed of, its strength growing by leaps and bounds. After successfully hunting a level-nine creature, they had gained enough benefits to produce two more eight-star evolved—Ao Cha being one of them. Combined with the three eight-star leaders they already had, they now had five.
There were even rumors that they had purchased level-eight battle beasts from God Hall—more than five of them!
Soul Merchant had reached its peak!
As for Cloud Peak and Ye Zhongming, while Ao Cha and the other new Saints acknowledged them as a superpower, they weren’t convinced of their superiority. Boasting about defeating Ye Zhongming wasn’t enough—they wanted to capture him and the female guards and turn them into meat pigs.
Ao Cha had gotten carried away, spouting the same rhetoric he used when bragging with the other Saints. And now, against all odds, Ye Zhongming himself had heard it.
Facing Ye Zhongming, Ao Cha felt fear.
Reputation was everything. Though they talked big behind closed doors, facing the man himself brought back memories.
Ye Zhongming had been an eight-star evolved for a long time, one of the earliest in the country. His achievements were legendary—leading the kills of two level-nine creatures, one of which was the country’s strongest mutated lifeform, the Armor King.
Ao Cha might be arrogant, but he didn’t think he stood a chance against Ye Zhongming.
But!
Right now, Ye Zhongming was alone—no Xia Bai, Red Hair, Yellow Ball, or all-seven-star female guard. Meanwhile, Ao Cha had two level-seven ogres, a seven-star subordinate, over a dozen six-stars, and even more five-stars.
With their help, could he challenge the King of Cloud Peak?
It was a huge risk, but running wasn’t an option. Fighting might give him a chance, and if he could kill Ye Zhongming… the rewards…
Just the thought made Ao Cha’s blood boil.
High risk, high reward. Let’s do it!
Without hesitation, Ao Cha roared, “Kill!” and charged with his men.
Ye Zhongming smirked. His body blurred, and suddenly, he was atop the head of the nearest level-seven ogre—the one Xiaohua had immobilized earlier.
The beast, still ferocious, swung its club at its head, but Ye Zhongming was already gone.
With a single step, Ye Zhongming launched himself forward.
The ogre’s head split open, blood and brain matter spilling out.
The other head seemed fine at first glance, but a closer look revealed a bloody hole in its forehead, leaking a greenish-white fluid.
The ogre swayed, then collapsed.
Ye Zhongming was already in front of the second level-seven ogre by then. He appeared above its head without any visible movement and delivered a kick.
The massive skull was sent crashing into its other head, both exploding like watermelons.
Using the momentum, Ye Zhongming drew the Undead Sand Moon Blade and casually swung it a few times. Every ogre around him was cleanly bisected, the cuts identical.
Those watching could only wonder—how had he done it? The ogres had been at different distances and positions.
When Ye Zhongming landed, the first ogre’s corpse had just hit the ground.
Ao Cha and his men froze.
Too fast! Ye Zhongming’s speed and lethality were beyond comprehension.
It drained all their courage to resist in an instant.
The Soul Merchant members were cruel, but facing Ye Zhongming was like facing their natural predator.
They had stopped, but Ye Zhongming hadn’t. He moved again, covering several meters in a flash, appearing right before the Soul Merchant’s ranks.
From his chest, over a dozen black shadows shot out, embedding themselves in the members’ bodies—even Ao Cha couldn’t dodge!