“Ye Zhongming has teleportation abilities!”
“Saint Green Serpent is injured! Saint Green Serpent counterattacks!”
“Ye Zhongming is retreating—no, he’s targeting Silver!”
“Silver is wounded! Ye Zhongming is also injured!”
Mei Rang, the Saint with Earth Eye abilities, continuously relayed the battle’s progress to the Great Leader and the God Hall Director. The expressions in the two leaders’ eyes shifted with each update.
They would be more than happy if they could kill Ye Zhongming like this. They didn’t care about the fame of personally slaying the King of Cloud Peak—what they wanted was to safely remove an obstacle from their path and secure greater benefits.
But the battle wasn’t going as smoothly as they had anticipated.
“Ah Xiu will reach the battlefield in about a minute. Six eight-star evolved—they will definitely kill Ye Zhongming.”
The Director spoke, then suddenly turned to the Great Leader. “How about letting our Ah Xiu deliver the final blow?”
“She’s not fit to take over Soul Merchant.”
“So you’ve also received an ‘entry ticket’?”
“That’s hardly surprising.”
The two exchanged words that Mei Rang couldn’t comprehend before falling into brief silence.
Both the Director and the Great Leader realized something—they were grooming successors of absolute loyalty. Letting their chosen ones kill Ye Zhongming would grant immense prestige, strengthening their claim to leadership.
Their full-force siege on Ye Zhongming had complex underlying motives, with each scheming for their own gains. But in this regard, the Great Leader and the Director were unusually aligned.
“How about this? I’ll give you—”
The Director’s offer to trade benefits in exchange for the Great Leader yielding the kill was cut short by Mei Rang’s trembling voice.
“Silver… seems to have fallen in battle.”
She couldn’t help her fear. As a seven-star evolved, she had witnessed Silver’s overwhelming strength during the hunt of a nine-star lifeform. In her eyes, aside from the top leaders, Silver had been the strongest.
How terrifying was the King of Cloud Peak if even he could be killed?
“What happened?!”
For the first time, the Director’s voice wavered.
…………………………………………
Ye Zhongming had been injured, poisoned, and drained of stamina—but never before had he lost control of his body. Yet the moment he was sent flying, he realized that everything below his neck no longer obeyed him.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have taken such a risk. Though not as calculating as Soul Merchant and God Hall leaders—willing to sacrifice subordinates to weaken foes—he had learned to weigh gains against losses. He avoided reckless gambles unless absolutely necessary.
But this time, he had no choice.
The five eight-star evolved besieging him were no ordinary foes—each was an elite, their skills, jobs, and even battle beasts synergizing flawlessly.
Fighting one against five, Ye Zhongming felt immense pressure.
The last time he’d felt this way was when facing five of his own core members.
(Though if those five were Red Hair, Xia Bai, Mo Ye, Liang Chuyin, and Xia Lei, he wouldn’t just feel pressure—he’d be fleeing for his life.)
Having exhausted his teleportation uses, he abandoned the failed strike on the Saint Green Serpent and switched targets.
Why Silver, who hadn’t directly engaged but seemed troublesome?
Because Ye Zhongming feared his electric net and unknown abilities.
And one more reason sealed his decision—the vanished Heaven Speech Demon Vine.
He knew it hadn’t left. It was lurking, waiting to strike.
The hovering spiked mace descended, smashing into Ye Zhongming’s chest. The impact jolted his senses back, allowing him to twist his head away from a fatal blow barely.
The crushing force and searing pain sent him crashing to the ground. His organs felt shattered, blood gushing from his wounds.
The King of Cloud Peak was finally severely wounded.
Silver’s last-ditch attack had been devastating.
The electric net searing into his flesh and the void-claw punch to his abdomen had briefly paralyzed him, and Sister Bo’s mace strike afterward would have killed anyone else.
But even in agony, Ye Zhongming felt no fear. Control had returned.
Trading injuries for a kill? Worth it.
This was the first breach in the encirclement—and the hardest. Their cohesion was their strength. Now that it was cracked, the battle would ease.
Rolling aside to dodge Sister Bo’s leaping crush attack, Ye Zhongming activated his Hell Envoy bloodline.
Everyone knew—when Ye Zhongming’s bloodline ignited, he fought to kill. Even a brute like Sister Bo hesitated.
Nearby, Silver’s corpse twitched, the Undead Sand Moon Blade still embedded in his eye. The thickened keratin layer hadn’t stopped the purple-grade weapon’s penetration.
Perhaps only the tip had pierced through—but that was enough.
The God Hall’s best gene-fusion subject had died before showcasing his full power.
The Lightning Sand Demon materialized with a roar, its fury mirroring its master’s. Now comparable to an eight-star lifeform—even surpassing some in raw power and defense—it lacked only versatility and agility.
It lunged at the nearest target: Sister Bo. Lightning-wreathed claws aimed for her skull. Against its monstrous form, her bulk meant nothing.
Simultaneously, Ye Zhongming’s hand covertly drew the Harvester Mimicry Shooter.
His posture was deceptive—half-crouched, one hand bracing against the ground.
Killing Silver was a breakthrough, but it cost him his weapon. The Saint Green Serpent Throne, having narrowly escaped death, dashed toward the corpse, his serpent leading the charge—intent on seizing the Undead Sand Moon Blade.
Both Sister Bo and the Saint assumed Ye Zhongming’s priority was reclaiming his purple-grade weapon.
That was basic logic—who would abandon such treasure mid-battle? Especially a weapon, which is the most valuable of all equipment.
With the Sand Demon drawing attention, Ye Zhongming’s movements seemed focused on preventing retrieval.
Under this cover, he silently aimed the Harvester beneath his arm and fired at Sister Bo.
She was, after all, the closest.
The shot used “Burst” mode—shortest range, but devastating area impact.