"Ryan, do you really want to go? I think we should forget it! Even if Beast King City’s been wiped out, it’s got nothing to do with us. We should just focus on our cultivation—otherwise, when Grandpa gets back and sees we haven’t made any progress, he’ll scold us!" Kelly Qin said seriously.
So this youth was actually Ryan Ouyang. The moment he sensed something happening in Beast King City, his first thought was that it had to be connected to Chu Linfeng—after all, only that guy could pull off something so earth-shaking.
Back when the old man first brought him here, he’d said Beast King City was crawling with experts, and that Ryan himself was only First-Layer Venerable Martial Realm, while the Beast King was supposedly Third-Layer. But later Kelly Qin let slip that the old man was already Third-Layer Venerable, and the Beast King had actually broken through to Fifth-Layer Venerable centuries ago—a fact well known throughout the Netherworld.
Ryan was dying to go out and see for himself. He’d been in Beast King City for almost a year now, but hadn’t gotten a single Netherghost Violet Orchid. His cultivation had skyrocketed, though—he’d already reached Seventh-Layer Saint Martial Realm.
"It’s fine, we’ll just go take a look. We’re not going to cause any trouble—Grandpa won’t find out!" Ryan Ouyang said quickly.
Kelly Qin hesitated for a moment, then said, "We can only watch from a distance—absolutely no going into Beast King City. If Grandpa finds out, we’ll be in for a serious punishment!"
That once-bratty girl had long since turned gentle. Ryan Ouyang’s arrival had flipped her whole world upside down—someone had quietly taken up residence in her heart, someone she wanted to spend her life with.
Ryan felt the same way about Kelly Qin. The old wound left by Roxanne Lin was slowly being healed by her, but he knew now wasn’t the time—he had to finish his mission first. He wasn’t even sure he’d be able to take her away when he left; if not, it would hurt both of them deeply. So most of the time, he pretended not to notice, dodging and avoiding the issue.
Just then, an old voice rang in their ears: "You two stay put right here—don’t even think about going out. Beast King City has already been wiped out by a truly peerless expert. Looks like the Netherworld is about to go through some earth-shaking changes. We need to be careful."
Both of them turned pale at the sound and looked up into the sky, where an old man appeared before them—none other than Kelly Qin’s grandfather.
"Grandpa, when did you get back? What happened—how could Beast King City be destroyed? Who’s strong enough to actually mess with the Beast King?" Kelly Qin asked immediately.
"I’m not entirely sure myself. Grandpa’s strength is nowhere near the level of whoever destroyed Beast King City. But one thing’s certain—the Beast King wasn’t in the city at the time, or this wouldn’t have happened. Most likely, he was lured away by the attacker. This is no simple matter, and we absolutely mustn’t get involved. Once things settle down, I’ll take you out for a look. For now, just focus on your cultivation!" the old man said.
Ryan wanted to ask the old man if he’d learned anything about Chu Linfeng this time out, but seeing his expression, he swallowed the question. He’d have to wait for another chance.
Meanwhile, Sean Xiao had already destroyed most of Beast King City. He’d also killed several of the powerful cultivators who appeared in the air. "You’d best stay out of this mess, or don’t blame me for being rude. The Beast King himself may have been slain as well. The Netherworld won’t have five great powers anymore. I’ve got important business to attend to, so I won’t be playing with you lot any longer!"
Once Sean Xiao felt his mission was pretty much complete, he started worrying about Chu Linfeng again and rushed off toward Nine-Shade City. After he left, Beast King City underwent yet another massive change—now, countless people were madly fighting over shops and treasures from the City Lord’s Mansion. Murder and chaos broke out everywhere; the whole city had erupted into a full-scale riot...
The Beast King kept chasing after Chu Linfeng, but something felt off. That punk was strong, sure, but he refused to face the Beast King head-on—instead, he kept running away, almost as if he were deliberately stalling for time. A sense of dread suddenly welled up inside him.
"Crap! Beast King City’s in danger!" the Beast King blurted out. Only now did he realize someone else was missing—and that person was also terrifyingly strong. If they wanted to destroy Beast King City, it’d be all too easy. He’d actually fallen for a classic diversion tactic.
The Beast King’s face changed dramatically. With a flash, he turned and sped back toward Beast King City. But Chu Linfeng noticed too, and quickly chased after him. Chu Linfeng’s speed was far beyond the Beast King’s—he instantly shot ahead and blocked his way.
"Hey, old bastard! Why’d you stop chasing? What, are you scared of me now? Hahahaha!" Chu Linfeng laughed on purpose, trying to rile him up even more.
Seeing Chu Linfeng’s actions, the Beast King became even more certain that Beast King City had already suffered a disaster. He couldn’t believe he’d let his guard down and gotten played—this was obviously a huge conspiracy.
"Kid, what did you do to my Beast King City?" the Beast King demanded. If he really got tangled up with this guy, escaping would be a pain—he could only get the city’s status out of this punk’s mouth.
"Beast King City? Oh, nothing special! It’s just vanished from the Netherworld, that’s all. Look at you, so nervous—do you even deserve to be a king? Even if you rush back, it won’t help. We’ve been at this for ages—do you really think my friend is so dumb he couldn’t wipe out your city by now?" Chu Linfeng laughed.
The Beast King’s face turned the color of pork liver, his killing intent surging. If looks could kill, Chu Linfeng would’ve died a thousand deaths already—maybe even been wiped out body and soul.
"Heh, itching to kill me, aren’t you? Too bad you can’t. Sure, you might be a bit stronger than me—but you’re slower, and your ace, the space domain, is useless against me. So don’t waste your effort. I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll let you off the hook. If you want revenge, you’ll have plenty of chances later! Hahahaha!" Chu Linfeng laughed, though inside he was burning with anxiety.
Just then, Jade Chu told him that Nine-Shade City was in the exact same state as Beast King City—already destroyed by several powerful cultivators, and the Shade Lord was locked in battle with someone, apparently wounded.
To Chu Linfeng, this news was like a bolt from the blue. No wonder the Shade Lord hadn’t shown up—something big had happened. He could only hope Ivy and Roxanne Lin were safe; otherwise, he didn’t know what he’d do. If he’d known, he wouldn’t have stopped the Shade Lord and would’ve rushed straight back to Nine-Shade City himself.
"Kid, I’ll pay you back double for today’s humiliation! Just wait for it!" the Beast King roared, then shot off toward Beast King City. Chu Linfeng didn’t try to stop him, and instead rushed toward Nine-Shade City as fast as he could.
The speed boost from his wind technique came just in time for Chu Linfeng. After a few teleportations, he arrived above Nine-Shade City—and his face instantly turned pale at the sight.
Of the vast expanse of Nine-Shade City, less than a third remained. The City Lord’s Mansion had been reduced to ruins, the ground riddled with massive cracks and pits. Corpses of Shade Clan members lay everywhere—including some who’d entered the grand hall earlier.
"Roxy! Roxy, you have to be safe!" Chu Linfeng cried out in his heart. Between Princess Ivy and Roxanne Lin, it was Roxanne he cared about most.
Soon, Chu Linfeng heard the sounds of battle coming from the air, a few hundred li to his left. With a flash, he rushed over.
He saw the Shade Lord locked in combat with the Ghost King, while Sean Xiao and the Shade Clan’s Second Elder were fighting other Ghost Clan experts. Both were badly wounded—Sean Xiao was soaked in blood, looking like a man made of gore.
Chu Linfeng glanced at the Shade Lord—his injuries weren’t too severe yet, so he could hold out against the Ghost King a while longer. Chu Linfeng drew his Frostbane Sword and hurried to Sean Xiao’s side.
"Old man, you alright? How’d you end up like this?" Chu Linfeng asked worriedly. There was no time to look for Roxanne Lin now—he’d have to leave it to Jade Chu and Luna. With their divine senses, they should be able to manage. If anything happened to Roxanne, Chu Linfeng would make the entire Ghost Clan pay with their lives.
"Not dead yet, but if you’d come any later, I really might’ve kicked the bucket. Picking friends carelessly almost cost me my life—this time, I lost big." Sean Xiao forced a bitter smile, his face twisted in pain.
Chu Linfeng didn’t attack the enemies right away. Instead, he asked, "Did the Ghost King hurt you? Or are these guys just too much for you?" As he spoke, he sent wood-element energy to help heal Sean Xiao’s wounds.
Sean Xiao was a Fourth-Layer Venerable Martial expert. Once the wood element entered his body, he quickly circulated it, and in just a few breaths, a third of his injuries were healed. He was even more shocked by Chu Linfeng’s abilities.
"There’s a guy here who just broke through to Fifth-Layer Venerable Martial. I didn’t know, and he hit me with his space domain. Be careful!" Sean Xiao warned.
The Second Elder was also covered in wounds, holding on by sheer willpower. Chu Linfeng went to him and said, "Second Elder, go rest. Leave these guys to me. Today, I’ll show them that stupidity must be repaid in blood."
"Prince Consort, be careful!" the Second Elder managed to say before coughing up blood. Just then, Chu Linfeng heard Jade Chu’s voice in his ear: "Big Brother, Big Brother, Roxy—she..."