"Shade Lord, where are you off to in such a hurry? Look at you—rushing about so much you don't even greet an old friend. Isn't that a bit disrespectful?" The Ghost King called out to the Shade Lord from afar.
"What wind blows today to bring the Ghost King and several key Ghost Clan figures to my Nine‑Shade City? May I ask what business brings you here? Surely you're not just here for old times' sake—coming with such a grand display." The Shade Lord halted and immediately replied with a smile.
Yet inside, he was deeply troubled. If Evan Chu started his attack on the Beast Clan and the Shade Lord failed to arrive in time, Evan and his allies would be no match for the Beast King. He dared not even imagine the consequences.
At this moment, if the Ghost King was just passing by, that would be ideal. But if he was here to stir up trouble, then the Shade Lord truly had no way to save Evan; whether Evan lived or died would depend on his own fate.
"I came to Nine‑Shade City for a reason today. I hope, for the sake of our many years of friendship, you won't make things difficult for me. You know about Grimchart City, don't you? That's exactly why I'm here." The Ghost King cut straight to the point, not wanting to waste words with the Shade Lord.
"What do you mean by that, Ghost King? Of course I'm aware of Grimchart City's incident, but why have you come to Nine‑Shade City? Are you saying the culprit is still here?" The Shade Lord immediately grew serious. Though he knew Evan was the true culprit, he absolutely could not admit it now.
"Shade Lord, I've already given you plenty of face—don't push me. The one who destroyed Grimchart City wasn't anyone else, but your fine son‑in‑law. I'm not making things up; I have evidence. If you don't believe me, hand him over and let him answer for himself." The Ghost King grew impatient, Ghost qi flickering around him.
"Too bad for you—Evan has been away on business for a long time. Besides, how could he be the one who destroyed Grimchart City? He's a human, while the culprit was clearly a Ghost Clan member. Looks to me like you're just here to make trouble. Don't forget, this is Nine‑Shade City, not your Blackspirit City." The Shade Lord snapped back, refusing to be intimidated on his own turf.
"Don't try to cover for him. That kid knows a side‑path trick that lets him manifest Ghost qi, and he's cunning to boot. I'm here in Nine‑Shade City just to arrest a criminal, but you're blocking me at every turn—what's your real intention?
I know this is Nine‑Shade City, but I have every right to apprehend him here. If anyone tries to stop me, I can kill them on the spot. Even if I wipe out Nine‑Shade City, the other clans have no grounds to attack the Ghost Clan over it. You'd better think carefully—where is that brat? I'll give you half a stick of incense to hand him over, or don't blame me for being ruthless!" the Ghost King roared.
"Go ahead and try it! If you dare to attack Nine‑Shade City today, then your Blackspirit City can wait for its own destruction. Don't think I'm bluffing—your power may be strong, Ghost King, but mine isn't as simple as you believe." The Shade Lord snapped, stuck between a rock and a hard place. Why did this damned Ghost King have to come to Nine‑Shade City at the worst possible moment?
The Ghost King glanced at the Shade Lord and said, "I gave you a chance, but you think I'm bluffing? Fine, I'll show you whether I'm bluffing or not! Elders, destroy Nine‑Shade City for me!"
"Ghost King, don't forget that Nine‑Shade City is home to people from all five great races. If you do this, you'll make the other four clans your enemies. You'd better think carefully—your Ghost Clan can't withstand a joint siege. I advise you to calm down, or you'll regret it later." said the Shade Lord.
"Calm down, my ass! Destroy Nine‑Shade City! Honestly, I've never liked you. If you'd handed that brat over, maybe I'd have spared your Shade Clan, but you're stubborn, so don't blame me for being merciless. I'm here to arrest a criminal—if the other four clans in your city get wiped out, that's perfectly normal. Give up on trying to scare me—you're not up to the task!" the Ghost King said.
At that moment, two Ghost Clan elders drew longswords and prepared to attack Nine‑Shade City below. Seeing they meant business, the Shade Lord roared, "Vermin, dare you!" and flashed in front of them, striking out with both palms and blasting them far away. Their cultivation spared them from death, but they were gravely wounded.
Only then did the Shade Lord breathe a little easier, thinking, "Good thing my strength has increased so much—otherwise, if those two old monsters had struck, my Nine‑Shade City would have been destroyed. This city is the fruit of my thousands of years of effort."
"Hahaha! Shade Lord, you actually injured two of my Ghost Clan elders—now your Nine‑Shade City is truly doomed! At first I might have hesitated because of the other races in your city, but now I have every reason. Today, let me see just how strong your Shade Clan's top expert really is!" The Ghost King stared at the Shade Lord, killing intent radiating from him.
Only now did the Shade Lord realize he'd been tricked. The Ghost King had baited him with the elders, making him think they would attack Nine‑Shade City and forcing him to strike first. Once the elders were wounded, the Ghost King gained enough justification to attack both the Shade Lord and the city itself.
His momentary carelessness filled the Shade Lord with regret. Now Evan Chu's fate was unknown, and if Nine‑Shade City was destroyed, Ivy was still in the City Lord's Mansion—what could he do? He couldn't help but feel anxious.
Just then, the Ghost King suddenly slashed a palm at the Shade Lord, sending a wave of palm shadows crashing toward him. The Shade Lord could only hastily block with his own palm; though the Ghost King's strike couldn't injure him, the shockwaves from their clash were strong enough to destroy half of Nine‑Shade City below.
"Ghost King, from this day forward, you and I are mortal enemies! Even if you destroy Nine‑Shade City, your Blackspirit City won't be far behind—just wait and see!" the Shade Lord snarled.
He instantly used instant movement to return to the City Lord's Mansion—he had to get Ivy to safety. Nine‑Shade City could fall, but his daughter could not be lost. That was why he refused to keep tangling with the Ghost King.
Meanwhile, Evan Chu and Sean Xiao were strolling down the streets of Beast King City, trailed by a crowd of curious onlookers—mostly Beast Clan members. But Sean's overwhelming strength kept them all at a safe distance.
Just then, the Beast King's Second Prince and several others from the mansion arrived, including the gate captain Evan had spared. The captain pointed at Evan and shouted, "Second Prince, these are the two! Arrest them at once!"