To most people present, this face was unfamiliar; even if a few found it somewhat recognizable, they couldn't immediately recall who he was. And because of the clamor he had just made, the clansmen of the Qinghe Branch instinctively wondered: could this be some big shot from headquarters? Well, if he was a big shot, his strength seemed a bit lacking—perhaps he was a big shot's scion.
"Yuanshi Tianzun!" An excited shriek rang out from the crowd.
It was Yun Meng who had recognized him. The young girl waved with sheer excitement, a thrilled flush rising across her wheat-toned skin.
Yuanshi Tianzun? A storm of uproar instantly erupted:
"Who?"
"He's Yuanshi Tianzun? The kid who cursed out headquarters' Ten Elders at the tribunal?"
"The genius with the fastest leveling speed!"
"The big boss who led a raid group through the killing trial to advancement?"
"The one who carried Little Sister Yun Meng through an S-rank dungeon?"
"Holy shit, that's my idol? What is he doing here?"
Everyone had their own impression and understanding of Yuanshi Tianzun.
The members of Heaven's Punishment wore varied expressions. Demon Hunter narrowed his eyes, his gaze focusing like a beam upon Zhang Yuanqing; apart from surprise, he showed little reaction.
Chazo was somewhat astonished. The Five Elements Alliance genius he had always wanted to meet but never had the chance to was actually standing right here.
Hoover, following his initial shock, found the situation troublesome and tricky. The intervention of such a high-profile genius would make things messy. With so many members of the Qinghe Branch watching, they couldn't just kill him either.
Meanwhile, Osmond, who had just reviewed Yuanshi Tianzun's dossier earlier tonight, finally matched the one-inch ID photo from the files to the face before him.
His excitement was no less than Yun Meng's—God truly favored him, delivering Yuanshi Tianzun right before his eyes in person.
In the dense woods thirty meters away, Poison Chaser held up binoculars, his sights locked on Zhang Yuanqing. Wang Xiao'er and Liangshan Naval Fleet's clamorous shouts came through his earpiece:
"Sanqing Daozu is Rogue Tianzun? Ah, no, Lord Tianzun! Holy shit, we actually hung out with Yuanshi Tianzun for so many days! He even gave us money! We can brag about this for ten years!"
"Wang Xiao'er, don't get so worked up! Your idol—no, *our* idol is in trouble!"
The comms channel had blown up. Even a well-trained, strictly disciplined operational squad could hardly remain calm right now. Intense shock had turned them into a swarm of buzzing flies, chattering excitedly with exclamations like "God damn," "Holy fuck," and "Motherfucker" peppered throughout.
Poison Chaser pressed his earpiece and barked in a low voice, "You are on a mission!"
The chatter in the channel paused.
Poison Chaser added, "Everyone hold position on standby. Await Yuanshi Tianzun's signal!"
The racket vanished completely. The members of the Nanming Branch reined in their emotions. Though it was a dire situation, each and every one of them surged with high morale and fiery passion.
"Wu Youhua, you want to snatch someone from my hands for a measly ten million Federal Dollars?" Having revealed his true face, Zhang Yuanqing dropped all pretenses.
Wu Youhua looked the young man up and down, startled but completely undaunted. "Yuanshi Tianzun, you aren't qualified to threaten me."
"I'm not qualified, but what about the Grand Marshal?" Zhang Yuanqing retorted coldly. "Do you think an ordinary wanted criminal would warrant my personal apprehension? Do you think beating up one of your clansmen over such a trivial matter truly required the Grand Marshal to send an email in person? Has your Qinghe Branch stayed in the mountains so long that your brains have rotted?"
This was why he had logged onto his main account. An unknown deacon carrying out a secret mission versus Yuanshi Tianzun carrying out a secret mission were two entirely different concepts—akin to the difference between a neighborhood beat cop on duty and a special forces operative executing an assignment.
Though Wu Youhua was domineering and forceful, for a Dominator devoted to his clan, the clan's safety and prosperity were his vulnerability.
He had to weigh whether, if he sabotaged a major affair of the Five Elements Alliance, headquarters and the Grand Marshal would let the Qinghe Branch off the hook, and whether ten million Federal Dollars was worth that risk.
Zhang Yuanqing had been forced into this corner with no other choice. The Association of God of Beauty had warned him to conduct the mission in secret, but matters had unfolded to a point where a quiet resolution was impossible.
Of course, he could have walked away calmly. No one would dare stop him now, let alone make him sever his own arm.
Yet why should he yield someone Heaven's Punishment wanted just because they demanded it?
A Level 7 Dominator leading three Level 6 Saints dared strut about flexing their might on the Five Elements Alliance's turf, even injuring his good friend Yin Ji... well, and Fire Prince too.
He didn't know whether the Five Elements Alliance was inept at foreign conflicts, but Zhang Yuanqing certainly wasn't.
He had dared curse out headquarters' Ten Elders to their faces—would he be afraid of a few Saints from Heaven's Punishment?
He would seize Pluto first and figure out the rest later. If the Association of God of Beauty feared Heaven's Punishment and no longer wanted him, Zhang Yuanqing could simply hand him over to the Five Elements Alliance. Once headquarters learned the secrets Pluto possessed, they would certainly want such a bargaining chip.
Thus, he wasn't really lying to the Qinghe Branch.
"Uh, this foreigner seems really important? If we help Heaven's Punishment snatch him, won't that anger headquarters? Yuanshi Tianzun said he's working directly for the Grand Marshal."
"Headquarters will definitely use this as an excuse to crack down on us. The Ten Elders have wanted to put us in line for a while now; they might even cut our funding."
"Seems kind of not worth it..."
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
"Sixth Great-Uncle, Grandpa, Yuanshi Tianzun is my friend!" Yun Meng piped up loudly.
Neither Wu Youhua nor Wu Agui paid her any heed, but Wu Youhua glanced back at the clansmen behind him. He noticed that the younger generation's attitude had quietly shifted.
Wu Youhua understood that this was the masses' reverence for an illustrious figure (the celebrity halo effect), while the clan's elders were weighing the pros and cons, turning pragmatic.
Zhang Yuanqing knew that if he promised them a sum of money right now, he could easily appease the Qinghe Branch. But he refused to offer a single cent.
If the Qinghe Branch still chose to aid Heaven's Punishment, then all the hard cash headquarters had poured into them over the years had merely fed a pack of ungrateful wolves.
Wu Youhua pondered for several seconds before turning his head toward his nephew. "Agui, what do you think?"
He had already made up his mind, but needed a push from someone else.
True to character, the honest and simple patriarch said, "Take Pluto and hand him over to headquarters."
Demon Hunter's expression tightened.
*Phew...* Wu Youhua exhaled softly, using the provided stepping stone to say, "What you say makes sense, but I refuse."
He looked up into the night sky and called out loudly:
"Executive Officer, this man is a criminal wanted by headquarters. According to the rules, I ought to apprehend him and turn him over to the Five Elements Alliance headquarters. However, as I've said, the Qinghe Branch will always be friends with Heaven's Punishment. I will not hand him over to headquarters, but the Qinghe Branch will withdraw from this affair."
Demon Hunter thought for a moment, then nodded in response. "Thank you, sir. There is no need to refund the three million deposit."
He understood Wu Youhua's implication: if Heaven's Punishment demanded back the three million deposit, the Qinghe Branch's alternative was to turn Pluto over to headquarters.
In Demon Hunter's view, even if the Qinghe Branch withdrew, Heaven's Punishment could still take Pluto away.
A Musician Dominator and a freshly advanced Level 6 Yuanshi Tianzun—Demon Hunter could see no possibility of failure.
Still, to play it safe, Demon Hunter spoke up: "Minister Wu, I must trouble you to seal off this area and keep outsiders from interfering. We will pay an additional one million as compensation."
Wu Youhua nodded gladly. With a flick of his toe, he kicked Pluto into the sky.
The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter sneered. Dense red threads shot out from beneath her skirt, latching onto Pluto's body to drag him back.
*Whoosh—!*
A broad sweep of wind blades descended, severing the red threads and carving deep gouges into the mountain terrain.
The battle was on!
The Qinghe clansmen swiftly retreated, though none actually left. The elders watched from a distance, while the youths pulled out their phones and scrambled up into the treetops, some recording video, others snapping photos.
It was only because the Five Elements Alliance forum lacked a livestreaming feature, or else threads broadcasting the fight live would already be up.
Demon Hunter reached out and produced a half-meter-long black crucifix embossed with a relief of a black skeleton.
With a flick of his wrist, the black crucifix dropped, planting itself with a thud right beside Pluto. A gloomy black light rippled outward, blanketing a twenty-meter radius.
Within the reach of the black light, the writhing red threads lost their vitality and turned into ordinary strings. Pluto lay stiffly on the ground, able only to roll his eyeballs.
This area had been sealed.
All supernatural power would lose its miraculous properties here.
That black crucifix was an item of the Eternal Night class.
Demon Hunter's objective was crystal clear: stabilize Pluto first, take care of Yuanshi Tianzun and his companion, and then claim their spoils. Otherwise, Pluto would very likely perish in the crossfire.
The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter severed that section of red threads of her own accord. Even more red threads rapidly interwove beneath her skirt, forming a ribbon of red silk.
Carried by the ribbon, she soared into the sky toward Demon Hunter.
At the same time, an ethereal, melodious song echoed across the night sky, dissipating malice and eroding combat will.
Demon Hunter, who had been about to harness the gale to unleash wind blades, suddenly felt a deep sense of peace within his heart, rejecting all unnecessary conflict.
As a seasoned Executive Officer, he realized what was happening immediately. Decisive to the core, he raised his palm and slapped his ear, rupturing his own eardrum.
*Whoosh!*
A tremendous hurricane swept across the high heavens, whipping leaves and dust into the sky and turning the clear night a hazy gray.
Wind blades were laced within the gale. The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter rode her red ribbon, swaying like a skiff in rough seas, entirely at a disadvantage.
*The Palace Master is a bit too reckless. High altitude is a Wind Mage's home turf, but if she doesn't close the distance, she really can't fight him...* Watching the aerial battle, Zhang Yuanqing pondered how he would fight Demon Hunter if he activated the Five Elements Power Trial Card.
Yet it seemed difficult.
Dominators possessed the ability to fly, but it was merely an incidental capability. In terms of aerial mobility, it couldn't compare to a Wind Mage. Unless he could instantly slay Demon Hunter, if the man decided to flee, Zhang Yuanqing could only stare helplessly.
Thus, the Five Elements Trial Card had to be saved for a critical moment. Using it now would allow Demon Hunter to simply stall for time.
*Let the Palace Master probe him first...* Zhang Yuanqing drew back his gaze and looked at the three closing in on him.
Osmond struck a stylish pose, brushing his forehead and sweeping his bangs back as he said with a grin:
"Reason dictates we should end this quickly, but since we finally ran into this guy, how about giving me five minutes? Five minutes is more than enough for me to handle him."
Hoover shrugged. "Fine by me."
Chazo said in a deep voice, "You can go first. If necessary, I'll step in. The mission takes priority."
In the dense woods in the distance, Poison Chaser listened to his subordinates' requests to join the fray. He silently switched off his earpiece and turned to Wanderer of the Mortal Realm beside him. "Prepare to engage."
Wanderer of the Mortal Realm pushed up his glasses. "No need. He hasn't signaled."
Poison Chaser's brow furrowed at once. "You're going to let him face three Saints from Heaven's Punishment alone?"
"Just watch!" Wanderer of the Mortal Realm said coolly.
Just then, Poison Chaser looked through his night-vision binoculars and saw Yuanshi Tianzun bring out Little Red Riding Hood.
Zhang Yuanqing gave his hand a gentle flick. Instantly, nine figures materialized behind him. A torrential surge of yin energy enveloped the entire pine forest, causing even the Qinghe clansmen watching from afar to feel a bone-chilling coldness (physical).
Another ray of starlight rose at his side as the enchantingly eerie female ghoul returned, holding a scepter woven from greenish-brown vines.
Zhang Yuanqing seemed unsatisfied still. He exhaled two mouthfuls of lunar power in succession, and Yi Chuanmei and the Ghost Bride—invisible to ordinary eyes—emerged and hovered above his head.
The yin energy surged exponentially.
Three Level 6 yin corpses and two Level 6 spirit servants. This was the foundation of the official faction's number one rebel—and that wasn't even counting his items.
Zhang Yuanqing coldly regarded Heaven's Punishment's three prodigies. "Five minutes is indeed enough—enough for me to finish the three of you."
Osmond's haughty smirk slowly froze. Hoover silently dropped his languid demeanor. Chazo's stern expression grew even more grave as his muscles tensed.
In the distance, the Qinghe clansmen stared blankly at the spectacle.
Poison Chaser's face was utterly stunned. Beside him, he heard a derisive chuckle from his brother from another mother:
"Heaven's Punishment is about to lose all face this time."
Chazo said in a deep voice, "Attack together!"
The corner of Osmond's mouth twitched. "Fine..."
He took a deep breath and snorted coldly, "A Night Wanderer's yin corpses are just dumb brutes who can't use skills. Enemies at Level 6 like that? I could take on ten of them."
The moment the words left his mouth, a flare of starlight rose behind him.
The eerie, red-eyed female ghoul drove a fist straight toward the back of his head.
Chapter 585