Chapter 125: Fury in the Great Hall

With a thunderous crash, the scene before Ye Zihan shifted once again.

"Whoosh!"

Before he could even steady himself, a gust of wind whistled past his ear.

"Overestimating your own strength!" Ye Zihan let out a cold snort, throwing a casual punch in the direction of the wind.

A dull thud followed, then the sound of something hitting the ground.

"Zihan! Brother Zihan!"

Two voices filled with immense surprise rang out beside him.

Turning around, he saw Yan Chen, Chen Yiyan, and Lin Dong. Their faces were alight with ecstasy upon seeing him. The creature Ye Zihan had just swatted away was a Scorpion-Cat, the first minion summoned by the Heavenly Demon to ambush him, but it now lay on the ground, life hanging in the balance after that single strike.

"Are you all right, Zihan?" Yan Chen floated over, his voice urgent and filled with concern. Chen Yiyan stood nearby, silent, but the worry in his eyes spoke volumes. Only Lin Dong seemed purely happy to see Ye Zihan reappear.

Looking at them, Ye Zihan felt a strange, inexplicable emotion. It had only been a few hours since his battle with the Heavenly Demon, yet it felt as if a century had passed. Upon reflection, he understood: he had walked the edge of life and death, and his perspective on things and relationships had undergone a subtle transformation.

"I'm fine, but Moyou is injured," Ye Zihan said with a smile, waving his hand to put their minds at ease.

"I am not hurt at all! Yan Chen, what are you trying to do, fishing for information from the boss to see if I'm wounded so you can stage a coup?" Moyou flew in from a distance, shouting loudly, though he could not hide his dim aura.

Ye Zihan smiled knowingly, feeling a warmth in his heart. He knew that even if Moyou hadn't been critically wounded, he was certainly not unscathed. Moyou was putting on a brave front only to spare him and the others from worry.

"Do I look like I would?" Yan Chen retorted indignantly, looking at Moyou with exasperation. "I was just genuinely concerned about you. Besides, what kind of rebellion could I possibly stage with you around? Who would I be rebelling against?"

"That makes sense."

Moyou feigned the air of an elder, nodding his massive dragon head before quickly shrinking down and hiding inside Ye Zihan's sleeve.

"Boss, I've temporarily sealed that monster using a secret technique, but it won't hold for long. You'll have to decide what to do," Moyou whispered into Ye Zihan's mind as he tucked himself away. "I need to enter a deep slumber now. Although this injury is severe, I believe I will come out even stronger once I recover. I suppose this is a blessing in disguise!"

Ye Zihan felt a sting in his nose. He knew Moyou was only saying this to comfort him. Moyou’s injury was partly his fault, and the dragon was only trying to alleviate his guilt.

Though he knew the truth, Ye Zihan didn't voice it. He smiled lightly and said, "Don't worry! I've already prepared a Soul-Control Technique for that creature! And when you wake up, I promise to show you around our Nameless City." He emphasized the word "our."

"I trust you, Boss!" Moyou replied with a grin, his voice full of conviction.

With a thought, Ye Zihan projected a mysterious blue rune from his palm into his sleeve.

After that, he turned his focus inward to the two tiny blue and red soul figures within his body, and his fists clenched tightly.

He had managed to escape the Heavenly Demon's attack and even gained power because, at the critical moment, Lan Yu and Hong Yan had appeared. They had sacrificed the majority of their soul essence to pour into him, causing his strength to skyrocket.

But in doing so, their souls had become as fragile as a candle in the wind, threatening to dissipate into nothingness at any moment.

"Teacher, rest assured. Your disciple will find the legendary forbidden resurrection technique. No matter the hardship, I will not stop until I bring you both back to life," Ye Zihan vowed silently, his resolve hardening.

"Zihan! What’s wrong?" Seeing Ye Zihan standing still in the air for so long, Yan Chen grew anxious, fearing something was wrong.

"It's nothing, don't worry!" Ye Zihan opened his eyes, composing himself with a faint smile. "Moyou brought that monster back, and I used a sealing technique to contain it." Knowing it wasn't the time for details, he brushed over the matter of the Heavenly Demon.

Watching him, Yan Chen understood everything. He nodded knowingly and laughed, "I thought there would be dangers in this Demon Abyss, but it wasn't much! We've been here for days; I imagine we're nearing the end of the Abyss, and half of the Nameless City is already within our grasp!"

As Yan Chen spoke, he cast a subtle, meaningful glance at Chen Yiyan. Though usually boisterous, Chen Yiyan was perceptive enough to notice Yan Chen's look and Ye Zihan's unusual demeanor. He smiled and chimed in, "Exactly! Just thinking about it gets me excited. For hundreds of years, no one has been able to claim the Nameless City, but today, it will finally have its new master."

"Everyone, there have been successful challengers in the past who failed to claim the Nameless City in the end. Isn't it a bit early to celebrate?" Lin Dong interjected, offering a warning.

Ye Zihan’s lips curled slightly. This was exactly what he wanted—to keep Lin Dong in the dark about the Heavenly Demon. The question played right into his hands.

"That's true. My mind must be slipping; I forgot about the Guardians of the Nameless City." Ye Zihan winked at Yan Chen and Chen Yiyan, then continued, "Since that's the case, let's leave this Demon Abyss quickly and see if we have what it takes to become the new masters of the Nameless City!"

Taking the hint, Yan Chen and Chen Yiyan agreed, deciding to leave the volatile Demon Abyss immediately.

"Let's go!" Ye Zihan smiled, gave them a subtle thumbs-up, and with a shout, shot toward the perimeter of the Demon Abyss.

Yan Chen and Chen Yiyan followed suit.

Only Lin Dong stood there, his eyes flickering with strange thoughts as if calculating something. Finally, a smile appeared on his face, and he followed them as well.

Meanwhile, in the grand hall of the Nameless City, half a dozen figures paced anxiously. Their power was immense, all having reached the terrifying Seven-Star realm.

"Pop!"

A ripple in space appeared in the hall, and an elderly man in brocade robes stepped out.

"What has happened? Didn't I tell you not to summon me unless it was a matter of life and death?" the old man demanded, his voice thick with reprimand.

"Heavenly Venerable, something terrible has happened! The elders monitoring the Demon Abyss reported that a massive amount of demonic energy has dissipated, and in some areas, space itself has begun to destabilize!" To everyone's shock, these Seven-Star powerhouses knelt instantly. The man in the lead, his face covered in stubble, spoke with terror.

"We suspect... we suspect that the Heavenly Lord has met with a disaster!"

"Boom!"

As the words left his lips, the old man’s aura erupted, creating a hurricane within the hall. The furnishings could not withstand such fury and were instantly reduced to dust.

"Reporting to the Heavenly Venerable, a four-person team from the competition has emerged!"

A guard in armor, at the peak of the Star-Spirit realm, rushed in and knelt before the old man.

"Quickly, bring those three here! The anomaly in the Demon Abyss must be related to them!" the old man roared at the Seven-Star powerhouses.

"Yes!"

The Seven-Star masters and the guard, unaware of the full situation, retreated from the hall, fearing the old man's wrath would fall upon them.