Chapter 144: Various Obstacles and Difficulties

To think he actually killed an elder of the Illusory God Palace! He is utterly lawless. Is he not afraid of the Illusory God Palace's retaliation?

After Mo Wuhuan killed the Ninth Elder, everyone felt an incomparable sense of shock. The Illusory God Palace! That was a supreme, transcendent existence across the three realms. No one had ever dared to openly oppose it, yet Mo Wuhuan had brazenly murdered one of its elders in public. This was a direct challenge to the majesty of the Illusory God Palace, something it would never tolerate and for which it would surely exact a brutal revenge.

Most people grew somewhat panicked and uneasy. These individuals were rogue cultivators without any backing, merely residing in Nameless City. In contrast, those who only wore looks of shock without much fear were those with powerful families or sects behind them.

Take Su Zi, the now-reawakened Yu Ming, and the Twin Phoenixes of Phoenix Academy for instance. Although these factions would not openly defy the Illusory God Palace, neither were they overly afraid of it. Should the Illusory God Palace target them without cause, it would inevitably provoke a collective resistance from all factions. Faced with the combined forces of the major powers across the three realms, even the Illusory God Palace would have to tread carefully.

Meanwhile, the ten city lords wore varying expressions as they returned to their seats, lost in peculiar and calculating thoughts.

"Hmph!" With a cold snort, Mo Wuhuan returned to his seat. Ye Zihan, somewhat exhausted, drifted back down to the ground. Yet, his posture remained ramrod straight as he gazed up at the ten city lords on the platform and Mo Wuhuan.

"This... this Ye Zihan's strength is simply overwhelming." The elite disciples from the various families and sects of the mortal realm felt a wave of demoralization after witnessing Ye Zihan's terrifying prowess. In daily life, they were the proud favorites of heaven within their respective households and sects, always thinking themselves extraordinary and rarely deigning to look at other geniuses.

Yet today's appearance of Ye Zihan completely shattered the pride in their hearts. Compared to him, they suddenly felt like mere trash.

What they did not know, however, was that back in the day, Ye Zihan had also been nothing more good-for-nothing. Yet heaven, when about to bestow a great responsibility upon a person, must first frustrate their spirit, exhaust their muscles and skin, and subject their dignity to humiliation so that they might grow.

Although these people possessed innate talent, they were mostly flowers grown in a greenhouse, having experienced very few setbacks and hardships. They simply could not withstand a heavy blow. Take Yu Ming, for example—he indeed seemed blessed by extraordinary encounters and peerless talent, but the moment he encountered a setback he could not endure, he was directly frightened into unconsciousness by Ye Zihan. With such a fragile mindset, even if he were granted the same heaven-defying talent of the complete five elements, he would ultimately never be able to truly grow.

"My lords, may I now become the Lord of Nameless City?" Ye Zihan asked with a faint smile.

His smile exerted an invisible pressure upon these lofty realm-of-eight-trigrams powerhouses. Although Ye Zihan's current cultivation was only at the mid-stage of the realm of stars, no one dared to underestimate him anymore.

Relying on his terrifying innate talent, they firmly believed that given time, Ye Zihan would surpass them all.

Contemplating Ye Zihan's limitless potential, their minds inevitably drifted back to the Illusory God Palace—that immensely powerful and irresistible force—leaving them hesitant and irresolute.

"Your strength and performance have surpassed everyone before you. You are indeed qualified to take on the role of the Lord of Nameless City." Hua Zhishui, the Lord of Stilled Water City, managed to calm the emotions within his heart, nodding and smiling at Ye Zihan.

"City Lord Hua, you can't be serious." Lin Lei, the Lord of Black Tortoise City who sat at the very edge, suddenly spoke up.

"Oh? Does City Lord Lin have a different opinion?" Hua Zhishui smiled as he looked at Lin Lei.

Hearing Lin Lei speak, Ye Zihan immediately thought of Lin Dong. His brows furrowed as he looked toward Lin Lei, a bad premonition rising in his heart.

"His performance is acceptable indeed, but just now, he offended the Illusory God Palace. You know as well as anyone what kind of existence the Illusory God Palace is. Hmph, if he were to become the Lord of Nameless City, it would surely bring disaster upon our Beast Domain. I do not approve of him taking the position." Lin Lei finished in a low, grim tone, refusing to meet Ye Zihan's gaze.

Hearing Lin Lei's words, the corners of Ye Zihan's mouth curled upward, carrying a hint of a chilling, sinister smile.

"Eat shit!" Yanchen could no longer hold back. He leaped onto the arena and cursed at Lin Lei.

"At first, you claimed to support us, but the moment you saw the Illusory God Palace, you acted like a mouse seeing a cat, scared out of your wits. And what about your good son? Hmph, we treated him with kindness, yet when danger struck, he tucked his tail and fled. Truly, dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and a rat's son knows how to dig holes!" Yanchen showed no fear of Lin Lei; with Mo Wuhuan backing them up, he was certainly not afraid of Lin Lei making a move.

"You're courting death!" To be cursed as cowardly as a mouse in front of so many people—even a clay Buddha had three parts of temper, let alone Lin Lei, who was a city lord of high status and prestige. He immediately prepared to strike.

"If you dare lay a finger on me, try it!" Yanchen defiantly stepped forward, thrusting his chin out and glaring at Lin Lei as if daring him to deliver a killing blow.

The more Yanchen acted this way, the more suspicious and hesitant Lin Lei became. His gaze swept around the surroundings and then toward the people beside him. His face shifted through a bizarre array of greens, reds, blacks, and whites. In the end, he gritted his teeth and glared viciously at Yanchen.

"This lord is a city lord; how could I stoop to bickering with a petty person like you? However, Ye Zihan is truly unfit to be the Lord of Nameless City. A mere cultivator in the realm of stars possessing a moon-tier martial art, with a mysterious background and running around with a mob of disreputable rabble—how can Nameless City ever fall into his hands?"

"You really are a coward." Yanchen muttered under his breath, though he stopped deliberately provoking Lin Lei. Pushing him to the absolute limit could still prove troublesome.

"City Lord Lin, your words are out of line. What do you mean by a 'mob of disreputable rabble'? Are you looking down upon—" Before he could finish, Chen Yanyan, the City Lord of Black Flame City, interrupted. Born of exceptional heritage, Chen Yanyan possessed an unyielding temperament; as a city lord, he naturally refused to let others trample upon their dignity.