Chapter 967: Master, I Am Very Firm

Although he felt doubt, the Otherworldly Demon true qi within the other party was incredibly dense and powerful, giving off a feeling of overwhelming might, like a surging mountain. It was vastly superior to his own, suggesting at least a King-level cultivation or higher.

There was no doubt that the person's status was exceptionally noble.

“What? You don’t even know me? Guards, take this fool out and chop him up!”

Seeing him stammer, clearly confused, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up, and he roared.

“This…”

Hearing his roar, not only did the Saint 2-dan Otherworldly Demon fall into a daze, but the surrounding Otherworldly Demons also froze.

He wants to chop up our captain the moment he opens his mouth. Who is he?

Did he escape from a mental asylum?

“Could it be…”

The Saint 2-dan Otherworldly Demon was also frustrated, unsure what to do, when a sudden thought flashed through his mind. He remembered someone, and his face changed: “Are you… King Jinyi?”

Legend had it that King Jinyi was warlike and ruthless, prone to attacking at the slightest disagreement.

He had never met this King before, only heard his name… But the person before him possessed such pure and imposing power… and ordered killings immediately. Could this indeed be him?

“Hmph, at least you have some discernment!” Zhang Xuan snorted coldly, lifting his head.

“Tong Yue, Captain of the Two Hundred Fourteenth Squad under King Qingye, greets Your Royal Highness!”

Hearing Zhang Xuan confirm his identity, Tong Yue, the Saint 2-dan Otherworldly Demon, finally breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately prostrated himself, but was still full of doubt, unable to resist asking: “Last time, our King said he would come and instructed us to prepare in advance. That’s why we captured these Master Teachers, intending to sacrifice them to gain power, break the seal, and welcome his arrival. How is it that… you’ve arrived before the sacrifice?”

To say it wasn't strange would be a lie.

They were directly subordinate to King Qingye, vastly separated from King Jinyi.

King Qingye had gone to great lengths, using special methods to send them here one by one. The original plan was to wait until the time was ripe, then use the Master Teacher sacrifice to allow him to pass through the seal and arrive… Yet, before preparations were complete, and before the ritual even began, he was here!

King Jinyi and their King Qingye were equally renowned, with no significant interactions between them.

Their own King hadn’t arrived, but he had. What was going on?

“What? Do I need to report my whereabouts to you?”

Raising an eyebrow, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes, exuding cold killing intent and supreme majesty: “Insignificant wretch! Do you believe that if I kill you now, King Qingye wouldn’t dare utter a single word of protest?”

“I…”

Tong Yue’s body stiffened, and cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead.

The other party was of royal blood, while he was just an ordinary soldier. If he were truly killed, King Qingye certainly wouldn’t speak up for him.

This was a matter of identity and status!

“This subordinate would not dare!”

He knelt on the ground, barely daring to breathe.

He had long heard that King Jinyi disregarded rules and dared to do anything. Seeing it with his own eyes… he was indeed ruthless.

“Better not dare!” Zhang Xuan snorted, seemingly pleased with the other party’s attitude. He then took a step forward, pointing at Lu Feng and the others: “What’s going on with them?”

“We planned to capture these individuals for sacrifice, to break the seal and welcome… welcome Your Royal Highness’s arrival…”

Tong Yue hurriedly explained.

“Sacrifice? To welcome King Qingye?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

Although he didn’t fully understand their objective, he could infer some things from their words.

It seemed he had arrived just in time. If a group of soldiers was already this terrifying, would Hongyuan City not instantly become a living hell if an Otherworldly Demon King truly arrived?

Seeing the displeasure on his face, Tong Yue’s mouth twitched, and he quickly realized his mistake, hastily saying: “It was originally to welcome King Qingye, but since Your Royal Highness has arrived, never mind that. I will kill these fellows now…”

Being in his position, he was far from foolish; in fact, he was quite shrewd.

While there were no rumors of discord between the two Kings, King Qingye and King Jinyi, if one was already present, performing a sacrifice to bring the other here would be nothing short of courting death.

After speaking, he waved his hand at the numerous Otherworldly Demons behind him: “Guards, kill all these fellows!”

“Yes, sir!”

Hearing the order, the numerous Otherworldly Demons stood up and, with murderous intent, once again looked at Lu Feng and the others, who were surrounded.

“Everyone, it seems we may all be staying here today!”

“We never intended to leave here alive, so what if we stay? Killing one is breaking even, killing two is a profit!”

“Haha, come on! Taste your grandfathers’ power!”

“Even if we die, we’ll take a few of you down with us…”

Seeing so many Otherworldly Demons intent on killing, the Master Teachers in the center all clenched their fists, laughed loudly, and displayed expressions of fearlessness in the face of death.

These peak 6-star Master Teachers, as Zhang Xuan had guessed, were mostly those whose cultivation had reached a certain limit, unable to break through further, or whose lifespans were nearing their end.

They had entered the underground world with no intention of leaving alive.

For a Master Teacher who had dedicated their life to their profession, dying in a struggle against the Otherworldly Demons would be a fitting end.

Therefore, upon hearing that they were to be killed, they showed no fear; instead, their fighting spirit soared.

What sorrow is there in life, what suffering in death!

Killing even one more Otherworldly Demon meant protecting peace for a region, so they would die without regret.

“Fools who don’t know their place! We spared your lives before to use your blood for sacrifice… But now that His Royal Highness has arrived, what use do we have for you?!”

Seeing that the few individuals not only showed no fear but also displayed surging defiance, Tong Yue’s face darkened. He snorted coldly and waved his hand.

Whoosh!

Numerous Otherworldly Demons simultaneously raised their hands, and a violent surge of power converged, ready to strike at any moment.

This destructive force, once unleashed, would undoubtedly kill the already heavily injured Master Teachers surrounded in the center.

“Wait…”

Zhang Xuan’s voice rang out, a frown on his face.

Hearing him speak, the Otherworldly Demons preparing to attack immediately stopped, and Tong Yue looked over with a puzzled expression.

King Jinyi was known for being cold-blooded and decisive in killing, which was precisely why Tong Yue had been so terrified upon meeting him. Why would he stop them now, just as they were about to act?

“Keep them alive; I still have questions to ask!”

Zhang Xuan said indifferently.

Having experience impersonating Master Yang, Zhang Xuan knew how to feign being a master. Coupled with the powerful and violent aura of the Enforcer, the opponents were prejudiced, completely unable to see any flaws.

“Yes, sir!”

Realizing that the “King” had questions, Tong Yue suddenly understood. He waved his hand, and the numerous Otherworldly Demons who had been preparing to attack lowered their hands.

However, they did not relax, still keeping the area surrounded. If anyone tried to escape, they would face a swift and devastating assault.

“What would Your Royal Highness like to know? I will immediately dispatch men to interrogate them,” Tong Yue said, cupping his fists.

“These Master Teachers are stubborn. They pride themselves on their integrity, and without employing certain methods, it will be difficult to extract precise information from them!” Fearing misunderstanding, Tong Yue hurriedly explained.

Although he hadn’t been in the underground world for long, he had dealt with many Master Teachers and knew that these individuals possessed extremely firm beliefs, so ordinary interrogation methods would be useless in extracting information from them.

If they weren’t afraid of death, how could they be afraid of interrogation?

“No need. What I wish to know is not suitable for more people to learn! Just find me a quiet place where I can interrogate them alone!”

Zhang Xuan offered no further explanation, his hands clasped behind his back, his expression calm and distant.

He exuded an unfathomable aura.

“Yes, sir!”

Hearing that he intended to interrogate them personally, Tong Yue hesitated for a moment, then nodded and cupped his fists: “Your Royal Highness, our temporary encampment is not far from here. Perhaps we could go there; it would also ensure they cannot escape!”

“Mm,” Zhang Xuan nodded.

This area was open, with Otherworldly Demons everywhere. Even if they believed he was King Jinyi, he certainly couldn't take the people away from here.

He had to find a secluded spot to have a chance.

Besides, his purpose in coming here was to investigate what was going on with these Otherworldly Demons and to resolve potential dangers. Naturally, he couldn't just leave.

“This way, please!”

Nodding, Tong Yue swayed his body and led the way.

Zhang Xuan said no more, flying up and following closely behind, while secretly communicating with the Enforcer through his mind.

“This King Jinyi he mentioned, have you ever heard of him?”

“How would I know about these junior descendants?… Most likely, this Tong Yue has never met King Jinyi either, and upon sensing your pure and powerful true qi, he believed it to be true!”

The Enforcer thought for a moment and said: “Among the Otherworldly Demons, ranks are rigid. Powerful killing true qi signifies high status. My finger bone has only just recovered, and it's still far from its previous level, but the true qi I can generate is beyond the comprehension of these individuals!”

“Mm,” Zhang Xuan nodded.

His own conjecture was similar.

The Enforcer was originally one of the most powerful emperors among the Otherworldly Demons. Even if this finger bone was still far from its peak, the purity of its power was certainly beyond the comprehension of these fellows.

Moreover, with Zhang Xuan’s lifelike disguise, it was perfectly normal for the other party to mistake him for King Jinyi.

“If you act now, can you kill all these fellows?” Zhang Xuan asked.

If the Enforcer could easily kill these fellows, it would save a lot of trouble.

“My most powerful attack right now is killing intent… It’s incredibly effective against other races, but against them, its effect is much weaker…”

The Enforcer was full of embarrassment.

It boasted every day about how powerful it was, but when it actually needed to perform, it fell short.

Although it had successfully possessed the finger bone and its combat power had increased somewhat, making it decent in single combat, it was still somewhat unsatisfactory when dealing with so many people.

Furthermore, its strongest attack method was killing intent, which was effective against Master Teachers and Saint Beasts; those hit would immediately stiffen, leaving them open to slaughter…

However, against its own kind, the Otherworldly Demons, it had almost no effect.

“Alright!”

Seeing how quickly it refused, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly, pursed his lips, and muttered softly: “I thought it was so powerful, but it turns out to be just a useless wax-tipped spear after all…”

Hearing this, the Enforcer stumbled, almost crying out loud.

Master, I’m not a wax-tipped spear; I’m very firm, truly very firm…