Death Qi danced wildly in the arena, swaying with the wind, fierce and imposing like a flag.

A towering figure, two and a half meters tall, stood in the middle of the field, holding Pei Ye in one hand and observing them with indifferent eyes. The heat waves and terrifying pressure emanating from him pushed the air, forming invisible giant waves tens of meters high that swept towards the three Guardians—Guardian Xiang, Guard Ying, and Guardian Lin—one after another.

A strange silence fell over the field. Only the sound of Pei Ye struggling could be heard.

Pei Ye's face was smeared with tears and snot, no longer resembling a handsome man. Due to uncontrollable fear, his facial muscles instinctively twisted into an expression of crying and begging for mercy. Yet, when he heard what Lu Yuan said, it was as if he had grasped the last straw to save his dignity, and he couldn't help but want to laugh.

"You... want... to replace me... as the Evil Emperor?"

"This is... absurdly... delusional...."

Pei Ye cried and laughed simultaneously, trying to contort his face into a mocking sneer. While struggling to laugh, his gaze swept over the three Guardians, attempting to signal them to rescue him.

However, he quickly noticed...

The three Guardians, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly made the same move in unison. All three took two steps back and turned sideways, clearing a path to the villa's interior. Then, with their faces lowered and bowing slightly, they assumed a welcoming posture.

"Ugh..."

Pei Ye was stunned; his body stopped trembling. At this moment, he seemed to have even forgotten the fear surging from the depths of his heart. A few seconds later, the light in his eyes quickly dimmed, and his entire being sagged as if all his spirit and energy had been drained in an instant... he completely gave up the struggle.

Lu Yuan was also surprised by this turn of events. I just said it casually, intending to disgust Pei Ye one last time. How could... the on-the-spot defection actually work?

「Five minutes later, in the villa's main hall.」

The hall, previously a wreck from the battle, had been quickly tidied by the horse-faced middle-aged man, Guardian Lin, one of the three Guardians. He had cleared most of the rubble and dust, and in a relatively intact corner of the hall, a sofa had been repositioned.

Lu Yuan, having reverted from his third-stage ultimate transformation back to his original fair and handsome appearance, now sat casually on this sofa. Beneath his foot lay Pei Ye, all bones crushed, like a pile of soft mud. Before him stood the three respectfully positioned Guardians of the Evil Martial Association.

"May the Demon Emperor's reign last for millennia! Truthfully, we've long found this waste an eyesore. If not for his sheer dumb luck in obtaining the Evil Emperor's relic of the Precious Generation Evil Emperor, who had shown us great kindness, I would have likely slapped him to death on the spot long ago," the hawk-nosed old man, Guard Ying, said with a cupped fist salute, his tone respectful towards Lu Yuan. He occasionally shot murderous glances at Pei Ye on the ground.

"Guard Ying is correct. However, this waste is not entirely useless..."

"Hmm?!"

Hearing the horse-faced middle-aged man, Guardian Lin, speak, the nearby Guard Ying immediately shot him a look of surprise and doubt.

Guardian Lin, however, remained unhurried, pointing at Pei Ye and remarking with a faint smile, "At least it was through this waste that we were fortunate enough to meet the Demon Emperor and pledge allegiance to a worthy master. For this point alone, this waste has made an immeasurable contribution."

"Indeed, those are wise words," Guard Ying agreed with a smile.

After both had delivered their speeches of allegiance, their gazes fell in unison upon Guardian Xiang, who stood to the side.

Guardian Xiang, over two meters tall, his massive frame hidden within a black robe and a man of few words, remained silent for a while before finally speaking in a low voice, "Pei Ye killed Yellow Bear, killed members of the Crane Sect... I did... attempt to stop him."

Guard Ying and Guardian Lin were momentarily taken aback, then both cast looks of profound approval towards him.

All three Guardians of the Evil Martial Association had made their positions clear.

Lu Yuan sat gracefully on the sofa, a satisfied expression on his face. Looking at Pei Ye, only his face could still move; his eyes blazed, and it was unclear whether he was crying or laughing, but his expression was quite a sight.

"This Seat is very pleased that you have managed to see the error of your ways in time and chosen the light..." Lu Yuan said slowly, recalling the speech patterns of villainous leaders from his memories. For an organization as edgy as the Evil Martial Association, with its Evil Emperors and Guardians, referring to oneself as 'This Seat'... seemed quite fitting.

"First, let me get acquainted with you all." Lu Yuan leaned forward slightly, pointing at Guardian Xiang, who wore a mask and black robes, his build as imposing as a mountain. "This is Guardian Xiang. You command the Evil God Power of the Elephant God Religion, correct?"

"The Demon Emperor's insight is keen," Guardian Xiang nodded, speaking in a low voice.

Lu Yuan turned his gaze to Guard Ying. "And this is Guard Ying. You command..."

Guard Ying quickly and respectfully interjected, "The Eagle Power of the Horus Sect."

"Mm." Lu Yuan nodded, finally looking at the last of the three, the horse-faced middle-aged man, Guardian Lin. The latter, seeing Lu Yuan's gaze upon him, immediately adopted a posture of utmost respect, as if listening intently.

"This must be Guardian Ma then," Lu Yuan said with a smile. "Needless to say, you must command the Power of the Horse King!"

"....."

"....."

Guardian Lin's movements froze. Guard Ying and Guardian Xiang remained silent. The atmosphere plunged into a moment of awkward silence. After a few seconds, Guard Ying coughed lightly, a strange expression on his face as he softly replied, "Demon Emperor, you're slightly off the mark. This is Guardian Lin. He has always delved deep into the ways of the Underground God Sect."

"Oh." Lu Yuan's face showed realization, without a trace of embarrassment. He leaned back into the sofa, lightly tapping the armrest with his fingers, and said casually, "I have a few questions. Please answer them for me."

"Please ask, Demon Emperor," Guard Ying responded most eagerly.

"First," Lu Yuan began, his gaze shifting to Pei Ye at his feet, "what is this Evil Emperor's relic you mentioned?"

This time, it was Guardian Lin who rushed to answer. "Every Evil Emperor is an Evil Energy expert at the peak of Walker Level. After death, most of their evil force condenses into a crystal-like form. Those who obtain this crystal can usually inherit its power, hence it is called an Evil Emperor's relic."

Hearing the word "crystal," Lu Yuan immediately thought of the Red Beads from the Crow God Sect. To me, aren't these just Experience Pills?

His interest piqued, he pressed further, "Does this mean the Evil Martial Association has a considerable number of Evil Emperor's relics?"

"Perhaps... we do," Guardian Lin replied hesitantly.

"What do you mean by 'perhaps'?" Lu Yuan couldn't help frowning.

This time, Guard Ying answered with a helpless tone, "Not every Evil Emperor leaves a relic after death, nor does every Evil Emperor's relic remain within the Association. Most Evil Emperor's relics are eventually reclaimed by powerful experts from the respective Evil God Sect. A small portion is taken by Penglai. The remaining one or two... were likely divided among the Guardians within the Association long ago."

"Penglai?!" Lu Yuan's expression shifted slightly. "What does Penglai want these for?"

"Ostensibly, they claim to suppress them, to prevent more Pure Martial Fighters from straying onto the evil path. But if you ask me..." Guard Ying sneered, his eyes cold with contempt, "those undying old fools in the Penglai Pavilion are undoubtedly researching the power of Evil Martial in secret. Those people always say one thing and do another..."

"Has Penglai collected many Evil Emperor's relics?" Lu Yuan inquired.

"Accumulated over generations, probably around nine," Guardian Lin gestured towards Pei Ye lying on the ground and replied, "The Evil Emperor's relic corresponding to the bewitching evil force within this waste's body was one taken by Penglai. We don't know how he obtained it..."

Lu Yuan's eyes flickered. Using his authority, he thoroughly checked Pei Ye's "resume" through Yellow Bear's internal network. Moments later, he let out a wry laugh.

"You truly are a natural-born rebel, a traitor wherever you go..." Lu Yuan looked at Pei Ye, speechless.

He discovered that after Pei Ye betrayed the Crane Sect, he had, by some coincidence, joined Penglai and even gained the appreciation of a significant figure there. But he hadn't stayed in Penglai for long before defecting for unknown reasons. Now it seemed he had likely fled after stealing the relic of the Precious Generation Evil Emperor.

"Can an inherited Evil Emperor's relic be extracted a second time?" Lu Yuan mused for a moment, then asked casually. Pei Ye's bewitching demon ability is quite good. If I could snatch it and open a new panel, that would be excellent. I'm rather envious of Pei Ye's ability to dodge my sure-kill attack.

"Generally, once a relic integrates with the body, it gradually dissolves and disappears as the evil force within it is inherited," Guard Ying explained. "However, this waste hasn't possessed the relic for long. There might still be unabsorbed remnants within his body..." Guard Ying's hands trembled. Suddenly, with a series of CRACKS, his joints protruded, transforming his hands into bloody eagle claws. "If the Demon Emperor is interested, I can try digging into this wretch's body to see if I can find anything..."

Nearby, Guardian Lin and Guardian Xiang's eyes also flickered, looking eager and ready to seize this chance to prove their loyalty.

Lu Yuan didn't stop them, merely watching quietly.

As for Pei Ye, still lying on the ground, his face instantly turned deathly pale, and his body couldn't help but tremble once more.

「In an empty room high above the clouds.」

"GG!"

Yu Wentong, sitting cross-legged in a chair, typed "GG" on the screen with clear satisfaction.

"Alright, you've won again," a resigned voice sounded from a light screen on the table, but it quickly turned to anticipation and inquiry. "So, have you broken through yet?"

"Almost, almost..." Yu Wentong casually grabbed a bag of snacks, tearing it open and replying vaguely, her mouth full.

"If you could really break through, the pressure on our side would lessen considerably..." The voice sighed softly, then suddenly changed the subject, praising, "That little fellow you recruited this time is quite impressive, managing to independently eliminate a Walker Level opponent. I've reviewed the combat data Lan Chen sent back. When will you pass on his cultivation techniques?"

Yu Wentong's beautiful purple eyes twinkled. She smiled silently, eating her snacks without a word.

The voice didn't mind, continuing, "I just received news. This time, the World Joint Exploration Initiative will choose one of these nine Legendary Level Secret Realms to open: Sky Evil, Moon-Eating Forest, Thunderclap Holy Temple... The Core Inheritance Power from a Legendary Level Secret Realm is the fastest path to creating top-tier experts. I hear this little fellow also possesses a special constitution, naturally perfect for accommodating evil force... When the time comes, you can let him try. Though the chances are slim, if he truly strikes it lucky, it would be a tremendous, pleasant surprise for us..."

Yu Wentong's delicate brows furrowed slightly. She stopped chewing and asked, "Have you considered that even if someone manages to obtain the inheritance during this exploration, will the other powers allow that person to survive peacefully?"

The voice paused, then said quietly, "But we can't let that stop us. One doesn't stop eating for fear of choking."

Their exchange came to an end, and Yu Wentong disconnected the communication. She rested her cheek on one hand, thinking quietly for a moment. Her beautiful eyes suddenly lit up, and she quickly made a decision.

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