"Wait!"

Just as the hook-nosed elder's talons were about to claw at Pei Ye's cheek, the latter trembled violently.

Lu Yuan spoke up nonchalantly, "No need to rush. I'll take care of it later."

"Yes."

Immediately, the hook-nosed elder withdrew his hand and stood calmly to the side.

Lu Yuan didn't feel any particular compassion for Pei Ye. He simply didn't want to make the scene bloody; it would be too unsightly.

DING DONG—

A message came through, and Lu Yuan casually clicked to read it.

It was from Yu Wentong.

It was rare for Yu Wentong to take the initiative to send him a message.

Upon reading the message, Lu Yuan was somewhat surprised. Yu Wentong asked him to spare Pei Ye's life, saying he could be useful.

Does Yu Wentong know I'm fighting with the Evil Martial Association?!

Did he see my act of claiming the title Demon Emperor?....

Lu Yuan felt inexplicably guilty, and then he couldn't help but wonder.

Should I remind Yu Wentong that Pei Ye is rebellious, and that he should be wary of him....

Still, he quickly decided he was overthinking this; Yu Wentong always considered everything more thoroughly than he did.

"Continue."

Lu Yuan waved off his thoughts and gestured for the three protectors in front of him to continue speaking.

"Let's discuss the Evil Martial Association..."

"Yes."

The horse-faced middle-aged man picked up where they left off, "After the previous Evil Emperor fell, the association was mainly managed by the Eight Great Protectors. However…" His tone grew somber as he continued in a low voice, "Many of the protectors harbor selfish ambitions, plunging the entire association into chaos..."

Through the detailed accounts from the horse-faced man and the hook-nosed elder, Lu Yuan slowly came to understand the association's internal condition. It turned out that even being a part of the Evil Martial Association was tough.

The incredible evil force used in Evil Martial techniques mainly came from killing the disciples of the Evil God Sect, who were anything but pushovers. Retaliation from the sect for this was certain.

The overwhelming majority of Evil Martial artists either ended up being recruited by the Evil God Sect or... died at the hands of powerful avengers from the sect.

Those Lu Yuan had believed to be slowly deteriorating due to the distortion from evil force were, in fact, in the minority.

In the Ancient Martial Arts World, although the Evil Martial Association seemed impressive, they were secretly being hunted and driven out by the Evil God Sect daily.

Before, when the Evil Emperor was around, the situation wasn't as dire.

But since the position of Evil Emperor became vacant, everything went downhill.

And inside the Evil Martial Association, each protector was plotting to seize power or to become the Evil Emperor themselves…. It was a complete mess.

"We recommended this useless whelp as the new Evil Emperor in hopes of stabilizing the situation in the organization... but the rest of the protectors either did nothing or actively obstructed us. People's loyalties aren't what they used to be!"

The hook-nosed elder was emotional as he spoke of this issue, seeming disheartened and indignant.

But very quickly, his expression changed, turning into one of genuine delight and excitement. He respectfully said to Lu Yuan, "Luckily, the Demon Emperor appeared, giving us old-timers something to hope for."

The horse-faced man beside the hook-nosed elder was also nodding vigorously in agreement. Guardian Xiang, however, remained silent.

I see. You few are the weakest in terms of power and influence among the Eight Great Protectors. That's why you're so eager to use the image of a new Evil Emperor to bolster your own positions…

Looking at the two men, Lu Yuan propped his cheek with one hand, thinking with a sense of speechlessness.

Having listened to their introduction, Lu Yuan felt the Evil Martial Association was an utter mess.

Evil Emperor?

Having to bear the brunt of the Evil God Sect's attacks while worrying about internal dissent—it sounded like a purely thankless job.

Lu Yuan already regretted his rash declaration of being the Demon Emperor.

"Alright, I have a general understanding of the Evil Martial Association's situation. If there's nothing else, you can all leave."

Lu Yuan had no desire to stay any longer. He picked up Pei Ye and turned to walk away.

Seeing that Lu Yuan was about to leave, the remaining protectors exchanged glances. The hook-nosed elder hastily asked, "When might the Demon Emperor be free? We would like to guide the Demon Emperor back to the association to take command!"

"Next time. We'll discuss it next time..."

Lu Yuan gave a vague laugh, exited the mansion's main gate, boarded a Fly Shuttle, and left swiftly.

The three protectors were left standing on the wrecked battlefield, looking at each other blankly.

"What do you think?"

After a long silence, the hook-nosed elder slowly began.

The horse-faced middle-aged man squinted, watching Lu Yuan's disappearing figure in the distance. He replied, "This young man possesses exceptional martial arts talent and has a natural Evil Martial Body. His temperament is tyrannical, and he is ruthless and decisive. He is superior to Pei Ye in every aspect... He is indeed the best candidate for the new Evil Emperor. However..."

The horse-faced middle-aged man's tone shifted, and he frowned. "He is also one of Yellow Bear's men. If we endorse him as the Evil Emperor, I fear it won't be long before our War God Alliance becomes a vassal of Yellow Bear, nothing more than their running dogs...."

"That's still better than living like rats, scurrying and hiding every day!"

The hook-nosed elder huffed. "I, for one, see this as a great opportunity. Those surnamed Lei have been lining their pockets with the legacies of several past Evil Emperors, and their arrogance has grown immensely. If someone from the Lei family ever ascends to the Evil Emperor's position, we'll be devoured until not even scraps remain. I've even heard that the Lei family has recently been consorting with people from an outside Evil God Sect; their dealings are murky..."

The hook-nosed elder and the horse-faced middle-aged man exchanged a few more words, then turned their gazes toward Guardian Xiang, who had remained almost completely silent.

"What are your thoughts, Guardian Xiang?"

Guardian Xiang, completely hidden by a mask and black robe, remained silent for a moment before slowly replying, "Whoever is the strongest, I will acknowledge as the Evil Emperor."

"..."

The two looked at each other, speechless.

「Yellow Bear Sub-branch Base.」

Lu Yuan stood in front of a snow-white healing cabin, speaking softly to Master Liudao Yuan, who floated in the therapeutic liquid.

"Look. This one... this one.. and this one...."

Lu Yuan held a mobile phone, its screen facing Master Liudao Yuan. He swiped through the photos as he spoke.

"How about it? Did I beat him badly enough? I doubt even his own mother would recognize him now."

"I've sent him off for human experimentation. Might as well make some use of trash."

"Feeling vindicated, Liu?"

Master Liudao Yuan, floating in the semi-transparent therapeutic liquid, was conscious but could not speak.

His pair of bright cybernetic eyes rarely glanced at the photos Lu Yuan showed him on the phone screen. Instead, they were mostly fixed on Lu Yuan, a peculiar glow within them.

After showing Master Liudao Yuan all the photos of Pei Ye taken before handing him over to Yu Wentong, Lu Yuan stood up. Looking at Master Liudao Yuan in the healing cabin, he said, "Liu, just focus on healing. I've already taught a good lesson to those who bullied you. As for those I haven't gotten to yet, their turn will come. I hear you're experiencing a resurgence, like an old tree blooming in spring, with the potential to become a Grandmaster.... Don't worry. I'll figure out a way to help you overcome that final hurdle."

With that, Lu Yuan gently patted the front cover of the healing cabin, offered a word of comfort, and walked out of the room.

Lu Yuan didn't go far. He sat down on a bench just outside the healing room's entrance, waved away the Yellow Bear member standing guard, and quietly gathered his thoughts.

With the matters of the stone sphere, the Southern Hundred Cities Martial Arts League, and Pei Ye of the Evil Martial Association resolved, Lu Yuan felt a sense of relief.

It was as if a giant stone that had been hanging over him for a long time had finally fallen, allowing him to catch his breath for a moment.

Lately, he'd been like a spinning top, constantly whipped around by others, with no moment to rest.

It's about time I seriously consider my path forward.

Lost in thought, Lu Yuan took out the "Overlord Fist Guide" from an inner pocket of his attire—the manual Liu had traded his life for.

Now that he possessed this technique, the long-awaited "Heavenly Domination Extravagance" inheritance was finally complete.

All that remained was cultivation and comprehension.

After the battle of the Elephant God Walk, Lu Yuan had already sensed the inadequacy of his own strength.

The Pure Martial system is still too weak. My current strength primarily comes from the Fighter panel. Fighter is, after all, just a common class; its limited potential is to be expected. However, I've invested most of my energy and resources into this panel, so abandoning it isn't an option. Therefore... Extraordinary Martial Arts is the true path!

Lu Yuan intended to forge a path of Extraordinary Martial Arts from the Pure Martial system, one that could genuinely contend with other Extraordinary classes.

He already had some inspirations and ideas, but perfecting them step by step would require a great deal of time and effort.

Lu Yuan was considering whether there were other means to achieve this directly.

For example—Professional Advancement, or Occupational Integration!

The Super Kill 'Thousand Crows Singing at The Moon' and the Super Kill 'Netherworld River Notification of Death' are excellent examples. They prove that 'Fighter' might indeed have the potential to merge and resonate with other Extraordinary classes.... It's just that this requires a significant opportunity, or... the fulfillment of certain specific conditions.

Lu Yuan's eyes sparkled.

He was gradually clarifying his future direction in his mind.

First, he couldn't neglect 'Fighter'. He needed to continue advancing, striving to reach the Grandmaster realm as soon as possible.

It was said that Grandmaster was the ceiling for Pure Martial Arts; beyond it, the path was severed.

Lu Yuan had nearly maxed out the Fighter panel; his skills were approaching their limit.

Above Super Kill, only one slot remained dark.

Lu Yuan speculated that one of the conditions for Professional Advancement might be to max out a particular class.

Then there are the two Extraordinary classes. They also need significant improvement. The abilities of Death Teller (Extraordinary) and Spear Holder (Extraordinary) are quite potent. Previously, I've only used them for applying status effects and providing support, which somewhat underutilized their capabilities....

As for how to quickly advance these two Extraordinary classes, Lu Yuan already had a plan.

The Evil God Secret Realm was the best way.

Death Teller (Extraordinary) simply needed to absorb Red Beads from the Crow God Sect.

As for Spear Holder (Extraordinary)....

After using Hunting Perception to take down Pei Ye, Lu Yuan discovered that his Spear Holder (Extraordinary) class had directly advanced a level.

The Hunting Perception skill had also directly risen to Lv.2.

God of Martial Combat and the Hunting God.... So, does this mean the upgrade path for Spear Holder is to continuously hunt, and the stronger the target, the more Experience Points gained?

Lu Yuan pondered for a moment, planning to pull up his contact list and ask someone about the Evil God Secret Realm.

Suddenly, the icon for "Lord Tong Tong Tong" began flashing repeatedly.

Quickly opening it, Lu Yuan saw a single sentence— "Log in. I need to talk to you about something."

"!"

「Five minutes later.」

Lu Yuan was sitting in a private room.

In front of him was the light computer processor with the highest configuration and fastest internet speed in the entire Yellow Bear Sub-branch Base.

The semi-transparent light screen before him displayed the game's login interface, and Yu Wentong's usual leisurely voice reached his ears.

"How's the internet speed at the place you found today?"

Lu Yuan glanced at a fluctuating number in the upper right corner of the screen and said casually, "It's average. The network connection is very unstable, and the interface is a bit laggy... but don't worry, I'll do my best."

"Ha—"

Yu Wentong, on the other end of the connection, seemed to chuckle softly but didn't say anything more.

Soon after, they both entered the game.

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