In the outside world, nine hundred thirty miles away from Glory City, a metallic bird could be seen cruising through the skies at a considerable speed.
High above, it let out sharp screeches, its metallic sheen reflecting the rays of the sun, leaving a streak of light as it tore through the air.
This majestic-looking bird was none other than Glory City's ancestral founder, Ye Yan.
As he flew, Ye Yan spread his spiritual senses, scanning the ground below to see how much the world had changed since the Age of Darkness.
What he saw saddened him. He couldn't believe that the Divine Continent, once filled with thriving human kingdoms, had now become a barren land overrun by demon beasts.
After the attack, Ye Yan had been given a task by Nie Li to track the people of the Dark Guild in hopes of finding the location of their hideout.
His mission had brought him to a hidden realm filled with nether aura.
To Ye Yan's shock, he discovered that the realm itself housed an entire civilization consisting of people from different races of humans, elves, gargoyles, and creatures Ye Yan had never seen before.
Realizing the significance of this discovery to the people of Glory City, Ye Yan decided to stop his pursuit and return home.
'What is more important now is to make Nie Li and Ye Zong aware of the existence of the Nether Realm and think of a way to safeguard Glory City from this discovery.' Ye Yan thought to himself as he flapped his wings, increasing his speed, a sense of urgency filling his heart.
From where he was, Ye Yan would need to fly an entire day to reach home.
As he sailed through the skies, a distant sound registered in his metallic ears. It was faint and far away, but it was more than enough to make Ye Yan feel an overwhelming dread envelop his soul.
He had lived through the era when demon beast hordes ran rampant, destroying empires and killing billions.
Every time a demon beast horde approached his homeland, Ye Yan would stand at the forefront of the defending army, waiting to intercept the wave of attacking demon beasts.
Because of this, Ye Yan had become fairly familiar with every sign that indicated a demon beast horde was approaching.
Right now, Ye Yan was praying that years of existing as a soul from had dulled his senses, or that his soul puppet body had been damaged during his encounter with enemies, causing him to hear things incorrectly.
Because if it wasn't, it could only mean that a large number of demon beasts were currently heading in the direction of Glory City.
"No, please don't, not again!"
Extremely worried, Ye Yan changed course and flew toward the source of the noise, wanting to confirm his fears.
As he closed in, the faint noise gradually grew louder until it burst into a thunderous roar. A wall of dust towered in the distance, stretching as far as the eye could see. The earth shook as a demon beast horde numbering in the tens of millions charged forward.
"No way! This is a large-scale one!" Ye Yan exclaimed in horror.
He could see quite a number of Black Gold Rank demon beasts mixed within the horde, hundreds, perhaps even thousands. He wasn't sure, but what he was certain of was that Glory City could never defend against a horde of this size.
Then, as though fate hadn't had enough of tormenting him, the world around him became shrouded in shadow.
Looking upward, Ye Yan's soul nearly escaped his metallic form as a bone-deep terror, one he hadn't felt for many years, resurfaced and enveloped his entire being.
The clouds above moved in an unnaturally ominous manner, sounds of thunder echoed as the lightning danced, before the clouds were torn apart.
From within them emerged a gigantic talon.
The enormous claw ripped through the clouds, its size comparable to a small hill.
"Good heavens! It's a Silao Grande! It's actually a Silao Grande, of all things!"
Letting out a terrified cry, Ye Yan momentarily lost control of his metallic body, causing him to nearly crash into the ground before he caught himself and changed direction.
The Silao Grande was a Legend Rank demon beast, a terrifying creature with the head of an eagle, a crocodilian hide capable of withstanding powerful attacks, and the body of a four-legged predator. Its size was nearly one-third that of Glory City itself, making it a living fortress.
Despite its enormous body, it could glide through the air as though it were made of cotton.
In the past, Ye Yan had watched similar beasts destroy an entire empire while killing countless powerful Demon Spiritualists.
To think that this living flying fortress was joining the attack on Glory City made Ye Yan lose all thoughts of resisting.
Ye Yan immediately turned around, whistling through the air like an arrow released from a bow, leaving a streak of light behind him as he flew toward Glory City.
"I need to warn everybody. The people need to abandon the city and find a safe place to hide. With a demon beast horde of this size, and a Silao Grande leading it, it's no longer possible to defend the city."
Behind him, the Silao Grande opened its massive beak, and its low, guttural howl shook the entire land.
The sound made Ye Yan recall the destruction of his homeland.
Without sparing even a tiny bit of his spiritual energy, Ye Yan increased his speed.
City Lord Mansion Banquet Hall.
The gathered crowd watched with great interest as Shen Han straightened himself. His expression remained composed despite the harsh words thrown at him.
"Young Master Xue Hui, aren't those words of yours quite uncalled for? Especially the part about me being an orphan. No child asks to be abandoned by their parents, and I'm certainly not an exception." Shen Han looked around at the crowd, his expression filled with sorrow as he continued. "So why must Young Master Xue Hui use it to attack my character? If I recall correctly, weren't you also abandoned as a child? Doesn't that mean we're the same?"
At his words, Xue Hui halted his approach. A stupefied expression appeared on his face before his lips curled upward, and he burst into loud laughter.
His reaction puzzled everyone.
Some were asking themselves what was so funny about Shen Han's words.
The same was true for Shen Han himself. His brow furrowed in confusion.
"Hehehe... Y-You think we're the same? Hilarious! Shen Han, stop being delusional. Hearing those words come out of your mouth makes me feel like vomiting.
Comparing yourself to me is like putting a stray dog next to a dragon. How can you have such thick skin as to utter those words at a banquet like this? Are you drunk or something?"
"You!" Shen Han's body trembled with rage, his chest heaving as veins bulged across his forehead.
He was furious.
Xue Hui's words were nothing but pure condescension, looking down on him without leaving him any face to save.
Even the surrounding guests looked at him with pity.
Xue Hui was far too merciless with his insults.
"What? Am I wrong for stating a fact? They call you the number one genius of your generation, and yet look at you. You've been out there training for who knows how long, and you're still just a Gold Rank dreg.
Worse, you still have the nerve to walk around acting completely full of yourself.
If I had talent as mediocre as yours and people called me a genius because of it, I would simply bash my head against the ground." Xue Hui shrugged. "And here I was under the impression that Ye Zeyang disliked clowns. It turns out the City Lord insists on inviting them."
Shen Han's face was now completely red from humiliation. Both fists were clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.
People could even hear the faint sound of his teeth grinding together.
Shen Han had come to the banquet intending to make a grand appearance, but he had never expected Xue Hui to show up and steal the spotlight by making a fool out of him.
He was Shen Han, Glory City's number one genius.
Intelligent, powerful, and proud, he had spent his entire life being told that he was a one-of-a-kind genius, showered with admiration and praise.
How could someone like him possibly stomach such insults when he had never known anything but respect?
"Young Master Xue Hui is certainly eloquent with his words. Too bad you're using them to attack someone like me. Is this because of Shen Fei? Just because we're from the same family, do you see his crimes as mine as well?" Shen Han asked, a hint of venom in his tone. "If that's the case, then Young Master Xue Hui is also a sinner."
His words created a buzz among the crowd.
Some pondered his meaning while others asked what Shen Han was referring to.
To their knowledge, Xue Hui rarely showed himself in public. They couldn't recall a single crime he had committed that would warrant being labeled a sinner.
Shen Han ignored the crowd's perplexed expressions and continued confidently.
"Many years ago, the half-brother of the previous Divine Family House Master, Patriarch Chen Shenxin, started a revolt against the Snow Wind Family in an attempt to seize the position of City Lord. Your great-uncle's actions caused significant damage and countless deaths among those caught in the crossfire. Based on your logic, his crimes should also become the crimes of both you and the Divine Family. If Young Master Xue Hui is willing to accept that, then I, Shen Han, am also willing to be branded a sinner for the crimes committed by Shen Fei."
Shen Han's eyes flickered with malice as his lips stretched into a scornful grin, believing he had successfully trapped Xue Hui with his own words.
'I suppose this Shen Han is a more formidable opponent than I originally thought,' Xue Hui mused.
Looking at the sneering Shen Han, the glow in his eyes intensified as a grin spread across his face.
'You want to play words with me? So be it. You're not enough, Shen Han.'
End of Chapter 106.
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Update:
I've added more advance chapters on Patreon, so go check them out! The highest tier now includes the conclusion of Volume 3: "Demon Beast Horde Attack," including the two upcoming chapters.