Chapter 1: The Demon Realm General Election

"I abstain!" Biyuan said with righteous indignation, looking fiercely upset. "You are all just making a complete mockery of this! Just wait and see how you clean up this mess when my eldest brother returns!"

At this, not only the twelve candidate grand chieftains, but even the four great elders furrowed their brows slightly and cast their gazes toward Biyuan. As for the rest of the great spirit beasts, some wore displeased expressions, others looked unconcerned, and some remained entirely expressionless, making it impossible to guess what schemes they were harboring in their hearts.

To be frank, all of them secretly harbored doubts about this so-called vote, feeling that the procedure bordered on the frivolous. However, Julan, as the Grand Leader, had indeed been missing for far too long. Under the circumstances, the remaining four great elders naturally served as the pillars of the spirit realm; without compelling reasons, who would dare to openly and blatantly go against them?

Biyuan could only blame her own abyssal popularity. Although the assembled spirit beasts all harbored some degree of suspicion regarding Julan's disappearance, almost all of them had previously crossed paths with Biyuan and suffered under that madwoman in one way or another. Witnessing her flustered and exasperated expression now, more than a few secretly felt a sense of schadenfreude: *Always throwing your weight around and acting tyrannically by leaning on your brother's influence—did you ever think you'd have a day like this?*

Hearing Biyuan's outburst, Elder Yuanhao's eyes flashed with a sharp brilliance. His voice was gentle yet carried an unquestionable authority as he loudly announced: "Great spirit beast Biyuan has announced her abstention on the spot. Therefore, this vote will proceed with only forty-one voters." With that, he turned to Biyuan: "Since that is the case, your continued presence here serves no purpose, Grandee Biyuan. Please leave this place."

The moment Yuanhao uttered these words, the atmosphere instantly turned somewhat awkward. Biyuan had never expected that the Grand Elder, who had always shown her a measure of deference, would suddenly adopt such an attitude. She froze in place for a moment, then subconsciously swept her gaze across the crowd—Letu had turned his face away and happened to meet Chunniang's gaze, the two of them exchanging a slight, malicious smile of shared delight; Hongshuang appeared entirely nonchalant, as though the events unfolding had nothing to do with her; and the remaining grand chieftains and great spirit beasts tacitly averted their eyes from Biyuan as well.

When had Biyuan ever been subjected to such treatment? She longed to fly into a rage, but ultimately forced down her surging fury, knowing that this was no time for petty temperament. After standing in a daze for a brief moment, she stamped her foot in vexation, let out a harsh laugh, and snapped, "Then go ahead and hold your precious election! This lady isn't going to keep you company any longer!" With a swift backward spring, her body shot backward, flying rapidly away from behind the barrier.

Yuanhao quietly signaled to someone behind him, then cast a cold glance at the crowd below the platform and nodded to Dingxiang. Dingxiang smiled knowingly, raised her voice, and proclaimed, "I now declare the voting officially underway!"

At the command, forty-one small swords tied with multicolored silk ribbons lifted from the high platform and shot simultaneously toward the twelve crests suspended in mid-air. Instantly, the majority of those on and below the platform involuntarily held their breath, fixing their unblinking gazes upon this scene of decisive significance for the spirit realm.

Hongshuang cast a casual, indifferent glance at Letu, who was exchanging smiling glances with Chunniang, a trace of faint mockery flickering within her eyes.

On the other side of the high platform, Fuyao was crouched beside the unconscious Elder Tianmu, who remained trapped within the barrier, weeping silently. Knowing full well that Fuyao had long since harbored the resolve to die and never intended to leave this place alive, Ali kept his silence, standing guard quietly by her side while secretly keeping watch on the movements unfolding across the platform. At that exact moment, he suddenly noticed the barrier surrounding Elder Tianmu shift imperceptibly. His brow furrowing, Ali opened his mouth to warn Fuyao, but it was already too late: the barrier that had tightly enveloped Tianmu suddenly swelled outward, instantly "swallowing" both him and Fuyao within its depths!

* * * * * * * *

Taking advantage of the moment when everyone's attention was wholly captivated by the vote, Zisheng slipped quietly toward the rear door of the high platform. Silently felling the guards on duty, he moved swiftly up the wooden stairs. He knew that once a provisional leader was established, their very first order of business would likely be to execute a batch of "traitors" to make an example and establish their authority. Though he possessed neither the power nor the means to turn the tide entirely by himself, he could no longer afford to hesitate.

Just as Zisheng's foot reached the top of the stairs, an acute sense of danger flared within his heart, forcing his body to a dead stop. A flicker of astonishment crossed his calm eyes—

Standing upon the stairs, appearing from nowhere, were eight burly men whose bodies were covered in a coat of pale gray fur. Each gripped a frost-gleaming dark iron hammer, glaring menacingly at Zisheng with murderous intent.

Accompanied by the sound of light, tripping footsteps, a tall, slender woman with delicate facial features gracefully descended the stairs. Twin horns sprouted from her crown, her willow-leaf brows were arched in anger, her phoenix eyes blazed with authority, and a snow-white cloak draped over her shoulders. She glared hostilely at Zisheng.

"It turns out to be you, Qingling," Zisheng said mildly. "I heard you led your clan to leave the Wuhuan Tribe and defect to Hongshuang. Might I ask why?"

Qingling stared coldly at Zisheng for a long moment before finally pulling her gaze away, barking sharply: "By order of the Grand Chieftain, Qingling is here to eradicate the traitor of the spirit realm, Zisheng! Eight Diamond Warriors!"

"Present!" The eight burly men immediately hoisted their massive hammers, roaring as they lunged forward in unison. Zisheng let out an inward sigh and was forced to take a large step backward.

"...Form the formation!" Qingling flickered her right hand, revealing a pitch-black bead in her palm. Pushing forward with her left hand, the bead instantly radiated a stream of dark, luminescent light that materialised with tangible substance, enveloping Zisheng's entire body.

Without the slightest hesitation, the Eight Diamond Warriors swung down their massive hammers toward Zisheng.

Without even sparing them a glance, Zisheng flickered his hand casually. A streak of dark green, gloomy light flashed across the air, and all eight heavy hammers were instantly wrenched from the men's grips, hurtling high up into the sky...

* * * * * * * *

Chunniang had already closed her eyes, unwilling to look upon the outcome of the vote, when a brief, profound silence among the crowd below suddenly erupted into thunderous roars and cheers. She felt beads of sweat breaking out all over her body, leaving her damp and thoroughly uncomfortable.

At that moment, she felt someone gently tap her shoulder. Opening her eyes in surprise, she found Hongshuang—with whom she had never previously interacted—looking at her with a smile that was not quite a smile.

Hongshuang remained silent, simply jutting her chin slightly toward mid-air.

Chunniang turned her head to look at Letu, only to find him wearing an expression of mutual bewilderment and wild jubilation. Summoning her courage at last, she raised her eyes to look at the small circular plaques that revealed the voting results—

There were a total of forty-one swords corresponding to the twelve candidate emblems. Some bore only one or two votes, while others held seven or eight. For a moment, she could barely distinguish which mark belonged to the Shichi Tribe, until Elder Dingxiang's voice, tinged with slight astonishment, slowly sounded out: "As everyone can see... the outcome has been decided. Among the five abstentions from the thirty-seven remaining votes, the candidate who received the the highest number of votes is..." Here, Dingxiang paused, her brow furrowing slightly, before raising her volume to continue: "Grand Chieftain Letu of the Shichi Tribe! He has received a total of ten votes!"

"Splendid!"

"Long live Grand Chieftain Letu!"

After a moment of dead silence, the contingent of spirits belonging to the Shichi Tribe suddenly erupted, cheering ecstatically and shouting without a shred of restraint. The members of the other tribes cast sidelong glances of disdain; some whispered among themselves, some cried out that it was "unfair" and demanded a revote, some remained silent, and others wore looks of furious indignation. Meanwhile, upon the high platform, apart from the impassive Hongshuang, the grand chieftains of the other ten tribes were offering polite, smiling congratulatory bows to Letu, uttering hollow pleasantries of "congratulations, congratulations" while their inner thoughts churned violently.

Letu remained somewhat at a loss even now. Although he had hoped to win the election, the actual outcome still far exceeded his expectations—or rather, it diverged entirely from his preliminary projections. In the spirit realm, the Shichi (Tree Spirits), Mangyuan (Beast Spirits), Wuhuan (Beast-taming Spirits), Piaoxiang (Flower Spirits), Siluo (Bamboo and Vine Spirits), Shuifu (Fish Spirits), Zhanyi (Bird Spirits), Chongchun (Insect Spirits), Jianbi (Stone Spirits), Taotie (Exotic Beast Spirits), Lingling (Mountain, Mist, and River Spirits), and ZhaJia (Other Spirit Tribes) were known as the Twelve Great Tribes. Among them, aside from the Lingling and Zhajia tribes, whose smaller populations left them politically weak, and the Taotie tribe, whose ferocity and cruelty made them deeply unpopular, the remaining nine major tribes were largely on par with one another in terms of numbers, cultivation levels, and the volume of supporting spirit beasts. Even if any single tribe were to win, logically the vote counts ought to have been relatively close. Why, then, had he managed to secure victory with such an overwhelming margin? Taking the Shichi Tribe itself, apart from himself and the two great spirit beasts of his clan, he truly could not think of anyone else who would have cast a vote for him. Where, then, had the remaining seven votes come from?

Though Letu's mind was filled with bewilderment, the wild euphoria of victory still left his head spinning and his emotions difficult to contain. Subconsciously, he glanced toward Hongshuang, his gaze colliding unexpectedly with her unfathomable, beautiful eyes. Hongshuang pursed her lips, smiled charmingly, shook her head slowly at him, and then nodded once—

A wave of agitation stirred within Letu; he was struck by the unpleasant sensation of having been duped and manipulated in the palm of someone else's hand.

At that moment, Grand Elder Yuanhao stepped forward, seized Letu's right hand, hoisted it high into the air, and proclaimed in an irrefutable tone: "From this day onward, Lord Letu shall be our provisional leader, duty-bound to command the spirit realm and weather the trials before us!"

*"The trials!"*

In a flash of insight, Letu seemed to understand something. Sweeping his gaze across the expressions of the various spirits, a sickly greenish tinge suddenly surfaced on his pale face, and he cursed inwardly: *You bastards didn't even give me a warning before playing these dirty tricks? Do you really take me for a fool? Hongshuang, you stinking woman, everyone in the spirit realm knows the Mangyuan Tribe holds the greatest power right now—pushing me out here unprovoked, are you trying to make me take the brunt of the storm? As the saying goes, the protruding rafter rots first. Being a grand chieftain is one thing, but serving as the leader of the entire spirit realm is hardly something everyone will submit to willingly! Coupled with the spirit realm's current myriad troubles, whoever holds this leadership position becomes the absolute target of public criticism. Don't I know this?—You stinking woman, you simply want to wait until I make a fool of myself and fail to hold the situation together, only to step forward yourself as a savior and kick me aside! However, if you are cunning, I am no fool either. Can I not seize this very opportunity? I'd like to see what expression you wear, you stinking woman, once I firmly anchor myself upon this throne!*

* * * * * * *

At that precise moment, a deafening explosion rent the air. The rear door of the high platform burst apart, and dozens of figures came tumbling out like rolling gourds. The crowd of spirits stirred in an instant uproar, only to realize upon closer inspection that these battered and bruised individuals were none other than the Eight Diamond Warriors of the Sheep Clan, a score or more of the Shadow Assassins of the Wildcat Clan, and the four Bone-Splitting Blade-Wielders of the Tiger Clan!

Simultaneously, a tall, upright figure slowly emerged from the doorway. His mass of silver hair fell loose, his long white robes fluttered without wind, and with an expression of complete indifference, he gazed out at the astonished onlookers.

"The Great Spirit Zisheng!"

"What on earth is he trying to do?" The assembled spirits had never anticipated that Zisheng would openly make trouble at such a moment, and all found it utterly inconceivable. However, those more privy to the situation instantly recalled Zisheng's profound friendship with Elder Tianmu, deducing that he must have come on account of the two traitors, Fuyao and Tianmu.

For a moment, the gazes of the crowd shifted away from Zisheng, all fixing instead upon the high platform, wondering what kind of consequences Zisheng's audacious act would provoke.

"Lord Letu!" Hongshuang called out in a low voice from behind Letu.

Letu cursed inwardly. Even without looking, he knew he had become the focal point of all attention. For a moment, he could not tell whether he should feel elated or depressed; before he could even utter a few grandiose inaugural phrases, an uncomprehending troublemaker like Zisheng had to show up and disrupt things. He truly could not tell whether this was a blessing or a curse.

Yet the circumstances left no room for hesitation. Watching the four great elders keep their lips tightly sealed with the clear intent to remain neutral, while observing the expectant glares in the eyes of the other defeated candidates, this accidental provisional leader pushed onto the crest of the wave had no choice but to demonstrate his ability to master the overarching situation.

"Zisheng, what are you doing here?" While Letu hesitated, Hongshuang suddenly spoke up leisurely.

"Indeed, what is this about? Is he trying to stir up chaos?" Someone among the crowd below murmured in agreement.

Zisheng stood motionless, his eyes sweeping across the surroundings until the whispering abruptly died away. Then, with a cold, indifferent smile, he said, "Zisheng has no other intentions; I merely wish to take a few people with me." He had not anticipated that things would develop to this extent; before he could even approach the high platform, he had been ambushed by a pack of wildcats and tigers from the Mangyuan Tribe lying in wait along the stairs. The interior space of the high platform was too confined, and shortly after engaging in combat, he had been forced back down.

Once these words were spoken, even a fool could understand his intent. Yet Hongshuang continued with an unhurried, leisurely air: "And whom might you be planning to take with you, pray tell?"

"It is quite simple: naturally, Elder Tianmu, Fuyao, and Ali."

Jicheng, Feijiu, Hongbiao, and others who had always enjoyed an excellent relationship with Elder Tianmu wore complicated expressions as they looked at Zisheng. The remaining spirits could not help but cast looks of profound awe and reverence toward this habitually self-willed great spirit—to attempt to take Fuyao and the others away under such circumstances was nothing short of impossible; this Zisheng truly possessed the audacity of the heavens.

"My Lord," Hongshuang said deferentially to Letu, "the spirit Zisheng is causing a disturbance here, declaring his intent to take away the traitors Fuyao and her cohort. Please render your judgment, my Lord!"

Letu thought to himself: *I am neither blind nor deaf, do you need to state the obvious? This is clearly treating me as a puppet!* Nevertheless, he maintained a bland expression, offered a muted "En," and glanced at the expressions of the crowd below, knowing he could no longer procrastinate and needed to make a stand. Taking a large step forward so that his figure was fully exposed to everyone's view, he spoke in a voice that was soft yet carried an unquestionable authority: "Entrusted by everyone here, I temporarily assume the responsibilities of leadership left by Lord Julan. Though I wish to avoid bloodshed among our own kind in the spirit realm, for the sake of preserving stability across the realm, I am forced to make difficult choices. Guards, take the troublemaker Zisheng into custody! Dead or alive, whoever performs this deed shall be rewarded with a safe-passage token!"

A safe-passage token was a permit allowing free entry and exit across the various regions of the spirit realm; its bearer could travel unhindered everywhere within the realm, and no one had the right to obstruct them arbitrarily. The spirit realm was vast, its tribal territories numerous, and most resource-rich areas were claimed as restricted zones by powerful clans, barring outsiders from entering at will. Thus, to any monster desperate to traverse the spirit realm in search of medicinal herbs and cultivation grounds, such a token was a priceless treasure beyond compare. By tossing out such a heavy reward right off the bat, Letu aimed not only to ensure his first command as leader did not go unanswered, but also to display the authority and magnanimity of a newly appointed chieftain.

The moment Letu's voice fell, however, no one stirred into action. This was not because the new leader lacked accrued prestige due to his brief tenure, but because none of them had anticipated that Letu would use a safe-passage token as bait, leaving them momentarily breathless with greed.

After a brief stupor, the members of the Shichi Tribe were the first to recover their wits. Though they feared Zisheng, Letu was even less someone to cross lightly! Besides, formidable though Zisheng might be, could he possibly withstand such a multitude? Three or three together, they rolled up their sleeves, plucked up their courage, drew their weapons, and lunged toward Zisheng amidst wild shouting.

* * * * * * *

Down below the platform, Zisheng was plunging deeper into heavy encirclement.

Up on the platform, Fuyao and Ali found themselves tightly wrapped within the barrier, only to be horrified to discover that Elder Tianmu had already lost all breath, having passed away long ago. "Grandfather!" they cried out in loud, agonizing grief, throwing themselves over Tianmu's body in torrential tears.

The barrier slowly tightened inward bit by bit. Although the motion was imperceptibly gradual, Ali's sharp senses caught it instantly: "Young Miss, the situation is dire!"

Fuyao did not hear Ali's words at all. After weeping for a while, her emotions gradually steadied, and a fierce, towering hatred ignited within her eyes. Straightening her posture, she sat up, drew her silver whip with a sharp *shua*, and cried out with passionate indignation: "Letu! Chunniang! You two wretched villains! I'll fight you to the death!"

With that, she tried to stand up to retaliate, but the moment her body rose, she was abruptly blocked by the invisible barrier, sending her sprawling back down to the ground. Ali hurriedly rushed to support her.

"Ali!" Trembling with a mixture of shock and rage, Fuyao's voice shook uncontrollably. "What is going on here?"

Before she knew it, Chunniang had quietly walked to the edge of the barrier, squatting down to look at Fuyao with a beaming smile. "How are you feeling inside, little sister? Comfortable, I hope? This is a grand restrictive barrier forged through the joint efforts of all four great elders, known as 'cutting off all mortal ties and severing all paths.' It is truly your immense good fortune to experience it firsthand. What? You don't know the incantation to undo it? Oh dear, oh dear, that is truly troublesome. Whatever shall elder sister do to help you?"

Fuyao stared fixedly at Chunniang for a long moment before gritting her teeth and saying, "Your poison has been cured, I take it?"

"I always said you were smart, little sister." Chunniang's watery, bewitching eyes radiated a teasing allure as her smile bloomed like a flower. "Though sister's little life wasn't something you deigned to value, I myself cherish it dearly. If the severe poison hadn't been purged, how could I bear to send your grandfather down the Yellow Springs?" The more she spoke, the icier her tone became. Her gaze locked straight onto Fuyao, radiating boundless hatred, yet her voice remained incomparably soft: "來說回來 (Speaking of which), even if sister hadn't made a move, that grandfather of yours couldn't have lasted much longer anyway. His primordial spirit had already scattered; even if he were healed, his cultivation would have been entirely ruined, leaving him at the mercy of others—living would have been far more painful than dying. I merely did him a massive favor by preserving his final shred of dignity. Out of regard for our past acquaintance, little sister, would you like sister to help grant you a release as well?"

"Spare yourself the trouble. I'd simply like to ask you for one more favor."

"Oh?" Chunniang looked at Fuyao in mild surprise.

Fuyao replied coldly, "I have a natural aversion to hideous and monstrous things. Your current appearance is truly too grotesque to behold. I must ask you to roll away as far as you possibly can." As she spoke, a sharp glint flashed across her eyes, and channeling all her remaining strength, she thrust her silver whip—which blazed with silvery luminescence—straight and rigid like a venomous dragon toward Chunniang outside the barrier!

Chunniang gave a startled cry, subconsciously retreating a step before remembering that the grand restrictive barrier trapping Fuyao and the others was immensely powerful, rendering the silver whip completely incapable of piercing through it. Even so, a fine layer of cold sweat broke out across her back, sparking a wave of intense fury. Sneering coldly, she spat, "Still putting up a stubborn front? Very well, let's see whose life lasts longer! Originally, I intended to grant you a swift and painless end, but now I certainly won't spare you so easily!"

Flicking her sleeves in vexation, she walked over to Letu's side and called out to him, intending to act coquettishly and have Letu hand Fuyao over to her for punishment. To her surprise, after calling out several times, Letu remained completely unresponsive.

* * * * * * *

At that moment, everyone's attention upon the high platform was entirely riveted to the scene below.

A cacophony of cracking and clashing noises resounded. In mid-air, a chaotic flurry of weapons and spells struck out like lightning, brilliant and dazzling, sweeping toward Zisheng with the momentum of a tidal wave. Densely packed spirits and monsters surged from all directions, their wave-upon-wave of attacks accompanied by a chaotic, thunderous roar of overlapping war cries that shook the heavens and deafened the ears.

"Capture Zisheng!"

"Charge together! At worst, we'll split the merit and share the token!" Cries of rage, gasps of alarm, and battle shouts rose one after another, mingling with the prolonged, agonizing screams of monsters struck down by Zisheng. The interior of the barrier had plunged into utter chaos.

From afar, Letu shouted at the top of his lungs, "Every traitor deserves to be executed! Zisheng, surrender and confess your crimes, cease your pointless struggle as a trapped beast!"

Ignoring him entirely, Zisheng maintained a calm and steady expression. With his feet lifting off the ground, he soared smoothly into the air. Wood-element energy orbs exploded from his hands in blinding bursts. Hovering above the densely packed, crisscrossing figures of the spirits, he cut an imposing figure reminiscent of a descending deity, his hands continuously shifting through various mudras and techniques to deflect and scatter the barrage of incoming weapons and magical treasures.

Though martial experts from various tribes vied with one another to launch a coordinated siege against Zisheng in mid-air, their divergent mindsets meant that the force and intent behind their strikes varied wildly—

Naturally, the members of Letu's Shichi Tribe were filled with high morale and fought with unreserved valor, eager to distinguish themselves before their newly elevated grand chieftain.

The members of the other tribes, however, were different: some were indeed tempted by the safe-passage token and fought with reckless bravery; some, intimidated by the tyrannical might of the newly minted grand chieftain, merely put up a perfunctory performance; some harbored the heart to "slay the rebel" but knew their own limitations too well to throw their lives away rashly; and others still had no intention of participating whatsoever, simply retreating to the sidelines of the battle zone.

Elder Tianmu of the Blood-Blue Tribe had always possessed an upright character, treating others with kindness and boasting a vast circle of good friends throughout the spirit realm. Among the spirits present today, a good fraction had connections of varying degrees to him. Although the Shichi Tribe had earlier held a public trial and announced Fuyao's "crimes," the vast majority of onlookers firmly believed the matter had nothing to do with Tianmu. Seeing him unjustly seized as a spy with his life hanging in the balance, they naturally felt deep indignation in their hearts, yet lacked the courage to step forward and voice it. Thus, seeing Zisheng leap out to champion Tianmu exactly matched their hidden wishes—how could they possibly strike with real intent?

Consequently, despite the churning shockwaves and deafening battle cries within the barrier, very few individuals were actually pouring their full strength into the fight. The majority of the monsters went through the motions while joyfully watching the spectacle, all the while wearing expressions of utmost loyalty and righteous devotion.

Even so, Zisheng found himself deeply bogged down within a veritable sea of monsters, trapped to the point where moving an inch proved difficult. Those charging at the very front were beasts driven wild and red-eyed by the promise of massive rewards, shrieking like howling gales as they launched desperate, ferocious assaults.

Zisheng remained entirely unfearful. With a hearty laugh, his white robes fluttering, he raised his left hand and scattered countless silver-white threads, weaving them into a spherical net of light around his body. This was his most formidable defensive magical treasure—the barrier known as "Three Thousand Worries." Within his slender right hand, flashes of dark green luminous qi-blades emerged, possessing unstoppable sharpness. With every sweep of his palm, blade after blade swept forth horizontally and vertically like sweeping thunder and lightning, slashing toward the encroaching monsters.

In an instant, gushing blood shot into the sky. Dense clusters of figures darted and crossed paths; the brilliance of blades, swords, magical treasures, and divine weapons flashed and crisscrossed, illuminating the interior of the barrier with fluctuating, erratic light, while shrieks of agony and lamentation rose continuously.

* * * * * * *

"My Lord, should we go up and lend a hand?" Seeing that the assembled spirits had failed to subdue Zisheng after a prolonged battle, Xiulv, the chieftain of the Hua Tribe behind Letu, hesitated for a moment before leaning close to Letu's ear to inquire in a soft voice.

Letu had been growing increasingly anxious, never expecting Zisheng to endure so long under the combined siege of the crowd. Hearing Xiulv's words, he glanced back and cursed inwardly: *Do you even need me to teach you such a thing? What an absolute idiot!* Outwardly, however, he maintained a placid demeanor, nodding slowly as he said, "Very well. This battle should not be dragged out too long lest complications arise; it is best to resolve it swiftly."

"Understood!" Xiulv acknowledged the order, exchanged a glance with the chieftains of the other major clans within his tribe, and immediately hurried down the stairs.

Witnessing this, Feijiu, Hongbiao, and the other Mangyuan chieftains exchanged covert consultations as well, jointly concluding that standing idly by felt inappropriate, yet joining the battle fray was equally unappealing. Coughing softly, they edged toward Hongshuang, self-importantly rolling up their sleeves while casting inquiring glances toward their grand chieftain.

Hongshuang simply swept a glance over her subordinates, offered a faint smile, and murmured quietly, "With Lord Letu here, there is no need for us to meddle."

Hearing this, the chieftains instantly caught her drift. They immediately issued secret orders to their subordinates forbidding any reckless action: they were to merely put on an act and nothing more.

Feijiu and Hongbiao cast a look of schadenfreude at Letu before retreating with utmost swiftness back to their original positions.

As for Jicheng, the chieftain of the Chongchun Tribe who shared a deep bond of affection with Elder Tianmu, his approach was even more extreme. Seeing his subordinate—a king blowfly—twitching eagerly as it tried to leap down the platform and join the encirclement to suppress Zisheng, Jicheng glared fiercely, letting out a cold snort: "What are you doing? Trying to run off and curry favor with the new master? I'm not dead yet!"

A single sentence instantly frightened that blood-pumping idiot into shrinking back to the side.

* * * * * * *

Inside the barrier, the situation for Fuyao and Ali grew increasingly perilous—

Before long, the barrier not only shrank further, but the air inside seemed to have been sucked away, growing thinner and thinner. Initially unfazed, Fuyao soon began to feel flustered and short of breath. No matter how desperately she struggled, the soft yet transparent barrier remained utterly unbreakable, trapping them within while continuing its slow, relentless contraction.

"Ali, we... we won't be able to avenge Grandfather!"

Having exhausted every ounce of her strength without being able to shake the barrier in the slightest, Fuyao finally collapsed weakly into a sitting position.

She had never imagined that she and Ali would be trapped and suffocated to death in such an ignominious manner within a barrier. Looking out at Chunniang's gloating expression, and turning her gaze to the loyal family servant who had accompanied her since childhood and now wore a heart-wrenching expression of sorrow, she was overwhelmed by boundless grief and stifling oppression. Cold sweat poured down her skin; grievance, fury, and distress flooded her heart simultaneously, rendering her voice uncontrollably shaky in her urgency.

Ali had long since exhausted all futile methods of escape. Glancing down from the high platform, he saw that Zisheng remained hopelessly bogged down in heavy encirclement, unable to break free. Clearly, there was no way he could arrive before the air inside the barrier was completely exhausted.

Pondering the situation, he heard Fuyao's lament. Raising his head to gaze deeply into Fuyao's peerless, delicate face, a flash of resolute determination crossed his eyes. A gentle smile touched his lips as he spoke in a warm voice: "Good child, with me here, what are you afraid of?"