You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

Alice took a deep breath, suppressing the lingering attachment she felt upon returning to her "new home," and her expression sharpened once more.

"Yes, boss!"

Through telepathic communication, the portal reappeared.

Chen Yang and Alice disappeared into the wondrous space where the ancient and the modern intersected in the Sumeru Cave.

Outside, it was still that quiet corner of the airport, with the night wind howling.

Chen Yang looked at Alice.

"The person has been brought in. What were the arrangements afterward? Did you encounter any obstacles?"

"Bringing people out has been going smoothly for now. I used some hidden connections we've built up over decades in North America to charter planes in batches, detour through several small international exhibition centers, and also borrowed the business flight privileges of several shell companies."

Alice speaks quickly and clearly.

"But boss, this is ultimately dancing on the edge of a knife."

As we repeatedly and frequently evacuate large numbers of people from American territory, our actions are bound to attract the attention of local power brokers and behind-the-scenes surveillance agencies. Especially those scumbags from 'Holy Blood,' who have been secretly monitoring us!

"Holy Blood?"

Chen Yang's eyes turned slightly cold.

"Yes, it's the local gang church I mentioned to you before, the one in Red Ridge, Oregon that we're at odds with. They call themselves the 'Blood Order'."

A fierce glint flashed in Alice's eyes.

"This group, under the guise of protecting the 'purity of the mountain people' and 'the guidance of the holy light,' is actually the biggest local tyrant in the town, controlling the entire region's gray industry chain and some mining businesses. Their leader is a fool named John Bloodthroat, who is said to have had a trace of druid blood in his ancestors, and he's become incredibly arrogant."

He has always wanted to squeeze out or even annex our last remaining influence in the town.

My large-scale evacuation this time was discovered by his spies, who have publicly vowed to investigate and even said they would exterminate the "heretics"!

"Heh, what a boastful tone."

Chen Yang sneered, his tone calm but carrying a chilling undertone.

"Since they're in such a nuisance, let's go and shut them up forever. Don't worry, since you've come all this way, I'll take care of this little thing for you. Let's go."

Feeling Chen Yang's genuine protection and strong confidence, Alice felt a warm current welling up in her heart, and even more so, a sense of security as if she were being protected.

She no longer hesitated.

"I'll book the tickets right away! Destination—Crimson Ridge!"

……

A dozen hours later, a typical small town in western North America came into view. Low-rise wood and stone houses were sparsely scattered along the edge of the vast forest and mountains, and a not-so-wide road ran through the town.

The air was filled with the scents of pine, earth, and a faint, almost imperceptible smell of steelworks emissions. The town appeared quiet and peaceful, completely out of step with the fast pace of the outside world.

However, with a slight sweep of his divine sense, Chen Yang could clearly detect several wary and even hostile gazes coming from inconspicuous corners.

Alice drove the car with practiced ease to a somewhat old but well-maintained detached house on the edge of town.

The house has a small courtyard with a sparse fence and a somewhat dilapidated porch.

"Boss, this is my home. I'm all alone now that my parents have passed away in an 'accident'."

Alice took out her key and opened the door, her voice somewhat low.

The room was not spacious, simply furnished, and covered with a thin layer of dust, clearly indicating that no one had lived there for a long time.

The air carried a slightly musty smell of a confined space.

Looking at the somewhat desolate environment, Chen Yang instinctively pressed for answers.

"Your family..."

Before he could finish speaking, he realized what he had said.

Alice had already opened the window for ventilation. Upon hearing this, she turned her head, revealing a slightly sly and relieved smile, and pointed to the jade pendant at Chen Yang's waist.

"They've all gone, boss!"

They were among the first to trust me and respond to your call! They've settled down and are cultivating in a valley within your 'sanctuary,' where it's much safer and more comfortable than here. They no longer have to live in fear and hide their identities.

Otherwise, why do you think I would dare bring all my last remaining assets here? Aren't I afraid of being raided and my entire base wiped out?

"That's good!"

Chen Yang was completely relieved and a faint smile appeared on his face.

It turns out that her family members were already residents of the Sumeru Grotto-heaven.

"Let them focus on their cultivation and daily life. We'll handle all the troubles here."

That evening, the two rested briefly at Alice's old house.

Outside the window, the night was quiet in the mountain town. Inside, under a warm yellow lamp, Alice spread out a simple hand-drawn map of the town, clearly marking several key points, spheres of influence, and the movements of people. In particular, the only stone building in the town center, the church, was marked with a conspicuous red cross.

"The core members of the Holy Blood Order, including that bastard John Bloodthroat, mainly operate from that old stone church, which they call the 'Temple of Blood'."

They usually spend their time inside praying, holding meetings, and handling 'business'. Several of their henchmen have awakened faint powers, and they also have a dozen or so ferocious 'blood mastiffs' that they've trained using special methods.

Alice's eyes flashed with a cold light.

"Most of them will be doing so-called 'morning prayers' in church tomorrow morning. Boss, what are your plans?"

Chen Yang's gaze fell on the church marker in the center of the map, without any emotional fluctuation.

"Since the core issues are all in one basket, we don't need to search for them one by one. We can just go directly to them. It's a waste of time to reason with a bunch of clueless parasites."

His answer was simple and direct, carrying an indifference stemming from absolute power.

Get some rest.

After saying that, he closed his eyes and began to meditate to adjust his state.

Alice was taken aback by this simple, direct, yet incredibly efficient "solution," and a sense of peace and security welled up within her. She said nothing more and silently began to meditate and recuperate.

The following morning, as the sun rose, it bathed the forests and mountains in a pale gold hue. The town of Crimson Ridge gradually awoke after a night of silence.

The air was fresh with the scent of morning dew, but an indescribable oppressive atmosphere hung over the direction of the "Temple of Blood" church in the town center.

The stone church wasn't tall; its heavy wooden doors were tightly shut, and its stained-glass windows were gloomy. Two burly men with fierce eyes, dressed in gray linen clothes, stood at the church entrance like two guardian deities.

A faint, pungent smell, similar to that of wild animals, permeated the surroundings.

Alice led Chen Yang without any attempt to conceal their presence, walking straight through the almost deserted streets to the bottom of the church's stone steps.

Her striking blonde hair and beautiful face were already highly recognizable, not to mention that she was practically labeled as a "heretic leader" in this small town.

"stop!"

The burly man on the left with a scar on his face immediately stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Alice like a wild beast locking onto its prey, filled with undisguised disgust and threat.

"Alice Wilder! 'Poison Blood'! You return here with your filthy blood, do you intend to desecrate the temple of 'Holy Blood'? Get out! Pastor John will not see you, you scourge!"

His voice was rough, which caused a stir and discussion inside the church.

The bald, burly man on the right stared fiercely at Chen Yang, his gaze seemingly intent on tearing this unfamiliar and seemingly "weak" Easterner to shreds.

"Yellow-skinned monkey? What kind of evil ally have you brought in this time? Get out of the Holy Blood Land right now! Otherwise, I'll interrupt your..."

"Shut up!"

Before Alice could speak, Chen Yang's icy voice, like a cold wind breaking through ice, clearly interrupted her roar.

Chen Yang's gaze calmly swept over the two guards, yet his eyes, though seemingly tangible, sent a chill down their spines, as if they had been glanced at by some terrifying being.

His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached inside the church.

"I've come today to inform you of one thing."

From this day forward, the whereabouts and actions of Alice Wilder and her followers are none of your so-called 'Blood Order.' You are neither worthy nor entitled to interfere! Keep your own minions in check; if you dare to meddle again or provoke her in the slightest..."

Chen Yang paused, a cold smile curving his lips.

"Don't blame me for being impolite!"

These words were like pouring a ladle of cold water into a pot of boiling oil!
boom!
The heavy wooden doors of the church were suddenly pushed open from the inside, and seven or eight fierce-looking, burly men rushed out, surrounding a middle-aged man dressed in a black priest's robe, which was taut with his muscles, and whose cheeks were flushed as if he were drunk. It was none other than John Bloodthirst, the leader of the "Holy Blood Order," who had been enraged by the interruption of his prayers!
The men behind him all had bloodthirsty, ferocious, or grotesque fanaticism in their eyes. Some of their bare arms had bulging veins, like gnarled tree roots, exuding an inhuman aura. They were "thugs" forcibly created within their cult through certain cruel rituals and secret drugs.

"Arrogant! What kind of stray dog ​​dares to bark at the gates of the Lord's temple! And you, you damned heretic bitch!"

John Bloodthirst pointed at Chen Yang and Alice and began to curse, his face red and his neck thick with spittle flying.

"You're too kind? Let's see who's being impolite to whom! Your filthy bloodline and fallen believer should have been purified long ago, like your parents, to become fertilizer nourishing the Holy Land!"

He viciously reopened Alice's old wounds.

"Arrest them! Break the men's limbs, cut out their tongues, and hang them at the town entrance as a public spectacle! Throw the women directly into the 'purification pool' to become the 'Holy Spirit's' wedding gift!"

He roared the order hysterically.

Whoops!

The seven or eight thugs, along with the two burly men at the door, instantly turned incredibly fierce.

They let out a low, threatening growl, like hyenas drawn to the scent of blood, and immediately formed a circle, trapping Chen Yang and Alice on the stone steps in front of the church, with no way to escape. The strong smell of body odor, blood, and a savage surge of power locked the two firmly in place.

Several residents who had been spying from a distance turned pale with fright and quickly retreated into their houses, plunging the town into a deathly silence of fear.

"Hahaha! You fool who doesn't know what's good for you!"

"You yellow-skinned monkey, weren't you so arrogant just now? Now kneel down and lick my shoes!"

"Alice, prepare to die! Your end is nigh!"

Within the encirclement, mocking and insulting voices rose and fell.

The most arrogant of the thugs was one with a red mohawk and a tattoo of a twisted black wolf on his right arm. He looked at the "slender" Chen Yang, grinned maliciously, and thought this was a good opportunity to bully the weak.

His already exceptionally thick right arm suddenly swelled up, veins bulging like small snakes, and skin turning an unnatural dark red. His enormous fist, accompanied by a shrill whistling sound that seemed to tear through the air, slammed down hard towards Chen Yang's temple without warning!

This punch was incredibly powerful and fast, clearly using some kind of secret technique powered by brute force!

"stop!"

Alice's heart was already burning with murderous intent, and she shouted sharply to stop her.

She wasn't worried about Chen Yang, but she knew all too well the terrible chain reaction this fool's actions would bring, and she was also reminding everyone else—don't court death!

But it was all too late.

Facing that terrifying fist capable of shattering stone tablets, Chen Yang didn't even blink. Only when the fist, carrying a vicious wind, was less than half a foot away from him did he raise his right hand with lightning speed.

The movement was effortless, yet it was executed with the precision of teleportation!
There was no grand display, only a soft "plop" sound, as if a soft-shelled egg had been gently crushed.

That fist, brimming with ferocious power and bearing the grotesque expression of a mohawk, was simply... firmly and completely unable to escape... held in Chen Yang's palm with his fingers spread open!
The violent force of the punch was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, locked in place by an invisible force and instantly annihilated!
"!!!"

The sneer on the mohawk-wearing man's face froze instantly, then turned into incredulous astonishment!

He felt as if his fist wasn't hitting a person's hand, but rather sinking into a massive hydraulic press made of red-hot cast iron! The excruciating pain of shattering bones came half a second later, then swept through his nerves like a pressure cooker exploding!
"what--!!!"

A heart-wrenching scream shattered the deathly silence of the morning!
But even greater terror was yet to come! Chen Yang's fist trembled as if he had only casually shaken.

"Crack!"

A sickening, rapid cracking sound, like popping beans, rang out! Immediately afterward, an irresistible, immense force traveled from the crushed arm throughout the mohawk-wearing man's entire body!

The massive body of the man with the red mohawk, weighing over 200 pounds, was like a rag doll tossed around by a child. He was powerless to resist as his feet left the ground, and Chen Yang, holding his arm with one hand, swung him through the air into a giant "human windmill," accompanied by a shrill scream and splattering blood and broken bones!

Bang—crash!
A dull, heavy thud that made one's heart clench!
The humanoid wheel was slammed violently against the solid granite pillar at the church entrance at terrifying speed! Blood gushed out from his mouth, nose, shattered arms, and twisted torso like a broken water pump; countless bones throughout his body were broken!
He slumped against the pillar like a broken sack of flour, and the glaring blood quickly spread across the gray stone steps. His life or death was unknown.

The scene was deathly silent.

All the shouts and taunts, all the ferocious expressions, froze on the faces of everyone in the Holy Blood Order in that instant. (End of Chapter)