SSS-level catastrophe? That's my wife!

Lin Mu looked puzzled: "Why are there masks?"

Gu Cang put away his joking expression and said in a serious tone, "Just in case, who knows what kind of monsters and demons are hiding in that place."

"By the way, this mask has a built-in voice conversion function. I've tested it, and it works pretty well."

"Voice conversion?"

Lin Mu chuckled softly, thinking to himself: When I get back this time, I'll take some time to make a few more human skin masks.

After all, in the field of scientific research, his talent has long surpassed that of so-called experts.

If he weren't so powerful, he might be on the same path as Lin Yan now.

"Yes, it's about automatically using your own voice..."

Gu Cang paused mid-sentence, then slapped his forehead and added with a laugh, "I was a bit drunk, how could I possibly be explaining this to you? You're the real expert in this area!"

"Walking around wearing a human skin mask for six years...tsk tsk, that's really something, you're the ultimate sixth man!"

Lin Mu's face darkened instantly: "Once we enter the restricted area, if we encounter any uncontrollable situations, you must retreat immediately, otherwise you'll only hold me back."

Gu Cang lit another cigarette, took a deep drag, and floored the accelerator, instantly experiencing a strong surge of acceleration.

He curled his lip and said, "Dude, you're really rude..."

Lin Mu leaned back in his seat, his gaze fixed on the rapidly receding night view outside the window: "It's just the truth."

"It sounds even worse now."

"If you think it sounds awful, then drive faster."

"boom--!"

The black supercar roared like a beast as it sped toward the forbidden city.

……

11:00am.

Several months have passed since that final battle, and the corpses in the Forbidden City have been gradually cleared away.

But the entire city remained a desolate ruin, the air thick with a lingering, nauseating stench.

Outside the restricted area, the central guard forces remain stationed, strictly preventing any ordinary people from approaching the battlefield of the final battle.

Deep within the restricted area, amidst endless ruins, a 500-square-meter wall quietly rose up.

Inside the walled compound stood several buildings resembling courtyard houses, but not a single one emitted light, not even a faint glow.

The entire area within the walls was eerily silent, with a sinister atmosphere slowly permeating the air.

At this moment, the Azure King sat upright on the stone throne in the center of the besieged city, with twelve gray-robed men exuding the aura of the initial seventh-level realm standing respectfully on both sides, heads bowed and silent.

The Right Protector broke the silence first, his voice filled with awe: "Lord Qingwang, the forces sent to gather the Blood King and the Monk King have all disappeared without a trace... Although the Fiend King and the Skeleton King have agreed to come, it is already late at night..."

"They've arrived." The Azure King interrupted in a deep voice, his profound gaze fixed on the thick darkness ahead, his tone utterly calm.

The Right Protector was startled, and just as he looked up to look ahead, a burst of wild laughter suddenly tore through the silence: "Hahaha—Zhan Qing, you've really fallen on hard times!"

"Even the kingdom's headquarters were forced to relocate, and the way you're cowering inside those walls practically screams 'cowardice'!"

"You haven't just disgraced the Lord; you've disgraced the entire kingdom!"

The twelve gray-robed men instantly felt an intense sense of oppression sweep over them, and their bodies stiffened involuntarily.

A middle-aged man slowly walked towards the Azure King. He was nearly two meters tall and had a burly build. His aura as a high-level seventh-rank cultivator erupted without reservation, pressing down on people like a whirlwind, making it hard to breathe.

"King of Evil—Xiao Li, watch your tone when you speak to the King of Green!" The Right Protector suppressed his heart palpitations and reprimanded him in a deep voice.

Xiao Li sneered, his gaze sweeping over the Right Protector with utter disdain: "Attitude? And what are you anyway?"

"When I massacred this city, you weren't even fully grown yet!"

"Get out of here, you have no right to speak!"

"You..." The Right Protector's angry shout had barely left his mouth when a chilling cold instantly surged into his heart.

A rough hand slammed heavily on his shoulder, and Xiao Li's voice rang in his ear, full of mockery: "This is the first time I'll spare your life for Zhan Qing's sake."

"Enough, Xiao Li."

The Azure King had appeared behind Xiao Li at some point, surrounded by a faint, dark purple poisonous mist.

Xiao Li sneered and patted the Right Protector's shoulder heavily: "Since you've chosen to be a dog, don't cause trouble for your master."

As soon as he finished speaking, his eyes suddenly narrowed, and without hesitation, he threw a punch at the person behind him!

"boom--"

The two fists collided with a deafening roar, their residual force sweeping outwards in all directions.

Amidst the flying debris, Xiao Li staggered back two steps, while the Green King was jolted back three steps, his robes fluttering in the wind.

"Xiao Li! What do you want to do!?" A suppressed rage flashed in the eyes of the Azure King, and dark purple poisonous mist surged slightly around him.

"What are you doing?"

Xiao Li chuckled, his eyes full of provocation: "Of course, I want to see just how weak you really are, that you can leave unscathed after someone has slaughtered you at the Kingdom's headquarters."

The Azure King took a deep breath to suppress his anger, raised his eyes and said in a deep voice, "I cannot stop them, and neither can you."

Xiao Li's eyes turned cold as he looked Qing Wang up and down: "Not bad, really not bad. The greenhorn who followed us back then has now really started to think he's someone important."

The Azure King's eyebrows twitched sharply, and his aura as a seventh-level high-level cultivator suddenly erupted.

The twelve gray-robed men moved swiftly, their weapons simultaneously drawn from their waists, their cold glints flashing as they subtly surrounded Xiao Li.

"Oh? You summoned me here, only to attack me?"

Xiao Li looked at the gray-robed men who were surrounding him and let out a disdainful sneer. His aura also surged, and the two powerful pressures collided in the air.

Just as tensions were about to rise, an old yet deep voice suddenly pierced through the atmosphere of confrontation and reached everyone's ears: "The remnants of the previous dynasty haven't been dealt with yet, and your own people have already started fighting."

Everyone's eyes immediately turned to the source of the sound.

An elderly man with a cane walked slowly towards them. Although his hair was white, he was in high spirits, and each step he took was steady and powerful.

He glanced at the two men, who were on the verge of exchanging blows, and said calmly, "Alright, that's enough."

He then looked intently at the Green King: "My time is precious. Tell me, what's the story behind those remnants?"

"And what about the identities of those two who stormed headquarters? Is there still not a single clue?"

"You, Zhan Qing, have ruled the kingdom for over twenty years, what exactly have you been doing?"

In the end, the old man unleashed his full power as a seventh-level high-ranking cultivator, slamming his cane into the ground.

With a loud "bang!", the hard ground was instantly smashed into a deep crater, and cracks spread like a spider web.

Seeing this, Xiao Li concealed his aura, casually walked to a nearby bench and sat down, his voice tinged with mockery: "Fang Shi, you're still alive at your age?"

The Azure King also concealed his aura and looked at the newcomer, saying, "Skull King."

The old man walked past him, slowly walked to another bench and sat down. His voice was weathered yet sharp: "Xiao Li, I've calculated that you have a very bad omen this year. Why don't you prepare for your funeral in advance?"

"Haha!" Xiao Li burst into wild laughter, his eyes filled with arrogance: "Old man Fang, do you believe I can twist your neck off right now?"

Watching the two engage in their heated exchange, King Qing sighed inwardly: If things hadn't gotten out of control, I truly never wanted to see them again in this lifetime.

The old man ignored Xiao Li's provocation and said calmly, "I don't bother with a dying man."

As he finished speaking, he squinted his cloudy eyes and looked into the darkness outside the besieged city, his expression suddenly showing some surprise: "I didn't expect that you, a monk, would actually come."

All eyes turned to a monk in robes who walked slowly towards them, his steps steady and exuding a subtle sense of Zen.

The Azure King raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a puzzled expression: "The person I sent to Azure Mountain..."

Before he could finish speaking, the monk calmly interrupted him, his tone completely flat: "Kill him."

Xiao Li and Fang Shi both smiled, watching Qing Wang's reaction with great interest, as if they were watching a good show.

The veins on the Green King's forehead bulged, and the poisonous mist around him grew thicker, almost solidifying: "This king demands an explanation."

"An explanation?" The monk smiled faintly. "Very well, I will give you an explanation."

He then clasped his hands together and murmured, "Forgive me!"

"boom--!"

The aura of a seventh-level high-level cultivator suddenly erupted around the monk, and his figure turned into a blur in the night, his palm aimed straight at the face of the Azure King!