The battlefield on the ground had cleared of dust, leaving nothing but a calm black sphere at the center. All life, all matter, had nearly been obliterated by the force of their powers.

Within the black sphere, Nightmare Demon Lu Xiaotian, dragging Ji Shaoran's body, slowly moved to the very center. They both seemed to be in a semi-floating state, yet it felt as though there was still something beneath their feet.

When Lu Xiaotian brought Ji Shaoran to the center, the black sphere continued to shrink. The darkness had been completely replaced by Netherflame, its deadly power slowly beginning to spread within this narrow space.

Ji Shaoran's limbs had been broken, shattered by Lu Xiaotian. Without the ability of Ultra Regeneration, he was unable to retaliate, now at Lu Xiaotian's mercy.

The black sphere had shrunk to a mere two to three-meter diameter. Ji Shaoran, rigidly floating in mid-air, could now sense the peril of the Dark Flame from such close proximity.

"Inner Ring denizen, have you anything left to say?"

Asking a dying man his last words could be considered Lu Xiaotian's final act of mercy. Ji Shaoran, however, did not bow his head in defeat; the pride of a Seventh Tier did not allow for such a gesture. He merely looked at Lu Xiaotian with a touch of unwillingness.

"Your existence is irrational; you are different from Ludie and Qiao Xing. Your very being is a disaster! Such a calamity as yourself ought to be dealt with."

Lu Xiaotian's expression was not too pleasant. Even as a human leader, learning to control one's emotions was an essential skill. Yet, the present Lu Xiaotian still preferred to hear praises and compliments from others. Criticism? She would never accept it! Never.

"I thought you'd say something meaningful, but your last words are so plain."

"Regretful, huh? Ha!"

"If there were three Seventh Tier individuals here, or maybe two from the Church, you might have stood a chance."

"I've said it before, a disaster like you will be dealt with; such a day will come."

Ji Shaoran's gaze was indifferently stubborn. Even now, he did not feel there was anything wrong with his actions.

"Disaster? Rather than calling us disasters, it's more like your arrogance has been too great. You people of the Inner Ring always think your actions are justified. Always seeking to have everything, to own everything, to control everything. This world should have changed long ago; in ancient times, no dynasty could last over four hundred years. The current Alliance has been around for over four hundred years, with rigid hierarchies and no avenues for those from the Fourth Ring to ascend, making it difficult for them to overturn their fates. So don't think the rebellion of the Fourth Ring is just an incidental event; their resistance is inevitable. My existence has merely accelerated this process. Ultimately, it's due to your distorted rule, your twisted Inner Ring. Your kind, of the Seventh Tier, should not exist in this world. Do you understand now?"

Ji Shaoran fell silent for a moment before his eyes began to grow vacant and weak.

"Perhaps you're right. The Inner Ring always wants to dominate and own everything, which is why we came into being. We of the Seventh Tier shouldn't exist in this world. My dream was to see the world beyond the Fifth Ring. Unfortunately, I've no chance left now. Before reaching the Seventh Tier, I lacked the strength; after reaching it, I lacked the ability to venture beyond the Fifth Ring. It's quite regrettable!"

Lu Xiaotian pressed her palm onto Ji Shaoran's head.

"Rest assured, there will come a day when I will allow everyone to explore this vast world safely. And not be cooped up in this stale, fetid well."

Having said that, Lu Xiaotian did not wait for Ji Shaoran to respond before she released an endless sea of Dark Flame.

HUM!

The Dark Flame devoured everything, leaving only ashes behind. The black sphere gradually shrank and disappeared. With the disappearance of the black sphere, Ji Shaoran's body also vanished from this world.

The death of Ji Shaoran signaled the first shot fired in the Fourth Ring's declaration of war on the Inner Ring. Whether the world would be reshuffled was a question no one knew the answer to!

...

On the outskirts of the Seventh Tier battlefield.

After the black sphere disappeared, Luo Feng and Zhang Jina looked at each other. Both saw disbelief in the other's eyes. They had lost Ji Shaoran's aura—such a distinct aura, gone without a trace.

And what was that black shadow that had appeared? It didn't have a clear form, like a clump of fog. Could it be that Ludie wasn't dead? But that would be impossible. Even if Ludie had survived, it seemed highly unlikely that he could kill Ji Shaoran in such a short time!

Luo Feng tentatively asked Zhang Jina, "Where is Ji Shaoran?"

"His aura… has disappeared."

Luo Feng suddenly had a bad feeling, possibly fear, something he hadn't felt in a long time. But why fear now? What was he afraid of?

Luo Feng wanted to step forward and search for Ji Shaoran, to confirm what had happened to this Seventh Tier expert sent by the Ji Family. But just as he was about to move, Yang Liya and Wang Jie appeared before them.

Seeing the two standing boldly before him, although Luo Feng had an inkling, he still did not dare to acknowledge the truth in his heart.

"Yang Liya, where is Ji Shaoran?"

"Why are you asking me? Weren't you the ones who came to the Fourth Ring looking for trouble? Luo Feng, I'm standing right here. Aren't you going to make a move against me?"

Yang Liya's brazenness made Luo Feng's expression even uglier. Ji Shaoran had truly disappeared, and there was a high probability that he was dead—this was no laughing matter; he was a Seventh Tier master!

How many Seventh Tiers had the Inner Ring accumulated over so many years? The Council had thirteen seats, a total of only fourteen Seventh Tiers. Not to mention the Church, whose hidden resources were too many to judge. But their total number should be about the same as the Council's. The Seventh Tiers from both forces combined should not exceed thirty.

That seemed like a lot, but out of those thirty Seventh Tier masters, apart from those who never went out for special reasons, there were also those who were nearing their graves and whose lives were extended by special means. So, there were actually only about fifteen operational personnel. Plus, each Fourth Ring domain claimed a portion of that group. The actual number of Seventh Tiers that the Eastern Fourth Ring could mobilize was just two or three!

Each Seventh Tier master was a supreme treasure of the Inner Ring, the foundation of a Council family. If they were to lose a Seventh Tier now, to say nothing of other consequences, the Inner Ring, the Council, and even the Ji Family would not let them off. Unless they could accomplish what Ji Shaoran had failed to do. But now, was it possible?

"Yang Liya, you've already made so many mistakes. Why continue down this path? Killing Ji Shaoran is a capital offense. Don't keep compounding your errors."

Luo Feng's words made Yang Liya laugh. Such thinking was all too similar to her own past self! The rules of the Inner Ring were deeply etched into their minds, like a brand. Even at this point, this brand still constantly reminded them not to violate the rules of the Inner Ring. Unfortunately, Yang Liya had already seen through this.

"Wrong? What you consider wrong is resisting the rule of the Inner Ring?"

"Without the rule of the Inner Ring, this world would have collapsed long ago."

Yang Liya once believed Luo Feng's statement to be true. But after seeing the current state of the Fourth Ring, she no longer thought so. It could even be said that, as long as those in power possessed a modicum of intelligence and integrity, the lives of the Fourth Ring's populace could not possibly be worse than before!

"You can come to the Fourth Ring and ask the people here."

"Ask what?"

"Ask them if their standard of living has improved significantly after the personnel from the Inner Ring left and the rules of the Inner Ring were abolished."

"That's just a temporary improvement; it can't last forever."

"Your so-called 'forever'—is that the Inner Ring's endless exploitation of the Fourth Ring? Is it that the workers of the Fourth Ring produce profits of one hundred coins, but only get one coin of it? Don't think so highly of yourselves—neither the Inner Ring nor those rulers. If it hadn't been for the extreme oppression, there would be no change today. Your wrong is our right. Today's Eastern Fourth Ring has no more ties with the Inner Ring, I declare!"

Next to Luo Feng, Zhang Jina's expression was somewhat frantic. By now, how could she not understand that something serious had happened to Ji Shaoran? If Ji Shaoran had not met with misfortune, Yang Liya would never have such confidence—the confidence to face the Inner Ring, to break away, even to declare war.

"Who is the hidden expert of your Fourth Ring?"

Faced with such a question, Yang Liya could only wave her hand. It wasn't the time for Lu Xiaotian to step into the limelight yet—just wait a little longer, just a bit more!

"You don't need to know! You just need to die here; that will be enough."

The gap between Sixth Tier and Seventh Tier was unfair, but a confrontation between Sixth Tiers was much more balanced. The private elite Transcendents of the Inner Ring versus the Hunters of the outer rings.

For Luo Feng and his companions, this should have been a battle that was not too difficult—after all, it was certain that the Inner Ring was stronger than the outer ones. But as a former Hunter, Luo Feng understood Yang Liya's strength all too well. Her power was not something an ordinary Sixth Tier Transcendent could match.

And Yang Liya's thoughts were quite simple. Since the decision for change had been made, Yang Liya would definitely not miss this opportunity to weaken the Inner Ring. While the Inner Ring had many experts, Sixth Tiers were certainly not as common as cabbages. This round, killing one Seventh Tier and two Sixth Tiers would definitely be an effective blow to the Council. So Luo Feng and Zhang Jina had to be left behind.

"Enough talk, Yang Liya! I can't hold back anymore! Let's do this!"

Wang Jie, at her side, had already rushed forward. Before Luo Feng could say more, Yang Liya opposite him also made her move.

Overlord's Crushing Blow!

With one punch, Yang Liya delivered her strongest strike. Though such a blow wouldn't have much effect on a Seventh Tier expert like Ji Shaoran, for a Sixth Tier like Luo Feng, it possessed fatal suppressive power.

BOOM!

Luo Feng's energy shield barely blocked Yang Liya's attack. His Qi He was also a cultivation technique modified by masters of the Inner Ring, and it was very different from the Qi He of ordinary Hunters. The frictional energy waves twisted all of Yang Liya's force, deflecting it back. Vibration, force dissipation.

Standing on high ground, Lu Luo watched Luo Feng, hoping to learn something useful from this special state of Qi He.

"The density of the Qi He is excellent, and it has a frequency of repeated movements, thereby achieving a high-attribute defensive effect."

"Defense, huh! Then let's keep watching."

Lu Luo wasn't particularly interested in defensive abilities, as his combat style was mostly mobile, without relying on defense. This type of stationary defense wasn't very suitable for him.

Luo Feng and Yang Liya clashed fiercely, while Wang Jie and Zhang Jina were also entangled in their own melee.

Zhang Jina was extremely fast, at least much faster than Wang Jie. Her Dark Energy attribute, like a sharp blade, easily cut through Wang Jie's tough skin.

However, just as Lu Luo had predicted, Wang Jie's Constitution was incredibly resilient. Moreover, he possessed a set of combat skills that took advantage of his high Constitution. His ultra-strong Constitution not only gave him tremendous stamina and defense but also a strong regenerative ability. The thin blade, which would be a fatal wound to others, did not work against Wang Jie. Even if his muscles and limbs were severed, they would stick back together with just a little effort on his part, almost like a Sequence of regeneration.

Zhang Jina wanted to end the fight quickly, but even though she had inflicted numerous wounds on Wang Jie, he continued to chase her down like a madman, seemingly unharmed. Wang Jie could be cut many times by her, and as long as it wasn't his brain, it did not affect him much. But she could not afford to be hit by Wang Jie, not even once.

"Your regenerative ability is really disgusting!"

"Regeneration? If you think so, so be it!"

Wang Jie continued to charge at Zhang Jina. His ability was not actually regeneration, a fact that only Lu Luo on the rooftop knew. But Wang Jie did not care about others' misunderstanding; sometimes, misconceptions in combat could be beneficial.

The two sides went back and forth, once again reaching a standoff in their battle.

"The combat capabilities of Hunters seem to have grown stronger than before."

Zhang Jina, unable to overcome her opponent for a long time, began to consider retreating. She was young, an elite from the Inner Ring, and she didn't want to die here.

Just as she turned her head to look in Luo Feng's direction, she witnessed an astonishing scene.

Yang Liya's Seven Fist Murders.

Her body moved like an afterimage, almost imperceptible to the naked eye. Even Lu Luo on the rooftop, despite possessing the Observer, could not fully grasp how she had managed to increase her speed to such a state. It was simply fast, even faster than a Seventh Tier!

One person, transforming into seven afterimages. Seven fists, from different directions, all attacked the central Luo Feng. Although Luo Feng's energy shield defense was strong, it could not resist for long under such an unmatched attacking pressure. Because all seven fists were real. Each strike was Yang Liya's full-force blow.

BOOM!

The seven fists struck simultaneously; the energy shield distorted and bent under the impact. Luo Feng's massive Qi He gradually began to falter; the energy shield started to crack and then exploded. One of the punches had already landed on his chest, then his stomach, legs, and back. Under Yang Liya's formidable attack, Luo Feng's body was as soft as putty, twisting and turning, completely shattered.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.