So, Yaotian was the first to report this news to his superiors. Then, through various channels, the information reached the ears of General Ye Xiu from the Southwest Regional Martial Management Bureau and General Chen Yi from the Internal Affairs Department.

"Trouble has erupted in the Ming State Underground City! Just now, at one o'clock in the afternoon, an intense fluctuation of Spiritual Energy emanated from there. Initial reports indicated that at least two high-level Martial Kings are battling fiercely within, causing significant damage to the Underground City's infrastructure. At least a dozen residential buildings have been destroyed in their clash, and the number of casualties is unknown..."

BANG.

Ye Xiu slammed the cup before him, his hands braced on the table as he roared.

"Where are they?! Where are those guys now? Contact them for me—now, immediately, without delay!"

It didn't take long.

The seething secretary dared not waste any time. Hastily, and trembling with fear, he contacted the Southwest Regional Martial Management Bureau's Martial King Special Operations Team, which was still scouring the twenty-seven states of the Southwest for clues.

Immediately, the Martial King on the other end respectfully reported to General Ye Xiu.

"General, we're still searching for clues, and we've found... the trail of the masterminds behind this Underground City bloodbath..."

Ordinarily, finding traces of Wang Zhan and his group in just half a day would have been considered an impressive feat.

However, only Heaven knew the extent of Ye Xiu's fury and agitation at that moment.

"Useless!! You bunch of losers! Did I send you out to investigate a case? Are your brains all in your goddamn asses?!"

No more words were needed.

A torrent of curses blasted through the phone, leaving the Martial King on the other end dumbfounded.

He shuddered in fear, wanting to tell Ye Xiu that when they were dispatched, they weren't given any precise orders!

Of course, the superiors could never be wrong; the only ones at fault were them, the tools doing the work.

Therefore, the Martial King hurriedly tried to explain in a dejected manner, "Sir, I..."

Ye Xiu practically spat as he berated him mercilessly.

"A bunch of losers! Listen up! The masterminds behind this are all in the Ming State Underground City, and the clash has already begun! Remember, I'm not asking you to catch small fry! I need you to intervene in the fight, suppress this incident, and, if possible, apprehend several of them and bring them back. I want to kill the chicken to scare the monkey! So, now, immediately, without delay, get your asses to the Ming State Underground City! No matter who is there, remember their faces, remember their martial arts, and then... apprehend them!"

He roared toward the sky. One could only imagine Ye Xiu's fury; it was so intense that his burning desire to personally enter the battlefield seemed to reflect off every sharp weapon in the city.

「On the other hand.」

Chen Yi was also frowning, urgently contacting the Martial Emperor level expert he had dispatched.

A deep voice responded from the other end, "General, I am here!"

Chen Yi then asked, "Where are you now?"

The Martial Emperor responded, "We're outside Ming State City! We'll reach Ming State City soon! Quan State was merely a diversion. Aside from a few losers from the original organization, there's nothing to see there..."

With this, Chen Yi finally let out a sigh of relief. A Martial Emperor's involvement usually yielded results; at least they had now realized the target was in Ming State.

So, Chen Yi immediately relayed the news he'd received to this expert he'd sent, who had ostensibly been keeping a low profile.

"You're on the right track! There's fresh trouble in the Ming State Underground City; those foxes can no longer hide their tails. They are currently fighting in the Ming State Underground City. According to intelligence, there are at least two high-level Martial Kings, and an unknown number of other Martial Kings! Therefore, your mission needs to be amended. What you need to do is observe everything covertly and continue to search for clues... I don't want just one or two culprits; I want leads, the truth! I want to capture them all in one fell swoop! Can you do it?!"

The Martial Emperor responded solemnly, "Yes, General! I guarantee the mission will be completed..."

Immediately after, Chen Yi urgently dialed Ye Xiu's number.

Although the two old men each lorded over their own domain and, moreover, frequently clashed due to their respective official duties, such matters were unimportant at this moment. The situation was escalating to a point where even Martial Emperors might soon be overwhelmed; it was time for them to join forces.

Therefore...

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

"Hello, this is Ye Xiu!"

"This is Chen Yi!" Chen Yi replied in a grave tone, then, cutting straight to the chase to propose a course of action, said, "Ye Xiu, I presume you've also dispatched a Special Operations Team? However, as things stand, with two high-level Martial Kings involved, I fear your team might be outmatched. Moreover, these criminals are incredibly audacious. As soldiers of the Federation, we must teach them a lesson!"

Ye Xiu was silent.

Finally, a somewhat subdued voice came from the phone.

"Indeed. I have dispatched a Special Operations Team. And it's not the kind of joint Special Operations Team those losers might expect; it's *the* Martial King Special Operations Team. So, two high-level Martial Kings are not really a problem for me."

Chen Yi knew Ye Xiu was just playing tough. Therefore, Chen Yi keenly felt the need to offer Ye Xiu a way to save face, so Ye Xiu could proceed with Chen Yi's plan.

"I also dispatched a Special Operations Team, but frankly, I don't have immense confidence in the Martial Emperor I sent! They might be outmatched, and if they're in the Ming State Underground City, it's far too easy for them to simply hide or wreak havoc…"

Ye Xiu's expression froze. It all clicked. That fellow Chen Yi was clearly offering him a pretext for cooperation! So, even a Martial Emperor might not be enough, and Chen Yi was admitting his own expert was just average—certainly not as capable as Ye Xiu had portrayed his own forces to be. What was the plan then?

"Then you tell me, how should I cooperate!" Ye Xiu immediately responded. Of course, he chose to take the ladder Chen Yi offered.

"It's quite simple. Sign the operational directive and dispatch troops from the Military Department. I intend to lay siege to the entire Ming State Underground City, sealing it off completely! This is not a Federation internal conflict, but a challenge! A challenge to the Federation's orthodoxy! The destructiveness is no less than that of a Beast Tide invasion! So, I need your help."

Ye Xiu immediately responded, "Alright! And, don't bloody treat me like a child. I don't need a stepping stone. If the Federation needs me, just speak up. Stop beating around the bush; it's just plain irritating."

Then, having gotten what he wanted, Ye Xiu immediately grumbled about Chen Yi's methods.

This infuriated Chen Yi; smoke practically billowed from his ears. He was on the verge of cursing back, Damn it, you old fox!

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.

The call on the other side hung up.

But, whether it was Chen Yi or Ye Xiu, they had both set aside their minor previous differences and understood each other's intentions.

Cooperation for mutual benefit! The Federation must prevail!

Because they both knew the truly critical moment had arrived.

For the Military Department to besiege a city and attempt to extend its hand into the underworld was bound to violate taboos and would inevitably be a bloody affair!

Unfortunately, they had no choice. Unless they were all truly prepared to watch Ming State City be destroyed and the Federation's dignity trampled, all of this was necessary.

So, this time, the ferocious tiger, so long silent and caged, was finally being unleashed!

RUMBLE... RUMBLE... RUMBLE...

The fighting in the Ming State Underground City continued.

And as the people in the distance drew closer to the scene, they finally saw it!

Right above their heads, two bizarre figures were locked in a desperate battle.

One of them was clearly a normal human being, except for a bizarre wing sprouting from his back. He wielded a terrifyingly potent sharp weapon, and his movements were erratic and treacherous. Although his attacks seemed haphazard, like striking east with a hammer and west with a mallet, with no apparent strategy as he lashed out everywhere, yet, despite the apparent ordinariness of each of his techniques, the onlookers could discern their lethal nature.

Opposing him was a robust figure cloaked in a strange, large black robe. His movements were extremely slow.

Yet, the man before him, that flying Martial King, seemed to pay him no mind whatsoever, completely disregarding him. Instead, he allowed the black-robed man's eyes—which glinted with a chilling green light and carried an aura of death and austere dread—to sweep arrogantly and terrifyingly over the approaching crowd.

And then, no matter who it was, anyone who met those eyes felt a shiver in their heart and a sense of immense pressure.

Ouyang Yue, who was still the first to arrive on the scene, paid no attention to the black-robed figure. Instead, she looked up in disbelief at Wang Zhan, who hovered in the air, supported by a pair of wings. Although she had long had a premonition, the scene before her was still too overwhelming!

In her perception, Wang Zhan was just a minor Martial General. But how could he possibly possess such a Martial King's tyrannical might—a power so immense that Ouyang Yue could only gaze up in awe!

Similarly, her senior martial brothers and sisters, even those who had already crossed the threshold into the Martial King realm, found the scene before them utterly inconceivable.

"Is this... a true high-level Martial King?"

"How on earth did Wang Zhan... accomplish this?"

They had already recognized the weapon in Wang Zhan's hand: his long-famed Liyun Blade!

It was this powerful weapon of unknown origin that had allowed Wang Zhan, back when he was merely a Martial Artist, to slay opponents far beyond his rank. He had directly killed a Martial General level member of the original organization, earning him subsequent renown!

According to rumors, that member held a significant position within the original organization. Though his time for growth had been too short for him to fully mature, his Talent and strength were both considered top-tier. Yet, unexpectedly, he had fallen at Wang Zhan's hands!

What was more, there had been no subsequent news of the original organization seeking revenge.

Now, they fully believed their junior sister's judgment.

This fellow wasn't just strong; the original organization wasn't merely *not* retaliating—it was likely a case of one side being powerless and the other overwhelmingly dominant. With no means to retaliate, they could only feign ignorance. That had to be it.

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