But precisely because of this, their mourning for old friends over the years, and the despair following the deaths of their loved ones, became all the more evident. It felt as if all their heartfelt efforts had been in vain, their sincerity washed away. Yet, ironically, upon meeting old friends again and witnessing those familiar smiles from the past, they no longer had the heart to blame the helpless, life-altering twists of fate. All that remained was resentment. Ah, the fickleness of destiny!

If reunions between friends were like this, it was even more so for those who had never gotten along. In the past, they would haggle over the smallest things; their animosities and grudges were countless, tangled with deep-seated resentment. Now, upon meeting again, one could only imagine what sort of incidents might occur. Perhaps, in an instant, the atmosphere would become charged, thick with the metaphorical smell of gunpowder.

Therefore, when an Old Man, whose left hand now bore only a single thumb, caught sight of a familiar figure and confirmed their identity, his entire body tensed. Instantly, he bellowed with sky-high fury, "Li Er Gou!"

Immediately, everyone present glanced sideways, then all curious eyes turned towards the commotion. Among them, some ordinary children, fearless in their ignorance, dared to stare directly at the source of the shout. In contrast, some adults were nearly scared out of their wits and quickly averted their gazes.

They weren't fools. Although they were powerless, utterly incapable of fending for themselves, let alone dealing with the Beast Clan, they knew very well that Quan State City today was a city under siege by the Beast Tide! Inside the city, nearly all available personnel had been mobilized and gathered on Quan State's city wall, leaving the populace deeply unsettled. Fortunately, no worse news had arrived yet. Moreover, their State Governor stood firm on the city wall, responsible for defending all the people of Quan State. Knowing this, although their hearts remained gripped by a pervasive fear, a sense of unending dread, they at least felt there was a glimmer of hope for survival.

However, they were keenly aware that their survival depended on these powerful Martial Artists. In this tumultuous time, the presence of Martial Artists was almost equivalent to the Heaven and Earth of Quan State itself. Therefore, how could they dare to look directly at these figures who represented Heaven and Earth? If they were to accidentally anger these prominent individuals and cause a great upheaval, what would become of them?

Of course, other Martial Artists present were figures of the same generation. Thus, they possessed their own confidence and did not flinch; in fact, they immediately recognized the situation.

"It's him, Zhang Ye…"

"'One-handed Zhang,' 'Lefty Zhang'... That genius who once wielded a big saber and could slay King-level beasts, has he really become like this?..."

It had to be said, time truly changes people. This Old Man, whose left hand now bore only a thumb, was still in the Martial King Realm. Yet few knew that at his peak, his left-handed saber had slaughtered countless beasts on the battlefield, earning him immense fame!

Then, Li Er Gou, whose name Zhang Ye had called out, finally turned around slowly. However, apart from the faint smile on his face, few people knew of his former might and ruthlessness. Ah, no! Perhaps there was one other person who knew: Zhang Ye, who stood right in front of Li Er Gou!

However, in stark contrast to Zhang Ye's boiling killing intent and aggressive demeanor, Li Er Gou was only taken aback for a brief moment. Then, he gave a carefree laugh, seemingly unconcerned, as if he were merely seeing an old acquaintance. He chuckled softly, "Long time no see! I truly didn't expect you to still be alive. How wonderful!..."

Little did Li Er Gou realize that as he spoke these words, the veins on Zhang Ye's face looked as if they were about to burst. This is an insult! A mockery of all the torment I've endured for so many years! Therefore, Zhang Ye completely ignored the reason behind Li Er Gou's words and immediately roared in fury, "Li Er Gou, you probably never expected me to still be alive! Back on the battlefield, you sold yourself to the Original Organization and personally attacked us! Do you think something like that can just be easily forgotten?"

At his words, the crowd was once again stunned, their hearts filled with shock!

"What! This Li Er Gou is actually a member of the Original Organization?"

"And he attacked our comrades and clan members?..."

"If that's the case, why hasn't the Federation stepped forward? We need a reasonable explanation!"

Undoubtedly, if the Murderer's Clan was the greatest enemy of the Human Race, then the Original Organization would be the second. An organization indisputably loathed and despised by all! It was practically the greatest public enemy for everyone, aside from the Beast Clan!

Fortunately, at this critical moment, someone stepped forward to immediately explain and clarify the misunderstanding. "That's right, Li Er Gou was indeed once a member of the Original Organization, and he did attack his own clan members! But that was the will of the Federation; he was merely following orders. In my eyes, he has always been a good person!..."

"BAHAHAHA..." Zhang Ye burst out laughing, a sound that was neither purely rage nor sorrow. With a face full of mockery and a piercing gaze, he looked at the level 9 Grandmaster who had dared to step forward and spoke in a sinister voice, "If Li Er Gou is a good person, then what about my own brother who died at his hands? Was my brother the bad guy? Or are you, you overconfident fool, trying to tell me that I'm the one who's truly delusional? HUH?!"

Instantly, BOOM! It was accompanied by a sharp, CRACKLING sound. Zhang Ye's aura erupted without reservation, instantly making the area as chaotic as if cannons were firing. In reality, all the glass in the windows of nearby vehicles shattered instantly from the force! The shards then rained down, smashing into smithereens on the ground.

The atmosphere in the area instantly grew taut. Everyone seemed to foresee what was about to happen. After all, when a Martial King was enraged, while it might not scorch the earth for a thousand li, a battle raging over such a distance was certainly not out of the question. Moreover, although the apparent strength of the Martial King Realm might not seem vastly superior to the Grandmaster Realm, everyone knew the true power of the Martial King Realm lay in the augmentation from their aura and the qualitative transformation of their strength!

For Grandmasters, if they wished to assassinate someone or break through enemy lines in a large-scale battle, the most they could achieve was something akin to fighting their way in and out seven times; that was their limit. But for a Martial King, the transformation of their strength had already removed such limitations. Their power, nearly enough to crush opponents, and the qualitative leap in their Essence Energy had already turned them into true monsters, officially beginning to transcend the bounds of a mortal body. One could imagine that if they truly unleashed their power, the first place to fall into chaos would undoubtedly be the Inner City of Quan State!

「Meanwhile.」

East of Quan State City. As they passed a common intersection, just about to reach the city wall, someone encountered the person they had longed for in their heart. But unlike the sharp confrontation happening elsewhere, the story unfolding here was one of poignant, lingering sorrow. Because the story unfolding here at this very moment was one of love—the kind of love in the human world that is hardest to let go of, the kind most likely to evoke deep, sorrowful emotions.

Even though the Beast Tide raged outside, with ferocious beasts attracted by the commotion swarming like packs of hunting dogs; even though they were soon to ascend the city wall to face the onslaught of beasts and the departure of companions, to stand proudly at the pinnacle of Quan State City amidst a world of blood and tears. Yet, at least for this moment—this single, precious moment—it belonged to the two before them, former lovers who had been separated for nearly several decades, who had originally thought themselves parted by death but never expected to reunite.

Before them were two cars, both luxurious yet with simple, unadorned exteriors. Inside each car sat an elderly person, both with abundant white hair, their once-familiar faces subtly altered by the trials of time. One of them, a white-haired old woman whose face was deeply wrinkled, her features weathered and almost fierce like a demon's, was wailing uncontrollably, unable to suppress the profound grief in her heart. And when she involuntarily cried out that familiar name, this sudden surge of sorrow became even more palpable. Why? Oh, why, cruel heavens, must you be so heartless to such a devoted pair?!

"Hua Qing!..."

Hua Qing, Hua Qing! The name remained unchanged, as did the image of the person in her memory. Yet, the old woman who uttered this name, her voice carried an endless, desperate yearning to speak, to pour out her heart—a desire now concealed by the harshness of the mortal world, hidden beneath the deep, fierce lines etched upon her face. No one knew what price this old woman had paid to survive on the battlefield back then. But one thing was certain: her aged face, now a mask where one could scarcely discern the features of her youth, her past smiles and expressions, was undoubtedly part of that price.

And so, upon hearing her cry out "Hua Qing," the other elderly person—an Old Man standing in his car at that very moment, filled with boundless determination and resolve, preparing to rush to the city wall—froze completely in an instant. A tremor seemed to run through his heart, and the hairs on his body bristled. He almost reacted like a teenage boy, utterly smitten and ignoring his Teachers' advice, who then found out his girlfriend had been locked at home by her parents, forcing him to nervously climb out a window to meet her in secret! He was so tense that his pores seemed to tighten, his scalp tingling!

And so, in the very next instant, this Hua Qing—who had been a Martial King for over a decade and was also the patriarch of a powerful Family in Quan State City, one who, though largely unknown to the public, had long supported his lineage—jerked his head around sharply.

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