On the edge of the city, a man and a woman carrying two large bags were slowly approaching from a distance. Before long, a cluster of buildings appeared ahead.

Lyu Yang glanced at the low-rise buildings around them and commented, "The construction in this city isn't very impressive, and the infrastructure is lacking."

"So how do we find Chen Zheng?" Li Yuqin asked, her interest not in the city's architecture but in their mission.

"I thought Crime City was divided into four major sectors: east, south, west, and north," Lyu Yang mused. "I wonder which one this is. Should I ask around?"

Just then, a high-pitched alarm began to wail, startling Lyu Yang. "What the fuck is happening?" he cursed.

Li Yuqin shook her head in confusion, then her gaze shot upward. "This is bad! Look, in the sky! There's a shrieking ghost flying toward us!"

Lyu Yang looked up, his expression turning grave. "Damn, it's a Red Ghost. I didn't expect to find one here. This is big trouble."

As Lyu Yang looked for someone to question, he spotted a man dressed as a monk walking through the crowd. If Chen Zheng had been there, he would have recognized the man immediately. This was the same monk who had tried to help Jian Xing when Chen Zheng was dealing with his group, only to be stopped by the old swindler.

"Master," Lyu Yang said politely, approaching the monk and grabbing his arm. "Can you tell me where we are? And why are all those alarms going off?"

The monk was taken aback. His gaze shifted to the spear in Lyu Yang's hand, his expression hardened, and a flash of murderous intent flickered in his eyes.

***

Elsewhere, Chen Zheng slashed out with his blade, unleashing his full strength. He was eager to see just how much his body had changed over the past twenty-odd days. As the blade descended, a sound like a dragon's roar emanated from within his body, and a fleeting afterimage flickered behind him.

Teluos, who had been colliding with him, was smashed into the ground like a bomb.

BOOM!

A nearby building collapsed with a thunderous crash, stunning everyone who witnessed it. Teluos had been sent flying backward by Chen Zheng's attack.

Even Chen Zheng looked bewildered. He landed on a rooftop and looked down at the devastation, a frown creasing his brow. "This…" His expression grew stern.

I thought I might be stronger than Teluos, but not to this overwhelming an extent. The only reason I managed to slay the Golden Monster was that I had concentrated all my energy into that single strike. A blow like that should have completely depleted my strength and True Yuan. This feeling… it's like that frenzied state near death I experienced before, the one that left me in a coma for over ten days. I fell into a coma primarily because my body was undergoing some kind of transformation. Over these past twenty days, I knew I'd changed, but I couldn't tell by how much. Yet, that last strike showed me that the power gap between myself and Teluos has become immense; I've far surpassed him.

Down below, Mr. Mo and Ming Chong, who had scattered, turned in unison to stare in Chen Zheng's direction.

They both spoke at the same time: "He's just one step away from the Fire Decay Realm!"

A rare smile touched Ming Chong's usually expressionless face. "Zhuo Ming, Wang Hong… neither of them chose me. Instead, they chose you," he said, looking at Chen Zheng, "to become the successor of the Night Watchers. You are truly impressive!"

Mr. Mo, however, wore a look of utter grief. A closer look revealed a trace of pure horror in his eyes.

Teluos leaped out from the crater below. His usual elegance was gone, replaced by ragged clothes and a trickle of fresh blood at the corner of his mouth.

"You've… you've actually reached this level? Half a step into the Fire Decay Realm!" His eyes widened as he stared at Chen Zheng in disbelief.

Chen Zheng frowned, asking hesitantly, "What does that mean?"

Teluos glanced at Chen Zheng, then at Mr. Mo. In a flash, the two of them leaped onto the rooftop of a nearby building and fled into the distance. The moment they sensed Chen Zheng was on the verge of the Fire Decay Realm, they fled without the slightest intention of fighting.

"What are you all standing around for? We can't let them get away! After them!" Ming Chong shouted.

The others snapped back to their senses. One of Teluos's subordinates yelled, "Stop them! Don't let them get through!"

Hundreds of powerful experts swarmed Ming Chong, attempting to surround him.

BOOM!

An air blade pulsing with terrifying True Qi blasted them all away. Ming Chong seized the opportunity, leaping onto a rooftop. Dressed in a new combat suit, he gave chase.

Chen Zheng followed closely. His Voidbreaking Saber was already back in its sheath on his back. Channeling his True Qi, he quickly caught up to Ming Chong and asked in a low voice, "What did you mean before, about being 'one foot in the Fire Decay Realm'?"

Ming Chong looked up at Chen Zheng, frowning. "Zhuo Ming didn't tell you?"

"No," Chen Zheng shook his head. "I've never even heard of it."

"We'll talk when we get back. I never expected you to have come this far," Ming Chong said slowly.

Chen Zheng nodded and, empowered by his True Qi, kept pace behind Ming Chong.

Teluos led Mr. Mo through the city, heading west. Their destination was a dock, where a boat was waiting. They knew Chen Zheng couldn't pursue them over water indefinitely. Their movements were swift. They could sense their pursuers being momentarily delayed by obstacles, but they knew such hindrances wouldn't last.

Sure enough, they soon saw Chen Zheng and Ming Chong closing in at incredible speed.

"Faster!" Mr. Mo urged, his tone low and his expression filled with fear.

The Red Lotus's power was built on its members. They were all peak-level experts, and with the Red Lotus's life-extending methods, they had long outlived their peers. So few of their contemporaries remained, with Denps being one of the rare exceptions. Denps was still alive only because he worked with them.

Zhuo Ming wouldn't move against them as long as Wang Rui and Teluos were alive. This arrangement meant that the Red Lotus could quietly expand its influence. But now, Chen Zheng had appeared out of nowhere. This delicate balance had been shattered, and now their very lives were in danger.

"As long as Lord Zi is here, we won't die!" Teluos said through gritted teeth.

The specters with purple feathers were known as "Lord Zi" within the Red Lotus, and the members of the Red Lotus were, in fact, their slaves.

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