Chapter 1 Layer Upon Layer

Layer upon layer of sea of fire spread along the walls and ceiling, setting off Chi Yue'an like an ancient god of fire, burly and domineering, full of imposing manner.

He was in his early forties, with a slicked-back hairstyle and slightly dark skin. His nose was wide and his face broad, the skin on his cheeks taut, giving him the feeling of a brave and tough man. The fine crow's feet at the corners of his eyes added a bit of mature male charm. Chi Yue'an entered the hall using Fire-elemental Stealth, his sharp eyes sweeping across the chaotic scene. When he saw the corpses of three Spirit Realm Professionals, his pupils shrank slightly, and his eyes became even colder.

"Three wastes!"

He snorted coldly, and his expression improved slightly when he saw Wu Ye, who was unconscious.

This man was his money-making tool, and he controlled officials at all levels in Songhai. The "evidence" he controlled on officials at all levels was a major boost to his ability to have the final say in the Shakou District, in addition to his own Saint-level strength. Cultivating a money-making tool into a climate is much more difficult than cultivating a Spirit Realm Professional.

If Wu Ye didn't die, the Bronze Sparrow Tower stronghold could be preserved. “Chi Yue'an!”

Kou Beiyue's eyes instantly turned red, filled with bloodshot veins, and his handsome face became ferocious, like an enraged lion. Chi Yue'an looked over when he heard the sound and said indifferently:

"I checked the records yesterday and found out that it was you, little brat. Since you escaped from the Security Department's morgue, there has been no news for nearly two years, and you haven't shown your face. I thought you had died in the Spirit Realm long ago." Speaking of this, Chi Yue'an licked his lips and curled into a smile:

"Your sister is very good. Since she came to the Bronze Sparrow Tower, I have to stay here every night. She makes me feel a long-lost joy. I like to play with her in various ways, and abuse her. It's a pity that she is not very obedient and has a stubborn personality, so sometimes, I will invite other guests to join..."

"Shut up!!!"

Kou Beiyue collapsed. Old and new hatred surged up, and the appearance of his sister before her death flashed in his mind. He lost his mind and roared as he rushed towards Chi Yue'an. Seeing this, Chi Yue'an smiled coldly, revealing a look of successful scheming. He unhurriedly summoned a scarlet glove from his inventory.

Not good, losing his mind in front of a Saint was no different from courting death. Zhang Yuanqing immediately summoned the Bursting Pistol and fired to cover him. "Bang bang!"

The bullets arrived at the target faster than Kou Beiyue, but Chi Yue'an simply reached out and supported himself in front of him, and a barrier composed of flames appeared out of thin air.

The steel-core bullets with the bursting function hovered in the air, spinning at high speed, but could not advance even one centimeter. Before they could explode, they were melted into black molten iron by the high temperature.

Chi Yue'an ignored the enemy who fired the gun. His right hand, wearing the scarlet glove, roared and spewed out raging flames, which then solidified, forming a long knife with a bright yellow interior and a scarlet red exterior. This knife was unlike other Fire Masters' weapons, which could be seen at a glance as being condensed from flames. At first glance, Chi Yue'an's knife looked like a real knife.

Chi Yue'an took a step forward, and with a bang, the scarlet knife swept upwards.

The fiery wind hit his face, and Kou Beiyue, who was in a rage, regained some composure and held his saber in front of him.

Sizzle...

The blades of the two weapons rubbed against each other, and the saber in Kou Beiyue's hand instantly turned as red as a branding iron. In a muffled and light "bang," the saber broke.

Kou Beiyue didn't have time to feel sorry for the damage to the item. He showed the close combat ability that a Succubus should have. His body leaned back sharply, allowing the scorching blade to brush past his chest and abdomen. Chi Yue'an stepped forward again, retracted the flame knife, and after a brief accumulation of strength, swept it horizontally.

"Da da da..."

Rapid and crisp footsteps came, and the Red Dancing Shoes flew up madly, launching a series of rapid and fierce kicks towards the opponent's waist and abdomen. Even with Chi Yue'an's physique, he was staggered by the kicks, and the blade deviated.

Chi Yue'an took a step back, and the long knife shrank into a short blade at will, slashing towards the strange Red Dancing Shoes. Whoosh!

The blade scorched the air, and it was clear that it had hit the dancing shoes, but it was no different from slashing at air. "Huh?" Chi Yue'an's expression froze, as if he hadn't expected such a result.

At this moment, his face was shrouded in black air, and his eyes were red, with violence and madness replacing calmness and composure.

His reason rapidly deteriorated, his thoughts were in chaos, and within two or three seconds, he "devolved" into a wild beast supported by instinct and emotion. Just as his mind was confused, a cold and gleaming blade appeared silently on his neck, slashing towards the carotid artery. The figure of the sneak attacker, Zhang Yuanqing, then appeared behind Chi Yue'an.

Among Zhang Yuanqing's many items, the Bursting Pistol and the Thug Gloves, two items of the Fire Master profession, were the first to be eliminated. They certainly could not deal with a Saint-level Fire Master of the same profession. The preparation time for the Golden Toad Incense Burner was too long, and it could not be used in this kind of occasion.

The Cat King Speaker's Suona could no longer be used, and the sound of the drum would affect Kou Beiyue, causing him to be instantly killed by Chi Yue'an, which was equivalent to assisting the enemy in backstabbing his teammate. The Eye of Insight and the Disguise Ring were auxiliary items and were directly ignored. The Vajra Pestle's function was not suitable for this occasion.

The only items that could pose a threat to Chi Yue'an were the Bloodthirsty Blade, the Red Dancing Shoes, the Red Headscarf, and the Scarecrow. Among the four items, the Scarecrow, which originated from Black Impermanence, was the fastest to take effect and could directly threaten a Level 4 Saint.

Although Chi Yue'an was a Level 4 Saint, stronger than the three Spirit Realm Professionals just now, he was a Fire Master. Zhang Yuanqing was confident that he could succeed in his sneak attack. "Slash."

Chi Yue'an's feet slipped, and his body fell backward, avoiding the attack that was aimed at his carotid artery. Zhang Yuanqing didn't panic. He turned the blade and stabbed downwards. Pfft!

The Bloodthirsty Blade pierced Chi Yue'an's shoulder.

The pain of the Night Wanderer made Chi Yue'an's mind a little clearer. His waist and back bounced, and he straightened up, ignoring the deepening wound. A fireball rose from his palm and slapped towards the sneak attacker behind him. Zhang Yuanqing, wearing the Eye of Insight, predicted his attack in advance and dodged to the side unhurriedly.

Chi Yue'an's palm missed, and his five fingers suddenly clenched, and the fireball in his palm exploded with a "boom," like detonating a high-explosive grenade. The Thug Gloves' signature skill, a Level 4 Fire Master could easily do it, and its power was even stronger and fiercer.

Zhang Yuanqing's body was torn apart, disintegrating into countless water droplets, splashing on the ground. Facing a Level 4 Saint, how could he not wear the Yin-Yang Magic Robe in advance?

This item gave him the ability to control water and fire, indirectly controlling the skills of the Water Ghost and Fire Master. "Water Ghost?" Chi Yue'an was surprised.

This person had so many methods that surprised him. He had the Night Wanderer's Night Wander, the Witch Gu Master's curse, and he also controlled the Water Ghost's passive skills. Chi Yue'an stretched out his arms and aimed his palms at the ground, at the enemy who had turned into water droplets.

It was easy to deal with Water Ghosts, just evaporate the moisture with high temperature to kill them.

During this process, soft and holy halos surged from Chi Yue'an's body, repairing the wound on his shoulder and suppressing the fallen black air. The Sweet Dew Inner Armor, an item derived from the Musician, was functioning.

"Whoosh!"

Two scorching fire snakes sprayed from his palms, licking the water droplets on the ground. Bang!

In a critical moment, Kou Beiyue bounced up and kicked Chi Yue'an's arms with a high kick, and the flames sprayed towards the ceiling. With two bangs, the Red Dancing Shoes cooperated with the attack, actually briefly suppressing the Level 4 Saint.

"Whirr whirr whirr..."

The fire extinguishing sprinklers on the ceiling sensed the burning of the flames and sprayed out strong and dense water droplets, soaking the ground.

Zhang Yuanqing's consciousness finally returned, and with the help of the sweet dew-like water droplets, he slowly condensed his body and returned to human form.

As soon as he regained his human form and regained his vision, he saw Chi Yue'an's body explode with a "boom," and his aura rose steadily, bringing a terrifying pressure. Berserker!

The core skill of a Saint-level Fire Master.

From Level 4 to Level 6, the entire Saint stage, the Fire Master only had one skill - Berserker.

This skill could greatly increase the Fire Master's strength, ranging from one to three times, so Saint-level Fire Masters were known as invincible existences. At this stage, even a Succubus had to avoid their edge.

Kou Beiyue, who was fiercely attacking close to the body, stiffened.

The Red Dancing Shoes were not affected, but its attacks could no longer shake the Fire Master in "Berserk" mode. Chi Yue'an's knees sank slightly, and his right fist was clenched tightly at his chest, pushing out like a transmission rod.

"Crack!"

Kou Beiyue's sternum broke instantly, and he flew out like a broken sandbag, heavily smashing into the game console behind him. He slowly withered on the ground, his body twitching, unable to get up again.

Deng deng deng... Chi Yue'an quickly ended the battle, not giving him a chance to breathe. His palm, wearing the thin glove, sprayed out flames and condensed into a long knife, which he slashed down. "Whirr whirr whirr..."

Unable to use the Red Headscarf in time, Zhang Yuanqing's body once again collapsed into transparent and clear water, wrapped in the water sprayed from the ceiling, turning into a winding stream of water. The stream of water surged and wrapped around the brilliant long knife.

"Chichi..."

The transparent and clear stream of water instantly became turbid, emitting a large number of bubbles and white smoke, in a boiling state. The clean water sprayed from the sprinkler kept replenishing the water ball, forming a delicate balance with the brilliant long knife.

During this process, the Red Dancing Shoes' small feet kicked him in the chest, trying their best to rescue their useless master. "Courting death! I'll turn you into ashes."

A flash of fire flashed in Chi Yue'an's eyes, and the temperature of the brilliant long knife rose sharply, evaporating a large amount of mist. The water ball wrapped around the long knife made a fierce "puff puff" sound, evaporating most of it in an instant, not having time to replenish it. "Bang!"

A heavy and loud gunshot rang out outside the hall.

Chi Yue'an's head lowered sharply, and his body staggered forward slightly.

There were other enemies? He quickly stabilized his body, endured the severe pain in the back of his head, and turned back to defend the entrance of the hall.

At the entrance, three people walked in. The leader was a young man wearing large shorts, a loose short-sleeved shirt, and flip-flops. He had a smiling expression on his face, and his eyes were narrowed into a slit, revealing a laziness that radiated from his bones. On his left was a man in a black vest and white shirt, with shiny leather shoes and a neat mustache, not losing his elegance and decency even when traveling at night.

On the right was a mixed-race beauty in a white shirt and black skirt, charming and beautiful, with two round and long legs wrapped in black stockings, holding a gorgeous rifle with golden patterns. Finally, Zhang Yuanqing took the opportunity to regain his human form and collapsed next to Kou Beiyue.

At the same time, he interrupted the Red Dancing Shoes' pursuit function and activated the second form, wearing them on his feet.

Doing so was to prevent Chi Yue'an from launching a sneak attack without martial ethics, and to avoid the Red Dancing Shoes from making him dance awkwardly.

Zhang Yuanqing didn't expect Chi Yue'an to arrive so quickly, but he had taken precautions in this regard. Before the operation, he had notified Guan Ya and told her about the matter. With Guan Ya's experience and wisdom, after discovering that this matter involved a Saint, she would definitely notify Fu Qingyang instead of coming alone.

She did do this, but Zhang Yuanqing didn't expect that it was Ling Jun who came instead of Fu Qingyang.

Is this guy okay? He is the trash that Fu Qingyang personally appointed. Zhang Yuanqing panted heavily. Guan Ya's eyes stayed on Zhang Yuanqing for a few seconds, then moved away and looked at Chi Yue'an, gnashing her teeth and saying, "I'm going to blow your head off with one shot."

Li Dongze took out his small pistol and raised his cane.

Ling Jun quickly raised his hand and pressed down a few times in front of the two, smiling lazily, "Let's talk nicely, harmony brings wealth, harmony brings wealth." Chi Yue'an scrutinized the three of them and said in a deep voice:

"Who are you?"

While speaking, soft and holy halos rippled, repairing the gunshot wound on the back of his head.

Songhai was very big, and Spirit Realm Professionals from different districts basically wouldn't interact with each other. As a deacon, Chi Yue'an was even less likely to know ordinary Professionals from other districts. The reason why he suppressed his violent temper and killing intent was that the young man who looked easy to talk to and had a gentle temperament made him feel threatened.

Li Dongze said in a deep voice: "I am the captain of the second team of the Kangyang District branch of the Five Elements Alliance. I recently received a report saying that someone was gambling and engaging in promiscuity here." The captain of Kangyang District? Chi Yue'an didn't panic at all and said lightly:

"There is no such thing. I received a report that an evil profession had sneaked into a private residence and started a massacre, so I rushed over to deal with it. I have already taken over this matter. You can go back." None of the three moved.

Chi Yue'an narrowed his eyes, his tone suddenly stern, and questioned:

"What? People from Kangyang District want to take care of my Shakou District's affairs? Don't say you're just a captain, even Fu Qingyang is not qualified to interfere in my jurisdiction. If you don't leave, I'll kill you all. Do you think the elder will support justice for you!"

The Songhai branch clearly stipulated that official Professionals from different districts should not interfere in matters outside their jurisdiction unless the elder allowed it, or the official Professionals from that district requested support. The rules were there, so how could Chi Yue'an let people from other districts take over the Bronze Sparrow Tower?

He said kill, not a verbal threat. If these three insisted on interfering, fighting for the dominance of the Bronze Sparrow Tower, and attacking him, then the nature of the matter would be big.

Official Professionals from Kangyang District privately interfered in affairs in other districts, forcibly seized them, and attacked the deacon of that district. Even if he killed these people, it would be self-defense. At most, he would get a demerit.

"Well, it seems like we really shouldn't be involved in this matter. Why don't we take the people and leave first?"

Ling Jun came to rescue people, not to investigate the case. He wasn't a member of the Five Elements Alliance, and he didn't really want to get involved in these matters.

Guan Ya and Li Dongze looked at Yuan Shi Tian Zun. "Take the people and leave?"

Chi Yue'an became even more aggressive, snorting coldly: "That won't do. They are evil professions. They not only killed my team members, but also killed ordinary people. You want to take them away just like that? Are you trying to protect criminals?" Speaking of this, his face suddenly changed slightly, and he suddenly turned his head to look at the young man with an ordinary appearance who had used the Night Wander skill.

Kangyang District, Night Wanderer...

"Are you Yuan Shi Tian Zun?" Chi Yue'an's expression changed slightly.

At this moment, Zhang Yuanqing had the mentality of a scoundrel who didn't care about having too many debts, and grinned: "That's right, your daddy!" After using the Yin-Yang Magic Robe, his emotions became irritable and impulsive, extremely arrogant.

Yuan Shi Tian Zun, an A-level meritorious service, deeply valued by the elders... Chi Yue'an felt a headache. He couldn't kill such a person. At least, he couldn't be the one to kill him.

He quickly changed his strategy, took a deep breath, looked at Ling Jun and the others, and said with a pressing tone: "You can take him away, but the other Succubus can't be taken away."

The next strategy was to destroy the evidence and empty out the women in the Bronze Sparrow Tower. As long as there was no solid evidence, with his status as a deacon and the cover of the powerful behind him, he could handle this matter with a minor solution. Ling Jun nodded slightly: "Okay!"

He then turned to look at Zhang Yuanqing: "Let's go, let's leave here first. For the follow-up matters, you can coordinate with Fu Qingyang." Coordination meant going through the process.

To investigate a deacon, you had to obtain the elder's consent, submit an inspection application, and submit evidence. And Chi Yue'an's superior elder was not a Dog Elder, so the situation was more complicated.

"No, we can't leave. If we leave today, this matter will be completely unresolved." Zhang Yuanqing propped himself up and stood up, looking at Ling Jun and the others, panting heavily:

"I've already found out that Chi Yue'an supports underworld forces, kidnaps and imprisons women, forces them to sell their bodies, and uses them to bribe officials at all levels in Shakou District. He has also forcibly bought more than a thousand shops. In addition, he is also suspected of murder..."

He told the intelligence he had gathered today, one by one. Li Dongze listened in stunned silence.

He had only heard a rough outline from Guan Ya and had no substantive understanding. And Guan Ya was the same.

What she heard from Zhang Yuanqing was that the underworld forces in Shakou District were persecuting women and bribing officials at all levels.

Even so, Guan Ya already felt physically uncomfortable and was genuinely angry.

She never expected that what these people did was even more insane than she had imagined. The harm they did to the women in the tower could not be described by simple "persecution." They were tools for making money and tools for venting animal desires. And this did not include some commercial competition of a vile nature.

Ling Jun's lazy expression gradually became serious, and the smile on his lips slowly disappeared.