231: Chapter 231: The Golden Lion

His gaze swept over everyone, stopping for a moment on Zhao Wudi, Sword Dust, and Li Qingyun, then landed in the direction of the Judges Office.

Li Changsheng had already arrived.

He was wearing a green robe, a token from the Judges Office at his waist, standing among the crowd from the Judges Office, watching him.

In the Soul Link, Li Changsheng's voice erupted.

"Holy crap! Xiao Ran! Is this what you called 'cultivating in seclusion'?"

"Crossing two small Realms in seven days, did you bribe Daddy Heavenly Dao?"

Xiao Ran replied while walking.

"I didn't bribe Daddy Heavenly Dao, but I did give it to a young married woman."

Li Changsheng was silent for three seconds, his voice rising by an octave: "No way? You really... did that with the Wanhua Society President?"

Xiao Ran: "Uh-huh."

Li Changsheng: "Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! How do you always run into such good things? Why don't I have this Opportunity?"

Xiao Ran: "Because you aren't as handsome as me."

Li Changsheng: "..."

The two had a flurry of activity in their Soul Link.

But in reality, Xiao Ran and Li Changsheng's gazes met and immediately broke apart, with no change in expression on their faces.

Xiao Ran walked to the front of the City Lord's Mansion's camp, stopped, and looked at Li Changsheng.

"Yo, Li Changsheng, long time no see."

"Oh wait, I should call you Judge Li now."

Li Changsheng looked at him, expressionless.

"Noisy!"

On the plaza, everyone looked over.

It had long been rumored that Xiao Ran and Li Changsheng didn't get along.

One was the Demon Son of the Eternal Night Demon Sect, the other was the Saint of the Supreme Dao Palace; the righteous and demonic paths were natural enemies.

Seeing them today, it was indeed true.

Xiao Ran wasn't annoyed, laughing.

"Judge Li is truly gutsy!"

"I hope you have the same backbone in the ruins."

Li Changsheng: "Likewise."

The two stared at each other, sparks flying in the air.

The surrounding people watched with great interest.

"Will these two fight in the ruins?"

"It would be better if they did, that's two fewer competitors."

"Who do you think will win?"

"One Demon Son, one Saint, a fight between them would surely be spectacular."

Amidst the discussion, a golden light lit up from deep within the City Lord's Mansion.

The light grew brighter and more intense, finally turning into a pillar of light that shot straight into the clouds.

In the pillar of light, a figure slowly walked out.

City Lord Li Qingge.

He wore a green robe with bamboo leaf patterns embroidered on it, his black hair tied back and secured with a white jade hairpin.

He didn't release any Aura, but standing there, he was like an unsheathed divine sword, making people afraid to look directly at him.

Peak Body Integration Stage.

His gaze swept across the audience, lingering on each person for a moment.

When his gaze fell on Xiao Ran, he paused slightly, a flash of surprise in his eyes.

Seven days ago he was still in the Middle Stage of Soul Transformation, now he is already at the Peak Soul Transformation Stage?

This kid, what Immortal Pill did he eat?

But he didn't ask further, withdrew his gaze, and walked onto the high platform.

"Everyone is here."

His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

The plaza instantly quieted down.

City Lord Li Qingge stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over every young person present.

Zhao Wudi, Sword Dust, Li Qingyun, Xiao Ran, Li Changsheng... and those Prodigies whose names he couldn't recall.

In their eyes, there was excitement, nervousness, anticipation, and fear.

But more than that was a sharp edge—the sharpness of wanting to show their skills in the ruins.

"The century-old ruins open tomorrow."

"The one hundred of you represent the Sword Qi Great Wall, representing the Human Race, to enter the ruins."

"Inside, you will see the Legacies of ancient powerhouses, Magic Treasures, and Heaven And Earth Treasures. You will also see the Yao Zuns of the Yao Race."

He paused.

"I have only one requirement—come back alive."

"Treasures can be found again if lost, Legacies can be learned again if lost, but if your life is gone, everything is gone."

"So, come back alive."

One hundred young people responded in unison.

City Lord Li Qingge's gaze became sharp.

"However, if you encounter the Yao Race, do not show mercy."

"If you meet a Yao Zun of the Yao Race, kill them for me. Kill one, and there's one less; kill two, and you've earned one."

"If you have the chance, annihilate the entire Yao Race, do not hesitate."

Intense Killing Intent erupted in the eyes of the one hundred young people.

They were all Cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall, who had been killing Yao since childhood, and had no good feelings for the Yao Race.

Annihilate the entire Yao Race? That was something they dreamed of doing.

City Lord Li Qingge nodded with satisfaction, raised his hand, and a golden Sword Intent condensed in his palm.

"Depart."

The Sword Intent shot into the sky, turning into a golden light shield that enveloped the one hundred young people.

The next second, the light shield shot into the sky and flew towards the depths of the Wilderness Lands.

On the Sword Qi Great Wall, countless people looked up at the golden light, seeing them off.

"You must come back alive."

"Kill all those Yao Race scum!"

"Heaven bless the Sword Qi Great Wall!"

...

Meanwhile.

Wilderness Lands, Ten Thousand Demon Plains.

Gray-black mist lingered all year round, like a thick shroud covering this cursed land.

The air was filled with blood and rot, and the dark red ground underfoot seemed soaked in the blood of countless living beings.

In the distance, several huge mountain Peaks pierced the clouds like sharp swords.

In the densely packed caves on the mountain Peaks, dim green lights flickered—those were the eyes of countless Yao Beasts.

In the center of the Ten Thousand Demon Plains.

An altar built from the bones of ancient Vicious Beasts stood towering.

The altar was a hundred zhang high and a thousand zhang wide, every bone emitting suffocating pressure.

That was the Aura from the primordial era, belonging to those Divine Beasts and Vicious Beasts that once rampaged across the world.

The altar was inscribed with dense ancient runes, the runes flowing with dark golden light, as if they were alive and slowly squirming.

Under the altar, one hundred Yao Race Prodigies were ready to go.

They were not ordinary Yao Beasts, but top-tier Yao Race descendants possessing the Bloodlines of primordial Divine Beasts and Vicious Beasts.

Each one had undergone hundreds of years of cultivation and elimination.

Not a single one of those who could occupy a spot among these one hundred was weak.

And at the very front of the team were the six great royal Bloodlines.

The first was the Divine Beast Bloodline—the Golden Lion race.

At the very front of the team, a golden male lion stood with its head held high.

Its mane burned like fire, every hair emitting dazzling golden light, as if a small sun had fallen onto the Wilderness Lands.

Its eyes were golden, with flames faintly dancing in its pupils.

Where its gaze passed, the air was scorched and distorted.

The Young Lord of the Golden Lion race—Shi Haokong.

Peak Soul Transformation Stage.

It was a descendant of the primordial Divine Beast, the Golden-Haired Roar, possessing a pure golden Bloodline.

Legend has it that one roar from the Golden-Haired Roar could shatter mountains and rivers, and one breath of golden flame could burn the heavens and boil the seas.

Although Shi Haokong was only at the Peak Soul Transformation Stage, its Bloodline concentration was rare in a thousand years within the clan.

It once roared to death three Human Race Cultivators at the Middle Stage of Soul Transformation, leaving not even a trace of residue.

Behind Shi Haokong followed four more Golden Lions.

Each was at the Late Stage of Soul Transformation, manes like gold, Aura imposing.