With his own life now at stake, how could Valen possibly accept it?No, even if he had to sacrifice everyone else, he would not hesitate to do so to save himself. With that in mind, he turned towards the artifact they had originally brought into the hall.The artifact was connected to the demon Valen and the rest of those in the trafficking ring worshipped.Indeed, they were all in a cult.But instead of asking for power like demonic cultivators, they sought riches and control instead. In any case, for the artifact to work, a sacrifice had to be made.Unfortunately, Valen couldn't get his hands on the captives trapped in the basement of the building.But that didn't mean there was no replacement. All he had to do now was simple. “Great Molech, please do not forsake me now. Give me the power I need to vanquish this insignificant pest and as payment, take the lives of all living beings in this hall!” Valen exclaimed, stunning everyone present. The other eleven leaders knew that Val

Descending into the basement holding area, Talia, Sonia, and Dahlia immediately moved down the rows of cells.Using master keycards recovered from the guards, they unlocked every iron door, throwing them wide open.A wave of disbelief, followed by overwhelming relief, washed across the faces of the trapped men, women, and children."You... you really came back," the man from earlier choked out, his voice cracking with emotion as Sonia personally removed his heavy shackles."We promised you we would," Sonia said with a gentle, reassuring smile. "The leadership upstairs has been completely dismantled. You're all safe now."Alistair stood at the end of the stone corridor, his presence calm and steadfast as the captives began pouring out of the cells.Tears of gratitude flowed freely as people hugged one another, many looking toward Alistair with profound reverence."Head up to the courtyard in an orderly fashion," Alistair announced, his voice carrying clearly down the hall. "Imperial me

With a final nod to the father and daughter, Alistair turned on his heel, pushed open the doors of the Willow Rest Inn, and stepped out into the crisp morning air of Valenhold.Waiting down the street was the black SUV. The sky above was clear, the storm of the previous night fully washed away, leaving behind an open path towards new challenges.Alistair slid into the driver's seat of the black SUV, the smooth purr of the engine breaking the quiet morning calm.Navigating through the reviving streets of Valenhold, he made his way directly to the municipal airport.After leaving the vehicle with the Southern Heavenly General's logistical team, he boarded a private imperial transport bound for Haven.As the aircraft ascended into the clear sky, Alistair leaned back, his golden eyes gazing out over the passing clouds.The threat in Valenhold was neutralized, but the broader syndicate web and its high-level facilitators remained.Hours later, the transport touched down smoothly on the ta

Driven by frantic desperation, the twenty-three representatives surged forward at once. Blades gleamed with sword light, frost-Qi spikes condensed in mid-air, and corrosive palm strikes rained down from every direction, aiming straight for Alistair’s vital points.Alistair didn't even shift his footing."Foolish," Alistair said coldly.He simply flexed his fingers, releasing a single, radial shockwave of pure, condensed celestial Qi.BOOM!The incoming attacks were shattered instantly, dissolving into harmless sparks.The shockwave slammed into the charging representatives, throwing all twenty-three of them backward.They crashed violently into the stone pillars and courtyard walls, coughing up mouthfuls of blood as the ancient suppression relics overhead shattered into worthless dust.Before Zhao Chen could even regain his footing, a golden blur materialized directly in front of him."You..." Zhao Chen choked out, his eyes widening in pure horror.THUD!Alistair’s palm struck Zhao C

Alistair slowly turned around, facing the six representatives head-on.The moment Alistair's golden eyes locked onto Meng Hao, the prodigy of the Heavenly King Martial Sect instinctively took a half-step back, his hand tightening around the hilt of his broadsword as an unbidden chill ran down his spine.Meng Hao glared at the newcomer, trying to suppress the sudden wave of dread pooling in his gut. "Who are you?! State your name and your sect!"Alistair’s expression remained unreadable, his eyes cold and distant. "My identity is inconsequential to dead men.""You arrogant—!" Meng Hao snarled, but before he could finish, Xue Ying let out a sharp, horrified gasp from behind him."It's him!" Xue Ying cried out, her face going deathly pale as she pointed a trembling finger at Alistair. "Brother Meng, that's Alistair Reid! He is the very man the previous envoys warned us about—the one colluding with the demonic sects and harboring that old cripple, Master Xie!"Meng Hao’s eyes widened slig