Abyss Demon Emperor and the Demon Child Descends into the World, Tyrant Dragon Jiang Wuyue, Special Operations Department or Blood God Camp

An eye for an eye, blood for blood—this had always been Zhao Xuanzhen's way of doing things. Compared with sorrowful weeping before tombstones and a few insignificant tears, Zhao Liuyun, Ye Ling... and every martyr in this Hero's Tomb probably hoped their descendants would use the blood of Abyss creatures as offerings.

Long Yuxue's gaze was gentle, her shifting eyes gleaming with captivating light. Because of the relationship between their parents, she had almost certainly been the person in the Blood God Army most concerned about Zhao Xuanzhen. Seeing him in person today left her with far more impressions than any news report or battle video ever could.

The hero who had risen to fame in his youth showed no sadness. He resolutely chose to wash away hatred with blood.

"Xuanzhen, you're rather different from what I imagined."

"Have I disappointed you?"

"No, I underestimated you. The real you are much more responsible." Long Yuxue shook her head repeatedly and admitted it frankly.

Zhao Xuanzhen merely smiled, neither confirming nor denying it. He turned slightly to look at the valiant female officer beside him and asked calmly, "I want to ask about the Abyssal Tide eighteen years ago, when my parents died."

Upon hearing this, Long Yuxue's heart tightened. She unconsciously held her breath as Zhao Xuanzhen's low voice reached her ears.

"Perhaps because he feared I would be saddened by it, my teacher always deliberately avoided telling me the full truth. He only revealed a few fragments of information.

"That Abyssal Tide came extremely suddenly. The Blood God Army faced its most difficult war in nearly a thousand years. Three Abyss Kings descended in their true forms, and the leader was one of the Nine Abyss Emperors.

"Who were those three Abyss Kings?"

Long Yuxue understood that Zhao Xuanzhen was preparing a list for his death ledger. She took a deep breath and said solemnly, "The seventy-sixth level of the Abyss, the Ant Emperor.

"The thirtieth level of the Abyss, the Charm Empress.

"The fourth level of the Abyss, the Emperor of the Abyss Puppet, the Devil Emperor..."

"So the Charm Empress was there too. What a narrow road for enemies..." Zhao Xuanzhen lowered his eyes. "But for the Devil Emperor, one of the Nine Abyss Emperors, to release his true form, the Blood God Army must have been caught completely off guard."

"Exactly." Long Yuxue smiled bitterly. "Logically speaking, the emperor-level beings of the last thirty-six levels, those at the Limit Douluo level, are suppressed by the Douluo Continent Plane. Even projecting themselves beyond the Abyss Channel is extremely difficult.

"Yet on the day you were born, the Devil Emperor led endless Abyss creatures out of the Abyss Channel. The Blood God Army was caught unprepared. My father and Uncle Zhao hurried to the battlefield to face the Abyss.

"The Devil Emperor was nearly invincible. Blood Nine, who was closest and joined the battle first, was seriously injured in a single strike. The Blood God Camp's trump card was exposed, and the Blood God Army suffered devastating casualties, with blood flowing like rivers. Aunt Ye entrusted you to my mother, then forced her weakened body onto the battlefield. In the end, she and Uncle Zhao were both annihilated by the Devil Emperor."

A demon child descending into the world?

A trace of understanding emerged in Zhao Xuanzhen's heart. He did not believe such a coincidence existed. It was highly likely that the Abyssal Sage King had sensed the threat within the Blood God Army from afar and would rather pay a tremendous price to send the Devil Emperor to wipe out the Blood God Army.

"The Ant Emperor, the Charm Empress, the Devil Emperor..." Zhao Xuanzhen silently committed the three Abyss Kings to memory, especially the Abyss Demon Emperor, who stood at the top of his kill list.

Long Yuxue secretly observed the changes in Zhao Xuanzhen's emotions. The faint icy killing intent he revealed was enough to make one tremble. She could not help imagining the exhilarating sight of the Huanglong Spear harvesting the lives of Abyss Emperors, with twenty-five thousand Blood God Army soldiers shouting in unison.

It was already late, and the two arrived at the Blood God Army cafeteria. It covered several thousand square meters, and soldiers streamed inside without end. At a glance, at least two thousand people were eating there.

The military had none of those flashy frills. The food service windows were simple, each marked with a different number: one, two, three, and four.

Long Yuxue explained, "The lower the number of the window, the more expensive the food is, but it is also highly nutritious and greatly beneficial to the body.

"Have you heard the unspoken rule that new recruits have no food? Everything in the Blood God Army requires self-reliance, including three meals a day. Soldiers need to exchange military merit for cafeteria meals. New recruits usually borrow from veterans, pay interest, and have the debt deducted from their future military merit."

As a new recruit whose rank assessment had yet to be decided, Zhao Xuanzhen naturally had no military merit at all. Long Yuxue tilted her head, looking at his clear and outstanding face, and said with a smile, "Veterans generally charge one hundred percent interest every month. Mine is only thirty percent. But if you call me Sister Yuxue now, I'll support you for free for a month!"

Her handsome face was full of anticipation. Once upon a time, Long Yuxue had held baby Xuanzhen in her arms. She wanted so badly to hear him call her sister!

"Yuxue!" A pleasant voice suddenly rang out, and the two turned toward its source.

A female captain with a ponytail walked over. Her crisp uniform accentuated her figure, while her features possessed a softer beauty entirely different from Long Yuxue's. Her big eyes danced with impish liveliness.

"Qiyue." Long Yuxue waved with a smile. They were close friends.

Jiang Qiyue hooked her arm through Long Yuxue's, then noticed Zhao Xuanzhen beside her friend. She stared at him carefully for a long while before suddenly crying out, "There's a huge poster hanging in Yuxue's bedroom, and the person standing on it is you!

"I remember Yuxue saying you're Zhao Xuanzhen. The one kneeling was Xu Tianzhao. That battle was known as the battle of the Number One Genius of the Douluo Continent. Those guys from the Blood God Army have been spreading word everywhere today that there's a new recruit beside Yuxue who's prettier than a girl, and she's been fussing over him like crazy.

"So it's you. Then it's no surprise!"

Seeing her best friend get what she wanted, Jiang Qiyue's smile gained a clear hint of ambiguity. A blush rippled across Long Yuxue's pretty face as her small hand pinched the soft flesh at Jiang Qiyue's waist.

Jiang Qiyue was far more lively and uninhibited than Long Yuxue. Wearing a bright smile, she went straight to the point. "Handsome, you're one of the Four Great Spirit Emissaries of the Spirit Pagoda. How did your admission assessment go? Were you exceptionally promoted to second lieutenant?"

"It hasn't been decided. I'm waiting for news when I get back," Zhao Xuanzhen said.

"Yuxue, what are you doing? You actually held up his rank?" Jiang Qiyue veered off topic, accusing Long Yuxue of abusing her authority.

Long Yuxue said helplessly, "I don't have the authority to assess him. Xuanzhen's rank has to be decided jointly by the Legion Commander and Blood One. I have a feeling that Xuanzhen's rank may be higher than mine as a major. After all, the Blood God Army is a frontline force. If you want to establish yourself in the military, combat strength is the first requirement."

To make it in the world, one needed connections and strength. Zhao Xuanzhen happened to have both. His parents' old comrades were lending him a hand, while his overwhelming combat ability, Spirit Emissary status, and Huanglong Spear gave the Blood God Army grounds to make an exception and promote him. Long Yuxue's words were not without reason.

"Yuxue, Qiyue, you two are having such a lively chat with this new recruit. Aren't you going to introduce him to me?"

A tall lieutenant colonel carrying a tray walked over. He looked about fifty percent similar to Jiang Qiyue, but his body was broad and powerfully built. The bulging curves of his arm muscles were exceptionally intimidating.

"Big Brother!"

Jiang Qiyue hurried over and hugged her older brother Jiang Wuyue's arm coquettishly. Jiang Wuyue remained unmoved, though. His large eyes stared fixedly at Zhao Xuanzhen, flames of anguish over losing his goddess burning in them.

"One rank above major is lieutenant colonel." Jiang Wuyue set down his tray and said in a deep, booming voice, "I don't believe a new recruit can display enough combat power in a single admission assessment to stand alongside the accomplishments I earned through ten years of struggle.

"Attack me. Use any move you like. Knock me down, and I'll do whatever you tell me."

Jiang Wuyue did not care how noble a Spirit Emissary was in the outside world, nor how great Zhao Xuanzhen's achievement in saving Shrek City's tens of millions of civilians had been. He only believed what he saw with his own eyes.

His colleagues had all come to tease Long Yuxue for smiling sweetly at a new recruit, as if her heart had begun to stir. But Jiang Wuyue saw Zhao Xuanzhen as a pretty boy. He could not stand idly by and watch his goddess step into the abyss of sweet talk. He was determined to expose that superficially strong but inwardly weak true appearance!

The Next Moment, his golden eyes blazed and boiled!

Ever since his True Self Manifestation had fused with Golden Awakening, Zhao Xuanzhen rarely used his second awakening alone. Jiang Wuyue stood frozen in place. Beneath the gaze of those golden eyes, an unprecedented sense of danger enveloped him. It felt as though an invisible giant hand had gripped his throat, making even breathing a luxury.

"Roar—"

A thunderous dragon roar erupted. Jiang Wuyue's powerful body rapidly expanded, his height breaking past seven meters. He resembled a humanoid beast. The skin on his upper body turned iron-black, and thick scales like metallic ore covered his entire body. His eyes turned a vivid blood-red.

Soul rings rose one after another beneath his feet: four purple, two black. Martial soul: Tyrant Dragon. Six-ring Soul Emperor!

The Tyrant Dragon Soul Emperor stood in the cafeteria hall like a living monster, his shadow blocking out a vast swath of light and drawing the curious gazes of Blood God Army soldiers. Yet that previous agony descended once more. Zhao Xuanzhen's golden eyes burned into a blazing reddish-gold like the scorching sun.

Jiang Wuyue's expression twisted. The air in his lungs seemed to turn viscous, his calves trembled uncontrollably, and the overwhelming pressure never ceased. His Sea of Consciousness felt as though a red-hot iron had been thrust into it, searing with pain as his soul sounded constant alarms!

"Boom—"

Jiang Wuyue fell backward, then shakily climbed back to his feet.

"My foot slipped!"

"Boom!"

"The space is a little too cramped!"

"Boom!"

"I didn't eat enough for dinner today. We'll fight again another day."

After two slaps, Jiang Wuyue's face had swollen into a pig's head. He obediently dismissed his Tyrant Dragon possession. Zhao Xuanzhen extinguished his golden eyes and pointed at Window One. "Get three meals."

"Right away, Big Brother."

Jiang Wuyue nimbly ran over to pay. He was like an incompetent husband—no, even more miserable than one. He had to serve tea and water to the wronged party.

After tasting the food from the Blood God Army's first-tier window, Zhao Xuanzhen nodded in satisfaction.

Great Emperor Xuanzhen had always fought Spirit Masters twenty levels above himself. He had become accustomed to fighting at a Soul Power disadvantage. Now that he was suddenly twenty levels above someone else, he felt somewhat unaccustomed to it. He was afraid that if he accidentally used too much force, he would turn the Tyrant Dragon into Tyrant Dragon paste.

Each of them had one meal. Jiang Qiyue happily dug in, while Long Yuxue ate the first-tier delicacies she normally could not bear to buy, yet found them tasteless. Inside, she cursed Jiang Wuyue for causing trouble and making her miss hearing that "Sister Yuxue"!

"Big Brother, I'm convinced. I promise I won't bother Yuxue again from now on!"

Soldiers this straightforward admired the strong most of all. Jiang Wuyue was utterly convinced by Zhao Xuanzhen and felt that he was indeed more suitable for Long Yuxue than himself.

"I have lovers."

Jiang Wuyue quietly felt a surge of joy, then asked sternly, "Big Brother, you're not two-timing, are you?"

"Not that few."

"Ah!?" The innocent kitchen guy stared wide-eyed. "Are all people outside playboys?"

Jiang Wuyue's worldview collapsed. His pig-headed face twisted together as the pure-hearted men of the Blood God Army suffered the impact of the flashy outside world.

"It varies from person to person. I'm rather bad," Zhao Xuanzhen said casually.

"Well, um, my mom told me to go home for dinner. See you another day, Big Brother..."

The burly Tyrant Dragon man, whose arm could let a horse run across it, fled in panic while wiping away tears. He truly could not stay any longer; he had been struck to the point of utter devastation.

Long Yuxue lowered her head and ate without saying a word. Zhao Xuanzhen was no child. It was perfectly normal for him to have girlfriends. Jiang Qiyue looked at her friend with concern. The Blood God Army had more high-quality men than any other force, and she was no stranger to handsome men. Yet compared with this man, who was both handsome and powerful, everyone else fell short by more than a level. It was just that her friend's first flutter of affection seemed destined to come to nothing.

"Beep beep beep—"

The crisp sound of a Soul Guide Communication device rang out. Long Yuxue took it over and chatted for a bit before saying to Zhao Xuanzhen, "My father called. Your rank assessment results are out. He told me to take you to headquarters."

The three quickly finished dinner. Jiang Qiyue returned to her dormitory to rest, while Zhao Xuanzhen and Long Yuxue headed for the Blood God Army headquarters. In the First Operations Room, Mirror Douluo Zhang Huanyun, Ruthless Douluo Cao Dezhi, and Extreme Cold Douluo Long Tianwu sat in a row.

Zhang Huanyun and Cao Dezhi sat as steady as mountains. Long Tianwu cleared his throat and announced, "In view of new recruit Zhao Xuanzhen's exceptional performance in the admission assessment, following a joint assessment by three parties, he will exceptionally be granted the rank of senior colonel and may choose between two positions.

"First, Director of the Special Operations Department. Second, reserve Blood God of the Blood God Camp."

Long Yuxue sucked in a cold breath. A senior colonel was already among the highest-ranking officers in the Blood God Army. Long Tianwu himself was only a major general. The Special Operations Department was also a special division. Though nominally under the Blood God Army's Spirit Masters, it reported directly to headquarters and often carried out missions that combat units could not accomplish, such as exploring the Abyss Channel.

A reserve Blood God was likewise the highest level within the Blood God Camp. The peak rank was senior colonel, and advancing further required defeating a Blood God. Then one could replace that person, become one of the Blood God Camp's Nine Blood Gods, and be promoted to major general.

"You two, before Xuanzhen makes a choice, is there anything else you would like to say?" Long Tianwu tried his best to keep a straight face and act impartially.

Zhang Huanyun spoke earnestly. "The Director of the Special Operations Department can enter the Abyss Channel freely. I believe this is the position best suited to you. Before long, I will organize the Blood God Army to prepare for the war that will erupt after you completely kill your first Abyss Emperor."

Cao Dezhi said gently, "The Nine Blood Gods also have the right to enter the Abyss Channel, and defeating a Blood God would allow you to advance directly to major general.

"The Blood God Army has guarded the Heaven's End Mountain Range for thousands of years, and dawn has finally come. I believe it must be the Sea God ancestor blessing us. The Blood God Camp welcomes you to join!"

Because Cao Dezhi's old bastard tactics were simply too shameless, Zhao Xuanzhen made a choice without hesitation.

"Uncle Zhang, carrying on one's father's work is a traditional virtue of the Douluo Continent. Sorry, Ruthless Douluo, but I think the Special Operations Department suits me better."

"Hahaha, Old Cao, I win this time!" Zhang Huanyun fiercely slapped Cao Dezhi on the shoulder like a victorious general returning from conquest.

Where one rejoiced, another grieved. Cao Dezhi's vision went dark. With Zhao Xuanzhen not joining the Blood God Camp, he would have no chance to build a closer relationship with him. Then what was he supposed to do about the dragon souls of the two Dragon Kings awakened by the plant beasts at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?

Ruthless Douluo did not dare imagine Duoqing Douluo looking at him with a face full of disappointment, then repeatedly saying, "Cao Dezhi, you're so useless!"

Long Yuxue's willow brows drew together slightly as she suddenly remembered something. She was the deputy director of the Special Operations Department, and Zhao Xuanzhen was being dropped in as director...

After all that, how did he become my superior...?