Sensation at the War God Palace! Setting off for Mist Island!

Lin Yuan hovered in mid-air, the corpse of the Phantom Cat Emperor, massive as a small mountain, lying beneath his feet.

Its hideous head had rolled to the side, the severed surface as smooth as a mirror; not even a drop of blood had yet had the chance to gush forth.

"Is this the power of the first realm of Shadow Kill—[Hidden Instant Arc Slash]..."

Lin Yuan looked down at the blade in his hand, [Shadow Devourer]. The blade was as black as ink and unstained by a single drop of blood, as if what he had just severed was not the iron-hard bone of a Beast Emperor, but a piece of tofu.

He had not used his spiritual force to crush it just now, but had relied purely on his martial arts prowess to test the results of his recent cultivation.

By utilizing the "light distortion" property inherent to the [Shadow Devourer] blade for concealment, combined with the technique from the Shadow Kill secret manual that concentrated his entire body's strength into a single point...

He had achieved a one-hit kill in the very domain where the Phantom Cat Emperor excelled: speed.

"Not bad."

A satisfied arc tugged at the corner of Lin Yuan's mouth, and he murmured softly: "Perhaps for an ordinary War God, the life of a high-level Beast Emperor is an insurmountable chasm, one that even an Inspector-level powerhouse would have to expend significant effort to overcome. But as it happens... I am the most unique among the endless sparks of this Earth."

Possessing a system, harboring a universe-level cultivation technique, and with spiritual force that had long since crossed into the Planet level.

Killing a Beast Emperor was as easy as reaching into his pocket for an object.

After his reflection, Lin Yuan flicked his wrist, and the [Shadow Devourer] blade turned into a streak of light, instantly returning to its sheath.

He raised his left hand, tapped his communication watch, and connected to the command channel of West Sea Base City.

"The Beast Emperor is dead."

His voice was flat, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, as if he had merely performed a trivial task.

Following this, he sent over the specific coordinates.

At this very moment, inside the supreme strategic command room of West Sea Base City.

There was a deathly silence.

On the massive holographic screen, the footage captured by satellites was playing in real-time—the black-haired youth stood proudly in the void, the terrifying Beast Emperor lying decapitated beneath his feet.

Everyone was dumbfounded, standing stiffly in place as if struck by a paralysis spell.

Ivanov, the person in charge of the base city, had his mouth wide open, his eyes, usually filled with authority, now holding only deep shock and disbelief.

"This... it's already over?"

Beside him, the high-level War God known as "Frost Axe" was even more stupefied, a "clucking" sound emanating from his throat as he struggled to utter a complete sentence for a long time.

That was the Phantom Cat Emperor!

Just yesterday, it had toyed with an elite squad composed of three high-level War Gods as if they were mice, slaughtering them with ease.

Its speed was so fast that even radar could not lock onto it, and its illusions were impossible to guard against.

But now...

In less than ten seconds!

No one had even seen how that Chinese youth had drawn his blade, and yet this nightmare that had plagued all of Europe was now lying there, head severed from its body?

After a brief moment of daze—

Boom!

The entire strategic room instantly erupted, exclamations rising one after another, echoing in every corner.

"My God! Is this the strength of an Inspector? Too powerful! It's simply incredible!"

"I heard he is the honorary Inspector personally conferred by the First Speaker, Hong? The files said he was only a War God back then! But this... how could a War God possibly achieve this?"

"Awesome! Too awesome! Killing a Beast Emperor with a single strike; this level of power is a pursuit I wouldn't even dare to dream of in this lifetime!"

"Quick! Save this video! This is the motivation I need to become stronger!"

A fanatical light burned in everyone's eyes. In this world where the strong are respected, absolute power is always the thing that conquers hearts the most.

Soon, a specialized logistics unit boarded a fighter jet and rushed to the scene to begin processing the priceless corpse of the Phantom Cat Emperor.

According to the rules, all valuable materials obtained from hunting monsters would be converted into a massive sum of money and deposited into Lin Yuan's account.

But one could imagine that in order to befriend this terrifyingly powerful new Inspector, the compensation offered by West Sea Base City would only be higher than the market price, and they would never dare to withhold a single cent.

After processing the scene, Lin Yuan returned to West Sea Base City by fighter jet.

The moment he stepped out of the cabin door, the entire tarmac was packed to the point of being impassable.

Whether it was the soldiers responsible for security or the passing martial artists, the moment they saw the black-haired youth, they would involuntarily stop in their tracks, straighten their backs, and cast their highest respects toward him.

The fanaticism and worship revealed in those gazes could not be concealed in the slightest.

The crowd automatically parted to create a path.

Ivanov led several high-ranking officials and hurried forward to meet him. This big shot, who usually held sway over Europe, now had a face full of humble smiles, and a fine layer of cold sweat even seeped from his forehead.

"Inspector Lin! My apologies, truly, my deepest apologies!"

As soon as the two men drew near, Ivanov bowed a full ninety degrees, his tone filled with trepidation: "I was blind to your greatness earlier. My hospitality was lacking, and I have offended you. I hope the Inspector will be magnanimous and forgive me!"

He was genuinely terrified.

Recalling how he had secretly grumbled earlier because of Lin Yuan's youth, thinking headquarters had sent some "gilded" kid here to die, he felt the urge to slap himself twice.

Where was this a gilded kid? This was clearly a ferocious beast draped in human skin!

After a pause, Ivanov spoke again, his tone incomparably sincere:

"Furthermore, on behalf of the two hundred million survivors of West Sea Base City, I thank you for traveling thousands of miles to provide reinforcements! Had you not intervened, there is no telling how much more havoc this beast would have wreaked."

Looking at the old man whose attitude had undergone a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn, Lin Yuan's expression remained indifferent.

He was neither angered by the other party's previous contempt nor carried away by the current flattery.

"No need for thanks."

Lin Yuan spoke lightly, his voice as calm as water: "Fighting monsters and protecting humanity is the consensus reached by warriors across the globe. Since I accepted the mission, this is simply my duty."

Having said that, he did not linger, walking straight through the crowd to board the pitch-black King-level intelligent fighter jet.

"Home."

Following his command to the intelligent system, the cabin door slowly closed, shutting out the clamorous crowd and Ivanov's expression of wanting to say more.

Boom—

The fighter jet spewed a deep blue exhaust flame, instantly soaring into the sky and vanishing into the horizon like a streak of light.

Sitting in the comfortable cabin, Lin Yuan watched the clouds retreating rapidly outside the window, his heart filled with tranquility.

The matter had come to an end.

Through this battle, he had gained a clear understanding of his current strength.

Strong, he was indeed very strong.

In the realm of War Gods, he had reached the pinnacle, and by relying on his spiritual force and god-level cultivation techniques, he could easily crush ordinary high-level Beast Kings.

However, it was not strong enough.

Facing true powerhouse-level figures, especially those standing at the apex of the pyramid like Hong and Thunder God, he still had a significant gap to bridge.

"I must thoroughly master the first layer of Nine Star Transformations as soon as possible and further stimulate the potential I can currently unleash!"

Lin Yuan clenched his fist, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"After that, I will begin to lay out my plans step by step and control the development of all subsequent events! Mist Island... that is where I will truly take flight."

Time passed like a white horse galloping past a crevice.

In the blink of an eye, a month had gone by, and Lin Yuan's name had thoroughly rocked the War God Palace. Countless people were speculating: just what level had this Honorary Inspector's strength reached?

Jiangnan Base City, main city.

One morning, sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto the floor of the training room.

Having just finished a night of cultivation, Lin Yuan slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. He felt the genetic energy within his body becoming increasingly refined; he was only a thin layer of paper away from that critical threshold.

Just then—

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The communication watch on his wrist suddenly rang urgently.

Lin Yuan looked down, his pupils slightly constricting.

The caller ID displayed only a single character—Hong!

The world's number one powerhouse, the founder of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall!

Lin Yuan took a deep breath and pressed the answer button.

Swish!

A light screen unfolded in mid-air, and a black-haired man in a black training suit with a cold, stern face appeared on the screen.

He simply stood there quietly, and the surrounding light seemed to be swallowed by him, giving off an indescribable sense of oppression.

"Hall Master." Lin Yuan called out, "What is it?"

Hong nodded slightly, wasting no time on pleasantries, and went straight to the point, his voice cold and majestic:

"Lin Yuan, drop everything you are doing immediately."

"An abnormal energy fluctuation has appeared on the Australian Continent, suspected to be the emergence of a Plant Spirit or even a higher-level treasure. All major factions have already set out."

"I want you to head to—Mist Island—at maximum speed!"