A Bunch of Ungrateful Wretches!

At this moment, Chen Yu stepped onto the stone stairs.

He climbed upward, one step at a time.

Behind him, the military camp's song still echoed.

Ahead of him, the clouds at the mountaintop drew ever closer, and the outline of the War God Temple flickered in and out of view through the mist.

Sunlight shone from behind him, casting a long shadow before him. It stretched up the stone steps as though it were guiding his way.

At the summit...

The War God Temple stood silently in the morning light.

Waiting for its Speaker.

He arrived at the mountaintop.

Amid the swirling clouds and mist...

A massive boulder lay across his path.

The boulder was dozens of zhang tall, its entire body a dark bluish-black.

But the most shocking sight...

Was the door embedded directly in the center of the boulder.

A massive metal door.

The door panels were pitch-black, reflecting no gleam even beneath the morning sun. It stood around five zhang tall and three zhang wide, with an astonishing thickness. From afar, it resembled a black monument embedded in the mountain.

All manner of patterns had been carved onto the door, most of them grotesque and savage.

Some resembled Soul Beasts, their bloody maws wide open and their ghastly white fangs bared.

Some resembled humans, their bodies twisted, their faces filled with pain and terror.

There were also monsters impossible to identify, with octopus-like tentacles, bat-like wings, and lizard-like scales. They twisted and tangled together, forming scenes that sent chills down one's spine.

This was the Hell Gate of the War God Temple.

It was said that this gate had been personally forged by the first Temple Master when the War God Temple was first established.

The metal used for its panels was a special alloy from beyond this plane. It was unimaginably heavy, and its defensive power was even more terrifying.

Without the strength of three thousand jin, it was impossible to push this gate open.

This was both the War God Temple's first line of defense and the first test for anyone seeking entry.

Anyone who could not even push open the gate...

Had no right to enter the War God Temple.

Yet at this moment, the Hell Gate slowly opened, revealing utter darkness within.

The two heavy door panels slid inward, as though making way for someone.

A faint wind blew from the darkness beyond, carrying an ancient and mysterious aura.

The Hell Gate could not be opened without three thousand jin of strength.

But to Chen Yu, it was no different from opening an ordinary door.

Three thousand jin was nothing. Even thirty thousand or three hundred thousand jin would be no more than the flick of a hand before him.

And clearly...

The War God Temple knew this as well, so it had opened the gate on its own to spare itself the embarrassment later.

Chen Yu did not pause and stepped inside.

His figure vanished into the darkness beyond the gate, as though swallowed by the mouth of a giant beast.

Behind him, the Hell Gate slowly shut, sealing the sunlight and mist outside.

The ground beneath his feet began to move.

This was an enormous elevator connecting the summit entrance to the main body of the War God Temple within the mountain.

Darkness surrounded the elevator, and only the lights above and below illuminated a limited area.

A moment later, Chen Yu arrived in a hall.

It was a vast underground hall.

It was around ten zhang high and nearly a hundred zhang across. Countless luminous pearls were embedded in its vaulted ceiling, emitting a gentle yet brilliant glow that lit the entire hall as brightly as day.

And at the very center of the hall...

Stood a circular council platform, its surface carved from a single block of white jade and polished as smooth as a mirror.

Around the council platform...

Dozens of stone chairs had been arranged in neat rows, each backrest engraved with an ancient symbol.

Those were the titles of the War Gods throughout the War God Temple's history, representing its legacy and glory.

At this moment, all the War Gods of the War God Temple were already waiting for Chen Yu.

They stood around the council platform in uniform dark-red battle robes, with the War God Temple's emblem embroidered over their chests.

Every face bore a different expression.

Some were calm, some frowned deeply, some had unease in their eyes, while others wore cold sneers.

But without exception, all their gazes fell upon the figure emerging from the elevator.

And the leader among those War Gods...

Was none other than the War God Temple's Vice Temple Master, Yue Guan.

He stood directly in front of the council platform, half a step ahead of the other War Gods.

The patterns on his robes differed from the red ones worn by the other War Gods. His were gold.

Golden trim, golden patterns, and a golden emblem gleamed beneath the light of the luminous pearls.

That was the mark of the Vice Temple Master, a symbol of his status in the War God Temple: beneath one man and above ten thousand.

Yue Guan, known by the title Sky-Surpassing, was a Rank 99 Limit Douluo and a Four-Word Battle Armor Master.

His martial soul was the Sky-Surpassing Spear.

It was a powerful weapon martial soul possessing the ultimate attribute of attack.

It was said that he had already been a renowned genius across the continent in his youth.

After joining the War God Temple, he rose all the way to the position of Vice Temple Master in less than forty years.

When he saw Chen Yu, he let out a quiet sigh, filled with helplessness and a trace of apprehension.

Then, he stepped forward half a pace, bowed slightly, and said in a deep voice.

"May I ask why the Speaker has come?"

His tone was neither servile nor overbearing. He showed neither excessive respect nor obvious hostility.

Chen Yu stood with his hands behind his back, calmly watching Yue Guan. He did not exchange pleasantries and went straight to the point.

"Yue Guan, you understand better than I do why This Speaker has come."

"Regarding Chen Xinjie's actions in the past, as Vice Temple Master of the War God Temple, did you truly notice nothing?"

"If you dare answer that way..."

"Then do not blame This Speaker for replacing you outright."

His tone was icy, giving Yue Guan no face at all.

The moment those words left his mouth, Yue Guan's face flushed bright red.

He had served as Vice Temple Master of the War God Temple for decades. His power and status placed him beneath one man and above ten thousand.

When had anyone ever rebuked him so bluntly to his face?

Especially in front of all the War Gods.

He gritted his teeth, unable to suppress the anger in his voice.

"Chen Yu, as Speaker, you have repeatedly interfered in the internal affairs of our War God Temple. Do you not think you have overreached yourself?!"

"Moreover, regarding Chen Xinjie, our War God Temple has already yielded. What more do you want?"

"Yielded?"

Chen Yu let out a cold laugh, his voice filled with mockery.

"Chen Xinjie spent only one night in the Federation's prison."

"And during that one night, every one of you used the power in your hands, trying to interfere in this matter and rescue Chen Xinjie."

"Is that what you call yielding?!"

His voice was not loud, but every word was like a blade, striking precisely into Yue Guan's heart.

Yue Guan flew into a rage. His chest heaved violently, and his voice rose several pitches.

"Even if Chen Xinjie made mistakes, that is still an internal matter of our War God Temple. We will deliver a fair judgment."

"As Speaker, you forcibly interfere in the War God Temple's internal affairs. Are you without fault yourself?!"

"This Speaker is indeed at fault."

Chen Yu spoke slowly.

His tone suddenly became calm.