The gigantic bear stood in midair like a small mountain, his fur pitch-black except for a palm-sized patch of red on his forehead that stood out starkly.
Beneath Xiong Tu's feet, translucent white ripples spread in all directions as though he were standing on water, vanishing a yard away. They brimmed with destructive power. These were the demonic power ripples that only Demon Kings possessed, a phenomenon that appeared when the power of blood and qi grew sufficiently strong.
"Xiong Mo, I granted you King's Protection just a few days ago. Why have you used it so soon? Why are all your subordinates dead? What happened?"
This was merely a projection of Xiong Tu, but when he spoke, the air naturally trembled. His voice rang in everyone's ears like great bells, its imposing power unrivaled.
Everyone below the Literary Rank of Metropolitan Graduate instinctively looked humble at the sight of Xiong Tu.
Xiong Mo pointed a bloodstained paw at Fang Yun. "It was this Human Race Metropolitan Graduate... no, he's a Hanlin Academician disguised as a Metropolitan Graduate. He wiped out two thousand of my subordinates single-handedly and nearly killed me! If you can kill him, I'll tell you an earth-shattering secret."
Xiong Tu shook his head gently. "When I appeared, I already expended the power of King's Protection to save you. Now I have only a projection, with no power. Killing him would be difficult, but... saving you would be effortless. In this Bloodmang Ancient Land, there is no one I, Xiong Tu, cannot protect. Hmm? Which Grand Academician is here? Why not come out and meet us?"
Fang Yun froze. He had never expected a Grand Academician to be watching in secret, and his heart tightened. He was only a Hanlin Academician, after all. However weak a Grand