Schemes on All Sides, Hong Gui's Background

"Sizzle--!"

Accompanied by an extremely ear-piercing sound of bones dislocating and muscles tearing, these seemingly respectable members of the Wu Family underwent a terrifying transformation in full view of everyone!

Their skin turned into purple scales covered in barbs, their eyes became scarlet vertical pupils, and they even grew pairs of disgusting, bat-like, fleshy, bony wings on their backs!

"Monsters! They're Variants!!!"

A desperate scream erupted from the Pan Family members! They never imagined that a top- Demon Capital family in Shanghai was actually a Demon Cave composed entirely of high-level Variants!

However, what chilled them even more was the reaction of the elders of the three major families.

When the elders of the Li Family saw these Wu Family Variants revealing their true forms, they not only did not draw their swords, but instead a cold smile appeared on their lips.

"Clan Chief Wu, the goods are all here. Let's inspect them," the Li Family elder said calmly.

The head of the Wu Family, a Purple-Winged Demon Bat whose largest body had reached the Mid-stage True Power Realm, flapped its wings and emitted an extremely piercing, metallic laugh.

"Hehehe... Elder Li, Elder Chu, Elder Tang, thank you for the hospitality of the three great families."

The Wu Family patriarch's scarlet vertical pupils greedily swept over the Pan Family family members below, whose cultivation was not weak, and he even drooled a drop of extremely disgusting purple saliva.

"The quality of this batch of 'feed' from the Pan Family is far superior to the garbage snatched from the slums! Not only is their qi and blood extremely abundant, but there are even several experts at the Meridian Opening Realm among them!"

Upon hearing this...

All members of the Pan Family felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave, a chill of utter absurdity and despair shooting straight from their tailbone to the top of their head!

They finally understood!

Why would the three major families suddenly launch an attack and try to wipe out the Pan Family at all costs?

It wasn't about some so-called "righteous purge," nor was it simply about seizing their property!

Rather, it's because...

These Variants "pigs" raised by the three major families have an ever-growing appetite!

Those commoner martial artists who were obtained through student loans and swindling have such low-quality blood and qi that they can no longer meet the needs of these high-level Variants for rapid evolution! In order to obtain higher-grade Variants materials and essence blood, the three major families have decided to "improve the diet" for these monsters!

And the Pan Family, a first-class family with a large number of experts in the Meridian Opening Realm and Qi Gathering Realm, was carefully selected by the three major families to feed these monsters—high-grade fodder!

"No! You can't do this! We are all human beings! You are raising a tiger to cause your own destruction!!!" An elder of the Pan Family cried out in despair, but in the face of absolute power, all resistance was futile.

"Let's eat."

With a command from the elder of the Li Family.

"Roar--!!!"

Dozens of high-level Variants from the Wu Family pounced on the Pan Family family members who were locked up like hungry tigers!

The sounds of tearing and chewing, along with chilling screams, instantly echoed throughout the underground warehouse. It was an extremely bloody, hellish feast that crossed the line of human morality!

On the high platform.

The three elders at the True Power Realm watched this utterly disgusting scene below with expressionless faces.

"These beasts grow faster the more they eat," the Chu Family elder sneered. "Once they absorb the lifeblood of the Pan Family's experts and their strength rises to another level, we'll be able to harvest a batch of the finest ' True Power Level' Variants blood essence."

"However, we must also be wary of their backlash." A hint of vigilance flashed in the eyes of the Tang Family elder. "These Purple-Winged Demon Bat are extremely intelligent. If they break through to the Late-stage True Power Realm, they might become uncontrollable."

It's alright.

The elder of the Li Family smiled with extreme confidence, slightly raising his gaze to look into the depths of the warehouse's extremely high dome.

"With our ancestors around, they can't cause any trouble."

Following his gaze.

In the extremely concealed shadows of the warehouse dome.

Three extremely ethereal and terrifying mental fluctuations, seemingly devoid of even physical form, were coldly observing everything below.

These three spiritual energies were so powerful that they even caused a very slight distortion in the surrounding space!

They are the true pillars of stability behind the three major families, the [Sea of Consciousness Realm] Ancestors who broke through the shackles of the physical body and opened up the Sea of Consciousness in their spirit!

With these three old monsters secretly suppressing the rebellion, even the Wu Family patriarch, a True Power Realm Variants, would absolutely not dare to harbor the slightest thought of rebellion.

However.

Whether it was the three True Power Realm elders or the three high-ranking Sea of Consciousness Realm ancestors.

They didn't notice.

Below, in that extremely chaotic and bloody massacre.

Those Wu Family Variants who were frantically devouring the flesh and blood of the Pan Family family members had, deep within their scarlet vertical pupils, a strange, even slightly insane, determination hidden besides their greed for flesh and blood!

"It'll be soon... it'll be soon!"

While chewing on the heart of an elder at the Meridian Opening Realm, the Wu Family patriarch secretly communicated with other Variants using mental fluctuations.

"Foolish humans... do you really think we're livestock to be kept in captivity?"

"Once we've drained this batch of high-level blood food..."

"We will never improve our cultivation so you can reap the benefits!"

A trace of extremely terrifying fanaticism flashed across the ferocious face of the head of the Wu family.

"We will sacrifice all the Variants powers within us, even our lives and souls!"

"Use this terrifying energy, which combines high-level Variants and countless powerful humans, to break through that damned seal!"

"On the ' Boundary ' outside Demon Capital... forcibly tear open a gap!"

"Welcome... the arrival of our true 'King'!!!"

In Demon Capital, at the Li Family Manor, lies the most central Moon-Embracing Pavilion.

This is a quaint three-story wooden building constructed on the shore of an artificial lake with abundant spiritual energy.

The air in the top-floor study was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

A middle-aged man with a refined appearance and slightly graying temples, dressed in loose-fitting training clothes, stood in front of a huge floor-to-ceiling window. He held a cup of tea in his hand and calmly gazed towards the south of the city in the distance.

Even without deliberately releasing any pressure, the deep and abyss-like aura of [True Power Realm Perfection] surrounding him, seemingly integrated with the surrounding world, still made the air in the entire study feel somewhat heavy.

The current head of the Li Family is Li Canghai!

"Master."

The study door was gently pushed open, and the Li Family elder who had just been overseeing the "double-crossing" operation in the abandoned factory area had changed out of his blood-stained night clothes and respectfully entered.

"How's the matter with the Pan Family going?" Li Canghai didn't turn around, but simply took a sip of tea.

"Reporting to the patriarch, everything went smoothly." The Li Family family elder bowed slightly, a hint of undisguised excitement flashing in his eyes. "The Pan Family patriarch has been killed, and the Pan Family's public and underground businesses in Demon Capital have been taken over by our three major families according to the agreed proportions."

"As for the core members and high-level martial artists of the Pan Family..." The Li Family elder paused, lowering his voice, "They have all been transported to the secret warehouse in the south of the city. The Wu Family's Variants are currently 'enjoying' this high-quality feed."

"Hmm." Li Canghai nodded slightly, his face expressionless. "The ancestors are all watching from the shadows, aren't they? Those beasts from the Wu Family have been getting increasingly greedy lately. Don't let them get too full and turn around and bite us."

"Don't worry, Patriarch. With three patriarchs at the Sea of Consciousness Realm personally suppressing them under the dome, even if the Wu Family had a few more lives, they wouldn't dare to play any tricks under the patriarchs' noses. Once they've digested this batch of high-level blood food, it will be time for us to harvest the ' True Power Level' top-grade Variants blood essence," the Li Family elder said confidently.

The two remained silent for a moment.

The Li Family elder seemed to remember something, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke up, "Patriarch, there's one more thing. It concerns the eldest young lady..."

Upon hearing the words "young lady," a complex emotion finally flickered in Li Canghai's usually placid eyes.

"What kind of trouble has that girl, Hong Gui, been causing in Demon Capital's underworld lately?"