Junior sister, keep forbear for a while, I almost become invincible as soon!

Chen Pingping found his combat power somewhat unfathomable. He was an unusual Divine King, excessively powerful, especially considering the kind of outbursts and attacks he could unleash. It gave him the feeling that although he still stood within the Realm of Divine King, he had become a monarch-class fighter.

Why was this happening?

He pondered for a long while. Was it because of the Six Tao of Reincarnation?

The system?

Pets?

Eventually, he arrived at a conclusion: with every completed system task—which also marked an accumulation of pet-raising days—the system would reward him with a hefty amount of cultivation. Twenty years, thirty years, fifty years… No matter the type of task, there would be a reward. Over time, this led to an issue: accumulation. The accumulation of power, foundational strength, and physical conditioning.

This accumulation wasn't as simple as one plus one; it was more of an exponential stacking. When his foundation became sufficiently profound, the power he unleashed was several times greater than that of others in the same realm. That's why he could easily overpower monarch-class fighters. Of course, Huo Yu's injuries were also a contributing factor. Otherwise, it might not have been so easy for him.

As for his own realm.

Guang Xiaoyu asked, "Senior brother, what level of Divine King are you now?"

"What's wrong?" Chen Pingping glanced sideways at her. "Are you that eager to defeat me already?"

"..."

"Young lady, Lao Huang and Hei might be extraordinary, but you shouldn't throw your life away so recklessly!" he said, his voice soft.

Damn it!

She was actually being looked down upon by her senior brother.

Hmph!

I am a Demon Emperor, after all!

Although my realm isn't as high as yours right now, that doesn't mean it will stay that way!

Guang Xiaoyu gritted her teeth, remaining silent.

"You should focus on your cultivation!" Chen Pingping said. "The team leaders from other clans might have already entered King Tao, yet you're still lingering in the early stage of the Supreme Mystery Realm!"

Guang Xiaoyu's face filled with resentment. "I'm your junior sister!"

"So what if you're my junior sister?" Chen Pingping retorted. "A junior sister who's still coveting her senior brother's pets!"

Damn!

There was no point in continuing this conversation.

Now, she actually hoped the Fire Tribe could revive their Sacred Soldiers and teach him a proper lesson.

But that was just wishful thinking. The Fire Tribe had sent experts to assassinate Chen Pingping three times, and all attempts had ended in failure.

Those experts were either dead or injured; not one had escaped unscathed. Just moments ago, the Clan Leader, the Elder, and even their legendary seventh-rank ancestor had been severely wounded by Chen Pingping.

Given the Fire Tribe's current strength, fully reviving the Sacred Soldiers seemed highly unlikely.

Besides, who knew what other trump cards her senior brother might be hiding?

Her eyes darted towards the Earth Chicken. She had initially thought it was just an ordinary chicken, right up until it effortlessly broke through the Array.

Could it also be a Spiritual Beast?

「」

"Kill!" Following Huo Yan's command, dozens of Desolation citizens were executed. Among them were the elderly, children, women, maids, and servants—thirty-seven people in total. The strongest among them was the current Family Head, Jin Qiongyu's father. However, he was only at the fifth rank, and his Bloodline Power didn't even reach the Emperor Clan's level.

"Why?" The Jin Family Master stared intently at Huo Yan, his heart filled with unwilling resentment. His daughter was a prodigy of the Emperor Clan—esteemed and powerful. It was even possible she might marry Huo Yan in the not-too-distant future. They were truly a perfect match, a talented man and a beautiful woman, seemingly made for each other. He was still fantasizing about a future where the Jin Family's status would be greatly elevated. He never expected that in the blink of an eye, this beautiful dream would shatter.

Huo Yan, leading a group of Emperor Clan experts, had stormed in without explanation, captured all of them, and sentenced them to death.

Why?

What had they done wrong?

The Jin Family members were terrified, their eyes wide with panic. Some children and young servants, both boys and girls, were crying and trembling, utterly unaware of what was happening.

Huo Yan, his expression cold, swept his gaze over them. "Jin Qiongyu has betrayed the Emperor Clan," he announced. "The ancestors have decreed that the entire Jin Family must be executed."

Betrayal? How is that possible?

The Jin Family Master, incredulous, struggled to rise and resist. "Impossible! My daughter would never betray the Jin Family! Mr. Huo Yan, are you sure there hasn't been a mistake?"

"I, too, wish I were mistaken, but the facts are the facts," Huo Yan said. "She colluded with a human cultivator, stole two of the Emperor Clan's greatest treasures, and then conspired to kill Emperor Clan experts." Recalling this, the image of that human cultivator holding Jin Qiongyu's hand made him feel an overwhelming sense of suffocation. Later, Jin Qiongyu had cleared the path for that human cultivator, Chen Pingping, helping him enter the ancestral land to steal the two great treasures. Afterward, she had even tipped off Chen Pingping…

Huo Yan took a deep breath, his gaze growing even colder. "I loved you so deeply. How could you betray me?"

"Impossible! There must be some mistake! My daughter would never betray the Emperor Clan, nor would she ever betray you, Mr. Huo Yan!" the Jin Family Master cried, his voice trembling. "I want to see her!"

"You need to understand something. This order wasn't issued by the Clan Leader, but by the Ancestor," Huo Yan said, his gaze fixed on him.

Ancestor? Only then did he register the word. A seventh-rank Ancestor? The Jin Family Master felt his breath catch in his throat.

Huo Yan ordered, "Execute them!"

A gentle breeze swept through as screams rang out, one after another. Blood spilled, staining the land crimson. The thick, metallic scent of blood hung heavy in the air, seemingly telling a silent, gruesome tale.

As the one who had given the order, Huo Yan closed his eyes in agony. He knew that with this decree, any possibility between him and Jin Qiongyu was gone forever. Though his heart ached with unwillingness, he had to obey the Ancestor's command.

A streak of light, like a rainbow, shot across the sky.

It was Jin Qiongyu, arriving in a desperate hurry, but she was too late. When she reached her home, she saw over thirty of her family members lying in pools of their own blood. Her mind went utterly blank, as if her soul had fled her body.

Huo Yan opened his eyes. His heart jolted, and a flicker of panic flashed deep within his eyes, but he quickly composed himself. Betraying the Emperor Clan was a capital offense.

"Father… Mother… Liu… Lan…" Jin Qiongyu's voice was hollow. "Don't sleep… I'm back… Open your eyes and look at me, please? It's Xiao Yu!" She walked dazedly towards this man-made hell. Her slender body trembled, her voice quivering just as much. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Why?

She had clearly helped the Fire Tribe by luring out Chen Pingping. So why did they still kill her family?

Rage blazed within her, her spirit teetering on the verge of collapse. Yet, outwardly, she became eerily calm—one moment like a gentle breeze, the next, returning to a state of utter ordinariness…

It was as if this scene before her was merely a dream.

If she woke from this dream, she would still see her family, laughing and talking.

How wonderful that would be!

After a long silence, Jin Qiongyu slowly raised her head, her gaze fixed on Huo Yan. "Everyone says you're kind, gentle, and elegant. I often wondered, are you truly that good?"

Huo Yan remained silent.

"It's a strange feeling," Jin Qiongyu continued, her voice devoid of emotion. "If you truly were as they described, I'm sure I would have fallen in love with you. But I didn't… It's because you're too perfect. Everything you do is so flawlessly presented that I could never see any weakness in you. That just shows how deeply you hide your true self."

"I didn't like you then."

"That was before…"

"Now, I despise you. You're a hypocrite. This was clearly your mistake, yet you forced the blame onto me. Because you are the esteemed prodigy of the Fire Tribe, they couldn't allow any stain on your 'genius' reputation. So… I became your scapegoat," Jin Qiongyu said, a bitter, almost mocking smile on her lips.