Is he really the new master of the Seventh Ring?

After a brief dead silence, someone angrily slammed the table and stood up:

"Arrogant fool! Who gave you the confidence?"

Others joined in, shouting in rage:

"Good, good! A mere outsider dares to act recklessly in Gash! I believe the Ninth Ring has been dormant for too long. It's time for the great city to witness Gash's fury!"

Amidst the curses, the woman's face darkened like water, Yuan Wanli shook like a leaf, and as for Li Xiaotong...

Her face was filled with deep fear.

For a long time, no one spoke.

Finally, laughter broke the silence. The old cripple laughed so hard he couldn't catch his breath. He looked at the fat man in black:

"Fatty, did your information fail you?"

The fat man in black moved his lips, trying to argue, but in the end, he said nothing. As the biggest broker in the Ninth Ring of Gash, he certainly knew of the terrifying giant that was Chen Xiang.

But it was precisely because he knew that he also understood—though Chen Xiang was strong, he was still no match for the three top figures present.

The old cripple, sitting in his high-backed wooden chair, pointed his long-handled umbrella at Chen Xiang:

"Kid, you're the funniest joke I've seen in years."

After a pause, he turned to the woman and sneered:

"Old woman, is this your man? Or did you orchestrate this entire scene yourself? I need an explanation, or else—"

A sharp glint flashed across his face.

The woman's expression grew uglier. She shot a questioning glance at Chen Xiang and took a deep breath:

"I don't know anything about this, but no matter what, didn't Chen just say he's here for negotiations? Why don't we all sit down and talk it over?"

"Talk?"

The old cripple sneered and pointed his umbrella at Chen Xiang again:

"Is this the attitude he's using to talk? But fine, kid, tell us how you want to negotiate. I have a suggestion—fully open the Seventh Ring for us to enter, and in return, we'll give you a three percent share of the profits. How does that sound?"

Sarcastic gazes fell on Chen Xiang, but his expression remained unreadable. He spoke calmly:

"So, it seems everyone is against the idea?"

"But that's okay. I'm a man of peace, so I'll give everyone one more chance. Let's sit down and have a proper discussion."

He leisurely took a seat, placing his hands on the table and continued softly:

"Two conditions and one promise."

Some grew angry, while others sensed that something was off. This terrifying giant's behavior was too strange—confident, almost unnervingly so.

Seeing that the three top figures were listening, the others chose to listen as well.

Chen Xiang spoke again:

"I grew up in the Eighth Ring, so I know the suffering of the lower-class people and the harm caused by chaos. The two conditions for this negotiation are simple."

"First, abolish the crime license system, establish a law enforcement bureau, and crack down on all criminal activities to restore basic order."

Some people laughed. The old cripple snorted through his nose.

"The second condition is that although it's difficult to stabilize social order, it's not impossible. The people, in their suffering, need faith. I will create this faith, and I need all of you to help spread it throughout the Outer Three Rings."

The muscular man sitting beside the old cripple couldn't hold back any longer. His gaze turned dangerous, and it seemed he wanted to make a move. He whispered his thoughts to his boss.

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The old cripple merely sneered and waved his hand:

"Go on. I want to hear this so-called promise of yours."

"A promise?"

Chen Xiang said calmly:

"As I said, I'm a kind person. If you all agree to my conditions, then as a reward—"

He glanced around the room, smiling:

"The newly established law enforcement bureau will pardon all of your past capital crimes and give you a chance to start fresh, to redeem yourselves through labor and other means."

The banquet hall fell into silence. People exchanged glances.

"Pardon..."

The old cripple started laughing again, harder this time. After glancing coldly at the woman, he said bluntly:

"Since this is a negotiation, I'll make a proposal too: hand over the Seventh Ring, and I'll pardon your family. Serve me for ten years, and I'll pardon you. How about that?"

Chen Xiang didn't respond to the old cripple. He merely smiled warmly:

"So, it seems you're rejecting my terms. What about the rest of you? What do you think?"

No one in the banquet hall spoke. What had initially been anger and mockery was now replaced with a sense of unease. This guy was too calm, too self-assured.

There had to be something wrong.

The old cripple also furrowed his brow slightly. What was this guy's source of confidence?

Something was definitely off.

He gestured to the muscular man beside him, who understood immediately and stood up:

"Kid, Gash doesn't welcome you. Leave now, or we will make sure you never leave Gash."

Chen Xiang still ignored him:

"I'm a kind man, but my patience has its limits. I'll ask one last time: are you all unwilling to—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the old cripple, who had grown impatient, pointed his long-handled umbrella at Chen Xiang and shouted:

"Out of respect for the old woman, leave now, or—"

Chen Xiang vanished in an instant.

Before anyone could react, he reappeared on the banquet table in front of the old cripple, grabbing the long-handled umbrella, pulling it from his grasp, and stabbing it down!

The long-handled umbrella pierced through the old cripple's body, nailing him to the high-backed chair!

"My conditions, my proposal: who agrees, who disagrees?"

Chen Xiang's deep voice echoed.

Everyone froze, their hearts gripped by the sudden turn of events!

Everything had happened too quickly, too suddenly!!

"You—" The muscular man, both shocked and furious, raised his hand, but Chen Xiang, still standing on the table, spun his leg out in a swift kick, exploding the man's head!!

Blood splattered everywhere.

"You disagree?" Chen Xiang asked the headless corpse.

"Bastard!!"

The old cripple, despite being skewered by his own umbrella, had not yet died. The life force of a sage was terrifyingly strong.

He was enraged, gathering an extreme coldness that surged toward Chen Xiang to freeze him to death!!

In an instant, the air around Chen Xiang plummeted to absolute zero, water vapor turning into ice. He was encased in it, becoming an ice sculpture!

The old cripple reached out to grab the long-handled umbrella, attempting to pull it from his body, but then he heard a voice from within the ice:

"You disagree too, don't you?"

The old cripple's hair stood on end, a sudden sense of dread flooding his heart. He looked up in shock to see the ice sculpture raising its leg toward him!

"Attack now, or we're all going to die!" he roared, the four elements converging to form a barrier, as his body suddenly began to fade!

The Voidwalker sequence.

The next moment.

Chen Xiang's raised leg slammed down, shattering the barrier of four elements. At the same time, it entered the void, smashing through the folded space!

Boom!!

Under the horrified gazes of everyone, the old cripple, still in his void form, had his head crushed.

The second headless corpse.

The woman abruptly stood up, her face full of shock. The Duke's pupils contracted, cold sweat dripping down his back!

This wasn't what the academy had said… not at all!

In the blink of an eye, Chen Xiang stepped onto the long table, looking down at the Duke. The latter's expression changed dramatically, and he quickly shouted, "I agree! I agree..."

A jet-black flame ignited from the void, entering through the Duke's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. He let out a piercing scream, dropping his beloved cane, while the elegant hat on his head burned along with his entire body in a fierce blaze!

At his current level, Chen Xiang no longer feared revealing his "Divine Favored One" trait.

"Apologies."

He stood on the long table and sighed softly, "You answered too late. I couldn't stop in time. My fault."

As he watched the spy from the academy burn into pure white ash and felt the vitality and energy nourishing his body, Chen Xiang calmly glanced around and spoke gently:

"One last time."

"Who agrees, and who disagrees?"

Everyone remained frozen in place. A chill rose from their tailbones, rushing through their entire bodies. Even the Madam was in a daze, as if she had fallen into a deep, surreal dream.

Just two breaths.

In the span of only two breaths, two of the Nine Rings' overlords had been killed so swiftly and decisively!

Why?

How?

How could this be possible?

The Madam wondered if she was truly in a dream. Was this really the same Chen from before?

She gasped for breath, her heart pounding with both shock and a trace of relief. Thankfully, she had always been trying to befriend him. If not...

The Madam glanced at the two headless corpses, then at the pile of white ash, her heart racing.

Yuan Wanli finally rubbed his eyes, realizing what had happened. Meanwhile, the other major figures of the Nine Rings lowered their heads one by one, then scrambled to shout:

"We agree! We agree, we all agree!"

"Good."

Chen Xiang leapt off the long table, nodded slightly toward the trembling Madam, and turned to walk toward the exit.

As he reached the door, he paused slightly:

"In three days, I want to see the Nine Rings restored to order. After three days, I will begin reorganizing the entire Outer Three Rings."

"Additionally, the people need faith, but not a religion of gods. I have created a belief, and you will spread it. Likewise, in three days, I want everyone in the Nine Rings to chant this name."

"Excuse me..."

Someone, gathering their courage, asked:

"What name?"

"Hmm..."

Chen Xiang spoke in a low voice:

"Emperor."

He then had a sudden flash of inspiration and changed it:

"Emperor Xiang."

Far away, Lu Saleng, who had been watching from a distance, suddenly stood up.