"Is the name of that demonic cultivator really Wei Yi?" Liu Xing asked again.

"Who are you?" Prince Yang Jinyan countered.

Elder Yang Zhaoyan stepped in. "This is Liu Xing, a disciple of the Purple Moon Sect. He's the one who saved your sister and escorted her here safely."

"Yang Liangyu is safe? Thank the heavens!" The prince sighed in relief, then smiled at Liu Xing and bowed his head slightly. "Thank you. I, Yang Jinyan, owe you a debt. Ask anything, and I will give it to you." His smile quickly faded. "At least, that's what I'd do if I still had power. The Twelve Sun Empire now teeters on the brink of destruction, so I can't compensate you right now."

"It's all right," Liu Xing said. "More importantly, is the demonic cultivator helping Yang Lihuo really Wei Yi?"

He needed to confirm the most crucial piece of information they had mentioned.

"Yes, he declared his name as Wei Yi. Do you know him?" the blood-drenched woman asked.

Liu Xing nodded. " In fact, the reason I came here to the City of Suns was to warn you about the spirit beasts I encountered that have a connection to Wei Yi."

Before Liu Xing could say more, the abomination relentlessly pounding the barrier suddenly struck it with such force that it sounded like a gong. Everyone snapped their heads toward the point of impact. When they saw the crack in the barrier, their eyes widened in shock.

The barrier was strong—so strong that even Liu Xing doubted he could destroy it. This abomination was clearly stronger than him, but considering an elder of the Sun Refining realm maintained the barrier, it shouldn't have been able to break through.

The monster punched the barrier again, spreading the crack further. On the third blow, its fist successfully breached the barrier.

"It seems this abomination is stronger than I thought," Elder Yang Zhaoyan said. "We'll have to continue our conversation later."

The creature punched the barrier with its other hand, then, like a man parting curtains, spread the opening wider. Its massive, dog-like head peered inside. When it spotted the group of cultivators, it let out an ear-splitting roar. Liu Xing, at the front of the group, felt a spray of saliva rain down on him.

Liu Xing adjusted his stance, preparing to jump. He observed the people around him. The prince and the two women looked panicked as they ran toward the clan compound.

The prince shouted, "Anyone below the third core of the Core Splitting realm, get inside! We're too weak to hurt it, and if we die, it'll only grow stronger!"

"Let the elder handle this!" the blood-drenched woman yelled. The other woman nodded in agreement.

"Go, all of you," Elder Yang Zhaoyan commanded.

Hearing this, the group behind began retreating into the clan compound. Liu Xing glanced at the spirit beast, which had successfully torn through the barrier and was now trying to squeeze itself inside. He then looked at the elder's expression. While there was a hint of anxiety in his eyes—understandable given what they'd just heard from the prince—he still appeared calm overall. Liu Xing believed the elder could handle the abomination. He decided to follow other cultivators, but before he could move, the elder grabbed him by the back of his collar.

"Not you. You stay with me."

"What? Why?" Liu Xing asked, surprised.

"Because I want to talk with you and gauge your power," the elder explained. "The news from the prince's mouth is dire. He's in shock and has yet to grasp the full implications. But right now, I'm the strongest person in the entire empire."

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Liu Xing's mind raced to process the elder's words. When he said he was the strongest person in the empire, a sense of doom filled Liu Xing's heart. While the elder was undoubtedly powerful, there was no way for him to fix this mess alone. The growing army of Yang Lihuo and Wei Yi, along with the spirit beasts now hunting for bloodlines, was too much for Elder Yang Zhaoyan to handle by himself.

"How can I help?" Liu Xing asked. The abomination had now fully entered the barrier, its mouth wide open, revealing hundreds of white fangs and a black, hand-shaped tongue. It was terrifying, but Liu Xing kept his focus on the elder.

"We'll discuss specifics later in a meeting after we deal with this abomination," the elder replied. "The thing is, our forces are weak. Aside from me, there are only nine Core Splitting cultivators remaining, including the prince. I've heard disciples from great sects are always stronger than others at the same realm, so I want to know how strong you are." He glance at the abomination.

Liu Xing understood the meaning behind the elder's words. He wanted to know if Liu Xing could be counted as an ally or not. After all, Liu Xing wasn't a resident of this empire, let alone this clan. He had no obligation to stay in this doomed empire. If he refused to fight, it would mean Liu Xing wasn't an ally. He wouldn't help this empire, and he wouldn't fight alongside the Yang clan. He was still a Purple Moon Sect disciple, so they would remain polite, but they would give him the cold shoulder until he decided to leave.

Liu Xing turned to face the powerful abomination. He had a choice to refuse and go, but he had already steeled his heart. While it might have been irrational, he felt that this whole mess was partly due to his own weakness. If he had been stronger when he arrived at Mystic Moon City and confronted Wei Yi there, perhaps this empire would still be intact. It was irrational, and he knew it, but he couldn't shake the feeling.

He would channel this emotion into doing the best he could right now, which meant proving himself as an ally of the Yang clan in this conflict. He would help. He wouldn't back down.

"I'll fight," Liu Xing declared.

The elder nodded, his expression calm with a hint of approval in his eyes. He then took several steps back, giving Liu Xing the battlefield to himself.

Liu Xing decided he would win. The elder probably thought Liu Xing couldn't emerge victorious and was ready to jump in at any moment. Liu Xing shared this sentiment, but he also wanted to win this fight—to gauge how strong he had become.

"Elder, how strong is this abomination?" Liu Xing asked.

"I can't pinpoint its exact strength, but at the very least, it's as strong as a cultivator at the Core Splitting realm with five cores," the elder replied. "Why? Are you afraid?"

"Of course I'm afraid. I could die if I'm careless for even a split second," Liu Xing admitted. "But I'll still fight, and I think I want some reward for what I'm about to do."

Sweat began to drench his back as his heart pumped blood and adrenaline through his body and sharpened his senses. The decision to ask the elder for a reward was spontaneous, but he didn't regret it. If the elder agreed, it would give him more motivation not just to fight, but to win.

The elder cracked a smile, but his eyes narrowed. "Heh, do you think you can win?"

"I don't know, but at the very least, I can impress you."

The abomination in front of them rose to its full height on its hind legs, making its already imposing stature even more intimidating. It looked down at Liu Xing and the elder, saliva dripping from its mouth. Liu Xing had to crane his neck to meet its gaze.

"I'll give you one thing if you can impress me," the elder offered. "But only if you can hold out for at least an hour. How about it?"

"Deal," Liu Xing said. He popped the Ethereal Pearl into his mouth, flexed his fingers inside the black gauntlets, and summoned his gun in his left hand. He then channeled all of the potent qi from his bullets to the Ethereal Pearl. This potent qi, which belonged to Wei Gang, could be used to advance his cultivation, but he had decided to hold onto it. Now, it would be used to fight this abomination.

Liu Xing willed the gun to absorb some of his qi, creating six bullets, then directed the potent qi to activate his necklace and make him surrounded by stable qi.

With his preparations complete, Liu Xing waited for the creature to attack first. This fight would be challenging, but he was determined to endure.

"Good luck," the elder said. As if those words were a starting gun, the abomination howled and whipped its long arm toward Liu Xing like a lash.

Seeing this, Liu Xing activated his Lightning Cloak and jumped with all his might. The ground beneath him caved in as he shot upward like a rocket. He clenched his right hand, channeling stable qi into it until a yellow spiraling line covered his knuckles. Then, with all his strength, he aimed a punch at the abomination's jaw.

When his fist connected, it felt like striking a steel wall rather than flesh and blood. Even so, the blow packed enough force to snap the creature's jaw shut and make its head jerk backward. A high-pitched squeal, like someone stepping on a dog's tail, pierced the air as the abomination stumbled back a step.

The battle had begun, and Liu Xing knew he had to give it everything he had if he wanted to survive, let alone impress the elder.