Within seconds, most of the invaders were reduced to mangled heaps of flesh and blood, while others simply dissolved into the sprawling nothingness of Scott’s nihilistic zone. Only the Territorial Lord remained, frozen in shock as he locked eyes with Scott, whose gaze remained unyielding and cold.

“What... what sort of witchcraft is this?” the lord stammered, his body refusing his commands.

Scott stepped closer, his expression impassive. “Who sent you?” he asked, his voice low and cutting. “Speak, and I’ll grant you a painless death. What’s your answer?”

The Territorial Lord’s initial shock twisted into mockery. “You think you’ve won just because—”

Before he could finish, Scott extended his hand, gripping the lord’s head. Black tendrils erupted from Scott’s fingers, burrowing into the man’s skull with sickening speed.

“Wait! Wait, I’ll—” The champion’s words dissolved into a mournful screech as his body convulsed. Cracks echoed from his twisting bones, and thick, pungent blood seeped from his once-defiant eyes. The black tendrils coiled through his pupils, slithering like venomous snakes into the whites of his eyes.

Scott released his grip and stepped forward, his attention drifting from the lord’s broken form to the battlefield, where the remnants of the slaughter labored in their attempts to flee.

This one was probably sent to test the waters, Scott mused, the Territorial Lord’s anguished screams still reaching his ears. An initiation ritual, perhaps?

He frowned, his eyes narrowing. This can’t be all they planned, right? Did they underestimate me because I’m new?

Your territory is being invaded by members of an Alliance! Fight or Surrender! The choice is yours!

Ah, there it is. Scott’s lips curled into a wicked smile as his gaze swept across the battlefield, halting when he saw the new wave of invaders.

This time, they were different.

Unlike the armored champions of the first assault, these newcomers wore flowing Daoist robes and rode atop dragons. Yet these were not traditional dragons he remembered. They were serpentine, resembling flood dragons but with distinct differences in their curved horns and roundish heads. Some had fins while others had wings. The dragons shimmered in various hues—most were red and green, but some were black, white, and the rarest among them, blue.

Scott’s gaze lingered on the awe-inspiring creatures before shifting to the figures standing on them. His ominous eyes studied the invaders, and his brow furrowed. They were humanoid in form, but unmistakably beastmen.

Even beastmen can become cultivators... Scott nodded slowly. His focus darted across the crowd. Which of them is the Territorial Lord? The system, whether intentionally or otherwise, didn’t identify the leader of the invasion, leaving Scott to find the figure himself.

“K... kill... me. Please...”

The broken whisper from the Territorial Lord behind him went unanswered. Scott had given him a chance, and there would not be another.

Before the plea could fade, a massive needle, shimmering with baleful qi, materialized above the champion’s head. Its intent was clear—to finish off the suffering lord.

The Chains of the Abyss stirred, rustling with purpose. They uncoiled rapidly, shooting toward the needle. Wrapping around its shimmering form, they squeezed with relentless force. Cracks spread across the needle’s surface, growing louder until a sharp snap echoed, and it shattered into thousands of shards.

But the fragments were not done. They swirled together, reforming into smaller projectiles that raced toward the Territorial Lord. Their path was clear—death.

The chains moved to intercept, but the shards slipped through the gaps, homing in on the bound man. Just as they were about to connect, portals of inky darkness materialized, swallowing the shards whole. The portals disappeared as quickly as they had come.

Scott, who hadn’t spared the commotion a glance, had his attention fixed elsewhere—on a beastman cultivator among the new invaders. The figure stood out, his left hand gripping his right wrist while his raised right hand formed a precise mudra with two fingers extended. This was the one who had controlled the needle.

The beastman’s face darkened as the portals devoured his attack, but the momentary frustration was replaced by calm determination. Above, over a hundred dragons now hovered within Scott’s territory, each carrying more than three hundred cultivators on their serpentine backs.

The invaders surveyed the battlefield. All traces of the first wave had been consumed by the bubbling darkness that churned below. Not even a strand of hair remained. Yet the abominations, those unholy creatures Scott had unleashed, still prowled the zone, their presence a nightmarish existence.

A powerful voice boomed across the field, cutting through the tense air.

“Are you the lord of this territory?”

Scott’s brows arched as he scanned the group. None of them had moved their lips, yet a powerful voice reverberated through the territory.

Interesting... So, someone here can project their voice like that? Scott mused, his gaze lingering. There are certainly fascinating abilities out there.

In response to the inquiry, the one-eyed abomination roared, its guttural cry splitting the air, and began to spin rapidly.

The blue dragon reacted instantly, its riders leaping skyward on shimmering treasures. The dragon roared, summoning a series of arcane glyphs that coalesced into a dense barrier of qi, encasing all the cultivators and dragons within.

The barrier had barely settled when a deafening bang echoed across the battlefield, followed by another—Bang. Bang. Bang. Each resounding louder, the vibrations rattling the ground and stirring the churning mist.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

The cultivators, who had maintained stoic expressions, now glanced nervously at the luminous shield protecting them. They couldn’t see what was striking the barrier, but their instincts screamed of impending doom if it broke through.

Meanwhile, the abomination’s rotation accelerated, its violent spinning generating a gale so fierce it threatened to tear the air itself. The relentless pounding intensified, reverberating through the territory with a force that seemed to crack the fabric of reality. Massive vortexes materialized around the abomination, obscuring its form as it vanished into the maelstrom.

The vortexes slammed against the qi barrier, and with a sharp crack, fractures webbed across its glowing surface.

The blue dragon let out a pained roar, vomiting blood as its majestic form became haggard. Its defiance didn’t falter, even as the vortexes battered the barrier mercilessly. The cultivators watched with bated breath, their earlier aloofness replaced by palpable dread.

More cracks splintered the barrier, but the blue dragon stood firm, its eyes blazing with determination. Gradually, the gales subsided, and the vortexes dissipated. The abomination’s form emerged once more, its lone eye fixed on the dragon. Blood-red tears streamed down its grotesque face as it began to wail—a chilling, otherworldly sound like the screams of countless dying creatures.

The mournful cries spread an eerie silence across the battlefield, sending shivers down the spines of every invader.

The blue dragon huffed, its labored breaths audible, yet it dared not deactivate the barrier. Suddenly, several cultivators gasped for air, clutching their throats as their bodies wobbled on their floating treasures.

The white dragons roared in unison, their serpentine forms exuding a corporeal mist that wrapped around the cultivators and dragons. But the clear air within the barrier began to shift, darkening into a murky yellow fog.

Eyes widened in shock as the invaders traced the fog’s origin to the churning mist beyond the barrier.

“He’s a demon!” one cultivator shouted.

“Anyone who can summon such wicked creatures must be killed!” another declared, drawing a sword seemingly from thin air.

Others joined the sentiment, unsheathing their weapons. Yet, a few remained silent, their eyes locked on the lopsided, multi-eyed creature looming behind Scott.

Then Scott spoke, his voice booming across the battlefield. “Heed my call!”

All eyes turned to him, the cultivators and dragons scanning his expression, trying to divine his intent.

Before anyone could respond, some of the cultivators shouted in unison, “We see thee, chosen by the Mad Throne!”

Confusion rippled through the ranks.

“What the hell are you saying?” a cultivator growled, glaring at his companion, who stood motionless, his eyes glistening with fervor.

“Bingu, snap out of it!” another champion barked, shaking his partner. “Are you bewitched?”

Scott’s voice thundered again. “What shall you do?”

“We will serve thee, cursed with blackened flames!” the entranced cultivators cried fervently.

Panic erupted. The remaining cultivators recoiled, unsure of what was happening.

“It’s the demon with the eyes!” a black dragon warned, its deep voice resonating with ancient power. “Do not look at it. Kill those ensnared!”

But Scott spoke once more, his tone final. “You shall not be remembered.”

The entranced cultivators replied with chilling conviction: “We long not for glory or fame. Our existence is meaningless, and we shall return to the origin. The world is ripe with madness. Glory to the Mad Throne! Glory to the Scion of Madness! For only madness is eternal!”

Several were cut down mid-sentence by their companions, but many completed their ominous declarations. As soon as they finished, they turned manic, rushing toward their allies. Without warning, they exploded, triggering a chain reaction within the barrier.

The black dragons chanted in unison, their guttural voices weaving an ancient sutra. A raspy chime echoed across the field, expelling several cultivators from the barrier before they too detonated. The once-transparent shield turned opaque, glowing with intricate glyphs as it strained to contain the chaos within.

Scott’s lips curved into a faint smile as he studied the barrier. I don’t think they came with a territorial lord; he thought. It’s not that they underestimated me—they probably just didn’t expect a newly ascended lord to be this strong.

He raised his hand, ready to act, but paused when he caught the faint sound of footsteps approaching.

“You’re finally here,” he said without turning.

A familiar chuckle followed. “Sorry for the delay. Looks like you’ve been having quite the party without us,” Orion muttered. “Who’s that? Can I keep him if you’re not planning to kill him yet?”

“Do whatever you want,” Scott replied without hesitation. A sudden warmth on his hand drew his attention. He turned to see Fi-Fi holding him, her soft gaze meeting his. The elemental slime’s form shimmered faintly as she pointed toward the massive barrier.

“Are there dragons in there?” she asked, her tone calm but laced with an unmistakable hunger.

Scott raised a brow, caught off guard. Is this... also a by-product of her evolution? He nodded slowly. “Yes. Why do you ask?”

“Fi-Fi will eat them,” she said flatly, releasing his hand and striding forward.

Orion stepped closer; his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Aren’t you curious?” he asked through the party channel. “About how strong she’s gotten?”

Scott didn’t respond immediately, though he couldn’t deny the question intrigued him. Before Fi-Fi entered forced hibernation, she had been formidable. But since then, the rest of them had grown exponentially. I wonder how strong she has gotten since then, Scott pondered.

“Care to make a wager?” Orion’s tone was light, but his smile carried his usual mischief.

Scott shot him a sidelong glance. “What kind of wager?”

“Nothing major. Just something to pass the time,” Orion said, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s bet on how long it takes Fi-Fi to obliterate those invaders.”

“You’re that confident she’ll win?” Scott asked skeptically.

Orion shrugged, his grin widening. “Are you in?”

Scott’s gaze flicked between Orion and Fi-Fi, who was now steadily approaching the barrier. “What’s in it for you?” He knew Orion wasn’t the type to make suggestions on a whim, no matter how random they seem.

“If I win,” Orion said, his voice almost conspiratorial, “I want some of your samples—”

“Not happening,” Scott cut in immediately.

Orion chuckled, but their conversation abruptly ended as the dormant barrier began to stir. Both turned their focus toward it, watching as Fi-Fi halted mid-step.

The surface of the barrier rippled, and guttural roars reverberated through the air. In an instant, the barrier conjured a dozen colossal dragons formed from the purest qi. Each one dwarfed the last as they coiled around the barrier’s surface, their glowing eyes fixed on Fi-Fi, who still wore Scott’s form.

The summoned dragons unleashed a thunderous roar, their cries filled with unbridled fury—like predators facing their natural nemesis.

Without warning, immense amounts of concentrated qi gathered in their gaping maws. They fired in unison, a cascade of draconic breath engulfing Fi-Fi in an inferno of energy. The ground trembled, and a blistering haze lingered as the attack subsided, swallowed by an eerie fog.

Scott and Orion peered through the haze, their gazes narrowing. Fi-Fi’s gelatinous form was visible, her body riddled with perforations. The attack had stripped away her humanoid shape, leaving her in her original slime state, parts of her body bubbling ominously.

“It’s a shame you didn’t take the bet,” Orion sighed through the party channel. “I was hoping to scam you out of a few samples. Such a missed opportunity.”

Scott ignored the mage, his focus entirely on Fi-Fi. His brows furrowed as unease crept over him. What’s going on? I can feel... something unsettling from her. What exactly did she—

Before his thoughts could coalesce, a wave of baleful energy erupted from Fi-Fi’s form.

Scott instinctively reached for his war hammer, the chains rattling softly as he readied himself. The abominations lurking in the fog shrieked, their cries filled with interest as they turned toward the elemental slime.

Fi-Fi’s form regenerated with unnatural speed, her perforations sealing as if they’d never existed.

Above, the summoned dragons roared again, their bloodlust magnified. The barrier, once opaque, turned transparent, revealing the maddened glow in their eyes of the numerous dragons encased within.

Then, Fi-Fi’s voice rang out, cold and absolute:

“Fi-Fi suspends all laws within Fi-Fi’s domain!”