In a mountain range deep within a dense forest, several demons roamed the area with their guards raised and senses stretched to the limit.

If anyone witnessed this scene, their first thought would be that a powerful demon was cultivating somewhere within the encirclement. However, if they looked closer, the sight would send chills down their spine.

At the peak of one mountain, two men wearing black cloaks sat opposite each other. One of them held a man’s severed head while muttering strange words beneath his breath, while the other leisurely sipped from a crimson-colored drink as though nothing around him mattered.

Before long, hurried footsteps echoed from the foot of the mountain.

A man with disheveled hair and torn clothes soon appeared before the two figures.

He did not dare raise his head to meet their eyes and immediately dropped to one knee. His face was covered in scratches and dried blood, enough to make anyone avoid him on the streets.

Several moments passed before the man holding the head finally stopped muttering. He slowly raised his gaze toward the newcomer, his voice cold and withered.

"Speak. Why have you come in such a miserable state?"

"Lord... forgive me for appearing before you like this, but I witnessed something I shouldn’t have."

As he spoke, he cautiously glanced at the man sipping from his drink. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and continued.

"One of our hidden demons responsible for next month’s operation has died. Although the Demon Suppression Office appeared at the scene, our intelligence indicates that the true culprit was someone connected to a pavilion that recently opened in the outer city."

The man paused briefly.

Even though his explanation was long, he did not dare omit a single detail. He knew very well that the next few words could determine whether he lived or died.

"The leader of our operation sent Derik to bring that pavilion owner in after the investigation revealed he was merely an ordinary human, but..."

"Continue."

Suddenly, the man holding the drink stopped his movements and spoke for the first time, his tone completely devoid of emotion.

"Young Master... Derik lost his life after Moon interfered while attempting to mediate the situation. The pavilion owner took advantage of the chaos and killed him with a sneak attack."

"Sir, I couldn’t even react in ti—"

Swoosh!

Before the man could finish speaking, a sharp sound sliced through the air.

A thin crimson line appeared across his neck.

He froze in place for several seconds, his eyes widened in disbelief, before his head slid off his shoulders and crashed onto the ground with a dull thud.

From beginning to end, he never even saw the attack that killed him.

"Father... I will not let this blood debt go unpaid."

A terrifying chill spread outward from the cloaked young man. Violent winds surged across the mountain peak, freezing every tree and plant in their path. Frost rapidly covered the surroundings until the entire peak resembled an icy graveyard.

Only the other cloaked man seated opposite him remained unaffected.

"Master, send someone strong enough to kill that pavilion owner, then bury him beneath the ruins of his own pavilion. Don’t underestimate him and plan really well."

When he mentioned the Demon Suppression Office, a cold glint flashed beneath his cloak before a faint chuckle escaped his lips.

"As for the Demon Suppression Office... their time is coming soon anyway."

***

Elsewhere, Darius had no idea that his actions had placed the attention directly onto himself rather than the Demon Suppression Office.

If he had known Derik possessed such a high status, he would never have proceeded with that plan and would have instead listened to Moon’s suggestion from the beginning.

His original intention had merely been to use the Demon Suppression Office as a shield through his agreement with Elder Albredo. Instead, the situation had spiraled into an even greater blood feud.

Inside the Immortal Pavilion, the day passed rather quickly.

The moment Moon saw the assassination mission, he accepted it without hesitation. The reward was decent enough, and since the target involved an evil individual, he had no reason to refuse.

His duties within the Demon Suppression Office were relatively relaxed most of the time. Rarely did Dragon City require him to personally intervene, as his primary responsibility was dealing with Second Realm demons, and such creatures seldom appeared within the city.

Not long after accepting the mission, Moon headed toward the inner city.

When he arrived near the Wolf Fang Guild Hall, he immediately noticed an enormous crowd gathered around the Teleportation Hall.

Almost every cultivator present possessed decent strength, with most being at least Fifth Layer True Qi Realm or above. Such a gathering was rare even for Dragon City.

Many cultivators who had traveled from Earth and nearby cities were left stunned by the scene before them.

Just as Moon wondered how he would locate Kevin, a sudden commotion erupted across the street.

"Wolf Fang’s recruitment audition has started! Hurry!"

"I heard more than ten thousand participants came from Earth and nearby cities! Over a hundred thousand spectators are watching!"

"This is the largest recruitment competition Wolf Fang has ever held!"

"I know, right? Ever since Sanctuary became more stable, people have been flooding in nonstop. I even heard Wolf Fang increased their recruitment quota this year from one hundred people to three hundred!"

"Not only that, some upper-echelon figures are personally overseeing the event!"

"I heard Team Leader Kevin, the newest Adjudicator, will also be there. If I had even one-third of his ability, I’d already become a core member!"

"Keep dreaming. One-fifth would already be enough for me."

Groups of cultivators and ordinary people filled the streets, excitedly discussing the event.

Such events were something that people waited day and night for, especially since performing well could elevate one’s rank inside the guild to good positions without having to accumulate merits over time.

Another fact was that not many guilds had come to the sanctuary yet; most were still fighting the demon hordes on Earth, which is why this is the perfect opportunity for many cultivators.

Moon listened quietly before a faint smile appeared on his handsome face.

"A recruitment competition..." he muttered softly. "This saves me quite a bit of trouble."