"Halt!" a booming shout rang out.
But Lin Lei and the other two paid no mind whatsoever, continuing to walk toward the exit.
"There are overbearing people everywhere. It's best not to get tangled up with types like this," Dilia transmitted to Lin Lei through her divine sense.
"I know." Lin Lei didn't want to get involved with this Crumpton either. He wanted to leave Demon Castle as soon as possible.
He wanted to leave, but someone wasn't about to let him.
*Swish!*
Crumpton's figure instantly appeared in front of Lin Lei, blocking the three of them.
Lin Lei, Dilia, and Bei Bei all looked displeased—especially Bei Bei. If Lin Lei hadn't stopped him with a soul transmission, he would have exploded long ago.
"Crumpton, they just called you trash. How come you don't even react?" Some bystanders stirred the pot, laughing and jeering from the sidelines. Their laughter rose and fell in waves, making Crumpton's expression grow uglier by the second.
"These guys!" Yuna, behind the counter, felt a twinge of unease.
The surrounding demons—some holding wine glasses, others chatting and laughing amongst themselves—were all enjoying the show. In his circle of friends, Crumpton actually held a rather low standing. The reason was that Crumpton had become a god by refining a divine spark.
Though he was a Highgod, he had only refined a divine spark and hadn't fused a single profound mystery of the Laws, making him one of the weakest Highgods in existence.
After all these years, he had only become a Three-Star Demon.
Highgods generally could become Four-Star Demons. Being merely a Three-Star Demon… that alone was enough to earn ridicule. Crumpton's strength was lacking, so he naturally didn't dare to act arrogant toward his own friends. Years of pent-up frustration naturally drove him to vent on those weaker than himself.
Mocking the weak—Crumpton did it all the time.
"You called me trash!"
Crumpton glared at Lin Lei, his eyes faintly reddening, his breathing heavy—like a furious bull. Bad enough that his friends made fun of him, but when he merely said a few words to this Lowergod, the fellow actually talked back! Crumpton was seething.
"You, a Lowergod—the lowest of the low—how dare you insult me." Crumpton wanted to strike, but the thought of Imperial Wing City's prohibition stopped him cold. He understood all too well how terrifying that decree was… If he made a move, the consequences would be something he could not afford to bear.
"Enough."
A silver-haired demon sitting off in the distance spoke calmly. "Crumpton, let it go. You were in the wrong too. Don't keep pressing the matter."
"I was in the wrong?!" Crumpton's eyes went wide. He jabbed a finger at Lin Lei, then at the black-haired young man. "Look at these two—one is just a Lowergod, and the other has failed the demon examination twice in a row, only keeping his life by sheer luck. Such losers, and they still show up for the demon examination. Tell me, is it so wrong for me to say a few things about them?"
The black-haired youth named "Angie" had been holding his tongue the whole time. He had thought Crumpton would say his piece and be done with it, but the man wouldn't stop—and now he was pointing at him and calling him a loser.
"This is Imperial Wing City. What do I have to fear?" The black-haired youth gritted his teeth.
"A loser?" The black-haired youth raised his head and stared at Crumpton. "You're calling me a loser?"
"If you're not a loser, then who is?" Crumpton didn't take "Angie" the slightest bit seriously, his eyes full of disdain.
The black-haired youth's voice trembled faintly as he said in a low tone, "You think I'm a loser? Then let me ask you this—if you had failed the demon examination twice in a row, nearly died both times, would you still dare to attempt it a third time? Would you?"
Crumpton froze.
Would he dare?
He wouldn't!
"That's not courage, that's stupidity." Crumpton glared resentfully at the black-haired youth's gaze. "And this one's even stupider—a Lowergod who wants to attempt the demon examination." Crumpton turned his attention back to Lin Lei.
"Bei Bei, Dilia, let's go."
Lin Lei frowned. He didn't want to keep dealing with this kind of person. He knew Crumpton was fuming inside but couldn't resort to violence, so he could only vent with his mouth.
"Brothers, I'll bet you—just watch, if that guy takes the demon examination, he's dead for sure." Crumpton was still running his mouth. One of the friends beside him snorted and said, "A bet? A Lowergod taking the demon examination—of course he'll die. Everyone knows that."
"Boss, someday I'm going to make that bald-headed jerk pay," Bei Bei transmitted through his soul.
"Don't bother with him," Lin Lei said flatly. Then he suddenly widened his eyes in shock, staring toward the entrance of Demon Castle. In the distant sky, several streaks of light flashed and arrived at the castle gates in an instant—their speed was simply terrifying. And the most alarming thing of all—
They were flying!
"Flying inside Imperial Wing City? How do they dare?" Lin Lei was stunned.
He had been in Imperial Wing City for quite some time now, and the city certainly had no shortage of people—Highgods among them in great numbers. Yet not a single person dared to fly. Everyone walked on the ground. Some might use movement techniques to move faster, but they were all still on the ground.
The four who descended at the castle entrance strode into the grand hall of Demon Castle. One walked in front, while the other three followed behind.
The one leading had slightly curly golden hair and wore a golden robe. Strangest of all, his eyebrows were white, and his pupils were both gold.
White brows and golden eyes!
Even standing there, the man radiated a sharp, piercing aura. The moment he swept his gaze across the hall, everyone it felt pass over them felt a tremor from the depths of their souls—an absolute powerhouse!
Crumpton, meanwhile, was facing Lin Lei and Angie and hadn't noticed the newcomer. He was still smugly declaring, "Not only this brown-haired brat—even Angie here will certainly die if he attempts the demon examination."
But many inside Demon Castle's grand hall had already noticed the arrival. Immediately, over a dozen people—including Yuna—bowed respectfully.
"City Lord!"
City Lord?
All three of them—Lin Lei, Dilia, and Bei Bei—were stunned.