Online Game: Evil Dragon Against The Heaven - 257

Just as the Tianri City Lord finished roaring, he suddenly calmed down with an almost unbelievable speed and muttered suspiciously to himself, “Strange… how did that old man from Tianchen City know that the damnable, turtle-born, rabbit-raised Dark Nether Ghost King was hiding at the ruins of the Illusory Beast Clan…”

Just as Ye Tian Xie was about to explain, the Tianri City Lord let out another explosive roar, scaring Ye Tian Xie’s words right back down his throat: “Golden Dragon Seal! Damn it! It’s the Golden Dragon Seal! By the heavens, this came from the Lost Emperor himself!!”

Ye Tian Xie glanced up and noticed a golden, radiant emblem stamped at the bottom of the letter—most likely the so-called 『Golden Dragon Seal』, the symbol of the highest authority in the Lost Continent.

The Tianri City Lord abruptly spun around and shouted at Ye Tian Xie, “This is an emergency letter forwarded from the Lost City, and you didn’t say anything earlier?! I thought it was just another one of that old bastard Tianchen City Lord’s tedious affairs!!”

His usual speaking voice was already as loud as a normal person’s shout, and now that he was actually shouting… right at Ye Tian Xie, it felt like a barrage of cannons exploding beside his ears. The deafening noise made his head buzz, and he almost staggered back several steps. Forcing himself to stay calm, he replied in an unperturbed tone, “You didn’t ask.”

“You couldn’t say it even if I didn’t ask?!”

“You didn’t tell me to.”

“You, you, you, you—” The Tianri City Lord nearly choked on his breath and almost passed out. Then, fuming with frustration, he bellowed, “I don’t have time to deal with you right now! Yesterday, we heard unusual disturbances from the ruins of the Illusory Beast Clan—damn it! That turtle-born, rabbit-raised Dark Nether Ghost King must be preparing to attack my Tianri City! If he invades, then what’s the point of my city even existing?! Guards!”

“City Lord, please calm down. The Dark Nether Ghost King is actually no longer at the Illusory Beast Clan ruins” Ye Tian Xie took a step back, ensuring he kept a safe distance from the explosive city lord before speaking.

“Not there anymore?” The Tianri City Lord immediately took a step forward, closing the distance again. Staring at Ye Tian Xie with wide eyes, he demanded, “What do you mean? The Lost Emperor’s letter clearly states that the Dark Nether Ghost King is at the ruins!”

“He was indeed there before yesterday. However, after dusk yesterday, he was driven away” Ye Tian Xie leaned his head back slightly, speaking with seriousness.

The Tianri City Lord glared at him. “Is that true? How do you know? Why should I believe you?”

Despite claiming disbelief, his eyes were filled with anticipation—clearly hoping the Dark Nether Ghost King had truly fled. After all, any one of the Eight Demon Kings was far beyond the strength of even the Divine Mysterious-level Twelve Sages. Meanwhile, Tianri City’s strongest defender was only at the Heavenly Absolute-tier advanced level. If the Dark Nether Ghost King truly attacked, his best bet for survival was to pack up and run.

“City Lord, I assume you already sent people to investigate the changes at the ruins yesterday. You must have seen the traces of battle, right? Yes, a battle took place there—between the Dark Nether Ghost King and a single person. Because of the Illusory Beast Clan’s barrier, the fight didn’t affect Tianri City. Now think about it—if the Dark Nether Ghost King had won… he was originally hiding there to avoid being discovered by the Seven Sages. But now that his hiding place has been completely destroyed, and it has surely drawn attention, do you think he would still stay there? On the other hand, if the Dark Nether Ghost King lost, then he would have definitely escaped, making it even less likely for him to remain. So after that battle yesterday, there’s no way the Dark Nether Ghost King is still at the ruins. He must have fled far away. Don’t you think so, City Lord?” Ye Tian Xie explained methodically.

As Ye Tian Xie spoke, the Tianri City Lord initially listened with wide eyes, then gradually began nodding along. His tense expression slowly eased. At first, the message from the Lost City had sent shivers down his spine, making him feel as though half his soul had flown away. But after hearing Ye Tian Xie’s logical and airtight explanation, combined with the scene his scouts had reported from the ruins, all the cold sweat that had poured out earlier seemed to vanish. His heart instantly felt much more at ease.

“Hahahaha… HAHAHAHAHA! Young man, well said! That was well said! After hearing you, I can finally rest easy! Hahahahaha… HAHAHAHAHA!” Instantly relieved, the Tianri City Lord slapped Ye Tian Xie’s shoulder and burst into uncontrollable laughter, shaking like a man suffering from a severe seizure.

-10,

-10,

-10,

-10,

-10……

The Tianri City Lord’s strength was no joke. Each slap on Ye Tian Xie’s shoulder made him grimace in pain, causing red damage numbers to float above his head. He gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to chop off this lunatic’s hand… after all, NPCs in the game world weren’t to be trifled with.

“Hmm… Kid, I suddenly find you quite pleasing to the eye. What’s your name again?” The Tianri City Lord finally stopped his assault on Ye Tian Xie, looking at him with a much friendlier expression.

“Xie Tian”

“Oh… Not a bad name. Oh, right, how do you know the Dark Nether Ghost King fought someone yesterday? Did you see it yourself?” The Tianri City Lord asked with deep suspicion.

“I saw it.”

“Really? Then who was the hero that drove away that turtle-born, rabbit-raised, should-be-skinned-alive Dark Nether Ghost King? Was it the Ice Blue Mage God from the Lost City? Or the wandering number one expert, Nameless? Or perhaps…”

“The one who drove away the Dark Nether Ghost King… is standing right in front of you.” Ye Tian Xie straightened his posture and said seriously.

The world fell into silence. The Tianri City Lord’s gaze froze on Ye Tian Xie’s face for a full five seconds. Then, he burst into volcanic laughter: “Oh HAHAHAHAHA! Kid, are you trying to tell me that the person who sent the Dark Nether Ghost King running was you?! Hahaha! Kid, that’s the funniest joke I’ve heard all day! You? Drive away the Dark Nether Ghost King? With that scrawny body of yours? Forget the Dark Nether Ghost King, I could poke you to death with just one finger… Hahahaha!”

As the Tianri City Lord laughed hysterically, Ye Tian Xie unhurriedly took out a small black rectangular token—the Demon King’s Order dropped by the Dark Nether Ghost King—and waved it in front of the city lord’s face.

Let’s see if you still laugh now… Let’s see if you choke on your own words! Ye Tian Xie sneered in his heart.

Sure enough, the Tianri City Lord’s laughter came to an abrupt stop. His large, copper-bell-like eyes locked onto the Demon King’s Order, staring intensely… staring… and then, he looked up and asked in a completely calm tone, “Is this the token dropped by the Dark Nether Ghost King? You picked it up after defeating him?”

Ye Tian Xie nodded.

The Tianri City Lord’s expression was odd. It wasn’t shock, it wasn’t exaggerated laughter—just an unnervingly calm glance at Ye Tian Xie before he said, “So, the Dark Nether Ghost King really was driven away by you… Never would’ve thought you were this powerful. Hmm, I happen to have a mission that only a strong person can complete. Want to give it a try?”

Ye Tian Xie felt a twinge of suspicion. This bearded old man had been bouncing off the walls just from reading a letter, yet after seeing the Demon King’s Order, he suddenly became calm and composed? If there wasn’t something fishy going on, he’d eat his own shoe. He cautiously asked, “What kind of mission?”

“Hmm… South of Tianri City, far to the south, lies a terrifying place called the Lava Prison. It’s said to be the hottest place in the Lost Continent, and only the strongest of the strong can even approach it. The heat of Tianri City also comes from there… However, my city was never this scorching before. The reason it’s become so unbearably hot is entirely because the Fire Spirits in the Lava Prison have become restless…” The Tianri City Lord sighed.

“Fire Spirits?”

“The Lava Prison is densely packed with powerful fire elements. Over time, these gathered fire elements develop spiritual awareness, becoming Fire Spirits. Fire Spirits are usually friendly, but pure fire elements are extremely vulnerable to corruption… The dark energy leaking from the Tower of Destiny has spread here, and the Fire Spirits, being fragile in consciousness, were the first to be affected. Even the faintest demonic aura was enough to drive them into a frenzy… Their agitation has made the fire elements far more active… This in itself is troublesome, but what’s even more concerning is that some Fire Spirits have already begun to leave the Lava Prison, stepping into forests and even human territories, causing waves of wildfires…Haaa!” The Tianri City Lord let out a heavy sigh before continuing, “Xie Tian, since you could defeat the Dark Nether Ghost King, dealing with these dangerous yet fragile Fire Spirits should be no issue for you. Can you head south and eliminate 1,000 Fire Spirits for me? I believe doing so will significantly lower Tianri City’s temperature.”

【Ding…The Tianri City Lord has entrusted you with the task of eliminating 1,000 Fire Spirits at the edge of the Lava Prison. Mission Type: Random. Time Limit: Three Months. Reward: Unknown. Penalty: None. Special Note: The Lava Prison is currently an extremely dangerous place for you. It is strongly recommended that you abandon or refuse this mission. Will you accept?】

Ye Tian Xie: “……”

The name 『Lava Prison』 was not unfamiliar to Ye Tian Xie. He had heard about it as early as the novice village, knowing that the 『Tiangang Fruit』 in Yuan Que’s possession originated from there.

Looking at the Tianri City Lord’s current expression, recalling his previous reactions… and considering how the system had gone out of its way to advise against taking this mission, Ye Tian Xie detected a hint of conspiracy.

Something was definitely off.

“Alright… I’ll go eliminate 1,000 Fire Spirits for you, City Lord.” Ye Tian Xie leisurely chose to accept the mission.

The Tianri City Lord immediately beamed and said, “That’s great! Xie Tian, why don’t you set off right away? I’ll be waiting for your good news… Oh, this heat makes me drowsy. I think I’ll take a nap now, so I won’t personally see you off.”

With a yawn, the Tianri City Lord turned away… and at that moment, an insidious and cunning grin spread across his face. You brat actually claim to have beaten the Dark Nether Ghost King? Hah! Try fooling someone else! That so-called Demon King’s Order was either something you picked up or just outright forged… You dare play tricks on me? Just wait, I’ll make sure you suffer… suffer so bad your ancestors feel it.

Ye Tian Xie gave the Tianri City Lord a thoughtful look. Just as he was about to leave, someone suddenly rushed in, drenched in sweat, and blurted out in panic, “City Lord… That Red Sheep… The Red Sheep has appeared again! But it was too fast, and we… we failed to catch it again…”

“WHAT!!” The Tianri City Lord bellowed, spinning around to point at the man’s nose as he unleashed a furious tirade, “You let the Red Sheep escape AGAIN?! This is the EIGHTH time!! A bunch of useless fools… ARGH! What are you all standing around for?! Get out there and FIND IT! If you can’t capture the Red Sheep and retrieve the gourd on its body to restore my Seven-Colored Twilight, then don’t even THINK about coming back!!”

“Ah… Y-Yes, sir!” The man trembled as he backed away.

The gourd on the Red Sheep? Ye Tian Xie, who was just about to step out the door, suddenly stopped in his tracks.