Chapter 206

The figures of the Phantom Nightmare Emperor Butterfly father and daughter completely vanished into the Void, and the Emperor Fiend's awe‑inspiring pressure that had permeated heaven and earth, making all things tremble, receded like a tide.

Yet within the Star River Beast‑fighting Arena, a shocking scene of devastation and Dead Silence remained.

The shattered battlefield, the collapsed barrier of light, the drifting dust, and the four icy corpses—the host and three powerful Elders—had all suffered Soul Annihilation at a single thought of the adult Emperor Butterfly.

Once bustling and prosperous, symbolizing power and wealth, the Beast‑fighting Arena now reeked of the panic and oppression of survivors after a catastrophe.

The Star River Beast‑fighting Arena has suffered a catastrophic loss today!

Not only were four key members lost, including three unfathomable foundation Elders, but more importantly, its prestige and dignity have suffered an unprecedented blow in the Taiyi Domain and even the entire Wasteland Heaven!

Yet despite this, no one present felt the Star River Beast‑fighting Arena was wronged or pitiful.

In the face of absolute power, especially before a raging Emperor Fiend, so‑called face, rules, and background appear utterly pale and laughable.

To preserve one's life is already a great fortune amidst misfortune.

The Star River Grand Elder remained kneeling on the spot, only daring to lift his head slightly after confirming that the Emperor Fiend's aura had completely receded.

His ancient, unadorned face was now devoid of color, a trace of golden blood still lingered at the corner of his mouth, his breath was feeble, and his eyes brimmed with lingering fear, bitterness, and a hint… of deep despair!

He struggled to rise, his posture appearing somewhat hunched.

He knew better than anyone that this matter was far from over!

The icy words of the adult Phantom Nightmare Emperor Butterfly as it departed echoed in his mind like a death knell: "This matter… isn't over… I'll settle the score with you later!"

The Emperor Fiend must not be insulted!

This is an ironclad law of the Zhutian Wanjie!

Even if the Star River Beast‑fighting Arena had been completely unaware beforehand, the fact that they used an Emperor Fiend pure‑blood descendant for the beast‑fighting performance has already occurred!

This in itself is a trampling of the dignity of the Phantom Nightmare Emperor Butterfly clan!

It is a heinous crime of monumental proportions!

One can imagine that the forthcoming wrath of the Phantom Nightmare Emperor Butterfly clan will sweep in like a Star River storm!

The entire Star River Beast‑fighting Arena will face the most severe crisis since its founding!

Thinking of this, the Star River Grand Elder's eyes flashed with extreme ruthlessness and resolve!

He must do something, even if he cannot quell the Emperor Fiend's fury, he must at least try to clear his name and give headquarters an explanation!

He thrust out a massive hand; vast immortal power transformed into chains of law, instantly piercing the Void and seizing several figures from behind the Beast‑fighting Arena!

These individuals were precisely the members of the exploration team that had originally investigated that ancient star‑site relic and brought the still‑slumbering Phantom Nightmare Emperor Butterfly back to the Beast‑fighting Arena!

They were now terrified out of their wits, bloodless, their throats gripped by an invisible force, hanging midair, their eyes filled with endless fear and pleading.

"Grand… Grand Elder, spare my life!"

"We didn't know! We truly didn't know it was an Emperor Fiend descendant!"

"Please, Grand Elder, show mercy! Spare us!"

Their shrill pleas for mercy echoed in the Dead Silence of the Beast‑fighting Arena, sounding especially grating.

The Star River Grand Elder's face was expressionless, his eyes icy as ten‑thousand‑year‑old glaciers.

He swept his gaze over those twisted, fear‑filled faces; his voice carried no emotion, only bone‑chilling cold:

"Spare your lives? Heh…"

"Your few worthless lives—even if you died a hundred million times, could not even begin to offset a fraction of this sin!"

"If it weren't for your incompetence and clumsiness, how could my Star River Beast‑fighting Arena have invited such a cataclysmic disaster?!"

He wasted no more words, clenching his five fingers tightly!

"Crack! —Pfft—!"

Those exploration team members emitted agonized, piercing screams.

Their cultivation was instantly crushed by an overbearing force, their dantians shattered, their meridians severed, reducing them completely to crippled wrecks!

They fell like ragdolls from the air, limp on the ground, unable to muster even a struggle.

But this was not the end.

With a wave of his hand, the Star River Grand Elder summoned a black‑iron cage exuding a chilling aura and covered in sealing runes, tossing the crippled figures inside like livestock.

He said coldly: "Lock them in the Soul‑Erasing Prison, where day and night their remnant souls will be scorched by netherworld ghost fire and their flesh frozen by ten‑thousand‑year‑old black ice, leaving them unable to live or die—await the headquarters' judgment!"

This was to make them scapegoats, subjecting them to the harshest torment in hopes of slightly appeasing the Emperor Fiend's wrath.

Having dealt with these matters, the Star River Grand Elder seemed to have exhausted all his strength.

He wearily waved his hand, his voice hoarse as he addressed the silent onlookers around him:

"Today the Beast‑fighting Arena suffered a sudden incident, disturbing you all… please… disperse…"

His voice was filled with helplessness and desolation.

Numerous beings, as if pardoned, dared not linger; they turned into streams of light, rushing toward the Beast‑fighting Arena's exit, fearing that even a moment's delay would drag them into that dreadful vortex.

What they witnessed today would be enough to remember for a lifetime, becoming material for future boasting or warning to juniors.

At that moment, Ye Wuque calmly looked toward the Star River Grand Elder and spoke:

"Grand Elder, I previously placed a bet on the Split‑Star Imperial Butterfly… the universal crystal I won seems not yet settled."

His voice was not loud, yet in the momentarily empty arena it rang out especially clearly.

Some who were about to leave, hearing this, nearly stumbled and fell, then stared at Ye Wuque as if he were a monster.

"This guy… does he have a heart too big?"

"At a time like this, he still dares to demand his winnings from the obviously furious and ill‑fated Star River Beast‑fighting Arena?!"

"Isn't he afraid of drawing their ire?"

The Star River Grand Elder's mouth also twitched slightly; his cloudy old eyes gazed at Ye Wuque with a complex expression.

"Under normal circumstances, he might have considered some ideas."

"But now the Star River Beast‑fighting Arena is already tempest‑tossed; he truly does not wish to invite further complications, especially not to offend a young man he finds somewhat inscrutable."

He took a deep breath, suppressed the agitation in his heart, forced out a smile uglier than crying, and kept his promise, saying: "What you reminded me of, little friend, is my oversight."

He flicked his finger, and a storage ring emitting strong space fluctuations flew toward Ye Wuque.

"According to the odds, all the cosmic crystals you won, little friend, are here; please count them."

Ye Wuque swept his divine sense over it, and his heart stirred slightly.

Inside, the cosmic crystals were piled up like a mountain, emitting vast and pure vital energy; the quantity indeed reached an astonishing level, far exceeding his previous stake.

This round, he made a killing.

"Thank you, Grand Elder." Ye Wuque put away the storage ring, his expression unchanged as he cupped his fists.

Immediately, countless gazes of envy, jealousy, and even a hint of awe were directed at him.

This guy, not only is his vision sharp, his courage is extraordinary—he actually managed to secure a huge stake at this critical moment!

The little hero came over, looking at Ye Wuque's storage ring, clicking his tongue in amazement, and sincerely praised:

"Big Brother Ye, I'm convinced!"

"Your vision is second to none!"

"This time, you've really struck it rich!"

Dou Tian Shu and Zhan Huangzi also nodded in agreement; today Ye Wuque's performance once again won their admiration.

The four of them lingered no longer, quickly left that place of right and wrong, boarded a flying vessel, and returned to the Ancestral Land of the Sacred War Heaven Ape Clan.