Three arduous hours had passed since Ye Chen absorbed the Storm Devil God's profound insights, elevating his own understanding of the laws of wind, lightning, and water to the coveted medium level.
Simultaneously, his cultivation soared to the exalted King Realm.
Such an extraordinary breakthrough filled him with an intoxicating sense of invincibility, prompting him to harbor audacious beliefs that he could vanquish any opponent within the King Realm.
As the storm subsided, a resplendent calm settled around the Ancestral Totem.
It was then that Zyrithia and her faction cautiously approached, their eyes widening in astonishment at the sight before them.
There stood Ye Chen, exuding an aura unmistakably devilish, a testament to his absorption of the ancestral devil blood contained within the totem.
In that moment, Zyrithia's mind raced, adapting swiftly to the unexpected turn of events. Her initial plan to secure the bloodline for a close comrade had been foiled by Ye Chen, but she refused to succumb to despair.
Instead, her sharp intellect swiftly devised a cunning stratagem to maintain control of the situation.
Facing Zyrithia, Ye Chen's voice sliced through the air, laced with cold disdain. "I have but one question for you. Why did you demons conspire to frame me?"
Zyrithia, feigning innocence, responded with a carefully crafted innocence, "I do not understand what you mean. Why would we conspire against someone as insignificant as you?"
Enveloped in a whirlwind of fury, Ye Chen bellowed, his words laced with indignation. "Do not play dumb with me! You were well aware of my innocence and yet you orchestrated a grand scheme to falsely accuse me! It is because of your machinations that my comrades now despise me! Why did you plot against me with such malicious intent?"
His voice thundered, resonating with a blend of rage and the potent aura of his newfound demonic energy.
Even Zyrithia's comrades involuntarily recoiled, their gazes fixated on Ye Chen's intense power.
Zyrithia, eyes rolling with disdain, tightened her grip on her Ancestral Nether Scythe. "Do not delude yourself. Why would I waste my efforts scheming against a lowly human like you? Firstly, I saved your life as a token of gratitude for a favor owed. Secondly, I framed you merely to divert the attention of the second princess, who posed a threat to my plans. If anyone is to blame, it is your own comrades for their lack of trust and faith in you, not me."
Her words dripped with contempt, challenging Ye Chen's accusations head-on, while subtly sowing seeds of doubt in his head for his allies.
Her words, like venomous serpents, struck at the core of Ye Chen's being. A pang of hurt washed over his face, betraying his vulnerability to Zyrithia's manipulative words. In that moment, it seemed as though he, too, believed the deception woven around him. The sting of betrayal from those he held dear gnawed at his soul.
Had Ye Chen possessed a cooler temperament and sharper intellect, he might have discerned the intricately spun web of manipulation that had ensnared him. He would have realized that the fault did not lie with his comrades for their misguided trust, but rather with the masterful orchestration that had led them astray.
Alas, in the throes of wounded pride and broken bonds, such clarity eluded him.
Zyrithia's voice took on a sinister allure, laced with devilish charm that seemed to seduce the very air around her. "It is plain to see, Ye Chen, that you have embraced the inheritance of the mighty Storm Devil God, willingly becoming a devil. In this predicament, you have but one path left to tread—to join forces with me. Otherwise, these wretched humans will relentlessly hunt you down, and your life will be snuffed out at their hands."
Ye Chen's brow furrowed, contemplating the weight of Zyrithia's proposition.
He knew all too well that the might of the Empire far surpassed his own, and even with the newfound power granted by the devil bloodline and his ascension to the King Realm, an Emperor Realm expert could effortlessly crush him like an insignificant insect.
Just as Ye Chen prepared to give his response, a tremor surged through the barrier that Zyrithia had erected over the pit, causing it to shatter into countless shards.
Astonishment painted her features, for she had constructed this barrier using her Ancestral Nether Devil Scythe's potent powers, fortified by her High-Level Insights in the Demonic Cursed Element.
It should have been an impregnable defense, resistant even to those with equally advanced insights. Yet, the barrier had crumbled before her eyes, leaving her shaken and bewildered.
Ye Chen's gaze turned frigid as he locked eyes with the man entering the pit—Wang Jian. To his dismay, Wang Jian was accompanied by two stunning women, Stella and Lady Zhuoran. The sight fueled a potent blend of hatred and jealousy within Ye Chen's heart, a venomous cocktail that threatened to consume his every thought.
A torrent of emotions surged through Ye Chen as he saw the two women standing by Wang Jian's side.
Their allure only intensified his envy towards Wang Jian, igniting a twisted fire within him.
Stella, in particular, fixated her gaze upon Ye Chen with seething hatred. He had shattered her trust and left her wounded, and now, she yearned to rend him apart, piece by agonizing piece.
"FIGHT!" Ye Chen's voice boomed, laced with unwavering determination. With a surge of willpower, he unleashed the full might of his Oceanic Tempest Storm Devil Bloodline, the very essence of his newfound power.
Zyrithia and her faction swiftly shifted from their positions, their movements shrouded within the raging storm that surrounded them. In perfect synchrony, they advanced toward their adversaries, ready to unleash chaos upon them.
Wang Jian, however, remained eerily composed amidst the escalating turmoil. His eyes bore into Stella, his voice a sinister whisper that seemed to be implanted deep her mind. "...This was his plan all along. Ye Chen sought to attain this devil bloodline to bolster his own strength. That is why he colluded with these demons."
As the words left his lips, Wang Jian exuded an air of calculated intelligence and malevolence.
Gritting her teeth, Stella's resolve hardened like tempered steel. Her eyes blazed with an unquenchable fire of determination. "Rest assured, he shall pay dearly for his treachery!"
She had an unwavering faith in Wang Jian's words, fully embracing the notion that Ye Chen's betrayal warranted swift and unforgiving retribution.
In a swift motion, Wang Jian unsheathed his sword, intercepting Zyrithia's scythe with unparalleled precision.
The shock that coursed through Zyrithia was palpable, for her scythe held an insidious power that typically corroded any weapon that dared to clash with it.
Yet, Wang Jian's blade remained untarnished, forged from a mysterious metal impervious to her cursed element.
Regaining her composure, Zyrithia swiftly redirected her attention, channeling the dark energies of her scythe towards Wang Jian. Sinister tendrils of malevolence spiraled around his body, aiming to ensnare him within an inescapable curse.
With a smug grin etched upon her lips, Zyrithia proclaimed her imminent victory, her voice laced with triumph.
"This curse shall sow chaos within your very qi, rendering you powerless to fight against me. Kekeke..." Her laughter reverberated with sinister delight.
However, her triumph was short-lived, abruptly halted as intense flames erupted from Wang Jian's being, engulfing him in an infernal aura. The flames devoured the curse that had sought to shackle him, leaving Zyrithia dumbfounded.
"What?! How is this possible? Do you possess High-Level Insights in the Flame Element?" Zyrithia stammered in disbelief.
Wang Jian responded with a wicked smile, his voice dripping with malevolence. "Not only the flame element, my dear."
Before Zyrithia could decipher his cryptic words, multiple tendrils of earthen energy surged towards her, attempting to constrict her.
She attempted to evade the onslaught, but her efforts proved futile as Wang Jian's lightning-infused fist made contact with her gut.
A searing pain tore through Zyrithia's core as she fiercely employed her demonic energy to withstand Wang Jian's assault.
Meanwhile, Stella found herself locked in a fierce battle against Ye Chen, and the tides were decidedly against her.
Ye Chen's unparalleled power, fueled by his tempestuous bloodline, overshadowed even Tristan's.
His attacks, infused with Demonic Qi and medium-level insights into wind, water, and lightning elements, overwhelmed Stella's defenses.
Despite Stella's advancement in wind element insights, courtesy of the essence of Wind Sparks, she remained outmatched.
Ye Chen deftly exploited his mastery over water and lightning, defanging her attacks while launching his own onslaught.
Stella clung to survival, utilizing her formidable illusion techniques and potent spiritual assaults to momentarily disorient Ye Chen and create fleeting opportunities for escape.
Meanwhile, Lady Zhuoran valiantly engaged Zyrithia's subordinates, utilizing the Oceanic Pearl Bead to amplify her water-based abilities.
Cascading waves surged forth, engulfing her adversaries in a relentless deluge, rendering them defenseless in the face of her formidable powers.
Amidst his intense battle with Zyrithia, Wang Jian skillfully maintained his heightened senses, keenly aware of the unfolding battles involving Stella and Lady Zhuoran.
A malicious and wicked grin stretched across Wang Jian's face as he sensed Stella's precarious position, her struggle turning increasingly dire.
Seizing a fleeting opportunity, Wang Jian infused his legs with potent Earth Energy, propelling himself towards Zyrithia with explosive force. The impact of his powerful kick sent her hurtling against the pit's stone walls; her body wracked with pain as she involuntarily coughed up blood.
Without sparing her a second thought, Wang Jian redirected his attention to Stella, his eyes narrowing as he observed her ensnared within a tempest conjured by Ye Chen. The thunderous onslaught crackled and surged around her, a deadly dance of electricity and fury.
Ye Chen had deftly dispelled Stella's onslaught of wind blades, replacing it with a formidable thunderstorm that rapidly encroached upon her. The air hummed with charged particles, poised to detonate upon Ye Chen's command, promising grievous injury and devastation to Stella's fragile form.
A sinister, depraved grin twisted Wang Jian's face, his cunning mind concocting a twisted plan. With his intentions concealed, he swiftly propelled his body towards Stella, planning to become a deceptive savior in the making.
