“What made the evil demon dare to block my fleet? You are indeed very courageous. But, do you know who we are?!” Ling Chu shot a glance at Zhong Xiu who stood beside him. Then, he stuck out his chest, and shouted in a cold voice.

　　“Humph! Who is in-charge of you all? There is an order from Senior Ao Kui for you. Those who want to step out of the city must undergo our investigation process so that we can find out the culprit that has killed our Senior Red Ring. However, all of you shall be killed right here without any exception if you dare to reject our inspection process,” the big man in purplish-black robe said.

　　Ling Chu was enraged by these words. He was about to speak something when Zhong Xiu’s elegant pupils flashed, and her jade lips moved to say, “May I venture to ask the respected surname of our dear friend?”

　　Her voice sounded as sweet and gentle as that of a yellow oriole. It rendered a sense of calmness to people’s hearts.

　　The purplish-black-robed man cast a glance at Zhong Xiu, and was left stunned for a moment by her peerless appearance.

　　“I’m Bi Xu of the Demon Python Race,” the big man said.

　　“It’s nice to meet you, Dear Friend Bi. I don’t know anything about the inspection process that Your Excellency just mentioned. Could you enlighten us about it?” Zhong Xiu asked.

　　Bi Xu saw that not only was Zhong Xiu exceptionally beautiful, but also she was very polite and respectful towards him. So, his facial expression somewhat loosened. He revealed a bit of hesitation at first. But then, he turned his hand, and took out a purple-colored spirit tool. This spirit tool was as big as a human’s fist; a crescent-moon-shaped pattern was carved on it. It was flashing a bit.

　　The crescent-moon-shaped spirit tool dazzled with a splendid purple radiance. Then, it exuded a mass of purple mist which condensed into a purple gate with one plank, and stood on the ground.

　　“This is a rare response-induction treasure of my demon race. The only thing you need to do is to pass through this gate. This gate has the ability to sense the spirits of my Demon Python Race. This gate will naturally let you pass through it safely if you’re not the one who had slaughtered our Senior Red Ring,” Bi Xu explained.

　　These words created a tumultuous situation among the surrounding people.

　　Zhong Xiu’s elegant brows wrinkled in response. This purple crescent-moon-shaped spirit tool was said to be an response-induction spirit device. But, what exactly was the use of this thing? Also, would there be any adverse consequences of using it…? No one here could determine these points.

　　Everyone on-board turned their gazes towards their leaders — Ling Chu and Zhong Xiu. It seemed as if they were waiting for the two people’s responses.

　　Shi Mu’s complexion also changed, and he threw a glance at Zhong Xiu. Then, he held out his hand, and grasped the hilt of his black blade. Simultaneously, a thought tumbled into his mind.

　　He didn’t wish to reveal his identity for the time being. But, he naturally wouldn’t stand by with his hands folded if the opposite party tried to jeopardize Zhong Xiu’s actions.

　　“You want this Ling to accept your Demon race’s inspection process?! It’s simply wishful thinking. Who do you think you are?!” Ling Chu exploded with rage and shouted.

　　Ling Chu had boasted extravagantly in front of Zhong Xiu. So, he was unlikely to compromise now since it would make him lose his self-respect.

　　“You can die if you don’t want to accept it!” Bi Xu’s temperament was very hot and violent to begin with. However, Ling Chu’s instigating words had stirred him up even more… so much so that his eyes flared up with fury.

　　“Who would die here is still uncertain!”

　　Ling Chu issued a cold snort. Then, a layer of green radiance burst forth on his body, and he darted out toward the opposite party.

　　His silhouette looked like a green meteor as it raised an intense air explosion on the way. He dashed and arrived very close to Bi Xu in an instant.

　　Meanwhile, the green rays of light converged in Ling Chu’s right fist. Then, that light took the shape of a virtual shadow of a ferocious dragon’s head; it was several feet in size. Then, Ling Chu pounded his fist out with a loud rumbling sound!

　　Bi Xu’s complexion slightly changed. It seemed as if he hadn’t expected that Ling Chu’s speed was incredibly fast.

　　But then, Bi Xu uttered a loud shout in response. Simultaneously, the long robe on his body fluttered a bit even though there was no trace of wind. Then, the purple pattern on his forehead glinted, and a palm burst out of it in a violent manner.

　　The purple rays of light darted out of his body, and condensed into a gigantic palm; it was seventy-or-eighty feet in size. Then, that palm dashed forward, and collided with Ling Chu’s dragon head’s fist with a loud explosive sound.

　　An earth-shattering loud sound rang out!

　　The gigantic purple palm was torn to pieces by the impact of this collision. As for Ling Chu’s fist… it enlarged in front of that Earth-ranked demon beast at a terrific speed.

　　Bi Xu’s complexion changed, and he uttered an infuriated shout. Then, a purple light flashed on the palm of his hand the next moment, and a layer of purple scales emerged on it. Then, his palm slammed into Ling Chu’s fist in front of his body.

　　A heavy “Peng” sound echoed. And, the two silhouettes were flicked off by the impact of the powerful collision.

　　Bi Xu drew a few steps back under the impact of the force. Moreover, he felt a burst of stabbing pain in the hollow of his palm. He was shocked to see that the purple scales on the surface of his palm had been crushed to several pieces.

　　Ling Chu had also received a powerful jolt, and had been sent flying a few steps backwards by the impact. His complexion also became pale as a result.

　　The two sides appeared evenly matched judging by this wave of attacks. Therefore, both men dispelled the thought of underestimating their opponent.

　　Bi Xu had suffered a little loss in this confrontation because he wasn’t adequately prepared. Therefore, his pupils turned purple with outrage.

　　“Be prepared to die!”

　　Bi Xu issued a low-pitched roar, and the purple radiance on the surface of his body flared up. Then, a wisp of wild and furious aura burst out of his body. And, he took the form of a gigantic python which seemed to be soaring high in the sky; the python was two-or-three hundred feet long. In addition, the triangular purple pattern on Bi Xu’s forehead glinted with a dazzling light. This python then stretched open it’s big and bloody mouth, and its massive body wildly rushed toward Ling Chu to bite him… like a long purple silk.

　　There was a multitude of demon beasts behind him. And, they also started to issue bursts of roars. Then, they gathered, and formed a small-sized semi-circular encirclement. After that, they struck a posture as if they were about to pounce at any moment.

　　A dazzling green light flashed on Ling Chu’s chest on the other side. Then, the bright radiance on his body flashed, and the magic image of a massive green python floated into appearance. The size of the python’s magic image was almost the same as that of Bi Xu’s purple python’s body. The python’s magic image then dashed out as if it wanted to take the opposite party head-on.

　　But then, a streak of white light dashed from the side, and landed between Ling Chu and Bi Xu at this moment. Then, that light flashed and condensed into a round-shaped white light-shield; this light-shield had a radius of several feet.

　　Wave-like translucent light was gleaming on the surface of the light-shield like the surface of water.

　　Bi Xu who had transformed into a massive purple python pounced in front of the light-shield. His speed didn’t reduce a bit. A dazzling purple light shone on his forehead, and a prism-shaped purple light-beam rushed out. It then smashed into the light-shield with great force.

　　The purple beam crashed into the centre of the light-shield with an earth-shattering loud sound. However, Bi Xu couldn’t have expected that the white light-shield would sink inward by the impact of this blow. Then, that light-shield took the shape of a ball of purple light.

　　The white light-shield had sunk only a foot inward. But, this one foot of distance seemed to have dispelled all offensive force of the purple light-beam.

　　The light-shield suddenly radiated bright white radiance. Then, it dispersed and dissipated with a loud whistling sound.

　　Bi Xu’s transformed form — the massive purple python — received a powerful jolt, and stopped all at once. Then, he turned into a big man again with a flash of purple light on his entire body. He then turned his head, and looked at Zhong Xiu who stood afar with a magic stick in her hand. Bi Xu’s facial expression changed as his eyes fell on her.

　　He saw a white moon-shaped shadow behind Zhong Xiu’s head. But, it was slowly dissipating at the moment.

　　“Noble Friend Bi, I would still request you to not rush into starting a battle. This humble girl has something to put forth,” Zhong Xiu received her magic stick and said.

　　“What do you want to say?” Bi Xu took a look at Zhong Xiu once, and a ray of purple light flashed across his eyes. He then waved his arm after a momentary hesitation. And, the crowd of demon beasts also stopped even though they had already taken an attacking posture behind him by now.

　　Shi Mu was on one of the Floating Cloud Carriages. He gazed at Zhong Xiu from behind, and a hint of astonishment peeped through his eyes.

　　They hadn’t been in touch with each other over the past several years. And, he could now see that Zhong Xiu’s strength had progressed to an astounding extent during this period. She had become so powerful that she had resisted the attack of an Earth-ranked demon beast in a convenient manner even though that demon beast was in its transformed state.

　　“Dear Friend Bi, please take a look at this thing,” Zhong Xiu fished out a palm-sized bronze order token. A strange magic character had been drawn on this token with a red pen.

　　Bi Xu threw a glance at the token, and his facial expression abruptly changed.

　　“This is the token of the Heavenly Wu Chamber of Commerce. Can you possibly be the people of the Heavenly Wu Chamber of Commerce?” Bi Xu’s facial expression looked confused as he asked.

　　“Yes. This humble girl’s surname is Zhong. I’ve been invited by the Heavenly Wu Chamber of Commerce to serve as the Official Guest Elder. We’ve taken charge of escorting a batch of good to the Rising Sun City as per the request of the Peaceful Sun City’s Lord, You Can. Dear Friend Bi, we don’t have any intention to begin a battle with you here. I agree that the number of people in your team outnumbers us by far. But, you are still far from having an edge over us if you consider the level of strength.” Zhong Xiu continued.

　　Bi Xu’s eyes flashed as he heard these words. The fact was that there were indeed a considerable number of demon beasts behind him. However, not many of them were Xian Tian-ranked.

　　There were altogether around sixty people on Zhong Xiu’s side on the other hand. But, almost all of them were either Xian Tian warriors or Star-ranked magicians. In addition, there were two Earth-ranked powerhouses in her team. Therefore, the demon beasts were bound to suffer disastrous casualties if a battle broke out between the two sides.

　　Bi Xu’s brows twitched into a frown, and he sank into a deep contemplation.

　　“This humble woman has set foot in the Peaceful Sun City a few days ago. But, I’ve still heard of the matter related to Noble Friend Red Ring’s murder. As per this humble girl’s knowledge… General Ling Chu was in the Peaceful Sun City when Friend Red Ring was killed. Also, he hasn’t gone out of the city since that incident. And, I assume that the Demon Python Race must have already investigated this matter. Moreover, this humble girl has come to the city only recently… Therefore, all these points prove that neither of us could be Dear Friend Red Ring’s killer,” Zhong Xiu said with confidence.

　　Bi Xu shot a glance at Ling Chu since he was naturally aware of this very famous Earth-ranked subordinate of the Lord of the Peaceful Sun City.

　　The Python Demon Race had carried out plenty of investigation over the Red Ring python’s murder over this period of time. And, Ling Chu had never been on their suspicion radar.

　　“In addition, the people behind this girl are either Xian Tian-ranked warriors or Star-ranked magicians. So, I believe that they wouldn’t have been able to inflict any injury on Noble Friend Red Ring if they had fought with him alone. Therefore, it would’ve been impossible for them to kill Friend Red Ring.” Zhong Xiu turned her head, and looked at the people behind her. Then, she put on a soft smile and said.

　　Bi Xu swept his gaze over Shi Mu and the others once. Then, a purple light flickered in his eyes, and he secretly released his spirit sense to examine these people.

　　He sensed the aura or waves of magic power their bodies were exuding, and found that they were indeed either Xian Tian warriors or Star-ranked magicians. None of them was an Earth-ranked powerhouse or a Moon-ranked magician.

　　“In the light of this… I can assure you that none of us can be Friend Red Ring’s murderer. Therefore, I request Dear Friend Bi to let us pass. My Heavenly Wu Chamber of Commerce has many business dealings with your noble race. And, I hope that our actions today don’t interrupt this cordial relationship,” Zhong Xiu said.

　　“I agree that it’s impossible to have the murderer in your group. But then, what’s the problem in passing through this gate?” Bi Xu said after a momentary consideration.

　　Zhong Xiu’s complexion darkened, and a cold look surfaced in her eyes.

　　“You want us to accept your Demon race’s investigation?! It’s absurd!” Ling Chu shouted.

　　“My Heavenly Wu Chamber of Commerce’s amiable disposition has always led it to prosperity and wealth. It has never wanted to hold a grudge against any forces. But, it doesn’t mean that it is a coward, and is afraid of getting into trouble. We’ll be left with no option but to refuse your inspection process and meet you head-on… if Your Excellency continues to make things difficult for us and doesn’t pay due respect to my Chamber of Commerce. However, this humble girl will certainly recount this matter to the higher authorities of the Chamber of Commerce someday in person.” Zhong Xiu said faintly.

　　A train of thoughts rushed through Bi Xu’s mind as he heard these words. And, he started to weigh the pros and cons.

　　His race was indeed tied-up with a lot of business transactions with the Heavenly Wu Chamber of Commerce. And, they had also gained much convenience and many benefits due to these contacts. Therefore, Ao Kui might blame him if he offended the opposite party.

　　Bi Xu was swaying in the tide of such thoughts. Meanwhile, the green magic image of the gigantic python behind Ling Chu flashed. Then, it raised its head, and issued a shrill whistling sound. Simultaneously, Zhong Xiu slowly lifted her wand, and a white radiance emerged on its surface.

　　Bi Xu’s facial expression changed as the two wisps of overwhelming and imposing pressure fell upon him. He could naturally withstand this force with great ease judging from his strength.

　　However, the multitude of demon beats behind him couldn’t refrain from exposing a trace of fear in their eyes. Some of them even drew back slowly.

　　“Well, you are allowed to pass through us today only for the sake of the Honorable Heavenly Wu Chamber of Commerce,” Bi Xu waved his hand as he said.

　　The demon beasts that had formed a semi-circular encirclement started to recede toward either side to make way for the fleet.

　　“Many thanks for this, Dear Friend Bi.” Zhong Xiu’s face showed a trace of a smile as she said. Simultaneously, she received her magic stick.

　　Ling Chu let out a cold snort, and put away his long green spear.

　　Then, the fleet slowly cut its way through the demon beasts’ territory, and drifted into the mist ahead.

　　It gradually disappeared amid the billowing mist.