Chapter 7279 Shadow Pawns

“Master, why did you save them if you’re going to kill them?” Yi Nuo was flying alongside Long Chen, and she’d been eyeing him curiously for a while now.

“I saved them because of who they are now. And if I kill them, it will be because of who they will have become,” answered Long Chen.

Yi Nuo frowned. Clearly, this kind of logic was incomprehensible to the Golden Wing Heaven Devils.

The Four Cardinal Alliance was expanding far too quickly. The various factions within it were not truly united. Certainly, one major factor was the infiltration of the shadow pawns that Yi Nuo had told him about, but even without them sowing the seeds of chaos, just the nature of humans practically guaranteed that the Four Cardinal Alliance would end up on a bad path.

If the Four Cardinal Alliance’s leader had been an outstanding person of the new era, then Long Chen would still have some hope. However, those old monsters that had survived from the primal chaos era had their thinking set in stone long ago. They lacked boldness and were used to doing things their way, so it was near impossible to convince them that they were heading into the abyss.

If the alliance continued down this road, the infighting would only amplify more and more. Eventually, the higher-ups would stop caring about the alliance as a whole, and instead use the alliance to benefit their own factions. As they grew stronger, their hands would stretch towards other factions, and perhaps even reach for Long Chen’s friends.

Long Chen’s warning was mainly for Su Yu, so that she would take care, but it was also a warning for that mysterious alliance head. If they took that warning seriously, then the Four Cardinal Alliance could still be saved. If they didn’t, then this was the Four Cardinal Alliance’s fate. Long Chen’s power was limited, and he couldn’t possibly help every single person. The Four Cardinal Alliance had to save itself, and Long Chen could only hope that they would not truly cross blades in the future.

“Outsider devils! Raise the barrier!”

An alarm blared from an ancient city ahead of them. Chaotic screams rang out. The city’s barrier instantly rose, and powerful auras rose with it.

“Master, why did you bring us here? Are you planning on slaughtering this city?” Yi Nuo looked at Long Chen strangely.

Even though she was an arrogant person with no lack of guts, she definitely wouldn’t dare to lead a group of humans back to the outsider devil territory like this. Anyone could label her a turncoat if she did that, and not even the entire Golden Wing Heaven Devil race could protect her in that case.

“This is nothing. Don’t get so startled over minor things!” said Long Chen casually. Just like that, he led everyone towards the city.

As he got closer, countless pieces of war machinery appeared on the city walls. The experts inside the city were all ready for combat. However, it was obvious that they had prepared in a hurry. This attack had truly come without warning. How was it that they hadn’t heard the slightest thing about an attack from the outsider devils? They had been caught entirely off-guard.

“Outsider devils, Gulong City has countless experts within it! Our thirteen-city alliance’s people will soon arrive. If you’re smart, you’ll immediately leave!” roared someone atop the wall.

“You don’t even know how to lie. If I really were here to attack your city, I’d have directly launched an assault!”

Long Chen’s voice wasn’t loud, but it rang out clearly in the ears of everyone inside the city. They were bewildered by what he was saying. Could it be that these outsider devils weren’t here to attack?

“Wait, that black-robed man...”

“Heavens... Isn’t that the High Firmament Academy’s young dean?!”

“It is Long Chen! But... what the fuck?”

When people recognized Long Chen, the entire city was shaken. News of his battles against the North Sea Silver Foxes as well as the Cult of Mara had long since spread throughout the Sovereign Emperor Heaven. His name was known to all. But precisely for that reason, when they saw him leading a vast army of outsider devils, people felt as if their brains had stopped working.

“Long Chen has switched sides?”

“Are you an idiot? He’s killed more outsider devils than you’ve even heard of! Even if he wanted to switch sides, would they accept him?”

In the North Sea Silver Fox battle, Long Chen had led the elites of multiple races against the outsider devils, and not even a single one of them had escaped alive. Even an outsider Heavenly Sovereign had been provoked into action. And this was just one of his deeds. The hatred between him and the outsider devils had long since reached an irreconcilable point. Anyone with a brain could tell that Long Chen couldn’t possibly betray the human race.

Furthermore, what would be the point of turning against them?

Long Chen was the youngest dean in the High Firmament Academy’s history. He was proclaimed as the number one genius of the human race. His father was from the Jiuli race, his mother was from the violet blood race, and he was reportedly the leader of the dragon race as well. The moment he said the word, all those powerful forces would back him. What would he possibly gain from betraying the nine heavens?

“But he really is standing with the outsider devils!” Even after racking their brains, they couldn’t figure it out. All of them were nervous. If Long Chen really was a traitor, then their city would be instantly erased from the maps.

“Lord Long Chen, I am Li Chengfeng, the city lord of Gulong City-”

The old half-step Heavenly Sovereign had only just appeared on the city gates and cupped his fist to Long Chen when Long Chen appeared beside him. Their protective barrier could’ve just as well been made of air.

“Lord Long Chen!”

That elder’s heart instantly sank. He felt a terrifying pressure coming from Long Chen now. He knew that if he made a single wrong move, Long Chen would instantly take his life.

He had heard many stories of Long Chen, but he definitely hadn’t thought that this young man would have such abilities. He had just wanted to test him out, but before he could even begin to do anything, Long Chen already had his life in his hands.

Long Chen’s gaze swept through the city. He coldly said, “Your weapons are scattered about haphazardly. They can’t form an effective formation. You aren’t even drawing out half of their potential. In addition, your formation units are also garbage. The strong are mixed with the weak. Who is attacking and who is defending? Who will go out to face the enemy? Who will hold the line? If this garbage organization is all you can do, then what is the point of a city lord like you?”

Li Chengfeng’s expression instantly sank, but he didn’t know how to reply. He actually used to be the Grand Elder of a sect, but due to being pushed out of his sect, he had ended up becoming the city lord here half a year ago. Indeed, he had no experience being a city lord, and neither did he have the ability to lead all these people. He had actually spent this half a year working on improving his position in the sect, and he was waiting for his sect to call him back. How could he possibly bother with drilling the troops here?

Naturally, he didn’t dare to say such a thing to Long Chen. He was well aware of Long Chen’s temper. If he said the truth, Long Chen might just kill him with a slap.

Thus, Li Chengfeng did the only thing he could do: He lowered his head humbly. “Lord Long Chen, I am truly lacking. Please punish me!”

This was his only way to survive. He was also aware that Long Chen wasn’t the kind who would just start killing people because he was irritated by weakness, so he played that card without hesitation. Meanwhile, everyone else in the city was too nervous to even speak.

“The outsider devils have already started their attack on the nine heavens. This place is close to the border. If you people continue like this, you really won’t be living much longer!” declared Long Chen.

“Lord Long Chen, your guidance is as wise as ever. We will definitely take your words to heart!" promised Li Chengfeng hastily.

“Anyway, as you can see, these people are outsider devils, but some things happened and they are now my subordinates. Open the gates and let them in!” ordered Long Chen.

“What?!” Li Chengfeng’s expression immediately changed.

“Not to worry. If anything happens, I will take responsibility for it!” said Long Chen.

Long Chen’s imposing gaze left Li Chengfeng with no choice. He let the Earth Barbarians into the city.

Once the latter entered, their powerful devil qi was absolutely suffocating to the city’s denizens. They realized that opening the gates was merely a gesture of courtesy; if the Earth Barbarians wanted to enter the city by force, all their defenses were worth no more than the paper reporting them.

Once the Earth Barbarians were inside the city, Long Chen turned to Yi Nuo. “Are there any here?”

“Yes.”

Yi Nuo’s gaze swept over everyone. She raised her hand. A golden rune flashed on her palm.

“AH!”

Three screams immediately rang out among the crowd.

Long Chen narrowed his eyes. “Even in such a remote location, there are three shadow pawns... It seems that the nine heavens have truly been infested. The situation is even worse than I expected!”