What a Steal

Long Tian frowned as he asked his question, the smile fading from his face. Despite his decent acting skills and temperament, he could no longer hide the disappointment in his heart after seeing that the newcomers were nothing more than ordinary.

That subtle expression was seen clearly by everyone present.

At the front of the crowd.

Master Lu, Lu Qingshan, and other seasoned veterans stood quietly with lowered eyes. After seeing through Long Tian's cultivation level at a glance, they couldn't help but feel even more disdainful in their hearts, almost unable to resist cursing out loud.

This Demon Race kid was really a freaking piece of work.

With his level of skill, he would just be a background character on Shadow Island, not even worthy of a decent meal. If it weren't for the Fifth Miss's orders, who would bother coming to play along with this kind of trash?

Who would have thought that he actually looked down on them instead.

Sigh, this guy really had no self-awareness at all. The so-called Demon Race genius was nothing more than an ignorant pawn in the true grand scheme of things, truly making one sigh with pity.

Immediately.

The crowd stood quietly with their hands behind their backs, too lazy to even speak to him.

Fortunately, the Star God Guard quickly smiled apologetically and began to explain, slightly easing the awkward atmosphere.

"Star Lord, please understand!"

"These are all seniors of our Cloud Star. Their cultivation levels are far beyond what us brothers can compare to. It was no easy feat to invite these seniors to assist us, so Your Lordship must absolutely not be disrespectful to them..."

The Star God Guard was originally a worker at a butcher shop. Having done business on Shadow Island for many years, interacting with square-dancing aunties every day, and having seen countless big shots, his ability to read people's expressions was naturally top-notch.

His words gave Master Lu and the others plenty of face, while also giving Long Tian a subtle warning. Both his phrasing and tone were handled perfectly.

Hearing the whispered words in his ear, Long Tian's eyes widened in surprise.

Stronger than the Star God Guard...

Could it be that these dozens of people were all at the Desolate Realm Heavenly Transformation stage, or perhaps there were even experts at the initial stage of the Desolate Realm Law?

Could Cloud Star really have so many experts?

How could that be possible?

Long Tian naturally wouldn't easily believe these words. A greater suspicion arose in his heart, but he still glanced sideways at the crowd with a bit of interest.

After observing them for a few breaths.

He couldn't discern any auras from them, as if they really had some substance.

Finally.

Long Tian began to look at the crowd seriously, taking the opportunity to probe them with a smile.

"Everyone."

"This Star Lord is about to lead the masses to crusade against the Demon Race. If there are any instances of disrespect due to urgency, I hope you will forgive me."

As he spoke, Long Tian secretly unleashed his full-body coercive aura.

He was a former Demon Race genius. As long as he personally tested them, the depth of their cultivation would be fully revealed!

If they really had some cultivation, it would be helpful for his grand plan of revenge, which would naturally be better. If not, he could casually give these Cloud Star natives a display of dominance, letting them know who the current master of Cloud Star was.

At the very least, these people needed to have the awareness of being cannon fodder!

This silent probe killed two birds with one stone, extremely shrewd.

Long Tian cupped his fists and smiled, his eyes revealing the domineering aura of a Star Lord!

But the next moment.

His extraordinary coercive aura was like a gentle breeze blowing past the crowd. The few old men at the front calmly kept their eyes lowered, not even a corner of their clothes fluttering.

Immediately, Long Tian was stunned.

No way?

Were the cultivation levels of all these people actually higher than his?

Could it be that, just as the Star God Guard had said, they were all genuine Cloud Star experts?!

Suddenly.

Long Tian's eyes went straight, and his face showed the awkwardness of riding a tiger and finding it hard to get off.

He suddenly turned back to look at the Star God Guards, the shock in his eyes impossible to suppress!

"This, this!"

He had said he didn't believe it, and only looked awkward after suffering a loss.

Truly refusing to turn back until hitting the south wall, an absolute pighead!

The Star God Guards were cursing Long Tian to death in their hearts, but for the sake of the big picture, they kept smiling and playing along.

"Uh..."

"Star Lord, everything we said is absolutely true."

"That's right, these seniors have been secluded from the world for tens of thousands of years. They only came out righteously after hearing about the impending massacre. We hope Your Lordship understands!"

"Your Lordship must absolutely not be disrespectful, and prioritize the big picture."

Hearing this, Long Tian's eyes widened several times over!

They were really secluded seniors?

This was a freaking few dozen high-level Desolate Realm experts!

Let alone tens of thousands of years, even in an entire epoch, it might not be possible to produce so many experts. Yet Cloud Star actually had such a profound foundation, it was simply heaven-defying.

He had never heard that Cloud Star was this amazing.

Could it be that Cloud Star was truly glorious in the past?

Or was there some unknown secret?

Shock accompanied by pleasant surprise swept through his body. Long Tian's heart surged wave after wave. Even though he had thousands of questions, his brain couldn't process them all at once.

His blank expression looked exactly like a naive fool who had never seen the world.

Master Lu and the others secretly shook their heads in speechlessness, too lazy to stoop to his level. Thinking of their mission for coming here, as well as the bet of ten movie tickets, they finally revealed a slight bit of aura, cupped their fists, and replied.

"We have come only to slay demons, and will certainly obey the Star Lord's commands!"

"We are single-mindedly devoted to slaying demons, please understand, Your Lordship."

Even if they were somewhat reluctant in their hearts, the crowd still put on their best acting skills to give Long Tian a bit of face, simultaneously emitting waves of Desolate Ancient Power.

Immediately.

Brilliant flowing lights gathered among the crowd, spreading across the elegant courtyard like a river. The entire Star Lord's Mansion was enveloped in endless rosy clouds, and the terrifying aura frightened the entire city into absolute silence!

Even though everyone only slightly revealed their methods, the gentle gathering and dispersing of the Desolate Ancient Power was enough to shock Long Tian into turning pale, as if a ten-thousand-pound boulder was pressing down on his shoulders.

From cupping their fists and speaking to the dispersing of their auras, the entire process took only a few breaths.

Yet Long Tian felt it was incredibly long, as if he had been imprisoned in endless darkness for tens of thousands of years, making it hard to breathe and tormenting him endlessly.

When their voices faded.

The surrounding coercive aura dissipated, and Long Tian finally felt as if he had been reborn.

His entire body indeed felt much lighter, but he didn't even dare to breathe heavily. He stared straight at the crowd, as if he had seen ghosts!

Desolate Realm experts...

These people emitted pure Desolate Ancient Power. Without a doubt, they were true high-level Desolate Realm existences. Especially the few old men at the front, they had very likely already stepped into the initial stage of the Desolate Realm Law.

These people were all freaking big shots.

Even if placed in the Demon Capital, they could possibly rank among the leaders!

Oh my goodness...

What kind of godly lineup was this?

Cloud Star's foundation was actually this terrifying, it was too unbelievable!

The surroundings suddenly became unusually quiet.

Long Tian fell into a state of doubting his life.

He originally didn't have much expectation, just thinking of probing the crowd and casually giving them a display of dominance, making them recognize their destiny as cannon fodder.

Now it seemed.

Judging by the level of cultivation, the cannon fodder was actually himself?

This was freaking ridiculous!

When attacking the Demon Race in the future, who would be leading whom!

After realizing what he thought was the truth, Long Tian's fair face flushed red with embarrassment. His toes curled awkwardly, and he forcefully held back from saying a single word.

Seeing that suddenly obedient appearance, Master Lu and the crowd found him much more pleasing to the eye. They cupped their fists and spoke again, their eyes full of textbook-level acting smiles.

"Star Lord, now you should believe that we indeed have the resolve to slay demons, right?"

As soon as the words fell, Long Tian was startled into a violent shiver.

"I believe, I believe!"

Seeing that this guy had finally caught on, Master Lu smiled and expressed his stance, casually giving a meaningful glance to the crowd. Immediately, a wave of loyal declarations echoed in the courtyard.

"Your Lordship is wise, we will definitely assist in the great cause of slaying demons and await Your Lordship's orders!"

"From now on, we will certainly follow Your Lordship's lead!"

"Our resolve to slay demons is witnessed by heaven and earth!"

Suddenly witnessing a group of big shots clasping their fists in loyalty, Long Tian was so shocked that he stumbled backward repeatedly. His face was filled with disbelief, and his eyes revealed a look of panic.

"This, this..."

"How, how could I possibly be worthy..."

In the past, he had quite a bit of prestige among the demon race, and leading various miscellaneous troops was naturally a piece of cake.

But now.

A bunch of high-level Desolate Realm experts had suddenly appeared before him. They were likely existences comparable to demon leaders. How could he have the confidence and courage to command these big shots?

Having experts to help should have been a tremendous pleasant surprise, but unfortunately, they were not just a little bit stronger. This surpassed the level of surprise and transformed into fright and a burden.

These subordinates were simply too strong; Long Tian asked himself if he could even control them!

Master Lu saw through his guilty and apprehensive appearance at a glance. He stepped forward with a smile, bowed to comfort him, and opportunely placed a grand title upon his head!

"Lord Star Master, please do not be modest anymore!"

"As the master of our Cloud Star, you are the destined ruling venerable. It is perfectly justifiable for you to command us to eradicate the demons. As cultivators of Cloud Star, we naturally ought to obey your orders!"

"From now on, if anyone dares to disobey your commands, they will be defying the will of heaven, and we will surely grind their bones to dust!"

Lu Qingshan and the other old foxes also chimed in repeatedly, their words full of comforting encouragement.

"Indeed, this great cause of exterminating the demons concerns the safety of the entire galaxy. Besides you, Lord Star Master, this old man truly cannot think of anyone else qualified to command the heroes!"

"Ah, yes, yes, yes! Except for Lord Star Master, I will submit to no one!"

"We respectfully request Milord to give the order; we will follow you to the death!"

In the end, everyone bowed in unison to show their sincerity!

Dozens of high-level Desolate Realm experts paying their respects—this scene was arguably the grandest of his life. Even the once aloof Demon Venerable enjoyed no greater glory than this.

Looking at this scene, Long Tian's throat bobbed involuntarily.

"Gulp..."

He was moved.

Witnessing the profound respect of these big shots, Long Tian suddenly felt that he was capable.

A subtle sense of accomplishment grew madly in his heart, while simultaneously allowing his previous myriad of emotions to gradually converge into a river of pleasant surprise, quietly washing away his doubts.

Having so many expert subordinates delivered right to his doorstep was a surprise far beyond his expectations. Let alone destroying a few strongholds, even storming the demon capital wasn't impossible...

Even if the fish died and the net broke, he had to make the demon race pay their blood debt!

If they actually exterminated the demon race, not only would he be able to avenge his deep hatred, but he could also restore the glory of Cloud Star and become a human legend passed down through the ages!

He might not even need to fight personally; he could probably just coast to victory the entire time.

He had picked up a massive bargain.

This was truly picking up a heaven-defying bargain!

Such heaven-defying luck must be what the human race often called extreme sorrow turns to joy.

The more he thought about it, the more tempted he became, and a bright light gradually began to radiate from Long Tian's eyes.

He had worked tirelessly in the demon race for most of his life, only to receive empty promises from the Demon Venerable at best, ultimately ending up with his tribe being wiped out.

He was truly worse off than a dog.

Now, among the human race, in just a few days, he had already attained a position of supreme power and enjoyed ultimate glory!

With just a slight comparison, even a fool would know which path to take.

The demon race?

Heh, from now on, we really aren't familiar.

Those enemies must be destroyed by his own hands to ease the hatred in his heart!

At this moment.

Long Tian no longer had the slightest distracting thought in his heart.

His blood boiled with excitement, and his voice brimmed with absolute confidence!

"Since everyone is so passionate, I will no longer decline!"

"Although my, Long Tian's, cultivation is shallow, in order to slaughter the demon race, I can only brazenly lead you all forth. As the saying goes, speed is crucial in war. Therefore, I pass down my command: anyone with the heart to eradicate demons may join the demon-slaying army. Gather at the Returning Antiquity Corridor in one hour to attack the nearest demon stronghold!"

Watching the high-spirited Long Tian wave his hand, Master Lu and the others smiled and clasped their fists in response. Afterward, they secretly sent messages to the Shadow Isle, and the Star Master's order spread from Luohai City to all the major immortal domains.

Before long.

Countless streams of light converged toward the sky from all directions, like shooting stars ascending to illuminate the night sky. This anomaly shocked the common people into looking up, as battle intent had already set the sea of stars boiling!