Chapter 1150 City of Ashes

He now truly regrets his impulsive decision to ask the Beast God Temple to assassinate Ye Chen.

He had a vague feeling that he had inadvertently offended a formidable enemy who could overthrow the entire Shangguan family.

But now it's too late for regrets.

He and Ye Chen had long been mortal enemies, and the two were now on opposite sides. There was no possibility of reconciliation, so he could only grit his teeth and fight to the end.

Shangguan Yan took a deep breath, suppressing his regret, and looked up at the dark figure in the void. He asked respectfully, "Palace Master, since the mission failed, did you call us here to ask for increased rewards and to send someone else to carry out the mission again?"

The shadowy figure stopped rolling, and the Beast God Temple Master's voice rang out again, concise and direct: "Add another 300,000 Chaos Origin Crystals."

"Three hundred thousand?!"

Shangguan Jing and Shangguan Yan exclaimed in surprise simultaneously, their faces instantly turning grim. Shangguan Jing couldn't help but say, "Palace Master, we already agreed to give 100,000 Chaos Origin Crystals, and now adding another 300,000 makes the total 400,000! This…"

Chaos Origin Crystals are not ordinary cultivation resources. Even for the Chaos Saint Emperor, they are extremely precious treasures that can accelerate the cultivation of the soul and the physical body.

Although the Shangguan family has a deep foundation, taking out 400,000 Chaos Origin Crystals at once is enough to deplete most of the family's reserves. It would be a lie to say they weren't heartbroken.

Shangguan Yan's brows furrowed even more, and his fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of his robe.

Four hundred thousand Chaos Origin Crystals had exceeded his expectations.

However, if they do not agree, the Beast God Temple will definitely not continue to carry out the mission.

When that time comes, they'll have to deal with Ye Chen's threat on their own.

Having anticipated that the Shangguan family would act this way, the Beast God Palace Master remained completely still, surrounded by a thick black aura, showing no surprise whatsoever. He merely let out a cold snort.

The voice was like ice shards hitting bronze, cold, hard, and grating: "This price is already the bottom line. If you keep arguing, this Palace Master will add more money!"

Shangguan Jing took a sudden half-step forward, the hem of his robe sweeping across the ground and creating wisps of air. His voice trembled with anxiety: "Palace Master, how can you do business like this? There's no reason to keep negotiating until the price goes up!"

"Hmph! Add another two hundred thousand Chaos Origin Crystals!"

A dark light flashed on the beast-head ring on the Beast God Temple Master's fingertip, and his tone showed no intention of compromising, clearly not intending to tolerate their delays.

For him, killing a Chaos Saint Emperor with 400,000 Chaos Origin Crystals was a losing proposition from the start.

You must understand, how can a powerhouse at the level of a Chaos Saint Emperor be killed so easily?

The price to pay for eliminating a Chaos Saint Emperor is far beyond what ordinary people can imagine.

Their Beast God Temple has already lost two Chaos Saint Emperors in this assassination attempt.

Even their souls couldn't be kept.

Isn't this price high enough?

Four hundred thousand Chaos Origin Crystals is really cheap!

But the Shangguan family was still dawdling and nitpicking, which, in the eyes of the Beast God Temple Master, was simply shameless.

He was too lazy to waste any more words with the two of them. As soon as he finished speaking, he added 200,000 to the 400,000, and the total instantly soared to 600,000!

The moment the number 600,000 Chaos Origin Crystals was uttered, Shangguan Yan and Shangguan Jing's faces turned ashen. Their lips trembled, their breath caught in their throats, and their fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of their clothes.

"Palace Master, isn't your way of asking for a price a bit too much?"

Shangguan Yan clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, and his voice couldn't help but betray his anger.

There's still room for negotiation on 400,000, but the Beast God Temple Master is so unruly, raising the price to 600,000 with just one sentence. What's the difference between that and robbery?

Asking for an extra 200,000 at once is simply outrageous!

Shangguan Jing also grew anxious, his voice pleading, "Palace Master, the price is negotiable! Although our Shangguan family has some wealth, it's not a bottomless pit. Why are you forcing us like this?"

Hearing the two complain, the pressure emanating from the Beast God Temple Master suddenly surged.

The dense, black phantom of the beast soul solidified instantly, and a terrifying aura surged toward the two of them like a tidal wave.

This is a level of cultivation that far surpasses theirs, overwhelming them.

The two of them suddenly felt as if an invisible hand was gripping their throats, as if a mountain was pressing down on their chests. They grimaced in pain, the veins on their foreheads bulged, and they could barely stand.

The Beast God Temple Master's eyes were full of disdain, and his voice was as cold as ice: "Speaking to me in such a tone? Do you really think you are qualified to speak to me as an equal?"

To be honest, he didn't take those two people seriously at all.

Even the Shangguan family behind them, he could disregard them.

However, he dared not kill the two directly, simply because behind them stood the Formless Holy Emperor.

That was a true being standing at the pinnacle of the Holy Emperor realm, capable of annihilating countless star systems with a wave of his hand. Even he had to be wary of him, so how could he dare to provoke him easily?

The pressure from this force jolted Shangguan Yan and Shangguan Jing, instantly clearing their minds.

The pent-up dissatisfaction and anger vanished instantly, as if extinguished by cold water.

Facing the Lord of the Beast God Temple, their eyes had to become clear.

The disparity in strength between the two sides was too great, leaving them no room for hesitation, let alone resistance.

But the thought of 600,000 Chaos Origin Crystals still weighed heavily on their hearts, making even breathing difficult.

"Palace Master, is there really no room for negotiation?"

Shangguan Yan's face was extremely pale, and his tone carried a final plea: "We all feel that this price is really unreasonable..."

They still wanted to make a final attempt, but the Beast God Temple Master didn't even lift an eyelid and directly interrupted them: "Increase it to one million Chaos Origin Crystals!"

These words struck the two men like a thunderbolt, causing Shangguan Yan and Shangguan Jing to tremble violently and turn deathly pale.

They opened their mouths, seemingly wanting to refute, but ultimately swallowed their words.

They could only silently sulk in their hearts, not daring to utter even a single word of dissatisfaction.

They knew better than anyone that the Beast God Temple Master was determined to raise the price.

If we say anything more now, the other party might add more, and we'll only be in a more passive position then.

Of course, they weren't without options; they could refuse to cooperate, cancel the assassination plan, and consider the money they had already spent as a waste.

But what's the point of canceling it now?

Their feud with Ye Chen was long over.

Chi Jue and Kuang Xiao were assassins hired by the Shangguan family. Ye Chen killed them, so how could he pretend nothing happened?

Ye Chen will definitely retaliate; it's just a matter of time.

If they cancel their cooperation with the Temple of the Beast God, they will have to find new people.

But who else can do things as cleanly and efficiently as the Beast God Temple without revealing the employer's identity?

All things considered, the Beast God Temple is still their most suitable choice.

Moreover, the Temple of the Beast God is not something that can be easily manipulated.

Once the task has been accepted, how can the employer just back out like that?

If things really escalate, the Shangguan family might get into even bigger trouble.

The Beast God Temple Master watched the two fall silent, but did not urge them on.

He remained like a thick fog, slowly swirling, sometimes transforming into a ferocious beast, and sometimes into a blurry, tall human figure, quietly awaiting their reply, yet the oppressive aura emanating from him showed no sign of abating.

Shangguan Yan and Shangguan Jing exchanged a glance, their expressions growing increasingly grim.

Today's events have completely exceeded their expectations.

The price of Chaos Origin Crystals suddenly rose to one million, which is an enormous amount.

It's not that they can't afford it, but they never expected to pay such a high price in the first place; this expense wasn't even included in the family's budget.

After a long silence, the two finally came to terms with reality through eye contact.

The initiative was not in their own hands at all, but firmly in the hands of the Beast God Temple Master.

They had no choice but to agree to this deal. In the end, as if resigned to their fate, the two of them sighed simultaneously, their shoulders slumping.

Shangguan Yan gritted his teeth, his voice filled with resentment: "Fine! One million it is! We can afford it! As long as your Beast God Temple can help us deal with our opponents, we will not shortchange you on any subsequent payments!"

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and a beam of azure light flew out of his storage ring.

It was a palace-shaped treasure about the size of a palm, with a bluish-gold color and fine chaotic patterns engraved on its surface. It looked quite ordinary.

But as soon as it landed, a thick, chaotic aura swirled around it.

The grayish-brown air currents wrapped around the palace like silk, and the energy fluctuations they emitted almost crushed the entire universe!

Looking at the small palace, Shangguan Yan's face was full of pain, and his voice trembled slightly: "Beast God Palace Master, there are 400,000 Chaos Origin Crystals inside. We will make up the remaining 600,000 after you complete the mission."

How could he not feel heartache at taking out so much money at once, which is equivalent to several years of the Shangguan family's revenue?

The Beast God Temple Master glanced at the small palace, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever.

He raised his hand, and a wisp of black energy swept through, storing the palace into his storage ring.

Then, the illusory beast souls around him dissipated, and his entire body transformed into a wisp of black smoke, dissipating like smoke and instantly disappearing from their sight, leaving only a faint aura of power.

Looking in the direction where the Beast God Temple Master disappeared, Shangguan Yan and Shangguan Jing looked at each other, their mouths bitter and their hearts filled with a bitter taste.

The price they paid this time was far beyond what they could bear.

"Forget it, problems that can be solved with money aren't really problems."

Shangguan Jing patted Shangguan Yan on the shoulder, his tone both comforting and self-comforting: "Uncle Yan, paying money to avoid trouble is the easiest way."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yan's tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and he felt a little more at ease.

Yes, problems that can be solved with money aren't really big problems.

What I fear most is troubles that money can't solve.

"The Beast God Temple has taken so many Chaos Origin Crystals from us, they should be able to get things done this time, right?"

Shangguan Yan gazed in the direction where the Beast God Palace Master had disappeared, his voice carrying an uncertainty he himself was unaware of.

That opponent was simply too strong.

Even Chi Jue and Kuang Xiao were defeated by him. Even the powerful Beast God Temple would find it difficult to deal with him.

After paying a price far exceeding their expectations, the two did not linger any longer and left the territory of the Beast God Temple with heavy steps, their backs filled with helplessness.

....................

Meanwhile, in the vast void of the universe, Ye Chen and his two disciples were slowly navigating an ancient flying boat.

As the flying boat tore through the void, the pale blue trail it left behind resembled a ribbon winding through the nebula.

After several days of sailing, they finally arrived at a vast world called the Realm of Ashes.

Viewed from the void, the Extinction Realm is dark red in color, with its surface covered by large areas of erupting volcanoes and dense crimson forests. From a distance, it looks like a burning fireball suspended in the universe.

It is a vast world of life, at least ten times larger than the Void Realm where the Kunlun Holy Land is located.

The fire-attribute chaotic power permeating the realm was so dense that it almost solidified, naturally giving rise to countless powerful beings. The number of cultivators at the level of Primordial God Emperor alone was several times greater than that in the Void Realm.

What's most concerning is that the Extinction Realm is the core territory of the Shangguan family.

The Shangguan family firmly controls the cities, resources, and even the life and death of cultivators throughout the entire realm.

After entering the Realm of Annihilation, Ye Chen and his two disciples put away their flying boat and transformed into three streams of light, flying towards the center of the realm, eventually stopping outside the largest city in the Realm of Annihilation.

This city is called Ash City. Its walls are made of dark red volcanic rock and are tens of thousands of feet high. They resemble a giant dragon coiled around the city. The walls are covered with defensive runes that shimmer with a cold luster in the sunlight.

The area of ​​the City of Ashes is comparable to that of the entire Void Realm.

The buildings within the city are arranged in a staggered manner, with the tallest "Ember Tower" piercing the sky, its top hidden in the clouds. Just looking at its scale is enough to amaze people.

Even more astonishing is the distribution of power within the city.

Within the City of Ashes, the number of cultivators at the level of Primordial God Emperor is no less than that in the Void Realm, and there are even many stronger experts living in seclusion here, making its overall strength far superior to that of the Void Realm.

Ye Chen and his two disciples did not seek special treatment. Like other cultivators entering the city, they followed the flow of people to the city gate.

The area outside the city gate was packed with people, with a queue stretching for hundreds of meters. A dozen or so city guards, dressed in black armor and carrying spears and long swords, stood on either side of the gate, rigorously questioning everyone entering the city. Their expressions were as solemn as statues.

"Master, it's just entering a city, why are you making such a fuss?"

You Ruo looked at the slowly moving queue ahead, then glanced at the cultivator at the very front being repeatedly questioned by the city guards, and couldn't help but mutter under her breath, crossing her arms over her chest: "So much trouble!"

Xie Purou frowned as well, her tone full of impatience: "That's right, other cities at most charge an entrance fee, but here, they ask all sorts of questions, like interrogating a criminal."

Perhaps it was the unfamiliarity with the City of Ashes that made the two men complain, but one of the men in the group behind them suddenly moved.

He was dressed in a brocade robe, with a jade pendant inlaid with a pigeon blood ruby ​​hanging at his waist, and gold thread patterns embroidered on his cuffs. He was clearly a pampered and wealthy man.

The man's eyes secretly swept over You Ruo and Xie Purou several times.