In this world, suffused with a futuristic, cyberpunk style, there exists a clear-cut dividing line of power: level seven. It is a chasm-like threshold, splitting everyone into two distinctly different classes.

Level six powerhouses, while considered strong and possessing awe-inspiring strength in the eyes of ordinary people, might live comfortably and have some fame within their city. But when compared to a level seven powerhouse, the difference in their status is like night and day. Level seven powerhouses are like deities standing in the clouds; without exception, they are titans who can make the world tremble with a mere stomp of their foot.

Even for an official power as massive as the Great Ming Empire, level seven strength is the stepping stone to the gates of power. Once you possess this terrifying strength, you qualify to apply to the Great Ming for the right to garrison a territory. From then on, you would rule over a city, becoming the true master of that land. There, your command is law, and your will determines the fates of countless people.

In smaller factions, the status of a level seven powerhouse is so high it beggars description. Every word they speak is like a judgment of fate, inextricably linked to the life and death, honor and disgrace, and rise and fall of everyone within their sphere of influence. Even when facing larger powers, they are qualified to sit at the negotiation table. Their very existence is a crucial guarantee for the survival and development of a small faction in this brutal world.

But now, what were Special Envoy Xue and Nightingale seeing?

The King of Black Magic, possessing terrifying level-seven power.

The King of Black Magic, commanding hundreds of thousands of Black Demon minions.

The King of Black Magic, with intelligence rivaling that of a human.

It's all over!

Neither Special Envoy Xue nor Nightingale held the slightest hope of defending the mine. As if compelled by some unseen force, they exchanged a glance and saw the grave expression in each other's eyes. Then, they both turned their gaze to Li Laoqi. However, neither Special Envoy Xue nor Nightingale was familiar enough with the energy mine's topography. They desperately needed someone who could lead them out of this quagmire, and that person was naturally the master of this mine, Li Laoqi.

Special Envoy Xue's thoughts were simple. He prided himself on being a good judge of character, and in his impression, Li Laoqi was not the type to nobly sacrifice himself. Since he dared to stay here, he must have an escape plan. I just need to keep an eye on him to find a way out.

Nightingale, on the other hand, simply wanted to confirm her enemy's location. If it really came to a critical moment, she hoped to get her revenge before she died.

Feeling their gazes, Li Laoqi's pupils dilated. He raised a trembling arm, his face a mask of disbelief as he pointed at the Black Demon Army below. "You... you look!" he stammered.

Despair could arrive in a fleeting moment, but in that same moment, new hope could often arise.

Following the direction Li Laoqi pointed, they squinted and could indeed make out a white dot rapidly approaching the Black Demon Giant Beast.

"Li Laoqi, what are you waiting for? While these Black Demons have stopped their attack, get us out of here, now," Special Envoy Xue urged in a hushed voice. Although he didn't know why the Black Demons had paused, it didn't change his desire to retreat.

As for the mission... damn it. What mission matters when you're about to die? Survival comes first.

"Impossible, impossible, this is absolutely impossible," Li Laoqi muttered, his lips moving ceaselessly, ignoring the envoy's words.

Nightingale's once lifeless eyes widened slightly after glancing at her companions. Unable to contain her suspicion, she questioned Li Laoqi directly, "That person couldn't possibly be the Divine Envoy, could he?"

Li Laoqi's silence was answer enough. For a moment, Nightingale hesitated, wondering what she should do. Then, gritting her teeth, she did exactly as Chen Pingchuan had done before her. She leaped from the city wall and sprinted after Chen Pingchuan's receding figure.

By the time they registered Chen Pingchuan's bizarre actions, he had already arrived before the Black Demon Giant Beast.

Looking up at the terrifying creature, nearly ten times his own height, Chen Pingchuan was flooded with a mix of emotions. He remembered when Black Demon No. 1 was just a helpless little pet by his side, always hovering around him, its every action filled with affection and dependence. But now, it had grown into the King of Black Magic, feared by so many. Its formidable aura seemed powerful enough to swallow the heavens and devour the earth; even he was shaken by it. In contrast, after more than a year, he was still a Little Kalami with less than level-three power, struggling just to find a safe place to live in this perilous world.

Fate is fickle, one damn thing after another.

After a brief sigh, Chen Pingchuan's eyes filled with a complex expression. He was curious if the now-powerful Black Demon No. 1 would still treat him the same way.

If anyone were to ask how Chen Pingchuan could tell that the Black Demon Giant Beast before him was his former pet, there were two reasons. Firstly, Black Demon No. 1's appearance was distinct from other Black Demons, possessing very obvious individual characteristics. Secondly, the cunning glint in the beast's crimson eyes was something Chen Pingchuan had never seen in any Black Demon other than his own.

"Doggy!" Chen Pingchuan shouted. "Is that you?"

ROAR!

The Black Demon Giant Beast seemed enraged by the tiny human before it. It raised its numerous scorpion tails, let out a great howl to the sky, and then slashed its sharp claws toward Chen Pingchuan.

「Several kilometers behind the Black Demon Army」

A combat squad composed of four armored vehicles was observing the activity outside the mine with a long-range telescope. A rather youthful male voice suddenly piped up.

"Boss! We found the Black Demon Giant Beast. Next, we just have to find that goddamned World-Ending Demon God. To be honest, I'm getting a little excited! Say something, Boss! If we kill the Demon God that invaded our world, won't we become heroes who saved the world? I just wonder if this Demon God will be easy to kill. Wonder how many of my cannon shots it can take."

"Boss, what are you looking at so intently? Let me have a look. By the way, we've been watching this Black Demon Giant Beast for nearly half a year. Before, that vixen from Spirit Beast Island was protecting it, so we couldn't touch it. Now that it's finally out, why aren't we making a move? Are we waiting for it to meet up with its Demon God master?"

"Sigh, just like that, it's been several months since we left. I'm starting to miss the rustic dinners from the Holy Sect. I wonder if Granny Liu's cooking has gone downhill without my expert critiques. Boss, you think..."

Just as the youth was about to prattle on endlessly, the black-robed man in the vehicle, who had been observing the Black Demons through the telescope, finally snapped.

He spun around and roared, "Shut up! The target has appeared."