Watching Xu Zimo walk toward him step by step, the bald fatty completely panicked.

His bloated body kept stumbling backward.

"You can’t kill me, you can’t! My brother won’t let you get away with it!"

Xu Zimo stopped in front of him and slowly crouched down.

He placed a hand on the fatty’s bald head and calmly said, "Go back and tell your brother to bring your head to me himself. Maybe then I’ll consider sparing the Death God Palace. Otherwise, I’ll wipe your entire organization off the map here in Dark Corner Capital."

The bald fatty froze in shock at Xu Zimo’s words.

"You’re still not leaving? Want me to treat you to a meal?" Xu Zimo asked.

"Ah! I’m leaving, I’m leaving!" The bald fatty snapped out of it and scrambled out of the tavern in a panic.

Xu Zimo stood up, and the disciples of the Martial Zenith Sacred Ground quickly walked over.

"Thank you, young master," Shang Xiaoxiao said seriously, her bright eyes fixed on him.

The others also hurried to express their gratitude.

"No need. I didn’t do it to help you. They just happened to piss me off," Xu Zimo waved his hand and smiled at them. "You’re disciples from the Martial Zenith Sacred Ground?"

Shang Xiaoxiao nodded and said, "The Sacred Ground teleported us here. We thought it would be a normal training experience, but didn’t expect it to be this chaotic."

"You’re not ready for a place like this yet," Xu Zimo said, shaking his head.

This place was far more dangerous and chaotic than the outside world, harsh and unfriendly to most. A single misstep could leave a permanent scar on someone’s heart.

"That’s what we thought too. We’ve talked it over and plan to leave Dark Corner Capital tomorrow," Lu Tian added with a smile. "We’ll explore other parts of the Middle Continent since we’ve made the trip."

Just as Xu Zimo was about to leave, Shang Xiaoxiao quickly asked, "Young master, where are you heading?"

"Hm?" Xu Zimo turned back, puzzled by their question.

"You should leave Dark Corner Capital soon," she urged. "You probably don’t realize how powerful the Death God Palace really is. Right now is the best time to escape, before they react."

"Escape?" Xu Zimo chuckled softly, then simply shook his head and walked out of the tavern without another word.

Watching his back disappear into the street, Fu Yu pouted and muttered, "What a weirdo."

"Maybe he’s just not afraid of the Death God Palace," Guo Zhi said with a laugh.

"Either way, we should report this to the Sacred Ground. The Death God Palace is getting out of control," Lu Tian said with a cold snort.

…

After leaving the tavern, Xu Zimo returned to the Mo Imperial Clan’s teahouse.

The manager there was Mo Zhan, an elder from a branch family of the Mo Imperial Clan.

"Elder Mo, how much do you know about the Death God Palace?" Xu Zimo asked, wanting some basic info.

"What’s going on?" Mo Zhan looked confused. "They’re one of the top three forces in Dark Corner Capital. I know some of their higher-ups, have to, to survive here."

"There was a little conflict," Xu Zimo said with a smile.

Mo Zhan’s face changed slightly. "You shouldn’t mess with the Death God Palace. Who did you fight with? If it was just some lower-ranked members, I might be able to smooth things over. But if it was someone from the top, only the clan can help you."

"No need. Just tell me what you know," Xu Zimo replied.

"Why won’t you listen?" Mo Zhan said anxiously. "The three great powers in Dark Corner Capital, any one of them can rival an ordinary imperial lineage Sacred Ground."

"Do they have Immortal Path powerhouses?" Xu Zimo asked.

"Not sure. But they definitely have God Meridian Realm cultivators," Mo Zhan replied. "Why do you think Dark Corner Capital has survived so long without being wiped out?"

"That’s why I came here," Xu Zimo said with a smile.

"So what are you going to do about this? I won’t be of much help," Mo Zhan asked curiously, seeing how calm Xu Zimo was.

"Wait," Xu Zimo replied.

…

That afternoon, a spring breeze blew through the busiest street in Dark Corner Capital.

A group of black-robed figures surrounded the teahouse completely.

The sun began to dip below the horizon, blending with the evening glow.

Half the sky blazed red with sunset, the other half golden-yellow with the fading sun.

The street fell eerily quiet, and bystanders hid in nearby shops, secretly watching.

The bald fatty strutted out, surrounded by black-robed guards.

Beside him stood a masked man. His black robe was a deeper shade than the rest.

The mask he wore was terrifying, two sharp fangs carved with such realism, they looked alive.

This was the Palace Lord of the Death God Palace, Ghost Yama.

An overwhelming saintly pressure radiated from him, and his cold voice echoed from who knows where in the air.

"Manager Mo, hand him over. Out of respect for the Mo Imperial Clan, I won’t make things difficult."

The teahouse doors slowly opened, and Xu Zimo stepped out alone, calm and composed.

"Which force do you belong to?" Ghost Yama asked coolly upon seeing him.

"Just a nameless rogue cultivator. Nothing to be afraid of," Xu Zimo said with a smile.

"Afraid?" Ghost Yama chuckled. "I’ve never even feared Imperial Lineages."

"Have you thought over my request?" Xu Zimo asked.

"Honestly, since our Death God Palace came to Dark Corner Capital, you’re the most arrogant person I’ve ever met," Ghost Yama said coldly.

"So I take it you’re not going to comply with what I asked?" Xu Zimo smiled.

"Kill him," Ghost Yama ordered, his murderous aura sweeping through the street with the late afternoon breeze.

Hundreds of black-robed men lunged at Xu Zimo.

"Young man, don’t be afraid."

Suddenly, a loud, cheerful voice boomed out, accompanied by a thunderous roar.

Everyone’s ears rang from the sheer force of the sound.

A new group appeared from the far end of the street.

All dressed in yellow robes, there were also several hundred of them.

Leading them was a large man in golden robes.

Seeing this, the onlookers hiding in nearby shops whispered among themselves:

"Now this is interesting. The Radiant Temple is here too."

"And that’s their Vice-Lord. Everyone knows Radiant Temple and the Death God Palace are sworn enemies."

"Spare Tiger, what do you mean by this?" Ghost Yama asked, frowning as he surveyed the situation.

"What do I mean? Just enjoying the show, what’s wrong with that?" the golden-robed man named Spare Tiger said with a grin.

"This is Death God Palace’s private matter. It has nothing to do with Radiant Temple. You’d best not interfere," Ghost Yama said coolly.

"Your Daddy Tiger here loves meddling in other people’s business. The fuck you gonna do about it?" Spare Tiger sneered.

"Are you trying to start a war?" Ghost Yama’s voice turned icy. Beneath the mask, his expression was unreadable.