Zenovia stared at the incoming attack before glancing at her people, all of whom had despairing looks on their faces.

’In the next life, I would do whatever it takes to become stronger and would never let others decide the end of my life.’ She thought before closing her eyes.

BOOM!

The area exploded and everyone who was engulfed in the inferno was incinerated into nothingness.

"Calm down, Yagui. You almost destroyed the teleportation formation too." A voice echoed before a man appeared beside Yagui, who had destroyed the mansion and killed everyone.

He then waved his hand and the dust and remainder of the flames dispersed, revealing the platform of teleportation formation covered in a layer of energy.

"Let’s see where those guys have gone." He licked his lips. They had come here to completely annihilate the Zen Family, Beast Emperor Hall’s lapdog so they weren’t going to let anyone slip away.

However, when he tried to find the coordinates of the place Zen family’s people were sent to, his brows furrowed because he didn’t find any.

"Tch, they erased the coordinates." He clicked his tongue in anger. Then he turned around and glared at Yagui, "You should have kept that bitch alive. We could have tortured the coordinates out of her and then killed everyone."

Yagui nodded, as if acknowledging his mistake before sweeping his gaze across the Malta City, his eyes murderous.

He then raised his hand to cast another spell to destroy the city when he suddenly stiffened and looked down at a particular spot, a simple courtyard not too far away from the City Lord’s mansion.

There he saw a young man and a woman calmly sipping tea.

[Friend, please evacuate the city. I don’t want any harm to come your way when we destroy it.] he sent the woman a message.

The woman raised her head slightly and mouthed off two words, ’Get Lost!’

Yagui frowned and was about to say something when he sensed a hint of her aura and his expression froze.

"What’s wrong, Yagui? Why have you stopped?" Someone asked. "Or is it that you have finally grown some consciousness and want to let us do something too?"

[Look there.] Yagui transmitted to everyone. When they looked down and sensed the hint of her aura, their expressions also hardened.

Then when Yagui told them she wasn’t willing to leave, their faces turned dark.

[Should we tell her we are from the Xuno family?] someone asked.

Several of them seemed amenable to the idea but Yagui shook his head, [What if she took it the wrong way? Won’t we be making a powerful enemy for our family?]

[Then what do you suggest?] A high-stage Emperor asked coldly.

Yagui was silent before he said, [Let’s just leave. The Zen family is already destroyed. We’d be killing the innocents if we continue.]

Most of the emperors nodded in agreement after a moment but there were some who weren’t pleased with the suggestion, but it wasn’t because they disagreed but because...

[From now on, unless you are appointed our leader, don’t you dare try to force your opinions on us, understood?] the earlier High-Stage Emperor said, his expression cold.

Yagui glanced at him, then expressionlessly nodded and flew away.

Others also began leaving. In the end, only three Emperors were left, all High-Stage ones.

One of them said, [Brother, you shouldn’t have said that to him. Or at the very least, you should have kept the transmission limited to him. What if he take this as humiliation?]

[So what if he does? Do you think he can do anything to me?] the earlier Emperor sneered.

The duo exchanged a glance and sighed. While Yagui was close to the Monarch Xuno, he was just a Mid-Stage Emperor. Since Monarch Xuno wouldn’t support Yagui in harming him, Yagui indeed wouldn’t be able to do anything to him.

...

After everyone left, the young man sitting beside the woman in the courtyard sighed, "It seems they are ready to take out the Beast Emperor Hall."

"That’s not the case." The woman murmured, looking in the direction of the city lord mansion, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"What do you mean, Elder?" The man asked.

The woman didn’t answer and instead said, "I’ll be back." before disappearing from the place.

...

A miniature earlier... a few miles away from Malta City...

Swoosh!

The space rippled and two figures appeared out of nowhere. One was an ordinary-looking young man in plain yellow robes while the other person, the dazed woman, was none other than Zenovia Zen.

The man let go of her and took a step back, asking, "You alright, miss?"

Zenovia turned to him, her expression wooden.

Then her eyes slowly reddened while her aura started to fluctuate erratically.

"Why? Why did you save me?!" She growled.

The young man gulped and retreated a few steps, "Miss, please calm down. I... have no ulterior motive—-"

Bang!

Before he could finish, he felt an impact in his chest and was sent flying, blood rushing up his throat.

’Fuck! This mad woman...’ he cursed inwardly while forcing the blood back down. He was now regretting letting his greed take over his rationality and meddle into a matter beyond his capacity.

Just as he was about to land on the ground, he noticed Zenovia rush towards him again.

’The old man was right. My recklessness would make me suffer one day.’ He thought, then a round disk appeared in his hand.

Just as he was about to activate it and leave...

Swoosh!

Suddenly, a black clad woman appeared before Zenovia and pressed a hand on her shoulder while uttering, "Calm Down!"

Zenovia, on the verge of losing her mind and suffered a Mana deviation, felt a stream of overbearing energy rush into her body, calming her wildly circulating mana while the woman’s voice, as if it possessed some divine charm, calmed her chaotic emotions and stabilised her state of mind.

"Thank—Beast Emperor Hall... you!!" She was about to thank her when she noticed the insignia on the woman’s collar and her expression darkened with resentment.

Valerie sighed upon seeing this.

She had arrived in Malta City barely a few moments earlier and found that the city lord mansion was already destroyed and culprits had left.

She investigated the ruins with her Divine Sense, hoping to find some survivors but instead she found the remains of Zen Ancestor and some of Zen family members.

Just then, she noticed a disturbance outside the city and picking up a familiar mana signature, she came to see what was going on and saw Zenovia attacking the Five Star young man.

She had met Zenovia when she visited Malta City a few earlier so she recognised her. Upon seeing she was about to suffer from mana deviation, she immediately stepped in to help while feeling a little relieved to see the Zen family wasn’t completely destroyed.

"I’m sorry for your loss." She said, "I know you are filled with rage right now and understandably so but I urge you to stay calm and listen to me."

Zenovia glared at her in silence for a few seconds before coldly saying, "Alright, speak."

Valerie stared at her, not knowing what to say. Right then, she noticed the young man trying to slip away.

"Stay right there." She glanced at him, and froze him in place with her aura.

To her surprise, however...

"S-Senior... I’m not your enemy." He forced out the words.