On planet Earth, two artificial ring structures circled the small planet, creating an amazing sight. Inside the structures, civilizations thrived as millions of people lived their daily lives.

Cities filled with towering buildings stretched across the interior, while all kinds of busy activities took place without pause. Flying transportation moving back and forth had already become a common sight.

The people living inside the rings could see the scenery outside. From there, they could look upon the Earth below or gaze into the vast expanse of space.

They could also see many spaceships docking, traveling back and forth between the Earth’s surface and the outer reaches of space.

Within one section of the ring, a building stood near a massive glass panel that displayed the beautiful view of Earth. The building appeared heavily guarded, with soldiers carrying guns as they patrolled the area.

Each soldier exuded an aura that, if placed in the inner realm, would mark them as beginner stage cultivators.

The building had no visible signs, but with soldiers constantly moving around and various military activities taking place nearby, it was clearly some kind of military base.

Inside one of the rooms within the building, a meeting was taking place. Several figures sat around a long table, four men and two women. One of the women led the meeting as she sat in the central seat. Behind her, the vast view of Earth could be seen through the glass.

They wore a variety of attire. One of them even wore a robe similar to that of a demon cultivator, the so-called Eastern-style robe.

The woman who led them wore a tight black leather suit that traced every curve of her body. She was a beautiful, mature woman with long black hair tied in a ponytail. Her sharp eyes gave each of her gazes a subtle sensuality, adding to her unique charm.

However, despite her alluring appearance, not a single man in the room looked at her with lust. Even if they harbored desire, none of them dared to show it outwardly.

That was because she was the strongest among them, an SSS-rank hunter. Within the inner realm, she would stand at the high marquess stage. As for the others, they were all SS-rank hunters.

As the meeting continued, one of the men spoke.

"The appearance of new gates across the world has been decreasing. Even in the East China Sea, where new gates used to appear every few weeks, we have not detected a single new opening."

He was a man in his thirties, dressed in a black suit and glasses.

"However, strangely, the gates that have already formed are becoming much more stable. The type two gates do not collapse even after hunters clear them." he added.

"The strength of the monsters across all gates also seems to have weakened. That is how Wei Zhenhai managed to clear the SSS-rank gate, the Earth Dragon’s Lair, with only SS-rank power. After my guild’s investigation, the monsters inside, including the Earth Dragon itself, were weakened to the point that an SS-rank hunter, with the help of a few S-rank hunters, could kill the dragon," another man said.

He was a young-looking man, wearing a headband, with a spear resting behind him.

"Thanks to that, the Red Moon Guild’s position has become much more solid as the number one guild in China. Although what they did was quite cunning, taking advantage of the weakening of the monsters, the populace does not care about that. Even more so, many politicians are taking advantage of their popularity and backing them. Even the president," another man said.

This one was an old man with a long white beard, wearing an Eastern-style robe. A symbol of a dragon and sword was embroidered on his robe, the mark of one of the strongest families in China. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

The sword at his waist made him look like a sword immortal.

"Those bastards are truly lucky. No... I would say they are clever, taking advantage of every situation, which allowed them to grow into what they are now. From a local mafia group that once ruled over Shanghai, they have become the strongest guild in China and one of the strongest in the world," a woman seated near the leader said.

She was a beautiful young woman wearing a tight red qipao. Her sexy long legs were revealed through the high slit of the dress, enough to make any man drool.

A fan rested in her hand, adding to her elegant aura. However, her long red hair and sharp eyes made her look like a cunning fox.

"You are the last person I want to hear saying that. Aren’t you just as cunning?" another man said.

"But I have to agree with you this time. Even if you are cunning, I dislike them more because of their origin as a mafia group. After learning what they did in the past, I cannot respect them, even if they have become one of the most powerful guilds in the world. In the past, they were untouchable. Now, they are becoming unshakable, and there is no one in China who can rival them besides the Hunter Association," he added.

He was a middle-aged man with a bulky build, wearing a sleeveless shirt that showed his massive muscles.

The woman in the qipao smirked as she crossed her legs. "Well, thank you for the compliment." She then looked at the leader, who had been listening to all of them in silence. Her expression showed she was deep in thought.

"What do you think, General Ruan?"

The leader parted her lips.

"Although I do not like them, it is a fact that they have contributed greatly with the many gates they have cleared. No matter the case, they also cleared the Earth Dragon’s Lair." She sighed, then turned her chair to face the view of Earth.

"They have committed many sins behind the scenes, but they have also brought many benefits to the masses. Even if I hate it, we can only swallow our dislike. After all, their power is still needed, as the danger of the gates has not been fully contained."

"Although there are unknown changes in the gates that we have never seen before, we still cannot underestimate anything related to them. As long as we remain connected to other worlds, we will continue to need the power of hunter guilds like them." Her gaze remained calm as she looked at Earth.

"But if these changes truly bring a great shift in the future, one where we finally see the end of the danger from the gates, then we must prepare for something far worse. Because at that time, I am afraid their power will no longer be directed at the gates."

Hearing that, the others’ expressions turned solemn. They understood what the general meant. This was also a concern shared by many high-level figures across the world.

If the danger of the gates were to disappear in the future, then with the power the Red Moon Guild currently held, they might turn their influence and strength against their own kind instead.

They knew the Red Moon Guild would not remain idle even without the threat of the gates. They would likely use their power for something else, such as expanding their influence across the world or fighting for resources.

The worst part was that they were most likely not the only ones thinking this way. Other powerful guilds across the world would think the same. It would only be a matter of time before the world faced war, and it would be a war among their own kind.

Ironically, the danger from the gates was what forced the powers of the entire world to unite and focus on defending it. No matter how different their interests or opinions were, they had to stand together if they wanted to survive the invasion of monsters.

"Well, we can only hope that—" the man with glasses did not finish his words as he suddenly noticed a change in General Ruan. She seemed stunned while looking outside, which made him frown.

"What happened, General?" he asked as he also looked outside, and he froze.

The others soon realized something was wrong. When they followed their gaze in the same direction, they froze as well.

What they saw were four figures in the distance, floating in the upper atmosphere. They could make out one man and three women.

The man could be described as the most handsome man they had ever seen, while the three women looked like goddesses descended from heaven. All of them were simply too perfect.

The man had long red hair and wore a casual Eastern-style robe. His handsomeness was so striking that even the two women in the room felt their hearts skip a beat.

The three women beside him possessed a beauty that could captivate any man without exception. Even the four male SS-rank hunters could not withstand their charm as their hearts began to beat faster.

They had already seen many beings from other worlds, yet they could not help but feel that these three women were completely different.

Even from such a distance, they were already drawn in.

But soon, all of them forced themselves out of that dazed state, pushing aside those thoughts.

Their hearts trembled.

Who were these people?