Chapter 274 – Prank

Protector Rou, who resembled a mountain of flesh, and Protector Lei, the old man in a suit, silently stared at each other.

One wore a beaming smile, while the other maintained a blank expression. Their gazes clashed, generating an almost visible spark in the air.

After a while, the smile on Protector Rou’s face gradually faded.

Despite his enormous, mountain-like body, he moved with an incongruent agility and grace, like a feather drifting through the opened stone door.

As he walked, his steps seemed to embody some advanced lightening body footwork.

A sturdy and muscular figure quietly appeared.

Standing at about 1.7 meters tall, his body was solid muscle. From his neck up to the sides of his face, he was covered in dense snake scales, with eyes that resembled those of a snake.

The man gave the three of them a sinister glance before following Protector Rou into the stone door.

After the two entered, Protector Lei’s presence slightly diminished, and he calmly said, “Let’s go.”

He then stepped towards the stone door.

Black Bear Man and Spider Protector silently followed, their faces slightly downcast.

The five of them passed through the stone door in succession.

Inside was a grand hall.

Fire bowls burned on all four walls, their flickering flames casting shadows on the floor.

Their gazes casually swept over the familiar figures of Elephant Protector, Hawk Protector, and the Horse-faced Middle-aged Man, before finally locking onto the person seated on the throne at the head of the hall-The Evil Emperor.

He was a young man who looked no older than eighteen or nineteen.

With a slender and well-proportioned physique, his appearance was exceptionally handsome.

One hand casually rested on the armrest of the throne, the other slightly propped up his chin. Leaning against the throne engraved with the black sun pattern and the words “Deity Martial,” he looked down at them with great interest, emanating an aura of innate mystery and nobility.

Protector Rou curled his lips slightly but said nothing.

Protector Lei glanced briefly at the young man on the throne before quickly averting his gaze, maintaining a face of indifferent disregard.

As for Black Bear Man and the others, they crossed their arms and sneered incessantly, as if they had seen something extremely amusing.

“I didn’t expect you all to arrive so promptly; we’re truly flattered.”

From the side, Hawk Protector spoke with a sarcastic smile, as if he wasn’t the one who had intentionally kept the doors tightly shut just moments ago.

“Enough with the nonsense.”

Black Bear Man glanced at Protector Lei, who remained expressionless, and then took the initiative to step forward. He slammed his palm forcefully on the stone table, expressing his impatience as he said, “Didn’t you three claim you’ve found the Evil Emperor’s treasure? Show us the clues first, so we can all examine them.”

“With Bear Protector’s attitude, it really doesn’t make us interested in discussing the treasure,” Hawk Protector remarked indifferently.

“So, what kind of attitude do you think I should have?”

Black Bear Man glared at Hawk Protector, a menacing grin appearing on his face, with a cruel and violent glint in his eyes.

“Hawk Protector, do you think that just because you have clues about the treasure, everyone should follow your orders?”

At this point, the pale-faced Spider Protector slowly spoke, “The clues to the treasure were left by the Former Evil Emperor after obtaining them. Upon his fall, these clues naturally belong to the entire Deity Alliance.”

Spider Protector squinted, half-smiling, “The three of you found the clues and were willing to disclose them within the Alliance, so we all appreciate your contribution. But if anyone thinks they can use these clues as leverage to threaten us…”

The Spider Protector narrowed his eyes and said with a faint smile, “Then it might inevitably leave everyone feeling disheartened.”

As Spider Protector finished speaking, Hawk Protector and the Horse-faced Middle-aged Man’s faces turned gloomy. Protector Rou, however, clapped his hands, smiling broadly at Spider Protector’s words.

“Well said, Spider Protector. That’s exactly the point.

The Evil Emperor’s treasure is such a big deal. I have such a big appetite, even I couldn’t handle it alone…

You three are so small and so thin…”

Protector Rou held up a finger thick as a carrot and exaggeratedly said, “Don’t overfill yourselves. If your heart, liver, or intestines spill out, that would be quite a mess…”

This blatant threat made Hawk Protector and his companions’ faces darken further.

But with all the Protector level figures on the scene staring coldly at them, they refrained from acting out.

“We will naturally bring out the clues to the Evil Emperor’s treasure in due time…”

Hawk Protector, struggling to keep his composure, slowly began, “The main reason for gathering everyone today is to discuss the matter of the next Evil Emperor…”

“Boom!”

Before Hawk Protector could finish his sentence, a loud noise interrupted him and drew everyone’s attention.

Protector Rou, who resembled a mountain of flesh, seemed to have gotten tired of standing for too long. He casually dragged a chair from beside the stone table to sit on.

However, as soon as he plopped down, the chair shattered into pieces under his weight, and he ended up sitting on the ground. His enormous body caused a slight tremor throughout the hall.

The absurdity of the scene made everyone’s expressions turn somewhat strange, almost causing them to laugh. Yet Protector Rou’s next words quickly stifled their amusement.

“Ouch, ouch…”

Protector Rou exaggerated a pained expression, clutching the large patch of fat on his backside. He complained with a distressed face, “This chair is too small and too fragile; I simply can’t sit on it.”

His eyes began to scan around the hall, as if looking for a more suitable seat. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he pointed his radish-like finger towards the young man sitting on the Evil Emperor’s throne in the center of the hall. With a smile, he said, “Now that seat looks good! That seat is perfect for me…”

Having said that, Protector Rou got up and began to move his mountainous, fleshy body straight toward the throne.

“How dare you!”

Hawk Protector’s face twisted with anger. He flashed in front of Protector Rou to block his path, loudly reprimanding, “Rou Pushan, what do you mean by this?”

Protector Rou smiled, looking down at Hawk Protector from his towering height, “What do I mean? I want to find a comfortable place to sit. Didn’t you hear me just now?”

“Do you dare to covet the Evil Emperor’s throne?”

“Evil Emperor?”

Protector Rou raised his eyebrows, his cold gaze sweeping over the young man on the throne. He smiled and shook his head, “I don’t see any Evil Emperor up there.”

“You…”

A murderous glint appeared on Hawk Protector’s face, and a sudden burst of energy erupted from him. But Protector Rou merely shot him a glance, and Hawk Protector’s face immediately changed as he stumbled several steps back.

Two figures silently appeared in front of Hawk Protector-it was the imposing Elephant Protector and the Horse-faced Middle-aged Man.

Almost simultaneously, another figure emerged behind Protector Rou. Coldly watching the three men before him like a snake, it was the burly man with snake scales on his neck and face.

In an instant, the atmosphere turned tense, akin to a drawn sword ready to strike. However, the aura of Hawk Protector’s group was considerably overshadowed by that of Protector Rou’s side.

Protector Rou’s gigantic frame, standing over four meters tall, was like an enormous white mountain blocking the three of them. Even the burliest of their group, Elephant Protector, looked like a child beside him.

With just his presence, he completely suppressed their momentum. Smiling, he stood in the center, his mountainous body blocking most of the light from the torches in the hall. Waves of imposing evil energy emanated from him, continuously pressuring the three.

Without stopping his advance, the three men found themselves involuntarily stepping back.

Just as it seemed that a fight would break out, a robust, elderly figure in a tailored suit stepped between the two groups.

“You’re too impatient,” Protector Lei said, slightly tipping his head back to look at Protector Rou, his face expressionless.

Protector Rou halted, and the snake-scaled man beside him also stopped, showing a hint of wariness towards Protector Lei.

Black Bear Man and Spider Protector silently moved in to surround them. The dominating aura of Protector Rou, which had been forcing Elephant Protector and the others to retreat, was abruptly cut off.

Protector Lei stood enveloped by pale purple sparks of electricity, which crackled and leaped around like serpents. Protector Rou’s fat rippled like waves under the pressure.

The two were some of the strongest among the Protectors, and as they faced off, their auras continued to intensify.

The collision of their evil energy force fields caused a whirlwind within the hall, making the flames on the walls flicker wildly.

The terrifying clash of evil energies at the Emissary level created shockwaves that forced the ordinary Protector-level figures nearby to step back, their faces turning pale.

The air resonated with the sound of crackling explosions, and purple electric sparks flickered continuously…

Yet, just as both auras reached their peak…

Suddenly, the imposing auras of Protector Lei and Protector Rou vanished without a trace, as if they had never appeared.

Both sides were momentarily stunned.

Following that, they saw Protector Lei slowly turn around, his indifferent gaze sweeping through the crowd and landing on the Evil Emperor’s throne at the head of the hall.

Glancing at the young man sitting on the throne, Protector Lei spoke calmly, “However, there is one point where I share common ground with Protector Rou. No matter what… the space must be cleared first.”

As he spoke, electric sparks flashed in Protector Lei’s eyes. He looked coldly at Hawk Protector and his companions, articulating each word clearly, “You three are quite amusing. Do you think you can just casually pick someone off the street and put him on the Evil Emperor’s throne… as if the Deity Alliance belongs to your family?”

“Boom!”

A violent wave of energy surged forward with Protector Lei’s words, crashing heavily onto the three.

Elephant Protector wobbled slightly, sinking a few centimeters into the floor without a sound.

As for Hawk Protector and the Horse-faced Middle-aged Man, they turned pale and staggered back several steps.

Once they managed to steady themselves, they looked at Protector Lei, whose face remained icy, and at Protector Rou, who wore a mocking smile, along with their mocking subordinates. The faces of Hawk Protector and Horse-faced Middle-aged Man turned grim.

Instinctively, the two turned for help to the young man behind them.

Behind them, leaning casually against the throne emblazoned with the words “Deity Martial” and flanked by blazing firepots, sat the young man. Despite being shrouded in an aura of mysterious nobility, he hadn’t spoken a single word.

His expression hadn’t changed much either.

From beginning to end, he maintained an amused and interested look, as if he were merely watching a play.

Even as the three Protectors supporting him were cornered by Protector Lei and Protector Rou, the young man seemed unaffected.

As all eyes turned toward him, as if on cue, the young man finally appeared to show some reaction.

He slightly shifted his posture and seemed about to speak.

But then, his eyes blinked, and he touched a particular spot on his right chest.

He then looked down slightly, seemingly counting down some numbers under his breath.

Just as everyone furrowed their brows, the handsome young man suddenly lifted his head, as if about to pull a surprising prank. His face lit up with mischief, and he accompanied his expression with a playful “boom!” sound.

The people in the hall had barely begun to process the young man’s peculiar behavior when…

“Boom!” A thunderous explosion echoed.

The side wall of the hall abruptly shattered.

Amidst the shower of debris, two enormous black shadows, over six meters tall with heads nearly touching the ceiling, burst into the hall.

One stood in front and the other behind, precisely between Protector Lei and Protector Rou.

Resembling two terrifying demon mountains, their dark silhouettes cast by the firelight engulfed nearly everyone in the hall.

A thick, oppressive wave of evil energy unfurled from the two massive figures, crashing over the room like waves from a giant sea, bringing with it a suffocating sense of dread.

In that moment, the expressions on everyone’s faces turned momentarily blank as they stared up at the towering elephant-headed figures, motionless.

The eerie silence lasted for barely half a breath.

Then, like a drop of water hitting a boiling pot of oil…

“Boom!” The entire hall erupted into chaos!

Everyone except the handsome young man sitting on the Evil Emperor’s throne went into a frenzy. Watching the scene unfold, a satisfied smile slowly appeared on his face.

It was as if a carefully orchestrated prank had achieved the exact effect he desired.

He then propped his chin on his hand, continuing to watch with keen interest as the drama played out.