Kemov's expression changed. He sneered coldly and said, "Not every outsider makes it through. I hope I don't see you on the battlefield, or I'll snap your neck."

Lloyd immediately exploded, "If you dare touch him, I'll burn your castle down!"

Kemov glanced at the two, then shifted his gaze to Ming Rui behind Ruan Xing. "Strange. You smell familiar."

Ming Rui had frozen the moment Kemov appeared.

Ruan Xing stepped in front of him. "You've got the wrong person."

Kemov was still fuming. He glared at Ruan Xing one last time before walking away.

Lloyd: "Ignore him. That guy is just like that. One day I'll beat him up for you!"

Ruan Xing gave him a sideways glance. "Let's go."

They went to register their information and waited for the rankings.

This so-called tournament was essentially just a series of battles. Defeat thirty challengers from the same level to advance to the next stage.

Stage One required defeating twenty pollutant challengers of the same level. And so on.

It was difficult, almost impossible for ordinary humans at Stage One.

But for Ruan Xing, this wasn't hard at all.

While waiting for his match, he caught sight of Qian Hua again, sneaking toward the back of the arena. It was unclear what he was up to.

Fu Gui:  [Why didn't you just kill him back then?]

Ruan Xing: [Kill a staff member before the tournament starts?]

He wasn't stupid. Now was not the time to act recklessly.

Besides, that man might still be useful.

In the center of the circular coliseum were five square platforms. Human challengers occupied each one. The lowest tier of challenges began first.

Ruan Xing drew a decent number: No. 1.

Fu Gui: [Not saying you should, but have you considered going to the casino? You bet big, I bet small. Really, give me two all-ins and I'll be rich.]

Ruan Xing fastened the button on his pocket to make sure Fu Gui would not fly out, then looked up.

A figure stepped onto the platform. Ruan Xing had seen him before. He was that black-haired young man who had been beaten in public by the three-headed resident.

He was also from the outer city and didn't want to participate in the tournament. But in the end, his master signed him up anyway.

The tumor on his body had gotten bigger. Clearly, his master didn't give him any medicine, letting him slowly become polluted until he became a mindless pollutant. Things like that were not even considered residents. They usually ended up in the recycling centers.

The young man looked at Ruan Xing, trembling, still clutching a sword with trembling hands.

Someone in the stands yelled, "Kill him! Kill him!"

The young man's face was pale, dripping with sweat. He looked at the seemingly weak Ruan Xing and murmured, "Sorry."

Then he charged.

To Ruan Xing, this was ridiculously slow.

Just when the crowd was expecting blood to splash on the spot, the black-haired youth suddenly collapsed like he had tripped over something. He twitched uncontrollably on the ground.

"What the hell! You can't even beat a woman!" Eight Arms waved his fists angrily. The chain on Chen Qiang's neck rattled from the movement, and he leaned forward.

"Damn! Whose pet is that? So weak!"

"Whose girl is that? Who would let a woman get up there?"

"She's Lord Lloyd's pet."

"No way! How could he be willing?!"

The audience was in an uproar while Chen Qiang stared at the figure in the ring without blinking.

That person was just too strong. Definitely an ability user. He hadn't even gotten close, and yet he was already down. Chen Qiang didn't even see how it happened. Just like that, the other party lost.

The second challenger came up. Three minutes later, he was down too, thrown straight off the platform.

Gradually, the crowd quieted. Everyone stared at the platform, mouths agape, gasping in disbelief.

Fifteen people! Fifteen in a row! That person didn't even lift a hand, and he already cleared half the challenge! Toward the end, he seemed to get impatient and even asked the referee to send several up at once.

None of them even got close. He wiped them all out.

Silence fell over the arena.

This was what absolute dominance looked like.

This kind of overwhelming superiority usually only came from high-ranking residents.

Could it be… the first high-tier contestant in eight years was about to be born?

The arena erupted. Residents cheered, eyes burning with bloodthirsty excitement as they watched the powerful outsider.

The only downside was that this person didn't kill any of the challengers.

Even so, the mysterious and decisive moves were mesmerizing.

With eyes filled with infatuation, Lloyd looked at the figure in the arena, who seemed to radiate endless allure.

Kemov, sitting beside him, snorted coldly. "Just wait. Once she clears Stage One, she'll no longer be a pet. You won't be able to control her."

Royde glared at him. "Even if my darling becomes a resident, even if she turns into a monster, I will still love her."

He looked behind Kemov but didn't see that dazzling figure.

"Didn't bring your pet today?"

Kermo casually replied, "Sent her to the Holy Land."

Royde said, "You are too harsh."

Kermo replied, "If I were that harsh, she wouldn't have only had two kids. I would have thrown her into the tournament the moment that kid ran away."

The kids were not Kermo's. Pollutants and humans could not produce offspring. But as a female pet, her fate had been sealed.

Kemov let her choose the father herself. Just an ordinary black-haired man.

Later, that man was executed for taking part in the rebellion eight years ago.

"Two kids ran off. The authorities are not going to come after you?"

"That is none of your concern." Kemov's tone was indifferent.

Lloyd snapped, "You think I want to care?"

He stared at the long-haired figure below. "He is definitely going to clear Stage One. I wonder if he can make it to Stage Two. If he can, then we gain another comrade."

The long-haired youth moved with grace. Every gesture carried elegance that hit Lloyd right in the heart.

Kemov watched the same figure and grinned.

If he ever got on the field, he would make sure to bully that human hard, hopefully, to the point of tears.

Zhou Zheng straightened his brown hair, changed clothes, and headed to the top floor of the Tower.

He usually didn't come here. He preferred handling pollutants outside. His record was good, so among knights, he was the most well-known.

But also the most unconventional.

It was evident to the point that no one even called him for meetings. So when he was invited this time, he was genuinely surprised.

"You're here." Pei Yi turned around. When facing people he did not consider important, he always looked expressionless.

Zhou Zheng knew his personality and barely nodded. "Got held up by something. Mr. Will is not here today?"

Pei Yi replied, "He's handling something."

Zhou Zheng nodded.

Before long, another person arrived.

Clad in a black cloak and face always hidden.

Among the three knights, Zhou Zheng disliked him the most. This guy always looked like he lived in the shadows. Opposite of what Zhou Zheng imagined a knight to be.

Plus, Zhou Zheng had never really heard of him handling any polluted zones. "Low profile" was putting it nicely. "Lazy" might be more accurate.

When the newcomer saw them, he finally lowered his hood. "Long time no see."

Under the hood was a gloomy, aged face, probably in his forties or fifties. His body was shriveled. No one would guess this was the Tower's final knight.

The guy looked like a major villain. Even his name, Yinzhu, sounded like one. (TN: 陰竺 (Yīn Zhú) sounds like a villain name because 陰 implies darkness and danger, and the whole name gives off an ominous and mysterious tone.)

Zhou Zheng wondered why they had all shown up today.

There was a round table in the meeting room, and the three of them sat at three opposite spots.

Yinzhu spoke first. "Honestly, I wasn't planning on calling you."

He looked at Zhou Zheng. "You're not much help anyway."

Zhou Zheng's face stiffened. He knew they all had different roles, but he didn't expect this guy to insult him so openly, even in front of Pei Yi.

Yinzhu continued, "We'll talk about your case later. This emergency meeting is about Fu Zhi."

Zhou Zheng instinctively looked at Pei Yi. His face remained blank, but his eyes twitched slightly.

Yinzhu leaned forward with his frail frame. "The pendant is gone."

Pei Yi's expression changed.

"What happened? He lost it?"

Zhou Zheng looked confused. What did Fu Zhi's missing pendant have to do with them? Sure, it looked nice, but it was not that special… right?

But clearly, neither of the other two intended to explain. They just kept talking like usual.

Yinzhu rested his chin on his hands. "A few days ago, Mr. Will told me that the seal on the 'key' had cracked. I'm worried Fu Zhi might start remembering things. More importantly, I'm worried about the person who broke the seal."

Pei Yi asked, "Who was it?"

Yinzhu replied, "No idea. Mr. Will didn't say much. I can only guess."

The atmosphere around the table was tense. The other two continued discussing. On the other hand, Zhou Zheng zoned out, staring at the greenery nearby, until—

Yinzhu suddenly asked, "Who did you meet a few days ago when you returned?"

Zhou Zheng pointed at himself. "Me? No one. I came straight to the Tower."

"Nothing strange happened?"

"No—" Zhou suddenly remembered the missing time. The frost on his body. "I think I forgot something."

Yinzhu stood and looked closely into his eyes. His face was so withered that it looked like it was carved from wood. Zhou Zheng frowned.

"You had your memory altered," he said firmly.

Zhou Zheng said, "Impossible."

Yinzhu sat back down. "Fool! You must've met someone. Maybe even someone linked to Fu Zhi. Too bad Mr. Will is not here. We could have found out who."

No way…

Someone changed his memories?

Zhou Zheng was in a daze. He vaguely recalled fighting someone that day. The marks were still faintly visible on his body.

Yinzhu glanced at him, his gaze as poisonous as a snake's. He turned to Pei Yi. "Can I ask you to keep an eye on any unfamiliar faces around Fu Zhi lately?"

Pei Yi nodded. His black hair draped down. "Alright."

Zhou Zheng could not help but ask, "And you?"

Yinzhu rasped, "I am going to the Holy City."

Ruan Xing had already defeated thirty challengers, and he was only slightly out of breath.

The mycelium had been a great help as it saved him a lot of effort. He had conserved his magic specifically for this part. From here on, he would be facing actual residents of the Holy City, the true pollutants.

He had no idea what the Mist City folks were thinking, but to him, this place was like a giant Gu jar.

Grow stronger. Attract newcomers. Everything is done to select the most powerful pollutants.

He couldn't figure out why. When he asked Qian Hua and Lloyd, they brushed it off. Or maybe they really didn't know either. It was like the system just existed, like the sun rising and setting. No one questioned it. All they knew was to keep winning, and you get stronger.

Stage One pollutants were around D-class. Comparable to the two monsters at the Happiness Cinema. Not very strong, just the lowest level of residents.

If he could make it to Stage Three in one go, he would get a direct pass to the Holy Land. The power he would gain there would be enough to put him at the top of Mist City.

That was how Lloyd became a Stage Four. But he only started after he had already turned into a pollutant. For a human to defeat dozens of C-class and above? Basically impossible.

Only one person had done it. Eight years ago, the rebel.

"What is the Holy Land?" Ruan Xing asked before his next match.

Lloyd answered patiently, "A place where we can gain power. The home of the Gods."

"What is it like?"

"Hmm, I remember it as a tower. Black and very tall."

Beep! The battle horn sounded.

Ruan Xing snapped back to attention and looked at the first challenger in front of him.