Chapter 2: The Demonic Sovereign’s Bluff

Torrential rain cascaded from the inky sky. Thunder rumbled menacingly, punctuated by a searing bolt of lightning that illuminated a man in a bamboo hat, standing in stark confrontation with eleven mounted figures.

Zhang Liang was in a panic, deliberately pulling his bamboo hat low to obscure his features from their view.

Before his rebirth, Lin Na had harbored intense hatred for him, making it imperative for Zhang Liang to conceal his identity until he could ascertain the underlying cause.

As the Demonic Sword Sovereign, Zhang Liang naturally possessed formidable abilities.

Even though he was currently at the peak of the Mortal Realm, defeating a mid-tier Imperial Realm expert was well within his capabilities.

Peak-tier Imperial Realm powerhouses, however, were truly beyond his current strength.

The hierarchy of battle prowess comprised five distinct realms—Mortal, Spirit, Imperial, Saint, and Divine—each further subdivided into three stages: mid-tier, high-tier, and peak-tier.

In essence, Lin Na was an untouchable powerhouse; he couldn’t afford to provoke her, and escape was simply not an option.

“Miss, what urgent matter brings you here?” Zhang Liang croaked, his voice deliberately strained and aged. “If there’s nothing further, would this old man be permitted to depart?”

Zhang Liang had already stashed his belongings within the dense woods; his plan was to simply mislead Lin Na, then slip away unnoticed.

It was akin to a cat digging a burrow directly before a mouse, leaving him utterly petrified.

“What have you hidden in the forest?” Lin Na’s icy gaze swept towards the adjacent woods, her voice laced with palpable wariness.

‘Good heavens, how did she know something was hidden there? Did she have the nose of a hound!?’

Ah, right! She possessed the ability to detect ambient energy fluctuations through subtle electrical currents—a skill that had caused Zhang Liang significant trouble in the past.

Dragon materials, imbued with potent energy, were utterly impossible to conceal from her perception!

‘Tsk, exposed! That damned Lightning Princess!’

“Ah, well, since I’ve been discovered, there’s little I can do,” Zhang Liang conceded, spreading his hands in a gesture of feigned helplessness. “However, I strongly advise you not to poke your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

This realm was not his former one; this foreign world was far from harmonious or benevolent.

Here, the kind were exploited, and the gentle ridden roughshod over.

In this place, it was a brutal contest of who was more ruthless, who was stronger.

Even when facing certain defeat, one could never afford to lose their imposing aura.

The Zhang Liang of the past had been gentle and inherently insecure.

Upon arriving in this world, he had endured constant bullying and oppression; as an orphan, being scorned had become a daily occurrence.

When he first embraced his role as a villain, Zhang Liang had encountered countless individuals who projected an intimidating aura, initially striking fear into his heart.

Yet, in actual combat, they invariably proved to be utterly worthless.

Having witnessed this pattern repeatedly, Zhang Liang finally understood.

If one wished to avoid being bullied, they simply had to master the art of grandstanding.

By embellishing tales with dazzling prowess, stacking one boast upon another, one could genuinely intimidate an opponent into submission.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Zhang Liang stood fearlessly before Lin Na and her retinue, exuding the aura of an unrivaled master.

“You foul old man, mind your tongue! That woman is one of the Empire’s current Ten Prodigies!”

A burly henchman dismounted, crossing his arms and planting himself impolitely before Zhang Liang, his posture practically daring, ‘Watch it, or I’ll flatten you.’

This was Zhou Dazhuang, a man whose name, meaning ‘Big and Strong,’ perfectly suited him.

His physique was powerfully built, his muscles straining against his military uniform as if they might burst forth with any exertion.

The colossal shield strapped to his back likely weighed half a ton; to wield such a heavy implement, his strength had to surpass that of a high-tier Spirit Realm expert.

However, the absence of a true martial aura indicated he had yet to ascend to the Imperial Realm.

“The so-called Imperial Ten Prodigies are nothing but common ants,” Zhang Liang scoffed, a hint of disdain in his voice.

He took a single step forward, bringing himself within a fist’s reach of Zhou Dazhuang. “If you have no death wish, then get lost.”

Zhang Liang’s piercing killing intent swept over Zhou Dazhuang, sharp as a honed blade, sending an involuntary shiver down his spine.

The killing intent, needle-sharp and potent, caused Zhou Dazhuang to tremble uncontrollably.

The old man before him was gaunt and two heads shorter than himself, appearing incapable of even lifting a sack of rice.

Yet, in that fleeting moment, Zhou Dazhuang felt as though a primordial beast stood before him, an inexplicable surge of dread bubbling in his heart.

This was no ordinary man, he concluded.

“Do you wish for me to repeat myself?” Zhang Liang uttered coldly.

Zhou Dazhuang swallowed hard, then instinctively stepped aside, clearing the path.

He couldn’t fathom why he complied, but a primal instinct screamed that defiance would lead to his demise.

Witnessing Zhou Dazhuang’s unexpected compliance, everyone save Lin Na, who maintained her impassive expression, gaped in utter astonishment.

Zhou Dazhuang was renowned as a fearless brute, the Empire’s most impenetrable defender, whose strength rivaled even the Ten Prodigies, a peak-tier Spirit Realm expert.

He had never bowed to anyone, so why had he suddenly cowered?

Who exactly was this enigmatic old man!?

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