242: Kill the chicken to scare the monkey, flex your muscles!

The Great Commander level was already considered a relatively high position within the Lion Demon Clan.

At the very least, some direct descendants of the Lion Demon Clan might not even be able to achieve this.

Within the Lion Demon Army, a Great Commander wielded power over tens of thousands of Lion Demon troops, holding a transcendent status.

Shi Ming's identity was extremely special and had been carefully selected by the third combat squad of the Dawn Project.

Although Shi Ming was a direct descendant of the Lion Demon Clan, his parents had fought for the Lion Demon Clan everywhere when he was young, and eventually both perished.

Only young Shi Ming was left to struggle alone in the cruel Lion Demon Clan.

Ultimately, relying on his considerable talent and perseverance, he became a Great Commander with a Peak Eighth Realm cultivation.

Finally, after serving for less than a month, he was killed by the third combat squad, and Lu Sheng was swapped in, a case of 'the civet cat for the crown prince.'

This identity was most suitable for a Great Xia Human Clan like Lu Sheng; firstly, he didn't have many social connections, and secondly, his background was clean, so even if he did things that didn't align with the original owner, it could be understood.

After all, not many people paid attention to him in the first place.

Soon, Lu Sheng arrived at the Lion Demon Army camp and, following the memories in his mind, entered his own tent.

As a Great Commander, he naturally had his own private tent, and this tent was even made of special Materials, appearing soft but actually extremely hard.

At least the attacks of an Eighth Realm Otherworldly Demon could not easily overturn this tent.

It also had extremely high concealment, sufficient for cultivation inside.

Looking at the messy tent, Lu Sheng couldn't help but frown slightly.

This Lion Demon Clan, although one of the major races of Otherworldly Demons, had already made Lu Sheng very uncomfortable on the streets of Lion City.

Although it was a city, the streets were filled with a foul stench, and dried bloodstains could be seen everywhere, etched into the ground and staining the stone bricks.

There were also some yellow and white substances haphazardly splashed onto the streets.

It was completely incomparable to the Great Xia Human Clan.

One could say that even a small county town was cleaner than this main city of the Lion Demon Clan.

However, upon remembering that these creatures were not the Human Race after all, Lu Sheng felt relieved.

Anyway, at Lu Sheng's current Realm, he naturally wouldn't be contaminated by external filth.

He waved his hand, and a surge of Spiritual Qi swept through the tent, instantly cleaning the entire tent. In just a moment, the whole tent was spotless.

At this moment, Lu Sheng let out a long breath.

Sitting cross-legged on the futon, Lu Sheng's eyes flickered slightly. He rested one hand on his chin, seemingly contemplating something.

"Entering the Otherworldly Demon World, the most important thing is to find the profound spirit fragment, followed by Mu Sheng's Legacy sword!"

"It's just this profound spirit fragment... Damn, I forgot to ask Cang Lang. Cang Lang has been in the Otherworldly Demon World for a long time, he must know some information!"

Thinking of this, Lu Sheng couldn't help but slap his thigh, a bit annoyed.

But just then, Lu Sheng raised his eyebrows slightly and took out the tianxing token.

A piece of information appeared on the token.

This information was sent by Cang Lang.

It contained the information that Cang Lang's third squad knew about the profound spirit fragment.

Looking at the information, the look of annoyance on Lu Sheng's face gradually faded.

The tianxing token could be used for communication, which naturally brought many benefits to the special squads in the Otherworldly Demon World.

Cang Lang clearly knew that Lu Sheng's purpose was the profound spirit fragment. Although Lu Sheng hadn't asked, he still sent this information to Lu Sheng via the tianxing token.

"There's actually a profound spirit fragment within this Lion Demon Clan!"

A faint light flickered in Lu Sheng's eyes.

According to the information sent by Cang Lang, a Prodigy from the Lion Demon Clan had once represented the Beast Demon Royal Clan and entered the Profound Spirit Space, ultimately performing exceptionally well and obtaining a profound spirit fragment.

However, the Lion Demon Clan never understood the purpose of the profound spirit fragment, and it was eventually taken out by that Prodigy and placed in the Lion Demon Clan's Treasure Vault.

To this day, no one has ever taken it out.

"Treasure Vault!"

Lu Sheng's fingers tapped lightly on his thigh, deep in thought.

The Lion Demon Clan's Treasure Vault gathered all the precious resources and some special items of the entire Lion Demon Clan. However, entering this Treasure Vault was not an easy task.

Firstly, it required the approval of the Lion Demon Clan's high-ranking officials, and secondly, it required numerous merits.

Of course, there was another way!

In Shi Ming's memories, the Lion Demon Army held a grand martial arts competition every year. Everyone below the Great Commander could participate, though there were restrictions.

Each Great Commander only had three slots, and these three slots had to be contested by strong individuals under the Great Commander in front of him.

Only by gaining the Great Commander's approval could one participate in the Lion Demon Army's martial arts competition.

And as long as one achieved a good ranking in the Lion Demon Army's martial arts competition, they would gain the qualification to enter the Treasure Vault and choose treasures.

However, this qualification required at least a top-five finish in the competition.

And now, there was less than two months until this year's competition.

"A martial arts competition... that's a good opportunity to enter the Treasure Vault."

"It's just that this Shi Ming, although a Great Commander, was the weakest Great Commander under his Great Commander. He didn't even have the cultivation of the Flying Sky Realm, so that Great Commander probably never considered Shi Ming."

"So... what I need to do now is to gain the attention of that Great Commander, and thereby obtain a slot from him!"

"And the best way to get his attention... is to cause trouble. How do I cause trouble with this?"

Lu Sheng's mind began to race.

However, Lu Sheng hadn't pondered for too long when, suddenly, a mocking voice came from outside the tent.

"Great Commander Shi Ming, we heard of your return, and we've specially come to pay our respects. Great Commander Shi Ming hasn't been in the army for these past few days, which has made us quite anxious!"

Hearing this mocking voice, Lu Sheng slowly opened his eyes, looked outside the tent, and then a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"I was just wondering how to get started, and here come the people looking for death!"

Lu Sheng smiled.

Causing trouble... killing two Vice Great Commanders, the trouble caused... should be enough to let the Great Commander know, right?

Thinking of this, Lu Sheng slowly stood up and walked towards the outside of the tent.

When you want to sleep, the pillow arrives. Excellent!

A smile on his lips, Lu Sheng slowly walked out of the tent.

Immediately, Lu Sheng saw two strong individuals of the Lion Demon Clan in black armor in front of him, their black fur looking extremely sleek.

Furthermore, a very turbulent Devilish Qi fluctuation emanated from both of them.

Peak Eighth Realm!

The two Vice Great Commanders under Shi Ming!

Shi Kuang! Shi Ba!

The two were originally in a competitive relationship for the Great Commander position. Who knew that Shi Ming's sudden arrival caused them to completely lose the opportunity for the Great Commander position.

As a result... the two, who were originally competing, became united due to Shi Ming's arrival and began to jointly undermine Shi Ming's authority.

The original Shi Ming didn't care much about the struggle for power. After all, as a martial arts fanatic, he spent most of his time immersed in cultivation, so he naturally didn't have much time to manage these things.

As a result, the two became even more aggressive. Except for calling Shi Ming 'Great Commander' in front of outsiders, they basically antagonized Shi Ming in private at every turn.

Consequently, when Shi Ming accepted a mission, there was even a situation where, as a Great Commander, he couldn't mobilize anyone.

This gave the third squad a particularly good opportunity!

Which led to Lu Sheng's current usurpation!

Watching Lu Sheng walk out calmly, a hint of surprise flashed across Shi Ba and Shi Kuang's faces. They didn't know if it was just their inner illusion, but they clearly felt that the strength of this 'Shi Ming' seemed to have subtly grown stronger.

However... since Lu Sheng's cultivation was already above theirs, they couldn't discern what level Lu Sheng had actually reached now.

Coupled with his previous strength being only Late Stage Eighth Realm, still some distance from the Peak.

Now, the increased aura, in their eyes, was merely him reaching the Peak Eighth Realm, just like them.

Although they were somewhat stronger than before, both of them were Peak eighth-rank powerhouses, so naturally, they weren't afraid of the 'Shi Ming' in front of them!

Shi Kuang laughed mockingly at Lu Sheng, saying, "Great Commander, was this mission successful? It was only a C-rank mission, yet it took Great Commander several days. It seems this mission wasn't simple!"

As he spoke, Shi Kuang showed a regretful expression: "If it weren't for the overwhelming amount of matters within the Lion Demon Army, I would truly want to help Great Commander alleviate his worries!"

"I hope Great Commander doesn't blame me!"

Shi Ba, standing beside him, had a mocking expression, his arms crossed over his chest, watching Lu Sheng as if he were watching a play.

Lu Sheng glanced at the two of them. Not only these two guys, but even the Lion Demon Army powerhouses below the rank of Vice Commander behind them were looking at him with a mocking expression.

"It seems Shi Ming's prestige isn't enough!"

Lu Sheng sighed softly in his heart.

However... Shi Ming's prestige not being enough doesn't mean his own prestige isn't enough.

Lu Sheng slowly took a step forward, and a light, airy voice resounded.

"As a Vice Commander, completely disregarding the Great Commander's orders... this seems to have violated the Lion Demon Army's military regulations, hasn't it!"

This voice fell into their ears, immediately making them both freeze.

Shi Kuang burst out laughing: "Of course it violates military regulations, but while Great Commander was still away, this subordinate already ordered the men below to give this subordinate a hundred lashes, which can be considered atonement for Great Commander!"

Shi Ba sneered. Anyway, if they said so, the people below would naturally agree with them. Although they hadn't obeyed Shi Ming's orders, they had already received 'punishment'.

Shi Ming had no other excuse.

However... today, this 'Shi Ming' seemed to have changed his temperament. In the past, he wouldn't have spoken to them like this.

A trace of doubt arose in Shi Ba's heart, but just as his doubt appeared, he suddenly saw a cold light flash before him.

Immediately after, a sticky substance suddenly splattered onto Shi Ba's face.

Shi Ba was stunned and couldn't help but touch it with his hand. When he looked closely, he found that what was on his face was actually crimson blood!!

"This!"

Shi Ba's pupils constricted slightly, and he abruptly looked to his side.

He saw that Shi Kuang's pupils were filled with disbelief, and he was clutching his neck, wanting to speak, but for some reason, he could only make muffled sounds.

That blood... was precisely splattering from Shi Kuang's neck!

Thud!

Finally, Shi Kuang's body fell heavily to the ground, his hands dropping powerlessly, and the blood from his neck gushed out.

In an instant, the entire area outside the camp fell into complete silence.

"Repeatedly disobeying superior orders, according to the Lion Demon Army's military regulations, this Great Commander has the right to execute him on the spot!"

"Now... it's your turn!"

A light, airy voice suddenly resounded, like the Grim Reaper about to harvest lives. Upon hearing this voice, Shi Ba only felt goosebumps erupting all over his skin, and his heart was filled with a hint of fear at that moment!

He abruptly looked towards Lu Sheng's location, only to see Lu Sheng slowly walking towards him.

"What do you want to do! I am a formally appointed Vice Commander of the Lion Demon Army. You want to kill me, aren't you afraid of violating military regulations!"

Shi Ba looked at Lu Sheng in front of him, feeling confused and an inexplicable fear rising within him.

Especially Shi Kuang's sudden demise just now, which made Lu Sheng appear shrouded in a terrifying veil in Shi Ba's heart.

For a moment, facing Lu Sheng who was walking towards him, Shi Ba couldn't help but retreat several steps.

"To slay you, why bother with too many scruples? Do you really think... my temper is very good!"

Lu Sheng spoke softly. In an instant, a surging Devilish Qi roared out, vast and mighty, transforming into a palm print that fiercely pressed down towards Shi Ba.

Thud!

A muffled sound suddenly exploded, and immediately, dust flew and stones scattered.

Terrifying power diffused, causing the other Lion Demon Army soldiers around to retreat, avoiding the lethal area of the palm print.

When the dust gradually settled, they finally saw the location where the palm print had landed. Shi Ba's body had already been crushed into a pulp.

"Now... is there anyone who still feigns compliance with me?"

At this moment, Lu Sheng's indifferent voice resounded again, echoing in the ears of the surrounding Lion Demon Army soldiers.

They looked at the suddenly deceased Shi Kuang and Shi Ba, whose Physical Body had been turned into pulp, their pupils constantly trembling. Finally, accompanied by Lu Sheng's voice, they all knelt on the ground and bowed to Lu Sheng.

"We, your subordinates, are willing to serve Great Commander!"

Lu Sheng glanced indifferently at the other Lion Demon Army soldiers, snorted coldly, and finally returned to his own camp.

It wasn't that Lu Sheng didn't want to kill these Lion Demon Army soldiers. Rather, within the Lion Demon Army, Lu Sheng had the right to kill two Vice Commanders because they had violated military regulations first, giving him a reason to show off his strength.

If he killed too many, it would easily arouse the dissatisfaction of the Great Commander above him.

What he wanted was merely to enter the Great Commander's field of vision, compete for the qualification to participate in the martial arts competition, enter the Treasure Vault, and obtain the profound spirit fragment, not to display a bloodthirsty nature in front of this Great Commander.

It would be more loss than gain!

Moreover, having shown his strength, and with Shi Kuang and Shi Ba no longer obstructing him, these people would also become Lu Sheng's own power.

This would be beneficial for investigating information about other profound spirit fragments in the future.

The Lion Demon Army soldiers watched Lu Sheng enter the camp, not bothering with them, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. However, as they looked at the two deceased figures, they eventually indifferently carried them away.

The Lion Demon Clan was like this; only absolute strength could make them submit.

The previous Shi Ming was unable to suppress these two guys, so he naturally didn't gain the approval of the other Lion Demon Army soldiers. But now... Lu Sheng already had that qualification!

...In a huge tent at the Lion Demon Army's station, a burly Lion Demon Clan powerhouse, clad in silver armor, was grasping a roasted antelope leg with one hand, eating it in large mouthfuls.

An extremely powerful aura permeated his entire being.

Tenth-rank Otherworldly Demon!

Comparable to the Golden Body Realm!

At this moment, the tent curtain was suddenly lifted, and a figure, equally burly but somewhat leaner compared to the silver-armored Lion Demon Clan powerhouse, walked in.

He glanced at the figure eating the roasted antelope leg and bowed respectfully.

"Great Commander, something quite interesting has happened in the camp."

As his voice fell, the Great Commander's action of eating meat paused, and he said in a booming voice, "What is it?"

The man smiled slightly, then said, "The Ninth Commander, after completing his mission, killed two of his Vice Commanders to establish his authority. I think... the Ninth Commander has probably already broken through to the ninth-rank!"

Upon hearing this, a sharp gleam instantly shot out from the Great Commander's eyes.

"Ninth Commander? If I remember correctly, that's Shi Ming, that brat! Tsk tsk tsk, I used to think he was just a martial arts fanatic who didn't understand the rules of the army. Now it seems... he has some of his father's demeanor!"

"Hahahaha!"

The Great Commander laughed heartily, seemingly quite pleased.

The man paused, then spoke again: "However, killing two Vice Commanders... seems a bit out of line with the rules."

"Rules?"

The Great Commander glared at the man and said in a deep voice, "In the Lion Demon Army, strength is everything. If those two guys could suppress Shi Ming, then fine. But if they couldn't suppress him and still dared to provoke Shi Ming, that's purely seeking death!"

"They're just two Peak eighth-rank Vice Commanders. You go find two new people to be Shi Ming's Vice Commanders, and also... have him come see me!"

The man hesitated for a moment, then finally gave a bitter smile and retreated!