218: Lifting the roof

The few words that floated out from Xiang Yan fell upon the ears of The Strong Ones of the Suradi Continent like a thunderclap!

The figures who had been at daggers drawn a moment ago, preparing to encircle and annihilate the intruder, were now as respectful as could be; the shock and panic on their faces were quickly suppressed, forcing out smiles that looked worse than tears.

A sturdy creature at the lead, whose body was covered in lava-like armor, hurriedly stepped forward and bowed deeply, its voice carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling:

"Lord Fannojia, you are joking! It is our honor that you could grace the Suradi Continent with your presence; how could we possibly not welcome you?"

"Quick! Quickly, invite the Lord inside to rest! If we neglect the Lord, we would not be able to atone even with ten thousand deaths!"

As he spoke, he secretly signaled his companions behind him with his eyes.

The other The Strong Ones also reacted immediately, bowing and saluting one after another, their words filled with flattery:

"Yes, yes! Lord Fannojia must be tired from the journey; please, come in!"

"We have long since prepared the best resting place within the continent; we welcome you, Lord!"

"If the Lord has any instructions, just say the word, and we will certainly do our utmost to satisfy them!"

They put on a submissive and obedient posture, as if Fannojia's arrival were truly a momentous, joyous occasion.

But beneath that respectful facade, everyone had already greeted all eighteen generations of Fannojia's ancestors in their hearts.

'Damn it! Why did this bane suddenly run to our Suradi Continent?!' the lava-armored The Strong One cursed inwardly, though he dared not show the slightest hint of it on his face, 'Not early, not late, but at this critical juncture...'

'Resting? Only a ghost would believe that! Since when did this bastard Fannojia become so easy to talk to? In those eyes of his, it is clearly the same greedy look of someone eyeing prey!' Another thin, mantis-like creature glanced out of the corner of its eye at the flickering 'token of pioneering' on "Fannojia's" forehead, its inner alarm bells ringing wildly.

'It is over, it is over... I fear the Suradi Continent is going to...' Some were even more desperate, 'The Master has just fallen, the token of pioneering has yet to find a new owner, and the interior of the continent is in total chaos. With this hungry wolf Fannojia here, what can we use to resist?'

Their fear was not without cause.

The Suradi Continent had not always been leaderless.

Just a short time ago, it possessed a powerful master, a The Strong One who also held a 'token of pioneering'.

However, unexpected storms can arise in life; that Master of the Continent was heavily wounded in an accident in the Void Realm. Although he successfully spent his last ounce of strength to return to the continent, he fell shortly after. Along with him, his 'token of pioneering', which symbolized ruling power, also became an ownerless object, left behind in some corner of the continent, waiting for a new successor.

This should have been a power reshuffle within the continent, an excellent opportunity for these top-tier The Strong Ones to vie for higher authority.

For that 'token of pioneering', undercurrents had long been surging within the continent; various factions were sharpening their swords, and a few small-scale conflicts had even broken out.

The entire Suradi Continent was in a delicate and tense balance.

No one expected that at this most sensitive and vulnerable moment, Fannojia, that guy known for his greed and cruelty, would suddenly descend!

It was common knowledge in the Myriad Artifact Realm that Fannojia possessed a 'token of pioneering'.

Although he himself was not among the top-tier of The Strong Ones, for the Suradi Continent, which had lost its master and lay before him like a piece of fat meat, he represented an absolute threat!

Who could guarantee that Fannojia was really just passing by to 'rest'?

The greater possibility was that he had smelled the scent of blood and had come specifically for that ownerless 'token of pioneering' of the Suradi Continent!

Annexing another 'token of pioneering' and integrating it into oneself to make one's own authority and power stronger—such things were not without precedent in the history of the Myriad Artifact Realm!

Once Fannojia succeeded, the Suradi Continent would completely become his vassal, and for these The Strong Ones who originally had a chance to vie for supreme power, the best outcome would be nothing more than becoming a dog under Fannojia's seat!

Thinking of this, a deep sense of powerlessness and humiliation welled up in the hearts of all the The Strong Ones of the Suradi Continent.

Stop him?

With what?

Fannojia's strength was already formidable, and with the augmentation of the 'token of pioneering', even if all The Strong Ones of the Suradi Continent united, they would likely find it hard to resist! Furthermore, the interior of the continent was now in a state of panic, with everyone fighting for themselves, making it impossible to form any effective combined force.

Fight? They couldn't win.

Drive him away? They didn't dare.

Aside from putting on forced smiles and carefully 'inviting' this plague god inside, they seemed to... have no other choice.

Xiang Yan, or rather, Xiang Yan disguised as Fannojia, took in all the colorful expressions on the faces of these creatures, as well as the fear, resentment, and unwillingness hidden deep within their eyes.

He understood everything in his heart.

It seems that this 'rest' of his had come at just the right time; the struggle for this continent had not yet come to an end.

"Hmm."

Xiang Yan only responded indifferently, his icy gaze sweeping over the crowd, as if examining a flock of lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

Subsequently, he ignored these 'landlords' with their various ulterior motives, moved his body, and under the 'guidance' of the lava-armored The Strong One, flew towards the depths of the continent, leaving behind a group of Suradi Continent High-ranking Officials with complex expressions and hidden agendas.