The Death of an Emperor

As the two approached, a young woman with brown hair, striking blue eyes, and an elegant figure stepped forward. She spoke in a lively tone, "Hello, my name is Lan Mu Chen. I'm a second-year student from the Beast Emperor University. The guy next to me is Song Jian." She gave a nod toward the tall young man standing beside her before turning back to ask, "Are you Gu Tian?"

Gu Tian smiled slightly before replying, "Yes, that's me."

Lan Mu Chen nodded in satisfaction before continuing, "Alright, do you have some free time? Our university sent us to scout potential students directly, bypassing the central government's admission process." She gave a sly smile before asking, "Are you interested?"

Gu Tian observed Lan Mu Chen for a moment before responding casually, "I'm interested."

Hearing his answer, Lan Mu Chen grinned. "Great, then let's find a place to sit and talk."

Before they could continue, Wu Shuang, who had been standing behind them, suddenly interrupted. "Let's grab something to eat first. I'm starving."

Guang Yue chuckled softly before suggesting, "How about the Star Chamber Commerce Guild? It's on me."

Wu Shuang looked thoughtful before nodding. "Are you sure?"

"It's just a meal, no need to overthink it," Guang Yue said with a smile.

With the decision made, they headed toward the Star Chamber Commerce Guild, one of the most prestigious restaurants in the city. Upon arriving in a private lounge, they ordered an extravagant feast, filling the table with exquisite dishes.

Once everyone had finished eating, it was time to discuss business. Lan Mu Chen was the first to speak. "First of all, joining Beast Emperor University comes with numerous privileges. One of the biggest perks is the opportunity to explore secret realms before anyone else. This is a golden chance to find beasts with emperor-level potential. Not to mention, we have specialists dedicated to researching unique evolution paths tailored for you."

She paused briefly before continuing, "Additionally, you'll receive ten million points the university's internal currency. You can use these points to purchase resources, enhance your beasts, or even hire top-tier instructors for training."

Song Jian, who had been quietly listening, added, "Another major benefit is full tuition coverage. Your entire education will be free of charge."

Gu Tian and Wu Shuang both nodded with interest, but Lan Mu Chen wasn't done. "However, there's one condition… If you fail to graduate and get expelled, you'll have to pay a penalty of ten trillion credits."

Gu Tian raised an eyebrow slightly. "That sounds expensive."

Lan Mu Chen chuckled. "It's just a small commitment. But if you're expelled rather than voluntarily withdrawing, you won't have to pay anything… though you will be blacklisted by Beast Emperor University."

Wu Shuang, curious, asked, "What does being blacklisted mean?"

Song Jian explained, "It means you'll lose access to certain commerce guilds, and none of the top ten universities will accept you. It'll also make transactions and high-society engagements much more difficult."

Gu Tian nodded in understanding. After pondering for a moment, he made his decision. "Alright, I accept the terms."

Wu Shuang remained silent for a moment before sighing. "Fine, I'm in too."

With both of them in agreement, Lan Mu Chen smiled. "Good. In seven days, meet us at the university. And don't be late the entrance trials will be your first opportunity to earn extra points."

Gu Tian chuckled. "Thanks, Sister Lan."

Lan Mu Chen smiled back before waving goodbye and leaving. After chatting a little longer, everyone parted ways. Gu Tian and Wu Shuang agreed to travel to the university together in four days.

Inside a Level 5 city, the governor's mansion was unusually silent. The atmosphere was eerily cold, devoid of any human presence. Even stranger, there were no signs of servants, gardeners, or guards. It was as if they had all vanished without a trace.

Within the mansion, a terrifying stillness hung in the air. The once grand reception hall was now littered with corpses. Dark red blood stained the floor, and the stench of death permeated the room. A desperate voice of an old man echoed through the silence. "Please… I beg you… Take the lives of everyone in this city if you must… but please, spare my family!"

Bang!

A bullet of water pierced straight through the old man's forehead. His body collapsed lifelessly onto the ground as a hooded figure clad in black stepped forward toward the city's protective barrier.

From Level 4 cities and above, the central government provided each city with a special stone capable of generating a protective energy barrier, shielding it from external threats. But now, the barrier of this city had been shattered.

Meanwhile, inside a noble family's estate, a conversation between an elderly man and his grandson took place.

"Grandfather… Is this really an emperor-level beast egg?" The young boy's eyes sparkled with excitement as he held the egg in his hands.

The old man chuckled, gently patting his grandson's head. "Of course. This is the egg of a Snow Leopard Emperor. I spent a fortune to acquire it just for you. Aren't you happy?"

The young boy gazed at the egg with anticipation, imagining the bright future that awaited him. But at that very moment, a deafening roar echoed across the sky.

"Where is my child, you foolish humans?!"

A suffocating emperor-level aura erupted into the heavens. The once-clear sky darkened instantly, and snow began to fall.

Shen Kang, the head of the Shen family and Shen Ya's adoptive father, who resided in this city, looked up at the sky with a grim expression.

"Activate the barrier"

Boom!

Before he could finish his command, half the city was instantly encased in ice. Everything came to a halt. Millions of people turned into frozen statues in an instant, their faces frozen in expressions of terror in their final moments.

A beast's enraged roar shook the city. "Return my child!"

Shen Kang shot into the sky, scanning the devastation below. More than half of the city's population had perished in a mere moment. Even his own clan members were not spared.

"Where the hell are those damn city officials?! Why hasn't the barrier been activated?!" Shen Kang roared in fury.

Left with no choice, he summoned all of his beasts. Among them were six severely injured emperor-level beasts and four epic-level beasts. However, before he could take further action—

Boom!

A wave of absolute frost surged forward, slamming into his beasts with terrifying force. Though Shen Kang was an emperor-level beast tamer, he was already gravely wounded. He stood no chance against the overwhelming power of a peak emperor-level beast.

His eyes locked onto the massive Snow Leopard Emperor standing before him, its gaze burning with unrelenting fury. Shen Kang immediately made the decision to flee, but—

"You worthless insect! Return my child!"

His body and all of his beasts began to freeze rapidly. He struggled to resist, but the frost overtook him.

Boom!

With a single swipe of its massive claws, the Snow Leopard Emperor tore through him. His body shattered into frozen fragments in an instant.