You Were Never Worthy

"Lord!?"

The moment Ling Ye appears, Ren Fenchen is the first to collapse in terror, his legs giving out as he falls to his knees.

Behind him, the entire army of hundreds of millions follows suit, kneeling in unison.

It is an instinctive reaction.

A deep, inescapable fear and awe radiate from Ling Ye.

Ling Ye… wasn't he in seclusion?

Why is he suddenly here?

Did he already finish his seclusion?

Or… had he never entered seclusion at all?

Just moments ago, this entire army had been shouting, declaring their intent to defect from Ling Ye and join the Heaven and Earth Alliance.

And now, Ling Ye has appeared before them.

So… does he know?

Of course, he does.

It's over.

At this moment, despair grips everyone's hearts.

It is as if death itself has descended upon them.

They had planned to betray Ling Ye—only to be caught by him.

With Ling Ye's nature, how could he possibly spare them?

At the very front, Ren Fenchen's face is the most wretched.

Kneeling there, his body trembles violently, his face drained of color, sweat pouring down in rivulets.

He was the one who incited the army to join the Heaven and Earth Alliance.

It was his leadership, his voice, that led them down this path.

And now… Ling Ye stands before them all.

How could this happen?

What should he do now?

Ren Fenchen's palm, still clutching his dice, is slick with sweat.

His fear is so overwhelming that he cannot even speak.

At the very front, upon the Void Throne, Ling Ye sits.

One hand lazily props up his head, his blood-red eyes sweeping over the vast army of Blood Shadow Demons.

As expected.

This group of opportunists, in the end, has betrayed him.

Just as they did in Original Book.

But Ling Ye's gaze holds no anger.

Because all of this… was within his expectations.

His eyes remain cold as he looks down at them and speaks, his voice indifferent:

"You are right. Between you and me, there has only ever been a relationship of mutual use."

The moment his voice falls, a visible tremor runs through the entire army.

"My Lord! Please… allow me to explain!"

Ren Fenchen, kneeling at the front, buries his head into the ground, not daring to meet Ling Ye's gaze.

He knows all too well—if Ling Ye wishes, he could be erased in an instant.

Even though he has reached the Extreme God Realm, he is only in its early stage.

He understands better than anyone…

Before Ling Ye, he is nothing.

Even with the entirety of the Blood Shadow Demon Army—hundreds of millions strong—they would not be enough to oppose Ling Ye.

Sweat drips from his nose as his mind races for an answer.

In a desperate attempt, he blurts out:

"My Lord, I… I only wanted to test how many among the Blood Shadow Demon Army harbored doubts about you."

Yes! That's it!

It is the only excuse he can think of in this moment.

But the moment Ren Fenchen utters these words, the hearts of the hundreds of millions behind him sink.

They hadn't expected him to say something so absurd.

He was the one who led them to betray Ling Ye.

And now… he is shifting all the blame onto them?

From the throne, Ling Ye's voice is as cold as ever.

"Test?"

He scoffs.

"When did you start believing that such foolish words could deceive me?"

"I…"

Ren Fenchen is speechless.

Of course, he knows how ridiculous this excuse sounds.

Of course, he knows it is impossible to fool Ling Ye.

But what else can he say at this moment?

"My Lord! I… I plead guilty! I should not have wavered, I deserve death for my sins!"

Ren Fenchen quickly lowers his head even further.

He knows that before Ling Ye, it is best not to play tricks.

Just moments ago, he had lied instinctively.

But now, he must show his regret in the most direct way possible.

Ling Ye's voice, unwavering and cold, echoes through the blood-red void:

"You should not have wavered. None of you should have wavered."

The entire army of hundreds of millions instantly bows lower, their foreheads pressed against the ground.

"Lord! We… we were deceived by Ren Fenchen! It was he who led us to join the Heaven and Earth Alliance!"

But Ling Ye remains unmoved.

His expression never shifts.

His voice is light, yet chilling:

"But you—who are disloyal, greedy, and afraid to die—are not worthy to be my subordinates."

"To my Blood Shadow Demon Army, you… were never indispensable."

Yes, he has known all along.

This army, gathered through intimidation and personal gain, would never truly be loyal.

His true Blood Shadow Demon Army lies with the Three Thousand Demon Emperors.

These soldiers?

They were always nothing more than a backdrop.

As for Ren Fenchen—yes, he is in the early stage of the Extreme God Realm, and yes, he has some ability.

But he was never part of the army's core.

Without him, nothing would change.

Before Ling Ye, the vast army kneels in silence, unable to utter a single word.

What can they say now?

Lies won't work.

Admitting guilt won't work.

And Ling Ye…

He doesn't seem to care to listen.