My Beautiful Duchess Wife

However, it's clear from the report that Serabil had contacted the Dark Empire's officials, presumably with the purpose of this mission to host the Refiner's Tournament.

However, Gerald did not investigate much.

After all, they always went out at night. And Sierra Bill seemed to be afraid of something, as he hadn't gone out at all.

On the other side, Xiao Long listened quite attentively. After giving a cold snort, he said, "Brother Lin Peng, I think we should just charge straight in! Right now, even if I can't regain my dragon form, I'm still strong enough to deal with them!"

Lin Peng was taken aback, then chuckled wryly, "If it were really that easy, I would have done it already! Hehe... Don't worry, last time it was just a small interest, the real trouble is what follows! By the way, Garen, how's your training going lately?"

This was what Lin Peng cared about most. As long as his side was strong enough, no one could touch him. And with so many potions, it would be a huge loss if he didn't bribe some powerful people.

Gairen scratched the back of his head, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Well, Master, it's because I want to study this death potion first. Then, after drinking it, perhaps I'll understand many things. So... this..."

Lin Peng was speechless. This guy was really going crazy. Couldn't he just drink the potion first and then do the research?

Shaking his head helplessly, he was about to stand up and go for a walk when a cold voice appeared: "I think you don't need to make any plans, because you'll be meeting the God of the Underworld soon! Hehehe..."

Chapter Twenty: The "Difficult" Advancement

The voice was extremely cold, seemingly capable of freezing everyone. Yet Lin Peng still managed a faint smile. He was just a demon of the level of a great demon king; in fact, he knew from the beginning that someone had been eavesdropping next door. As for revealing the plan, he simply assumed the person on the other end was a dead man.

The wall was smashed through like a block of tofu. The large hole that appeared was just enough for the smaller demon to squeeze through.

However, as he crawled over, Lin Peng still didn't make a move. He even stood with his arms crossed. This disregard infuriated the openly blatant assassin.

He snorted coldly and slowly drew a slender sword, which appeared to be a soft sword, from his waist. However, Lin Peng still didn't make a move.

Even the boy, who looked like a child, looked at the assassin with disdain. This time, however, he was genuinely angry.

He roared, "Die!"

The slender sword seemed to suddenly be infused with some kind of energy, and instantly, a black light flashed forth. Not only that, but just as the black light was about to reach Lin Peng...

A sudden, sharp pain shot through his abdomen. The assassin groaned in agony and collapsed to the ground. Immediately, a small, delicate foot landed on his face.

At the same time, a black mist appeared, and then... that was it!

Even as he faced death, the assassin remained completely unaware of what had happened. Furthermore, his memories had been directly spied upon, something he was completely oblivious to.

The black mist slowly dissipated, and Gerrein straightened his face, then suddenly twitched his lips as if in a smile: "Master, it seems we've offended Kula!"

That black mist was Garen's necromancy. Of course, it could also directly control souls and extract their memories. It was quite ruthless, really.

However, necromancers are truly ruthless characters.

Lin Peng smiled and nodded, looking at the corpse on the ground, and laughed, "Little Long, your punch and kick killed it directly!"

The demon lying on the ground had its head smashed to pieces. Moreover, its entire back was arched. It could be said that the black dragon clan's melee combat ability was the best among all dragons.

It's obvious that a black dragon at the Demon Emperor level, even in human form, could easily defeat a demon king.

"Just a nobody. Killing him was only because I was angry these past few days!" the little dragon said dismissively. Of course, he was angry. As a noble dragon, he never imagined he would be unable to revert to his dragon form. It was, frankly, quite unacceptable to him.

But those dark eyes deeply moved him. It was this man who had saved him with the most precious medicine when he was in the most danger.

Perhaps this is a testament!

“Master, it seems they were sent by someone named Jess. And it seems to be a personal grudge. However, Kula must have agreed as well. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent a peak-level Demon King!” Garen said after a moment’s thought.

Originally, he was a member of a large family. Of course, some people possess such cunning and scheming. Just considering that kid Jess, there might not be an assassin with that kind of skill.

Rather, it was only with Kula's consent that such an assassin could be sent.

Of course, even a master of the level of a great demon king would be nothing more than a death sentence in his eyes. Moreover, this assassin really did have something wrong with his head.

It was supposed to be a proper assassination, but they did it so openly and brazenly. Clearly, they didn't take him seriously. It's a shame he doesn't even know how he died.

Upon hearing this news, Lin Peng chuckled twice but said nothing. Jess was nothing but a clown. Honestly, there was no need to go through all that trouble to cause him trouble.

However, it's best to avoid such troubles in the capital. Immediately, an idea popped into Lin Peng's head.

……

The Weapon Refiner Competition has finally begun. The stands, with nearly 100,000 spectators, are practically overflowing. For the people of the capital, this is a truly momentous event.

Of course, to be honest, it's just curiosity about weapon refiners. Weapon refiners are, undeniably, a source of great curiosity in the Demon Realm.

All professions within the Dark Sage Guild seem to be objects of curiosity for the demon realm. After all, while demons possess extremely formidable combat power...

However, I'm really not good at things like craftsmanship. If I manage to produce even a few, I'll be considered a monster. And this weapon-refining competition is a true elite competition.

Obviously, it would be strange if those who come to learn from the experience and enjoy the spectacle didn't show up.

At this moment, rows of weapon refiners stood on the field. They were all dressed in the robes of master weapon refiners. Some were young, and some were old.

The platform was laden with materials, some of which were rare even in the Demon Realm. This demonstrated the wealth of the Dark Sage Guild.

For ordinary families, this one match might have been enough to cripple them. Even extremely powerful families cannot withstand such attrition.

Standing on the highest platform, looking down at the hundreds of weapon refiners below, Greenb smiled and nodded. There were significantly more people this year than last year.

Moreover, it seemed that several of the most attention-grabbing individuals were present. However, when Greenb saw Lin Peng's expression, he was still taken aback.

Pale, devoid of any blood color. Either they are seriously ill, or severely injured. However, in the Demon Realm, although the environment is harsh, illness is relatively rare.

After all, the physical constitution of demons is what it is. Ordinary demons, even mid-level demons, rarely get sick. Therefore... it can be concluded that Lin Peng is definitely injured.

He was injured during the Refiner Competition. Therefore, it must have been the work of his opponent. A surge of anger rose within Greenb. To do such a thing to a contestant during such a major competition was an absolute provocation to the Dark Sage Guild.

He gave a heavy snort, then looked at the expressions of the weapon refiners. After waiting for a long time, he slowly stood up: "This is the second match, and I believe you all know the rules. I won't go into detail here. However, I still want to remind you of these rules!"

He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger: "Those weapon refiners who passed the elimination rounds during the tournament are members of my Dark Sage Guild. If... if anyone tries to eliminate their opponent through underhanded means... hehe..."

A chilling laugh rang out, startling the proctoring masters standing behind the branch leader. Their faces immediately darkened with anger. Clearly, the branch leader was speaking to those who had provoked the Dark Sage Guild.

Of course, some people may have already started to provoke us.

This is definitely a huge challenge for the weapon refiners, or for the Dark Sage Guild.

"Then, just wait for the Dark Sage Guild's revenge! Don't test our patience, and don't doubt our strength. Perhaps you already know that!"

The contestants below were all taken aback. However, after glancing at the expressions of those who had invested, they were overjoyed. They truly hadn't expected that just one branch of the Dark Sage Guild would possess such power. This was clearly a threat to powerful families and similar entities, or rather, a direct statement of the Dark Sage Guild's stance.

Anyone who dares to offend us will be dealt with directly.

In the past, there was no guarantee that an assassination attempt might not have occurred.

After glancing around, Greenb snorted coldly: "The match officially begins!"

With a sharp clang of the bell, the weapon refiners all began fiddling with their tools. Of course, the same three remained completely still.

Lin Peng was somewhat surprised by Greenb's words. He hadn't expected that even in the capital, such an imperial city, such words would be spoken so boldly.

It seems we have to assess the strength of the Dark Sage Guild. I've heard that the Dark Sage Guild itself provides the materials for this competition every year.

Undeniably, in terms of financial resources alone, it's on par with a top-tier company.

When Lin Peng saw the worried look in Greenb's eyes, he felt a little embarrassed. Of course, this was all an act.

Even that assassin was clearly no match for him. He then smiled slightly at Greenb on the stage. Immediately afterward, he began to slowly tidy up his things.

Since it's all an act, it has to be convincing. Every time Lin Peng picks up something, he puts on a tired expression.

This time, he didn't use the power of fire to melt the materials directly. Instead, he put them into the furnace and waited patiently.

The other two men, who were just about to make their move, seemed to have noticed this as well. They then turned to look at Greenb on the platform and nodded with a hint of meaning.

Half an hour passed, and Eileen, who had been standing in the stands, still gripped her hands tightly, extremely nervous. She had heard about yesterday's assassination attempt when she went to pick up Lin Peng early that morning.

However, without explaining the reason to her, she was still quite concerned about Lin Peng's condition. Sitting not far away, Jess looked at the anxious Eileen with a hint of jealousy.

He found himself cursing the assassin he had sent out. He kept saying that since receiving the mission, he had never failed.

See? You messed up, didn't you? You didn't even come back, which makes me feel ashamed.

Jess gave a cold snort, glanced at Eileen, and then chuckled, "Looks like this guy isn't doing so well today!"

He deliberately spoke a little loudly, which immediately angered Eileen. She gave Jess a murderous look, which made him shrink back.

This woman's unreasonable behavior actually frightened Jess a little. After all, she had a criminal record. He remembered she was still quite young back then.

There was a spoiled rich kid who got drunk and tried to harass this woman, but... tragically... he died! He was actually killed!

This made Jess feel somewhat guilty towards Eileen, after all, his standing in his father's eyes seemed to be declining. Meanwhile, that little bastard was truly proving invaluable.

Nearly an hour had passed in the weapon refiner competition. This immediately brought a sense of relief to Eileen, who had been feeling somewhat relaxed. Being ranked 50th was just enough to advance to the next stage of the competition.

It must be said that Lin's skill in weapon crafting is still quite formidable. After all, after observing other weapon crafters, he can immediately calculate the strength of his own creations.

After the match, Greenb surprisingly asked Lin Peng to come to him after the game.

In the relatively empty room, Greenb looked at Lin Peng with some concern, remaining silent. After a long while, Lin Peng finally gave a wry smile: "Branch President, perhaps you've already guessed?"

Greenb nodded, a chilling aura already appearing in his eyes. His entire body emanated an aura that astonished even Lin Peng. Demon Emperor level, absolutely Demon Emperor level. Moreover, he possessed peak Demon Emperor strength. It seemed that, putting everything else aside, the Refiner's Guild was absolutely unchallenged in terms of strength alone.

"Who is she? Kula? Hmph, in this capital, you must be one of Caron's faction! It seems only Kula would dare to make a move!" Greenb's directness was almost unbearable for Lin Peng. But to not even put Kula in his eyes... just how powerful is this Dark Sage Guild?

Seemingly noticing the doubt in Lin Peng's eyes, he smiled slightly: "The strength of the Dark Sage Guild is beyond your imagination. I can tell you now that at least, we have experts with the strength of a Demon Lord within our guild! Even in the Demon Realm, apart from the Moon Demon Realm, no empire can rival the Dark Sage Guild!"

This truly startled Lin Peng; the Demon Lord's strength was practically unmatched in the Dark Empire. If such a force could be brought under his control, then Shia's matter…

Thinking of this, Lin Peng's eyes suddenly lit up. However, what he said next immediately dampened his spirits. Greenb coughed and said with a wry smile, "However, our Dark Sage Guild cannot associate with those forces. Nor can we interfere in their affairs!"

"why?"

Lin Peng was somewhat stunned. With such strength, he could easily establish a country! Why? Why can't the Dark Sage get involved in matters of state?

Greenb's eyes flickered slightly. After taking a deep breath, he asked, "I just wanted to ask you if you'd like to join my Dark Sage Guild. If you would... then I can pass on the message to you now!"

It seemed he had indeed encountered something quite serious. Lin Peng immediately began to think. First of all, by joining the Dark Sage Guild, he would have a certain degree of security.

Secondly, he might be able to directly utilize the resources of the Dark Guild. Perhaps they'd even give him a few bodyguards, some with the strength of a Demon Emperor. Then, there's the matter of influence. If he held a respectable position within the Dark Sage Guild, perhaps Kula would have to seriously consider whether he posed a threat to him.

Thinking this, Lin Peng smiled faintly and then nodded. Greenb breathed a sigh of relief, then burst into laughter: "Good... since you're willing to join, at least I can let you stay with me, the branch president. Let's see who dares to assassinate you again!"

At this point, Greenb paused, then became serious. Lin Peng knew that he was probably referring to why they couldn't get involved in matters of state.

"Our Dark Sage Guild has actually existed for at least three or four thousand years, from the first Dark Sage to now. And our first Dark Sage, who was also the first guild leader, made a bet with the Dark Emperor back then."

As he spoke, a hint of pride flickered in his eyes as he looked at Lin Peng. Lin Peng, meanwhile, looked terrified. He hadn't expected the first president to possess such impressive abilities. He'd even made a bet with the Dark Emperor! It was said that the Dark Emperor at the time possessed peak Demon Lord strength, capable of directly advancing to Demon God in one step. Of course, some legends claimed he had already reached Demon God status.

"Back then, the Dark Sage was a true peak-level Demon Lord. However, in a battle with the Dark Emperor, he lost. Moreover, according to legend, he lost without any chance of survival. Even with powerful potions and countless divine artifacts, he was still no match for the Dark Emperor. Therefore, he promised the Dark Emperor that he would never interfere in matters of state. It is precisely because of this that even though the Dark Empire split into the three empires we have today, we have not interfered!"

A sudden sadness filled Greenb's eyes. Perhaps it was because, in the end, the Dark Sage had still lost. No matter how powerful the weapons or how potent the potions, they were still no match for the Dark Emperor.