After returning to the City that was still trembling in fear due to the malevolent burst of spiritual energy, Nik felt that in a short time, he had too many things to deal with. First, he had to take the treasure from Ye Zong that the monster wanted. If Nik helped Ziyun out, he didn't expect to be rewarded, that is why he would be demanding it shamelessly. Second, he needed to interrogate the Crystal-haired women and find out everything about the Dark Guild and use the information to destroy it and raze it to the ground. This shit had gotten personal.

Third, he felt the need to heal quickly and also compensate Ray. 

Instead of flying directly to the City alongside Ray and exposing their partnership, Nik landed outside the City and let Ray down. The girl behind Nik, however, landed right onto his shoulder lightly. Taking a deep breath, the duo fell on their butts and looked at each other.

"We won, yay..." Ray muttered in exhaustion as Nik shook his head and took out one of the most expensive items in his inventory but was unable to use it till now— Siren's Call. At Nik's will, a beautifully crafted flute appeared in his active palm, and he handed out the item to Ray. Accepting the flute without any formalities, Ray looked at the description of the item and raised his eyebrows in astonishment. Finally pocketing the item, Ray stood up and then looked at Nik's right arm.

There were many healing items in the system, and Ray held many of them for such situations, but to heal shattered bones of such intensity would require a dark purple level healing potion, something Ray only had a single vial of. 

"That right arm..." Ray whispered in distress as Nik shrugged. One month would be required if he used his current capabilities. But who said that Nik couldn't use his current troubles to train his skills. Part of the reason why his [Life Energy Manipulation] couldn't surpass level 9 was due to his controlling skills remaining unchallenged. In its stark contrast, Nik utilized his [Body Manipulation] could reach such heights was due to him using this particular skill in the remaining time to turn himself into various forms of monstrosity.

Two dicks, three dicks, five arms, seven tongues, four noses, thirteen toes, an exoskeleton, 3 meter long nails...

It was fun!

And with that, his skill skyrocketed. Now, Nik had a chance to further his control over the body through experiencing the power required to join shards of bones and ruined muscles and tendons. Deep down, he was excited about such a challenge. Not to mention that this severed damage might finally be the key to raise his [Life Energy Manipulation] to another level and gain a special boost for his skill.

"Then what about her?"

Ray directed her gaze towards Nik captive, making him smile brilliantly.

Of course, no more inquiry was required to guess her fate. 

You mess with the lust apostle; fear the punishment of thick dong.

"I should be leaving then," Ray exhaled deeply and then slowly walked towards the gates of the City. For a moment, the surrounding guardsmen fell asleep while Ray entered the City unhindered. Seeing this, Nik's gaze flashed in realization— The City's defense was extremely fragile.

As Ray left, Nik used the remaining stream of energy and molded it into Life Energy while manipulating the shards embedded into muscles to carefully retract. As the shards of bones retracted, Nik continuously supplied his entire right arm with Life Energy to mend his muscles and flesh.

This was merely a temporary patch up. Nik needed to use inscriptions to boost his energy reservoir indirectly and then start to control an overflowing amount of Life Energy to raise his level and recover from his injuries.

With a sigh, he also walked towards the City gates and entered the streets. And, unwilling to garner too much attention this time around, he actively used his [Lust Domain] and [Pheromone Illusion] to avert the prying gazes and returned to Shen Xiu's estate. His arrival instantly made Xue Yin and Shen Xiu breathe a sigh of relief, but in the next moment, answering to their brewing questions, Nik let them visualize the entire battle for themselves. Shen Yue, at this moment, only stood blankly on the couch as Ray's sweet whispers called for him.

After an exhausting battle, Ray, of course, required fresh blood for 'sacrifice.'

***

The underground battles were more active than ever! 

Korra— The Tyran— actually defeated another Spirit Elder (3 Rings)! Korra only had a single spirit ring on her martial spirit— Berserk Arctic Bear. Previously, she was able to defeat a Spirit Elder only after grievous injuries, but now, she did it with such an ease that it made the crowd go wild. 

"This is the might of the Tyrant! Cheer! The Martial Legend's apprentice truly lives up to her status!"

The crowd went wild!

The underground fight arenas were surrounded by multiple sound dampening inscriptions, so every single one within the arena failed to notice the Demon Lord's assault, Ye Ziyun's failed abduction and Nik taking up the challenge before flying away with a smack on his butt to enrage the Demon Lord!

Not to mention the fact that the Demon Lord had too many spirit rings!

61!

"Cheh! What's so great about elemental Spirit Elders? I want to fight a warrior!"

Korra groaned and stretched her limbs. There was barely a patch of burn on her elbow as she smashed into the previous spirit elder's flaming chest.

At this time, the commentator's enthusiasm skyrocketed, and he choked with emotions.

"People! A new challenger has appeared! 

She used to rule lower levels of the battles! She defeated the current Tyrant no less than 10 times before retiring!"

His words made Korra narrow her eyes while the surrounding arena howled and cackled! This was the place where they could let their wild self out! What aristocracy? What tradesmen? They all were madmen infected by each other's primal madness!

"That's right! Give a loud cheer for Mistress..."

As the commentator trailed his words, the audience cheered wildly, "ASAMI!!!!"

***

"What?"

The Demon Lord's defeat did not shock Xue Yin as much as Nik's increased proficiency in inscription patterns. While his experience was still lower than Xue Yin, his practical ability had astonishingly left the dumbstruck master far behind! 

"How can you draw inscriptions with such precision and pace?!"

Xue Yin inquired while Shen Xiu sighed and acted maturely. She was the Matriarch of the Sacred Family, the first and the last one. She needed to act like one.

"Sister Xue Yin, show a little compassion. Nik's arm is still hurt..."

Shen Xiu's words made Xue Yin come to her senses as she plopped back on the couch while Nik looked at Shen Xiu with unconcealed appreciation. Alas, this gratitude did not last long as Shen Xiu's gaze grew uncharacteristically shrewd. "Instead, we should discuss the compensation for the damages Nik incurred from the Snow Wind Family. If the three of us pressure Ye Zong together, he will have to give up a small fortune!"

Nik had guessed correctly. Shen Xiu was never meant to be a teacher. She was supposed to be a natural businesswoman who would use every arrow in her quiver to attain maximum benefits. Even now, her thoughts grew to earn profits from the Snow Wind Family. She enjoyed the process of negotiations and haggling. It made her feel alive when she could suck an opponent dry.

Nik's eyelids trembled as he gazed at the two women...

Strangely, he felt that allowing these two to get together may not have been the wisest of all decisions. Then again, Nik was prone to thinking from his little brother than the wiser one in his head. Even now, the thought of making these two selfish maidens groan in need fuelled Nik's mind with motivation to heal quickly.

But Shen Xiu's words held merit. Right now, a spirit bone already looked alluring to Nik's eyes, and if he did force Ye Zong to give one up that even the Demon Lord coveted, he might be able to recoup his losses after all.

"Um..." Nik began, attracting Shen Xiu's and Xue Yin's attraction. Their gazes matched Nik's pitiable expression as he tilted his gaze up akin to a battered puppy with a herculean body beneath it and inquired with a bitter tone, "Will this expression and tone work better? Extorting Ye Zong, I mean."

It was Xue Yin's and Shen Xiu's turn to become speechless now. 

At this moment, Shen Xiu finally recalled the fact that her nephew wasn't here.

'Maybe he went out for a breather...'

Shen Xiu muttered internally as the trio got up. In reality, Xue Yin felt slightly complicated by the group's current course of action, and she might have rejected the notion of extorting Ye Zong if she hadn't Nik's battle with her own eyes. If Nik did not have the Smite token, then he would have been forced to leave and bring his current partners alongside him. And that would leave Ye Zong and Ziyun unsafe.

Xue Yin did not need to become a prophet to understand that the City would have been massacred by the Demon Lord the moment Nik and Ray left!

That's right, Xue Yin now already knew of Ye Ray being a host and the fact that he is a young man that... well...

Had the potential of placing a glossy green hat on women's head.

Like this, the trio entered a carriage to move towards the City Lord's Mansion.

***

"Nik ain't gonna protect you here, sweetheart!"

Korra grinned wildly and twisted her ankle to deliver a sidekick while Asami wordlessly evaded and caught Korra's legs only for the mad warrior to jump and rotate her body before leaving Asami's grasp and crouching on the floor to sweep towards Asami's legs.

"I don't need my hard-earned treasure to protect me. It is the finder's job to protect the treasure," Asami whispered with an impassionate expression as Korra gritted her jaws.

"You are still like this, huh? Quantifying people! Nik isn't an object!"

Korra roared and flipped forward and then punching towards Asami with a dark expression.

Both of their gazes met as Asami sneered, "Sure I can. My martial spirit is a literal treasure seeker. Why can't I quantity someone's worth?"

Asami swept her forearm to party Korra's punch and then sent her knee towards Korra's abdomen, sending the tanned warrior flying.

"Bitch! He is our master! You cannot objectify such a person!"

Korra jumped up and rubbed her lips. Her words pulled an eerie grin from Asami, "I can't objectify him? Who are you to decide? Weren't both of us objectified? You are still a brat, Korra. Do you think that Nik is different? That somehow, he wouldn't have done the same?"

Korra's expression grew cloudier as Asami finally whispered, "Or do you feel ill that I have appointed Nik as my current treasure? Wouldn't he become your junior this way?"

"That does it!"

Korra's yellow spirit rings expanded and covered her body while Asami laughed. She remained dauntless as Korra transformed into a Berserk Arctic Bear while activating her martial spirit, too.

A light blue orb floated in front of her while two spirit rings, one yellow and other purple floated behind her.

This was Asami's tool martial spirit— Seeker.

***

Deep in the underground chamber of the Sacred Family's estate, in a room filled with Nik's pheromones, Klas finally opened her eyes. Unlike flesh beings such as Nik or Ray, Klas actually belonged to a hybrid race birthed with a core gem. She was a crystal-man, to be precise. Just like Nik, during his previous adventures, she was a rare-tier evolved being and. Her hair was thick and crystalized with gleaming emerald while her facial features were even softer and carefully crafted than beings formed from the flesh.

As a hybrid, under the layer of flesh, she did not have organs, but compartments. Each compartment had a different objective in a crystal men's life, and as one of the top-notch species, Klas could even adapt to multiple changes of the surroundings, allowing her crystalline structure to remain rot free.

Alas...

This adaptability and comparable features to a human was the exact reason why Klas' eyes widened in horror as she found her naked body apparently drugged and bound in the dark place. Her crystal nipples gleamed in darkness with her limbs tied through a durable rope, making her dangle in the air.

"Hmmmm!"

Her mouth was gagged with a rubber ball that strapped across her lips, and even if she wished to mobilize her strength, the plastic weapon lodged into her procreation compartment stimulated her body time and again, only making her drip glowing green fluids that started to brighten the surroundings.