Chapter 381: Panicked Nobles

The moment approval was given, it acted as a divine decree. The Two Worlds Passage opened soundlessly in the dark, allowing a few carefully selected nightmares to make their silent debut.

Within the extravagant ball, no one noticed that several Shadows had suddenly appeared.

Gongyang Yu held a noblewoman and danced with abandon. Although she wore a mask, he still recognized her: the wife of the Yuchi Family's head.

As they danced, the pair moved toward a dimly lit corner.

But just then, a silhouette seemed to shift in the gloom.

Gongyang Yu frowned. Was it occupied? He was about to find another spot when he froze.

A woman in a long black gown stepped out from the gloom. Graceful and alluring, she was like the brightest pearl in the dark of night. Her dress flowed down like ink, the hem swaying gently with her soft steps.

Most striking of all was her face, half-hidden by an exquisite mask. Forged from fine black velvet, its edges were inlaid with crushed diamonds that sparkled like stars in the night sky.

Beneath the mask lay a breathtaking pair of fiery lips, as bright red as blood!

A silent allure drifted from her, radiating an endless charm and temptation that made it impossible to resist wanting to uncover the peerless beauty hidden behind that mask.

Gongyang Yu barely hesitated. He politely apologized to Madame Yuchi, lied about feeling unwell, and walked away.

He made straight for the woman with the fiery lips, plucked the rose from his breast pocket, and blocked her path.

"Beautiful lady, did you drop this flower?"

The woman did not answer. Instead, she stared straight at Gongyang Yu. Her dark, jewel-like eyes were filled with desire as a scarlet tongue silently licked her lips.

She reached out, but rather than taking the flower, she swatted the rose away and grabbed his hand instead.

The cold, smooth touch made Gongyang Yu's heart flutter. Was she really this direct?

As a veteran of romance, sweet words came easily to him. "Beautiful lady, the moment I saw you, I realized every jewel in this room was a fake. Only your eyes are the genuine article."

The woman still said nothing, simply pressing herself against him.

Overjoyed, Gongyang Yu immediately led her into the corner.

In the darkness, a scarlet light flashed in the tightly embraced woman's eyes. She smiled silently, her grin growing wider and wider.

Until... the corners of her mouth split open. Muscle fibers and skin tore apart, revealing rows of jagged teeth like a shark's.

"Ahhh!!!"

A shrill scream shattered the romantic atmosphere of the ball.

The noble men and women recoiled in shock. They stopped what they were doing and looked toward the sound, their expressions instantly contorting in horror.

Gongyang Yu had collapsed on the ground, shrieking miserably as he desperately clutched his neck. Through the gaps in his fingers, a massive bloody hole was visible, as if a chunk had been bitten right out of him.

Beside him, the woman in the black dress stood with a face smeared in gore. She chewed heartily, blood and bits of flesh running down her swan-like neck. The bright red blood made her pale skin look even paler.

"It's a Nightmare Creature!" a noble shrieked, pointing rigidly at the slit-mouthed woman.

A split second later, several more screams rang out across the venue. Unnoticed, the female companions of several men had opened massive, bloody maws and were frantically tearing into their flesh.

Simultaneously, the shadows beneath some people's feet surged. They slowly rose from the ground, transforming into towering Shadow monsters!

"Ahhhh!!!"

"Damn it! Why are there nightmare monsters here?!"

"Where are the Enforcers?! What the hell are they doing?!"

The scene instantly descended into chaos. Although there were many Transcendents among the nobles present, many had reached their tier entirely by piling up resources. Some had never experienced a real battle in their lives, and now they were completely panicking.

At that moment, a Gold tier powerhouse hurriedly finished dressing. Terrifying flames erupted from his palm, and with a single strike, he incinerated a slit-mouthed woman to ashes.

"Shut up, all of you!"

The might of a Gold expert cowed the entire venue.

Gradually, more nobles calmed down and began to fight back.

The slit-mouthed women and the Shadow Race were not particularly strong, and they were wiped out before long. However, the ambush left quite a few nobles injured.

In the crowd, a sneer touched the lips of Lin Canyang, who currently had a noblewoman clinging tightly to him.

This was just the appetizer!

His goal was not to kill these nobles, but to make them kill as many Nightmare Creatures as possible. The ambush just now was merely a friendly reminder.

"Where are you going? I'm so scared..." The noblewoman grabbed Lin Canyang tightly, seeking an illusion of security.

Tears had soaked the heavy foundation on her face, turning her makeup exceptionally muddy.

Disgust flashed through Lin Canyang's eyes as he shoved her away. "Fuck off, you fat pig!"

"You!"

He ignored the noblewoman's indignant shouts, walking step by step toward the center of the hall.

Such an unconventional move immediately caught people's attention. Some looked at the mask on his face in confusion, wondering why anyone would wear a full-face mask to a masquerade ball.

But the few Gold Nobles in the venue recognized this Silver-White Mask, their pupils abruptly shrinking in shock!

"The... Seven Deadly Sins?!" a Gold expert stammered, his voice trembling.

Upon seeing that familiar Silver-White Mask, even Gold tier powerhouses felt a chill in their hearts. In today's world, who didn't know the infamous name of the Seven Deadly Sins? Even the Seven Kings would have to show some wariness when faced with a Silver-White Mask.

The moment the name of the Seven Deadly Sins was spoken, it was as if someone had pressed pause on the ball. The entire hall instantly went dead silent, everyone freezing in place like stone.

Countless terrified gazes converged on Lin Canyang.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, he walked step by step to the center of the dance floor. The crystal chandelier overhead flickered, casting his tall figure in alternating light and shadow.

The Silver-White Mask, a swallowtail coat, white gloves...

As his iconic attire came into full view, panic spread like a tidal wave, making it difficult to even breathe.

"Y-Y-You..." The noblewoman who had been shoved away earlier slumped to the ground in terror. She couldn't fathom that she had just been dancing in the arms of a member of the Seven Deadly Sins, let alone groping him.

At the thought, her eyes rolled back into her head, and she passed out on the spot.

"You are the Candidate Chief of the Seven Deadly Sins! What are you doing here?!" A Gold tier powerhouse recognized the meaning behind his mask, but he didn't dare drop his guard, even against someone who wasn't a formal member.

Feeling the terror radiating from the crowd of nobles, Lin Canyang's heart surged with excitement. He loved this feeling!!

"Hahaha..." He burst into wild laughter, just like a villain making his debut in a movie.

His haughty gaze slowly swept over the hall. "What am I doing? We, the Seven Deadly Sins, intend to destroy the world! And you, the noble elites of the Empire, are our greatest obstacle!

"You control the most resources and the strongest factions, possessing power that far surpasses any commoner army. If you were allowed to join the battlefield, it would inevitably become much harder for the Seven Deadly Sins to destroy the world.

"Therefore, on the orders of Pride, the Head of the Seven Deadly Sins, I have come... to send you on your way!"

The nobles' courage shattered in an instant. They hadn't expected to be targeted as a thorn in the side of the Seven Deadly Sins simply because the nobles were too powerful and hoarded too many resources.

For a moment, they suffered in silence, unable to voice their grievances—because they had never once considered going to the front lines to fight in the first place.

"Nightmares, descend!!" Lin Canyang fervently threw his arms wide open, as if welcoming a rebirth.

In reality, he linked his consciousness to the dreamscape. Leader, please send a few more nightmares!

Su Mu agreed.

Suddenly, a massive rift tore open in the center of the ball, and a terrifying, ominous aura frantically spilled out.

The next moment, a humanoid giant crocodile over three meters tall stepped out. With its cold scales and razor-sharp claws and fangs, it looked like the perfect combat machine.

A Gold Grade nightmare monster!

And that was only the first. Soon, eight streaks of blood-red light lit up inside the rift. Accompanied by a creaking sound, a human-faced spider with eight compound eyes crawled out.

Following closely behind was a giant humanoid wolf covered in stiff white bristles, looking exactly like a werewolf from myth.

With the debut of three Gold Grade Nightmare Creatures, the atmosphere in the hall froze to the absolute limit.

"Ahhh!!"

Someone let out a terrified scream, and like a starting pistol, it sent countless nobles scrambling for the doors.

Lin Canyang sneered. The Bronze Ring on his hand emitted a faint glow, and his figure vanished.

Meanwhile, the three Gold Grade Nightmare Creatures commenced a massive slaughter.

Lin Canyang hadn't left. Instead, he used the cover of night to constantly weave through the noble district, randomly picking a noble estate and releasing a horde of Nightmare Creatures.

A few moments later, the entire noble district was plunged into chaos.

Flames, explosions, and screams shot into the sky. The once-luxurious noble district had been reduced to a living hell.

Now, the nobles who hadn't dared to go to the front lines were finally forced to face the terrifying Nightmare Creatures head-on—because their homes had become the front lines.