1477 Fiery Garden of Hell

"Did I hear him correctly? He wants to challenge the Fiery Garden of Hell next? They are ranked 5th in the world with over 500,000 members!"

"He can't be serious, right? Even if he's a little excited about defeating the Fiery Locust Swarm, this is a little too much…"

"Even if he challenges them and loses, it won't help me get my money back!"

"Why did he target Fiery Queen, specifically? Do they have some sort of grievances with each other?"

"Obviously. If you didn't know, the Fiery Locust Swarm is a subsidiary faction of Fiery Queen's main faction."

The audience erupted into a frenzy of shock and surprise, their collective gasps and murmurs filling the air as Yuan's unexpected declaration of war still reverberated within their minds.

"That's all I have to say. Thank you for being here today."

Yuan handed the microphone back to Yan Xiaoxiao, who absentmindedly accepted it, standing there with a dumbfounded expression plastered across her face.

"Let's leave now," he said to the others, who silently nodded their heads, clearly just as surprised as everyone else.

Seeing their bewildered expressions, Yuan smiled, "Don't worry. I have no intention of dragging you into the Faction War. This is my personal battle with Fiery Queen. I will confront her alone, though I will need one of you to assume the role of ruler."

"Are you serious, Young Master? Fiery Queen's faction, Fiery Garden of Hell, is ranked fifth in the world, and it has over half a million members. That's over ten times the number of players we had to fight today."

"The formation will be ready by the time we fight, so I don't need to hold back as much. Even if there's a million of them, it won't change a thing."

As they made their way to the exit, Yan Xiaoxiao snapped out of her daze and chased after them.

"P-Player Yuan! If you don't mind me asking, how much of your true capabilities did you display today? I have a feeling that you're still holding back your true strength."

"How much, huh? Would you believe me if I said that I'd only displayed one percent of my true capabilities?"

"O-one percent…?" Yan Xiaoxiao stared at him with a gawking expression.

He chuckled, "All the techniques I showcased today are among my weakest and least lethal, as I lack confidence in restraining myself enough to prevent accidental fatalities if I were to employ my stronger techniques. However, that will change soon."

"Huh? What do you mean? How will things change?"

"You'll find out soon."

Sometime later, they encountered Chairman Lee, who was waiting for them at the end of the exit.

"That was some post-match speech, Yuan."

"Thank you."

"The others are waiting for you. Are you able to come with me now?"

"Sure."

Yuan looked at the others and continued, "You guys can regroup with Yu Rou and the others. I will come once I am done with the meeting."

"Okay."

Meifeng and the others left shortly after, leaving Yuan, Chairman Lee, and Yan Xiaoxiao alone.

"Hm? Miss Yan, do you need something?" Chairman Lee asked her when he noticed that she'd stayed.

She quickly nodded and turned to look at Yuan before speaking, "Um… I am actually a big fan of the Demon Sealing Faction—especially you, Player Yuan! It was your music that got me into singing!I'm sure the entire world will be talking about your faction after today, and if you don't mind, I would like to visit the Demon Sealing Faction to interview you and your members to help the world understand you guys better!"

"An interview, huh?" Yuan mumbled with a pondering face.

"I believe the interview is a good thing, Yuan," Chairman Lee suddenly interjected, his tone serious. "With the Demon Sealing Faction's debut, it'll be much harder to remain in seclusion, not to mention the results of your Faction War with the Fiery Locust Swarm. Public sentiment will be low if not already, and this interview will definitely help you regain some. I know you don't care about such things, but think of your fellow members…"

After a moment of silence, Yuan nodded, "An interview, huh? I don't mind. And I am not doing this to change the public's sentiment toward us. I think it's a good thing to spread the others' reputation."

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity! I swear I won't disappoint you!" Yan Xiaoxiao almost started jumping up and down from excitement.

"Here is my contact information. You can give me a call whenever you are ready for the interview."

She quickly wrote down her phone number on a napkin and handed it to him.

"Alright, I'll give you a call after I speak with everyone."

Yan Xiaoxiao left the scene shortly after, and Yuan followed Chairman Lee to the office where the protection formation had been built.

"You'll be in a disguise, correct? How should I address you?" Chairman Lee asked as they walked.

"You can call me Mister Xian."

"Okay."

After consuming an appearance-altering pill and transforming into a handsome middle-aged man, Yuan entered the room with Chairman Lee.

Upon entering, Yuan found several individuals already present, each emanating an aura of authority and accustomed to commanding respect.

"Allow me to introduce you all to Mister Xian, the formation expert who will be creating the protection formation." Chairman Lee introduced Yuan to the people inside the room before taking a seat with them.

"Please, have a seat." They gestured to him.

Yuan nodded calmly and settled into a seat, his demeanor composed and unhurried.

"We've already been briefed about this formation that is allegedly capable of safeguarding players from serious harm or death during Faction Wars, but we need to hear it directly from you, Mister Xian," one of the individuals said, his tone serious. "Please provide us with a comprehensive overview of this formation and your qualifications. We will be entrusting countless lives to it, so we cannot do this halfheartedly."

"I understand." Yuan nodded and proceeded to explain about the formation in more detail.