"Teacher, it seems your negotiations aren't progressing smoothly." Watching the departure of the Magic Realm's source, Nero stood by Candle Dragon's side and chuckled.

"A person skilled in manipulation likes to play others in the palm of their hand. I never expected him to truly see our cooperation through to the end; in his eyes, this is already the final ultimatum for us." Candle Dragon said, glancing at the chessboard in front of him. He casually waved, disrupting all the pieces, and leaned against the window sill, gazing through the gaps in the bead curtains at Pei Yan, who had just returned to the observation platform below. The other party seemed to feel the gaze and quickly looked up in his direction.

"His sense of crisis is becoming more acute. Thanatos' actions against him haven't achieved the expected results." Candle Dragon lazily leaned against the window, not avoiding Pei Yan's gaze but instead meeting it through the bead curtains.

"Hmm, I don't understand why you bestowed the Power of the Six Paths Origin upon that waste. From my perspective, there are more suitable candidates within the organization. Bai Ze is one of your direct disciples; even he doesn't qualify! What right does Shitang Longsi have? Just because he became the host body of the lost dog that escaped from Hell? Teacher, I really don't think these two wastes coming together can achieve anything." Di Xin, who was quite friendly with Bai Ze, casually found a spot in the room, sat down, and spoke up for his friend.

"Bai Ze's identity is special; I have my plans for him." Candle Dragon showed enough tolerance and affection towards his disciples, who each had distinct personalities and tempers. He patiently explained in response to their complaints.

Nero bent down to pick up the chess pieces Candle Dragon had knocked to the floor. After arranging them on the board, he interjected, "Teacher, I think he makes some sense. Shitang Longsi's mind has already been breached by Pei Yan, and now he urgently seeks revenge, but his bravado masks inner weakness. Truly facing Pei Yan, he's fearful and cannot exert his proper strength. Just look at earlier; we all saw it. After Pei Yan's aura shifted, his ability to eradicate other people's source energy vanished, yet Shitang Longsi was intimidated by his words and easily manipulated. Such a person dreaming of seeking revenge on Pei Yan is truly laughable."

"Laughable?" Candle Dragon withdrew his gaze from Pei Yan and looked coldly at the four people in the room, "Those who underestimated him in past battles have now become stepping stones on his path to success. I once scoffed at the claim that he was the first mortal to breakthrough combining the Power of the Six Paths Origin and gain celestial fortune. Now perhaps there's some truth to it. And Shitang Longsi, who constantly loses yet evades death under his hand, might just be a turning point for his fortune. This person has determination, patience, and can seriously regard his opponent. More importantly, he bears enough hatred towards Pei Yan. Why shouldn't I cultivate such a person?"

Candle Dragon finished speaking, then looked towards the stage and murmured, "I don't doubt you can forge ahead through the ranks to the end, but when facing Pei Yan, you must go all out. He already possesses two portions of the Power of Origin. According to the agreement, if he defeats you, not only will I lose control of Lin Junzhao, but I'll also have to give her a large batch of materials and bestow my Power of Origin upon this lad. By then, with my power to balance, he'll have no worries when wielding the Power of Origin given by Lin Junzhao."

Then Candle Dragon pondered for a moment before speaking, "If confronting the Investigation Hall, Nero and Ivan, first challenge Pei Yan's two teammates to a life-and-death battle, securing victory first."

"Teacher!" Nero expressed dissatisfaction upon hearing Candle Dragon's decision. Such a decision implied that, in Candle Dragon's mind, none of them could defeat Pei Yan. So, eliminating his teammates in advance put Pei Yan in a passive one-against-three situation, which was a grave insult to Nero, eager to compete with Pei Yan.

"Follow my orders! As long as you win this match, Lin Junzhao will be under my control, and so will the Investigation Hall! Remember, though it's a life-and-death battle, leaving your opponent with a life is a must! It's not hard for you, the Foundation Plane's Lin Junzhao must be utilized by me. I don't intend to resort to imprisoning her."

"Yes, Teacher!" Seeing Candle Dragon's solemn demeanor and firm stance, the three, understanding their teacher's temperament, got up and stood in line, responding in unison.

"Alright, there are only restrictions when facing the Investigation Hall; in other matches, you may perform freely. Go now!" Candle Dragon said and waved his hand, signaling his three disciples to go downstairs and prepare for the match. He then called Mu Fanchen, "Fan Chen, stay. We'll watch the match together."

In the Investigation Hall's observation platform, Pei Yan had just returned to his seat, discussing with Gu Shenghui how to face the divine force's counterattack, when he suddenly sensed a strange threat. He halted the conversation and, driven by instincts, looked towards the direction the threat came from. Through the bead curtains of the round building's third floor, using his mechanical left eye, Pei Yan could clearly see the person behind the bead curtain. He could even see Nero respectfully standing opposite him. But when he tried to eavesdrop on their conversation, he tried many methods and all failed.

Finally, when Candle Dragon withdrew his gaze, Pei Yan also let out a breath. Gu Shenghui, sitting beside him, noticed his oddity and asked, "What happened?"

"I should know Candle Dragon is sitting there." Pei Yan helplessly scratched his white hair with his hand.

"Where?" The others nearby, intrigued by Pei Yan's words, pursued the question.

Pei Yan pointed vaguely towards a third-floor window, whispering, "Don't all look at once!"

Gu Shenghui stealthily glanced in the direction Pei Yan pointed, quickly withdrew his gaze, and said quietly, "Did he target you just now?"

"Yes, just a moment ago his gaze was fixed on me, even when I looked back, he didn't evade or hide. Whew!" Pei Yan took a deep breath, sighed, "I always feel we'll face some fierce battle with them in this tournament sooner or later."

"Maybe you're overthinking it!" Sitting behind him, Jiang Feiyang snacked loudly and lifted his chin towards the stage, grinning, "See that guy from the Spirit Monster Plane already on stage? He's rallying now! I'm rooting for him! Maybe Blood Dagger won't even make it past this round, and he'd have to face another. I don't believe we're so unlucky to battle consecutively twice."

"Hopefully!" Pei Yan followed Jiang Feiyang's gaze, contemplating Saraf standing like a javelin on the stage.