Demon corpses were incredibly valuable resources—essence meat, essence blood, and even potions needed by mid-to-low-tier Demonhunters all came from them.

Ye Thirteen withdrew his gaze from the departing official truck and glanced at Qu Yi. Fully recovered and now standing tall with vibrant energy, he couldn’t help but remark:

“At this rate, Yi Yi, you’ll break through to the fourth rank after just two more runs!”

For mid-to-low-tier Demonhunters, such intense demon hunts were truly both a blessing and a curse. Survive, and strength would inevitably grow. Fall, and everything vanished.

Hearing him, Qu Yi’s eyes crinkled into crescent moons. Hands on hips, she flashed a V-sign with a grin:

“Hmph! You should know better than to doubt this young lady!”

Seeing Qu Yi so lively, Han Xiangxue and Lai Yingxin behind her felt their own fatigue melt away instantly. Ye Thirteen nodded inwardly. *This girl Qu Yi… truly cut out to be a team leader.*

Before idle chatter could continue, a massive energy ripple surged toward them. Even Qu Yi and her companions sensed it—immediately shifting into defensive stances. Back-to-back with her sisters, Qu Yi turned to Ye Thirteen:

“Uncle, what is that?”

Ye Thirteen’s brow furrowed slightly. “Troublesome. The chain reaction from countless Micro Sky Rifts… somehow spawned a Minor Sky Rift.”

Qu Yi froze. “Where?”

Lai Yingxin’s voice trembled: “It’s not happening right here, is it!?”

“Bingo. Your reward: a Minor Sky Rift!” Ye Thirteen chuckled. “Hmm… saying it like that doesn’t reassure you, does it? Relax. Just a Minor Sky Rift. Nothing to fear—with me here.” He waved dismissively at their tense faces. *If possible, I’ll keep this training going.*

Qu Yi was first to relax, patting her gradually developing chest with a sigh. “Uncle! You scared me half to death!”

Ye Thirteen shrugged. “You’re too tense. It’ll take ten minutes to fully form. Drink water. Eat. Recover.”

Han Xiangxue and Lai Yingxin shot him identical exasperated glances. *So what if you’re Entry-Rank!* A Minor Sky Rift was trivial to him—but for three rookies? Total disaster! Still, with Ye Thirteen here… they quietly exhaled and found a spot to eat.

Just as they finished, HQ’s voice crackled through their earpieces:

“Sector 069! Suspected Minor Sky Rift in your zone! Repeat: suspected Minor Sky Rift!!!”

Qu Yi keyed her mic instantly: “Copy that!”

A pause. Then: “Um… do you require backup?”

Qu Yi looked to Ye Thirteen. He shook his head—earpiece on, he’d heard everything. *Southgate Garrison’s stretched thin everywhere. No need to waste resources. Even a Medium Sky Rift? I’ve got this.*

“Thank you,” Qu Yi replied firmly. “We don’t need backup.”

“Then… may your martial fortune flourish!” The line went dead.

No sooner had it ended than Lai Yingxin, perched on a car hood, grumbled: “HQ’s so unreliable! Over eight minutes to alert us? If Uncle’s right, that leaves under a hundred seconds!”

Han Xiangxue, leaning against the same car, nodded silently.

Ye Thirteen’s lips twitched. *Can’t blame HQ—the energy field across City C’s a total mess. That they detected it at all is impressive.* But saying that felt arrogant. He stayed quiet. *Not a big deal anyway.*

Silence settled. Then—energy waves rolled down the street like ocean spray. All eyes turned. A pitch-black fissure slowly opened at the street’s heart, deep and ominous as a demon’s waking eye.

Unlike fleeting Micro Sky Rifts, this Minor Sky Rift formed slowly—but relentlessly. Micro Rifts topped at three meters; this one surpassed five… then ten. Only halting at three-story height.

The three girls swallowed hard, grips tightening on their weapons.

“It’s coming.”

Ye Thirteen’s calm voice cut through the tension, steadying their frantic hearts.

Though called “minor,” the ten-meter-tall void was awe-inspiring. Anyone seeing it for the first time felt utterly small.

The moment his words faded, a massive claw gripped the Sky Rift’s edge. A six-meter-tall figure emerged.

Lai Yingxin’s eyes widened. “Fourth-rank demon—Dragon Lizard Warrior! Trouble! With a trace of dragon bloodline, it’s top-tier even among fourth-ranks!”

Qu Yi and Lai Yingxin’s expressions sharpened instantly.

The Dragon Lizard Warrior spotted them, jaws gaping in a bone-chilling roar.

All three girls’ gazes snapped to Ye Thirteen.

The man who’d seemed idle finally moved.

Slowly, he raised his left hand—and gently lowered it.

The overwhelmingly powerful Dragon Lizard Warrior dropped to its knees. Spiderweb cracks erupted across the concrete beneath it. Then it collapsed flat… utterly motionless.