The sight of the small crystal appearing in Bai Ye's hand sent shockwaves through Harris and the others, leaving them utterly stunned.
The Western Alliance had pooled the efforts of countless scientists to master the process of refining these mystical crystals. Yet, to their astonishment, Bai Ye had produced one with apparent ease. These very crystals were the key component of the demon-breaking rounds and represented a core secret of the Western Alliance.
Bai Ye turned his gaze to Harris and the others, inquiring, "I'd like to know where you obtained these materials."
"Obtained what?" Harris and the others feigned ignorance.
"We don't know what you're talking about!" exclaimed Taylor, the blonde beauty representing France, her eyes still blazing with suppressed anger.
Bai Ye said no more. With a casual lift of his hand, an invisible, terrifying force propelled Taylor forward, placing her directly in front of him. His slender fingers clasped her fair neck.
"Let... let go of me!" Taylor struggled desperately, but Bai Ye's hands were like vises, gripping her tightly. No matter how she thrashed, she couldn't budge them an inch.
A flicker of surprise crossed Bai Ye's eyes as he stared at Taylor, remarking playfully, "Oh! You have quite a bit of strength!"
Bai Ye himself wasn't entirely sure of his own physical might; he could easily lift and swing massive ice blocks weighing tens of tons. For the Western woman he held, Taylor, to feel even a slight resistance when trying to pry his hands off indicated considerable strength. She was far stronger than Liang Yin, the police officer who had consumed 'glucose' in the magical city.
These Western individuals, and even their bodyguards, likely possessed secrets of their own... Bai Ye scanned the other Westerners present, a curious smile gracing his lips.
Harris and the others felt their scalps tingle, unable to meet Bai Ye's gaze.
"Stop, Taylor!" Harris suddenly exclaimed, his pupils widening in alarm.
Taylor, her face a mask of indignant fury, pulled a slender dagger from beneath her skirt and lunged directly for Bai Ye's neck, shouting, "F--- you!" Her beautiful eyes were filled with a fierce glee. The dagger in her hand was a special product of the Western Alliance, capable of "breaking demons." The Western Alliance's research had discovered that demons, once fatally wounded, could not regenerate and would perish. Breaking their magical defenses was the key. In her current situation, survival was uncertain, and Bai Ye's sudden aggression had driven her to take a desperate gamble!
However, just as the sharp dagger was about to pierce Bai Ye's neck, she felt her body grow cold, a biting chill that rendered her uncontrollable. Was she sick? She hadn't experienced such a sensation in a long time, not since undergoing special testing by the Alliance.
Suddenly, she saw Bai Ye up close, his handsome face adorned with a sinister smile.
"Taylor—no!"
"Mr. Bai, release—release her!" Harris and the others cried out in terror.
The French representative, Taylor, was now frozen solid, a human ice sculpture standing on the ground, her posture fixed in the act of assassinating Bai Ye. The members of the Tri-Star Conglomerate and the mutated guards felt a chilling dread, their gazes unable to meet Bai Ye's.
Bai Ye slowly released Taylor's neck. The moment he withdrew his hand, she, like a fragile statue, rapidly shattered, collapsing with a *crash* into countless fragments of ice powder that scattered across the ground.
"Ah!!!"
Harris and the Korean conglomerate members stumbled back several steps, their faces etched with horror and disbelief. Taylor was dead, just like that? These individuals, who had achieved the status of Western representatives at such a young age, possessed no small amount of background and strength. Behind them in the Western Alliance were powerful nobles, and their own abilities, combined with the Alliance's "demon-breaking" weapons, allowed them to kill demons single-handedly. Yet, before Bai Ye, they were utterly defenseless.
"Bai Ye! You... you dare kill Taylor!" Jack, the representative from the United States, his voice a mixture of rage and cowardice, found himself unable to utter the threatening words that followed.
Bai Ye ignored his outburst. He casually picked up the dagger Taylor had used to attack him and examined it closely. As expected, the dagger was inlaid with the same mysterious crystalline material found in the demon-breaking bullets. Bai Ye felt this crystalline material was somewhat akin to energy source seed crystals, yet different. Instead of the arcane elemental powers contained within the source seed crystals, it held demonic energy! What exactly was this?
"Mr. Bai!" Harris called out, interrupting Bai Ye's thoughts. "We came with goodwill to negotiate with you. By openly killing our representative, are you seeking to sever ties with the Western Alliance?" As if making a final stand, Harris suppressed his fear, his words laced with warnings and reprimands.
Bai Ye chuckled and slowly put away the dagger. "Negotiations only exist between the strong. What basis does your so-called Four-Party Alliance have?"