Chapter 75

One

The next day.

In the meeting room of the Nine Dragons Hall, a cold silence hung in the air.

No one dared to speak.

The subordinates were sweating profusely, carefully observing the expressions of Yan Chianshi, the leader of the Nine Dragons Hall.

Even Meng Denghao, the deputy leader, could not utter a word and quietly bowed his head.

At that moment, Yan Chianshi murmured softly.

"The destruction of the Three Jade and now the Nine Jade... "

Everyone closed their eyes tightly.

Finally, what was to come had arrived.

Yan Chianshi's gaze, filled with killing intent, swept over his subordinates.

"Grunt!"

"Choke!"

At the same time, all the leaders and officers began to emit intense groans. The overwhelming demonic aura emanating from Yan Chianshi's body seemed to be about to burst.

"I told you to strengthen the defenses, yet this is the result. It must be because you all have disrespected me, right?"

Due to the significant disparity in martial prowess, the subordinates dared not even attempt to resist Yan Chianshi's demonic aura.

Their faces turned pale, but Yan Chianshi showed no signs of stopping.

"Tsk, do you dare to mock me with such a thing?"

In Yan Chianshi's hand was the bone mask that Youshenyun had left in front of the cave. As he extended his hand, the bone mask floated in the air.

Crack! Crack!

Then, as he clenched his extended hand, the bone mask, enveloped in demonic aura, crumpled into a spherical shape, emitting a chilling tearing sound.

"Furthermore, we haven't even found the slightest clue about who the culprit is. It's clear that you all have been idling all this time."

At that moment, one of the leaders, unable to withstand the pressure of the demonic aura any longer, spoke urgently.

"Sir, we received a message that Youshenyun of the Baiyun Escort Agency returned from Tianmu Mountain on that day. It's highly suspicious that this incident occurred right after his return. I will immediately track his movements from last night...!"

Rip!

But he did not finish his sentence.

Thud.

In an instant, Yan Chianshi's great sword cleaved his body in two like firewood.

"Is there anyone else who will spout such nonsense like that useless trash?"

At that moment, when no one dared to speak, Meng Denghao, who had been carefully observing the situation, spoke cautiously.

"...There were traces of the Extreme Yang Palm in the Nine Jade. I will track the movements of all the Extreme Yang Palm experts who have entered Zhejiang Province in the past ten years."

Only then did Yan Chianshi's expression relax slightly.

"Indeed, only someone of the deputy leader's caliber can think."

Meng Denghao heaved a sigh of relief inwardly for finally giving the right answer. He continued.

"Moreover, there were also traces of a poison technique inside the Nine Jade. This means that the attacker was not just one person, as we initially suspected."

His reasoning that the attacker was not one person but multiple people was reasonable.

The Extreme Yang Palm and poison techniques were mutually exclusive and could not be learned together, as the yang energy would completely burn out the poison.

"The traces of the poison technique must be from Gong Sun Chou. He likely fell for the temptation. They probably offered him the treasures of the Three Jade. Moreover, no one else but him would know the location of our secret prison, which was thoroughly hidden."

Yan Chianshi added. Then he began to reveal the identity of the attacker, which he had already concluded.

"To ease your burden, the traces left in the Nine Jade are those of the Flame Demon. However, to use the Flame Demon technique, one must reach the Fire Realm."

"Then...?"

Yan Chianshi smiled with satisfaction.

"In the past hundred years, only one person has reached the Fire Realm with the Extreme Yang Palm. ...And that person is deeply entangled with us in a bitter rivalry."

"Ah!"

Meng Denghao exclaimed at Yan Chianshi's words. A figure long forgotten in his mind resurfaced.

Thirty years ago.

There was a person who reached the Fire Realm with the Extreme Yang Palm at the age of fifty.

Yang Guangzhao, the Flame Demon.

Despite his unpredictable and eccentric nature, he was extremely hateful towards righteous sects and had outstanding martial achievements, leading to attempts to recruit him.

However, the Flame Demon rejected the offer outright and beheaded the envoy. In response, the sect mobilized all its forces to assassinate him, and it was known that he had fought to the death with the entire execution squad.

"But he has been secretly hiding and regaining his strength all this time."

"Ah, you're right! If the culprit is the Flame Demon, all the mysteries fall into place! Indeed, you are the leader of the Nine Dragons Hall."

As the subordinates praised him, Yan Chianshi shrugged as if it was nothing.

"The attacks by the Flame Demon will likely continue. But there will be no more complacency. Equip the remaining prisons with ice weapons to counter the Flame Demon."

"Yes, sir!"

The subordinates answered in unison.

Thus, the Nine Dragons Hall reached a completely wrong conclusion.

And they only strengthened unnecessary defenses that would not help in stopping Youshenyun.

"By the way, where is the daughter of the censor imprisoned?"

Just as Yan Chianshi was about to end the meeting, he added one more question.

"Don't worry. She is confined in a place that no one would expect."

Meng Denghao answered confidently to Yan Chianshi's question.

"Yes, we need her to control the situation. Be extra cautious with the security."

"Yes, sir!"

With that, Yan Chianshi left the meeting room.

However, his work was not yet finished.

'Hmm, now it's time to meet the one who is surely anxious enough.'

He entered a secret tea room next to his quarters. During the meeting, he had secretly instructed someone to wait in the adjacent room.

As he opened the door,

"…You are truly early, sir."

Qingshui Daozhang of the Huangshan Sect, sitting in a chair, spoke with a sneer.

"I apologize. The meeting took longer than expected."

"Hmph, this is why the evil sects are said to lack manners."

Yan Chianshi found it merely amusing that Qingshui Daozhang, who was only at the peak of the supreme realm, dared to hold his head high.

"I apologize once again."

"Ahem, hmm!"

He smiled without emotion, matching Qingshui Daozhang's mood.

'This man's role is significant for the grand plan of the future...'

Then, Yan Chianshi spoke in a low voice.

"Well, then. What is your decision?"

"…"

For some reason, Qingshui Daozhang remained silent.

His eyes trembled, and his face was filled with deep contemplation and conflict.

After a long silence, Qingshui Daozhang asked Yan Chianshi a question.

"…If I accept more of that energy, can I truly break through the barrier of the supreme realm and reach the Fire Realm?"

He was asking if he could break through the supreme realm and reach the Fire Realm.

And the only power that could make this possible was one.

The energy of the Demon God.

At his words, Yan Chianshi smiled chillingly.

"As I said before, if you have the courage to offer everything, you don't need to set your goal at just the Fire Realm."

At the mention of just the Fire Realm, Qingshui Daozhang's heart began to beat wildly.

'Ten years. It's already been ten years!'

He had been at the peak of the supreme realm for ten years.

Ten years ago, he was the most promising young talent in both the Huangshan Sect and the martial alliance.

He was even expected to be the youngest to reach the Fire Realm in the history of the martial world.

But.

One year, two years, and ten years.

No matter how much time passed, the path to the Fire Realm remained distant.

No matter how hard he tried, he could only reach the peak of the supreme realm.

He could not even see a glimmer of hope to advance to the highest level of the supreme realm, let alone the Fire Realm.

At first, he thought it was just a temporary plateau.

Gradually, his confidence began to wane.

The once-promising young talent gradually became a relic, and his standing in the alliance diminished.

This led to a growing sense of anger.

-There's nothing wrong with me. It's the Huangshan Sect's martial arts that are crude.

If his master had been from Huashan or Wudang instead of Huangshan,

he would have already reached the Fire Realm, or even the Heaven Realm, based on the superior martial arts they possessed.

While he was filled with such anger,

the person in front of him appeared.

He tried to subdue the intruder who had secretly entered his quarters like an assassin, but he was completely overpowered without even moving a finger.

To think his end would be so pitiful.

In the midst of despair,

-Do you not desire power?

He made a proposal.

He offered to break the barrier of the peak of the supreme realm that had been stagnant for years.

To do so, there was only one thing he needed to do.

Accept an unknown energy.

It was a mysterious energy he had never seen before.

Driven by instinctive fear, he only allowed a tiny bit into his body.

Just that alone, and on that day,

he finally broke through the barrier of the peak of the supreme realm and reached the highest level.

All his previous efforts felt like wasted labor.

No enlightenment, no relentless training was needed.

He obtained such immense power so easily.

If he continued for three more years, he would reach the Fire Realm.

And in another five years, he would enter the initial stage of the Heaven Realm.

It would be a complete reversal of his lagging behind.

Then, the strongest in Anhui would be the Huangshan Sect, not the Nangong family.

...That's what he thought.

But he realized it was a wrong thought.

Three years? Five years?

No! It's too late!

He needed to become stronger, faster, much faster.

Youshenyun.

He could not be overtaken by such a greenhorn.

Desire burned in Qingshui Daozhang's eyes.

And finally,

"...I will offer it."

He spoke in a whisper.

Two

Ten days passed in an instant.

During this time, the reputation of the Baiyun Escort Agency and the rumors about Youshenyun were heading in the worst direction.

It was understandable.

Despite the continuous reduction in their standing due to the Huangluo Escort Agency's suppression, Youshenyun had spent the agency's budget on a single night at a pleasure house.

And his attempt to reverse the situation with the ridiculous gamble of a mission to Tianmu Mountain had ended in complete failure.

The opinion that he had returned to his old ways as a reckless person was widespread.

Meanwhile, a strange rumor circulated that Youshenyun had fought and defeated a Huangshan Sect Daoist with overwhelming might, but no one believed it.

Everyone dismissed it as a ridiculous rumor.

Just as the story of the Baiyun Escort Agency's imminent closure was spreading,

Youshenyun, who had been in seclusion at the agency, held a piece of paper in his hand and smiled with satisfaction.

"Finally, it's here."

Everything began with the posting of a single notice.

The Martial World's Reincarnated Top-Ranker