Translator: Iamgt Editor: Lucas 

  Oh no!" Teng Qingshan immediately understood that the members of the Barbarian Tribe Temple had viewed him as an enemy. 

  As Teng Qingshan glanced over, he saw the two hovering above the forest of the Desolate Land. The one in the center was an elder with a dry and skinny body covered with wrinkles, while the person who stood beside him was a bald giant with the height of 1.8 Zhang (4.5 meters), and this giant was like a demonic god. Below the two people was a 60-meters-long gigantic, shining, black centipede. Each and every one of its legs was terrifying. An elder with his silver hair untied sat cross-legged on the black, gigantic centipede. 

  The demonic beast Black Crow, which Teng Qingshan had fought against, hovered on their left side. Currently, Black Crow was glaring at Teng Qingshan with bloodshot eyes. Behind them was a black, demonic dragon with its head lifted high up. The eyes of this demonic dragon were of a darkish gold color and its two white whiskers drooped from the side of its mouth. 

  "These demonic beasts……" Teng Qingshan was completely overwhelmed by the power. 

  Boom! The forest below shook fiercely. 

  A monster the size of a small hill, carrying a huge tree, flew to the side of the dragon. It had the figure and appearance of an ape, but it had a height of around 10 Zhang (25m). Even though the ape was very furry, it had very sharp nails. With a swing of its hands, the branches of the trees all fell off, leaving only the tree trunk. 

  "This should be the one that Brother Violet Rain had talked about: the Purple Fur Godly Ape with power on par with the demonic dragon." Teng Qingshan scanned through the four Emptiness Realm demonic beasts. "The gigantic centipede and Black Crow should be weaker. The demonic dragon that is the size of Violet Rain should be the strongest among the four Emptiness Realm demonic beasts." 

  "Everyone, I am Teng Qingshan, and I am not here to fight," said Teng Qingshan loudly. 

  "Hmph." 

  The sound came from the bald giant who was four and a half meters tall. His voice was so deep that it seemed to have echoed in his chest. "The Barbarian Tribe Temple does not make enemies easily. However, if you are an enemy of the Barbarian Tribe Temple, we will not let you go easily. Are you going to surrender or do you want me to take action?" 

  "Just give up." The silver-haired elder, who was sitting on the giant centipede, stood up, revealing his height of three meters. 

  In the Barbarian Tribe, also known as the Giant Tribe, even the ordinary tribe members had the height of one Zhang. The height of some of the elites was even crazier. It wasn’t weird for someone in the Barbarian Tribe to reach a height of 1.2 Zhang (3 meters). However, the height of 1.8 Zhang was considered an extremely tall height even among the people of the Giant Tribe. 

  "Don’t ask me to surrender. If I had wanted to kill this demonic beast named Black Crow, it would have already been dead. 

  "I only stopped because Brother Violet Rain asked me to stop. That’s the reason why I didn’t kill it," Teng Qingshan said loudly. 

  "Violet Rain?" 

  When the three elders of the Barbarian Tribe Temple heard the name, they were slightly shocked. 

  "However, you did injure the Godly Beast Black Crow. And so, you must be punished," said the skinny old man with wrinkles all over his face. He stared at Teng Qingshan as he said, "Even if you are a friend of the demonic dragon Violet Rain, you must receive punishment anyway." 

  "Roar!" 

  The Purple Fur Godly Ape glared, and Teng Qingshan immediately felt a strong force. The Purple Fur Godly Ape swung the tree trunk with its furry claws and bared its sharp teeth towards Teng Qingshan. 

  "Caw!" The Undying Phoenix screamed and the flames that enveloped its entire body intensified. 

  Teng Qingshan held the Reincarnation Spear in his hand. 

  Whether it was Teng Qingshan or the Undying Phoenix, they both felt a strong force. Their opponents were too strong. A black demonic dragon on par with Violet Rain and a Purple Fur Godly Ape nearly as strong as the black demonic dragon. Just these two were enough to force Teng Qingshan to flee. 

  "Three elders of the Barbarian Tribe Temple! Tell me. Is it then reasonable for you all to send the Black Crow of your temple to my sect to engage in a massacre? I, Teng Qingshan, have had no relations or interactions with you guys at all. I came here today because I want to know why the Barbarian Tribe Temple attacked my sect," shouted Teng Qingshan. 

  "Attack your sect? Impossible," growled the god-like giant with a height of 1.8 Zhang. 

  "Hmm?" 

  The skinny old man gave out a few tweets towards the demonic beast Black Crow. 

  "Caw caw!" Black Crow also gave out a series of tweets. 

  "Ah!" 

  The three temple elders were shocked. 

  "May I ask the three elders whether it happened?" shouted Teng Qingshan, standing on the back of the Undying Phoenix. 

  "It did happen," admitted the skinny old man, nodding his head. 

  "I, Teng Qingshan, do not have any grudges against you all. Why did you attack us?" shouted Teng Qingshan. 

  "Hmph." 

  The bald giant shouted, "According to what the Godly Beast Black Crow said, you and our temple’s Elder Jin are enemies, and you killed Elder Jin’s friends and family. The Godly Beast Black Crow and Elder Jin are friends, so the Black Crow fought for him. The Barbarian Tribe Temple has never meddled with external affairs. Since there is a reason, let’s forgo this matter. You should leave immediately!" 

  Their own Godly Beast had gone to other people’s sect, stirred up a commotion, and killed the disciples of that sect. 

  The Barbarian Tribe Temple also knew that they were the unreasonable ones. 

  "Elder Jin?" said Teng Qingshan, frowning. "The Elder Jin you are talking about is not a native of the Barbarian Tribe, right?" 

  "He is not," said the skinny old man, nodding his head. "However, Elder Jin has done a lot for the Barbarian Tribe, and so, he became the foreign elder. Elder Jin is a foreign elder, but according to the commands issued by the ancestors of the Barbarian Tribe Temple, we are not allowed to meddle or interfere with the old grudges he has held against anyone in the outside world." 

  Teng Qingshan hastily asked, "Did Elder Jin come here nineteen years ago?" 

  The elders exchanged glances, then one of them spoke. 

  "Yes, it was nineteen years ago," said the bald giant loudly. "Elder Jin has done a lot for Barbarian Tribe. The things he has done for my tribe were acts of selflessness. So the Barbarian Tribe is very thankful for all that he has done for us. Therefore, we made an exception and made him a foreign elder of the Barbarian Tribe Temple. In these recent eight years, the Barbarian Tribe Temple has only appointed six foreign elders." 

  It was nineteen years ago! 

  Teng Qingshan was more certain that this man was Guyong! 

  "May I know where this Elder Jin is?" said Teng Qingshan. 

  "Leave immediately," shouted the bald giant. 

  The silver-haired elderly frowned, "Elder Jin is not in the temple. Even if he was, we would not let you harm him." 

  "Leave immediately, or else we will have to fight each other," said the skinny old man coldly. 

  The Barbarian Tribe Temple was very fond of guests. However, the Emptiness Realm Expert in front of them was a person that had grudges with one of their foreign elders. Since this Emptiness Realm Expert was an enemy of their foreign elder, they naturally wouldn’t see this Emptiness Realm Expert as their friend. And so, their attitude became very unfriendly. 

  "Roar!" 

  The black demonic dragon glared at Teng Qingshan with its huge, dark golden eyes, warning him. The Purple Fur Godly Ape at the side held the tree trunk while also looking at Teng Qingshan. At this moment, the elders and the Emptiness Demonic Beasts of the Barbarian Tribe Temple were all glaring at Teng Qingshan. 

  "If that is so, goodbye." Teng Qingshan turned, letting his sleeves fly along with the wind. 

  "Let’s go." 

  The Undying Phoenix looked at the people of the Barbarian Tribe Temple with its eyes revealing a glimpse of anger. It emitted a high-pitch scream, flapped its wings, and flew away, leaving a red, glowing afterimage. 

  The members of the Barbarian Tribe Temple then all went back home. 

  The Barbarian Tribe Temple didn’t care about Teng Qingshan. They were just slightly surprised when they saw the Undying Phoenix. 

  ****** 

  The sky had darkened. 

  The Undying Phoenix was flying in the sky above the Desolate Land. Teng Qingshan, who was sitting on the back of the Undying Phoenix, looked very angry. The powerful members of the Barbarian Tribe Temple had forced him to retreat, and there was nothing he could do. Indeed, his own ability and strength were nothing when compared to the powerful force of the Barbarian Tribe Temple. 

  "It is true that I am weaker than them. Even if the Barbarian Tribe Temple was the unreasonable side, they could still look down on you, the weaker one." 

  "If it was the Insightful Emptiness Realm expert Pei San who had gone there, the Barbarian Tribe Temple might not have had the audacity to act so arrogantly. At the least Pei San would’ve received a just and fair treatment," Teng Qingshan said to himself as he shook his head. 

  "Caw!" Little Blue suddenly tweeted. 

  "Hm? Little Blue, have we arrived at your old nest?" 

  Teng Qingshan looked down at the forest of the Desolate Land. A range of mountains was located down below. Although the mountains looked ordinary, it was actually the Undying Phoenix’s nest in the Desolate Land. 

  "Oh yeah, you have been protecting Linlin for this whole time and did not go back to your old nest. Let’s go down." Teng Qingshan knew that Little Blue was worried about the birds under her rule. Immediately, the Undying Phoenix chirped and rushed down happily, entering her nest. ……

  The mountain was like a paradise, and there were many different types of birds. Among the birds, the Undying Phoenix was obviously the strongest being there. 

  "Roarrr!" 

  The waterfall at the side was like a white horse, leaping downwards and descending in the center of the lake. Teng Qingshan sat by the lake and watched the great number of flying demonic beasts gathering on the top of the mountain to worship the Undying Phoenix. Most of the flying demonic beasts were ordinary demonic beasts, but there were some Innate demonic beasts and even Golden Dan Innate demonic beasts. 

  There various kinds: huge, tiny, colorful…… Some emitted high pitch sounds, some emitted clear sounds, and some emitted ethereal sounds. 

  "All birds looking up to the Phoenix?" 

  Teng Qingshan murmured. He stopped looking at the joyous Undying Phoenix Little Blue, and lied down and laid his eyes on the dark lake and the hanging waterfall. 

  It was already night time. 

  Teng Qingshan stared at the lake. Because of the hitting of the waterfall and the reef in the lake, whirlpools formed at the edge of the lake. There were big ones and small ones. Sometimes, they formed and sometimes they disappeared. Also, there were a lot of bubbles caused by the waterfall hitting the surface of the lake. New ones formed as the old ones popped. 

  He looked at the swirls and then at the bubbles. 

  "Can I be like this?" 

  "Give up?" 

  Teng Qingshan stood up and started practicing the five fist techniques, such as Earth Element Fist and Fire Element Fist. For the past year, Teng Qingshan had been searching for a breakthrough, desiring to step into the Insightful Emptiness Realm. It felt like there was just one more step, but he could not find a breakthrough. After every seclusion, he learned something, but still, he could not succeed in achieving a breakthrough. 

  The night passed and the day arrived, but Teng Qingshan was still practicing. 

  The sun rose and set, day and night exchanged. 

  The Undying Phoenix also landed at the side of the lake, watching Teng Qingshan, who was practicing, feeling a bit puzzled. 

  After five days, on the morning of the sixth day…… 

  When the Sun rose. 

  Boom! The waterfall which smashed into the lake was rolled up and a large amount of water flowed towards Teng Qingshan. The plants and rocks around were all circling around Teng Qingshan. For a moment, Teng Qingshan became the center of an enormous tornado that engulfed the rocks and plants and carried the water away.

  Little Blue, who was resting on the thick sycamore tree, was so shocked that it flew down from the tree immediately. 

  "Chirp! Chirp!" 

  At that moment, the millions of birds and beasts that inhabited the mountain, whether it was the innate demonic beasts or the ordinary animals, all of them directed their eyes toward the huge tornado besides the deep lake. Many rocks, water, and plants were all circling. In the center of the tornado, a human figure who was practicing martial arts could be seen. 

  He was the source of the tornado. 

  Teng Qingshan smiled as he immersed himself in the cultivation of the fist arts. 

  Swoosh! 

  Boom! 

  As his body moved and as he struck his fist, the air seemed to shake. For a moment, continuous rumbling sounds were heard. Whether it was the Earth Element, Fire Element, Water Element, Metal Element, or Wood Element, all were mastered by Teng Qingshan. He was able to perform any type of move easily. As Teng Qingshan continued performing, the Five Elemental Fists merged and became one. 

  Teng Qingshan had always been aware of the destructive and reinforcing relationships between the five elements. 

  However, it took him twenty years of training in his previous life and forty years of arduous training in this life to comprehend the Dao of Heaven, create the Five Element Fists, and master the art of merging the five elements as one. 

  "Haha……" 

  This hearty laughter sounded like the laughter of God and resounded in the entire mountainous area. "Five elements: metal, water, wood, fire, and earth. Why put them in different categories when they have always been one? None of the five elements can survive on its own. Each element is needed for the existence of another element." Teng Qingshan laughed out loud and turned, withdrawing his fist. 

  He inhaled deeply and the unlimited Power of the Heavens and Earth rushed in from the surroundings. When Teng Qingshan inhaled, it was as though he was swallowing the endless Power of the Heavens and Earth into his stomach. 

  Then he exhaled slowly. 

  Resolved! 

  Suddenly, Teng Qingshan opened his eyes. 

  "This is the Insightful Emptiness Realm. An insightful, empty world," mumbled Teng Qingshan. 

  "Boom!" 

  The water, rocks, and plants that were swirling in the air all fell to the ground suddenly, but whatever fell near Teng Qingshan’s body slid away. 

  "Chirp! Chirp!" There was a glimpse of joy in the eyes of the Undying Phoenix, which was bathing in flames. It tweeted loudly towards Teng Qingshan. 

  "Little Blue." 

  Teng Qingshan’s eyes glowed. 

  "Insightful Emptiness Realm! I’ve finally reached the Insightful Emptiness Realm." Teng Qingshan could clearly feel that he was different from before. This was a total transformation! He could also feel the pressure and hatred from the Land of Nine Prefectures. This made him understand that— 

  If the Emptiness Realm Experts were the children of the Land of Nine Prefectures. 

  Then the Insightful Emptiness Realm Experts had left the Land of the Nine Prefectures. Indeed, the Land of the Nine Prefectures had no authority over the Insightful Emptiness Realm Expert. 

  "I have just reached the Insightful Emptiness Realm, so I will need to consolidate my current state of cultivation. 

  "Chirp!" Teng Qingshan emitted a bird chirp towards the Undying Phoenix, Little Blue, and proceeded to sit cross-legged. 

  He closed his eyes and distinctly detected and sensed his Niwan Palace. 

  One’s Spirit was located in the Niwan Palace. In the beginning, the Niwan Palace remained blurry and difficult to detect. However, when Spirit came into existence, the Niwan Palace transformed from nothing to being tangible. Glowing rays of five colors formed in this seemingly real world. Every ray of light glowed in the entire Niwan Palace, and the Niwan Palace became endless and vast. 

  "The power of these five-colored rays of light is the Power of my World." Teng Qingshan naturally understood. 

  "Now, what I need to do is refine a large amount of the Power of the Heavens and Earth and transform the Power of the Heavens and Earth into the Power of my World." Teng Qingshan could not bother with anything else. Immediately, he began absorbing the Power of the Heaven and Earth at the fastest pace. For a moment, the Undying Phoenix could sense a huge amount of the Power of the Heavens and Earth rushing crazily towards Teng Qingshan. 

  The transfiguration changed the Power of the Heavens and Earth into these visible, tangible, shining colors. 

  Simultaneously, the tiny black cauldron on Teng Qingshan’s chest glowed with a dim light. Suddenly, the Power of the Heavens and Earth rushed towards Teng Qingshan ten times faster than previously. For a moment, the air around the entire mountain shook and a storm gathered. All the bird-type demonic beasts were so terrified that they began to fly all over the place. ……

  "It’s so much faster." 

  Teng Qingshan, who placed all his focus on the Niwan Palace, had surprisingly found out that the five-colored rays of light were multiplying at a shocking speed. As time went on, Teng Qingshan could sense that the entire Niwan Palace had become like a paradise, surrounded by lights. 

  "Hmm? 

  "As the Power of the World increases, the pressure on my body also increases" Teng Qingshan felt this clearly. 

  Immediately, Teng Qingshan controlled every ray of the Power of the World, bringing all the power out of the Niwan Palace and moving the power through every part of his body. 

  Teng Qingshan could perceive changes going on in his muscles, bones, skin, cell membrane, cartilage, organs, and even the deepest layer of his skin. He felt that his own body was like a mountain that had been dried up for too long and suddenly received the blessing of the rain; the mountain continued absorbing water and was filled with life again. It only took a while for the Power of the World to merge with Teng Qingshan’s body. 

  It was a very short time, and Teng Qingshan’s physical strength did not increase much. 

  However, Teng Qingshan felt that the cells in his body were all filled with life. 

  "This is a transformation. 

  "In the past, my body was strong, but the source of the power was external. My body was absorbing the Power of the Heavens and Earth. However, the source of my power is now internal. I generate the Power of the World and absorb it. This internal source of power has a better effect for my body." Teng Qingshan continued absorbing the external source of power into the Niwan Palace and transforming the external source of power into his own Power of the World. 

  "It’s no wonder the Insightful Emptiness Realm Expert must strengthen their bodies. 

  "Absorbing too much Power of the World is very stressful to the body. If the body is not strong enough, the Niwan Palace cannot store enough Power of the World." Teng Qingshan was aware that those who just reached the Insightful Emptiness Realm must go through seclusion to strengthen the body. This would need a lot of time. 

  Absorb! Refine! 

  Absorb! Refine! 

  Teng Qingshan did not reject anything that came his way, his Niwan Palace was like a bottomless pit, taking in the external Power of the Heavens and Earth continuously. ……

  Rumble! 

  In the mountain resided by the Undying Phoenix, a whirlwind of five colors came into existence and a large amount of Power of the Heavens and Earth surged continuously. This absorption speed was even faster than the absorption speed of the Six Legged Bladelike Chi and the Undying Phoenix when they had just attained the Emptiness Realm. 

  The sun began to rise until it was in the middle of the sky. 

  Teng Qingshan continued absorbing the Power of the Heavens and Earth at this constant, maximum speed. 

  It was soon afternoon. 

  "Hmm?" Teng Qingshan’s body shook slightly. 

  At this moment, the vast and endless space in Teng Qingshan’s Niwan Palace was filled with five-colored rays of light, and the light in the Niwan Palace was very intense. Suddenly, the whole space began to shake continuously. 

  "I have already absorbed to the maximum. 

  "My own Emptiness world is transforming," Teng Qingshan was aware of what was going on and so, he did not disturb this process. 

  As the Niwan Palace shook, it gradually became smaller. 

  The size of the Niwan Palace was reducing slowly! 

  The Niwan Palace, which was shapeless and could only be sensed with the mind, began to have colors. And now, the entire Niwan Palace had turned into an oval object with five colors. The Niwan Palace now looked like an egg. 

  "It is done. 

  "This should be considered a small success in the cultivation of the Insightful Emptiness Realm." 

  The Niwan Palace no longer had any five-colored light inside. Because the Niwan Palace had been shrinking in size, the five-colored light had actually transformed into this five-colored, glowing, starchy liquid that flowed slowly like liquid mercury. Simultaneously, as the five-colored glowing liquid flowed, aurora-colored rays of light enveloped the surface of the glowing liquid! 

  "A small success in the cultivation of the Insightful Emptiness Realm?" 

  Teng Qingshan could clearly sense that the current five-colored rays of light were even more intense than the previous light and even more powerful! 

  "When Huang Tianqin of Emperor Yu’s Hall first entered the Insightful Emptiness Realm, the Power of his World should’ve been at the level of my previous five-colored light. If one wants to strengthen the foundation and attain the small achievement, one must first strengthen one’s body to the level of perfection," Teng Qingshan thought to himself. At this moment, he was filled with joy and was very confident. 

  He knew that if he were to meet an expert who had attained Emptiness Realm Culmination, he would definitely be able to kill that expert very easily! ……

  From entering the Insightful Emptiness Realm to attaining a small success in the Insightful Emptiness Realm, Teng Qingshan was definitely the fastest to do so since the creation of the entire Land of the Nine Prefectures! 

  Because his body had reached the level of perfection long ago, he didn’t have to waste any more time enhancing his physical strength. 

  In addition, the Nine Prefectures Cauldron had helped to speed up the process of absorbing the Power of the Heavens and Earth, and so, he was able to absorb enough Power of the Heavens and Earth within half a day. 

  ****** 

  Swoosh! 

  Teng Qingshan stood up. 

  "Hmm? This, this……" Teng Qingshan, who was complacent, felt shocked when he saw the red sun rising in the eastern sky. "What? Morning?" The scenery in front of his eyes obviously represented the morning of a day. 

  "I thought I didn’t take a very long time absorbing the Power of the World and refining that source of power into my own source. 

  "What…… I sat for a day and a night?" Teng Qingshan was very shocked. 

  The process of absorbing the Power of the Heavens and Earth was short. It was the transformation of the void, empty Niwan Palace into the tangible five-colored world that took a long time. Teng Qingshan felt that this transformation had happened very quickly, but eight hours had actually passed in the outer world during this process of transformation! 

  "Whatever. I can’t be bothered. 

  "It’s time to go back now." Teng Qingshan felt refreshed. After the transformation of his Niwan Palace, he felt that the great physical pressure he felt had disappeared. 

  "Little Blue," shouted Teng Qingshan to the Undying Phoenix. 

  "Chirp!" 

  The Undying Phoenix dashed towards him. 

  Swoosh! Teng Qingshan hopped onto the Undying Phoenix’s back with the Reincarnation Spear in his hand and disappeared in the northern end in front of thousands of birds. 

  ****** 

  In the region of Yuzhou, within a desolate mountain, a man wearing a golden mask and a sackcloth sat cross-legged. 

  "It is fortunate that I was careful. If Black Crow and I had gone to attack the Xing Yi Sect together, I am afraid I would’ve lost my life there," mumbled the golden-masked man, "Even the Black Crow was injured. Teng Qingshan is improving too quickly. The news from Shooting Sun God Mountain wasn’t fake. Teng Qingshan has achieved Emptiness Realm Culmination. 

  "With my current state of cultivation, I cannot kill him." 

  This problem has always troubled the Golden-masked man. 

  "There is no other way. Teng Qingshan is too strong. I can’t do it myself, I need other people to do this for me. The people of the Barbarian Tribe Temple are all too stupid. They refused to leave the tribe. I must find other people." The golden-masked man thought, "As Teng Qingshan has reached Emptiness Realm Culmination, I will need a strong demonic beast that has achieved Emptiness Realm Culmination or an Insightful Emptiness Realm expert to win against him." 

  The golden-masked man moved and vanished from the desolate mountain.

  In the deepest region of the Frost Jade Pool in the Great Yan Mountain: 

  The demonic dragon Violet Rain was deep in slumber. The cold breath that came out from its nostrils froze the water around it, cracking it. 

  "Roar!" 

  The demonic dragon Violet Rain opened its golden eyes, which were as huge as car wheels, shocked. It could clearly feel two presences. One was the presence of the familiar Undying Phoenix. The other one was a black hole! It could not touch it or feel it, so it would naturally think that it was black hole. 

  The long-lived demonic dragon understood immediately that this black hole represented an Insightful Emptiness Realm expert! 

  "Insightful Emptiness Realm expert?" The dumbfounded demonic dragon Violet Rain disappeared in the water immediately. 

  In the East Flower Garden of the Xing Yi Sect at the Great Mountain Yan. 

  "Why is Qingshan not back yet?" 

  "Mother, don’t worry. Dad must be dealing with something urgent." 

  Li Jun and her daughter were together. Obviously, she would be worried after Teng Qingshan had been gone for so long. 

  Suddenly— 

  "Roar!" an angry roar sounded. The Six Legged Bladelike Chi, which was sleeping on the pasture at the side, looked up angrily, making angry and terrified noises. It could also feel the presence of the Undying Phoenix and the "black hole". How could the Six Legged Bladelike Chi not be scared of an Insightful Emptiness Realm expert? 

  "Oh no!" Li Jun, who understood the Language of Beasts, had a change of facial expression. 

  Swoosh! Swoosh! 

  A red stream of light and a light ray of five colors landed in the East Flower Garden almost at the same time. 

  "Roar!" The Six Legged Bladelike Chi, whose eyes were filled with hostility, was shocked when it saw that the person who was the light ray of five colors was Teng Qingshan. Clearly, the Six Legged Bladelike Chi was baffled that Teng Qingshan’s presence had become a "black hole." 

  "Haha, Bladelike Chi, what are you doing? Do you want to fight with me?" Teng Qingshan laughed as he walked there and patted the scales of Six Legged Bladelike Chi. 

  The Six Legged Bladelike Chi’s bloodshot eyes showed a glimpse of surprise. 

  "Haha, you only haven’t seen me for a few days and you don’t recognize me anymore," said Teng Qingshan, laughing. 

  "Qingshan." Li Jun walked towards him. 

  Their son, Hongwu, opened his mouth. "Father, it has been seven days since you went to the Barbarian Tribe Temple. Mom has been worried about you every day." 

  "Little Jun." Teng Qingshan smiled, apologizing, "I didn’t want to stay for so long either, but……" 

  Boom! Boom! 

  Two powerful presences landed in the East Flower Garden almost at the same time, scaring the maids at the far side. The enormous dragon, which had a length of over 20 Zhang, and a smaller golden dragon turtle could be seen. The demonic dragon Violet Rain and the golden dragon turtle both stared at Teng Qingshan coldly. 

  But soon, these two demonic beasts were both dumbfounded. 

  When Teng Qingshan went to the Barbarian Tribe Temple, he had instructed the two demonic beasts to help if a strong enemy approached. Therefore, when they sensed the presence of the Insightful Emptiness Realm Expert, the demonic dragon Violet Rain and the golden dragon turtle both rushed here immediately. 

  "Little Jun, please help me thank them," said Teng Qingshan, laughing. 

  "Oh." Li Jun was a bit puzzled as she gave out a few roars to the demonic dragon Violet Rain and the golden dragon turtle. 

  "Roar!" There was a glimpse of joy in the eyes of Violet Rain and the golden dragon turtle as they gave out roars, congratulating Teng Qingshan. 

  "Li Jun turned and looked at Teng Qingshan. "Qingshan, you, you reached the Insightful Emptiness Realm?" 

  "Insightful Emptiness Realm?" Honglin, who had been melancholy recently, shouted out in astonishment. 

  "He is now an Insightful Emptiness Realm Expert like the Sovereign of the Heavenly God Palace?" Hongwu’s eyes enlarged. Living in a home like this, the siblings, Hongwu and Honglin, had heard a lot about the cultivation realms and the experts in the Land of Nine Prefectures. They knew clearly what the Insightful Emptiness Realm expert represented! 

  Before the Omnipotent Expert came into existence, the Insightful Emptiness Expert was the strongest. 

  "This is the good thing I acquired from the setback I experienced. I was given a cold shoulder at the Barbarian Tribe Temple, but I gained a moment of enlightenment while I was at the Undying Phoenix’s home in the Desolate Land and achieved a small success in the Insightful Emptiness Realm after devoting my full attention on cultivation for a total of seven days," said Teng Qingshan, laughing. However, Li Jun, Honglin, and Hongwu did not understand the difference between entering the Insightful Emptiness Realm and achieving a small success in the Insightful Emptiness Realm.". 

  Even if they did not understand, they were already very impressed. ……

  The fact that Teng Qingshan had become an Insightful Emptiness Realm Expert was a very joyful thing. A sect that has an Insightful Emptiness Realm expert would remain high up in the Land of the Nine Prefectures. None of the other sects would have the audacity to provoke that sect! If Huang Tianqi’, who had just entered the Insightful Emptiness Realm, was only a little bit stronger than Emptiness Realm Culmination, then Teng Qingshan, who had achieved a small success in the Insightful Emptiness Realm was much stronger. 

  If Pei San was only concerned about Little Blue’s mother that year, then now, looking at Teng Qingshan, even if Little Blue’s mother did not exist, Pei San would easily provoke Teng Qingshan. 

  On that day, in the East Flower Garden. 

  The demonic dragon, the golden dragon turtle, the Undying Phoenix, and the Six Legged Bladelike Chi, together with Teng Qingshan’s family, talked for a long time. The demonic dragon and the golden dragon turtle only went back in the evening. 

  ****** 

  By evening, the demonic dragon and the golden dragon turtle had already gone under the water beneath the ground. These two Emptiness Realm demonic beasts were the dictators of the Heavenly Flood Lake. 

  "Roar!" 

  "Roar! Roar!" 

  The demonic dragon Violet Rain and the golden dragon turtle exchanged roars, communicating. Clearly, Violet Rain was very happy. 

  In the beginning, it was through the recommendation of the golden dragon turtle that Teng Qingshan could visit the demonic dragon Violet Rain. Violet Rain itself only started treating Teng Qingshan differently after it had heard the legendary stories of Teng Qingshan. Teng Qingsahn was known to be the prodigy who stepped into the Emptiness Realm at the age of 21. With this in mind, the demonic dragon Violet Rain felt that it was very likely for Teng Qingshan to become an Omnipotent Expert. Therefore, Violet Rain’s attitude towards Teng Qingshan became extremely pleasant. 

  It must be known that in this world, there were only two demonic beasts that were better than the demonic dragon Violet Rain. The first demonic beast would be the Honorable Bear while the second demonic beast would be the Undying Phoenix. 

  The Honorable Bear of the Emperor Yu’s Hall was the demonic beast that had followed the Omnipotent Expert Emperor Yu and received advice and teachings from Emperor Yu. 

  The Undying Phoenix had followed the Omnipotent Li Taibai and was taught by Li Taibai. The demonic dragon Violet Rain might be slightly less talented than the Undying Phoenix, but its talent and natural aptitude were definitely on par with the Honorable Bear. However, it was still weaker than both the Undying Phoenix and the Honorable Bear because its cultivation was not taught by an Omnipotent Expert. Instead, it had pondered and learned the cultivation methods by itself. 

  This time, the Demonic Dragon Violet Rain was betting on Teng Qingshan, believing that this amazing fellow might succeed. 

  Just as expected, twenty years after creating his own sect, Teng Qingshan had already entered the Insightful Emptiness Realm! Even the demonic dragon Violet Rain, who had lived for a long time and seen countless experts, was impressed. Maybe this human, Teng Qingshan, whom the Violet Rain thought highly of, could really step into the Omnipotent Realm. 

  Of course  

  This was only a possibility. It had been more than 2,000 years since the fourth Omnipotent Expert Martial Ancestor Shakya appeared. There had been people who managed to reach the Insightful Emptiness Realm. However, there was not even one Omnipotent Expert had appeared since then. 

  It was really too difficult to become an Omnipotent Expert. ……

  Night came. 

  "Qingshan, what’s wrong?" asked Li Jun. She could see that something was wrong from Teng Qingshan’s expression as they were talking in the pavilion after dinner. 

  "Just now, I tried to insert my Power of the World into the Hong Tian Godly Armor, but the power within the Hong Tian Godly Armor rejected my Power of the World." Teng Qingshan laughed bitterly as he shook his head. "Now, I finally understand why Insightful Emptiness Realm experts have to refine their own Godly Armor instead of using the Godly Armor owned by other cultivators from the past. 

  Li Jun said after thinking, "Qingshan, the Hong Tian Godly Armor was refined by North-eastern King Hong Tian using his Power of the World. Therefore, your Power of the World was rejected." 

  Since I cannot insert my Power of the World into this armor, the effect of this Godly Armor will be a lot weaker." Teng Qingshan shook his head. "Since this is so, then I will not wear this Hong Tian Godly Armour. I will refine a set of my own Godly Armor." 

  Teng Qingshan gave an order, and the whole Xing Yi Sect spread out to the whole Land of Nine Prefectures, gathering various rare, precious ores. 

  The demonic dragon Violet Rain and the golden dragon turtle also helped. 

  Water Soft Crystal, Ten Millennia Coldsteel, Heavenly Meteorite…… Various precious ores and metals that were difficult to obtain even with money were all gathered. This was the advantage of having forces all around the world. Furthermore, Teng Qingshan asked best weapon master in the Land of the Nine Prefectures, Ouye Mojiang, to forge the armor. 

  Having many valuable materials to choose from was the dream of a weapon master. 

  Teng Qingshan’s father, Teng Yongfan, and his grandfather, Teng Yunlong, were so excited that they came to watch the famous weapon master forge the armor. 

  A whole set of armor, including the boots, arm guard, cuisse, and inner armor, was completely made and refined after eight days and seven nights. After successfully refining it, the Weapon Master Ouye Mojiang was so excited that he did not sleep for the entire day. When he finally felt tired, he slept for three days straight. 

  Teng Qingshan named this set of armor "Reincarnation". 

  "Your spear is named ’Reincarnation’. You want to name your armor ’Reincarnation’ as well?" Li Jun was curious. "Qingshan, why do you want to name it ’Reincarnation’?" 

  "I just like the name." Teng Qingshan smiled. 

  Teng Qingshan did not want to tell anyone about his experiences in his past life, not even his family. 

  "And now, the Reincarnation Armor is only forged. Although the full suit of armor was forged with many valuable materials and even though the Emptiness Realm Expert would have to use a great deal of strength to destroy it, this full suit of armor was still only considered a weapon of the ordinary human being. In order for it to become a Godly Armor, it would need to go through a very long process of refinement with the use of the Power of the World." Teng Qingshan had taken off the Hong Tian Godly Armour and was now wearing the Reincarnation Armor. ……

  During normal training and casual days, Teng Qingshan wore the Reincarnation Armor like how he wore the Hong Tian Godly Armor in the past. However, the helmet and outer armor were hardly worn. "This is why Emptiness Realm experts value the inner armor of the Godly Armor the most. It is not just because the inner armor is the most convenient to wear. The main reason is that that Insightful Emptiness Realm experts spend the longest time wearing the inner armor." 

  The process of refining was the time spent wearing. 

  "Qingshan," said Li Jun as the couple took a walk in the East Flower Garden, "the girl that Hongwu likes…… her time of filial piety is ending soon. Shouldn’t we……" 

  "Hmm?" Teng Qingshan raised his head and looked at the far side. "Brother Mu Tao, what brings you here?" 

  Swoosh! 

  A stream of light landed and turned into a person. It was the Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal, Mu Tao, who had silver hair and carried a giant sword. Mu Tao was shocked at first. After looking clearly, he said, "Brother Qingshan, you, you, you already……" 

  "Haha, Brother, I have made a breakthrough." Teng Qingshan laughed. 

  "I only improved a little and reached Emptiness Realm Culmination after twenty years since coming to the Land of Nine Prefectures. But Brother Qingshan, you……" Mu Tao was proud of himself, but when he saw Teng Qingshan’s improvement, he was shocked. 

  "Brother Mu Tao, why do you have time to come here?" asked Teng Qingshan, laughing. 

  "Haha, your teacher, that stubborn fool, has finally made a breakthrough. And so, now I don’t have to stay there anymore." Mu Tao laughed.

  "Teacher made a breakthrough?" Teng Qingshan was both shocked and happy. 

  When Zhuge Yuanhong found out through Mu Tao that the Thunder Blade Deity Duanmu Yun successfully learned the Dao of Destruction and gained control of 50% of the Power of the Heavens and Earth upon the attainment of the Emptiness Realm, he made up his mind to comprehend the Dao of Life. After spending so much time, Zhuge Yuanhong finally made a breakthrough and immediately gained control of 50% of the Power of the Heavens and Earth the moment he stepped into the Emptiness Realm. 

  "Qingshan, this is a delightful occasion. We must go and congratulate him," said Li Jun. 

  "Yes, yes, during the past twenty years, teacher has been training very hard and now he has finally succeeded. It is a happy occasion," said Teng Qingshan. He was very happy for his teacher. He had already viewed his teacher as a family member. Teng Qingshan continued saying, "Right, Little Jun, you mentioned that the girl, whom Hongwu likes, will soon be done with her time of mourning?" 

  "Oh," nodded Li Jun with a smile, "That girl, whose name is Little Ru, is done with mourning. It is now appropriate for her to marry. Shouldn’t we choose a day to go and propose the marriage?" 

  Teng Qingshan clasped his fist and laughed, "Alright, I will go find grandfather immediately. Grandfather has been concerned about Hongwu’s marriage; we will let him choose a date. Furthermore, teacher still does not know that I have attained the Insightful Emptiness Realm. Since I will be visiting Grandfather, I might as well visit teacher and let him know about it." 

  "All these years, teacher has been thinking about attacking the Shooting Sun God Mountain of Yanzhou. Back then, I was not strong enough to conquer two prefectures, but now, it is time to talk about conquering the two prefectures." Teng Qingshan did not forget the promise that he had made. Furthermore, the Shooting Sun God Mountain definitely had grudges in their heart due to the death of Shen Gongtu. Just because they had endured the hatred and had done nothing to retaliate, it does not mean that Shooting Sun God Mountain would forget about it. 

  After all, Shen Gongtu’s younger brother was the current Emptiness Realm Expert of Shooting Sun God Mountain. 

  Teng Qingshan himself did not want his enemy to continue growing stronger at a rate like this. 

  "Yes. Back then, Shen Gongtu tried to kill you, but he lost his life in the end. The Shooting Sun God Mountain definitely won’t forget about this," nodded Li Jun. 

  "Brother Qingshan, I have just returned to Great Yan Mountain and you all are going to stir up some great movements," laughed Mu Tao. 

  "It’s not some great movements," Teng Qingshan shook his head, "I just want to offer teacher some help. I will go and kill the Emptiness Realm expert of the Shooting Sun God Mountain. However, the army of Gui Yuan Sect will still be the force attacking Yanzhou! Gui Yuan Sect is the sect that will conquer the land of Yanzhou." Xing Yi Sect did announce to the world that the sect will not fight for hegemony, but it does not mean that the Emptiness Realm experts of Xing Yi Sect would hide and not fight back when the sect is bullied. 

  Xing Yi Sect has no intention of fighting for hegemony. If the Emptiness Realm Expert of Xing Yi Sect fought against an Emptiness Realm Expert of another sect, that was not considered fighting for hegemony. It would only be considered the resolution of a personal issue. 

  ******* 

  After about ten days, on the second of December: 

  It was bitterly cold with piercing winds. Above the clouds, Teng Qingshan, who was wearing a white cloak, and Li Jun, who was wearing purple clothes, were flying south-west together. 

  The sun above the clouds was brighter and prettier. The sunlight of winter warmed the body. 

  "Hongwu has been in Yong’an County. I don’t think he knows about us proposing his marriage," smiled Teng Qingshan. Li Jun also smiled, "Do you remember when he was three or four years old? He was more well-behaved than his older sister Linlin. He was a very good boy. As long as we give him two sweets, he wouldn’t make any noise." 

  "Haha, right. When he was young, I forced him to wake up in the morning and practice his fist art. Sometimes, he would be in such pain that he would start crying, but he would continue cultivating without saying anything," Teng Qingshan sighed, "I can’t believe it. He is getting married soon. 

  "I am just not satisfied that our child, Hongwu, likes business more than training. If he invested all his energy into cultivation, he would have an endless potential of achieving great success." Teng Qingshan was very proud of his son, but he was obviously hoping that his son could inherit his legacy. However, the current reality showed otherwise. 

  The couple hovered above the extremely high layer of clouds and transformed into a ray of colorful light. They soon arrived on top of Yong’an County. 

  "Yong’an County!" 

  Looking down from above, there were mountains in the city and there were even bigger ones outside the city. Because of that, the entire Yong’an County looked like a ferocious whale with a huge back fin. 

  The ray of colorful light then descended from the clouds and landed in Yong’an County. ……

  Over twenty percent of the land in Yong’an County belonged to the Gui Yuan Sect. As a strong sect which conquered eight counties of Yangzhou, Gui Yuan Sect had an impressive amount of disciples. Naturally, the sect occupied even more land. 

  "Teacher, don’t mind me. Please continue your conversation. 

  When Teng Qingshan arrived in Gui Yuan Sect, he realized that his teacher, Zhuge Yuanhong, was having a meeting with a few Innate Experts. And so, he sent his teacher a message with the use of the Sound Transmitting Technique. 

  "Qingshan, it’s you?" Zhuge Yuanhong replied with the use of the Sound Transmission Technique. The tone of his voice was conveyed great astonishment. 

  When he noticed the aura of a black hole appearing with Li Jun’s aura, Zhuge Yuanhong was very confused. He couldn’t think of any Insightful Emptiness Realm Experts who appear with Li Jun. At first, he thought it was Pei San. His second guess was that Teng Qingshan had entered the Insightful Emptiness Realm. However, he simply could not believe the second conjecture. 

  "Qingshan, I can’t believe you reached the Insightful Emptiness Realm. Haha……" Obviously, Zhuge Yuanhong was very happy. 

  "I have learned a lot," Teng Qingshan laughed as he replied with the use of the Sound Transmitting Technique, "Teacher, you should continue your discussion with the elders. We can talk afterward. I have a lot to tell you." 

  "Alright, I will meet you later," Zhuge Yuanhong instructed with the use of the Sound Transmitting Technique and continued discussing the big events of Gui Yuan Sect with the Law Enforcing Elders. 

  Teng Qingshan did not eavesdrop on the discussion between Zhuge Yuanhong and the Law Enforcing Elders. 

  "Little Jun, although I had been here twice since Gui Yuan Sect was built, I have only come to see my teacher. Actually, I have never walked around in the newly built Gui Yuan Sect before. Since teacher is busy, let’s go and look around in Gui Yuan Sect. Let me see if the newly constructed Gui Yuan Sect in Yong’an County is any different from the Gui Yuan Sect in Jiangning County." 

  "At least it is bigger than the Gui Yuan Sect in Jiangning County and there are more disciples. It’s busier and more prosperous now," laughed Li Jun. 

  "Of course it is prosperous! A sect would either prosper or deteriorate and it’s impossible for Gui Yuan Sect to deteriorate." Teng Qingshan said with a smile. 

  "Actually, Gui Yuan Sect should really be grateful. If it weren’t for you, Gui Yuan Sect would never become what it is today." Li Jun laughed secretly as she spoke. Yet, Teng Qingshan shook his head and responded, "I am my teacher’s disciple. As the disciple, I should do something for my teacher. There’s no mention of gratitude or appreciation in this situation. 

  On top of a hill, Teng Qingshan and Li Jun were strolling very leisurely. 

  The Gui Yuan Sect was extremely huge. It occupied an even bigger space than the land of Yi City. 

  There were hills, lakes, and rivers in the sect. 

  "Elder Ni, it’s best if you don’t say this kind of things often." A voice came from the forest on top of the hill. "Elder Wang, what do you mean it’s best to not say it? Who doesn’t know about this? Back then, our Sovereign lent the Fiery Gilt Battle Armor and the Fiery Feather Battle Armor to Teng Qingshan and asked him to lead the troop and guard the land of the few counties in the south. However, he never returned the battle armor. Hmph! These are facts! Why won’t you let me say it?" 

  Teng Qingshan and Li Jun frowned when they heard the sound in the forest. 

  The question of who should possess the Fiery Gilt Battle Armor and the Fiery Feather Battle Armor had caused a lot of conflicts between Xing Yi Sect and Gui Yuan Sect. 

  Gui Yuan Sect had never told the public about the source of the Fiery Gilt Metal. After all, people would not believe that Teng Qingshan had gotten so much Fiery Gilt Metal by himself. If they disclosed this secret to the public, perhaps all the other sects would know that the Fiery Gilt Metal that they desired was obtained by Teng Qingshan during the several years he had gone missing. Because of this, sects like the Heavenly God Palace would naturally guess that the origin of the Fiery Gilt Metal was somewhere overseas. 

  Teng Qingshan and Gui Yuan Sect did not want the sects to search in the Northern Sea. They did not want the world to know about the Northern Sea Continent. 

  However, this also caused a problem. 

  The people of Gui Yuan Sect thought that Xing Yi Sect had taken the Fiery Gilt Battle Armor and Fiery Feather Battle Armor for themselves and did not want to return it. 

  As for the higher authorities in Xing Yi Sect, such as Yang Dong and Teng Shou, they wanted to reclaim the Fiery Gilt Battle Armor and the Fiery Feather Battle Armor to strengthen the image of Xing Yi Sect. 

  "Elder Ni, so what if he took it for himself? Lord Teng Qingshan had done great deeds for Gui Yuan Sect. It does not matter if Teng Qingshan possesses the Fiery Gilt Battle Armor and the Fiery Feather Battle Armor. Just consider it as a gift of appreciation. After all, we owe him a lot." 

  "Hmph, Elder Wang, you might see Teng Qingshan as a benefactor, but he might not even care about you. Back then, Teng Qingshan did not care about us and he forced Gui Yuan Sect to leave Jiangning County. Gui Yuan Sect had stayed in Jiangning County for over a thousand years. Many people had to leave home and come to Yong’an County. Never mind that, According to what my father told me, Teng Qingshan promised to help Gui Yuan Sect conquer Yanzhou. But it has been twelve years since he made his promise. We don’t even see signs of him fulfilling the promise

  The man whose name was Elder Ni sounded very sarcastic as he spoke. "Elder Wang, Teng Qingshan is now the Sovereign of Xing Yi Sect. He is living a good life. Why would he care about Gui Yuan Sect. I am afraid he had already forgotten that he was once a disciple of Gui Yuan Sect. Within the blink of an eye, he became the Sovereign of Xing Yi Sect. 

  "Lower down your voice, Elder Ni." 

  The two middle-aged people approached from afar. However, when they saw the two individuals ahead…… 

  "Eh—." 

  Their facial expression changed. The middle-aged man with narrow eyes turned very pale as he muttered, "The both faces of the elders changed. The one with long eyes had turned pale, "Teng……" 

  "Greetings, Lord Teng." The chubby elder greeted. 

  "Greetings to the Lord," The middle-aged man with narrow eyes also greeted. 

  Teng Qingshan stared at Elder Ni, who had narrow eyes. His face darkened but he did not say anything. He turned away and continued walking with Li Jun. 

  "Why did we bump into Teng Qingshan?" Elder Ni muttered to himself. He could feel the drops of perspiration on his forehead. 

  "I told you to watch what you say. I hope Teng Qingshan will be merciful," Elder Wang looked at his friend, who was walking beside him and added, "It would be the end for you if Lord Teng Qingshan wish to punish you." 

  "Hmph." 

  "Punish me? I don’t believe that I will be punished for saying these few words. Furthermore, how can he punish me? I was merely stating facts," said Elder Ni, glaring. Elder Ni was able to say such words because his father was the Law Enforcing Elder of Gui Yuan Sect. ……

  Teng Qingshan and Li Jun still continued strolling in Gui Yuan Sect. However, Teng Qingshan was no longer in a good mood. 

  It was really frustrating! 

  He had thought a lot for Gui Yuan Sect. He had never forgotten about his promise of helping Gui Yuan Sect conquer Yanzhou. He just did not think it was safe for Gui Yuan Sect to govern a land of two prefectures, at least not until he attained the Insightful Emptiness Realm. However, now, he had finally reached the Insightful Emptiness Realm and he was ready to discuss this matter with his teacher. Yet, he did not expect someone in the sect to say such things about him. 

  Uncontrollably, Teng Qingshan felt sad and disappointed. 

  "Hmph," Teng Qingshan couldn’t help but humph. 

  "Qingshan, are you angry?" Li Jun asked as she glanced over Teng Qingshan. 

  "It’s fine," Teng Qingshan shook his head. 

  "Qingshan." A loud voice sounded and a green flowing ray of light flashed. The light appeared before Teng Qingshan and materialized into a person. It was Zhuge Yuanhong, who looked exuberant and vigorous.

  "I did not expect you to reach the Insightful Emptiness Realm within such a short time!" exclaimed Zhuge Yuanhong. He stared at Teng Qingshan with gleaming eyes, "According to what I know, it is extremely difficult to break through the Emptiness Realm Culmination and attain the Insightful Emptiness Realm! But Qingshan, you were able to do it! Incredible!" 

  "Teacher, before I was able to enter the Insightful Emptiness Realm, I spent sixteen years on the Wood Elemental Dao of the Five Elemental Dao. I have to thank Huang Tianqin of the Emperor Yu’s Hall. If it was not for him, I am afraid it would take ten or twenty more years," replied Teng Qingshan. 

  "Oh, Huang Tianqin?" Zhuge Yuanhong was shocked. 

  Teng Qingshan nodded his head slightly. Because of the conversation between the two elders, Teng Qingshan was in a very bad mood. It was even affecting his conversation with his teacher, Zhuge Yuanhong, causing him to think about other things while talking to his teacher. Teng Qingshan thought to himself, "If many people in Gui Yuan Sect have the same thoughts as those two elders…… If they all think that I, Teng Qingshan, am supposed to help them, then why should I do something that is tiring and not beneficial?" 

  Teng Qingshan felt mistreated! And angry! 

  Furthermore, Teng Qingshan did not really care about the Fiery Gilt Metal. Actually, the Fiery Gilt Metal was brought by him from the Duan Mu Continent. And now, the Blood Wolf Army of Xing Yi Sect was only using a few FIery Gilt Battle Armors and Fiery Feather Battle Armor. However, in the eyes of many people within Gui Yuan Sect, the matter was viewed as this statement—’take it as paying back what Teng Qingshan deserved for helping, just let them take it.’" 

  It did not feel nice to hear these words! 

  For the sake of Gui Yuan Sect, Teng Qingshan had fought many battles. The Six Legged Bladelike Chi did the same and fought alongside him. They then destroyed Qinghu Island. 

  In the process, they broke the bonds with Heavenly God Palace! Even his own wife had to cut off all bonds with her teacher ’Pei Xuelian’; Because of this matter, Teng Qingshan had always felt guilty. 

  Furthermore, he almost died in the process. The Six Legged Bladelike Chi almost died as well and was only managed to survive because of the Grass of Immortality. 

  In the end, they were only saved through the help of the Undying Phoenix. 

  In the beginning, he was worried that the future generations of Xing Yi Sect would consume Gui Yuan Sect. Teng Qingshan had no doubt of the potential power that Xing Yi Sect would achieve, therefore, he gave the order to never contend for hegemony! Actually, with Teng Qingshan’s talent and skills, he could totally walk on the same path as Emperor Yu and Heavenly Emperor of Qin Mountains. He could have saved his power and not establish his own sect. He could wait and conquer the world when he was strong enough! 

  Rule the world! 

  It was for Gui Yuan Sect that he sacrificed so much but who would have thought that things would come to this…… 

  So disappointing! 

  Zhuge Yuanhong himself had noticed that Teng Qingshan was not in a good mood. He smiled and said, "Qingshan, let’s talk in the hall. Oh yeah, you haven’t seen your little sister Qingyu and your two nephews for a while, right?" 

  "Mhmm," Teng Qingshan smiled as he thought of his younger sister and nephews. 

  Li Jun, who was at the side, was well aware of Teng Qingshan’s current emotions. Actually, she always thought it was unfair for Teng Qingshan. However, since she was a wife and a wife should always support her husband, so she just supported him from behind…… 

  In the San Chong Restaurant in Yong’an County City, Teng Qinghsan and Li Jun could be seen with Zhuge Yuanhong and his entire family. 

  San Chong Restaurant was a famous restaurant in Yong’an County. The restaurant was in the shape of a square. The customers from all the three floors could see the huge stage in the center court below. 

  Beautiful female musicians and artists were always invited to perform on the stage. Sometimes, fighting matches would be organized to attract customers. 

  "Hongwu, are you still a man? If you have the skills, let’s fight. It’s would just be you and me!" A well-built teenager, who was wearing a blue cloak, shouted angrily towards an area on the second floor. 

  "Ni Mengzhong, you are drunk," A grey-cloaked young man, who was sitting across a white cloaked girl on the second floor, frowned as he said to the person standing on the stage down below. The young man dressed in the grey cotton cloak was Teng Qingshan’s son Teng Hongwu. When Teng Hongwu was out in public, he would always say his surname was Hong. The identity of ’Teng Qingshan’s son’ was terrifying. 

  Because Teng Qingshan had always kept it as a secret and had instructed the Wan Xiang Sect, so the names of his son and daughter were not really publicly known. 

  But there were still people who knew. 

  Still, Teng Qingshan was not really worried about this in the Yong’an County. 

  "Drunk? I am not that drunk," shouted the young man in a blue cloak, "Hongwu, why are you so garrulous? Why are you acting like a woman? If you are a man, then come down." 

  Laughter and cheers of all kinds sounded in the restaurant. 

  It was as though the crowd was hoping for chaos in the restaurant. 

  "Brother Hongwu, don’t be like Brother Ni," The girl, who dressed in a white cloak, said as she held Hongwu’s hand. 

  "Haha, I think this young master named Hongwu was given birth to wrongly; he should not be a man. Instead, he should be a woman. Haha……" A burst of laughter came from a drunkard in the restaurant. At that moment, the whole restaurant was filled with mocking laughter. Everyone wanted Hongwu to fight. 

  Hongwu clenched his fists tightly. 

  He has always been very rational and calm. However, he hated when people talked bad about his parents. After all, he had always been proud to be Teng Qingshan’s son. 

  "Hongwu, you……" The blue cloaked young man named Ni Mengzhong just opened his mouth. 

  Swoosh! 

  From the second floor, a figure leaped over the railing and landed on top of the stage. It was Teng Hongwu, whose facial expression looked very serious. 

  "Oh, you finally came down?" laughed Ni Mengzhong coldly. 

  "Didn’t you say that you want a fight with me?" Hongwu began with the Three Postures, "Come on." 

  "Alright." 

  Ni Mengzhong smirked and went forward. His right hand, which was formed into a claw, went straight forth towards Hongwu. 

  Bang! Hongwu turned around and hit the claw with the use of Bursting Fist. He then used his agility to take a step closer and stomped while punching with the use of Cannon Fist! This stomp made the stage, which was made out of Crane Yellow Rock, shake and cracks appeared on its surface. 

  The Cannon Fist conveyed the image of a tiger roaring. 

  Teng Qingshan had taught Hongwu himself. Although Hongwu’s cultivation of the Internal Martial Art may not be on par with his sister, he had also reached the realm of First Rated Warrior. 

  "Hah!" growled Ni Mengzhong. He glared and crossed his arms in front of his chest to block the punch. 

  Bang! 

  After Ni Mengzhong was hit by the punch, he took three steps backward; every step shook the stage. 

  "Good!" 

  "As expected, the young master Hongwu is strong." Immediately, cheers sounded in the restaurant. On the second floor, a white-clothed girl with a white bird on her shoulder shouted anxiously, "Big Brother Ni! Big Brother Hongwu, stop fighting. Please stop!" 

  Hearing this, Ni Mengzhong looked up and felt even angrier. 

  "I cannot win him with my fist art. However, I have the inner strength of a First Rated Warrior. In addition, my grandfather taught me Blade Technique himself. Even if he is Teng Qingshan’s son, he is still younger than me. I just don’t believe I can’t win him. I must teach him a lesson this time!" Ni Mengzhong said to himself as he drew out the scimitar, which was as thin as the wings of a cicada, from his waist. 

  When Hongwu saw the scimitar, his facial expression changed. 

  "Ni Mengzhong!" shouted Hongwu. 

  "Why? Are you afraid?" Ni Mengzhong laughed mockingly. 

  "Alright, you have brought this upon yourself." Hongwu was very annoyed with this man whose name was NI Mengzhong. After all, Hongwu was a young man with a temper. Hongwu moved to the edge of the stage and grabbed a wooden flag pole at the side of the stage. With his hand formed like the shape of a knife, he hit the pole and broke it in half. 

  The piece of wooden stick in his hand was around one Zhang long. 

  "Come," Hongwu did a martial art squat and pointed at his opponent with the stick in his hand. 

  "Young Master, beat this man whose surname is Hong." 

  At the side of the stage, a teenager with a braid shouted as he waved. Discussion noise filled the restaurant. 

  "Hongwu is doomed. Who is Ni Mengzhong? Ni Mengzhong is known to be the First Rated Warrior and also the Centurion of the Long Gang Guards in Gui Yuan Sect. His family is the Ni Family, which is recognized as a powerful family in the Gui Yuan Sect. The family practice a very powerful knife technique." 

  "What he said was right. The experts of Gui Yuan Sect might not be skilled at fighting with bare hands, but they are good with swords. His opponent obviously practices Internal Martial Art, which explains why he is so much better at fighting with bare hands." 

  "Who doesn’t know how cruel Ni Mengzhong is? Hong wu has always been seen as a coward. Ni Mengzhong just crippled a man a while ago. He has no audacity to kill people in the city but it is normal for him to cripple someone. Just watch. This young man whose name is Hongwu is doomed." 

  Indeed, Ni Mengzhong was famous in Yong’an County City. 

  He was strong and his family was powerful. Who would have the courage to anger him? 

  Swoosh! Swoosh! 

  Ni Mengzhong held a scimitar, while Hongwu held his long stick. They both dashed toward each other at the same time and a fight ensued. 

  "Boom!""Boom!" 

  The longer the weapon, the greater the advantage! 

  Using the length of the wooden stick, Hongwu began performing the Pursuing Shadows Spear Technique. His fighting style was able to make Ni Mengzhong appear embarrassing in front of the audience. However, the long stick was just a normal wooden stick. After the stick had been struck by the scimitar a few times, it broke into two. 

  "We’ll see what else you can use," laughed Ni Mengzhong coldly as he dashed with his knife. 

  "Let’s end this." 

  A beam of light flashed in Hongwu’s eyes. The wooden stick in his hand clashed with the scimitar, and with a loud snap, the stick broke. However, because Hongwu had predicted that this would happen, he turned and rushed towards Ni Mengzhong. Still, the sharp scimitar darted for him in a sharp arc. 

  "Cheh!" Hongwu dodge quickly but a small cut still appeared on his left arm. 

  "You lost!" While Hongwu was injured, he placed a punch on Ni Mengzhong’s chest, launching him a few meters backward and then crashing onto the stage. 

  Hongwu glanced at Ni Mengzhong and shook his head. 

  "I lost?" Ni Mengzhong, who was on the floor, could not believe it as he looked at Hongwu while gritting his teeth. 

  Suddenly, Hongwu’s face turned dark as he crashed onto the stage, making a loud sound. 

  "Brother Hongwu!" The white cloaked girl, who stood on the second floor, screamed and recklessly leaped down from the second floor to the stage. As she descended, she even stumbled, tripped, and fell. 

  "Poison!" 

  "Ni Mengzhong added poison on his blade." A lot of customers on the first floor could see that the blood of the wound on Hongwu’s arm was black. 

  "No! Impossible." Ni Mengzhong widened his eyes. 

  Even if he was really brave, he would not dare to kill Teng Qingshan’s son with poison. 

  "Yo……" 

  A white light flashed and went through Ni Mengzhong’s chest. As Ni Mengzhong looked down, he saw that a bloody hole had appeared on his chest. His vision went dark and he crashed onto the floor. ……

  In the living room of Zhuge Yuanhong’s house in Gui Yuan Sect, Teng Qingshan, Li Jun, Zhuge Yuanhong, Zhuge Yun and Qingyu were together. 

  "No!" Teng Qingshan’s face changed completely. He had clearly sensed that his son Hongwu’s spiritual presence was weakening. An abnormal and aggressive aura instantly filled his chest. Immediately, Teng Qingshan’s eyes beamed red with violence. 

  Swoosh! 

  Teng Qingshan disappeared from the living room. Zhuge Yuanhong’s expression also changed but he still remained calm. He held Li Jun’s arm and vanished immediately.

  Sanchong Restaurant, a place that was initially filled with laughter and sounds of discussions, was now in a state of commotion. 

  "Someone died!" 

  "Young Master Ni Mengzhong of the Ni Family just died." 

  "Young Master Hongwu died." 

  The entire restaurant was chaotic and many people had personally witnessed how the white beam of light shot a hole in Ni Mengzhong’s chest. The white light then stopped and transformed into a white bird, tweeting dolefully around Hongwu’s body. A bird that had the power to kill a First Rated Warrior in one shot was undoubtedly a demonic beast. 

  How could a teenager, who was protected by a demonic beast, be an ordinary person? 

  "Brother Hongwu…… brother Hongwu……" Cried the girl dressed in white. Tears streamed down her pale face as she turned around and looked at Ni Mengzhong, who was on the floor and cried even louder. 

  How did things turn into such a state? 

  She did not even know how this all happened. 

  "Boom!" A wave of air formed from nothing, pushing the white cloaked girl to the side. Teng Qingshan, whose eyes beamed with violence, appeared beside his son and immediately placed the Grass of Immortality into his son’s mouth. While Teng Qingshan was still on his way here, e had already taken out the Grass of Immortality, which he brought with him wherever he went. 

  "Hongwu…… Hongwu……" Teng Qingshan felt grief-stricken. 

  Teng Hongwu had always been a good kid. Just a piece of candy was enough to stop him from crying. He was forced to train early in the morning. Even when he was crying, he would still endure the pain and continue to practice martial arts. Teng Qingshan pampered his daughter but was strict to his son. However, deep down in his heart, he cared for his son as much as he does for his daughter. 

  Teng Qingshan’s heart trembled as he stared at his son. His hands began to tremble as he gently touched his son. 

  The Grass of Immortality dissolved into his son’s mouth immediately. 

  The magical effect spread throughout Hongwu’s body. Hongwu, whose face and skin turned dark, regained the healthy color of the skin. His breathing, which had stopped, returned back to normal. A healthy glow could be seen on his face. The wound on his arm healed immediately without leaving any scars. It was as though he had never been wounded. The only evidence of what had happened were the black blood marks left on his skin. 

  "Hongwu!" Li Jun exclaimed. She had appeared at the same time as Zhuge Yuanhong and immediately rushed to her son. 

  "Hongwu," Li Jun cried out as tears flowed down her cheeks. 

  A mother’s favorite would be her son. 

  The breathing, which had stopped, now resumed. Soon after Hongwu began breathing normally, he opened his eyes. He glanced at Li Jun, whose face was covered in tears, and at Teng Qingshan, whose eyes were slightly red and was trying so hard to hold back his tears. Hongwu had never seen his parents like that. In fact, he had always thought his father was the most powerful person on the Land of the Nine Prefectures. 

  "Father…… Mother……" Hongwu spoke. 

  "Everything is alright now. I won’t let anyone hurt you," Teng Qingshan promised. As Teng Qingshan was saying, flames of anger were burning within him, driving him crazing and making him irrational. 

  He couldn’t help but think about what would have happened if he and Li Jun weren’t around the area…… 

  Even if Zhuge Yuanhong was here, his son would still die. This was because Zhuge Yuanhong did not have the Grass of Immortality that could revive his son. 

  "Bastard!" 

  Teng Qingshan’s heart was filled with the urge to kill! His eyes turned violently red. "Whoever dares to touch my son will die! Whoever it is, they will all die!" The feeling of his son almost leaving him forever and the realization that he was almost going to organize his son’s funeral even before he had reached an old age was so depressing. 

  It was definitely the saddest moment in his life. 

  He would not allowed something like this to happen again! 

  "Sovereign Zhuge, I want to know who did this!" Teng Qingshan’s cold voice was terrifying. His anger had made him forget to address Zhuge Yuanhong as his teacher. Instead, he directly referred to Zhuge Yuanhong as Sovereign Zhuge. 

  Zhuge Yuanhong, whose face turned ashen, was angry as well! He did not even know what happened that caused Teng Qingshan’s son to almost die, but he knew that even if an Emptiness Realm Expert was here, he wouldn’t be able to save Hongwu without the Grass of Immortality. 

  The words "Sovereign Zhuge" frightened Zhuge Yuanhong. 

  He knew…… 

  The relationship between Gui Yuan Sect and Xing Yi Sect depended on the relationship between Teng Qingshan and Gui Yuan Sect. If he did not settle this matter properly, the consequences could be the destruction of the relationship between the two sects. 

  "He’s alive!" 

  "The rainbow-colored Spiritual Herb, which Young Master Hongwu, just ate, is the Grass of Immortality!" 

  Many people in the restaurant exclaimed. 

  "Resurrection from death!" 

  "Who is this Young Master Hongwu that he is able to take the Grass of Immortality?" Since ancient times, there is only a limited number of Grass of Immortality in the entire Land of the Nine Prefectures. Anyone who the Grass of Immortality wouldn’t be anyone of ordinary status. In fact, it was difficult for even the Emptiness Realm Expert and Insightful Emptiness Realm Expert to acquire one Grass of Immortality. 

  At this moment— 

  A great number of guards rushed into the restaurant. 

  "Who killed Young Master Ni Mengzhong?" 

  "Where is the killer?" 

  Apparently, the shouts of the customers in the restaurant attracted the attention of the Gui Yuan Sect guards patrolling outside, causing them to rush into the restaurant. The death of Ni Mengzhong was a terrifying incident. After all, Ni Mengzhong’s father was an elder of Gui Yuan Sect and Ni Mengzhong’s grandfather was one of the two Law Enforcing Elders of Gui Yuan Sect who have reached the Golden Dan of the Innate Realm. 

  "Sovereign." 

  When the centurion of the soldiers saw the people inside the restaurant, he was terrified and hastily greeted respectfully. 

  "Pass down my order. No one in the restaurant is allowed to leave. Anyone who steps out of this restaurant will be killed immediately!" shouted Zhuge Yuanhong coldly. 

  "Yes, Lord." 

  The centurion replied courteously. 

  "Quick, seal off all the exits of the restaurant. No one is allowed to leave the restaurant. Kill anyone that leaves!" The centurion shouted immediately. The customers who were initially watching the fun and cheering along were petrified. None of them dared to speak loudly. When they heard that the person on the floor below was the Sovereign of Gui Yuan Sect, they knew that things have gone out of hand! 

  On the street outside the restaurant Sanchong Restaurant: 

  "Quickly!" 

  "Quickly!" 

  "Seal off all the exits! Don’t allow anyone to leave this restaurant." Upon hearing the news, some other guards, soldiers of the Black Armored Army, and some Long Gang Guards arrived. When these soldiers and guards arrived, they carried out the orders immediately, sealing the whole street near the Sanchong Restaurant. The bypassers that were sealed inside were all terrified when they saw the light reflected by the swords. 

  Anyone who dared to challenge the order would be killed! 

  All the bypassers knew that the sect must have done this because something terrifying had happened. Nobody would have the audacity to go against a super powerful sect. 

  "Impossible! impossible!" Many guardians and elders also rushed into the restaurant. 

  "Zhong! Zhong!" Elder Ni Hanshan ran over immediately. His eyes were filled with fear as he shouted, "Impossible!" 

  A dead silence ensued in the restaurant. None of the customers dared to make a sound. 

  "Tell us what happened just now." 

  A man with a pale face stood at the side as he faced the Zang Feng, the general of the Long Gang Army. 

  This man answered hastily, "Lord, this was what happened. In the beginning, Young Master Ni Mengzhong was teasing the Young Master named Hongwu from the stage. Then, Young Master Hongwu could not take it anymore. He jumped down to the stage and fought with him. In the beginning, they were only using their fists and Hongwu was winning." 

  "Afterwards, Young Master Ni Mengzhong drew out his scimitar from his waist. Young Master Hongwu also took out the wooden flagpole from the side. The two people continued to fight. Ni Mengzhong wounded Hongwu’s arm with his sharp scimitar and Hongwu punched Ni Mengzhong, launching him into the air." 

  "Usually, this fight would have ended. However, at this moment, Young Master Hongwu’s facial turned black and black-colored blood flowed out of the wound on his arm before he collapsed on the ground. 

  "At that moment, a white beam of light shot through Ni Mengzhong’s chest and Ni Mengzhong died." 

  The man’s voice was trembling as he spoke. 

  "Get down." 

  "You! Come here," General Zang Feng called another person over. 

  As for Teng Qingshan, he stood at the side and listened to his son describe the entire incident. 

  "The blade had poison on it." Teng Qingshan stared at the scimitar, which was still held tightly by Ni Mengzhong. At a glance, the knife did not seem like it had poison. "This poison can kill someone instantly and it is invisible on the surface and edge of the blade. This poison is not ordinary. This must be a plot against me!" 

  When Teng Qingshan thought about this, his rage intensified. His eyes turned so red that they appeared terrifying. 

  "Sovereign." 

  "Sovereign……" Many higher-ups of Gui Yuan Sect immediately greeted Zhuge Yuanhong respectfully before they greeted Teng Qingshan. "Greetings." 

  Actually, when the customers who were locked inside the restaurant saw that the young man named Hongwu had consumed the Grass of Immortality, they all thought about the Undying Phoenix. The thought of the Undying Phoenix reminded them of Teng Qingshan. Furthermore, looking at the relationship between Teng Qingshan and Gui Yuan Sect, many people immediately guessed that the white-cloaked young man, who emanated an intimidating aura, was the Martial Ancestor of Internal Martial Art, who was also known as the prodigy who attained the Emptiness Realm even quicker than the four Omnipotent Experts. It was the magnificent Teng Qingshan. 

  The legendary figure was right before their eyes. Many people looked at Teng Qingshan with such passionate eyes. They were all very excited to be able to see Teng Qingshan. 

  "Zhong! Zhong!" A shriek of cry sounded suddenly. 

  A middle-aged man was seen lying on the body of Ni Mengzhong. When he saw the hole in Ni Mengzhong’s chest, tears flowed down his cheeks and he started crying, "Zhong, you, why are you……" 

  "General Zang Feng, who killed my son?" Ni Hanshan looked at Zang Feng fiercely. 

  However, Zang Feng ignored him and continued questioning a waiter. 

  After listening to the words of the waiter, Ni Hanshan glared at Teng Qingshan and Teng Qingshan’s family, "Teng……Teng Qingshan! You are a Grandmaster, how can you kill my son? My son is not as ’important’ as your son, but he is my son." 

  "Get lost," shouted Zhuge Yuanhong. 

  "Sovereign," The veins on Ni Hanshan’s forehead popped. He pointed at Teng Qingshan and roared, "Teng Qingshan’s son killed my son! He must have told his son to commit a murder. Look, these people even said that my son poisoned his son. It’s all lies! They are saying that because they are afraid of Teng Qingshan. Look! His son is doing well, but my son has……" 

  Others are afraid but I am not. I will demand justice for my son," Ni Hanshan glared angrily at Teng Qingshan as he shouted. 

  Teng Qingshan, who had been at the side of his son, suddenly moved his arm. 

  "Boom!" 

  It was as though Ni Hanshan had been hit by a meteor. The impact sent him flying out into the air and he crashed on a pole of the restaurant, breaking the pole. The restaurant shook slightly. At this moment, a figure flashed past. The figure caught Ni Hanshan and landed on the ground. 

  It was Elder Ni, one of the two Law Enforcing Elders of Gui Yuan Sect who have attained the Golden Dan of the Innate Realm. 

  In the restaurant, everyone focused on Teng Qingshan, who looked like a raging demon. Teng Qingshan looked at Zhuge Yuanhong, who stood at the side, with bloodshot eyes. He said with the use of the Sound Transmission Technique, "Sovereign Zhuge, I want to know who is the mastermind that planned this!" 

  The murderous intent conveyed by the sentence made Zhuge Yuanhong’s expression look even worse. 

  "Let’s go!" 

  Teng Qingshan led his wife and son and disappeared as a ray of light from the restaurant.

  The entire Sanchong Restaurant was sealed off and blockaded by a great number of guards. In one of the private rooms in the restaurant, Zhuge Yuanhong could be seen with a horrible facial expression. Along with him were Elder Yan, Elder Ni, Zang Feng, and the other Law Enforcing Elders. 

  Currently, Gui Yuan Sect had eight Law Enforcing Elders. Five of these eight Law Enforcing Elders had only made a breakthrough in the recent twenty years. 

  "How did such a thing happen!" Zhuge Yuanhong’s face turned cold as he scanned the people around him. 

  "Sovereign……" said Elder Yan in a serious tone, "It’s obvious that someone has plotted this incident." 

  "Only an idiot can’t tell that someone plotted this," shouted Zhuge Yuanhong angrily, "Qingshan’s son was poisoned by someone In my Yong’an County. If Qingshan did not have the Grass of Immortality and this happened in Yong’an County……I am afraid his son would have died already. And if that happens, Xing Yi Sect and Gui Yuan Sect……" 

  As the Law Enforcing Elders listened, they were all horrified. 

  Gui Yuan Sect had relied on Teng Qingshan to achieve such prosperity. The people in the Land of Nine Prefectures were all well aware that Teng Qingshan is the sovereign of Xing Yi Sect; they also knew that going against Gui Yuan Sect was the same as going against Teng Qingshan. This was the reason why Gui Yuan Sect had been able to remain safe and sound during the past twenty years. 

  To a successful person, the son was the heir of the inheritance. The importance of a son could not be stressed anymore! Even if the Hongwu’s death did not make Teng Qingshan turn against Gui Yuan Sect, it would signify the destruction of the relationship between the two sects. Gui Yuan Sect would then become the prey of the other sects in the Land of Nine Prefectures. 

  "Qingshan told me that the next two years are a time of danger. Therefore, his son and daughter are only allowed to live in the Great Yan Mountain or Yong’an County," said Zhuge Yuanhong with a deep voice, "I have also checked the entire Yong’an County very thoroughly to assure Teng Qingshan that no accidents will happen! But now, someone tried to use Ni Mengzhong of the Ni Family to poison and kill Hongwu." 

  This made Zhuge Yuanhong very angry! All his efforts were futile! 

  Everyone could tell that a mastermind planned this incident. After all, only an Innate Expert could kill Hongwu directly. However, if an Innate Expert entered Yong’an County, his presence would be easily detected by the Emptiness Realm Experts in Yong’an County! Therefore, the only option was to use some evil schemes. 

  However, the problem was that it was impossible for any ordinary person to approach Hongwu. In fact, only a few people could be near him. Moreover, Hongwu was protected by powerful experts. A stranger could never get near to him. 

  As the grandson of the ruling elder of Gui Yuan Sect, Ni Mengzhong was well aware of Hongwu’s true identity. And so, the people who had been secretly protected Hongwu never suspected that Ni Mengzhong would kill Hongwu. Yet, who would have thought that such a thing would happen…… 

  "Gui Yuan Sect can’t even protect someone who is in their home base," said Zhuge Yuanhong coldly, "Tell me! Will Teng Qingshan ever be at ease when his son and daughter are in Yong’an County? Pass down the order. Investigate all members of the Ni Family and anyone who has been interacting with the Ni Family. 

  "Especially those who can touch the scimitar of Ni Mengzhong, they should be checked thoroughly." 

  "I must know who is the mastermind that planned this," Zhuge Yuanhong gritted his teeth. 

  "Yes, Lord." 

  Elder Ni, who had a very ghastly facial expression, was the first to respond respectfully, "Sovereign, please do not worry. I will investigate and explain everything." 

  "Seize all who are involved in plotting to kill Teng Qingshan’s son," said Zhuge Yuanhong coldly." 

  "Yes, Lord!" 

  Everyone responded simultaneously. 

  Everyone knew that this was a big case. A negative outcome could destroy the high status currently possessed by Gui Yuan Sect. 

  ****** 

  The incident that happened in Sanchong Restaurant caused the atmosphere of Yong An County to become heavy and stressful. A great number of soldiers, disciples, and members of Gui Yuan Sect were investigating this incident both openly and secretly. For a period of time, everyone in Yong’an County was tense and nervous. No one dared to do anything wrong during this time. Everyone knew that Gui Yuan Sect was in a state of turmoil. ……

  In a store owned by Qingshan Enterprise: 

  "Qingshan, I don’t think Hongwu and Honglin should come to Yong’an County City, at least not now." Li Jun looked very worried as she suggested, "Yong’an County is not a safe place too." 

  When Teng Qingshan was in the restaurant, he was so angry and so mad that he almost wanted to kill everyone. 

  Now that he had arrived in a store of the Qingshan Enterprise, he calmed down. 

  "The sects in the Land of the Nine Prefectures are in a stalemate. And so, nobody dared to do things like hurting the family members of their opponents," Teng Qingshan’s eyes glowed with a cold light, "That is an act that will utterly destroy relationships and any pretense of cordiality. Therefore, none of the sects plotted to kill my son. There is a huge possibility that the mastermind is Gu Yong!" 

  "Gui Yuan Sect has really disappointed me." 

  "Qingshan doesn’t even exist anymore. There are only some people left." Teng Qingshan said coldly, "I did not expect the remnants of Qing Hu Island to have the ability to do such a thing in the home base of Gui Yuan Sect! It seems like Gui Yuan Sect does not know how to manage and govern their headquarters!" 

  A sect should have a very strong home base. 

  Yong’an County is inhabited by only a few hundred thousand people. 

  Thirty percent of the population of Yong’an County comprised of the disciples of Gui Yuan Sect. The family of these disciples also lived in Yong An County. It could be said that most of the communities in Yong’an County had some sort of relationship with Gui Yuan Sect. In such a strong base, foreigners are not allowed to simply enter and leave. And so, it should be easy to notice a stranger in the county. 

  Yet, this still happened in such an environment. 

  The reality was that the Ni Family had been infiltrated. How could Teng Qingshan not be angry? How could he not be angry at the misconduct of Gui Yuan Sect? After all, one or two years ago, he had told Zhuge Yuanhong about the situation. 

  He said that it will temporarily be very dangerous. In this time of danger, his son and daughter are only allowed to stay in the Great Yan Mountain or Yong’an County. 

  "Qingshan, the safety of our children never concerned Gui Yuan Sect," said Li Jun, unable to endure the anger any longer. 

  Teng Qingshan was angry at the misconduct of Gui Yuan Sect and he was mad at the mastermind who plotted to take his son’s life.haviour of Gui Yuan Sect. 

  "Sovereign," Someone shouted outside, "Sovereign Zhuge is here." 

  "Teacher……" 

  Teng Qingshan shook his head and ordered, "Let my teacher in." Teng Qingshan knew that teacher had conveyed a symbol of apology by especially asking someone to announce his arrival. Clearly, Zhuge Yuanhong felt bad for what had happened. 

  "Little Jun, let’s welcome him at the entrance," said Teng Qingshan. 

  "Qingshan?" Yet, Li Jun was not happy. 

  "Let’s see what teacher will tell us." When Teng Qingshan was in the restaurant, he was in a fit of rage. Although he was still angry, he had become much calmer. 

  At the entrance to the hall: 

  Zhuge Yuanhong walked in alone, wearing a green cloak. 

  "Qingshan," said Zhuge Yuanhong with an apologetic expression. 

  "Teacher," replied Teng Qingshan. 

  When Zhuge Yuanhong heard the word "Teacher," he felt a gush of warmness surging within his heart. He then gave out a sigh. The moment Zhuge Yuanhong and Teng Qingshan looked at each other in the eyes, they knew what each other was thinking. Although Teng Qingshan and Zhuge Yuanhong share a relationship of a teacher and a student, Zhuge Yuanhong never really did teach Teng Qingshan. Still, Teng Qingshan held great respect toward Zhuge Yuanhong. 

  It was partly because of Zhuge Qing and partly because of Zhuge Yuanhong’s charisma. 

  "Qingshan, I was at fault for what happened," Zhuge Yuanhong apologized, "Back then, you informed me that someone has been secretly targeting you in the recent two years. I issued the orders to check Yong’an County thoroughly, but I never supervised and monitored the progress of the investigation. I only focused on learning Dao." In the past twenty years, Zhuge Yuanhong had been immersed in the cultivation of Dao. 

  Because he had been so focused on cultivation, he instructed his subordinates to handle a lot of things. 

  "But until now, I still trust the Law Enforcing Elders of my Gui Yuan Sect," Zhuge Yuanhong looked at Teng Qingshan and continued saying, "I suspect that the survived members of Qing Hu Island has nothing to do with this conspiracy." 

  "Hmm?" Teng Qingshan’s expression changed slightly, "You think the survived members of Qing Hu Island did not plot to kill my son?" 

  "Yes." 

  Zhuge Yuanhong nodded, "Since Gui Yuan Sect moved into Yong’an County, we have always been targeting the remaining members of Qing Hu Island in Yong’an County. Furthermore, we have been paying close attention to this matter for many years. We have never let our guard down. Since you informed me about this perilous time, we have checked every area of Yong’an County very carefully. Could the remaining members of Qing Hu Island be the ones who conspired to kill your son…… I really cannot believe that they are able to infiltrate the Ni Family and trick Ni Mengzhong into challenging Hongwu." 

  "Teacher, then tell me! Who could it be?" Teng Qingshan frowned. 

  "Yong’an County is located at the border between Yangzhou and Yanzhou," said Zhuge Yuanhong, "In Yong’an County, the home base of Gui Yuan Sect, only the Shooting Sun God Mountain, located in the neighboring prefecture Yanzhou, has the ability to place a great number of people in Yong’an County without us noticing anything. 

  Teng Qingshan frowned. 

  What the teacher said did make sense…… 

  As Yong’an County was located by the border, it was very likely that the Shooting Sun God Mountain have planted many people in Yong’an County a very long time ago. A lot of people had lived in Yong An County for many years; it was impossible to do a thorough check. Furthermore, with the concealed power of the Shooting Sun God Mountain, it was possible for them to do so. 

  "This is just my conjecture." Zhuge Yuanhong said apologetically. 

  "Teacher." 

  "Whoever it is that plotted to kill my son this time……whoever it is and whoever that is involved…… I hope that you will remain neutral. Please don’t protect or defend that person." As Teng Qingshan spoke, his desire to kill soared. He continued saying in a deep tone, "I want everyone in the Land of the Nine Prefectures to know the consequences of harming my son. If it’s one person who planned this conspiracy, I will kill that one person. If it is a hundred thousand people, I will take the lives of a hundred thousand. If it is a sect, I will destroy that sect. I want the mastermind to know that harming my son is the greatest mistake of his life. 

  Teng Qingshan’s eyes glowed with killing intent. 

  ××××× 

  Under such a depressing and stressful atmosphere, rumors spread throughout the entire Gui Yuan Sect. 

  There were people who said that Teng Qingshan compelled his son to kill Ni Mengzhong. They even said that Teng Qingshan bullied the ones weaker than him, wounded Elder Ni Hanshan to the extent that he became bedridden, and forced Gui Yuan Sect to give an explanation. 

  There were also people who said when someone tried to poison Teng Qingshan’s son, Teng Qingshan became so furious that he started threatening the entire Gui Yuan Sect. 

  For some time, discussions regarding the Teng Qingshan’s dispossession of the Fiery Gilt Battle Armor and Fiery Feather Battle Armor, as well as the land of Jiangning County, ensued in Gui Yuan Sect. As the conversations continued, the anger towards Teng Qingshan increased. All of them said that Teng Qingshan had become much more arrogant since he had become much stronger and that Teng Qingshan had forgotten that he was originally a member of Gui Yuan Sect. 

  There were people who thought that Teng Qingshan was tyrannical because he had done great things for Gui Yuan Sect. ……

  Although the gossips and conversations continued, no one dared to cause chaos in the stores of Qingshan Enterprise. 

  In a store of Qingshan Enterprise: 

  Teng Qingshan, Li Jun, Hongwu, and the girl named Lei Xiaoru were eating lunch together. As Teng Qingshan watched his son and the girl named Xiaoru, a rare smile appeared on his face. 

  "Sovereign, sovereign." 

  A shout sounded outside. 

  "What’s the matter?" Teng Qingshan frowned and turned around. 

  The manager of Qingshan Enterprise appeared looking extremely worried. He shouted loudly, "Something unfortunate happened! Sovereign, Elder Ni Hanshan, Ni Mengzhong’s father, has been sick and bedridden, and now, he……he died!" 

  "Died?" Teng Qingshan and Li Jun frowned. 

  "Yes, yes! I heard that he was so angry that he spat out blood and died!" Informed the manager of Qingshan Enterprise.

  "He was so angry that he spat out blood and died?" Teng Qingshan frowned. 

  Hongwu’s facial expression changed. He hastily said, "Father, this is not good. Out of anger, Elder Ni literally spat blood out and died. The disciples of Gui Yuan Sect will blame you for his death and say that Elder Ni died out of anger all because you have been unreasonable and tyrannical. 

  "Hmph," said Li Jun coldly. 

  "Don’t bother with these trivial matters." Teng Qingshan waved his hand, gesturing the manager of Qingshan Enterprise to leave. 

  As of now, Teng Qingshan just wanted to find the identity of the mastermind and punish him harshly. As for the disciples of Gui Yuan Sect who held a prejudicial attitude towards him, Teng Qingshan was too lazy to care about them. After all, it was impossible for any human being to win the praises of everyone in the world. There will always be people who will demean and insult you. 

  In the mansion of the Ni Family located in Yong’an County: 

  The Ni Family was one of the more superior families in Yong’an County. In fact, the Ni Family in Gui Yuan Sect was as old as the Zhuge Family. And now, the leader of the Ni Family was Elder Ni, one of the two Law Enforcing Elders who has achieved the Golden Dan of the Innate Realm. 

  It was currently noon and the sun hung high up in the sky. 

  However, the mansion of the Ni Family retained a depressing ambiance, causing even the maids to tiptoe in the mansion for fear of making noises. White strips of clothes were hung all over the mansion and many in the mansion were wearing mourning garments. As one approach the hall in the mansion, crying noises could be heard. 

  Two children, dressed in mourning garments with red silk cloth around the waist, could be seen kneeling on the ground and burning papers. 

  "Old Master, how can you leave us……" 

  "Old Master." 

  Several women were bawling their eyes out. The Ni Family was a big family. The Law Enforcing Elder, Elder Ni, had three sons and two daughters. However, Elder Ni Hanshan only had one son and two daughters. The death of his only son was obviously a huge psychological blow to him, causing him to spit blood and die out of anger. 

  On a chair beside the coffin in the memorial hall sat an indifferent-looking elder with the appearance of a middle-aged man. At this moment, the elder was staring deeply at the coffin. 

  The indifferent-looking middle-aged man was the eldest Law Enforcing Elder in the Ni Family. 

  "Martial Uncle Ni, my condolences." 

  Some elders said to the indifferent-looking middle-aged man. Many people, who heard of the tragic news, had come to pay their respects. 

  The indifferent-looking middle-aged man nodded his head slightly without saying a word. ……

  In Gui Yuan Sect, some disciples, who had just eaten lunch, were walking in groups of three or five. 

  "Martial Brother, Lord Teng is too unreasonable. We have to suffer because Gui Yuan Sect owes Lord Teng a great favor……" 

  Two disciples could be seen walking on the road and the shorter disciple grumbled and complained, "Unreasonable? Yes, even if Lord Teng had done a great favor for us, he should not act so arrogantly. He had already taken the Fiery Gilt Battle Armor and the Fiery Feather Battle Armor, which belongs to the Gui Yuan Sect. Look at what is happening now! Ni Mengzhong, the eldest grandson of the Ni Family died, but no one dared to stick out for the Ni Family. Teng Qingshan even forced us to give him an explanation. Hmph…… we can’t do anything. He is the Grandmaster of the Century and he is powerful. Gui Yuan Sect can only ignore his crimes." 

  "Forget about it. What can junior disciples like us do," said the other disciple, shaking his head helplessly. 

  Suddenly, a young man, carrying a sword on his back, approached. When he saw the two disciples, he cried out hastily, "Sixth Martial Brother, Seventh Martial Brother. Something extremely unfortunate happened! Elder Ni Hanshan of the Ni Family, who has been injured and bedridden, spat blood out because of the anger and died today." 

  "What!" The two junior disciples were extremely astonished. 

  "Sigh." The young man, who was carrying a sword, couldn’t help but shake his head, "Elder Ni Hanshan has only one son. His son died but nobody stood up for him. On the day his son died, he was deeply wounded by Teng Qingshan and he went back home furious. With the mixed emotions of rage and sadness as well as the injuries, I am honestly not surprised that he died after spitting blood out. 

  "This, this……" The shorter disciple couldn’t help but show expressions of anger as he shouted, "What a bully! He is a tyrant! Teng Qingshan’s son is precious, but the son of Elder Ni of Gui Yuan Sect is not? Tyrant!" 

  "What can we do? He is the sovereign of Xing Yi Sect. Gui Yuan Sect depends on him. Gui Yuan Sect has to respect him." The young man with the sword said with a helpless expression. 

  "Hmph." 

  The shorter disciple said angrily, "We must be bold! It’s better to die standing than to live kneeling. So what if he is Teng Qingshan? Gui Yuan Sect has ten thousand soldiers of the Longgang Army and thirty thousand soldiers of the Black Armored Army. We have millions of disciples and millions of ordinary soldiers. Even if Teng Qingshan is not on our side, Gui Yuan Sect can still create its own world!" 

  "If we have to feel such frustration to gain his protection, I would rather Gui Yuan Sect fight for a world of its own! I would rather have a smaller territory than to suffer such frustrations!" The shorter disciple grumbled angrily. 

  "Yes, Sixth Martial Brother is right," The other disciple said passionately. "Why should we be bullied and why should we experience such frustration! The greatness of Teng Qingshan’s strength and the greatness of the power possessed by Xing Yi Sect has nothing to do with Gui Yuan Sect. Teng Qingshan was a disciple of Gui Yuan Sect, but since he betrayed the sect, he was no longer considered a member of our sect." 

  "Guys, lower down your voice," The young man with the sword advised as he quickly looked around. 

  "Don’t be scared! If we didn’t do anything wrong, we shouldn’t be afraid!" The shorter disciple said as he glared, "Even if the Sovereign and the Elders are in front of me, I will still say the same thing! Elder Ni Hanshan died out of anger! Yet, no one who stood up for him! The Sovereign even ordered the mansion of Ni Family to be sealed off and demanded a thorough investigation of every member of the Ni Family. It was so disappointing…… No matter what, we want Teng Qingshan to give us an explanation." 

  "Yes, it does make sense." 

  In the Land of the Nine Prefectures, the cultivators were generally impulsive people. Their irrational anger could make them attack and kill! Previously, many members of Gui Yuan Sect had been enduring and tolerating. However, when they heard that Elder Ni Hanshan had spat out blood and died and found out that the mansion of Ni Family had been sealed off and all the members of Ni Family were being investigated, they got even angrier." 

  Maybe it was the impulsiveness or maybe it was because there were people secretly stirring up trouble…… In the end, many disciples of Gui Yuan Sect, who had always been proud of their identity as members of Gui Yuan Sect, became extremely furious. All of them gathered in groups of three or five and assembled in front of the great hall of Gui Yuan Sect. 

  "Sovereign, we would rather live standing than die kneeling!" 

  "Sovereign, Gui Yuan Sect mustn’t yield to Xing Yi Sect!" 

  Moving like outbursts of waves, around ten thousand disciples gathered at the public square in front of the great hall. Many of them began shouting and screaming. 

  "What’s the point of shouting here? I think we should shout outside the headquarters of Qingshan Enterprise and force Teng Qingshan to give us an explanation. We demand justice." A disciple in the crowd said. 

  "Hmph, are you stupid? Shout in front of the headquarters of Qingshan Enterprise? That will only make the situation worse." 

  Although the disciples of Gui Yuan Sect were impulsive and angry, they knew not to cross the line. Their aggression and agitation could compel Gui Yuan Sect to give an explanation. However, if too many people tried to stir up trouble at the headquarters of Qingshan Enterprise, the situation would be beyond repairable. Therefore, not many people were persuaded to protest outside the headquarters of Qingshan Enterprise. ……

  However, not everyone was calm. Moreover, the disciples of Gui Yuan Sect were too great in number. Also, there were some treacherous disciples secretly instigating disharmony. Indeed, even though not many people were convinced, over a hundred people still showed up in front of the headquarters of Qingshan Enterprise. 

  "Lord Teng, please give Gui Yuan Sect an explanation." 

  "Lord Teng, your son is precious, but Elder Ni Hanshan’s son is also precious. Even after the death of Elder Ni Hanshan’s son, you continued to torment the Ni Family. Your actions are too unreasonable! I can’t believe I used to see you as the great hero." 

  "Teng Qingshan, do not forget that you used to be a disciple of Gui Yuan Sect. I know you are independent now, but don’t be too arrogant. You are a tyrant and a bully!" 

  "Bully!" 

  However, the hundreds of people were only able to gather for a short while before loud clashes of metal sounded. 

  "Clang! Clash! Crash!" 

  A great number of Black Armored Soldiers gathered and surrounded the protesting group. The person leading the Black Armored Soldiers was actually Zhuge Yun, one of the Law Enforcing Elders. Zhuge Yun, dressed fully in armor, commanded with a menacing expression, "Seize these people and throw them into the dungeon!" 

  "Yes, Lord!" 

  A great number of Black Armored Soldiers rushed over and began carrying out Zhuge Yun’s order. Most of the protestors did not resist at all, but there were some people who shouted, "Black Armored Soldiers! Brothers! Are you serving Xing Yi Sect now? Are you locking up your brothers?" 

  "Brothers of the Black Armoured Army, we are all part of Gui Yuan Sect. It breaks my heart to see you do this." 

  The mournful and angry noises of some disciples instigated the disciples who had no intention of resisting initially. Gradually, all of them became agitated and began shouted angrily. 

  However, the protesting disciples were not strong enough. Soon, the group of disciples was taken away. ……

  At the public square in front of the great hall of Gui Yuan Sect, about 10,000 disciples gathered. At first sight, there seemed to be an endless amount of people protesting at the public square. The protesting 10,000 disciples filled up every space on the public square and many people had to stand on the grass and even on the trees. 

  "Sovereign is here." 

  "Sovereign came out." 

  The noisy crowd soon became quiet. Within only a few seconds, 10,000 disciples stopped making any sound. A dead silence descended upon the multitudes of disciples. 

  Zhuge Yuanhong, dressed in a white loose cloak, could be seen standing in front of the great hall of Gui Yuan Sect. Behind him stood three Law Enforcing Elders. 

  "Disciples of Gui Yuan Sect, listen up," Zhuge Yuanhong’s voice transmitted far away. Every disciple could hear his voice clearly. 

  "This case involves too many people and it is part of a great scheme. Disciples of Gui Yuan Sect, you mustn’t let yourselves be tricked by the enemies." Zhuge Yuanhong’s volume suddenly amplified. "I, Zhuge Yuanhong, promise you all that I will reveal everything on the day after tomorrow. I will tell you the truth by sunrise on the 9th of December." 

  This promise was very effective. 

  Once the angrily protesting disciples heard that they would know the truth on the day after tomorrow, they all went separate ways obediently. After all, they were loyal to Gui Yuan Sect. ……

  Immediately after he calmed the crowd, Zhuge Yuanhong hurried off to the headquarters of Qingshan Enterprise. 

  "People actually tried to disturb Qingshan Enterprise……"Zhuge Yuanhong was very worried. He was scared that their relationship with Teng Qingshan would become worse. 

  In the living room of the headquarters of Qingshan Enterprise: 

  "Qingshan," Zhuge Yuanhong stepped into the living room. 

  "Haha, teacher, you look bewildered," laughed Teng Qingshan. 

  Hearing Teng Qingshan’s laughter, Zhuge Yuanhong let out a sigh of relief. He then smiled helplessly and said as he shook his head, "I am bewildered." 

  "Teacher, I did not expect that so many spies and enemies were hiding within Gui Yuan Sect." Teng Qingshan smiled and said as he shook his head, "They stirred up such a big commotion. So many people gathered before the great hall and there were even people in front of the headquarters of Qingshan Enterprise." 

  Zhuge Yuanhong nodded, "If there were no spies, this would have never happened. It’s my fault……I desired power, growth, and progress. There was nothing I could do. Within only twenty years, Gui Yuan Sect transformed from a sect that only governed the land of one county to a supreme sect. We had to recruit disciples from different places in Yangzhou and the enemies seized this opportunity and planted spies in my sect. The result was inevitable.

  "Mhmm," Teng Qingshan agreed, nodding his head. 

  Xing Yi Sect took in a great number of Internal Martial Art professionals from different places in the Land of Nine Prefectures. Indeed, the entire Land of the Nine Prefectures was a source of recruitment for Xing Yi Sect. When Xing Yi Sect was just founded, many sects in the Land of the Nine Prefectures did not consider the Internal Martial Art as special. And so, no one attempted to obstruct those who were heading to the Great Yan Mountain to become disciples of Xing Yi Sect. 

  When they realized how special Internal Martial Art was, each and every sect tried to used all kinds of ways to recruit the Internal Martial Art cultivators in their territories. However, it was already too late. By that time, Xing Yi Sect had built its foundation. 

  Xing Yi Sect was formed by the elites from all places in the whole Land of Nine Prefectures, and so, its recruitment pool was naturally much better than that of Gui Yuan Sect. 

  "Qingshan, I will go back now. I will let you know everything when this case is settled." After Zhuge Yuanhong had calmed Teng Qingshan’s heart, he left immediately. 

  Teng Qingshan watched as his teacher exited the building. 

  A moment later, Li Jun walked in from the side door of the living room and said, "Qingshan, what did teacher say before he left?" 

  "Teacher was just worried that I am angry," said Teng Qingshan with a smile. 

  "You might not be angry, but I am……" 

  A hint of rage showed on Li Jun’s face. "That group of disciples stormed to the headquarters of Qingshan Enterprise and created a commotion. Gui Yuan Sect is being unreasonable. They are returning our kindness with hatred!" 

  Teng Qingshan stretched his hands and held onto Li Jun’s hand. He then stared deeply at her as he responded, "In this world, there are many confused people. After all, a rare number of people can see the truth. You won’t be able to eat well if you are angry at them. It’s not worth it. We need to uncover the truth and the identity of the mastermind! And then, eliminate all at once!" 

  "Oh yeah, Little Jun, where’s Hongwu?" asked Teng Qingshan. 

  "He is practicing his fist arts in the backcourt." Upon the mention of Hongwu, a smile appeared on Li Jun’s face. 

  "Practicing?" Teng Qingshan was slightly surprised, "Let’s go and take a look." 

  Teng Qingshan then walked towards the backcourt with his wife. 

  ****** 

  In the backcourt, Hongwu showed a glimpse of anger as well. He had also heard the noises made by the disciples of Gui Yuan Sect who came protesting outside the headquarters of Qingshan Enterprise. 

  "They said that my father is independent? Did they call my father a traitor? Did they say that he has forgotten about the old relationship?" Hongwu gnashed his teeth. He had always been proud of his father. In his opinion, his father was the supreme figure unmatched in his generation. But now, his father is bombarded by insults and slanders. Those people are trying to destroy his father’s reputation. 

  Teng Qingshan could remain calm, but Hongwu was extremely furious with what had happened! 

  He felt so angry for his father! 

  "It’s all my fault. I didn’t train properly. There are countless people who want to be taught by my father himself. Even in the sect, it was rare for those who have reached the Grandmaster Realm to receive teachings and cultivating instructions from my father. I had all the opportunities to be taught by my father, yet I had no intention of learning. Instead, I just wanted to go into business," Hongwu thought to himself. He couldn’t help but regret his life choices. 

  "If I have trained properly from the beginning and invested more time in the daily cultivation of martial arts, I would have reached the Grandmaster Realm. By then, I would have been able to control my blood and Qi. I wouldn’t be affected by the poison. As a matter of fact, the knife would not be able to wound me." 

  Hongwu had seen everything clearly. 

  He had been living under the care and protection of his father. Therefore, he could do what he wanted to do, which was business. There are countless heroes fighting with all their strength. Without enough strength and power, it was impossible to do business. 

  "I am going to be more independent!" 

  "I mustn’t make father and mother worry. I need to be a truly powerful cultivator, just like my father." 

  "When I become a truly powerful cultivator, it’s still not too late to do business." Hongwu thought to himself. Indeed, he finally found the motivation to become an exceptionally powerful cultivator. 

  And so, Hongwu continued practicing his fist arts in the backcourt. 

  "Phew." After a long time, Hongwu finally stopped. 

  "Father! Mother!" shouted Hongwu towards his parents, who had been watching for quite some time. 

  "Hongwu, it is rare for you to train in the afternoon," Teng Qingshan said while laughing surprisingly. 

  "Father," Hongwu took a deep breath. He looked at Teng Qingshan and said, "I want to train properly. I want to devote my heart and soul in the art of cultivation." 

  Teng Qingshan froze and revealed an expression of disbelief as he exchanged glances with his wife Li Jun. Both Teng Qingshan and Li Jun were astonished. Since the day Hongwu was born, Teng Qingshan had placed high expectations. He had helped his son stretch his bones and muscles and forced his son to cultivate martial arts. 

  However, Teng Qingshan had a rule of thumb—His son will decide for himself what he wants to do when he grows up! 

  In Teng Qingshan’s opinion, his son wouldn’t have the ability to distinguish between right and wrong at such a young age. As the father, he could force his child to practice and cultivate. However, when the child is old enough to make his own judgment, it would not be beneficial to force his son to cultivate. 

  In order to truly achieve great success, one has to first have the desire. 

  When Hongwu wanted to do business, Teng Qingshan was disappointed, but he did not stop his son. He knew that if he had forced his son to practice martial arts, his son would not be able to achieve great success. Without the desire to learn and practice martial arts, the result of the cultivation would just be average. If he had the desire and talents, if he could work hard enough, and if Teng Qingshan himself instructed and taught him, it would be to not achieve great success. 

  "Hongwu, do you wholehearted wish to cultivate martial arts? Are you sure it is not just a whim?" Teng Qingshan in a serious tone. 

  "Father." 

  Hongwu looked at Teng Qingshan and his eyes shone, "I have thought this through. This is the Land of Nine Prefectures, where countless powerful people roamed. Without powerful skills, I won’t be able to succeed in anything. Furthermore……Father, I would hate for you to suffer and be insulted just because of me. 

  Teng Qingshan felt a sense of warmth deep down his heart. His son’s words were much more effective than any Spiritual pills and marvelous herbs. The words just made him feel so comfortable. 

  "Good! Hongwu!" 

  Teng Qingshan’s eyes gleamed as he said, "As long as you train wholeheartedly, I will teach you with all my heart. However, it’s still up to you to achieve success! I will provide you with the best teacher, the best opponent, and the best fist techniques. Still, you are the one who will decide how high you will reach in the future!" 

  "Father, I won’t let you down," A sense of pride rose in Hongwu’s heart. 

  Hearing this, Teng Qingshan was delighted. 

  If he had to compare his son and daughter, his son clearly had a better temperament. Although his daughter was very talented in the cultivation of fist arts and although his daughter loved cultivating, she lacks perseverance and a good temperament. 

  In Teng Qingshan’s opinion, the temperament was much more important than the talents. 

  According to the tradition, Gui Yuan Sect had two days of recruitment, one was on the 6th of December and the other one on the 12th of June. However, this time on the 6th of December, even though many cultivators were gathering in the Yong’an County or some parents brought their children there, the Gui Yuan Sect had postponed it to one month later. 

  The entrance exam and recruitment date would be held on the 6th of January. ……

  Late night of the 8th of December: 

  In the eerie dungeon of the Gui Yuan Sect: 

  In the dungeon, the torches lined the sides of the tunnel. The dim light of the torches danced as it occasionally illuminated the dirty prisoners and rendering the dried blood stains on the wall visible. 

  "Ah!" The mournful groans echoed in the dungeon. 

  "Psss!" It sounded like meat being burned by fire. 

  This place was where the Gui Yuan Sect kept their prisoners. 

  Zhuge Yuanhong stood in the hall of punishment. An old man at the side said respectfully, "Sovereign, these are the information acquired after the interrogation." As the old man spoke, he handed a stack of papers; Zhuge Yuanhong took it and read it carefully under the dim light of the torch. 

  Silence filled the hall of punishment. 

  The only sounds were the screams, which came from the punishing room at the side. 

  After a while—— 

  "Mhmm, well done," Zhuge Yuanhong nodded his head. 

  "Tell Elder Ni the actual cause of his son’s death," ordered Zhuge Yuanhong. 

  "Yes, Lord." The old man at the side said 

  Elder Ni’s son, Elder Ni Hanshan, did not die out of anger. 

  One should be aware that Elder Ni Hanshan was an inner strength expert. Furthermore, Ni Hanshan was at his prime age. He had a beautiful and young wife and he could have sons again. Why would he die out of anger? Ni Hanshan wasn’t someone to die for something like that…… As expected, the result of the investigation explained everything. 

  "Such a good strategy." A glint of coldness flashed in Zhuge Yuanhong’s eyes as he said to himself. 

  On the 9th of December, when the sky was just dimly lit, many disciples had already gathered at the square in front of the hall. 

  "Sovereign said that all truths will be revealed today. Martial brother, what do you think the truth is? 

  "Who knows, I am only worried that our Sovereign will speak for Teng Qingshan." 

  A portion of the disciples of Gui Yuan Sect already resented the fact that Gui Yuan Sect was kicked out of Jiangning County and moved into Yong’an County as well as the dispossession of the Fiery Gilt Battle Armor and Fiery Feather Battle Armor. In addition, the forces of Xing Yi Sect had become stronger than Gui Yuan Sect in Yangzhou; this made them even angrier. 

  In their opinion, Teng Qingshan was merely a traitor that established the Xing Yi Sect. But now, the traitor overpowered them. 

  Bastard! 

  The disciples of Gui Yuan Sect felt mistreated by Teng Qingshan’s actions! They thought that Teng Qingshan was a tyrant. ……

  As time passed by, an increasing number of people arrived. Among this great number of disciples, there were the ones who resented Teng Qingshan and the ones who supported Teng Qingshan. Indeed, many among the few hundred thousand disciples of Gui Yuan Sect still thought that Teng Qingshan had done the right thing and considered Teng Qingshan as someone who had shown great kindness to Gui Yuan Sect. 

  The dispossession of the Fiery Gilt Battle Armor and Fiery Feather Battle Armor was just a trivial matter. 

  "Stop talking. Let’s see what Sovereign says later." 

  "I am just afraid that Sovereign will side with Teng Qingshan’s side." 

  The clamor and noises made by the people at the square in front of the great hall boiled up. The loud noises were incessant. When Zhuge Yuanhong, who wore a green cloak, appeared at the entrance of the great hall of Gui Yuan Sect with eight purple-cloaked Law Enforcing Elders, silence immediately fell upon the crowds. 

  A dead silence! 

  It was so quiet that even the sounds of the bone-chilling wind in this cold winter were audible. Countless disciples looked up and stared at Zhuge Yuanhong, who stood at the entrance of the hall. 

  "Disciples of Gui Yuan Sect," the voice of Zhuge Yuanhong resounded loudly in the heavens and earth. 

  "Because of the recent incident at Sanchong Restaurant, you all have been resenting Teng Qingshan. Many even stirred up a commotion in front of the headquarters of the Qingshan Enterprise. When I found about it, I felt so ashamed!" After Zhuge Yuanhong said these words, the crowd responded with clamor. "Did the Sovereign say he felt ashamed?" None of the disciples could believe what they had just heard. 

  "I was Teng Qingshan’s teacher. I know many things that you guys do not know!" 

  "When Qingshan wanted to establish his own sect, the elders of my Gui Yuan Sect came together to discuss. They were worried that Teng Qingshan’s sect would devour Gui Yuan Sect in the end. I am sure you all have seen how powerful Xing Yi Sect has become……" These words of Zhuge Yuanhong were right on point. 

  Xing Yi Sect was strong. In fact, it might be too powerful. 

  All of the two hundred thousand soldiers in the Blood Wolf Army were Second Rated Warrior. The sergeants of the Blood Wolf Army had to be First Rated Warriors. An army like this was strong enough to rule the world. 

  "Under the consideration of something like this happening, Qingshan declared that Xing Yi Sect would never contend for hegemony. He swore to never expand the territory of his sect to beyond a land of five counties." Zhuge Yuanhong’s voice echoed in the ears of the disciples, "As Xing Yi Sect would never contend for hegemony, there was nothing to worry about." 

  A lot of disciples were shocked when they heard this. 

  "Do you remember the incident that happened at the Great Yan Mountain years ago?" 

  Tears welled up in Zhuge Yuanhong’s eyes, "My daughter Qingqing died that day. Because Gui Yuan Sect wanted to protect Teng Qingshan, our sect was targeted by many other sects. Gui Yuan Sect was just a sect that ruled over one county. It was impossible for us to fight against the forces of Mani Temple, Ying Family, and other sects? And so, Qingshan declared that he had betrayed the sect and that Gui Yuan Sect was never involved. Teng Qingshan had to flee for his life as he was hunted by Qinghu Island! Gui Yuan Sect did not help him at all. Even so, he gave us the Elixir of the North Sea." 

  The few hundred thousand disciples burst into an uproar. 

  The Elixir of the North Sea? 

  The Elixir of the North Sea which could enable people to become First Rated Warrior with just a single drop? 

  Because of the Longgang Army, the sects in the Land of the Nine Prefectures knew that Gui Yuan Sect had obtained the Elixir of the North Sea. This was no longer a secret, and so, it could be revealed to the public. 

  "Indeed. It is the Elixir of the North Sea. Just a single drop of this Elixir, one would become a First Rated Warrior. Because Teng Qingshan gave us the Elixir of the North Sea, we were able to form the Longgang Army, an army comprised of only First Rated Warriors. Because of what he gave us, we were able to destroy Qing Hu Island." 

  "It was all thanks to the Elixir of the North Sea that Qingshan had left for us. However, during that time, Qingshan was escaping for his life. As the teacher, I was so ashamed of myself!" 

  The words of Zhuge Yuanhong silenced everyone. 

  This was not a secret to many supreme sects. However, only a few disciples know about this. 

  "That’s just one of the things he had done for us." 

  Zhuge Yuanhong sighed while shaking his head, "Several years later, Qingshan returned as an Emptiness Realm Expert. Once again, he risked his life and fought for Gui Yuan Sect. The fight happened in Jiangning County City and you all know about it." 

  The numerous disciples no longer made any sounds. 

  Those who criticized Teng Qingshan were reminded of how Teng Qingshan fought repeatedly against the other Emptiness Realm Experts for the sake of Gui Yuan Sect. 

  "Qingshan risked his life to protect Gui Yuan Sect. I, Zhuge Yuanhong, have always been grateful but there is one thing I am most ashamed of……" 

  "All these years, rumors spread around Gui Yuan Sect, saying that Teng Qingshan had taken away the Fiery Gilt Battle Armor and Fiery Feather Battle Armor of Gui Yuan Sect," Zhuge Yuanhong looked up and gave out a long sigh, "When I heard these rumors……" 

  For a moment, Zhuge Yuanhong felt speechless. He could only laugh bitterly. 

  "Why is the Fiery Gilt Steel exclusively owned by only Gui Yuan Sect? Why is it not found in any other sects in the entire Land of the Nine Prefectures? Why?" 

  "During that time, Gui Yuan Sect was just a sect that governed one county. Why was Gui Yuan Sect able to possess the Fiery Gilt Steel when the supreme sects like the Heavenly God Palace and Emperor Yu’s Hall do not even possess any……" Zhuge Yuanhong said as he stared at the multitude standing down below. 

  When the disciples heard this, they were dumbfounded. 

  Zhuge Yuanhong was right. Back then, Gui Yuan Sect had only a land of one county. Yet, Gui Yuan Sect was able to exclusively possess the Fiery Gilt Metal. 

  "This Fiery Gilt Steel was a valuable material that could only be found in the living place of the Phoenix. When Qingshan was fleeing for his life, he coincidentally met the Undying Phoenix." Zhuge Yuanhong’s voice resounded in every disciples’ ears, "The Undying Phoenix gifted the Fiery Gilt Steel to Qingshan. When Qingshan returned to Gui Yuan Sect, he gave us the Fiery Gilt Steel so that Gui Yuan Sect could forge good armors." 

  "What?" 

  "This Fiery Gilt Metal was given by Teng Qingshan……" All the disciples were dumbfounded. 

  Zhuge Yuanhong looked at the multitude of disciples as he spoke, "Gui Yuan Sect still possessed most of the Fiery Gilt Battle Armors and Fiery Feather Battle Armors. Xing Yi Sect only possessed a small portion of the Fiery Battle Armors. Throughout the years that we have had these battle armors, I have always been thankful to Teng Qingshan. However, there are many disciples who said that Teng Qingshan stole the Fiery Gilt Battle Armor and Fiery Feather Battle Armor of Gui Yuan Sect. How could I not be ashamed……" 

  "Because of Gui Yuan Sect, he declared that Xing Yi Sect would never contend for hegemony." 

  "He risked his life as he fought for Gui Yuan Sect." 

  "He gave Gui Yuan Sect the Elixir of the North Sea so that Gui Yuan Sect can create the Longgang Army." 

  "Furthermore, he gave us the Fiery Gilt Steel. The Fiery Gilt Steel belonged to him, but you all kept saying that he took what belongs to Gui Yuan Sect." Zhuge Yuanhong sighed and shook his head as he explained. 

  The numerous disciples froze. 

  Everyone had a reputation to uphold…… 

  They have been saying that Teng Qingshan stole the Fiery Gilt Steel. Yet, in the end, it was revealed that Gui Yuan Sect had been taking what belongs to Teng Qingshan. Furthermore, he had done so much for them…… 

  "I can’t believe I have been criticizing Teng Qingshan." 

  As they thought about how they have been criticizing Teng Qingshan loudly and calling him a tyrant, the few hundred thousand disciples felt stupefied.

  Countless disciples gathered in the wide square in front of the hall of Gui Yuan Sect. It was crowded. There were even some disciples who were forced to stand on the hill and lake bridge far away. However, Zhuge Yuanhong’s voice still sounded very clearly In everyone’s ears. 

  "So this was what actually happened!" 

  "The Undying Phoenix gifted the Fiery Gilt Steel to Senior Teng Qingshan and he then gave it to Gui Yuan Sect……" 

  The disciples were not stupid. When they found out about what really happened, their attitude towards Teng Qingshan changed drastically. Actually, they had always viewed Teng Qingshan as a superior grandmaster. He was the one who created the ’Internal Martial Arts’, the third branch of martial arts that is nothing like the Daoist cultivation and Buddhist cultivation. Indeed, almost all young people in the Land of the Nine Prefectures admired Teng Qingshan. 

  The disciples of Gui Yuan Sect merely resented him because they thought he had taken their Fiery Gilt Steel. 

  Furthermore, the homicide case that happened at Sanchong Restaurant and the cause of Ni Hanshan’s death made the situation worse. However, now that the truth had been revealed, their perspective of Teng Qingshan was renewed. 

  "Senior Teng Qingshan was the one who gave Gui Yuan Sect the Fiery Gilt Steel, yet he was bombarded by criticisms. Even so, he never attempted to defend himself. As expected, he is truly acting like a power senior." 

  The hundred thousand disciples felt increasingly embarrassed of themselves. Simultaneously, they admired and revered Teng Qingshan even more." 

  "Even as countless criticisms attacked him, he never argued for himself." ……

  The numerous disciples of Gui Yuan Sect were shocked and amazed. As they discussed and uttered words of praises, Zhuge Yuanhong, who stood in front of the great hall of Gui Yuan Sect stopped talking. He was giving the disciples enough time to think things through…… Simultaneously, Zhuge Yuanhong cast a glance at somewhere in the distance. 

  On the veranda of a three-story building: 

  At first glance, there seemed to be no one. 

  However, Zhuge Yuanhong could clearly feel the presence of ’black hole’ in his domain. 

  He was right. 

  Teng Qingshan and Li Jun were indeed standing on the third-floor veranda. Actually, cultivators who had reached Emptiness Realm Culmination could easily render himself or herself invisible to human beings. The method was easy. The Emptiness Realm Culmination Expert just had to control the full Power of the Heavens and Earth and change the direction and reflection of the light. 

  Insightful Emptiness Realm Experts could do the same thing as well. They could use their Power of the World to easily achieve this invisibility. 

  "Qingshan, your teacher has sacrificed a lot for you this time," sighed Li Jun. 

  "Yes," nodded Teng Qingshan, "It’s all for my sake. He had really ’beautified’ me……" 

  The words that his teacher had said made him seem like he was perfect. 

  However, Teng Qingshan was well aware. During the fight at the Great Yan Mountain, his teacher’s daughter, Zhuge Qing, died all because of him. Teng Qingshan could never forgive himself for the death of Lady Qing. The two jars of the Elixir of the North Sea could never compensate for the loss of a daughter. 

  As for the declaration to never contend for hegemony…… 

  He did declare that for the sake of Gui Yuan Sect. This was a means to prevent a fight against Gui Yuan Sect. However, he had also done it so that the power of Xing Yi Sect could increase quickly without any interruptions. And now, the result showed that the method was very effective. 

  But Qingshan, you did sacrifice a lot for Gui Yuan Sect too," said Li Jun. 

  "You too," Teng Qingshan held his wife’s hand, feeling sorry. 

  Hearing this, Li Jun could felt as though she was in a bubble of joyful love. 

  For the past twenty years, Li Jun had only met her teacher Pei Xuelian once, which was during the Celebration of the establishment of Xing Yi Sect. Although the Heavenly God Palace did not consider Xing Yi Sect as an enemy, their attitude towards Teng Qingshan was not as friendly as the time when Teng Qingshan had just returned from the North Sea. 

  As the volume of the hundred thousand disciples decreased, Zhuge Yuanhong, who stood before the great hall, began to speak again. "These are all things that had happened in the past. Let us talk about the homicide case that happened in Sanchong Restaurant recently." 

  "Immediately, all the disciples became quiet. 

  The homicide case at Sanchong Restaurant was a problem to all the disciples of Gui Yuan Sect. All the disciples raised their heads and looked up at Zhuge Yuanhong as he spoke. 

  "Regarding the homicide case that happened at Sanchong Restaurant……" Zhuge Yuanhong’s expression became serious again. "According to the investigation conducted by the Gui Yuan Sect, someone had taken advantage of Ni Mengzhong of the Ni Family. Someone had smeared a poison called "Tears of Beauty" on his scimitar and the poison almost killed Teng Qingshan’s son. Fortunately, Qingshan and I were there to save Qingshan’s son." 

  An uproar sounded in the crowd. 

  "What?" 

  "Poison? He was actually poisoned?" After all, if rumors are spread around for too long, they would seem real. The Gui Yuan Sect’s disciples heard a few versions of this but they had no way to validate the rumors. However, if it’s the words of their Sovereign Zhuge Yuanhong, they would believe it immediately. If the sovereign of Gui Yuan Sect lied about something like this in front of thousands of disciples, that would be ridiculous. 

  With a horrible expression, Zhuge Yuanhong continued saying, "Not only that, but we also found out that Ni Mengzhong’s father, Elder Ni Hanshan of Gui Yuan Sect, did not die out of anger. The cause of death was the medicine he was drinking every day. One ingredient was greater in amount and the ratio was wrong. This made his injuries worse. And so, he spat out blood and died." 

  The noises in the crowd became even louder. 

  "Who is it?" 

  "Sovereign, who did it?" 

  "So this was what actually happened." 

  Chaos ensued among the hundred thousand disciples. 

  "In the end, we found that……" 

  As Zhuge Yuanhong’s voice sounded, everyone became quiet. Every one of the disciples had their eyes on Zhuge Yuanhong. 

  "In the end, we found out that the mastermind was the Shooting Sun God Mountain of Yanzhou!" shouted Zhuge Yuanhong angrily. His face turned red from the rage. "How dare the Shooting Sun God Mountain secretly stir up such great commotion? Because of them, an Elder of Gui Yuan Sect died. They are looking down on Gui Yuan Sect!" 

  As Zhuge Yuanhong shouted angrily, the disciples, who had always been proud of Gui Yuan Sect, became extremely furious. 

  Gui Yuan Sect does not have a lower status than the Shooting Sun God Mountain. 

  Yet, the Shooting Sun God Mountain actually had the audacity to stir up trouble. They even tried to use Gui Yuan Sect to kill the son of the Sovereign of Xing Yi Sect. Because of their sly actions, an Elder of Gui Yuan Sect died. No human being can tolerate such actions. As this case involved Teng Qingshan, the disciples, who felt sorry towards Teng Qingshan, felt even angrier. 

  "Sovereign, we can’t just let this go." 

  "Sovereign, the Shooting Sun God Mountain has crossed the line." 

  The great number of disciples began shouting. ……

  Teng Qingshan, who was on the third floor of the building, looked furious. 

  Li Jun looked very angry as well. She couldn’t help but say, "So it was the Shooting Sun God Mountain! How dare they harm Hongwu!" She was the mother of the son who almost died. Li Jun could never forgive them for what they had done. As Li Jun spoke, her body trembled in rage. 

  "Shooting Sun God Mountain!" 

  "So it was really the Shooting Sun God Mountain!" A horrifying cold glint flashed in Teng Qingshan’s eyes. His eyes were terrifying. The look in his eyes was sharp like a cold knife. 

  After the conversation with Zhuge Yuanhong, Teng Qingshan thought that the Shooting Sun God Mountain was the sect besides Qing Hu Island to have the highest possibility of being the mastermind. 

  If his son really died…… 

  Then— 

  Even if Teng Qingshan knew that it would a conspiracy, his relationship with Gui Yuan Sect wouldn’t be as good as before. Even if Gui Yuan Sect and Xing Yi Sect did not become enemies, Teng Qingshan could not go to battle for Gui Yuan Sect. Without Teng Qingshan’s help, Gui Yuan Sect would never be able to conquer Yanzhou. Xing Yi Sect does not contend for hegemony. 

  The Shooting Sun God Mountain would then be able to protect itself. 

  The Shooting Sun God Mountain have been preparing for such a long time. Their first move was to take the life of Teng Qingshan’s son. Unfortunately for them, the gods were on Hongwu’s side. When Hongwu was poisoned, Teng Qingshan and Li Jun coincidentally came to Gui Yuan Sect and saved Hongwu’s life. 

  Otherwise— 

  If Teng Qingshan heard about his son’s death in Xing Yi Sect, how could he not hate Gui Yuan Sect? 

  "What a good plan," Li Jun breathed heavily, holding down her anger. 

  "How dare they harm my son!" Teng Qingshan looked at Zhuge Yuanhong from afar. 

  The hundred thousand disciples assembled before the hall were furious. They shouted out in rage, "Since Gui Yuan Sect has conquered the eight counties of Yangzhou, our sect has been recovering in silence. We have not been provoking any enemies. Even after the Shooting Sun God Mountain sent out Emptiness Realm Experts to help Qing Hu Island attack Gui Yuan Sect in Jiangning County, Gui Yuan Sect still showed an agreeable attitude toward the Shooting Sun God Mountain for these past two decades." 

  "However, who would have thought that…… the Shooting Sun God Mountain was unscrupulous!" 

  "If they have the audacity to use Gui Yuan Sect to kill the son of the Sovereign of Xing Yi Sect and secretly kill the Elder of Gui Yuan Sect today, they might have the audacity to attack Gui Yuan Sect tomorrow." 

  Zhuge Yuanhong’s angry roar stimulated anger in the hearts of the disciples. 

  "Gui Yuan Sect should let the people of the world know that we are not an easy target." 

  "Gui Yuan Sect should let the people the world know that the ones who have the audacity to provoke Gui Yuan Sect will be hunted and killed by us. We will risk everything to take revenge!" 

  "Kill!" 

  "Kill!" 

  Thousands of hot-blooded disciples began shouting. 

  Zhuge Yuanhong shouted, "Tomorrow, the army of Gui Yuan Sect will depart and attack the Shooting Sun God Mountain." 

  "General Zang Feng, you will lead the Longgang Army at noon today and open up the path for the entire force of Gui Yuan Sect. 

  "Yes, Lord." 

  Zang Feng, who stood at the side, replied with force. 

  "Fight!" 

  "Fight!" 

  The hundred thousand disciples began shouting hysterically. In the Land of Nine Prefectures, if one was insulted, he would resolve the matter with violence and only back away when blood is shed. If such a thing happened to a strong sect, there would only be one solution—the opponent’s blood should be used as the atonement!" 

  Earn back the respect by making the enemy bleed! 

  A battle! 

  Fight! ……

  When Zhuge Yuanhong revealed that the mastermind was the Shooting Sun God Mountain, Teng Qingshan was filled with the desire to kill. When Zhuge Yuanhong declared war against Yanzhou, Teng Qingshan asked Zhuge Yuanhong with the use of the Sound Transmission Technique, "Teacher, is the Shooting Sun God Mountain really the mastermind that plotted this?" 

  "Yes," Zhuge Yuanhong replied with the use of the Sound Transmission Technique. 

  "I believe you, teacher." 

  "I will go now and take the heads of the Emptiness Realm Experts of the Shooting Sun God Mountain! As for the war against Yanzhou, you will have to depend on your army." Teng Qingshan said with the use of the Sound Transmission Technique. He quickly sent his wife back to the headquarters of the Qingshan Enterprise. With the Reincarnation Spear in one hand, he transformed into a flash of light and flew towards the Desolate Land. 

  The spy of Shooting Sun God Mountain would report this news to Shooting Sun God Mountain. However, before the news would even reach the Shooting Sun God Mountain, Teng Qingshan, the Insightful Emptiness Realm Expert, would have completed the assassination. 

  "The Shooting Sun God Mountain……" 

  "Harming my son is the stupidest plan ever." Teng Qingshan was filled with the urge to kill. He rapidly flew towards the Desolate Land and disappeared at the ends of the earth.

  Within the enormous nest on a thick sycamore tree of the Desolate Land, the Undying Phoenix could be seen. On the mountain that this sycamore tree was located, all kinds of bird could be seen everywhere. Indeed, this was the kingdom of birds. 

  Bang! 

  A beam of colorful ray shot from afar. 

  "Little Blue," A voice said. 

  "Yu!" 

  The Undying Phoenix, which was resting, spread its huge wings and ascended into the air, joining the colorful beam of light. 

  Holding the Reincarnation Spear, Teng Qingshan stood on the back of the Undying Phoenix and pointed towards the Shooting Sun God Mountain. The urge to kill flashed in his eyes as he roared, "Little Blue, let’s go!" 

  Whoosh! 

  Leaving a red afterimage, the Undying Phoenix disappeared before the eyes of countless birds. 

  The Shooting Sun God Mountain was located at the border of the Desolate Land. 

  The mountain was as high as the clouds. The peak of the mountain even reached through the clouds. On a hill behind the peak of the Shooting Sun God Mountain, a silver-haired hunter, dressed in animal fur, could be seen sitting quietly in front of a wooden cabin. A timeworn black Godly Bow was placed in front of him and an enormous silver wolf rested on the ground beside him. 

  "Zhuge Yuanhong said he will be revealing the truth to all members of Gui Yuan Sect today?" A cold glint flickered in the eyes of the silver-haired hunter as he smirked, "What truth can he reveal?" 

  "The ones who carried out the plan are already dead." 

  "The two most important people are gone. Their bodies have been burned to ashes. No matter how Gui Yuan Sect investigates, they can’t possibly find any evidence that can link this incident to the Shooting Sun God Mountain " As the only Emptiness Realm Expert of the Shooting Sun God Mountain, the silver-haired hunter, Shen Gongfu, was executing a very dangerous plan. And so, he had to be very careful 

  Considering the circumstances, he had to be extra careful! 

  Indeed, he had ensured that nothing would go wrong! 

  "Unfortunately, the timing was not right. When we tried to kill Teng Qingshan’s son Teng Hongwu, Teng Qingshan was in Yong An County," Shen Gongfu shook his head. Dissatisfaction showed in his eyes as he roared, "Teng Qingshan! You killed my brother! Yet, you managed to save your son…… Hmph, you’re lucky!" 

  Shen Gongfu hated Teng Qingshan down to the marrow of his bones, but he just didn’t have the courage to do anything. 

  "If a member of Gui Yuan Sect killed Teng Qingshan’s son, there will be a conflict between Teng Qingshan and Gui Yuan Sect. Even if Teng Qingshan did not break off the relationship with Gui Yuan Sect, he would never fight for Gui Yuan Sect anymore. If things went according to this plan, the Shooting Sun God Mountain would have nothing to worry about. It is unfortunate that we wasted such a good opportunity. Teng Qingshan’s son was lucky!" Shen Gongfu still felt very bitter. 

  Shen Gongfu was not worried that the failure of this plan would reveal that the Shooting Sun God Mountain was the mastermind…… He was very confident that he didn’t leave any evidence. Gui Yuan Sect would never find any evidence. 

  "Hmm?" 

  Suddenly, Shen Gongfu’s expression changed. He could clearly sense the presence of a powerful Emptiness Realm Expert in his domain. Simultaneously, he also detected the aura of a black hole. Frightened by what he had just detected, Shen Gongfu quickly turned and looked towards the location of the Emptiness Realm Expert. 

  A fiery red beam of light was heading towards him. 

  "Oh no! It’s the Undying Phoenix." Shen Gongfu was horrified. He hastily shouted out, notifying the Shooting Sun Heavenly Wolf to flee immediately. 

  Swoosh! Swoosh! 

  The man and the demonic wolf hastily fled in different directions. They would never be able to outrun the incredibly fast Undying Phoenix. If they had run towards the same direction, both of them would not be able to survive. 

  "Little Blue, kill the demonic wolf." Teng Qingshan pointed towards the Shooting Sun Heavenly Wolf. At the same time, he jumped from the back of Undying Phoenix and launched himself towards Shen Gongfu, leaving a colorful and bright afterimage. 

  "Caw!" 

  The Undying Phoenix gave out a high pitched tweet and went the other way. While it pursued the Shooting Sun Heavenly Wolf, Teng Qingshan pursued Shen Gongfu! 

  "Since the rise of the Shooting Sun God Mountain, the Shooting Sun Heavenly Wolf had been an Emptiness Realm Demonic Beast. If the wolf was still alive, the Shooting Sun God Mountain would still have a chance of rising back up from ashes." In Teng Qingshan’s opinion, an Emptiness Realm Demonic Beast that was loyal to a sect held an even greater threat than an Emptiness Realm Expert. 

  That was because the Emptiness Realm demonic beasts lived longer than humans. 

  The Shooting Sun Heavenly Wolf could rise again when Teng Qingshan had reached the end of his lifespan. In fact, the wolf might even take revenge for what Teng Qingshan had done. Teng Qingshan would never allow this to happen in the future. 

  "Elder Wu, may your soul watch how the Shooting Sun Heavenly Wolf is going to die," The Teng Qingshan was filled with the urge to kill. In such a frenzied state, he went after Shen Gongfu. 

  When Shen Gongfu crashed into the ground like a meteorite, he had already flown out of Shooting Sun God Mountain. 

  During the past twenty years, he had achieved a breakthrough. He had reached the Culmination of Emptiness Realm and could finally fly in the air…… However, if he had flown in midair and the Undying Phoenix was his pursuer, he would have nowhere to escape. 

  "Teng Qingshan, it’s you!" As Shen Gongfu landed, he turned back and saw Teng Qingshan’s furious facial expression. Shen Gongfu was shocked. "Teng Qingshan reached the Insightful Emptiness Realm?" He thought to himself. 

  In the Land of the Nine Prefectures, the Insightful Emptiness Realm Expert was considered an extremely horrifying existence. 

  "How dare you attempt to kill my son! Shen Gongfu, die!" Teng Qingshan’s eyes glowed furiously. 

  Boom!" 

  Shen Gongfu crashed into the ground as if it was water. Teng Qingshan followed behind, entering the earth. 

  It was completely dark underground. 

  Shen Gongfu fled ahead, while Teng Qingshan was chasing behind. 

  "Teng Qingshan, why did you say I tried to kill your son? Don’t make such false accusation." Shen Gongfu said angrily with the use of the Sound Transmission Technique. 

  "Just admit it." Teng Qingshan replied through the Sound Transmission Technique. 

  "Hmph, I can assure that I did not send someone to kill your son. For the past twenty years, the actions of the Shooting Sun God Mountain have been proper. Even when Xing Yi Sect was wantonly recruiting disciples in Yanzhou, the Shooting Sun God Mountain did and said nothing. Why would the Shooting Sun God Mountain send someone to kill your son?" Shen Gongfu replied nervously. 

  "My teacher said so. Why would he lie?" Teng Qingshan continued pursuing at full speed. 

  The Insightful Emptiness Realm Experts were powerful, but they were slightly slower than the Emptiness Realm Experts. 

  Teng Qingshan needed to keep Shen Gongfu on the run and notify the Undying Phoenix to intercept Shen Gongfu. And so, Shen Gongfu had to dig as deep as possible so that Teng Qingshan would have no way of informing the Undying Phoenix. 

  "Zhuge Yuanhong is trying to hit two birds with one stone. Gui Yuan Sect has always coveted the Shooting Sun God Mountain. He is using this chance to make up lies so that you can be his pawn. He is using you for Gui Yuan Sect." Shen Gongfu tried to explain and he sounded very convincing. 

  Yet, Teng Qingshan did not believe at all. 

  Teng Qingshan was not stupid! 

  No! 

  When Teng Qingshan heard his teacher publicly declare the start of a battle against the Shooting Sun God Mountain, he already suspected that his teacher had said so intentionally so he could serve as a weapon for Gui Yuan Sect. And so, Teng Qingshan asked his teacher, "Was the Shooting Sun God Mountain really the mastermind?" 

  Zhuge Yuanhong’s reply only had one word, "Yes." 

  "I believe you!" 

  And that was Teng Qingshan’s response. ……

  Shen Gongfu, who was on the run, became nervous and said hastily, "What proof did Zhuge Yuanhong give you? Do not be fooled by him. You are becoming his pawn! He is using you!" 

  Suddenl—, 

  "Roar!" 

  A painful wailing of a wolf sounded underground. The sound was so loud that it even shook the earth. 

  "Heavenly Wolf!" Shen Gongfu’s expression changed. 

  Teng Qingshan, who was pursuing Shen Gongfu, immediately shaped the Power of his World into a narrow thread and tried to extend the thread for as long as possible…… Because he had achieved a small success in the Insightful Emptiness Realm and because he had abundant Power of the World, he was able to extend the thread-shaped power to a length of 50-60 Li. Basically, he was able to transmit his voice 50-60 Li away. 

  "Little Blue! ……

  Amidst the burning purple and golden flames, the Shooting Sun Heavenly Wolf could be seen howling painfully. Soon, everything around the wolf, including the rocks and mud, was burned into ashes. 

  "Little Blue!" A familiar-sounding voice rang. 

  The Undying Phoenix, which was surrounded by black and white flames, rushed towards the source of the voice while giving out a loud tweet. After flying for a few hundred miles, the Undying Phoenix was finally found by a strand of Teng Qingshan’s Power of the World. 

  Swoosh! 

  The Undying Phoenix dashed rapidly, following this strand of Power of the World. 

  Even though they have reached the deepest part of the earth and were surrounded by burning hot magma, Shen Gongfu felt extremely cold. His face was pale and he was terrified. 

  "Crap!" Shen Gongfu could detect the Undying Phoenix within his domain. 

  "The Heavenly Wolf is dead. if I die, then the Shooting Sun God Mountain will……" Shen Gongfu was very worried. 

  However, no matter how much he worried, there was nothing he could do. The Undying Phoenix was approaching at a very fast pace. 

  "Teng Qingshan, the Shooting Sun God Mountain really did not try to kill your son," As death drew near, Shen Gongfu was still trying to convince Teng Qingshan. He could not think of any evidence that Zhuge Yuanhong could find…… 

  "Still lying when you are almost dead." Teng Qingshan’s voice sounded. 

  "Boom!" 

  The aura of the Undying Phoenix streaked past, stopping Shen Gongfu from the front and forcing him to turn and flee to the side. The magma and the hard rocks in the magma were easily deflected off. Because of the sharp turn, the distance between Teng Qingshan and Shen Gongfu shortened a lot. 

  He was within the range of Teng Qingshan’s long-range attacks. 

  "Are you really still trying to escape?" A flying knife appeared in Teng Qingshan’s right hand. 

  He instilled the Power of the World into his knife and threw it forcefully! 

  Swoosh! 

  A ray of colorful light flew past. 

  When a concealed weapon was used by an Emptiness Realm Expert, the concealed weapon would be of no threat to other Emptiness Realm Experts. However, if the person who threw the concealed weapon was an Insightful Emptiness Realm Expert, then the result would very different. 

  As Teng Qingshan achieved small success in the Insightful Emptiness Realm, the flying knife he threw was as powerful as the full-blown punch of an expert who had attained the Emptiness Realm Culmination. 

  This was also why the knives of Pei San could injure Emptiness Realm demonic beasts so badly. 

  Boom! A strong wave of heat pervaded as the Undying Phoenix appeared before Shen Gongfu again. 

  "No," Shen Gongfu’s face became even paler. 

  Teng Qingshan also appeared behind him. 

  He was trapped. Furthermore, he was injured badly. There was no way he could escape. 

  "You can’t escape anymore," Teng Qingshan looked at Shen Gongfu indifferently. The surrounding hot magma was pushed away by Teng Qingshan’s Power of the World, creating a huge space. 

  Shen Gongfu’s face turned pale white as he placed his hand on his chest. 

  He did not want to die! 

  Once he died, it would be the end for the Shooting Sun God Mountain. 

  "Teng Qingshan," said Shen Gongfu nervously, "If you let me live, I will tell you the identity of the real mastermind who wanted to kill your son."

  "The real mastermind?" 

  While several thoughts were going through Teng Qingshan’s mind, Teng Qingshan held onto his Reincarnation Spear and smirked as he said, "You are the mastermind. Are you really trying to implicate someone when you are about to die?" 

  "Sizzle~~" 

  The surging magma that was pushed away continuously emanated great heat. The flames that enveloped the Undying Phoenix, who was behind Shen Gongfu, was even hotter than the magma. Even as Shen Gongfu was amidst an extremely huge "oven," he felt cold. When he saw the killing intent in Teng Qingshan’s eyes, he knew that death was inevitable. He was filled with so much anger that he started shouting internally. "It was that old fool Jin Sheng. He gave me this stupid idea. If I had chosen not to listen to him, things would never be like this! Now……now……" 

  Shen Gongfu hated Teng Qingshan! 

  However, he also hated the person who gave him the idea. 

  "Why are you not speaking? Did you not think of a person to blame?" Teng Qingshan’s expression darkened. "If so…… It is time for me to send you to hell!" 

  "Teng Qingshan!" 

  The veins on Shen Gongfu’s forehead popped. He looked like a mad silver-haired lion as he glared at Teng Qingshan and replied, "I, Shen Gongfu, admit that I did plan to kill your son. You killed my brother, and since then, I have been wanting to kill you. The Gods helped your son, but they did not help me! I hate this!" 

  "When your son was poisoned, you just so happened to be in Yong’an County. The heavens were helping you! It is not my fault. I have tried to help the Shooting Sun God Mountain. The heavens just want to destroy me and the Shooting Sun God Mountain!" Shen Gongfu screamed as though he had gone mad. 

  Teng Qingshan listened with an indifferent facial expression…… 

  The surrounding magma churned. 

  "However,"

  "Harming your son was never my idea." Shen Gongfu stared at Teng Qingshan and continued saying, "I admit that you are very talented and your power grew at an extremely fast pace. I originally had given up on taking revenge. However, to protect the Shooting Sun God Mountain, I had to spread negative rumors about you in Gui Yuan Sect to slander you. I wanted the relationship between Xing Yi Sect and Gui Yuan Sect to get worse." 

  Hearing this, Teng Qingshan was reminded of something. 

  It was true that the relationship between Gui Yuan Sect and Xing Yi Sect had been getting worse every year. The disciples of Xing Yi Sect thought that Gui Yuan Sect depended on their martial ancestor Teng Qingshan, so they felt that they were more superior than the disciples of Gui Yuan Sect. As for the disciples of Gui Yuan Sect, they thought that Teng Qingshan had betrayed Gui Yuan Sect and had taken the Fiery Gilt Battle Armors and the Fiery Feather Battle Armors that belonged to Gui Yuan Sect. 

  Both sides had their problems and opinions about each other. However, the intervention of the Shooting Sun God Mountain made things worse. 

  "However, I met an Emptiness Realm Expert last year. His name was Jin Sheng," As Shen Gongfu spoke, his eyes twitched. "I thought this traitor Jin Sheng was a friend. He gave me a very detailed explanation of the relationship between Xing Yi Sect, Gui Yuan Sect, and the Shooting Sun God Mountain. He told me that even though Xing Yi Sect and Gui Yuan Sect do not share a close relationship, things would never change as long as Zhuge Yuanhong has a good relationship with you. If Zhuge Yuanhong asked you to help during a critical time, you would never reject him. Inevitably, the Shooting Sun God Mountain will be destroyed." 

  Teng Qingshan also agreed about this. 

  "Traitor Jin Sheng? Shen Gongfu, can you at least blame it on someone who is well-known? I have never heard of this man," Teng Qingshan laughed coldly. However, he was thinking to himself, "Jin Sheng? His surname is Jin? The mysterious man who wore a golden mask in the Barbarian Tribe Temple was called Elder Jin." 

  "Why would I lie to you when I know that I will die soon?" Shen Gongfu looked at Teng Qingshan as he laughed coldly. 

  "Then tell me! What does he look like?" Teng Qingshan said coldly. 

  "I don’t know! He wore a golden mask," said Shen Gongfu, shaking his head. 

  Teng Qingshan was even more certain. 

  The person wore a Golden Mask and called "Jin Sheng." 

  "You are lying! You do not even know what he looks like!" Teng Qingshan laughed grimly as he said. 

  "Hmph." 

  Shen Gongfu scoffed, "So what if I don’t know what he looks like? That does not mean…… You know what? You will know when you see him in the future. Anyway, he said that I was purely waiting for my own death! You would eventually kill me!" 

  "Therefore, he gave me an idea! He said that I should use your son because your son comes to Yong’an County often! All I needed to do was to make a member of Gui Yuan Sect kill your son. If your son was killed by a member of Gui Yuan Sect in the home base of Gui Yuan Sect, you would definitely hate Gui Yuan Sect. Even if Gui Yuan Sect did not become your enemy, you would not do anything for Gui Yuan Sect anymore." 

  "Then, the possibility of Shooting Sun God Mountain being destroyed would be zero." 

  "I doubted his plan at that time. I hesitated because I knew that the failure of this plan would result in a great catastrophe for the sect." Shen Gongfu could not help but laugh out loud. 

  "However!" 

  Insanity flickered in Shen Gongfu’s eyes as he said, "The traitor Jin Sheng said that indecisiveness inevitably leads to trouble! He said that anything that there would be a risk in anything that we do. If I did it, Shooting Sun God Mountain might exist for another thousand of years. If I decide not to go with the plan, the Shooting Sun God Mountain would still be doomed." 

  "Yes, what he said made sense," Shen Gongfu’s expression was ferocious, "It sounded reasonable. If I did according to the plan, there is hope for survival. If I did not go according to the plan, the Shooting Sun God Mountain would definitely be destroyed. It’s just a matter of time." 

  "So I ordered my men to begin executing the plan. I made sure that they made no mistakes……" Shen Gongfu stared at Teng Qingshan and laughed bitterly, "Teng Qingshan, your son did escape death but I destroyed anything that could expose the mastermind of the plan. It is impossible for Zhuge Yuanhong to find any evidence. He didn’t give you any, did he?" 

  Teng Qingshan still had an indifferent expression. A rare smile then appeared on his face. "Teacher gave me very convincing evidence." 

  "Evidence? Impossible!" Shen Gongfu’s eyes enlarged as he shouted. 

  Swoosh! 

  A colorful ray shone. Shen Gongfu only had enough time to touch the light with his godly blade before he was thrown into the air by a powerful spiraling force. 

  "Puchi!" 

  The Reincarnation Spear pierced through Shen Gongfu’s heart; the Power of the World almost crushed Shen Gongfu’s vital body parts into dust. Bright red blood flowed out through the Reincarnation Spearhead and was then absorbed by the red tassel. 

  "It is impossible for an evidence to exist…… What……is……it……" Shen Gongfu looked at Teng Qingshan. Even though his ’Spirit’ was powerful, his body was completely destroyed to the point that he could not make any sound. He could only stare at Teng Qingshan before his head drooped and he no longer moved. 

  As he pulled out the Reincarnation Spear, the flames of the Undying Phoenix enveloped Shen Gongfu’s body. The flames even melted even the godly bow. 

  As Teng Qingshan watched Shen Gongfu’s corpse being burned to ashes, Teng Qingshan held the Reincarnation Spear and said in a deep voice, "My teacher did give me the most convincing evidence! He gave me the answer ’yes.’ If he said so, I would never doubt him. After all, I owe him a lot!" 

  "Little Blue," Teng Qingshan said as he looked at the Undying Phoenix. He then leaped onto the back of the Undying Phoenix, leaving afterimages behind. 

  "Yu!" 

  The Undying Phoenix flapped its wings. The magma that was surging underground immediately split apart. It then flew up to the sky, dashing through magma, rocks, and mud…… It continued flying until it was several thousand Zhang above the ground. It then flew towards Yong’an County. 

  Although the sun hung high, the temperature was very low and the winds of winter raged on. 

  When the Undying Phoenix arrived above Yong’an County, Teng Qingshan looked downwards and saw the whole army of Yong’an County, especially the ones on the training field of Gui Yuan Sect, moving very quickly. All of them wore Fiery Gilt Battle Armors and Fiery Feather Battle Armors and were assembling at the training field. 

  "Gui Yuan Sect is preparing their attack on Yanzhou," Teng Qingshan then focused his eyes on the headquarters of Qingshan Enterprise. 

  Swoosh! 

  The fiery red light streaked past in a beautiful arc and landed in the courtyard of Teng Qingshan’s residence in the headquarters of Qingshan Enterprise. 

  Since Teng Qingshan left, his wife Li Jun has been waiting quietly in the courtyard. When she saw the Undying Phoenix and Teng Qingshan, who wore a white cloak, she hastily stood up and exclaimed as she ran over, "Qingshan!" 

  "Little Jun," Teng Qingshan walked over and held his wife’s hands with a smile. 

  "Where’s Hongwu?" said Teng Qingshan as he continued smiling. 

  "Li Jun smiled while shaking her head, "I did not tell Hongwu that you went to the Shooting Sun God Mountain to kill Shengong Fu. I did not want him to worry…… I think he’s still training at this time." 

  "Mhmm," nodded Teng Qingshan. 

  "By the way, how was your trip to the Shooting Sun God Mountain?" Li Jun asked. Obviously, she was not worried about Teng Qingshan as Teng was already an Insightful Emptiness Realm Expert. She was just worried that someone from Shooting Sun God escaped. It would be very troublesome to deal with an Emptiness Realm Expert who is not part of any sect. 

  "I successfully dealt with it. I killed Shen Gongfu and that demonic wolf. Everything is done," answered Teng Qingshan. 

  Li Jun let out a sigh of relief. 

  No mercy is shown in the Land of the Nine Prefectures. The ordinary survivors of a sect could be ignored because it is extremely unlikely for one of those survivors to rise up and become an Emptiness Realm Expert. However, those who have reached the Emptiness Realm must be eradicated. If one escaped, the consequences would be disastrous. For example, Gu Yong…… 

  Gu Yong had caused Teng Qingshan a lot of trouble. 

  "Qingshan, after you went to the Shooting Sun God Mountain, I thought about it calmly and felt that something was not right," Li Jun frowned, "Your teacher said that the mastermind was the Shooting Sun God Mountain but……he did not give us any evidence. Before that, when the disciples of Gui Yuan Sect were protesting, your teacher announced that the truth would be revealed on the 9th of December. When he made that announcement, he seemed very confident." 

  "If he had the courage to say that everything would be revealed on 9th of December, he must have found a piece of evidence. Otherwise, why would he make the announcement with such confidence?" 

  "However, he never told us. We only knew that the mastermind was the Shooting Sun God Mountain when your teacher announced before the numerous disciples on the 9th of December. Qingshan, don’t you think it is weird?" Li Jun looked at Teng Qingshan and said with suspicion, "Qingshan, do you think your teacher was using you……" 

  "Don’t overthink." 

  Teng Qingshan held Li Jun’s hands with a smile, "Teacher did not show you the evidence, but he showed it to me! Let’s go see Hongwu. By the way, the main purpose of the trip to Yong’an County is to propose marriage for Hongwu. Let’s go and discuss with Hongwu." 

  "Propose marriage? Hmm…… Little Ru is a good child. We should start the marriage proposal." Li Jun replied before she headed with Teng Qingshan to the place where her son Hongwu trained.

  During noon of the day, Zhuge Yuanhong could be seen on the south city gates of Yong’an County. 

  As the cold breeze blew, he stayed on top of the city wall and watched the blood-red cavalrymen leave the city. The expression on his face looked very serious. 

  "Father, can you tell me what’s wrong?" asked Zhuge Yun as he saw the expression on his father’s face. 

  "Mhmm, nothing." 

  Zhuge Yuanhong shook his head. 

  When Teng Qingshan came back, Zhuge Yuanhong asked him with the use of the Sound Transmission Technique and received the confirmation that both Shen Gongfu and the Shooting Sun Heavenly Wolf had died. Only then, Zhuge Yuanhong had the courage to dispatch his army. Simultaneously, Zhuge Yuanhong felt helpless and could not help but think to himself, "Qingshan must have guessed that I did not have any evidence. He must have known that the claims I made were all just assumptions." 

  Indeed, Zhuge Yuanhong did not find any evidence. When Teng Qingshan asked if the Shooting Sun God Mountain was really the mastermind, Zhuge Yuanhong knew that Teng Qingshan was aware that there was no evidence. 

  Teng Qingshan was not good with mind games but he was very intelligent. 

  Nothing was explained clearly between the teacher and the disciple but they both understood. 

  "Qingshan, I’m sorry. It is all for the sake of Gui Yuan Sect," Zhuge Yuanhong thought to himself, "Once we conquered Yanzhou and the eight counties of Yangzhou, and have the countless citizens under our jurisdiction, Gui Yuan Sect would rise to become a really powerful sect in one century. Then, we won’t need to depend on Qingshan." 

  On the day of December 9th, the Longgang Army of Gui Yuan Sect departed. 

  Soon after Zhuge Yuanhong himself had settled many things, he met up with the Long Gang Army. He managed the Longgang Army as the Longgang Army destroyed everything that was in its path. A portion of the Black Armored Army and a great number of ordinary soldiers were also dispatched and departed towards Yanzhou. 

  For some time, the attention of the entire Land of the Nine Prefectures was focused here. ……

  Although a battle was going on, a joyful event happened in Yong’an County. The Martial Ancestor of Internal Martial Arts, Teng Qingshan, had proposed the marriage for his son to the Lei Family of Yong An County and the Lei Family had accepted and agreed that the joyful day of marriage would be on the 18th of January. 

  There were a lot of carriages outside the mansion of Lei Family in Yong’an County. 

  "I did not expect that Lei Luotian would have a change of fortune one day." Inside a luxurious carriage, two men, one wearing a black coat and the other wearing a purple coat, were having a conversation, "Since the day that his brother and sister-in-law died, the status of Lei Family declined. Previously, Lei Luotian was protected by his brother. And now, his brother’s daughter helped him." 

  "He is fortunate! I have seen that little girl before. She is so weak and timid, but she was actually able to marry Teng Qingshan’s son and become Teng Qingshan’s daughter-in-law. The Lei Family is going to be successful." 

  The two men, who were talking, were clearly pampered. 

  They were the two salt merchants who were very famous in Yangzhou. There were only ten bodyguards outside the luxurious carriage, but all of them were First Rated Warriors. The two salt merchants had spent a great number of silver taels to hire these First Rated Warriors. The fact that these two young men had more than ten First Rated Warriors revealed that they were no ordinary salt merchants. 

  "Lord, we have arrived." 

  The carriage stopped. 

  "We have arrived. Let’s get out." The man with the black coat smiled. 

  "I never expected that I would be trying to befriend Lei Luotian." The man with the purple coat shook his head while he laughed bitterly, "The hard work of generations for centuries cannot compete with the marriage of a daughter." 

  "That depends on whose family she is marrying into." 

  When the two rich merchants came out of the carriage, the bodyguards immediately gathered around. 

  "Tsk tsk…… Look at the carriages outside Lei Family’s mansion. They don’t look ordinary at all. The Lei Family today is no longer the same as before. We are late……" The two rich merchants laughed as they exchanged glances. They then walked towards the gate of the mansion with the ten bodyguards. ……

  In the Land of Nine Prefectures, famous salt merchants were very impressive to ordinary people. 

  Before Teng Jia Village prospered, they were afraid of even the leader of the bodyguards working for a famous salt merchant. Even when the leader of the bodyguards stole their silver taels, they could not do anything. They were obviously even more afraid of the wealthy salt merchant. 

  But now, these salt merchants had to curry favor with even the in-laws of Teng Qingshan. After all, their status did not permit them to befriend Teng Qingshan. Therefore, they could only try to build a relationship with Teng Qingshan’s in-laws. 

  On the 19th of January: 

  "Father and Mother, have some tea." 

  Teng Qingshan and his wife Li Jun sat on the chairs as their son and their new daughter-in-law served tea together. 

  "Mhmm." 

  Teng Qingshan and Li Jun both took the cups. 

  "Hongwu, let Little Ru do her own things," ordered Li Jun when she saw that the new daughter in law seemed nervous. 

  "Mhmm." 

  Hongwu then left with his newlywed wife. 

  After a while, Teng Qingshan and Li Jun also came to the training field in the East Flower Garden. The confetti and strips of cloth from yesterday’s celebration were still present. During the wedding of his son yesterday, many people who had relations with Teng Qingshan came and gave their congratulations. 

  "Sovereign Teng," a hearty voice sounded. 

  Teng Qingshan turned his head and saw a man with a prickly beard walking towards him, waving his hand as he said, "I have disturbed you for many days. Now that the wedding has ended, I have come to bid farewell." 

  "Brother Luotian, why the rush?" smiled Teng Qingshan, "Stay for a few more days. You have not been to a lot of places in the Great Yan Mountain." 

  "No thanks, there are still some things at home I have to do," laughed Lei Luotian. 

  This rough-looking man looked older than Teng Qingshan but his real age was only over 30 years old, which was younger than Teng Qingshan. Indeed, Teng Qingshan looked like someone in his twenties. Whenever Luotian thought of this, he would be amazed and thought to himself, "As expected of the real expert! At first glance, he might seem like an ordinary person. If nobody said anything, no one would think he is the great Teng Qingshan. I did not expect that there would be a day I could talk to Teng Qingshan and even refer to him as a brother." 

  While Lei Luotian was still a teenager, Teng Qingshan was already very famous. 

  "If it is so, then I will not hold you back," Teng Qingshan said with a smile and watched as Lei Luotian left. 

  "Little Jun, now that Hongwu’s wedding ended, I can finally train peacefully," smiled Teng Qingshan. 

  "Qingshan, I am concerned about something," Li Jun frowned, "According to what you told me, the Shooting Sun God Mountain was the one tried to murder my son last December. However, that idea was given by a golden masked man. This golden masked man……is like the soul of a deceased that lingers on. Qingshan, he haunts me. With him here, I don’t think I will ever be at peace." 

  "I can’t be at peace as well." 

  "However, we can’t do anything now. This man is too cautious. I can’t locate him at all. Teng Qingshan shook his head and said, "Little Jun, don’t worry. Hongwu and Linlin are both in Xing Yi Sect, what is there to be worried about? We are in the light. He is in the dark. Now, we can only counter all changes with constancy." 

  "Xing Yi Sect is very solid." 

  "If this golden masked man, who may be Gu Yong, start taking any actions, I will take the opportunity and kill him immediately. Then, I will take off his mask and see if he is really Gu Yong!" Teng Qingshan said in a deep tone. Indeed, the identity of the golden masked man was just a conjecture. 

  Even if the chances were high, it could not be confirmed until he had seen the face hidden behind the mask. 

  In the endless desert near the western regions: 

  Under the sun, even the desert seemed twisted. A team of merchants was slowly moving in the desert. The men advanced slowly on the backs of the camels. 

  "Hmmm? I think there is someone right there." 

  "You must have seen wrongly, How could there be someone?" 

  "I am telling the truth. There was one, but he disappeared in a flash." 

  "You must have seen wrongly. I saw a mountain last time, but when I looked closely, the mountain disappeared." 

  Some of the merchants chatted casually. 

  Hundreds of miles from them, there was a mysterious figure wearing a black coat and a golden mask. Every time it flashed, he moved a few hundred meters. He disappeared from people’s sight as he moved. 

  "I can only do this now." 

  The golden masked man’s eyes looked indifferent. While he was on the road, he was thinking to himself, "I have tried all kinds of ways, but not a single one succeeded! When the Shooting Sun God Mountain poisoned Teng Hongwu, Teng Qingshan happened to be in Yong’an County City. He is so fortunate." 

  "Of the people in the entire Land of the Nine Prefectures, the ones that I can fool and persuade cannot kill Teng Qingshan." 

  "Those that can kill Teng Qingshan, I cannot fool or persuade them." 

  The golden masked man was in deep pain. 

  He had thought of all the supreme sects, even the Mani Temple and the Ying Family. He even went to the many islands in the Eastern Sea to search for truly powerful experts. Unfortunately, he did not succeed. For example, the first Emptiness Realm demonic beast of the Barbarian Tribe Temple, that black demonic dragon, was very strong. He had been in the Barbarian Tribe for more than a decade, but the black demonic dragon did not even care about him. 

  He could only befriend the demonic beast, Black Crow. 

  "If you place someone on a field of death, he will fight to live!" 

  "If my death can cost Teng Qingshan’s life, it would be worth it!" 

  "This is the last move. There will be two attacks. I am not sure if anyone of them would succeed, but the failure of the attacks would lead to my death. So be it. If I can’t take revenge even when I am alive, it’s just suffering." The golden masked man’s eyes looked lifeless. Soon, his figure disappeared at the end of the desert in the western regions. ……

  There were also many kingdoms which were built in the desert areas. Obviously, there would be oases in a desert. 

  In the Dashear Kingdom, a kingdom that was bigger among all the other kingdoms. 

  A building with a yellow dome on top could be seen. The style of the building was very similar to the buildings in the Mani Temple. This building was called the Heavenly Palace by the citizens of the kingdom. Looking from afar, it just looked like a building with a yellow dome. However, if you walk nearby, you would realize that this is a group of palace-like buildings with the tallest building being the yellow domed Heavenly Palace. In front of the Heavenly Palace, there was a huge pond. 

  Water was extremely precious in the desert areas, but the pond had so much water. 

  "Sovereign!" 

  "Sovereign!" 

  In the Heavenly Palace, women, who wore western-style clothes, greeted courteously. 

  Pei San, who wore a yellow, loose coat, was entering the Heavenly Palace with Meng Dujuan following behind. At this moment— 

  "Sovereign, Sovereign," A man approached. 

  "Hmmm?" Pei San looked at him. 

  This old man, who was native to the western region, had naturally wavy hair. He approached and said courteously, "Sovereign, the guest who wore a golden mask had left, but before he departed, he asked me to give you a letter. 

  "Oh?" Pei San thought about something. 

  With a wave of his hand, the envelope that was in the hands of the western elderly floated into Pei San’s hands. He opened the envelope and took out the letter. It was written, "Sovereign Pei San, I did lie before. The stone tablet, which recorded the secrets of the Omnipotent Expert Li Taibai, was lost. But I found it. If you want this stone tablet, bring Teng Qingshan’s head and exchange it with me in the Barbarian Tribe Temple. When I see Teng Qingshan’s head, I will give you the stone tablet personally."

  "The Omnipotent Stone Tablet?" A cold glint flashed in Pei San’s eyes, revealing an intimidating aura. It was like the light that was reflected off a scary blade. 

  The elder of the western region and the two ladies of the western regions, who were standing at the gate of the Heavenly Palace, were frightened by the murderous aura emanated by Pei San. The two ladies’ legs even became shaky. When Meng Dujuan saw this, she was slightly confused and said softly, "Sovereign, let’s enter the Heavenly Palace first." 

  "Mhmm." 

  Pei San nodded his head and led Meng Dujuan into the Heavenly Palace. ……

  The second floor of the Heavenly Palace was very spacious but very empty. There was only a red carpet in the room. Pei San sat cross-legged while Meng Dujuan sat at the side like a well-behaved girl. 

  "Jin Sheng is very interesting!" Pei San smiled. 

  "Sovereign, what did this Jin Sheng do?" asked Meng Dujuan. 

  Over the time of twenty years, Meng Dujuan had been following Pei San. Even though she was not given any status, the Heavenly God Palace had already seen Meng Dujuan as Pei San’s woman. After so many years of being together, Pei San had become very close to this personal female assistant. 

  "Dujuan, look at this," Pei San laughed as he passed the letter. 

  Meng Dujuan took the letter. As she read the letter, her face was filled with astonishment. 

  Meng Dujuan knew exactly what the Omnipotent Stone Tablet was…… A while ago, a man named Jin Sheng, who was a golden-masked Emptiness Realm Expert that came from the faraway Barbarian Temple, visited the Heavenly Palace and resided here for a very long time. During that time, Pei San only asked a few questions and immediately confirmed that the golden-masked Emptiness Realm Expert was just an elder of the Barbarian Tribe Temple. 

  Therefore, he treated the golden-masked Emptiness Realm Expert very well. 

  After meeting for a few times, Jin Sheng mentioned that there was a stone tablet that once belonged to the Poetic Sword God Li Taibai. After he became an Omnipotent Expert, he carved his learnings on this stone tablet. Li Taibai was known to be a genius in the study of calligraphy and poems. Obviously, the calligraphy written on the stone tablet by the talented and poetic Li Taibai wouldn’t be anything close to ordinary. 

  Meng Dujuan also knew that Pei San really desired the stone tablet. 

  "The Godly Codices only contained techniques and descriptions that were left by our ancestors," Pei San sighed, "However, Li Taibai’s calligraphy had ruled the world. One could sense his Omnipotent Dao through his calligraphy. If I can obtain that stone tablet or even just get a glimpse of the mysterious stone tablet……" 

  Pei San was not aware that in the distant Moon Island, there was a stone wall called ’Celestial Jade Wall’. 

  "Sovereign, it’s Teng Qingshan…… Are you really thinking about……"Meng Dujuan hesitated before questioning…… 

  "Dujuan, what’s your opinion?" smiled Pei San. 

  Meng Dujuan shook her head and said, "I don’t know…… The mother of Phoenix has Teng Qingshan’s back. It will be a troublesome task." 

  Pei San smiled slightly and said nothing. ……

  In the morning of the second day. 

  "Caw!" A high-pitched tweet sounded. In the ancient kingdom of Dashear, an enormous Godly Hawk ascended as a yellow cloaked figure followed behind, leaping up into the sky. The yellow cloaked figure descended on the bird’s back. The yellow-cloaked figure was Pei San. He was seen smiling as he placed his feet on the Godly Thunderbolt Hawk. At the same time, he emitted the sound of a bird. 

  The Godly Thunderbolt Hawk, which had understood the instruction, transformed into a lightning bolt. With the sound of a thunderbolt, it instantly vanished into the horizon of the south-eastern sky. 

  In Xing Yi Sect, Great Yan Mountain: 

  Currently, it was the time of growth. The entire Xing Yi Sect was brimming with growth. The inhaling and exhaling voices and sounds of the hundred thousand disciples cultivating could be heard in the entire Great Yan Mountain. 

  "Huh!" 

  "Hah!" 

  Dressed in an undershirt, Hongwu was cultivating in the training ground of the East Flower Garden. His wife Xiao Ru watched as she sat at the side, smiling sweetly from time to time. 

  "Brother Hongwu, rest for a while and continue later," Xiao Ru passed a cup of tea as she saw that her husband had stopped. 

  "No, I’m fine." 

  After drinking the cup of tea, Hongwu wiped away the sweat on his forehead and smiled while shaking his head, "I have only trained for one hour. I don’t need to rest. Look at my father……he’s been in the cultivation room for twelve days and he’s still training inside there." After Lei Xiaoru heard this, she nodded and looked towards the enormous cultivation room that was specially constructed. 

  The huge, black, tightly sealed cultivation room looked just like a giant furnace. 

  Boom! Boom! 

  A faint vibration sounded in the cultivation room. This sound sent chills down people’s spine. ……

  The cultivation room was shut tight by a huge stone door. Although the door was closely shut, a faint ray of light still shone through the creak of the door. Through the dim ray of light, a blurred figure could be seen. 

  "Boom!""Swoosh!" 

  Sounds of thunder and fierce wind sounded from time to time. 

  One could faintly see a half-naked figure, wearing long pants, cultivating continuously. He constantly practiced the same technique, the Three Postures. As he continued practicing, the drops of perspiration on his entire body evaporated as surrounding gas. 

  As he formed his preparation posture, the air in the entire cultivation room rushed towards Teng Qingshan. 

  He took a step and took a punch forward. 

  He took a step forward and the entire cultivation room trembled. The moment he released his punch, the air in the surrounding began vibrating. It was as though the god of thunder had unleashed his anger. 

  He repeated the moves. 

  The preparation posture, the step forward, and the punch. This sequence of movements would repeat again and again. 

  The first posture stored energy and the last unleashed an explosive force. 

  Something that was like an endless life force emerged continually, accumulating infinite energy. One might think that when the infinite energy was released, the world would be destroyed! Teng Qingshan, who could be faintly seen practicing his fist technique in the dark cultivation room, was like Pangu in the midst of the primal chaos. He continued accumulating energy and releasing this force. 

  "Boom!" Teng Qingshan punched again. 

  This was the ninth time practicing the Three Postures since he started his closed-door cultivation. This ninth practice of the Three Postures had been going on for over four hours without stopping. 

  While Teng Qingshan was in the dark, he prepared his posture. His eyes appeared calm like the surface of a rippleless lake. However, the moment he stepped forward and punched, his eyes turned ferocious like the eyes of a wild beast that was about to tear the world apart. The eyes, the aura, and the temperament changed continually depending on his moves. Occasionally, the aura was brimming with vitality, while occasionally, the aura conveyed a killing intent, an urge for destruction. 

  "I can feel it!" 

  "To make a breakthrough and achieve great success in the Insightful Emptiness Realm, I must first find the way to transform the Five Elemental Daos into the Dao of Life and Death through the cultivation of the Three Postures." Teng Qingshan thought to himself, "Fortunately, when I achieved the Emptiness Realm, I had understood the Dao of Life and Death. I just need to know how I can transform the Five Elemental Powers of the World into the Powers of Life and Death. 

  Actually, while Teng Qingshan was practicing his fist art, especially when he was practicing the Three Postures during this closed-door cultivation, he had a pleasant discovery. 

  While he was practicing the Three Postures, the five colored powers that flowed in his Niwan Palace in the form of something like liquid mercury actually produced a cloud of black smoke. He could distinctly sense that the Powers of the World in the black smoke was even more concentrated than the Five Colored Powers of the World! 

  At that moment, Teng Qingshan realized that he needed to transform the Five Elemental Powers of the World into the Powers of Life and Death. 

  "It was just as I expected. For thousands of years, the Three Postures had been used by the senior disciples of Xing Yi Martial Art to figure out the origin of all forces." Teng Qingshan thought to himself, "It is indeed marvelous and profound." 

  "I just need to advance one more step and I will be able to achieve great success in the Insightful Emptiness Realm. 

  Teng Qingshan kept on training, trying to learn the secret of the Three Postures. 

  Since he first started learning the Internal Martial Arts in his previous life until the time when he reached the Insightful Emptiness Realm, Teng Qingshan felt that he always gained something whenever he practiced the Three Postures. 

  "Swoosh~~" The fierce wind blew and gathered between Teng Qingshan’s hands in the form of a small tornado. 

  "Boom!" 

  It burst open once again. 

  Teng Qingshan was like a god, training continuously in the dark cultivation room, causing the cultivation room to shake repeatedly. 

  Suddenly, he stopped and the roaring sound and the sound of wind all stopped. 

  "Hmmm? Why is Pei San here?" Teng Qingshan scanned the surrounding with the Power of his World and discovered the presences of two Emptiness Realm Experts. One was the Godly Thunderbolt Hawk. When Teng Qingshan tried to scan even further for the appearance of the other Emptiness Realm Expert, Teng Qingshan’s Power of the World was resisted and countered by the other person’s Power of the World. And so, he was unable to see the person’s appearance. However, because of how peculiar the other person’s Power of the World is, Teng Qingshan immediately deduced that the person was Pei San, the Sovereign of Heavenly God Palace. 

  Since Pei San was here, there would be no time for cultivation. 

  The drops of perspiration on Teng Qingshan’s body evaporated immediately. Teng Qingshan then wore his clothes and the Reincarnation Inner Armor. He held the Reincarnation Spear as he opened the huge stone door of the cultivation room. ……

  "Swoosh!" 

  The Godly Thunderbolt Hawk rushed down from above and flew directly towards the East Flower Garden of Xing Yi Sect. 

  "Who……who is that?" 

  "An Insightful Emptiness Realm Expert?" 

  Pei San, who initially had a calm expression, appeared shocked. "Xing Yi Sect does not have an Insightful Emptiness Realm Expert. How……" 

  "Who is it? It is obvious that the Power of his World had reached the level of small success in the Insightful Emptiness Realm. It can’t be Teng Qingshan. Even if Teng Qingshan had reached the Insightful Emptiness Realm, it is impossible for him to gain small achievements in the Insightful Emptiness Realm within such a short time." When Teng Qingshan’s son got married, Teng Qingshan did not send out invitations to all the other sects. After all, it was just his son’s marriage. It was not a celebration of an establishment of a sect, and so, it was not necessary to invite all the powerful experts in the Land of the Nine Prefectures. 

  During the past twenty years, Pei San had only visited during the celebration of the founding of Xing Yi Sect. He had never come during other times. Therefore, he had no idea that Teng Qingshan had reached the Insightful Emptiness Realm. 

  The information he collected only told him that Teng Qingshan was at the level of Emptiness Realm or had only reached Emptiness Realm Culmination not long ago. 

  "Yu!""Roar!" 

  The two Emptiness Realm Demonic Beasts gathered outside the cultivation room in the East Flower Garden. One was the scale armored Six Legged Bladelike Chi with red eyes and the Undying Phoenix, whose entire body was enveloped by flames. The two Emptiness Realm Demonic Beasts cautiously glared at the Godly Thunderbolt Hawk and Pei San, who had landed outside the cultivation room. 

  Pei San stared at the stone doors of the cultivation room. 

  "Rumble!" the two stone doors opened and a figure, which seemed blur in the darkness, walked out. He was dressed in white and held a Red Tasseled Spear in his hand. 

  "Father!" 

  "Qingshan!" 

  Li Jun and Hongwu walked over. 

  "Teng Qingshan, it is you?" Pei San looked at Teng Qingshan, dumbfounded. He had always thought that Teng Qingshan was very talented. However, when Teng Qingshan was unable to make a breakthrough in the cultivation of the Wood Elemental Dao, Pei San was secretly disappointed as well, thinking that Teng Qingshan still struggled in the end. 

  "Teng Qingshan had just achieved Emptiness Realm Culmination not long ago……" Pei San thought to himself. 

  "Sovereign Pei," Teng Qingshan waved his hand and smiled, "I wonder why Sovereign Pei is paying me a visit." 

  Pei San smiled slightly. 

  Swoosh! 

  His figure disappeared immediately.