"That's enough now. You two should go back and rest as well." Jun Wu Yi looked at Jun Mo Xie and Guan Qing Han. "Don't worry, the sky won't fall! Even if it does, your Third Uncle will be here to hold it up for you!"

Guan Qing Han whimpered in emotion, while a light flickered in Jun Mo Xie's eyes, though what he was thinking remained hidden. Suddenly, his lips tightened, curling into a cruel arc; a decision had been instantly made. Slowly, he said, "I'm stepping out for a moment!" Before Jun Wu Yi or the other could react, Jun Mo Xie abruptly turned and walked out, his silhouette flashing once before vanishing into the sweeping torrent of wind and rain.

The downpour outside the hall continued relentlessly.

The heavens had turned completely black.

Jun Wu Yi's expression was serene, his gaze profound.

Guan Qing Han stood quietly before the hall, watching the nearly unbroken lines of rain stretching from the heavens to the earth outside the pavilion, her demeanor cool and unmoving.

Rainwater splashed onto the ground, then onto her face and body. The autumn rain already carried a biting chill...

Li Lai

"Jun Mo Xie was ambushed today?" Li You Ran, wearing a mask, displayed a look of intense interest in his eyes. "Is he dead?"

"No," replied the man standing before Li You Ran—a lean, sharp figure clad in black. "At the critical moment, a mysterious person appeared and killed several of the assassins. That individual's strength was overwhelming, so the remaining assassins wisely retreated."

"Do you know which faction was behind the assassination attempt on Jun Mo Xie?" Li You Ran cared little for Jun Mo Xie's survival; such a profligate son was beneath his notice. What concerned him was the power arrayed against the Jun family!

"That, we do not yet know!" The black-clad man lowered his head.

"Investigate!" Li You Ran commanded coldly, causing the black-clad man to shudder. He quickly responded, "Yes! Your subordinate will investigate immediately!" Ever since his injury and resulting disfigurement, Li You Ran had not left his residence, and his temper had grown increasingly erratic, further terrifying his subordinates.

Li You Ran walked into the inner chamber, pressed a point on the wall, and a stone door ground open with a loud rumble, revealing a passage. At the end was a large subterranean stone chamber, with another set of stairs leading upwards, suggesting an alternate exit.

Li You Ran slowly ascended the stone steps. A moment later, the dense sound of rain grew louder, closer, until it seemed to brush against the very ground. Li You Ran's figure emerged into a small, separate, hidden courtyard.

"You Ran, have you any news of the Xuan Dan? In the small courtyard were ten people dressed in white, garments as pristine as snow—some male, some female. The one who spoke first was the central figure, a man in his early forties, robust, with eyes like lightning and an exceedingly calm demeanor. His tone carried a distinct air of superiority. Behind him stood a woman around thirty; the others were seated on either side. The man who had assisted Li You Ran in eliminating witnesses some time ago was also among them, positioned third from the left.

"Replying to Senior Brother First," Li You Ran bowed respectfully. "There is still no news so far. However, Junior Brother has already cast a wide net; no corner will be missed. Once this treasure manifests, we will know immediately! But what requires attention now is the rumor that people from Feng Xue Yin Cheng have arrived, and Shi Chang Xiao himself has come. As far as we know, Tian Ben City now harbors no less than four Supreme Xuan experts, with countless Tian Xuan masters flocking from various regions—a true convergence of power. If the Xuan Dan appears, and various factions strive to seize it, our chances of outright victory are not great; we may not claim the top spot!"

"In terms of individual prowess, perhaps we are a step behind since Master has not arrived. But in terms of overall strength—we have six Tian Xuan and four Earth Xuan peak experts—should we truly fear them? We merely need to secure the Xuan Dan the instant it appears, hold the others back, and have one person escape at full speed. Even if Yun Bie Chen himself appeared, we could delay him for a while!" The middle-aged man was highly self-assured, stating gently, "Junior Brother Li need not worry on this account."

"Yes, everything rests upon my Senior Brothers and Sisters," Li You Ran smiled. "However, regarding that previous incident, I always felt the detonation of that Jade Coral was somewhat strange. Could I ask Sixth Senior Brother to pay attention to Sheng Bao Tang and any related individuals for me?"

A thin man smiled faintly. "A trivial matter, Junior Brother may speak freely. As for 'related individuals,' are they all those specific people? Sixth Senior Brother's Xuan Qi cultivation might not be the highest, but when it comes to tracking and reconnaissance, this Senior Brother boasts he is second to none!" This person was the best among Li You Ran's ten fellow disciples when it came to agility and the art of stealth and intelligence gathering.

"Besides Sheng Bao Tang, there are also Tang Yuan and Jun Mo Xie; both are currently at the Jun family residence. Tang Yuan is injured now, so he might be slightly less guarded, but the main focus should be Jun Mo Xie. I always sense that young man is rather peculiar," Li You Ran's masked face seemed deep in thought. "Ultimately, both locations are heavily fortified. Sixth Senior Brother must be extremely cautious; do not let your guard down for an instant."

"Rest assured, do you not trust your Sixth Senior Brother's movement techniques? His shadowing skills are so subtle that even I cannot detect them, and Master himself has praised them highly," the First Senior Brother chuckled, though he shot the Sixth Senior Brother a sharp glare.

The woman behind them giggled, "Senior Brother First is recalling that disgraceful..."

The First Senior Brother snorted twice. "What disgrace? Probably some low-class trick unfit for polite company. That day, Master told me to retrieve the Flying Heaven Scroll. I went eagerly, only for this fellow to silently stick a drawing of a turtle onto my back! I didn't notice a thing..."

Everyone burst into laughter. Li You Ran also couldn't help but smile faintly. "Since even Senior Brother First couldn't detect it, I doubt many under the heavens could. With Sixth Senior Brother assisting, I have nothing left to worry about."

Just then, a string of small bells hanging in the corner of the room chimed clearly.

Li You Ran's expression changed. This string of bells was connected to the main residence; it would never ring rashly unless there was an urgent matter! Could something unforeseen, or something beyond their current capacity to handle, have occurred?

"Please, Senior Brothers, remain seated for a moment. I will return shortly. Given the downpour, I doubt anything serious could have happened," Li You Ran said calmly.

"Junior Brother, please, we are all family here; there's no need for such ceremony. Just ensure you don't delay important business," the middle-aged man in white said with a slight smile as he saw him off.

A moment later, Li You Ran shot up from the underground passage with extreme speed. Before anyone could speak, he urgently declared, "The aura of the Xuan Dan has appeared, it is in the West City! The intelligence is accurate and without error. A large contingent of masters will converge on the West City shortly!"

In the past five years, the usually composed and unflappable Li You Ran was speaking with such rushed urgency for the first time!

The ten people heard this and simultaneously rose with a roar! The First Senior Brother's expression turned stern, and he waved his hand decisively: "Everyone mobilize, to West City!" Ten figures shot out like arrows into the wind and rain, flashes of blue light and yellow aura moving rapidly, vanishing in a blink. In mere moments, they were entirely gone from sight.

Li You Ran stood heavily before the stairs, gazing into the misty expanse between heaven and earth, feeling, for some inexplicable reason, a strange tightness in his chest.

West City.

Inside an extraordinarily dilapidated small house, Young Master Jun, disguised and wearing a face covering, stood before a dust-covered table upon which rested a dark, unremarkable Xuan Dan.

This was, naturally, not the Grade Nine Xuan Dan obtained by chance; it was the Grade Six Xuan Dan Jun Wu Yi had given him that day. While certainly a rare item, it was not so precious that any moderately powerful family couldn't acquire one.

The Great Assassin Jun had spoken grandly of vowing to defend the Jun family's honor to the death. Truthfully, this involved a significant degree of impulsive fervor. As an excellent assassin, he deeply understood the primary rule: a gentleman does not stand under a collapsing wall; survival is paramount. To be frank, despite his audacious courage, the Great Assassin Jun felt a flutter of apprehension facing the peak terrifying power of Blood Soul Manor.

After all, the power behind Blood Soul Manor was Li Jue Tian, acknowledged across the continent as the second strongest among the Divine Xuan Supremes. Facing such an enemy without the strength to counter him was nothing short of self-deception to claim fearlessness.

However, when the moment arrived, fear and terror were meaningless concerns. The Great Assassin Jun would not dwell on such pointless matters; what truly needed consideration was how to resolve the problem!

Ultimately, the Jun family had already provoked Feng Xue Yin Cheng, a faction whose power was not inferior to Blood Soul Manor. If they couldn't handle one, adding another would hardly make a difference. The worst outcome was simply... this!

When debts pile up, one stops worrying about the interest; when lice multiply, they cease to itch! Damn it all, at worst, it would be total mutual destruction!

Jun Mo Xie was undoubtedly passionate and unable to tolerate such humiliation, but the disparity in strength between the two sides was undeniable. Since direct confrontation was impossible, he needed stratagem! But where would stratagem come from?

Neither of these two great enemies could be dealt with using conventional means. After several rounds of deliberation, the Great Assassin Jun settled on a strategy that was currently vague but feasible for the immediate phase...

After studying that Grade Nine Xuan Dan multiple times, Jun Mo Xie discovered that the unique True Qi generated by his Heaven Opening Creation Art could perfectly mimic its aura for a short period! From that day on, Jun Mo Xie had set his sights on this idea.

After acquiring the Grade Six Xuan Dan, Jun Mo Xie experimented repeatedly until he finally gained certainty. Of course, the original Grade Six Xuan Dan he had manipulated had been rendered a monstrosity. Judging by its external appearance alone, no one could discern what kind of Xuan Beast it originated from; even the energy within had been thoroughly scrambled by the Heaven Opening Creation Art, rendering it completely useless.

Jun Mo Xie had initially planned to stabilize the situation for a few days, wait until Fatty Tang's injuries improved slightly, and then initiate the auction to stir up a bidding war, profiting from the ensuing chaos. But now, with the Blood Soul Manor affair erupting, he immediately changed his mind.

The Great Assassin Jun decided to officially launch this plan ahead of schedule!

Time was short; there was no room for delay!

He had to, in the shortest possible time, enhance Old Master Jun's strength and that of Third Uncle Jun Wu Yi, or there might be no chance of self-preservation amidst this grim situation! Only hard fists offered the greatest logic!

If Feng Xue Yin Cheng were not so powerful, how could they have ravaged the Jun family and toyed with Jun Wu Yi for ten years? If Blood Soul Manor were not so overwhelmingly strong, how could the Jun and Guan families find themselves so constrained, struggling to advance or retreat?