"Island Master Tie. You seem to hate me?" Teng Qingshan allowed a cold smile to bloom, "That's understandable. The thousand-year foundation of your Qinghu Island has been destroyed because of me. I burned down Qinghu Island, and now, my Guiyuan Sect is set to unify all of Yangzhou. Your hatred for me is indeed justifiable, perfectly justifiable!!!"

"What, is even hatred forbidden?" Tie Pan sneered back. At this juncture, why would he ever yield or beg for mercy?

A fierce glint flashed in Teng Qingshan's eyes: "Of course not. I too hate your Qinghu Island. In the past, my hatred was so intense I almost wished to devour Gu Yong's flesh and drink his blood."

"I very much wish to devour your flesh and drink your blood!!!" Tie Pan glared coldly at Teng Qingshan.

Teng Qingshan merely cracked a grin, "I understand. This is the way of the world!"

"To hate someone, one must possess sufficient strength to inflict pain upon the enemy. Without adequate power, you are merely an ant in your enemy's eyes—not even worth being noticed." Teng Qingshan gazed at Tie Pan, "In my early days, I was likely just an ant in the eyes of the Blind Sword Saint. You, now, are likewise just an ant in mine."

"When your Qinghu Island dominated Yangzhou, you committed countless atrocities! Over a thousand years, countless people must have wished to flatten Qinghu Island, to burn it to the ground. But because Qinghu Island was strong enough, no one could ever take revenge." Teng Qingshan sneered, "Hatred is a power, a force that drives one to strive relentlessly!"

"For a thousand years, no one could extinguish Qinghu Island. But, I succeeded!"

"Without the hatred for your Qinghu Island, I, Teng Qingshan, likely wouldn't have progressed so rapidly, nor would I have dared to slacken my continuous, arduous cultivation even for a moment." Teng Qingshan recalled the ceaseless training of these years; there wasn't a single day he dared to relax. Why? Wasn't it because the mighty mountain that was Qinghu Island constantly weighed upon him?

After finishing, Teng Qingshan walked over to a nearby chair and calmly sat down.

"You're not killing me?" Tie Pan frowned.

"So eager for death?" Teng Qingshan glanced at him, then nonchalantly retrieved the two halves of the Reincarnation Spear from the quiver on his back and began leisurely reassembling it.

Tie Pan maintained a calm exterior, but anxiety churned within: My Ancestor is beneath the ground. If this Teng Qingshan discovers him, it will be disastrous! Although Ancestor isn't afraid of Teng Qingshan, he surely isn't alone. There must be fierce demonic beasts accompanying him. Thinking this, Tie Pan still managed a cold laugh, "Teng Qingshan, if you don't capture me, I'll just leave then."

With that, Tie Pan started moving toward the exit.

"Bang!" A shadow of the spear swept across.

Tie Pan intended to dodge, but the very thought of 'dodging' had barely formed in his mind, and before his body could even move, whoosh, he was struck behind the knee by the spear shaft, instantly collapsing onto the ground involuntarily.

"Don't rush. I haven't permitted you to leave. You had better not step out of this study, or you will suffer the consequences," Teng Qingshan said coolly, still seated in the chair.

Tie Pan turned to glare furiously at Teng Qingshan, mocking him in a cold voice, "Is this what a Void Realm expert looks like? A peerless figure comparable to the Four Great Supremes? Hmph, what a disgrace, tarnishing the reputation of Void Realm masters. You only bully a mere Innate realm martial artist like me. If you have the guts, kill me outright!" Tie Pan relentlessly goaded Teng Qingshan.

He knew clearly that his Ancestor, the 'Blind Sword Saint,' was underground.

If he could truly enrage Teng Qingshan, causing the latter to kill him in a fit of pique, Teng Qingshan might very well leave immediately.

"Let me guess, what is the purpose behind you provoking me so fiercely?" Teng Qingshan sat smiling, picking up a teacup from the desk, "If I'm not mistaken, that old blind man, Tie, must have a very close connection with you, right? Hiding away every day and occasionally receiving updates from you, correct?"

Tie Pan's heart jolted.

Seeing Tie Pan maintain his cold smile, Teng Qingshan couldn't help but laugh, "Stop pretending. I'll tell you frankly: I am here waiting for that Blind Tie to show up." According to Teng Qingshan's deduction, this Blind Tie must be hidden in an extremely secret location, likely contacting Tie Pan only once every few days, or perhaps daily.

Therefore, the dullest but most direct way to find Blind Tie was—to wait for the hare!

"Sit quietly there. After Blind Tie arrives, I might show some mercy and grant you a swift passage. That way you won't suffer, and I'll be done easily," Teng Qingshan stated flatly. This casual tone only intensified Tie Pan's anxiety, while simultaneously sparking deep suspicion... How could a young man of only twenty-two years, who had spent most of his life in isolated cultivation, possess such a mature, cold demeanor and such meticulous thought processes?

He had no idea that in his past life, Teng Qingshan had undergone extensive training. While not a strategist assassin, he certainly wasn't like many figures on the Jiuzhou Continent who focused solely on killing and cultivation, often being crude and heavy-handed in matters of character and planning.

"Ancestor!!! Hurry and leave!!!"

Suddenly, Tie Pan roared within the study. His full power as an Innate Golden Core realm expert erupted. The terrifying shout caused visible vibrations in the air, even making several pieces of paper in the study explode with a peng sound. The teacup in Teng Qingshan's hand also shattered, as the terrifying sound waves spread wildly.

This shout was so abrupt, so fierce, so intense! Tie Pan was exerting his absolute limit.

"Leave!!!" The trailing echo of the shout was clearly cracked. A trace of blood appeared at the corner of Tie Pan's mouth. This ultimate roar had inflicted damage upon his throat, trachea, and surrounding tissues.

... Deep underground.

In a cavern situated within the deeply buried rock strata, the black-robed blind man sat cross-legged. Upon hearing Tie Pan's desperate shout, the black-robed blind man showed no reaction, remaining seated.

... Inside the study.

"Hmm?" Tie Pan frowned slightly.

"Do you find it strange?" Teng Qingshan remained seated, smiling at Tie Pan, "The utmost shout of an Innate Golden Core expert—why didn't it even break the paper of the study window? Why didn't a single person in this estate respond to your roar?"

"You..." Tie Pan's face changed drastically.

Teng Qingshan gave a slight smile, "Tie Pan, just in case, I completely solidified the space of this study the moment I entered! This way, sound cannot travel out. Even if you scream until your throat splits... oh, you already have. Even so, the Black-Robed Blind Man cannot hear it."

Hoo!

Teng Qingshan stood up.

"What are you doing?" Tie Pan's mind descended into chaos.

"I should thank you, too," Teng Qingshan grinned at Tie Pan, "Because of your shout, I now realize that Tie Pan must be within a radius of several dozen, maybe a hundred miles! Because of this shout, even though it shredded your throat, the maximum propagation distance could only reach about a hundred miles. Therefore, Tie Pan is within a hundred miles!"

"You—" Tie Pan's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Teng Qingshan's reaction to be so swift.

"To prevent you from causing further trouble and alerting that Blind Man, I need to employ some measures. So, my apologies," Teng Qingshan walked forward with a smile, but his gaze was cold and utterly unwavering. The Reincarnation Spear shaft flickered like an illusion; Tie Pan couldn't evade it and was struck squarely in the abdomen.

Peng!

Tie Pan's body convulsed violently, his face turning deathly pale, a trickle of blood escaping his lips. His Dantian had been shattered.

"Now, you will accompany me to meet that blind man, Tie Wu," Teng Qingshan seized the crippled Tie Pan. Under the crushing pressure of the mighty Heavenly Force, the already ruined Tie Pan could not move an inch. Teng Qingshan walked directly out of the study, his figure flashing as he vanished past the doorway.

Teng Qingshan held the Reincarnation Spear in one hand and gripped Tie Pan with the other, leaping onto the back of the Undying Phoenix that was rapidly diving downwards.

"Below," Teng Qingshan aimed the tip of the Reincarnation Spear downward.

It was clear that his systematic search had yielded nothing for Tie Wu. Moreover, Tie Pan's desperate shout indicated that Tie Wu was certainly within a hundred miles. In that case, there was only one location—under the earth! In truth, Tie Pan hadn't had much choice; if he hadn't shouted, Teng Qingshan would have waited a while longer, and the Blind Sword Saint would have arrived by nightfall. Teng Qingshan would have discovered the Blind Sword Saint through his domain field regardless.

"Sizzle~~"

The Undying Phoenix, enveloped in layers of flame—white on the surface, black within—dove ceaselessly beneath the ground. Under the power of the white and black flames, even the hardest bedrock instantly disintegrated into dust. The speed of the Undying Phoenix underground was terrifyingly fast.

"Hmm? Stop!" Teng Qingshan instantly detected a familiar, massive aura concealed about thirty-four miles deep in the earth to his left.

This aura was as if condensed from streaks of black, fierce light—powerful yet restrained. It was the Blind Sword Saint—Tie Wu!

Swish!

The Undying Phoenix, 'Xiao Qing,' rushed over without hesitation.

... The Blind Sword Saint, seated cross-legged beneath the earth, holding a thin iron rod, suddenly sensed two powerful Void Realm auras encroaching upon his domain.

"Not good, it's Jing Yi!"

Subconsciously, the Blind Sword Saint still remembered the identity of Jing Yi. Without the slightest hesitation, the Blind Sword Saint immediately rocketed diagonally upward.

"Teng Qingshan actually came. The other Void Realm aura, so scorching hot like fire—it must be the legendary Undying Phoenix. However—this soul aura, while strong, isn't as potent as I imagined. It's far weaker than that Demonic Dragon from Mount Dayan." The Blind Sword Saint harbored doubts even as he fled.

In his expectations...

The legendary entity, the 'Undying Phoenix,' should be among the peak existences of Void Realm demonic beasts. Even if not stronger than the Demonic Dragon 'Zi Xi,' it should logically be close. Yet, the current sensation indicated it was significantly weaker, closer perhaps only to the level of a peak human Void Realm master like himself.

The strength of a soul aura, to a certain extent, reflected one's true power.

"Tie Wu, you might as well stop running. You can't escape!" Teng Qingshan's voice reached the Blind Sword Saint's ears.

The distance between them rapidly closed.

"Too fast, too fast," the Blind Sword Saint’s expression grew grim.

Bang! Bang!

The moment the Blind Sword Saint burst from the earth's surface, the Undying Phoenix, carrying Teng Qingshan, erupted from the ground almost simultaneously.

"Hmm?"

The Blind Sword Saint paused, looking ahead where a massive divine bird, bathed in flames, hovered. Its feathers were entirely fire-red—it was indeed the legendary Undying Phoenix. Upon its back stood a youth in white robes, holding a red-tasseled long spear. In his other hand, he carried a person—the Island Master of Qinghu Island, 'Tie Pan.'

"Tie Wu, the grievances between you and me, the feud between your Qinghu Island and me, Teng Qingshan, ends here!" Teng Qingshan's voice rang out.