On a stretch of the official road between Tiannan and Tianxiang lay an unremarkable small town called Ivory Town; the entire settlement housed only a few hundred families. Today, the teahouse just outside the town was unusually lively, as a group of striking, noble-looking men, all clad in white, sat clustered together, their gazes periodically shifting southward.

There were quite a number of them, and what’s more, their attire was uniformly immaculate, every man dressed in snow-white robes. Such a large gathering should have been boisterous, yet every single person’s face was as cold as ice, a sight so chilling that when paired with their snowy garments, it truly seemed capable of freezing a person dead.

The teahouse attendant had offered service only once at the beginning and had not returned since. Firstly, this group had explicitly forbidden any disturbances; secondly, the air these people exhaled felt frigid, making it unwise to provoke them lightly.

This company was, naturally, the seventeen individuals from the Frostwind Silver City: the Divine Profound, Profound Heaven Sword Masters, the Six Elders, along with the insignificant figures of Xiao Han, Mu Xue Tong, Han Yan Meng, and Xiao Feng Wu! This current journey into Tiannan had left the Frostwind Silver City profoundly vexed: the Jun family, and specifically Jun Wuyi, had been perfectly cornered, facing near-certain annihilation. Yet, the situation had ultimately reversed into an auspicious turnaround, leaving them completely unharmed, to the extent that even the Silver City’s might hesitated to make another move.

The primary objective of this expedition had been to deal with the Prairie Eagle God, Ying Bokuang, but they hadn't found a single opportunity from start to finish. To top it all off, an exceedingly mysterious figure in black robes had suddenly emerged, possessing a power so immense it struck terror into the hearts of the Six Elders and the Seven Swords. They feared this mysterious person might seek retribution over the Jun family incident, and they fled in disgrace, not even waiting for matters to fully conclude, planning to transit through Tianxiang and take the route through the Aristocratic Hall, pushing for a forced march back to Silver City.

The happenings along the way had already been relayed to Silver City via urgent carrier falcon. Upon receiving this astonishing news, the high command of Frostwind Silver City immediately sensed an extreme danger brewing within these unusual reports. Since the man in black possessed the strength to instantly execute a Sky-Shattering Supreme with a mere gesture, his terrifying power was readily imaginable!

The Xiao family’s First Elder, Xiao Xingyun, and the Silver City Lord simultaneously issued orders: everyone currently in Tiannan involved with this expedition was to retreat immediately, without further delay! All personnel operating outside of Silver City were to contract, consolidating into a single fist, preparing for any eventuality!

The severity of this command even surpassed the level shown back when Icewind Silver City found itself at a disadvantage against the Eastern Clan. Back then, even while trailing, the Silver City faction retained confidence in their ability to turn the tide! For one thing, the highest echelons of Silver City hadn't been fully mobilized; secondly, the world at large would never stand idly by while the Eastern Assassins wreaked havoc across the continent—and in reality, that was exactly what happened!

But this time, everything was utterly different. The level of terror inspired by that mysterious figure far surpassed anything the Eastern Clan could rival. Moreover, he was not aligned with the entire world; should he genuinely set his sights on Frostwind Silver City, the elders believed other nations, other prominent families, and other great powers would likely stand by as mere spectators, ensuring no one would extend aid to Icewind Silver City as they had previously!

Thus, this command was delivered with the utmost urgency! The shock, tension—and even panic—of Silver City’s highest leadership could be clearly perceived just from the nature of this directive.

Along the road, Xiao Han had been bordering on madness, his eyes bloodshot the entire journey, his mental state teetering on the edge of delirium. The number of innocent lives extinguished by his hand on the road had already surpassed several dozen. It was a lamentable march; watching him continue this way, it seemed unlikely he would even make it back to Silver City before completely losing his mind…

An exceedingly insignificant person had managed to steal his fiancée. For so many years, he, possessing an unparalleled sense of superiority, had grown accustomed to the pleasure of tormenting this weak man. No matter how heroic his demeanor, no matter how unyielding his pride, the strength Xiao Han commanded vastly exceeded his own, and his background was more than ten or eight times more powerful. Naturally, Xiao Han could casually humiliate, toy with, and ravage him at will!

"I, Xiao Han, am a favored son of heaven; what in the world is Luo Jun Wuyi?"

Therefore, Xiao Han had always derived a cruel satisfaction from this situation: You dare steal my woman? I will ensure your family is ruined, your lineage cut off, and your name disgraced for generations—yet you won't even die easily. I will humiliate you piece by piece, playing with you until you perish!

But now, this insignificant cripple, whom he had viewed as someone he could torment and toy with at pleasure, had, in an instant, transformed into an entity he could no longer afford to provoke!

And all of this was solely because of one sudden, mysterious individual—that very mysterious person had changed everything!

This sudden, massive reversal of fortune was akin to a supreme ruler, high in heaven looking down upon the masses, suddenly losing all advantage and plummeting into the suffocating depths of the eighteenth level of hell! Such a staggering blow—how could a man like Xiao Han, whose heart was already narrow and petty, possibly endure it!

Furthermore, among the elders accompanying him, any one of the thirteen seniors present was a Divine Profound level expert, truly a top-tier figure. Their combined strength could almost sweep across the entire mundane continent! Yet, faced with the intimidation of that sudden mysterious figure, such an imposing force dared not step forward for him, nor even harbor the thought of doing so!

So, he went mad. Or perhaps it could be said that a completely broken man had nothing left to think of besides madness.

Precisely because of Xiao Han's collapse and frenzy, Xiao Buyu, the leader of the Silver City contingent on this journey, was reluctantly forced to temporarily halt their progress. This whole affair was a grave loss of face for the otherwise commanding Second Master Xiao, who hadn't suffered such a loss of dignity even when facing the matriarch of the Eastern Clan in the past, whose power surpassed that of his own brother.

Moreover, because he utterly understood what Xiao Han was thinking and hoping for, yet dared not step up to realize his grandson's desires, Xiao Buyu felt a growing sense of guilt toward Xiao Han. If he allowed his grandson to descend into living madness, he would truly have no face left to show anyone.

Thus, the group stopped to rest.

"What is Jun Wuyi? He is merely a wastrel who relies on the power of outsiders to gain temporary glory! What right does he have to compete or contend with me? I am nobler than him; I am superior to him! I should have been the one to crush him beneath my heel for all his life, to play with him at will! He is a small, insignificant cripple, and he always will be!" Xiao Han raved incessantly, the previous composure of a Profound Heaven expert utterly vanished.

No one responded to him, because everyone knew that everything he said was utter nonsense. What is Jun Wuyi? He is the dignified Blood-Clad General, victorious on every battlefield, achieving extraordinary accomplishments at such a young age. Had the meddling elders of the Xiao family not interfered without reason, who knows how much further glory he might have amassed today! Even so, Jun Wuyi, crippled for ten years, remains unbroken—his cultivation reaching the mid-stage of Profound Heaven. What formidable resolve, what perseverance!

And what are you, Xiao Han? Silver City and the Xiao family provided you with the finest cultivation methods, the best training environment, and countless rare elixirs. Yet, even now, you have only reached the initial stage of Profound Heaven. How dare you belittle another man?

"I have decided to engage Jun Wuyi in a decisive battle… as a man whose wife has been stolen," Xiao Han seemed to realize his preceding words lacked any rational support and were hard to sustain. Finally, his eyes red and his body trembling, he looked straight at Xiao Buyu. This single sentence seemed forced from the bottom of his heart, hoarse and low, like the clang of a broken bronze gong.

Perhaps this was the only justifiable claim Xiao Han could muster.

"Regardless of the outcome, regardless of life or death, I must fight him! Jun Wuyi and I absolutely cannot coexist!" Xiao Han was so agitated that his fingers shook. His hair was disheveled, his face pale, and his gaze manic. "If you do not agree, I will go alone! Otherwise, if I die in that wasteland, it is Silver City’s problem! I absolutely will not return like this! I… I have no face to return!"

At this moment, Xiao Han's expression was tragically miserable. The aura of extreme humiliation and suppressed anger was so palpable that even Han Yan Meng, who had never held any affection for him, revealed a flicker of pity in the daylight.

A man whose fiancée was taken away… Although that fiancée had never shown him any genuine feeling, the mutual, willing relinquishing of an engagement was one thing; being forcefully robbed of a beloved was quite another—

Xiao Buyu’s gaze was deep. He exchanged glances with the other elders, and one by one, they slowly nodded.

Xiao Han's decision was becoming difficult to reverse.

They had all walked the martial paths and understood the blood of men. How could they not grasp the situation? Even if they dared not eliminate the Jun family, challenging Jun Wuyi as the victim in a duel for the man who stole his beloved was, in itself, hardly indefensible.

"Wife stolen" had always been Xiao Han’s most sensitive taboo. Throughout Silver City, including the Xiao elders, no one dared utter those words. Now that he had spoken them himself, it showed the depth of his grievance. If they could not fulfill this demand, Xiao Han would likely be tortured to death by his suppressed emotions, or descend into complete madness right then and there.

Thus, the seventeen members of the Frostwind Silver City contingent arrived at the route Jun Wuyi’s army was sure to take to wait for him. Once the army arrived, they would issue the challenge. They were confident that given Jun Wuyi's pride, even if he was disadvantaged and mobility-impaired, he would never refuse such a duel between men.

Let Xiao Han humiliate him for a time, allowing him to vent the frustration choking his spirit. As long as they didn't take his life in the end, that would suffice.

Their group was all highly skilled, and their pace was naturally swift. They had been waiting here for four days, but Jun Wuyi’s army had still not arrived.

However, it was truly their misfortune that not only did they fail to meet Jun Wuyi, but they encountered others instead.

The sun began to set, signaling the end of another day.

The Silver City group was preparing for dinner. This small roadside tea shed had practically been converted into their dining hall since their arrival. Although the Silver City executives appeared aloof and difficult to serve, they were immensely wealthy; the tips casually handed out were enough to cover the shop owner's annual income. Consequently, the owner felt no resentment, but rather immense joy, thanking the heavens for sending cash gods. Furthermore, since the Silver City group insisted on no disturbances, the owner was even happier: do as you please.

Just then, the sound of rhythmic hoofbeats approached from the direction of Tiannan, proceeding at an unhurried pace—two riders, both women.