It wasn't long before Elder Yang led the two of them to an open area, where they stood for a moment. Suddenly, a helicopter appeared in the sky. Yang Yi had already been sufficiently astonished, and the sight of the helicopter now merely caused a ripple in his eyes, unable to stir any real shock in his heart.

Boarding the helicopter, they traveled for an unknown number of hours, soaring over countless mountains, until finally landing in a rather desolate spot. After disembarking, Elder Yang and the others followed a small path, walking for about five minutes until they stopped before the mouth of a cave.

“Yi’er, if you wish to raise your power in a short time, this is the only way. Inside this cave, the qi is dense, and it’s so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face. Furthermore, there are many strange monsters inside; they are all ferociously vicious and usually never venture out of this cave. If you can pass through this cave and reach the other end, then you will have succeeded,” Elder Yang stated with a grave expression.

“What kind of cave is this?” Yang Yi inquired.

“This is called the Cave of the Dead. Very few people in Huaxia have been able to pass through here. In the distant past, many challenged this place, but many entered and never returned. You must think this through carefully,” Elder Yang looked at Yang Yi with utmost seriousness.

“Heh heh, having come this far, do you still need to ask me?” Yang Yi smiled calmly.

“Good, very good. Then I shall teach you the martial arts that follow!”

The first day...

When they arrived at the Cave of the Dead, they had not yet begun the trial. After an entire night, Elder Yang imparted the complete Yi Jin Jing to both Yang Yi and Lin Pangzi. At this moment, the two, who had previously felt somewhat misled, finally realized what the martial arts they had been cultivating for the past eighteen years truly were. Although they felt some resentment, it seemed like these matters were no longer of major concern; for now, they needed to commit it to memory and cultivate it diligently.

The second day...

Yang Yi had familiarized himself with the nine layers of profound meaning within the Yi Jin Jing, and Lin Pangzi was the same.

Around noon, Elder Yang led them once more to the entrance of the Cave of the Dead and said, “Although you will enter at the same time, you will not remain together once inside. The profound mysteries and the environment within—even everything and everyone who appears by your side, all things in the world—will manifest as both benevolent and evil. Even conspiracies and schemes will appear. You must fend for yourselves. Grandfather wishes you success.”

Yang Yi said nothing, merely glancing faintly at Lin Pangzi and asking, “Pangzi, why are you participating in this trial? There’s a high chance this is a one-way trip, that you might wander within forever.”

“Brother Yi, although I have helped Grandfather hide things from you, for which I feel deeply ashamed, I, Pangzi, also know what I need to do. If you die, I die; if you live, I live.” Lin Pangzi’s eyes were firm, and his expression was deeply serious.

“Hahahaha!” Yang Yi laughed heartily and walked in. Just as his figure was about to vanish, he turned back and said, “Lin Pangzi, when we manage to get out of here alive, I will show you that I am the monarch who will unify the entire underworld of this nation.”

After Yang Yi finished speaking, he continued to laugh until his figure and laughter completely disappeared. Only then did a faint smile touch Lin Pangzi’s face. He turned to Elder Yang and said, “Grandfather, if I make it out of here, can you promise Fatty one thing?”

“Tell me,” Elder Yang replied, looking at Lin Pangzi. In truth, he knew he had let both these children down by placing his ambitions upon their shoulders from such a young age.

“If I get out and Brother Yi doesn’t, you kill me. If you don’t kill me, I will kill you. And if Brother Yi gets out, and I don’t...!”

“Don’t worry, I believe you two will both return safely,” Elder Yang interrupted before Lin Pangzi could finish.

“I mean in the event of an accident,” Lin Pangzi asked, his eyes gleaming with a cold light.

“I promise you!” Elder Yang agreed, though his heart felt heavy.

Lin Pangzi said no more, walking on and on. As his figure was about to disappear, a single sentence echoed repeatedly: “Remember what you promised. If you violate it, even though you raised me for eighteen years, I will do everything in my power to kill you.”

Brother, what is a brother? Someone who does not abandon you when facing life and death, who thinks only of his brother, possessing a heart and conviction as solid as iron—this is a true brother.

Elder Yang glanced at the Cave of the Dead, a complex expression flashing across his face—was it a smile of sadness, or something else? Before long, yesterday’s helicopter reappeared. Elder Yang boarded it and was then taken to another location.

“Where are the Ten Army Generals?” Elder Yang called out as he sat in a chair within a basement.

“Your subordinate greets the Dragon Lord!”

A group of ten people—six men and four women—stood before him. They were designated Dragon One through Dragon Six, and Phoenix Seven through Phoenix Ten. Among them, Dragon One was the leader, Phoenix Ten was the second in command, and the rest took turns in order, with Phoenix Nine being the youngest.

“Mm, you are all here. The twenty years of dormancy are over. In one month, you will welcome the new Dragon Lord. He will lead you to an immeasurable pinnacle,” Elder Yang stated quietly, observing them.

“Yes, Dragon Lord!” Although they were puzzled, they obeyed promptly. For them, obeying the Dragon Lord’s command was equivalent to their sacred duty.

“Very well, you may withdraw now,” Elder Yang waved his hand.

“Yes!” The Ten Army Generals retreated.

“Hey, hey, Second Sister, did you hear that? The Dragon Lord said there’s a new Dragon Lord! I wonder who the new Dragon Lord is?” Phoenix Nine asked Phoenix Ten.

“How should I know?” Phoenix Ten replied curtly. She hadn't even seen the person, so how could she know?

“No matter who the new Dragon Lord is, he must realize that he needs to demonstrate the strength to conquer us—the Ten Army Generals and the entire Black God Gang—to command our allegiance,” Dragon One finally spoke, as he was the leader of the group. Hearing this, every one of them nodded with firm agreement.

“Master!” Han Zhong suddenly appeared beside Elder Yang and called out.

“Oh, you’re here?” Elder Yang responded upon hearing the voice.

“Master, Young Master...” Han Zhong asked gently.

“Don’t worry. I believe he will succeed. After all, he...”

While Elder Yang and Han Zhong were conversing about something, elsewhere, Yang Yi stepped into the Cave of the Dead. He immediately sensed the constant flux within; the true qi in his body began circulating uncontrollably on its own, and Lin Pangzi faced the exact same phenomenon.

The trial, the Cave of the Dead—many in this world once sought to pass through here, to claim the honor of reaching the peak of martial arts achievement, to forge a self that surpassed yesterday. Today, sealed memories are unlocked, and long-hidden matters slowly begin to unfold. When this aspiring king, who intends to unify the national underworld, and perhaps the entire world’s underworld, emerges from this place, what ripples will he cause, what will he change? We shall wait and see.

..........[Note: Please remember to bookmark this! Your support is the motivation for your little brother. Thank you.] [Brothers, you can shout it out now! A certain virgin has matured! Brothers, don’t you think he should just pounce on whomever he wants now? Hmm, your little brother has thought about it too, but Yang Yi told me he doesn't want to be that vulgar; he needs to have some class. Even if he has several wives, that’s fine, but class is the focus. He said he wants to be an outstanding and tasteful rogue. Therefore, the beauties who come his way from now on must be worth pursuing, ones that give him the urge to pounce! He's matured, yes, matured! Wakahahaha. Follow me and shout: Style unchanged, romanticism reigns supreme! Gahaha—Rise up!]