The villa's main hall was completely visible, offering no obstructions, and it was exceedingly spacious. There was none of the dazzling brilliance of ostentatious splendor, nor the flaw of overly luxurious or exaggerated decorations. This Western-style villa design, which Yang Yi favored, was truly all about the taste displayed in the furniture, the arrangement, and the lighting fixtures.

After Yang Yi uttered those words, Fatty Lin and the others fell silent. It seemed that Yang Yi’s demeanor, his movements, and even his speech now exuded an aura that was impossible to fathom. However, Ye Xiaohou remained somewhat anxious, and he asked with apprehension, "Boss, the Eight Great Families of Huaxia, the Four Great Sects, and the Four Great Military Regions—they are all keeping a close watch on Shanghai. If they catch wind of your intentions, perhaps..."

Yang Yi felt that at times he might be overly confident, believing his mastery over the situation was flawless. But after reading his grandfather's letter, he finally understood that he truly needed to become a person of "Six Paths, Unfeeling" () if he was to achieve anything great.

"Heh heh—if they knew, that would save me a good deal of trouble. But if they don't know, it might just waste more of my time," Yang Yi chuckled with a mysterious air, glancing at the confused faces of Fatty Lin and the others. He continued, "Some things must be done covertly; doing them openly might actually make them more believable!"

"Could it be, Brother Yi, that you intend to use their hands to seize control of the entire strategic layout of Shanghai?" Fatty Lin was stunned. Was this still the same Brother Yi who used to sneak a peek at girls bathing with him? Every move he made now seemed so insidious.

"Fatty, it seems you've learned a lot these past two months, to figure that out so quickly." Yang Yi dismissed Fatty Lin's internal thoughts, walked a few paces, and then spoke, "The Green Gang undoubtedly views us as a thorn in their side because of the Yamakuchi-gumi incident. While they haven't struck yet, I don't think it will be long. The Dragon Gang has always been eyeing the southern territories. As for the Crown Prince Party, whether they have ambitions to dominate the national underworld, I’m not sure. But both the Green Gang and the Dragon Gang have ties to the Eight Great Families of Huaxia, so I must proceed this way!"

"Indeed, sometimes taking something directly in front of people feels more satisfying and straightforward than taking it from behind them!" Ye Xiaohou seemed to grasp Yang Yi's thinking immediately. Though he admired Yang Yi to the point of prostration, he simultaneously found it hard to believe this was the Yang Yi he once knew.

A king radiating chilling intent, showcasing cunning methods, and reveling in manipulating the entire situation—"Unnamed" ()... these all defined the actions of a true warlord. Had he truly become one? Could the realm of a warlord change a person so profoundly?

"Young Master, dinner is ready," Feng Shi announced, approaching them.

"Mm, eat. It's not the right time for these matters; don't dwell on them now. Let's focus on reporting to school tomorrow!" Yang Yi smiled slightly and walked toward the table already set with food.

Meanwhile, somewhere else, a man with his right hand covered in plaster and bandages stood with his head bowed in extreme deference, even trembling slightly, speaking to a youth. The youth, however, wore a face entirely covered in a cold, mesmerizingly bloodthirsty smile—a smile forged only after years of wading through carnage. This youth seemed anything but simple.

"Waste, good-for-nothing! You couldn't even keep track of a few people!" Though a cold smile played on the youth's lips, a frigid glare flashed in his eyes.

The plastered and bandaged man was none other than the stout fellow who had earlier tried to rob Yang Yi and his group. Upon hearing the youth's words, he trembled uncontrollably and hastily stammered, "I apologize, I apologize, it was my incompetence..."

"Hiss!" Before he could finish, a chillingly sharp glint appeared, and a strangely curved crescent blade sliced off the entire head of the trembling, stout man. Blood sprayed out as the man's body collapsed onto the floor. Where he had stood, a middle-aged man eerily materialized—half his face grotesquely scarred, the other half obscured by a black strip of cloth, radiating palpable killing intent.

"Pah!" The youth spat fiercely at the corpse on the ground, cursing, "If I had known you useless sack of meat was so ineffective, I should have used my own men."

It turned out that the stout man's actions toward Yang Yi and his group that day had been deliberate, which explained why he had spoken so boldly when his hand was crippled. But now, he wouldn't get a chance for revenge; he was just a corpse. The only mystery remained: who exactly was this youth, and why was this man, who seemed to follow his orders, now executed? It was deeply suspicious.

"Young Master, shall I remove his head?" the middle-aged man in black asked, his eyes narrowed coldly.

"Hmph, no need! For now, let the assassins go play with him. I want to see if he's as formidable as the legends claim. Heh heh!" the youth sneered sinisterly, then commanded, "Go, send a few assassins to tease him. Inform me immediately if there are any unusual developments!"

"Yes! Young Master!" The middle-aged man in black acknowledged, and his figure vanished into the pitch-black night alongside the youth. What remained was the terrifyingly gruesome sight of a severed head and body, separated.

At that moment, Yang Yi sat alone on the sofa in the hall, eyes slightly closed, deep in thought. He suddenly appeared exceptionally solitary and quiet. Were it not for the faint, dangerous aura emanating from him, one might think he had fallen asleep.

"Young Master!" Feng Shi approached, setting down a cup of coffee, and called out softly.

Yang Yi slowly opened his eyes. For some unknown reason, a strange, captivating gleam flashed within them. He exhaled deeply, picked up the coffee cup, and took a sip. "How are the six of them now?"

"Following the method you used, Young Master, the poisons left on their bodies have been largely cleared. And after resting these past few days, they have completely recovered!" Feng Shi replied.

"Mm, that's good."

"Young Master, do you wish to see them? They are very eager to see you!"

"Heh heh. The Control Drug is a poison that destroys nerve cells. Now that the six of them are well, that means they won't remember what happened before, correct?"

"Yes!"

Yang Yi pondered for a moment, then asked, "Yanran, what do you think of those six?"

"Uh!" Feng Shi didn't understand why Yang Yi would ask this, but seeing his calm expression, she finally spoke, "Those six are very strong. If they could be brought under your command, they would certainly be excellent assets. However, they are troublesome people."

"Are you referring to the Huaxia Dragon Ranking?" Yang Yi asked, a cold smile touching his lips.

"Yes. All six of them ranked within the top six of the Huaxia Dragon Ranking—Tien Five to Tien Ten! If others knew that Young Master had gathered them, it would likely invite a great deal of trouble."

"On the Huaxia Dragon Ranking, I encountered six Grandmaster-level experts and one Super-expert at the Small Grandmaster level, who was ranked second. There were three other experts whose strength was probably even greater. Gathering these six will bring me more than just a little trouble; the real question is what purpose those six will serve me!"

Yang Yi knew clearly that recruiting these six young masters from the Huaxia Dragon Ranking would invite significant complications. Who knew if the remaining Dragon Ranking experts were connected to those six? If they were, and a supreme expert suddenly appeared, Yang Yi wouldn't be able to handle it easily. But his concern wasn't about those matters; he was preoccupied with how to handle these six Dragon Ranking masters who, due to the Control Drug, were now recovered but had lost a significant portion of their memories.

"Sigh—!" Yang Yi sighed mournfully, fully aware of the crux of the issue. He rubbed his forehead and continued pondering. After about two minutes, a sudden flash of insight struck his mind. "How could I forget this?"

"What is it, Young Master?" Feng Shi asked, noticing Yang Yi's sudden look of realization.

"Since I must be Six Paths, Unfeeling, and the Calamity of All Beings, then let there be Reincarnation and Salvation, the beginning of the Six Paths!" Yang Yi secretly chided himself for forgetting something he had already planned. He immediately called out to Feng Shi, "Summon those six to see me immediately!"

"Yes! Young Master!" Feng Shi responded, pulling out a phone, dialing a number, speaking just a single sentence, and hanging up.

In less than three minutes, a chilling, cold wind swept through, and six figures appeared with uncanny speed. The moment they manifested, their eyes, sharp as lightning, were fixed rigidly on Yang Yi.

"He is the one who saved you and freed you from misery. Hurry and greet the Dragon Lord!" Feng Shi commanded the six, showing no apparent concern for their strength.

This confidence stemmed entirely from the fact that these six were originally hermits. If they hadn't been deceived by some method employed by Miyamoto Taro, they would have been no different from people in ancient times. Hearing Feng Shi, the six youths immediately adopted a respectful bearing, cupping their fists toward Yang Yi. "We greet the Dragon Lord!"

"Enough, no need for ceremony!" Yang Yi stood up, waving his hand dismissively. He scrutinized the six with narrowed eyes. "I won't waste words. I only have one question for you: are you willing to follow me?"

"Follow you?" The six glanced at Yang Yi, then at themselves, then exchanged glances. In an instant, they seemed to have made up their minds, shouting in unison, "You pulled us up from the mire; we repay kindness with gratitude. Since you ask us to follow you, we shall obey without question!"

"Good. Starting today, you six are no longer experts of the Huaxia Dragon Ranking. I have assigned you a title. Six Paths, Unfeeling; Calamity of All Beings; Reincarnation and Salvation; Beginning of the Six Paths. From now on, you shall be known as the Six Paths of Reincarnation, from greatest to smallest. You should understand the meaning of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, correct?" Yang Yi spoke, suppressing an inexplicable surge of excitement.

"Yes!!!" The six responded, then immediately knelt down, crying out in unison, "We... Heaven, Asura, Animal, Hungry Ghost, Hell, Six Paths of Reincarnation, salute the Dragon Lord!"

"Good, rise," Yang Yi said, spirited and thrilled. He had never expected to enlist Dragon Ranking experts as his subordinates. But in that very instant, he frowned suddenly, sensing something. A cold sneer touched his heart. "The aura of these people is so frigid. Assassins? Perfect. It's time for my newly formed Six Paths of Reincarnation to see some blood!"