"You six, step aside!" Yang Yi didn't respond to the newcomer, merely addressing the Six Paths of Reincarnation who had suddenly appeared beside him, looking wary.

"Yes, Dragon Lord!" Although awestruck, the six dared not disobey Yang Yi's command. They retreated to the side, watching the newcomer with unconcealed confusion.

Yang Yi rose, walked up to the approaching figure, and suddenly knelt down. "Grandfather, long time no see."

"You rascal, why such a grand gesture? Get up!" The newcomer was unmistakably Yang Yi's grandfather, Yang Yitian.

"Feng Shi pays respects to the Old Dragon Lord!" Feng Shi knelt halfway, his expression filled with restrained excitement.

"Heh heh, everyone rise. I'm not some high official or noble, no need for such ceremony!" Old Yang smiled faintly, took a deep breath, and said, "Yi'er, that is truly top-grade Longjing."

"En, come, Grandfather, have a seat!" Yang Yi stood up, smiling warmly at his grandfather.

"Good!" Old Yang smiled faintly, sat on the sofa, and deliberately picked up the teacup. He inhaled the aroma lightly, sighing, "What an exquisite fragrance!"

"Grandfather, why the sudden visit today?" Yang Yi knew in his heart that his grandfather's unexpected appearance must signify something important.

Two years... Indeed, two years. This elder, who held multiple identities and was a legendary powerhouse, was seeking out Yang Yi today. It must be for something truly urgent; otherwise, why hadn't he appeared in those two years when he hadn't sought Yang Yi out?

"No rush, no rush!" Old Yang took a sip of tea, closing his eyes slightly, appearing to savor it, or perhaps lost in deep thought.

After a long moment, he finally spoke, "Tell me first, how do you plan to handle the underworld of Huaxia?"

"Uh!" Yang Yi was momentarily stunned, his brow furrowing. After a brief pause, he seemed to grasp something and smiled. "The current state of the underworld is settled. A tripartite division is inevitable!"

"A tripartite division?" Old Yang’s eyes snapped open, a sharp light flashing within them. "What do you mean by a tripartite division?"

"While I certainly intend to dominate the underworld nationally and even globally, this tripartite division concerns three spheres!" Yang Yi smiled faintly, glancing at his grandfather who was now watching him intently. "One part for the underworld, a second for the state, and the third for the world!"

"You brat, why are you dragging things so far afield!" Old Yang shot him an impatient look. Despite his tone, his heart was filled with surprise. "I want to know how you plan to attack the Huaxia underworld? To be blunt, when do you plan to unify the national underworld!"

"It's not that simple. The Black God Gang's influence hasn't reached the required standard yet!" Yang Yi stammered, feeling his grandfather overestimated him by immediately asking when he planned to rule the national underworld. Was this some kind of cosmic joke?

"Don't hide it from me, boy. Shanghai is indeed a prime location. Once you establish a firm foothold here, the underworld will inevitably face reforms because of you! But have you considered that the current underworld can no longer withstand further upheaval? It will collapse internally sooner or later!"

"Grandfather, what do you mean by that?" Yang Yi frowned.

"Sigh, are you still playing coy with me, kid?" Old Yang feigned annoyance and lightly tapped Yang Yi's head. The surrounding Six Paths of Reincarnation broke out in a cold sweat. They had been close to Yang Yi long enough to know his affairs well; in the current world, perhaps only this old man dared to tap Yang Yi's head.

"Grandfather, that hurt!" Although Yang Yi cried out in pain, his heart was deeply moved. The sense of dependency and respect he'd held for the old man since childhood, along with the playful memories of his youth, all rushed back.

"Hurry up and be direct! Now that you're establishing yourself in Shanghai, how are you dealing with the Huaxia underworld?" Old Yang looked at him disdainfully, knowing exactly how much force he had used.

Yang Yi rubbed his head, then poured a cup of tea for Old Yang before sighing softly. "Alas! The current situation is clear enough: the Green Gang and the Carefree Gate, the Dragon Gang and the Dragon Gate. The Crown Prince faction is even more complex, with influence from the military regions above and family connections below—even the legendary heir of the Ye family is connected to them. Unifying the national underworld will be incredibly difficult, difficult, difficult!"

"The Ye family heir?" Hearing these words, a chill flashed in Old Yang's eyes, immediately perplexing Yang Yi.

"The Ye family has no interest in the underworld; you can rest assured of that."

"Oh?"

"Indeed, the relations in the underworld now are deeply tangled, but surely you aren't hesitating to strike hard because of these difficulties, are you?" Old Yang composed himself and looked at Yang Yi with narrowed eyes.

"Uh!" Yang Yi couldn't help but feel disheartened. In front of his grandfather, everything he thought seemed transparent. "Grandfather, I am currently quite hesitant. Leaving aside the Crown Prince faction, just looking at Southern China, that area alone is a huge problem."

"What are you afraid of? Just because of the forces behind them?" Old Yang seemed to mock slightly. "But you also have a Profound Gate!"

"This..." Yang Yi was speechless. If Old Yang knew even this, he must have been paying close attention to him all along. Yang Yi felt increasingly frustrated.

"Yi'er, didn't my last letter to you explain it? The Six Paths are merciless; all sentient beings face disaster."

"But Grandfather, that would truly result in many deaths. If..." Yang Yi shuddered when he mentioned the letter; he truly didn't want to become that kind of person.

"Those who stand at the pinnacle looking down upon the masses must first temper their hearts and exhaust their wisdom. Which king or emperor today didn't climb to power atop a pile of white bones?" Old Yang understood that Yang Yi, having been an orphan since childhood, fundamentally couldn't commit such cruel acts.

"Even if I were willing, the current situation doesn't permit it. If I directly wiped out the Green Gang, the Carefree Gate would surely emerge in full force!"

"You brat, you haven't changed in two years, and you've already learned how to set traps for me?" Yang Yi was inwardly horrified. He had almost fallen for Yang Yi's ploy. It turned out that Yang Yi only wanted to gauge the true purpose of his visit today; his words were always layered with hidden meaning.

"Uh!" Caught in his scheme, Yang Yi's face flushed slightly, and he smiled. "Heh heh, Grandfather, don't be angry! I was just trying to figure out why you came today!"

"Hmph, I don't care. You must explain clearly to me: did you have this all planned from the very beginning?"

Yang Yi looked at Old Yang, took a deep breath, and said, "Yes, I planned this long ago. Unifying Southern China won't be a problem. By then, let alone the Carefree Gate and Dragon Gate—they won't interfere with me. Although the Green Gang and Dragon Gang are their influence, I also possess a Profound Gate, and my influence already spans the nations of R and Britain."

"Is that so, you brat..." Old Yang was momentarily speechless, but his heart swelled with pride. After all, he had truly grown up, and the ability to fully utilize the forces at his disposal was a fundamental approach. What truly impressed Old Yang was that Yang Yi understood how to use one Profound Gate to counterbalance the other two factions; the methods involved must be astonishing.

"But Grandfather, that Crown Prince faction is a bit troublesome," Yang Yi said with a slight curl of his lip.

For Yang Yi, who had grasped the whole board and was slowly maneuvering piece by piece, unifying the Southern China region was indeed simple; as long as the plan proceeded smoothly, it was only a matter of time.

"The military?" Old Yang raised an eyebrow at the mention.

"Yes, official power has always been the nemesis of our underworld!"

"Heh heh, is that so? Why don't you just say it plainly: you are afraid of the three major military regions joining forces? That Ye family heir will take the opportunity to interfere, and perhaps even the Eight Great Families of Huaxia will get involved?"

"Uh!" Yang Yi’s face showed clear discomfort as Old Yang hit the nail on the head.

"Sigh!" Old Yang sighed softly. "Actually, that is why I came. You, my boy, still have a long way to go."

"Heh heh!" Yang Yi offered a smile. In front of his grandfather, Yang Yi always felt he hadn't surpassed him yet. Although others might see him as having already done so, in Yang Yi's eyes, he was still far behind.

"Yi'er, go forth and act without restraint. The affairs of the current Huaxia underworld have reached an impasse. Neither the Four Great Factions nor the Eight Great Families of Huaxia, nor even the military, can interfere," Old Yang said, his eyes fixed on Yang Yi.

"How so?" Yang Yi asked, truly confused.

"The strictures of the Four Great Factions, the rules of the Eight Great Families, and the checks and balances within the military!" Old Yang didn't spell it out, speaking only in veiled hints.

"Could it be?" Yang Yi seemed to suddenly comprehend something, asking with a look of utter astonishment.

"Yes, I can see from your expression that you understand," Old Yang said, rising and walking towards the doorway. "Since you understand, there is little more I can teach or help you with. How you proceed on your path from here depends entirely on yourself. The world is inherently heartless; why seek sentimentality? You should now be able to unleash your full potential."

"I never thought, I never thought..." Yang Yi's face was a canvas of desolation, sorrow, depth, and coldness. In that instant, he wondered if he truly had to become the person described as 'Six Paths merciless, all sentient beings disaster.'

Because the world was slowly changing because of him, Yang Yi; it seemed everything was shifting...