Though severely wounded and nearing the end of his strength, Lin Hai was, after all, a famous master. Being sneak-attacked from behind, it was naturally impossible for him not to notice.

But strangely, Lin Hai did not evade or block. He merely tilted his head slightly, avoiding a fatal blow, and let the palm strike squarely on his shoulder, emitting a crisp crack—his collarbone was clearly shattered by the impact.

The solid strike shocked everyone, including Shen Yuqing, the attacker. Given what she knew of Lin Hai, he shouldn't have been entirely defenseless even when heavily injured. Thinking he was playing some trick, she inwardly mused: "Is he intentionally taking my blow to find an opportunity to kill me?"

The thought barely formed before she launched herself away, leaping far out before regaining her footing. She stood at a distance, watching Lin Hai warily, gathering her qi. To her surprise, Lin Hai remained motionless, only offering a bitter smile: "Twenty years of friendship, all a sham... I thought I could slowly change you, but not only was that impossible, I ended up sinking even deeper myself."

Ye Wen had only just seen Shen Yuqing suddenly jump onto the stage and strike from behind; his mind hadn't caught up yet, and he almost unleashed the Shao Ze Sword Qi from his left hand out of instinct. However, seeing Shen Yuqing immediately flee after landing the blow, and suspecting something was amiss with Lin Hai’s protective qi, he withdrew that line of sword energy.

But the subsequent situation was utterly baffling. Lin Hai still stood upright, unmoving, yet the expression on his face was complex—a mixture of nostalgia, regret, and a touch of melancholy... "Does this Tianle Gang have some internal secrets?"

Ever since Shen Yuqing made her move, Ye Wen had this feeling; it seemed the Tianle Gang was far from unified! As he pondered this, he suddenly heard Guo Nu's angry roar from below the stage: "Madam Shen, have you gone mad?" In his sudden fury, his internal injuries flared, and he almost spat up blood.

Had it not been for Pei Wei, who was quick-witted enough to immediately circulate his energy to soothe his senior's meridians, Guo Nu might have worsened his injuries from the sheer anger.

Shen Yuqing’s face, veiled to reveal only her eyes, betrayed an unreadable expression. Those eyes, however, were fraught with complexity—ordinary people would instantly get lost gazing into them and dare not maintain eye contact for long. Ye Wen glanced again but detected nothing, so he dared not look further, completely unaware of what this "Madam Shen" intended to do.

The situation on stage shifted again. Pei Wei, having finished helping Guo Nu regulate his qi, immediately leaped onto the stage to stand by his Gang Leader. Just as he was about to inquire, he heard Lin Hai sigh bitterly and say to him: "My time is short; there's no need for such trouble!"

"Gang Leader!" Pei Wei was greatly alarmed. In his haste, he fumbled in his robes for life-saving elixirs to give his leader, but as he looked down, Lin Hai suddenly shouted: "Be careful!"

Before Pei Wei could react, he sensed a sound splitting the air. When he looked up, before he could make any defensive move, he felt a massive boom reverberate through his skull, and then he collapsed to the ground, never to stir again.

Ye Wen and Lin Hai were close enough to see clearly: Pei Wei’s head had been smashed open like a rotten melon. At this point, even someone intimately familiar with him would struggle to recognize him.

Although he held some enmity toward the Tianle Gang, watching Pei Wei die so suddenly before his eyes was deeply unsettling—especially since the death was so abrupt, offering almost no warning. With Ye Wen's level of skill, he only registered a flash of golden light before Pei Wei’s head exploded.

"Who struck that blow?"

He was clueless, but others were not. Lin Hai merely glanced down, seeing a golden bead amidst the scattered gore, and immediately knew who the assailant was.

"Since you've shown yourself, come out!" Lin Hai looked up toward the crowd and said calmly: "I misjudged you back then; I didn't realize your skill was this formidable!"

While the crowd wondered who Lin Hai was addressing, a burst of laughter echoed from the throng—a sound brimming with heroic spirit, utterly unbefitting a cowardly sneak-attacker.

Many people looked around, searching for the source of the laughter. Then, on stage, Ye Wen suddenly waved his hand, casually tossing out a yellowish object, accompanied by a shout: "Hiding your head and tail is irritating; get out here!"

He had employed the Qian Kun Yi Zhi technique, aiming directly into the crowd.

Ye Wen's hidden weapon skill had reached the point of hitting his exact target, and now he didn't fear injuring bystanders. He dared to use a projectile to force the hidden person out, regardless of their position within the mass of people.

As the copper coin flew halfway, a beam of golden light shot out from the crowd. This time, Ye Wen saw clearly: the golden light was also a projectile—a brilliant, dazzling golden bead.

The coin and the bead collided mid-air, sparking a flash of fire. Because the coin was less solid and heavy than the golden bead, it was knocked aside, falling to the ground. The golden bead, however, still retained enough momentum to shoot straight toward Ye Wen’s face.

"A bit of skill, I see!"

But the golden bead was spent after colliding with the coin. As it reached Ye Wen, he casually caught it in his hand. He dared not be careless; he formed a thin wall of Xiantian Ziqi within his palm to prevent any potential poison from the object.

Catching the bead, Ye Wen brought it close to examine it. It was slightly flattened with a hole drilled through the center, through which a string could pass. Based on this shape, it resembled a Buddhist prayer bead. But its flatness reminded Ye Wen of something else.

"An abacus bead?"

At this pronouncement, laughter sounded again from the crowd, and a figure suddenly stepped out from the mass, landing on the stage. Only then did the crowd clearly see the person's face.

The man was about thirty, with a square face, large ears, and an air of prosperity about his features. Yet, his clothes were plain, with almost nothing about him to draw attention, save for the brilliant, golden abacus he held, which was undeniably eye-catching.

Lin Hai was not surprised by this man’s appearance. After a brief look, he said: "Elder Xiao, the journey has been hard on you!"

It turned out that the one who had suddenly appeared on stage was the last of the four great elders of the Tianle Gang—Xiao Ming, known as the one who oversaw all the gang's financial matters.

Lin Hai’s comment about Xiao Ming’s hardship was merely sarcasm directed at the man, who, despite being accustomed to wealth and luxury, was dressed in extreme poverty and had apparently trailed behind them through wind and rain.

Xiao Ming was unconcerned. He merely clasped his hands and stated: "The actions of the Gang Leader today were truly unwise!"

Lin Hai countered: "It was never my true desire. For years, I have suffered immensely. Had it not been for a sliver of lingering concern, I would not have waited until today. Only recently have I truly understood—it was all my own wishful thinking!"

Xiao Ming chuckled: "The Gang Leader is merely infatuated with Madam Shen. If the Leader would repent in time, it is not an impossible matter!"

The two exchanged words, leaving no room for others to interject, until Madam Shen suddenly spoke: "Xiao Ming, my affairs are not for you to decide!"

Xiao Ming was sharply reprimanded but remained unfazed, simply smiling and saying: "Yes, yes! But Madam Shen, can you bear to see twenty years of painstaking effort vanish into nothingness?"

Madam Shen did not reply, but a flicker of hesitation crossed her eyes. It seemed she was considering whether conceding now would negate the planning of the past few years, preventing their efforts from becoming useless.

As she hesitated, a Buddhist chant suddenly sounded from behind her: "Amitabha, this poor monk has a matter to inquire of you benefactors!"

At the sound of the voice, Shen Yuqing jumped, instinctively drifting sideways, shifting two zhang away, while simultaneously turning to focus her vigilance on the Zen Master Huixin, who had appeared on stage without anyone noticing.

However, the moment her movement was revealed, Zen Master Huixin’s eyes sharpened. He uttered again: "Amitabha, I thank this benefactor for clarifying! May I ask how the benefactor is related to Situ Xinlan?"

This statement caused the expressions of several older masters and sect leaders nearby to change drastically. True Master Tianyi immediately used his lightness skill to leap onto the stage, asking his old friend: "Master, are you saying..."

Zen Master Huixin offered no reply, simply waiting for Shen Yuqing to answer. Seeing the situation, Shen Yuqing knew today's affair could not end peacefully. She let out a delicate laugh and declared: "That is my Master!"

This admission caused gasps of shock throughout the assembly.

The expressions of those on stage changed drastically, each for their own reasons. True Master Tianyi and Zen Master Huixin were stunned by the woman's pedigree, while Xiao Ming was displeased that Shen Yuqing had so bluntly admitted her connection.

Only Ye Wen was completely bewildered, wanting to curse: "Speak clearly, you bastards! Stop speaking in riddles!" But at this moment, he couldn't interject, so he could only stand quietly, listening to the others speak to gauge the shifting situation.

Just as he was about to continue playing the role of an irrelevant bystander listening to gossip, Xiao Ming suddenly produced a flute and blew a sharp, piercing note.

As the flute sound rang out, many of the previously hesitant martial arts experts became certain. Even the Nine Sword Immortal, who had been sitting and watching the excitement, frowned and said to his senior brother beside him: "I will go deal with those demons; brother, protect our sect's disciples!"

Saying this, he rose from his seat and strode forward. It seemed as if he took only one step, yet everyone felt the scene blur, and the Nine Sword Immortal had already arrived on stage, stopping precisely in a balanced stance.

"What the hell, is that lightness skill? That's teleportation!"

This display made all martial artists change color. Many who had never witnessed the Nine Sword Immortal's prowess praised: "Truly worthy of being the foremost figure in the Jianghu; this single maneuver is enough to command respect!"

This technique was the lightness skill of his Jade Cave Sect, called 'Shrinking the Ground to an Inch.' The Jade Cave Sect was devoted to Daoist cultivation, and some of their skill names resembled Daoist terminology. However, having reached the Nine Sword Immortal's level, he truly seemed to achieve 'shrinking the ground to an inch.' Since the sect's founding, there had only been him who could perform it to this degree. Even Yu Qingzi could not achieve this level; at most, he could make it appear as if he were walking normally while actually advancing with extreme speed.

The Nine Sword Immortal stepped onto the stage and addressed Xiao Ming, who held the golden abacus: "That girl is Situ Xinlan's disciple; she must be the Saintess of this generation. I wonder what your position is within your cult?"

Xiao Ming swung his abacus and chuckled: "In the sect, I currently serve as the Gold Emissary among the Five Elements Envoys!"

The Nine Sword Immortal glanced at the swinging golden abacus and nodded: "Fitting enough!" With that, he ceased speaking with Xiao Ming, treating him as if he weren't there, and stood quietly.

Xiao Ming had expected the Nine Sword Immortal to exchange words and then fight, and being in his thirties, he felt no fear toward the so-called foremost man in the Jianghu, even harboring a desire to challenge him. But when he had adopted a ready stance for combat, the other party adopted an air of utter disregard, which genuinely angered him.

Glancing at the others, he saw that those old figures all wore grave expressions. He couldn't help but say triumphantly: "Since my Holy Cult is reappearing in the Jianghu today, allow me to give everyone a few surprises!"

With that, without moving his body, he waved his hands repeatedly, unleashing countless golden beads—one aimed at each of the numerous masters present.

Even many sects below the stage were attacked, with at least one bead heading toward each faction. After these few rapid throws, the beads on Xiao Ming’s abacus were entirely depleted. He then used his lightness skill to leap to Shen Yuqing's side: "Madam Shen, let's go!"

Xiao Ming was no fool; the sudden barrage of beads was meant to distract everyone so they could escape. This location was packed with all the elites of the Orthodox Martial Arts world; it was impossible for just him and Shen Yuqing to handle them, even if he had brought reinforcements—they might not withstand the concerted assault of these Orthodox elites.

"Think you can just leave? Not so easily!"

Hearing the voice, Xiao Ming turned back to see Ye Wen of the Shu Mountain Sect. A dazzling purple light shone from Ye Wen's hand, where a strand of purple sword energy hovered, seemingly fixed, as if he were gripping a three-foot-long purple blade, aimed directly at Xiao Ming’s temple from a distance.

Looking closer, he saw that one of the beads he had casually thrown was cleaved in half, lying near Ye Wen’s feet.

It turned out that upon seeing Xiao Ming attack, Ye Wen had casually unleashed his sword energy to slice the bead in two. Seeing Xiao Ming and Shen Yuqing attempt to flee, he immediately spoke up to assert his presence; once those old monsters stepped onto the stage, he felt like an extra in a background scene, completely ignored.

As for the others being attacked by the beads, he wouldn't worry about them; everyone attending this gathering was a master with some skill; a mere golden bead was hardly an insurmountable problem.

Indeed, the golden beads flying everywhere were only troublesome for those of mediocre skill. For those with some ability, dealing with them was no harder than swatting a fly.

The bead flying toward the Nine Sword Immortal stopped about a meter in front of him, suddenly changed direction, and began orbiting him. Faintly, a vortex of air spun around the Nine Sword Immortal, seemingly forming a sphere to protect him in the center.

The bead spun within the airflow for several rotations, slowing down progressively until the air ceased, and the bead dropped to the ground with a soft pat.

True Master Tianyi handled it the simplest way: as the bead approached, he simply reached out and caught it, as effortlessly as catching a small toy tossed by a friend.

Zen Master Huixin remained completely still, not even raising an eyelid as the bead approached. Finally, the bead struck Zen Master Huixin squarely on the forehead with a thud... Zen Master Huixin was unharmed, but the bead flattened, then fell to the ground with another pat.

The others all employed their own methods. Dongfang Yi of the Azure Dragon Society, though slightly injured, was not stumped by such a trinket. As he circulated the Azure Dragon Roar, a loud dragon's cry erupted. The bead began to hover erratically in the air, trembling, and before it even reached the Azure Dragon Society members, it dropped from the sky.

The Shu Mountain Sect members were also unfazed. While the bead was still airborne, Ning Ruxue had already released her sword energy. Finding one slice insufficient, her green sword energy twisted and weaved, cutting the bead into golden dust. Xu Xian merely commented: "Senior Sister still has the energy for such fun..."

As for the Tianshan Sect... this bead, through sheer bad luck, flew straight toward Li Xuan. The Tianshan Sect Leader maintained his overwhelmingly imposing demeanor, remaining motionless, watching the bead slowly approach him, slowing down, and slowing down further. When it was less than an inch from his face, a layer of frost formed over it, and it stopped precisely there.

Li Xuan reached out, took the ice-encased bead, and crushed it between his fingers as easily as cracking a piece of ordinary ice. Shards of ice scattered from between his fingers...

Ye Wen managed to observe all these events while dealing with his own situation. Only then did he truly grasp how powerful these long-revered figures of the Jianghu were. His own feat of splitting a bead with sword energy seemed less astonishing than his junior sister grinding one into powder.

Especially the scene involving Tianshan's Li Xuan—standing perfectly still, waiting for the projectile to strike, only for it to freeze an inch away before being casually crushed—was terrifying. Ye Wen even wondered if his own sword energy could be frozen by Li Xuan’s cold energy.

However, he couldn't dwell on that now. Seeing Xiao Ming attempting to flee, the sword energy condensed on his hand intensified slightly, and with a casual wave, he drew an arc in the air, aiming directly for Xiao Ming's temple acupoint, the Youyang.

Ye Wen’s action seemed to be a signal. Countless figures in black suddenly emerged from the crowds of martial artists watching the spectacle. All wore identical masks and neat attire, clearly indicating they belonged to a single faction. As Ye Wen’s sword energy shot out, a black-clad man leaped onto the stage, attempting to deflect the energy with a broadsword.

"Naive!"

Ye Wen sneered, increasing the force on his hand. The already swift sword energy accelerated further. The man attempting the interception hadn't even managed to swing his blade before the formidable sword energy pierced him through the heart, killing him instantly. There was no saving him.

Simultaneously, the remnant force of the Zixiao Dragon Qi Sword continued toward Xiao Ming! Although Ye Wen hadn't fully grasped the situation, the reactions of the old masters confirmed one thing: this Xiao Ming was definitely a major villain, the kind that the Jianghu rejected and everyone wanted dead.

"Whatever the truth is, I'll kill you first!"