"How's it going? Junior Brother, did you notice anything?" Huo Zhongguang squatted beside Feng Zikang, watching him feel the bones with his eyes closed, a faint, almost invisible smile playing on his lips. Every time he saw this expression on his Junior Brother’s face, he felt a chill creep down his spine; it meant someone was about to have a run of bad luck.

"To tell the truth, these six Foundation Establishment cultivators are really quite useless," Feng Zikang straightened up and smiled slightly. "If there were enough time, we really could rush straight for the fourth courtyard. It’s a pity. If I could enter the Ninth Central Palace directly, with the power of the Keystone Orb, this secret mansion could be mine. Why bother with mere six Foundation Establishment cultivators?"

The layout of this secret mansion, though seemingly simple, secretly followed the Nine Palaces arrangement. The nine courtyards corresponded to Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, the Central Palace, Xun, Li, Kun, and Dui. However, the original owner had scrambled and inverted the Nine Palaces, placing the Central Palace last, with the other eight palaces arranged sequentially. Anyone holding the Keystone Orb could naturally manipulate everything from the Central Palace. Unfortunately, the owner’s inversion forced Feng Zikang to pass through the palaces one by one. By the time he managed to reach the Central Palace, the original guardian puppets would surely have been destroyed and rendered useless.

"It’s just that the puppets within this secret mansion are too formidable!"

For cultivators of the Demonic Path, creating puppets from living beings or demonic beasts for their use was common. The original master of this demonic mansion seemed to specialize in this craft. In the debris and clothing fragments found in the third courtyard, the Gen Palace, Feng Zikang discovered a unique puppet mark, from which he deciphered a small piece of information. Coincidentally, this method of imprinting puppet marks had evolved from a divine ability within the Formless Heavenly Demon Arts. Although Feng Zikang’s cultivation level was insufficient to wield such a divine ability, he could recognize it. It was a dual brand on both spirit and flesh, ensuring that any puppet suppressed this way would harbor no betrayal. Even after the master’s death, they would faithfully guard the estate to the bitter end, following orders.

Naturally, the stronger the puppet being controlled, the more powerfully this puppet divine ability manifested. The key was that the master had not placed any true guardian puppets in the first three courtyards, only common puppets tasked with household chores. Yet, even these few serving maids and attendants were able to withstand the siege of six Foundation Establishment cultivators. This indicated just how terrifying the strength of the true Heavenly Demon Guardian Puppets must have been!

Feng Zikang marveled inwardly. The Xuan Realm where this demonic mansion was situated had been crumbling for a long time. While these puppets could survive, after so many years, for a mere sweeping puppet to still exhibit the strength of the Foundation Establishment realm—what level of cultivation must the mansion's creator possess?

His heart tightened. Just as he was about to charge into the fourth courtyard, the Zhen Palace, to test the puppets’ capabilities, his mind suddenly sharpened. He let out a wry smile. "This is bad news. They're already here. They arrived much faster than I anticipated!"

Feng Zikang had done his utmost to hurry, but the Iron-Masked Man and the others had moved slightly faster than he had predicted. In the end, he didn't have time to test the mansion's defenses first. He could only conceal himself behind the six of them, waiting for an opportunity.

"Gather!" With a slight wave of his hand, he recalled Long Que and the four Divine Demons. Huo Zhongguang obediently retreated into his Sea of Consciousness. Feng Zikang cast an illusion technique, hiding himself in the shadows, utterly silent.

The Iron-Masked Man used Mirror Souls to open the passage between the two realms, but it was unstable. The six of them worked together to briefly stabilize the entrance before squeezing through just as the Mirror Souls burned out.

"Hah, hah!" Hu Sha and the One-Eyed Scholar were gasping heavily, their faces pale. The Two-Faced Madam smiled wanly, the face on her back set in an even more ferocious scowl; only Zen Master Kong Chan remained outwardly calm, though his chest rose and fell slightly, suggesting he was faring better than the others. Sha Li'er’s condition was also precarious; being the youngest and weakest in cultivation, her hair was disheveled from the sudden transit, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

"Old Iron-Mask! You did this on purpose, didn't you? You intentionally weakened us during the crossing so you could have free rein once we’re inside this secret mansion?" Hu Sha spat to the side and snarled his accusation.

"A joke," the Iron-Masked Man chuckled dryly, then coughed lightly, clearly having sustained significant injury himself. "We spent sixty years just to reach the third courtyard. Don't you think I want to pool everyone's strength for a further breakthrough? Why would I deliberately harm you? There are six more courtyards beyond the third, filled with countless rare treasures, divine abilities, and secret methods. If we fail to obtain them, won't all our efforts be wasted?"

Zen Master Kong Chan pulled back the still indignant Hu Sha and sighed softly. "Patron Hu, there's no need to question him. Mr. Iron-Mask has been utterly consumed with the effort to enter this mansion, willing to do anything. To improve his power, he even sacrificed dozens of his own sons. If he can’t uncover all the secrets of this mansion this time, why would he bear to harm us?"

The secret mansion was fraught with peril. Mere sweeping puppets had kept them stalled for sixty years. Who knew what terrifying things lay further inside! Zen Master Kong Chan’s words were clear: even if the Iron-Masked Man harbored intentions of discarding them later, it would only be after fully exploring the mansion. At the moment of entry, he still required the strength of the other five and certainly wouldn't seek to harm them prematurely. As for fighting over the spoils later—that was another matter entirely.

Hu Sha’s heart chilled. Having been a powerful figure in the East Sea for hundreds of years, he was no fool. The Two-Faced Madam and the One-Eyed Scholar were already subtly allied, forming one faction among the six; the Iron-Masked Man, whose strength surpassed any single one of them, naturally formed another faction; and this monk was clearly extending an olive branch, seeking an alliance with him. Hu Sha had previously been close with Ghost King Tu, but the King had not come this time, sending only a female disciple instead. Although the girl possessed skill, her age put her several steps behind these old demons. Aligning with Zen Master Kong Chan might prove beneficial. However, Zen Master Kong Chan had always held himself in high esteem, his power second only to the Iron-Masked Man among the six, and he typically maintained his own stance, unwilling to form alliances. Why the sudden initiative to show goodwill?

As Hu Sha considered the monk's words, a terrifying realization struck him! "Willing to kill dozens of his own sons..." No wonder he felt the Iron-Masked Man’s demeanor was even more bizarre upon reunion, and his strength increasingly unfathomable. Had he cultivated some terrifying, heretical divine ability? Zen Master Kong Chan had spotted this and knew he was far too weak to confront him alone, hence the need to form an alliance against him?

Feng Zikang was also contemplating that very statement. Hearing Kong Chan’s words, his heart leaped in alarm. Back when he saw the Iron-Masked Man flying on his sword, employing the Starfall Great Extinction Sword Art, propelled purely by a surge of blood energy, he had faintly sensed an inherent malevolence linked to the slaughter of kin. He never expected that this technique required the murder of one's own sons to forge such an emotionless, absolute killing aura to drive the Starfall Great Extinction Steps. While not as naturally fluid as Demonic Qi, it possessed a terrible power...

"So that means..." Liu Yue died at Wang Shang's hands; he must hate him to death..." This sort of evil cultivation method involving the slaughter of kin required killing predetermined individuals under set conditions at set times to achieve the blood sacrifice. Liu Yue, whom he had nurtured for many years, raising him to the second layer of Qi Induction, yet failing to properly restrain him, allowing him to act recklessly—it was clear the Iron-Masked Man had intended him for this blood sacrifice. His untimely death likely ruined his meticulous planning.

Feng Zikang’s guess, even if not entirely accurate, was not far from the truth.

The Iron-Masked Man laughed heartily. "The Master speaks truly. For the past sixty years, I have constantly been thinking of ways to improve my cultivation and force my way into this secret mansion to seize the treasures. Why would I harm you all at such a critical juncture?"

"To be frank, you all saw the souls of my forty-eight unfortunate children within the Mirror Souls just now; that was just something I did casually. Yes, I was using their blood essence to refine a sword technique I acquired in this mansion sixty years ago. Every thirty-six days, I would kill and consume one son. If I consumed forty-nine sons in sequence, this Blood Essence Heart Technique would reach completion..."

"If it weren't for that damned disciple causing trouble, killing my last son and stealing my Secret Mirror..." The Iron-Masked Man smiled grimly, "Then I truly wouldn't need you all. I wouldn't have needed to gather you; I would have entered the mansion on my own. Why would I go to the trouble of bringing you all here?"

He spoke of consuming his sons with a placid tone, as if mentioning an unrelated matter. The other vicious cultivators felt waves of nausea, their faces turning pale. The Iron-Masked Man was laying his cards on the table: he was willing to pay any price to enter the mansion. At this moment, he lacked absolute confidence in his own strength, so he would not casually eliminate his helpers and create more trouble for himself. This was indeed true; if the Iron-Masked Man had the capability and confidence to traverse the Nine Palaces alone, there would have been no need to bring them into the mansion. Even if he intended to silence them later, it would require extra effort.

Yet, his tone carried an implicit threat. His strength was already far superior to everyone else’s, and now he had cultivated this terrifyingly evil divine ability. His message was clear: he would break through the Nine Palaces and uncover the mansion's secrets, no matter what. Anyone who stood in his way—he was willing to kill forty-eight of his own sons... let alone them?

"Uncle Iron-Mask speaks the truth..." Zhu Li'er managed to speak weakly. She had been the most severely injured before entering the mansion and had needed a long time to regulate her breath before speaking. "My Master also commanded me that no matter what, I must follow Uncle Iron-Mask’s lead. Our Uncles' sixty years of painstaking effort must finally yield a result!"

Her words struck a chord with everyone. These were all powerful figures who had spent sixty years—not a short time—for this single secret mansion. Since this was their final chance to enter, they all desired a conclusion. Over these decades, they had all painstakingly cultivated powerful divine abilities they intended to unleash within this mansion.

"Fine! Old Iron-Mask, I, Old Hu, will trust you this once!" Hu Sha gritted his teeth and stamped his foot, indicating temporary belief in the Iron-Masked Man. Zen Master Kong Chan’s eyes flashed coldly, but he nodded silently, agreeing with the consensus. The One-Eyed Scholar and the Two-Faced Madam, who had been supporting each other and remained silent until now, were also assessing the situation. Since everyone had reached an agreement, they naturally concurred—they would investigate the mansion first, regardless of anything else. As for what happened after...

The One-Eyed Scholar calculated grimly. Even if he and the Two-Faced Madam joined forces, they would likely still be the weakest faction among the three. He could only adopt the strategy of temporarily uniting the weak against the strong, waiting for a chance to turn the tables.

The six settled into a subtle division of three factions. The Iron-Masked Man and Zhu Li'er’s side—although Zhu Li’er was a slight drag on their strength—the Iron-Masked Man could likely gain the upper hand even fighting any two of the remaining four opponents single-handedly, making them the undisputed strongest faction. Zen Master Kong Chan had drawn closer to Hu Sha; both were shrewd individuals and temporarily allied, forming the middle-strength faction. As for the One-Eyed Scholar, who had planned to ally from the start, although he had latched onto the Two-Faced Madam’s thigh, these two were still the weakest overall. The face on the back of the Two-Faced Madam’s head was filled with frustrated resentment and venom.

"Everyone should quickly take your pills and recuperate for a while. In a moment, I will tell you how we should proceed after entering the third courtyard." The Iron-Masked Man pulled out a bottle of pills from his robes. He intended to share them, but after a moment’s thought, he sighed, took one himself, and then asked Zhu Li’er if she wanted one. Zhu Li’er frankly accepted one and swallowed it without the slightest suspicion. The others, however, still dared not use his pills, instead taking their own secret wound medicines to restore their vitality. They had only damaged some of their vital essence during the crossing between realms. Now, restoring their Qi and returning to their origins, everyone had mostly recovered, save for Zhu Li’er, whose complexion remained slightly pale.

"Good!" The Iron-Masked Man stepped forward first, entering the third courtyard. He gazed upward for a long moment, filled with profound emotion. "Twelve years have passed since we last parted. Do you all remember the predicament we faced here twelve years ago?"

Recalling the past, everyone felt a touch of awkwardness. They considered themselves highly skilled, yet they had been cornered and restrained by two sweeping puppets. In the end, they had risked their lives to shatter them, thus conquering the third courtyard. At that time, everyone was seriously injured and dared not proceed further to the threshold of the fourth courtyard. Instead, they divided the artifacts within the third courtyard and returned home to train diligently, planning to return twelve years later. Today, they had all used their wits to cultivate formidable divine abilities, eager to wash away the shame of that day.

"Old Iron-Mask, your tone is getting strange again. Just say what you mean, clearly!" Hu Sha, possessing a fiery temper, spoke frankly despite knowing the Iron-Masked Man’s superior strength. "Just say what you mean!"

The Iron-Masked Man chuckled softly. "I only wanted to ask: after twelve years, do any of you have the confidence to fight the two puppets in a single palace alone?"

"Alone?" Hu Sha’s face shifted, first red, then green, finally turning white with suppressed anger. "Alone is alone! This Hu has now mastered the fortieth level of the Chaotic Flailing Blade Art divine ability, grasping the marvelous application of the Eighty-One Blades merging into One. Do you think I fear mere puppets?" He gnashed his teeth and stomped about furiously, but the Iron-Masked Man ignored him, querying the others with his gaze.

Master Kong Chan nodded, his eyes full of arrogance. The One-Eyed Scholar pondered for a while before nodding through gritted teeth as well. The Two-Faced Madam nodded with a smile, but the face on her back stuck out its tongue in resentment. Only Zhu Li’er hesitated, not daring to answer.

The Iron-Masked Man nodded and smiled softly. "That will suffice..."