Ignoring the looks of the Four Divine Beasts, Huang Tian continued on his own, "So, 'He' sought you out. I assume it was definitely related to the Yin Demon Seal. If so, why did you never mention it to me? I suppose when I broke the seal on the Black Sun Whip, I also broke a layer of the Yin Demon's seal? The seals for both locations are actually one and the same, intrinsically linked. The reason the Black Sun Whip's seal is so powerful is likely because it also has to contain the Yin Demon."

Huang Tian shook his head with a peculiar expression, speaking slowly and deliberately, "Curious why I would know? Well, how about this: you answer one question for me first, and then I'll tell you the whole story, how about that?"

Bai Lingzi sighed softly, his voice filled with a wistful melancholy, "Indeed, extraordinary. Truly extraordinary. 'His' successor is certainly beyond what we could have predicted. You are correct; we don't know if the Yin Demon can destroy the barrier, but now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to fight. However, I don't understand: since you already know everything, why are you still helping us break the seal? If the Yin Demon is released, the world will suffer devastation, and it's uncertain if anyone can control him."

Huang Tian gave a strange chuckle and said faintly, "I couldn't care less about the Yin Demon or the mortal world. My objective is the Black Sun Whip; nothing else falls within my consideration. Heh heh, to be honest, I'm even looking forward to a battle with a master like the Yin Demon! His emergence suits me even better."

Bai Lingzi paused slightly, unable to help but ask, "Why?"

After walking out of the cave, Huang Tian saw Bai Lingzi, the old man in red, the young woman in red, and a white-haired elder standing with them. Upon seeing Huang Tian emerge, the four—oh, the four beasts—all smiled at him. The smiles struck Huang Tian as deeply strange, like the look a swindler gives you just before revealing the truth after he’s fleeced you of all your money. A heavy feeling settled in Huang Tian's heart; he was gradually sensing that something was amiss.

The old man in red glared at Huang Tian. "Stop sighing and tell us—how exactly did you find out about the Yin Demon?"

Bai Lingzi nodded. "'He' only came to us. Perhaps, in 'His' view, we were more reliable than those humans..."

(Kuang Long resumes updates starting today, at the usual speed. Thank you all for your continuous support. Kuang Long will certainly not disappoint you!)

Huang Tian let out a sigh and nodded. "I understand now. So that's how it is. No wonder you all..."

Bai Lingzi smiled, a profound sense of sorrow woven into it. He said, "Actually, before 'He' arrived here, we spirit beasts and the cultivators had our own barrier. Back then, we were very free and could move in and out at will. After 'He' came, the appearance of the Yin Demon caused a major divergence in opinion between 'Him' and most of the cultivators here. In the end, the majority of the cultivators proved to be wrong. In a fit of anger, 'He' destroyed the original barrier and used His immense power to create a new one, the current one, which is severely restrictive. 'His' reasoning was that the cultivators here were arrogant and overbearing; if they could move freely in the outside world, they would likely cause massive trouble there..."

Taking a deep breath, Huang Tian said calmly, "Has the Yin Demon emerged?"

As soon as Huang Tian finished speaking, the four beasts revealed strangely knowing expressions. They hadn't expected that Huang Tian, who always acted so carefree, unrestrained, and scatterbrained like a lunatic, actually had everything figured out, with every situation under his control.

Huang Tian spoke lightly, recounting everything from the start of the War of the Three Realms between the Demon, Netherworld, and Human realms, to everything that had transpired after he entered the barrier. He concluded, "Now you know. The Heavenly Saint Group killed my beloved wife; I will never let them off easily. It was only because the situation was so urgent that I was forced into this place."

Huang Tian's gaze swept across the Four Beasts one by one, finally settling into indifference. "I don't blame you. Who wants to be trapped in this wretched place forever? Cultivators can undergo tribulation and ascend, but your prospects remain bleak. If it were me, I would have made the same decision. But can the Yin Demon truly destroy the barrier?"

Saying this, Huang Tian's eyes sharpened, his entire being enveloped in a terrifying, murderous aura. He growled fiercely, "Therefore, I conclude that there must be a mysterious family within the Heavenly Saint Group!"

"I think they must have tried more than once to scout information from the Netherworld Ghost Mansion. Unfortunately, what kind of place is the Netherworld Ghost Mansion? How could they allow cultivators who had only just reached the initial Heavenly rank to run rampant there? So, after observing how powerful my companion Tianya and I were during the War of the Three Realms, this task naturally fell upon us. In my view, even if the matter of my tribulation hadn't occurred to force me into the barrier, they would have found other ways to compel me to question the Ghost King..."

Huang Tian tilted his head slightly, muttering to himself, "Actually, when I first encountered people from the Spirit Heart Palace, I was already wondering when such a powerful Heavenly Saint Group had appeared in the Human Realm. Based on the reach of the Spiritual Anomaly Association and other major powers, this was impossible. The only explanation is that the Heavenly Saint Group was formed suddenly by one or several of them. Otherwise, how could Heavenly rank experts appear without anyone knowing?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the bodies of the four beasts trembled, and they looked at Huang Tian with expressions of utter disbelief simultaneously.

A sharp glint flashed in Huang Tian's eyes, and he stated solemnly, "I want to know what this so-called barrier truly is. Wasn't it said to be created by a master a few years ago? But why does it feel to me like it has existed here for a very long time?"

"I recall Tianya telling me that the goal of the Heavenly Saint Group was to release the Yin Demon sealed in the Human Realm and then control him to dominate it. If that’s the case, then the Yin Demon must be sealed somewhere in the Human Realm. When I was at the Spiritual Anomaly Academy, and when I conversed with the Eight Great Sects of Cultivation, I never heard them mention such a secret location. I think the highest probability is that the Yin Demon is sealed somewhere unknown even to the outside cultivators. Needless to say, there cannot be a second such place in the Human Realm besides this one."

Huang Tian's eyes flared with murderous intent, and he sneered, "Because everything is too coincidental. From the moment I started working for the company under their banner, I was walking a path they had laid out for me long ago. I often wondered why, after such a long time, the mysterious family gave me such generous treatment without ever making a single request? I could never figure that out before, but now I finally understand—I have been indirectly working for them all along."

Bai Lingzi sighed softly, "Since you know everything, ask whatever you wish to ask."

"As for how they are breaking the Yin Demon's seal, I don't know. But I think I have already done them a huge favor, albeit unknowingly. That is thanks to you all, isn't it?"

"After encountering the forces of the Netherworld Ghost Mansion, I already suspected that everything was arranged by the mysterious family. Unfortunately, at that time, I didn't understand why they would expend such tremendous effort to make me run into people from the Netherworld Ghost Mansion. Now I understand. Qing Ling'er mentioned that they had been contending with a group of powerful cultivators for a long time, and a few years ago, those cultivators were sealed within a barrier by a super expert and could no longer oppose them. I believe this must be the place. It was only later, when I encountered the matter of the Heavenly Saint Group, that I realized the mysterious family's ultimate goal was to make me discover the exact location of the barrier from the Netherworld Ghost Mansion, because in the Human Realm, the only ones who would know the barrier's location are likely those who have always opposed them—the Netherworld Ghost Mansion."

Huang Tian’s expression turned indifferent as he slowly stated, "I'm afraid no cultivator knows the Yin Demon is sealed here, do they?"

The villa belonging to Chen Shaokang, boss of the Amy Group, was located in the suburbs of New York. Five hundred meters from the villa was a dense forest, beyond which lay a range of rolling mountains.

This villa, usually appearing elegant and refined, was currently shrouded in a heavy fog of sorrow.

The entire villa was filled with people wearing black mourning clothes. They all shared a single purpose: to pay their respects to the recently deceased Chen Bi.

In the mourning hall stood Chen Lang's portrait, and beside it, Ouyang Shafei’s portrait was displayed. Chen Shaokang had long known that Chen Lang was in love with Ouyang Shafei. Although he had vehemently opposed their union when both Chen Lang and Ouyang Shafei were alive, after their deaths, Chen Shaokang set aside his prejudices and placed their memorial tablets together, thus fulfilling the final wish of the pair who had died for love through suicide.

Chen Shaokang sat in the mourning hall, looking as if he had aged ten years overnight. His hair and beard had begun to turn white, deep wrinkles etched themselves onto his face, and cloudy tears constantly streamed from his eyes, making him look like a man of seventy. The pain of losing his son in his old age had utterly stripped him of the meaning of life.

Standing next to Chen Shaokang was Liu Hui's mother. Although his mother was equally grief-stricken, her body had been restored to the prime vigor of a young woman in her twenties. Thus, even in her sorrow, she did not appear as aged as Chen Shaokang. Seeing the two standing together, someone unaware of the full story might mistake them for a grandfather and granddaughter.

Mourners arrived at the hall below, while the protection detail arranged by Liu Hui was scattered throughout the villa, constantly monitoring every visitor, fearing the slightest mistake.

On the roof of the villa, Zhou Tengyun stood with his hands clasped behind his back, observing the surrounding movements. He had learned from De Sheng that Chen Lang's suicide itself was a trap set by the "Professor," whose goal was to kidnap Liu Hui's parents, who had come to handle Chen Lang's aftermath. Therefore, Zhou Tengyun remained vigilant, anticipating the sneak attack the "Professor" might launch.

As Zhou Tengyun surveyed the surroundings, he sized up the woman standing beside him, who shared his cold demeanor. Before he left for the United States, Liu Hui had told him that this woman was very pitiful and asked him to look after her during the operation.

Initially, Zhou Tengyun expected this woman to be frail and delicate, but upon seeing her, he was astonished to find she was anything but weak. Although she appeared to possess only the strength of a peak Innate Realm cultivator, her command over power had reached a level of perfect integration—this was evident in her everyday actions. Zhou Tengyun, a God-level master whose skills were honed through bloody combat, felt a strange notion upon seeing this peculiar woman: he might not necessarily be her match. Although the feeling seemed absurd, it compelled Zhou Tengyun to take this woman seriously.

Yao Yao focused intently on monitoring the villa's surroundings, completely ignoring the strong man beside her scrutiny. In her mind, the most crucial task now was ensuring the safety of her boss's parents.

As night fell, the lights in Chen Shaokang's villa gradually came on. The high monk Chen Shaokang had flown in from Taiwan continued to perform the rites of transcendence for Chen Lang. Liu Hui's mother sat on a chair, exhausted, silently gazing at Chen Lang's portrait, while his father remained by her side throughout, closely monitoring her emotional fluctuations.

Chen Shaokang, mentally drained, had already retired to his room to rest.

Inside the villa, De Sheng and Wu Yuanjia focused intently on the defensive line they had established, constantly guarding against enemy infiltration. De Sheng, especially, knew the "Professor's" terrifying capabilities; if they could detect the "Professor" early enough, they might gain the necessary reaction time to protect the boss's parents.

Zhou Tengyun and Yao Yao remained on the villa's uppermost level, just as they had during the day, silently watching the distant woods and mountains. Despite standing side-by-side for half the day, neither had spoken a word.

The night grew deeper, and the surroundings grew quieter. Zhou Tengyun's ear twitched suddenly. He subconsciously looked toward the woods outside the villa and met the gaze of a pair of eyes emitting a faint green light in the darkness. The person was concealed within the dense woods.

Zhou Tengyun started internally; the enemy he had been waiting for had finally shown himself.

"Get ready. The enemy has appeared," Zhou Tengyun said coldly. De Sheng and Wu Yuanjia immediately learned of this via walkie-talkie and prepared for contingencies.

Yao Yao drew her gaze away from where the enemy was hidden and said, "I've waited for you so long; you finally showed up."

The enemy hidden in the woods was surprised by how acute Zhou Tengyun's spiritual perception was; he had only allowed himself a brief glance before being discovered. Thus, he stopped hiding entirely, leaping onto the branches of a tall tree and openly observing Zhou Tengyun from the villa.

Zhou Tengyun looked up and immediately realized the enemy's figure was unusually tall, entirely wrapped in a loose black robe, with even his head concealed beneath a hood pulled over his brow. Except for the pair of glowing green eyes, nothing was visible.

"Another God-level master? Could this be the legendary 'Professor'?" Zhou Tengyun’s entire being radiated battle intent.

The tall black-robed figure standing on the treetop looked at Zhou Tengyun on the villa roof, then glanced at Yao Yao standing beside him. The green light in his eyes flickered as he seemed to ponder something.

Suddenly, the tall black-robed figure shuddered and turned to look at the high mountain behind him. When he turned back, he gave Zhou Tengyun and Yao Yao one more look, hesitated slightly, then jumped down from the treetop and began retreating rapidly, choosing instead to withdraw.

"It seems this 'Professor' is a coward, running away just like that. If my boss hadn't ordered me to protect his parents, I truly would have chased him to test the depths of this 'Professor's' ability," Zhou Tengyun remarked regretfully.

Yao Yao next to him glanced at Zhou Tengyun and said coldly, "It's less that the enemy fled and more that he chose to retreat on his own terms. But this has nothing to do with you."

Zhou Tengyun asked, "Didn't the 'Professor' choose to flee because he saw me holding the fort here?"

Yao Yao replied, "On the mountaintop at three o'clock from your position, a God-level master appeared. The 'Professor' chose to retreat because he detected that newly arrived God-level master and feared being caught in a pincer attack from both of you."

Zhou Tengyun started internally and followed the direction Yao Yao indicated. Indeed, he spotted a flickering figure on the distant mountaintop. Although the figure was indistinct, the aura emanating from him immediately confirmed to Zhou Tengyun that this person was also a God-level master.

"I had focused all my attention on the Professor just now and failed to detect the distant God-level master immediately. This Yao Yao isn't a God-level master, yet she could sense the distant enemy. What exactly is her strength? Her ability to detect enemies is even superior to mine!" Liu Hui grew increasingly surprised by Yao Yao's performance.

The dark figure on the distant mountaintop also looked toward Zhou Tengyun. Their gazes collided in the air. Zhou Tengyun's killing intent broke the figure's challenge. After a moment of consideration, the dark figure chose to retreat, leaping off the mountaintop and vanishing without a trace.

Zhou Tengyun finally retracted his gaze, letting out a long sigh of relief internally. He hadn't expected two God-level masters to appear tonight. Zhou Tengyun felt fortunate that these two God-level masters were not allies; otherwise, his side would have been in a very difficult situation. However, he conceded that the woman beside him, who appeared to be only at the peak of the Innate Realm, could not be underestimated either. Perhaps she alone could handle a God-level master?

The tall, black-robed figure leaped down from the woods, choosing to move away from Chen Shaokang's villa and abandoning this plan. Compared to capturing Liu Hui's parents, his own life was more important.

Dealing with Zhou Tengyun alone was already troublesome enough; he hadn't anticipated the appearance of another God-level master on the mountain behind him. If this God-level master was also deployed by Liu Hui in advance, then Liu Hui's available power was terrifyingly immense.

The tall black-robed figure dashed away rapidly. Suddenly, a feeling flashed through his mind, causing him to halt his run. Ahead on the road, a middle-aged Caucasian man with a smiling face suddenly appeared.

"Move aside, or don't blame me for being impolite," the tall black-robed figure spoke in a strange voice. He had already realized this middle-aged man was the God-level master who had appeared on the mountaintop.

The middle-aged man waved his hands repeatedly and said, "Please don't misunderstand; I have no hostility toward you. Let me introduce myself first: I am Bina, a special consultant for the C4IQ in the United States."

The tall black-robed figure continued speaking in a strange voice, "Move aside. I don't know you, and I don't wish to know you."

Bina chuckled, "Don't be so quick to dismiss me! I know your name is 'Professor,' and you command a very powerful organization."

The tall black-robed figure immediately calmed down, radiating an exceptionally powerful aura that pressed down on Bina, causing him to turn pale and retreat rapidly.

Bina quickly pleaded, "'Professor,' please stop immediately. You must believe me; I came here today with no ill intent. I know you want to deal with Liu Hui of the 'City of Starlight.' Coincidentally, we also want to deal with Liu Hui. Since our goals align, why not join forces?"

"You want to ally with me?" The tall black-robed figure paused, his imposing aura freezing without dispersing, allowing Bina to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Precisely, an alliance. If our two sides join forces, defeating Liu Hui will become as easy as turning over a hand. Don't you think this is an excellent suggestion?" Bina pressed enticingly.

"Heh heh, you want to ally with me to kill Liu Hui, reap the benefits of the 'City of Starlight,' and then turn on me?" the Professor sneered.

Bina smiled, "Eliminating Liu Hui is our primary shared objective. As for what the situation will look like after Liu Hui is gone, who can say? Perhaps we'll choose to cooperate again then."

The Professor stated, "Though I greatly desire to eliminate Liu Hui, I will not ally with you."

Bina continued to smile, "Then allow me to ask, how do you plan to eliminate Liu Hui? Relying on just one God-level master like yourself? Not to discourage you, but although your strength is immense, you alone are no match for the Black Knight of the 'City of Starlight,' let alone the hidden God-level masters that might be there."

The Professor replied, "How I deal with Liu Hui is my business; you don't need to concern yourself with that."

Bina continued smiling, "I currently have one allied God-level master, and I know at least two others. If you ally with us, our side will command five God-level masters. If these five masters show up together, do you think you could take down Liu Hui?"

The Professor pondered for a moment, then asked, "And after Liu Hui is gone? How will we divide the spoils?"

Bina chuckled, "That will come down to each person's own skill."

The Professor considered this again, then stated, "Since that is the case, forming a temporary alliance with you is acceptable."

Bina laughed again, "... 'Professor' truly lives up to the name; 'Professor' has figured out the crux of the matter so quickly. Then let's return immediately, capture Liu Hui's parents, and force Liu Hui to hand over enough assets for an exchange. What do you think?"

The Professor sneered, "I refuse. I never do anything I'm not certain of. To be honest, I still don't trust you. What if this is a trap you’ve set?"

Bina gave a wry smile, "Are you really going to let this rare opportunity slip away?"

The Professor replied, "Even if I let this rare opportunity pass, I will not choose to trust you rashly. Your smile is far too infuriatingly cheap."

With that, the "Professor" flicked his finger, and a small object shot towards Bina like an arrow.

Bina stretched out a hand and caught the object. Then he heard the Professor say, "Since this is a collaboration, you must show sincerity. Here is my contact number. Call me when you have discussed it."

Bina was startled. The scene before him blurred, and then the Professor’s figure vanished. A throbbing pain radiated from the hand that had caught the object. He looked down and saw a bruise forming on his palm. The thing that had struck his palm hard enough to cause a bruise was actually a small wad of paper.

Bina unfolded the paper wad and saw a phone number written on it.

"This 'Professor' is incredibly strong. A mere paper wad was enough to injure my hand. The technique he used just now looked like the legendary Tanzhi Shentong from Huaxia. Who exactly is this 'Professor'? Besides seeing his eyes glow an eerie green, I didn't glean any useful information about him whatsoever."

,～,,～,～,～,～,～,～,～,～～,～,～,～,～Three days later, Chen Lang's funeral rites were fully concluded. During this period, no one else came to disturb Chen Lang's rites, and Liu Hui's parents officially departed back for 'Star City'.

When Liu Hui went to the airport to welcome his parents, he was surprised to find an extra person on the plane: Chen Shaokang.

Seeing Chen Shaokang standing between his mother and father, Liu Hui felt a wave of dizziness. He pulled his father aside and asked, "Dad, why is Chen Shaokang coming back with you two?"

His father replied glumly, "Chen Shaokang has been mourning his son; he aged over ten years overnight. Your mother saw how pitiful he looked, and she felt uneasy about him living alone, so she softened her heart and let him come to 'Star City' with us. Do you think I want to see that rival every day?"

Liu Hui said gloomily, "Couldn't you have stopped Mom?"

His father responded, "Son, are you dense? At a time like this, how would I dare say such a thing? What if your mother’s heart softened completely and she decided to stay in America to look after Chen Shaokang and not come back? I would lose out big time. Even though Chen Shaokang is coming to 'Star City,' with me constantly shadowing your mother, he shouldn't have many opportunities."

Three days later, Hu Xian'er suddenly brought something up with Liu Hui: "Shuinniu, Mom asked me to ask you something. I wonder if you can agree to what she wants."

Liu Hui said, "Tell me first what it is."

Hu Xian'er relayed, "Mom said that Chen Shaokang is willing to hand over his Amy Group for you to manage. Can you give him that rejuvenation drug injection?"

Liu Hui was utterly shocked, "Did Mom really say that?"

Hu Xian'er nodded, "Mom really said that, and Dad was right there beside her at the time."

Liu Hui was shocked again, "What? Dad was standing right there and didn't stop Mom from saying that?"

Hu Xian'er replied, "I saw Dad's bitter melon face. Even if he wanted to object, he probably didn't dare to!"

Liu Hui slumped onto the sofa, running his hands fiercely through his hair. "What kind of situation is this? We finally waited for Chen Shaokang to age, and Dad could have won completely, but why is Mom suddenly pulling a move like this? What is she thinking?"

Hu Xian'er said sourly, "Actually, in my opinion, you haven't inherited any of Dad's good qualities at all; you're a bit more like Mom. You finally understand how I felt back then. Thinking about you and Anqi together gives me heartache. Your mother is possibly entangled with two men right now. What are your thoughts on that?"

Liu Hui sighed, "I need to think this over before making a final decision."

Deep down, Liu Hui absolutely did not want to see Chen Shaokang become young again. Yet, he had a premonition that Chen Shaokang would eventually rejuvenate. When that time came, an absurd situation would unfold: his mother entangled between two men, and himself entangled between two women. Was Hu Xian'er right? Was all of this hereditary?

After both his mother and father stepped forward to persuade him, Liu Hui finally had no choice but to perform the rejuvenation surgery on Chen Shaokang.

Liu Hui had come to terms with it: since they themselves didn't care, he was too lazy to interfere. Let fate decide everything! He was currently struggling enough with the issues concerning two women; he certainly didn't have the qualifications or energy to meddle in his parents' affairs.