The fifth update today! The purpose of the Misty Illusory Mansion was absolute, quiet monopolization! This 'Cao Guofeng' actually intended to turn an already exposed genius back into an invisible asset, cultivating him secretly as the Mansion's ultimate weapon? Then, in a sudden, devastating move, reveal him to the world? Where is there such a convenient deal?

But things have progressed to this stage; I believe that no matter how Cao Guofeng tries to hide him, he will eventually have to bring the young man back to the Misty Illusory Mansion. We just need to follow him continuously; sooner or later, he’ll slip up somewhere. "Also, you, Zhan Mubai, are severely injured right now and are no match for them. Forcibly attacking now" will only bring you more humiliation."

Bai Qifeng stepped forward, his tone icy: "'Saint Emperor Zhan, it was indeed our fault for not recognizing you first," but don't let your own loss sour your temper and lead you to bite indiscriminately. On the night the incident occurred, Boss Cao and several of our brothers were together all night; we can all vouch for each other! People from our Mansion wouldn't engage in such base and despicable acts!' 'Vouch? What good is your vouching, you damned fools!"

Zhan Mubai was utterly beside himself: "'Aren't you all cut from the same cloth? The seven of you are the common masters of that genius. Heh, seven people from the same place, colluding together, and you still dare to vouch for each other! Don't forget, I was standing right there, listening, when you discussed taking him on as a disciple together! Bai Qifeng, damn it, do you take us for fools? You just said that even you don't believe the words you spoke—now I ask you, do you believe the evidence you are presenting now? Truly the height of shamelessness!"

Cao Guofeng and Bai Qifeng were instantly enraged. Cao Guofeng had just felt a pang of guilt for wrongfully accusing his old friend, but now that guilt had utterly vanished, replaced only by boundless fury!

He said coldly, "Whether you believe it or not is your own business; the fact remains the same—we didn't do it! Zhan Mubai, Saint Emperor Zhan, I sincerely apologize for today’s events... Mountains are high and rivers are long; eventually, the truth will surface! Now, do as you please... My brothers and I are taking our leave!" "'Taking your leave? Cao Guofeng, you say that so lightly. You have inflicted such immense shame upon me, and now that we have seen through your scheme, you want to dust off your hands and walk away? Is there any deal this easy in the world?" Zhan Mubai hissed with hatred: "You can leave if you want, but you must either leave me your old head! Or leave me your disciple! Choose one, Cao Guofeng, you decide!" "'I’ll leave you your leg!" Bai Qifeng spat dismissively: "'Zhan Mubai, do you even know how high the sky is and how thick the earth is? You want to keep our Boss Cao's head? Dream on, you piece of trash! Was it because that brat Caizai didn't 'serve you comfortably' those few times that you’re looking for another beating?"

By this point, the two sides had completely dropped all pretense. Thus, Zhan Mubai’s tone was exceedingly harsh and uncompromising, while Bai Qifeng’s words were even sharper and more barbed, hitting every one of Zhan Mubai’s weak spots!

Cao Guofeng sighed deeply, turned away, and said, "Stop wasting breath; let's go!" He took the lead and strode out. Bai Qifeng sneered, walking backward a few steps facing the experts from the Three Great Sacred Lands. Facing Zhan Mubai, he smiled with extreme mockery, then slowly extended his index finger and shook it gently, saying, "Zhan Mubai, one should always know their limits. Keeping us? You aren't worthy!" He then turned and departed. The remaining five Saint Emperors also showed expressions of contempt.

They filed out after casting a cold, cruel glance at Zhan Mubai.

Bai Qifeng's few words enraged Zhan Mubai so much that his vision turned black, and he nearly choked. After a long moment, he finally caught his breath, which was followed by violent coughing, and then a torrent of mad cursing. The female ancestors of the seven Saint Emperors of the Misty Illusory Mansion immediately suffered misfortunes.

The surrounding crowd wore strange expressions, all feeling they had witnessed something eye-opening and ear-opening! Everyone present had heard foul cursing before, even the nastiest kind, but to hear a Saint Emperor spewing curses? This was truly the first time in history!

Chen Qingtian watched the Misty Illusory Mansion members depart, his eyes spitting fire with resentment. In his heart, he believed Zhan Mubai's judgment: the Saint Emperors from the Misty Illusory Mansion had murdered his son and pulled a switcheroo, replacing him with another.

But just now, intimidated by the peerless divine power of Cao Guofeng and his group, he dared not speak. Now that they were gone, he finally stepped forward, full of indignation, and knelt before Zhan Mubai with a thud. He didn't speak but was already weeping torrentially: "'Saint Emperor Zhan... my own son was so innocently slaughtered by the hands of the Mansion people. You must secure justice for me!" Zhan Mubai, consumed by shame, fury, and a near-total loss of reason, heard this and instantly kicked Chen Qingtian flying, shouting angrily without restraint: "Scram, you damn thing! I am to seek justice for you? Who seeks justice for me? Get lost! Don't bother me! If you dare make another sound and anger me, I will have your entire Chen family exterminated today!"

Chen Qingtian flew up like a rubber ball, feeling utterly devastated mid-air, so choked with grievance he nearly died on the spot: You came here, ate my food, stayed in my house, used my things, enjoyed my services, and treated my whole family like slaves, only to scold us if we displeased you even slightly. And now, when my son is murdered and I beg you for justice, you treat me like this... Where is heaven's law? Where is justice?

His vision went dark, coupled with intense, unbearable pain in the area where he was kicked. His internal organs felt as though they were tearing apart. With a great "Waaah," he spewed out a mouthful of blood... It splashed onto the ground with a dull thud. He rolled twice and lost consciousness. Such a fainting spell by a "minor figure" was so insignificant, so trivial—what did it matter if he truly died? The people belonging to the Three Great Sacred Lands, seeing the farce conclude, dispersed quickly. Zhan Mubai stormed back to his room, sat down to heal, but the more he thought, the angrier he became. His head felt like it was about to explode; he could not calm his mind. It wasn't until past noon that he calmed down slightly. He angrily gulped down some water, only to smash the water flask away immediately after.

That morning, the members of the Misty Illusory Mansion moved out of the training grounds and settled into an inn in the city. Of course, Hai Wuya and He Zhiqiu of the Three Great Sacred Lands accompanied them the entire time. These two had accepted benefits from Zhan Mubai, so they naturally stayed along, ostensibly as company, but truly as surveillance.

Cao Guofeng and the others were so depressed they felt like committing suicide. In this matter, their side was technically in the wrong, but they couldn't afford to offend these two entirely either. They could only turn a blind eye and treat the two men as invisible observers...

Hai Wuya and He Zhiqiu, having gained nothing, brazenly stayed on at the inn with them.

Although the Three Great Sacred Lands outwardly fought amongst themselves, the experts at the Saint Emperor level understood that in reality, they were one entity: if one prospered, all prospered; if one suffered, all suffered. Cao Guofeng and Bai Qifeng had insulted Zhan Mubai of the Secluded Immortal Palace in front of them, which was indirectly an insult to the Dreamlike Sea of Blood and the Supreme Golden City!

How could the two of them not be angry? They had already resolved that even if it wasn't for Zhan Mubai, they must find that young genius with the Ethereal Constitution. If Cao Guofeng and the others still refused to concede then, they would not hesitate to summon their own Ancestors to seize that rare talent!

This was no longer just a question of the ownership of a genius with an Ethereal Constitution; it was a matter of face for the Three Great Sacred Lands! The way the Misty Illusory Mansion conducted itself was simply too arrogant, treating the Saint Emperors of our Three Great Sacred Lands like fools. Is there any deal this easy?

Now, every one of them was convinced that Cao Guofeng had committed the crime himself and was crying thief to cover his tracks—the ultimate case of "where there's no silver, one digs a hole." Once they found that person, let's see what Cao Guofeng could possibly say! Just as he managed to humiliate the Three Great Sacred Lands into silence, they could equally force him to commit suicide! If they had verifiable evidence and witnesses, and the matter was brought to light, even if Cao Guofeng was a Saint Emperor, he would have to provide compensation and an explanation! At that time, that explanation would cost Cao Guofeng his life!

Time flew until evening. Zhan Mubai finally managed to settle his mind, circulating his profound techniques to treat his injuries.

Truthfully, while his external wounds looked gruesome, they were only superficial damage. With the astonishing regenerative abilities of a Saint-level powerhouse, a single cycle of circulation could heal them instantly. It was the internal injuries, dealt by Cao Guofeng’s solid palm strikes, that constituted the real damage and required several days of careful recuperation!

Throughout the day, the Chen family's attitude had noticeably cooled, but Zhan Mubai didn't care in the slightest. In his eyes, such a mundane, small family was insignificant—if he felt annoyed on some other day, wiping them out would be an effortless matter.

Late into the night, Zhan Mubai finished his healing session and once again examined the internal injuries, sighing hatefully again. That Cao Guofeng sure struck hard... Just then, a subtle sound of wind whispered past the window, acquiring an eerie quality. Zhan Mubai’s eyebrows shot up, and he said coldly, "Which esteemed master has arrived? Please step in for a conversation!" A faint, low chuckle was heard, and a black silhouette, with a swift 'shua,' entered the room. The doors and windows were securely shut, yet this person materialized inside as if by magic. The figure paced leisurely a couple of steps before Zhan Mubai. This person was tall and slender, clad entirely in black, emanating a ghostly, somber dark energy so dense it seemed almost absolute. The figure felt utterly illusory, possessing almost no sense of reality. Although dressed in black, the face was not covered, yet Zhan Mubai felt that his features were indistinct and hazy; no matter how hard he strained his eyes, he could not discern what the person looked like. "This entire form resembled an eternal vengeful spirit suddenly emerging into the mortal world under the cover of night."

"'Fourteenth Lord of the Nine Hells! It is you! It’s really you!" Zhan Mubai gasped, a chill crawling up his spine.

"'To recognize this esteemed one immediately shows good sight!" The person's voice carried an exceptionally chilling eeriness. Although he spoke, his mouth appeared not to have moved at all. He stared at Zhan Mubai, his pupils bizarrely cycling from pure white to pure black before finally reverting to normal human irises.

Secretly, this 'Fourteenth Lord of the Nine Hells' was nearly convulsing with silent laughter. This was no Fourteenth Lord of the Nine Hells; it was clearly Young Master Jun once again playing dress-up.

And this time, it was the beginning of the largest battle to completely separate him from the Three Great Sacred Lands. The most crucial player in this entire operation was the character he was impersonating: the Fourteenth Lord of the Nine Hells!

Zhan Mubai was drenched in cold sweat.

This lunatic... Why choose to find me specifically and no one else?