The Butler of Jiangnan—that was the true lineage of Guan Qinghan. No one knew what purpose the butler and his entourage had in suddenly arriving at Tianxiang City during this critical confluence of events.

Did the Butler faction also covet the Ninth-Grade Profound Elixir? Jun Moxie frowned slightly, a nagging feeling suggesting something was amiss.

The capital city had grown exceptionally chaotic these past two days.

By day, it remained as placid and serene as ever, without a ripple, but every passing night, the City Guard patrols would discover several corpses, sometimes as many as dozens. Such bizarre occurrences could not fail to draw the serious attention of the Five City Military Command, who coordinated closely with the Ministry of Justice and the City Guard to monitor the capital’s every move.

The major factions within the capital were also stirring, daring to commit outrages despite the tight surveillance, which only complicated the investigations further. As for the preliminary findings that had emerged, they shocked everyone:

Not a single one of the deceased was an inconsequential figure; every one was a well-known master from the martial world, with several boasting cultivation at the Earth Profound realm—all figures who commanded respect in their domains! Yet they had died silently within the capital. Among those whose cases had been processed, not a single person ranked below the Silver Profound realm; even the lowest among them possessed the peak cultivation of the Silver Profound level.

Such murders were becoming increasingly frequent with the influx of outsiders. Most recently, one victim was even a member of the Murong family, one of the capital’s most prominent clans.

Following the investigation further, the chief administrators of the Five City Military Command, the City Guard, and the Ministry of Justice were all stunned: Not only the Murong family, but the Song and Meng families as well were implicated in this affair; although there was no direct evidence, the underlying momentum was unmistakably clear! Even the three Princes seemed vaguely entwined in the matter…

How could they possibly investigate this further?!

They dared not delve deeper, lest the investigation lead directly back to their own doorsteps! Yet, beneath their outward restraint, the three officials were all thinking the same thing: Is the very sky about to change?

Especially with envoys from two different nations having arrived in Tianxiang, the nights in Tianxiang City had become even less peaceful.

Once darkness fell, it was a veritable ballet of demons, soaring high and low, streaks of multi-colored profound energy flashing past in waves, then another wave sweeping by… Eventually, the City Guards simply found high vantage points and squatted down, enjoying this spectacular yet bloody fireworks display for free…

Ying Bokong walked the streets with grim focus. These last two nights, he had thoroughly indulged himself. While he hadn’t yet encountered any experts of his own caliber, leading to a slight regret, for this martial arts fanatic, even a mosquito’s leg was still meat. Thus, Ying Bokong had been one of the most active individuals these past two nights, attacking anyone he encountered, regardless of who they were or their strength. Of course, in his heart, Ying Bokong didn’t consider this bullying—I wasn't planning to kill anyone, just spar a bit. If you can't withstand a few moves, can you blame me?!

However, almost everyone who had sparred with him had lost their lives. If they were unlucky enough to encounter other groups afterward, they were generally slaughtered one-sidedly without the ability to fight back… Consequently, strange occurrences had frequently plagued Tianxiang City these past few days—Silver Profound practitioners killing peak Gold level masters, and Gold masters slaying Jade Profound cultivators…

The entire city was in utter disarray.

Ying Bokong was now slowly making his way toward a large manor. After two nights of activity, Ying Bokong hadn't gained much insight; after all, at his level, ordinary low-tier Profound practitioners rarely offered him any inspiration.

Therefore, Ying Bokong had set his sights on the Earth Profound level and above. But if he wanted to track these individuals down, he needed a dedicated intelligence network. Relying solely on chance encounters on the street…

How long would that take?

So, Ying Bokong proceeded with grim resolve toward the headquarters of the Jin Yang Gang, the foremost major faction in Tianxiang City.

This was a shortcut. Once the Jin Yang Gang was subdued, the city’s activities and the locations of its experts would surely be an open book. And with the capability of the Prairie Eagle God, dealing with a local faction, even one led by a Grandmaster-level figure, should be as easy as lifting a finger, shouldn’t it? Even the leading faction in the Tianxiang Empire’s capital was, at the end of the day, merely a martial sect, how could it possibly escape the grasp of the Prairie Eagle God?

Thus, Ying Bokong was utterly confident—or perhaps, simply too confident! “BOOM!”

The massive main gate of the Jin Yang Gang suddenly splintered into countless fragments of wood chips. The few men inside drinking tea were instantly startled and rose to their feet.

The Jin Yang Gang was the leader among the six major factions of the Tianxiang capital. Who possessed such gall as to strike under the nose of the Tai Sui?

Amidst the swirling wooden debris, a solitary figure slowly stepped inside.

Long hair, black robes!

“Call Jin Fenglie to see me!” Ying Bokong, carrying the air of a sovereign monarch, seated himself imperiously in the main hall, never sparing a glance for the men nearby, and began issuing his commands.

The Jin Yang Gang might indeed be the chief of the six major factions in the Tianxiang capital, and Jin Fenglie its leader, but in Ying Bokong’s eyes, this leader was no different from any common peddler or laborer—just another petty figure whose life and death could be dictated at any moment, an insignificant ant. Would one be polite to an ant?

The members of the Jin Yang Gang exchanged bewildered glances, momentarily stunned, but then they roared, cursing loudly, their great sabers striking out. Instantly, blood mixed with the color of the evening clouds, and steel blades clashed against living men, and then, silence descended swiftly: i;.......

At night.

Jun Moxie remained tirelessly devoted to practicing his Yin-Yang Evasion technique. This single-minded, great killer, absorbed in his training, nearly killed himself!

Ever since Guan Qinghan’s kick, Jun Moxie had suddenly comprehended something. In ancient times, a master received a sudden enlightenment from a sharp admonition; now, it was a kick from his sister-in-law that brought a flash of brilliance. Since then, Young Master Jun had been training in secret, forbidding anyone from approaching, not even Ke’er was allowed to watch. This was because the Yin-Yang Evasion technique was utterly unprecedented in the current age; if it caused a sensation… news of Jun Moxie practicing it might spread faster than any other rumor.

After several continuous tests that afternoon, Jun Moxie had made significant progress: He could become invisible for three breaths and shift sideways by one zhang!

One must not underestimate those mere three breaths. In a duel between experts, life and death hang by a thread; not to mention three breaths, even a single moment of disorientation could be enough for an enemy to inflict ten fatal blows!

Such results filled the young assassin with elation. His head heated up, and the Young Master began practicing Earth Evasion. Earth Evasion—that was the stuff of legend! To think, while fighting an enemy, suddenly vanishing with a swoosh, only to have his sword emerge from the earth to deliver a fatal strike—how exhilarating would that be?

Thus, Jun Moxie gathered his spiritual energy, recited the incantation in the courtyard, and with a swoosh, his figure vanished. However, the problem immediately manifested: He had phased into the earth, but now he couldn't get out…

Fearing failure, Jun Moxie had amassed a full reserve of spiritual power and plunged several chi deep in one go. Knowing he had succeeded, he felt smug, but when he tried to resurface, he discovered the issue: He had completely drained his accumulated spiritual energy to enter. While entering required power, getting out required just as much, but now he had none…

What was the situation now?

How to resolve it? Stay buried in the dirt!

Feeling the immense pressure pressing in from all directions, Jun Moxie experienced for the first time that the earth, too, possessed power. That alone might have been manageable, but the critical issue was suffocation. There was absolutely no air in the soil—it was virtually a vacuum—meaning he couldn't breathe. Attempting to claw his way out with brute force? But how deep had he plunged?

Besides, the soil in the Jun family courtyard was no ordinary earth. That day, when the Hongjun Tower exerted its might, it pressed the courtyard down a full three chi! It was as if the ground had been compacted by a ten-thousand-pound hammer, likely making it harder than ordinary granite now. Trying to push his way out with his head? Impossible!

Jun Moxie frantically called out to the Hongjun Tower, but this divine artifact seemed to be having a temper tantrum today, refusing to manifest no matter what… Over the span of a day and a night, the Hongjun Tower had supplied spiritual energy for Jun Moxie’s Yin-Yang Evasion practice no less than a hundred times. It was like two fans going to a field; one could only watch with itching hands, having to fetch the ball and toss it to the other so they could practice shooting baskets, while he himself was bursting with eagerness but had no outlet for his energy.

Could this tower also get angry? Damn it! But if you’re going to be angry, couldn’t you pick another time? I’m about to suffocate to death!

Jun Moxie was nearly in tears of desperation.

Feeling the oppressive sensation within his body growing stronger, his body felt engorged with blood, his heartbeat accelerating, seemingly about to leap from his mouth. Yet, his body was tragically unable to move even an inch. His spiritual energy was long gone; even flexing a single finger was an arduous task. Was he fated to transmigrate again? But dying this way would be too humiliating, too undignified… At that moment, Jun Moxie bizarrely recalled the day he had first transmigrated, and he cursed inwardly with deep resentment: “Damn it! Ever since I encountered this damned, broken tower, I haven’t had a single good day! In my previous life, possessing world-shattering divine martial arts, you rendered me immobile, forcing me to watch helplessly as dozens of guns fired into me, turning me into a sieve, and dozens of grenades falling around me like dumplings, blowing me to pieces! Now, thanks to you indirectly, I’m paralyzed again, waiting to be smothered to death!”

Not much time passed before Jun Moxie reached the absolute limit of his endurance. He felt a deafening roar in his head, fearing he might black out at any second, yet strangely unable to faint. Countless times he tried to circulate the inner energy in his Dantian, but there was absolutely no response.

Even his thoughts grew muddled; he could no longer think coherently…

Just then, a brilliant golden light suddenly erupted in his mind. The Hongjun Tower finally appeared, unhurried and elegant, spinning slowly. Young Master Jun was now too weak to even curse, quietly waiting.