Cao Bang Headquarter, Central Hall.
The banquet had long since ended. Now, the atmosphere in the hall was murderous, like a storm about to break.
Dozens of tallow lamps illuminated the great hall as brightly as day. Lining both sides were the elite disciples from Cao Bang’s various halls, each grasping a saber or sword with a grave expression.
Seated in the main seat was a middle-aged man in black robes. He had a square face, a wide mouth, and a sinister gaze. On his left hand, he wore a black glove forged from refined iron.
He was none other than the Vice Gang Leader of Cao Bang, the Iron-Handed Yama, Zhao Tianxiong. At this moment, his face was ashen as he listened to his subordinate’s report.
"The Water Prison guards were all wiped out, Liu Biao is gravely injured, and the Yue Family Siblings were rescued by a man in a blue shirt. We have nothing to show for it." Zhao Tianxiong crushed the wine cup in his hand. "Useless! You’re all a bunch of useless trash! What good are any of you!"
The men in the hall fell deathly silent, no one daring to utter a sound.
"Why get so angry, Vice Gang Leader Zhao? The real issue here isn’t Yue Yulong and Yue Yufeng," a white-bearded old man, seated in the first chair on the left, said slowly.
He was Wu Wenyuan, the strategist of the Four Great Elders. As the most senior member of the old Third Prince’s Faction, he had always been at odds with Zhao Tianxiong. "They’re just two juniors. If they’ve run, we can just capture them again. The real concern is that Celestial Human who suddenly appeared, and he’s no ordinary Celestial Human... Heh heh. Vice Gang Leader Zhao, when did you provoke such a figure, compelling him to personally intervene and rescue them?"
Zhao Tianxiong sneered. "Elder Wu, what are you implying? Surely you don’t suspect that I’m the one who brought that powerful Celestial Human here?"
"I wouldn’t dare." Wu Wenyuan stroked his beard and smiled. "This old man simply finds it a bit peculiar. The remnants of the Yue Family have been in hiding for decades. They didn’t act before, they didn’t act after, but they choose to act now, just when the Third Prince has fallen and our gang is in turmoil. And they even have a Celestial Human helping them. Vice Gang Leader Zhao, don’t you think... they might have other motives?"
His words were pointed, implying that Zhao Tianxiong might be using the matter of the Yue Family Siblings to eliminate his rivals, and perhaps was even colluding with outsiders to seize the position of Gang Leader.
Zhao Tianxiong flew into a rage. "You old dog! How dare you slander me like this—"
Before he could finish speaking, a long, drawn-out scream came from outside, followed by the heavy thud of something hitting the ground.
"Enemy attack!" a disciple on the watchtower shrieked, but his cry was abruptly cut short, as if his throat had been crushed, silencing him forever.
Inside the hall, everyone shot to their feet and looked outside.
At that exact moment, the main doors were blasted open by a tremendous force. A fierce wind carrying heavy rain swept in, causing the lamplight to flicker violently.
Three figures, stepping through the curtain of rain, slowly walked in. Behind them lay Cao Bang disciples, scattered on the ground, as if every member in the entire Headquarter had been struck down.
A chill ran down the spines of everyone in the hall. Not even they could have cleared out so many Cao Bang disciples in such a short amount of time.
The strength of the newcomers was terrifying. They had to be Celestial Humans of the Super Grade Late Stage at a minimum, perhaps even at Super Grade Perfection. Furthermore, they had clearly mastered exceptionally powerful Combat Techniques and Secret Techniques.
The leader, a man in a blue shirt, wore a Cloak that remained completely dry despite the rain. His face was ordinary, yet he possessed an imposing aura, as deep as a tranquil abyss and as unshakeable as a great mountain. The energy he exuded had shockingly reached Super Grade Perfection, far surpassing anyone present and causing the very air to feel heavy, making it difficult for them to breathe.
Flanking him to the left and right were none other than the siblings Yue Yulong and Yue Yufeng. Though their clothes were stained with blood, they stood with their backs straight, the flames of vengeance burning in their eyes.
Yue Yufeng pointed her longsword at Zhao Tianxiong. "Zhao Tianxiong! The feud for wiping out my family is irreconcilable! Today, we’ve come to take your dog’s life!"
Zhao Tianxiong’s pupils shrank, but he quickly composed himself and said with a savage grin, "You little bitch. You were lucky to escape with your life, yet you dare come back just to die? Fine by me. Saves me the trouble of hunting you down."
He scanned the hall and barked, "Cao Bang disciples, listen to my command! These three are remnants of criminals wanted by the Imperial Court! Kill them on sight, no mercy! Whoever brings me their heads will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of silver and promoted to the position of Hall Master!"
A handsome reward is sure to bring forth brave men, and ten thousand taels of silver was no small sum.
Instantly, greed flared in the eyes of dozens of disciples. With battle cries, they drew their blades and charged, hoping to take down Yue Yulong and Yue Yufeng.
Yue Yulong flicked his Silver Spear, its tip flashing in a flurry of strikes like falling snow as he met the enemy head-on.
Yue Yufeng drew her twin swords, their flashing blades dancing like butterflies—agile yet deadly.
Back to back, the two siblings actually managed to block the first wave of attacks, holding their ground completely.
But the Cao Bang had the advantage of numbers, and soon, their experts joined the fray.
A burly man wielding twin hammers laughed maniacally as he swung at Yue Yulong. "Die, you little whelp!"
Yue Yulong raised his spear to block. With a loud CLANG, the webbing of his hand split open, and he staggered backward. His injuries had not yet healed, and his opponent’s strength was greater than his own; there was no way he could withstand the blow.
On the other side, three skilled swordsmen entangled Yue Yufeng, their blades weaving a dense net that forced her into a perilous situation with almost no room to dodge.
Seeing this, Zhao Tianxiong roared with laughter. "You two little brats, you don’t know your own limits. Today, Master Zhao will teach you a lesson you won’t forget!"
But the laughter soon froze on his face.
Because the unfathomable man in the blue shirt had moved. He only took a single step forward, casually, as if with no effort at all.
THUD—
And yet, that single step seemed to land on everyone’s heart.
The entire hall shook violently, and dust rained down from the beams and pillars.
The Cao Bang disciples charging the Yue Family Siblings were slammed back as if they had hit an invisible wall of energy, all of them spitting blood as they were sent flying, completely powerless to resist.
The burly man with the twin hammers, being the closest, was sent flying like a kite with a broken string. He crashed into a wall, his chest caved in, and died on the spot.
The three swordsmen screamed in agony as their longswords shattered inch by inch, the broken shards embedding themselves back into their own chests. Then, they fell silent.
A terrifying pressure swept through the Central Hall. Even the Cao Bang’s Gang Leader, Hong Zhenhai, a Super Grade Late Stage Celestial Human, felt his breathing grow tight.
The high-ranking members of Cao Bang who had been about to help Zhao Tianxiong were now as still as castrated quails, making no move. After all, this was a disaster of Zhao Tianxiong’s own making.
Years ago, in order to curry favor with the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, he had ignored the opposition of many and insisted on framing Yue Zhan, a key general of the Crown Prince Faction, leading to the utter ruin of his family.
Now that his victims had come seeking revenge, it was only what he deserved.
Furthermore, with the fall of the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, the Cao Bang itself had suffered repercussions. Zhao Tianxiong was already unpopular, and now, with an expert of unimaginable power coming for him, how could the upper echelons of the Cao Bang dare to act rashly?
Witnessing the terrifying might of Xia Wuyang’s single step, a dead silence fell over the Central Hall. Crushed by that dreadful pressure, no one dared to even breathe too loudly. They stared in horror at the man in the blue shirt, as if looking at a god or demon who had descended upon the mortal realm.
"Celestial Human Perfection... He’s already not far from becoming a True Monarch!"
"He only needs one more breakthrough! He could reach the True Monarch Level at any moment!"
"The gap is too wide! How could we possibly be his match?"
Someone shouted this in a trembling voice, and the others, hearing it, became even more terrified to move, remaining rooted to the spot.

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