Chapter 441

In the northwest of Jiangnan stands a towering Wangyue Mountain.

This mountain is the highest peak within Jiangnan, shrouded in clouds and mist year-round, with terrain extremely perilous.

Because it is too remote and difficult to access, few people have ever come here, making it a desolate secret realm.

At this moment, on a flat boulder at the summit of Wangyue Mountain, a figure sits cross-legged.

This person wears a black robe embroidered with dense dark-red gu insect patterns, eerie and sinister.

His hair is white, yet his complexion is ruddy; his eyes are tightly closed, and a faint black mist swirls around him, his aura deep and abyssal, making one dare not approach lightly.

After an unknown amount of time, the figure slowly opened his eyes.

In an instant, two shafts of icy light shot from his eyes, carrying a chilling that makes the heart tremble.

As soon as he opened his eyes, the surrounding air seemed to freeze, even the wind in the mountains grew faint.

Just then, a thick black mist, as if teleporting, suddenly appeared before him.

The black mist roiled and surged, then quickly dissipated, revealing a disheveled figure inside—it was Ma Cheng!

Upon seeing the black-robed figure on the boulder, Ma Cheng immediately dropped to his knees, kowtowing repeatedly.

"Master! Thank you for saving my life! If you hadn't acted in time, I would surely have died today!"

The black-robed person is precisely the current sect leader of the Gu Wang Sect, Gu Xuanming.

He looked at Ma Cheng, kneeling on the ground like a stray dog, his face showing no ripple, only icy coldness.

"Get up. What exactly happened? I expended thirty percent of my strength to pull you from that person's grasp—who did you offend?"

In Gu Xuanming's view, Ma Cheng's life is utterly insignificant.

A disciple who couldn't even fully control the Ma family is, in his eyes, no different from trash.

Yet he went to such lengths to save him because Ma Cheng carries something he must have.

It is the key to his long-laid plans in Jiangnan, and it cannot be lost.

Ma Cheng dared not rise, still kneeling, and hurriedly reported the full story to Gu Xuanming.

"Master, it's like this!"

"Following your orders, I hid in the Ma family for four or five years; originally, after another year I could have refined the entire Ma family into gu slaves. But who knew, a guy named Jiang Feng appeared out of nowhere!"

"This Jiang Feng, I don't know where he came from; he not only saw through the linked gu I placed on Ma Jian at a glance, but also exposed my identity! I originally intended to use the Ten Thousand Gu Soul Devouring Technique to capture him and make him nourishment for the gu seeds, but I never expected his strength to far exceed my expectations—he is actually at the half-step Martial Ancestor realm!"

Recalling Jiang Feng's heaven-shaking, earth-shattering power, Ma Cheng's body trembled uncontrollably.

"His golden light specifically counters our sect's gu techniques; if it weren't for your timely arrival, Master, I would already be dead at his hands!"

Gu Xuanming listened to Ma Cheng's words, his brows slightly furrowed.

He has lived in seclusion in the jianghu for many years, rarely concerning himself with worldly affairs, and thus had never heard of Jiang Feng.

Yet someone who could instantly see through Ma Cheng's true identity as a Gu Wang Sect inheritor and easily dismantle the Ten Thousand Gu Soul Devouring Technique must have an extraordinary background.

"Jiang Feng..."

Gu Xuanming softly repeated the name, his eyes growing deep.

"A half-step Martial Ancestor who can still see through our sect's gu techniques—rather interesting."

Speaking, Gu Xuanming's expression shifted slightly, as if sensing something; he suddenly thrust his hand forward, fingers curled like claws, and grabbed straight at Ma Cheng's shoulder.

"Ah! Master, what are you doing?"

Ma Cheng, caught off guard, was seized by Gu Xuanming's grip; a piercing pain shot through his shoulder, and he couldn't help but cry out.

At the instant Gu Xuanming's palm touched Ma Cheng's shoulder, Ma Cheng's body suddenly flashed with golden light, and a faint but pure golden aura seeped from within him.

Gu Xuanming sensed this thread of golden light, and his eyes narrowed sharply.

He dared not delay; immediately circulating the terrifying gu power within him, a thick black mist surged from his palm, enveloping Ma Cheng's shoulder.

The black mist and golden light collided, and Ma Cheng felt his shoulder both ache and tingle, as if countless gu insects were gnawing at his flesh.

He couldn't help but cry out again.

Gu Xuanming's face grew grim; he ignored Ma Cheng's cries, fully exerting his gu power, and only after the time it takes to burn half an incense stick did he finally erase that thread of golden light completely.

He withdrew his hand, his eyes turning utterly sinister.

"Golden Light Seal! This child… is actually a Kunlun disciple! No wonder—only that old coot's disciple would show no mercy to our Gu Wang Sect!"

Xuan Yuan Zhenren!

Thirty years ago, he nearly left him without a burial place.

Thirty years later, his disciple nearly killed his disciple.

Is Kunlun destined to be at odds with our Gu Wang Sect unto death?

Ma Cheng covered his painfully aching shoulder, forcing back tears as he asked.

"Master, do you already know the other's origin?"

Gu Xuanming gave him a cold glance, his tone tinged with mockery.

"Kunlun is the foremost of the orthodox path; to keep your life in his hands is already quite fortunate."

"Stay here and rest, recover from your wounds. Since that Jiang Feng is a Kunlun disciple, he will surely not let this go!"

Ma Cheng dared not defy; he quickly nodded, enduring the intense pain, and slowly crawled to a nearby cave, sitting cross-legged.

Gu Xuanming then slowly rose, walked to the cliff edge of Wangyue Mountain, gazed at the misty scenery beyond, and his eyes grew ever more sinister.

"Kunlun disciple Jiang Feng..."

He murmured softly, his voice full of killing intent.

"Thirty years have passed, Xuan Yuan Zhenren; I have yet to avenge the grudge from back then—now is the perfect time to let your disciple repay it!"

His voice echoed through the valley, carrying a chilling that makes the skin crawl.

At the same time, the Ma family in the provincial capital.

Inside Ma Cheng's residence, Jiang Feng extended his divine sense to search thoroughly, finding nothing amiss.

This Ma Cheng, he's cleaned up quite neatly.

Jiang Feng's mouth corner curled up a hint of Cold Smile, and he thought to himself.

Being able to hide in the Ma Family for four or five years without being discovered shows that Ma Cheng is indeed meticulous and leaves no trace.

He must have prepared to run away at any moment, which is why he cleaned up the traces in the courtyard so neatly, leaving no clue about the Gu Wang Sect.

Just as Jiang Feng was about to give up the search and turn to leave, hurried footsteps sounded at the courtyard gate.

It turned out Ma Dongyang walked in quickly, and he clasped his fists toward Jiang Feng.

"Mr. Jiang! Xiao Jian has woken up! He wants to see you!"

Jiang Feng nodded upon hearing that.

"It's good that he's awake. Since he wants to see me, I'll go take a look."

Saying that, Jiang Feng prepared to follow Ma Dongyang away.

But after just two steps, he seemed to suddenly think of something, stopped his steps, and turned his head to look at Ma Dongyang.

"Ma family head, do you know whether Ma Cheng has any other residence besides this courtyard?"

Ma Dongyang, upon hearing that, furrowed his brows and thought carefully.

Although he wasn't as concerned about Ma Cheng's affairs as he was about Ma Jian's, after all he is his son, so he still knows something about it.

After a moment, Ma Dongyang's eyes lit up.

"Mr. Jiang, I just remembered! Xiao Cheng still seems to have a villa in Chu City!"

"He bought that villa a few years ago himself, and he occasionally goes there alone, staying for a day or two each time before returning."

Chu City is not too far from the Provincial Capital; it's just a two-hour drive.

Jiang Feng's eyes sharpened instantly upon hearing the news.

Chu City's villa……

It seems the clue is most likely there!