Chapter 4: The Wrath of the Recluse

When Leng Qi and the others arrived at the place where Luo Yexi had just clashed with the members of the Listening Heaven Tower, they could not help but gasp in cold air.

Corpses lay scattered across the open ground, and the earth was still emitting wisps of heat. The trees within a radius of more than ten zhang had all toppled over, and those within three zhang had been reduced to charcoal.

"Judging by their attire, these people should be from the Listening Heaven Tower. What on earth happened here?" Leng Qi frowned deeply.

In Feng Yin Shan, a red figure was speeding toward the depths of the dense forest. Looking closely, it was Luo Yexi. However, Luo Yexi's condition at this moment was not good; her face was pale, and trickles of blood were constantly overflowing from the corners of her mouth. Even though the Nine Suns Heavenly Art possessed infinite power and the Nine Suns Divine Sword was a divine weapon, the many experts of the Listening Heaven Tower were no pushovers, and the few leaders among them were renowned experts in the martial arts world. Although Luo Yexi's First Form: Initial Sun Scorching the Sky had wiped out everyone present in one strike, their desperate counterattacks in the face of death had also caused her severe injuries. The Listening Heaven Tower's informants were spread across the world; to avoid further complications, Luo Yexi merely suppressed her injuries in a hurry and rushed back to Fengming Mountain overnight.

In Taoyuan, Lingyun, who was in the middle of analyzing the final law of this world, suddenly opened his eyes. His figure distorted for a moment and vanished from the Bamboo House.

Luo Yexi, who was on her way, only felt a blur before her eyes, and a cyan figure appeared in front of her. She hurriedly stopped her steps, looked closely, and could not help but exclaim, "Master?"

Luo Yexi could not help but be surprised; one must know that Lingyun had not left Taoyuan for seven years, yet this time he had appeared directly before her.

Lingyun's gaze fell upon Luo Yexi, his brows knitting together instantly. He stepped forward to embrace her, his figure blurred for a moment, and he vanished into the forest with her.

Back in the Bamboo House, Lingyun took a jade bottle from a cabinet, poured out a Pill that looked like white jade, and handed it to Luo Yexi: "Didn't you say you were going to assassinate a corrupt official? How did you end up in such a sorry state? Could it be that you encountered some expert on the road, forcing you to even use the First Form: Initial Sun Scorching the Sky?"

Luo Yexi took the Pill and swallowed it directly. A hint of color returned to her face, and she then told Lingyun about her encounter in full detail.

After listening to Luo Yexi's account, a dark glint flashed in Lingyun's eyes, and he then said: "I never expected such a thing to happen. I understand. Stay in Taoyuan and recuperate well for these days. Do not leave Taoyuan without authorization before I return, so as to avoid any accidents!"

"Master, you are leaving Taoyuan?" Luo Yexi asked in surprise.

Lingyun turned around: "You are my, Lingyun's, disciple. If my own disciple is bullied by outsiders and I, as her master, do not stand up for you, that would be too derelict of duty! Rest assured, I will be back in a few days. While I am away, you should just focus on recovering!" Having said this, Lingyun's body slowly dissipated.

Looking at the place where Lingyun had vanished, the corners of Luo Yexi's mouth curled into a beautiful arc: "Master, thank you!"

At the main pavilion of the Listening Heaven Tower, a man wearing a mask looked coldly at the black-clad, masked person kneeling before him: "You say that the two Tower Lords and the two Protectors, along with the people they brought, are all dead?"

"Yes, Tower Lord. When your subordinate arrived at that place, they were already all dead. Moreover, the person who killed them used an extremely scorching and overbearing internal energy. In our Listening Heaven Tower's archives, there is no intelligence regarding this kind of internal energy." The masked person's tone was very mechanical.

"Trash, truly a bunch of trash. So many people went, yet they couldn't even take down one Hongyi who had been poisoned with Power-Dissolving Powder, and instead got themselves killed!" The Masked Man was so angry that he crushed the porcelain cup in his hand into fragments, and the water in the cup was instantly evaporated. "By the way, I heard from those below that Hongyi went to Fengming Mountain?"

"Yes, according to information from the informants below, Hongyi has indeed entered Fengming Mountain!"

The Masked Man pondered for a while and slowly said: "Immediately dispatch a group of skilled hands to enter Fengming Mountain. You must find Hongyi for me!"

"Yes." The masked person acknowledged and then vanished into a shadow.

"Hongyi, oh Hongyi, I never thought your abilities would be so great. I sent so many people, yet none could capture you. However, you can hide for the first day, but you cannot hide for the fifteenth. I do not believe that this time, you will still be able to escape from my palm!" the Masked Man said coldly.

Three days later, Shangjing, Ling Yan Ge.

Lingyun sat at a wine table, toying with a porcelain cup in his hand, his gaze fixed on a tall and luxurious shop not far from Ling Yan Ge. Three characters were written in large script on the shop—Listening Heaven Tower. That's right, the Listening Heaven Tower was that powerful, powerful enough to openly establish its branch in Shangjing.

"The largest branch of the Listening Heaven Tower, is it? Perhaps after today, it will become history!" After drinking the last cup of wine, Lingyun tossed a gold ingot onto the table, then grabbed his Long sword and leaped out from the window of Ling Yan Ge. With a few bounds, Lingyun arrived on the roof of the building opposite the Listening Heaven Tower.

As the largest branch of the Listening Heaven Tower, this location naturally had many skilled hands. Lingyun did not conceal his figure, and those experts stationed there naturally discovered him. Seeing his actions, a sense of foreboding flashed through their hearts, and their gazes fell upon him in unison.

To this, Lingyun only gave a cold smile, drew his Long sword from its scabbard, and then swept it out. "One Sword, Nine Provinces Chill!"

Seeing Lingyun strike suddenly, everyone present was shocked. Some of the faster ones rushed up, meeting the sword light. However, the speed of the sword light was faster than them, falling straight onto the top floor of the Listening Heaven Tower. With a "Boom—", the top floor of the Listening Heaven Tower turned into fragments and scattered in the sword light.

"Not good, enemy attack!" A Listening Heaven Tower guard roared, drew the broadsword at his waist, and flew toward Lingyun, who was standing on the roof.

The guard's roar awakened the crowd. After the people retreated to create an open space, they began to discuss heatedly: who could have such great courage to dare provoke the Listening Heaven Tower, which was currently at the height of its popularity in the martial arts world? Many people who were in the Listening Heaven Tower to gather information also retreated one after another to avoid being accidentally injured.

"Who are you, and why have you come to cause trouble at my Listening Heaven Tower?" A steward within the Listening Heaven Tower looked at Lingyun and spoke. The man's voice spread continuously to the surroundings, and everyone present felt a chill in their hearts. If even a steward had such internal energy, just how strong was the Listening Heaven Tower?

"Why cause trouble?" Lingyun smiled coldly, "Daring to bully my disciple, the road for your Listening Heaven Tower has truly come to an end!"

"It seems you are unwilling to let this rest and are determined to set yourself against my Listening Heaven Tower! Then, kill him, no matter if he lives or dies!" Seeing Lingyun raise the Long sword in his hand, the steward knew that this matter could not be easily resolved today. But the Listening Heaven Tower had roamed the martial arts world for so many years; whom had they ever feared? He directly ordered his men to kill.