Chapter 354: Paper Grand Master, Lower Your Head and Behave!

Ouyang Huangquan burst out of the tavern, his martial arts speed not his strength, yet his velocity resembled a sudden storm—no slower than a galloping horse!

Not long after!

Thirty li had already vanished behind him; he darted through mountain trails, changing direction constantly, sometimes racing east then west, even deliberately doubling back on himself.

Only when he was roughly fifty li away, certain no one followed, did he finally find a secluded, quiet forest and vanish within it.

He activated the "Forest and Heaven True Qi," cold energy surging through his body, chilling the surrounding air; a layer of frost silently formed on his skin, frost mist clinging to his eyebrows, his breath suppressed to absolute stillness.

Like a living corpse!

Only after completing all this could he slightly relax his body.

A trace of panic and Jiaoxing remained on his face.

As for the fate of the twenty-four assassins, he cared not at all.

This kind of sacrifice, he understood clearly.

When a man is dead, everything is gone!

Why could the Forest and Heaven Palace's assassins fear no death? Beyond the brutal training since childhood that forged their inhuman will, there was another secret, rarely known.

These assassins, raised from childhood, upon reaching adulthood, would be drugged into unconsciousness by the master of the Forest and Heaven Palace and taken to a hidden "Tower in the Sky."

The Forest and Heaven Palace also called it "Chang Rong Heaven."

There, only beauties, treasures, endless pleasures and joys existed; suffering and sorrow were utterly severed, like the gentlest dream of mortals—the assassins' peach-blossom paradise.

Three days of intoxication!

Afterward, these assassins would be returned to reality.

Only the bravest, those who died in assassination, could enter "Chang Rong Heaven" after death and enjoy eternal release.

The master of the Forest and Heaven Palace was the guide who controlled life and death's cycle; his orders brooked no defiance.

It was this absolute obedience that forged the assassins' disregard for death.

"Suffering in this world, yearning for the next!"

But Ouyang Huangquan knew the truth: die, and you truly die.

Rebirth is all illusion!

This was the Forest and Heaven Palace's belief; Ouyang Huangquan hunted the traitor Xiao Yu because she had accidentally uncovered this secret.

Fortunately, Xiao Yu seemed unwilling to expose it publicly.

Yet it remained a threat—must be eliminated swiftly.

Who could have foreseen such a massive problem today?

When the nine men rose from their seats in the tavern, Ouyang Huangquan sensed something was wrong.

Especially that young man in white Daoist robes—just his gaze sent chills down the spine!

Years of dancing on the edge of death had honed his sharp insight.

He smelled the scent of death.

This group was undoubtedly the legendary "Yan Wang" and his entourage; Lu Yu, in particular, was one of the Five Supreme Masters, famed throughout the martial world—his strength surpassed even the rumors, creating an insurmountable chasm even among Grand Masters.

As for revenge.

While Lu Yu still lived, he would have fled far from any disciple of the Three True Teachings, avoiding them entirely.

Only after his death would he destroy their sect, dig up his grave, and whip his corpse.

But!

Lu Yu appeared unnaturally young, like a youth of twenty—this made Ouyang Huangquan suspicious: could such a man truly possess the art of eternal youth, or was there another hidden truth?

He let out a cold laugh, speaking into the empty depths of the forest:

"Three True Teachings, wait—I will return, and make you pay in blood!"

No one in the world dared ignore the vengeance of hidden assassins.

At that moment.

A cold voice suddenly rang out, like ice cracking stone, shattering the silence:

"Waiting for what?"

Ouyang Huangquan's face instantly paled, his shock overwhelming.

"What are you muttering about here!"

The voice came again.

Not an illusion!

Ouyang Huangquan spun around, flinging numerous hidden weapons from his sleeves.

No time to think—he leapt violently, weapons exploding from his sleeves like a swarm of bees leaving their hive, piercing the air with shrill whistles, shooting wildly in all directions.

Each weapon carried his deep internal power, gleaming with cold light, spinning as they cut through the air.

"Ding!"

"Ding—"

They embedded themselves into the surrounding trees, sending leaves cascading down—but no enemy could be seen.

Silence returned to the vicinity!

He blasted bone-chilling ice qi from both palms, rolled like a startled hare, and dove behind the nearest large tree.

Sweat and mud dripped down his face, yet he dared not relax; he pressed against the tree, spine taut, guarding against ambush.

The enemy is hidden; I am exposed!

If he fled, he would leave his back vulnerable.

Cold qi already leaked from his hands; his eyes scanned the surroundings nervously.

No one there?

That voice sounded like Lu Yu's—but he could sense no trace of his aura.

Though it was afternoon after the rain, the sky was washed clean, the forest floor damp earth, smelling of rotting vegetation.

Utterly silent—only the wind rustling through the trees!

Ouyang Huangquan had been rushing, unaware his body was caked in mud.

"Don't bother looking—you're a paper Grand Master!"

"Look up!"

Following the voice!

Ouyang Huangquan snapped his head upward, gazing into the heavens, eyes piercing the dense canopy, searching for the source.

Light filtered through the leaves, dappled and scattered—but could not dispel the gloom in his heart.

There!

A white-robed figure slowly descended from the air, wide sleeves lifting gently with the breeze, as if towering above the mortal world, looking down upon him.

The man stood on empty air, perfectly still at two zhang above ground.

Like a celestial being!

Yet Ouyang Huangquan's heart trembled with terror.

His aura had merged so perfectly with the surroundings—if not for seeing him with his own eyes, Ouyang would never have sensed him.

"This…"

His throat convulsed, producing only a hoarse syllable; his spine turned icy, every hair on his body stood on end, fear flooding him like a tide.

Finally, he recognized the white-robed man—the same youth he'd seen in the tavern, the one who had filled him with inexplicable dread.

The man had appeared here silently, without his knowledge—if not for the man's deliberate revelation, Ouyang would already be dead.

He could no longer endure the agony of waiting for death; only one thought remained.

Run!

Without hesitation, he channeled all his spiritual power into his soles and shot away at an unimaginable speed.

In an instant!

A long hand gently rested on his shoulder, flipped lightly—and he was hurled through the air.

Ouyang Huangquan felt the world spin wildly!

Spun three full rotations!

Fell face-first to the ground, his face buried deep in the dirt.

At that moment, Ouyang felt all strength drained instantly; agonizing pain surged through every limb and bone—most of his skeleton shattered under the violent impact.

He could no longer speak.

He lay sprawled, immobile, his bloodshot eyes watching the white-robed youth slowly approach.

His eyes were blood-red, tears of blood streaming down.

Ouyang Huangquan's face showed utter disbelief.

Both were Grand Masters—how could their power differ so drastically? In a single glance, he hadn't even managed to unleash a single technique before being utterly defeated.

This absurd reality filled him with unprecedented mockery and sorrow.

He suddenly understood why the Baoyue Tower ranked its top ten without order.

Placing him at eleventh, he had once resented it.

Now he realized—he had never even qualified to stand beside them.

The white-robed youth had just placed one foot on his face.

Ouyang Huangquan's face was crushed into distortion, blood oozing from his lips, mixed with mud, looking pitifully broken.

He could not even lift his head.

"Remember, next time you meet my brother, lower your head and behave."

The young man's calm voice came from above.

Ouyang Huangquan's lips curled into a bitter smile, his heart filled with bitterness.

How he wished he had never stepped into that tavern today, never encountered those nine people, never been dragged into this senseless disaster.

Or perhaps he fantasized that there truly was a reincarnation, one in which he might Youxing enter the legendary "Chang Rong Heaven" and enjoy a life free of pain, filled only with bliss.

But reality was cruel—everything was already too late, and such a reincarnation did not exist at all.

Ouyang Huangquan closed his eyes in despair, and after a while...

There seemed to be no movement at all!

He opened his eyes again—around him, no one was there; Lu Yu's figure was gone.

"Hm?"

Ouyang Huangquan could hardly believe his eyes—had he truly escaped death?

He tried to mobilize the spiritual energy within him; though his injuries remained severe, he finally gained a sliver of strength, enough to barely drag himself forward.

Leaving behind irreversible internal damage.

Fortunately, he had survived the disaster.

At that moment!

A faint sound suddenly emerged from the forest, followed by two figures silently descending.

Ouyang Huangquan's heart tightened; he held his breath, his body stiff with fear, cold sweat sliding down his forehead.

With his current condition, anyone could kill him.

The newcomers seemed uninterested in him, walking slowly past without the slightest pause.

Only when they were far away did he dare to sneak a glance at their backs.

One was a tall old Daoist, clad in hemp robes, wearing a lotus crown on his head.

The other was a thin man with a shaved head, his shoulders partially exposed; both looked like ordinary people.

Ouyang Huangquan recognized them at once.

The Grand Master of Taiping Dao: Xuantianzi.

The Wolf King of Beifeng: Wanyan Yunshan.

Both were among the top ten on the Jingzhe List; Xuantianzi was even hailed as one of the Five Supreme Masters of the World, his power unfathomable.

Why were they here?

Before he could make sense of it, his chest felt as if it would explode.

The little remaining ice true qi within him could not suppress it.

A red glow flashed wildly inside his chest.

"Ahh—"

Ouyang Huangquan clutched his chest in agony, trying to ease the torment, but it was useless.

His body lost control at that moment, suddenly bursting apart, flesh and blood spraying everywhere—the scene was horrific beyond words.

Yet a blood-red talisman broke free from his shattered body and fluttered gently onto the old Daoist Xuantianzi's palm.

The talisman emitted a faint, eerie crimson glow.

Clearly inscribed with a single character: "Jin"!

Wanyan Yunshan glanced at it with wary eyes.

Xuantianzi let out a soft sigh, a trace of regret flickering in his eyes.

"What a pity."

"Now we wait to see what happens with Xiaoyue."

Early in the month—please support with monthly votes, thank you all!

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(End of Chapter)