No wonder. No wonder Dongfang Xun had taken the initiative to step forward and help Xu Lai out of a tight spot; he had been harboring such thoughts all along.

The two of them looked toward Xu Lai.

As long as he spoke up, who among debtors like Niu Guihua and Wan Yuanshan would dare demand the money owed to the Family Heads of Jiangnan's thirteen cities?

Xu Lai frowned and said, "Repaying debts and paying for murder with one's life have been principles since ancient times."

A stampede of mythical beasts ran through Dongfang Xun's mind. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have shown up. Wouldn't it have been nicer to just watch the show from the shadows? Now I've revealed myself, and I still have to pay up!

But on the surface, Dongfang Xun kept nodding with a subservient expression. "Yes, yes, yes... You're right, Senior. Little Xun will remember this lesson."

Senior?

Little Xun?

All the martial artists around were stunned.

Their cultivation Boundaries were not high—the best among them was only at the Fifth Grade, which was why they were loitering at the foot of the mountain. Seeing Li Sanbai's disciple fawning over a strange young man made them intensely curious about the latter's true identity.

Suddenly, a local martial artist from Hangcheng recognized Su Daiyi standing behind Xu Lai. A flash of insight struck him, and he exclaimed, "He is Martial Ancestor Xu Lai!"

Xu Lai!

That name had spread throughout the Martial Dao of Jiangnan not long ago.

During the Sea Temple Festival, Xu Lai had overwhelmingly defeated Hua City's Martial Ancestor Niu Taishan, as well as veteran Martial Ancestors like Xu Huang and Feng Lang, helping the Su and Jiang families take control of Sea Temple Island.

One against eleven.

What an incredible display of power and spirit!

It was said that when those eleven Martial Ancestors disembarked from the ship, they all chose to immediately enter seclusion, clearly having been mentally crushed by their defeat.

At this moment, the local martial artists from the thirteen cities of Jiangnan excitedly cupped their fists and said respectfully, "We pay our respects to Martial Ancestor Xu!"

Martial artists from other regions also cupped their fists, their faces filled with fervor.

Only the martial artists from Jiangbei hesitated for a moment, a cold sneer on their faces as they performed a perfunctory Martial Dao salute.

With Xu Lai's presence, the long-standing hostility between Jiangnan and Jiangbei was now on full display.

Faced with the martial artists' reverence, Xu Lai simply smiled without saying a word.

This gesture alone sent a wave of excitement through the crowd.

This was a living Martial Ancestor, and he had smiled at them! What an honor! It was something they could brag about for the rest of their lives.

"Senior, shall we head up the mountain?" Dongfang Xun whispered. The Sixth and Seventh-Grade martial artists were on the mountainside, while those with even higher Boundaries were at the summit. The foot of the mountain was filled with amateurs, and staying here was beneath them.

Although Dongfang Xun himself had no Boundary to speak of, he still carried the title of Li Sanbai's disciple, so he was permitted to go to the summit.

Suddenly remembering something, Dongfang Xun said carefully, "By the way, Senior, my master asked me to investigate you some time ago. I just sent back some false information. If there's any conflict between you two… I'm absolutely on your side."

After saying this, he glanced around as if afraid his master might have overheard.

He turned traitor just like that? Su Daiyi's expression was strange.

But she understood. It must have been the way Xu Lai's casually sketched Magic Artifact had instantly killed the blood pool monster. That must have been what terrified Dongfang Xun.

Xu Lai said nonchalantly, "Let's go up and take a look."

The group of four started walking from the base of the mountain toward the summit.

Before leaving, Dongfang Xun kicked the middle-aged Taoist, Li Qingyun, who had been impersonating his elder martial brother. "You need to be like me!" he scolded. "Be an upright, kind person who contributes to society! You hear me?!"

"...I-I hear you." Li Qingyun nodded his head repeatedly, like a chicken pecking at grain.

Many of the surrounding martial artists had odd expressions on their faces; they knew all about Dongfang Xun's scams involving fake Magic Artifacts.

A scammer telling another scammer to be a good person... just like him. The irony was palpable.

「At the summit of Mount Fu.」

A white-haired elder sat cross-legged on a huge rock. This was Li Sanbai.

A thousand meters away from the rock, a number of figures stood waiting. Compared to the crowded base, there were significantly fewer people here, only a mere fourteen. One had to be at least an Eighth-Grade Martial Artist to qualify for a spot here.

Among them were three Taoists.

"It seems to be rather noisy at the foot of the mountain," Gao He, the head of the East Sea Martial Dao Association, remarked doubtfully. His Divine Sense couldn't reach the foot of the mountain, so he could only faintly hear some noise.

"Yes, it is quite noisy. We can't let it affect Master Li Sanbai," said Zhao Nan from the Zhongnan Mountains, a portly man with a large head. He spoke commandingly, "Gao He, what is your East Sea Martial Dao Association even good for? Can't even handle a simple matter like this."

Gao He's brow furrowed subtly.

This Zhao Nan, like the other two Taoists, had volunteered to be Li Sanbai's assistant. Though it was obvious they were all just here to burnish their reputations, the three had some renown, and Gao He didn't wish to offend them.

Still, their haughty attitude was truly irritating.

"Master Zhao, our preparations were indeed lacking. We apologize for the trouble," Zou Qingsheng said with a wide smile.

"You're too kind, Martial Ancestor Zou." Zhao Nan raised a chubby arm and smiled back. "I've long heard that you are the foremost among the Ninth-Grade Martial Ancestors of Jiangbei. Seeing you today... you truly live up to your reputation!"

The mutual flattery between the two further displeased Gao He.

Fortunately, at that moment, Li Sanbai finally opened his eyes. He slowly stood up and looked down toward the few figures walking up the mountain, a flicker of apprehension in his gaze.

"Master, Xu Lai... has arrived!"

A charming yet cold female voice sounded in Li Sanbai's ear. "Set up your Formation. Leave the rest to me."

Li Sanbai bowed slightly.

For the past few days, Zou Qingsheng, the Ninth-Grade Martial Ancestor from Jiangbei, had been relentlessly currying favor with Li Sanbai. At the same time, he incessantly and seemingly inadvertently mentioned the grudge between Xu Lai and his disciple, Dongfang Xun, including the matter of the Spirit Vein on Mount Haitang.

He was obviously trying to use another's hand to commit murder.

And the Faceless Demon had taken the bait.

To escape the prison that trapped her, she needed a large amount of Spiritual Energy. A Pseudo-Spiritual Vein was absolutely insufficient; only by consuming a real Spirit Vein did she have a chance to escape.

And Mount Haitang was the best choice, bar none.

First, Mount Haitang was not yet under national control. Second, only Xu Lai's family lived on the mountain. As long as Xu Lai was dealt with, there would be no further concerns.

The Faceless Demon smiled slyly. Oh, Xu Lai, Xu Lai... with the Pseudo-Spiritual Veins of Harbour City and Mount Fu, plus the true Spirit Vein of Mount Haitang, my seal will break completely. I won't need you anymore. So, I'll have to ask you to die here.

"However, Master, Xu Lai's Boundary is still unclear. What if..." Li Sanbai began, hesitating.

"There are no 'what ifs.' He and all these humans on the mountain must die here. Only fresh blood can serve as the catalyst to form the Spirit Vein. Have you forgotten?" the Faceless Demon said, her voice laced with displeasure.

"I wouldn't dare," Li Sanbai replied, shaking his head.

His thoughts were in turmoil as he remembered that night decades ago.

It was drizzling in Harbour City that day.

Hundreds of Feng Shui Taoists, along with over a thousand Martial Artists who had come to watch the spectacle, all perished within the Formation, their blood mingling with the rainwater.

Thus, Harbour City acquired its first Pseudo-Spiritual Vein.

Today, the same deed had to be done again.

Li Sanbai suddenly felt something wet on his face. He looked up and saw a light rain beginning to fall.

Just like that night, a light rain was falling.

And just like that night, everyone on the mountain would die, including his worthless disciple, Dongfang Xun.

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