"You can rest assured; what Qin Feiyang said is all true."

"Because Shuang'er has also been to the Land of Ruins. I asked her about it not long ago, and her account was almost identical to Qin Feiyang's."

The Lord of the Mansion chuckled.

Wang Hong said, "Even so, we must consult the current Emperor."

"The Emperor is the supreme being; how could I possibly meet him just because I wish to?"

The Lord of the Mansion gave a wry smile.

The Nine Great Commanders fell silent.

Although the Lord of the Mansion was the ruler of Spirit State, he wasn't qualified to request an audience with the Emperor proactively; he had to be summoned.

And the Emperor only granted an audience once every ten years.

It had only been eight years since the last imperial audience, meaning they had to wait another two years.

The Lord of the Mansion pondered for a moment and sighed, "We'll have to let this matter rest for two more years."

Wang Hong and the others nodded; that was the only option for now.

The Lord of the Mansion continued, "There is one more thing. I have already dismissed Zhao He from his position as Commander. Do you have any suitable candidates for replacement?"

"This..."

The Nine Great Commanders began to ponder.

Suddenly, Wang Hong's eyes lit up. "I believe Yan Nanshan could fill the position of Commander."

The Lord of the Mansion said, "I've been observing Yan Nanshan's performance recently, and he is indeed a talent. But he's currently the Law Enforcement Elder of the Holy Temple. We can't just poach him from them, can we? If we did, that little girl would undoubtedly come pestering me with arguments every day. So, that's not feasible."

The "little girl" he referred to was the Chief Hall Master of the Holy Temple.

Wang Hong said, "Then how about Fan Jian! Although he has helped Qin Feiyang several times, this also proves he has keen judgment and can distinguish between good and evil."

Xue Huiyun commented, "You have a point, but he has only just stepped into the War Ancestor realm. I'm afraid he might not be up to such a significant responsibility."

"You underestimate him," Wang Hong replied with a wry smile. "Yesterday, I questioned him. With Qin Feiyang's help, he has now unlocked the fifth layer of the Door of Potential. Given his current talent and potential, I believe it won't be long before he not only catches up to us but surpasses us. By then, we'll be the ones looking up to him."

"The fifth layer!"

Xue Huiyun and the others' eyes flickered with shock.

The Door of Potential had always been a legend; forget the fifth layer, they couldn't even unlock the first.

This Qin Feiyang is truly terrifying! It seems we'll have to try and build a closer relationship with Qin Feiyang in the future.

The Lord of the Mansion pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, Fan Jian it is. Wang Hong, you go inform him."

"Yes, sir!"

Wang Hong bowed in acknowledgment, then transformed into a streak of light and sped towards the jail.

When Fan Jian received the news, he was ecstatic, his heart pounding wildly for a long time, unable to calm down.

The position of Commander... He had never dared to even dream of it before; it was an existence completely beyond his reach. Yet, unexpectedly, he had now attained this position! And all of this was because of one person—Qin Feiyang! If not for him, I would probably have remained an insignificant prison guard for the rest of my life. Choosing to help Qin Feiyang back then... I truly made the right decision!

「Time flew by.」

Two months passed in the blink of an eye.

BOOM!

That day, as Qin Feiyang's arm trembled, a dazzling light burst forth from his fingertips.

At the same time, his aura surged wildly.

In less than Three Star, he broke through to become a Five-Star War Emperor!

"Huh?"

Lu Xingchen opened his eyes and looked at Qin Feiyang in surprise.

What's going on? For the past two months, Qin Feiyang has just been standing there writing something. I haven't seen him cultivate at all. How did his cultivation level break through? And so quickly?

HUFF!

Qin Feiyang exhaled deeply, a keen light instantly filling his eyes.

That's the look of anticipation! Just one final stroke, and I'll master the War Technique! Once I do, my combat power will undoubtedly rise to another level!

"I really look forward to the next Divine Art appearing," he murmured. The gleam in his eyes subsided as he turned to Lu Xingchen and asked, "When will you break through?"

Lu Xingchen shook his head with a wry smile. "I can't compare to you, but I should be close. As for exactly how long it will take, I can't guarantee it."

"Then let's continue!" Qin Feiyang said, turning back to start tracing the ninth stroke.

Originally, I wanted to go out and assess the situation. But I really can't rest easy leaving Lu Xingchen alone in the ancient castle. Right now, White-Eyed Wolf is unconscious. Fatty, Lu Hong, Lin Yiyi, Lo Qianxue, and the Drill Bit Beast—none of them are a match for Lu Xingchen. Although Lu Xingchen appears very amicable at the moment, what if he's secretly harboring ill intentions? What if he harms Fatty and the others once I leave the ancient castle? It's best to prevent trouble before it starts.

「Another two months passed.」

Lu Xingchen finally broke through to become a Six-Star War Emperor.

However, after two more months of tracing, Qin Feiyang had only managed to complete half of the ninth stroke, which left him feeling quite frustrated. Whether it was for the Counter Curse Manual or the War Technique, the final stroke always required an immense amount of Battle Intent and time.

Closing the Six-Character Mantra and securing the iron box, Qin Feiyang consumed a few Battle Intent Pills, then sat cross-legged to recover his depleted Battle Intent.

In less than an hour, his Essence and Spirit returned to their peak condition.

Qin Feiyang stood up, looked at Lu Xingchen, and smiled faintly. "Ready?"

Lu Xingchen grinned. "Ready when you are."

With a wave of his hand, Qin Feiyang and Lu Xingchen appeared in a dense forest.

Nearby, a troop of Black Rock Apes was active. Some were hunting, others were lounging on the ground, on rocks, or resting on the thick branches of large trees, while still others frolicked deeper in the jungle.

"A human scent!"

The moment Qin Feiyang and Lu Xingchen appeared, all the Black Rock Apes instantly locked their gazes on them.

"It's you!" one of the apes snarled.

"You still haven't left!" another exclaimed.

"Truly courting death!" a third growled.

BOOM!

Instantly, all the nearby Black Rock Apes, their eyes filled with terrifying ferocity, charged madly at the two humans.

Lu Xingchen frowned. "Should we kill them?"

Qin Feiyang glanced at the swarm of apes, his expression grim, and shook his head. "No, we can't kill them. Otherwise, their Ape King will relentlessly pursue us."

SWOOSH!

The two of them shot out of the jungle.

The swarm of apes also pursued them into the sky, exuding palpable killing intent.

"Ignore them," Qin Feiyang said in a low voice. "While the Ape King isn't here yet, let's quickly search this area for anything suspicious."

Without delay, he activated Phantom Step, flickering continuously through the air and leaving a trail of afterimages.

Lu Xingchen also executed an elusive movement technique, darting off in another direction.

"Intercept them!" roared one of the apes.

Black Rock Apes appeared from all directions.

But things were different now; Qin Feiyang's current speed and strength were comparable to a Nine-Star War Emperor's. As long as he avoided direct confrontation, no matter how many Black Rock Apes there were, they couldn't inflict any substantial harm on him.

He moved like an eel, weaving through the swarm of apes, the sky filling with his afterimages. Many apes thought they had struck him, only to find they had merely hit one of his illusions.

This was the terrifying aspect of Phantom Step. Each afterimage could pass for the real thing, making it difficult to discern his true body before an illusion dissipated.

While dodging, Qin Feiyang carefully searched his surroundings.

Compared to Qin Feiyang, Lu Xingchen was in a more precarious situation. Although his speed was also comparable to a Nine-Star War Emperor's, he lacked afterimages, so the Black Rock Apes chasing him could consistently track his true position.

One Black Rock Ape roared, "Forget that other one for now! Get this guy first!"

More than half of the Black Rock Apes chasing Qin Feiyang immediately wheeled around and swarmed towards Lu Xingchen, leaving only a smaller group to harass Qin Feiyang.

These creatures are surprisingly clever, Qin Feiyang mused.

He paid Lu Xingchen no mind, seizing the opportunity to search rapidly. It was also a chance to see just how capable Lu Xingchen truly was.

While evading, Lu Xingchen scanned the surrounding Black Rock Apes. He no longer had the luxury to search, as he had already experienced several life-threatening close calls.

"Human, you can't escape!"

A few Black Rock Apes at his rear snarled, their eyes glinting with terrifying malice as they lunged at Lu Xingchen.

Lu Xingchen flickered to the side, shouting, "Brother Qin, I can't hold on much longer! Hurry up!"

No sooner had he spoken than more than a dozen Black Rock Apes viciously pounced on him from behind.

"Wind Armor!"

Lu Xingchen's gaze hardened. With a low growl, wind elemental energy surged forth, coalescing into a suit of armor around him.

His speed actually increased once more! Although it wasn't an entire minor realm's worth of augmentation, just a slight boost, his speed now surpassed that of a Nine-Star War Emperor.

SWOOSH!

He took a step and swiftly darted through the swarm of apes in front of him.

BOOM!

But just as he was about to continue his escape, a Black Rock Ape shot forward and slammed a fist into his back.

This ape actually possessed the strength of a Nine-Star War Emperor! It had been watching Lu Xingchen for a long time, waiting for the chance to land a fatal blow.

CRACK!

The force of the punch was terrifyingly immense!

The Wind Armor on Lu Xingchen's body shattered instantly.

He was sent flying, spitting a mouthful of blood.

However, he quickly stabilized himself and continued to flee, not appearing to be seriously injured.

"Huh?"

Seeing this, the ape that had ambushed Lu Xingchen showed a flicker of surprise in its eyes.

Qin Feiyang, who had also noticed the situation, couldn't help but feel inwardly astonished.

That Black Rock Ape had definitely used its full strength. And Lu Xingchen is only a Six-Star War Emperor. Even with the Wind Armor's protection, it should have been impossible for him to escape unharmed. The only explanation is that the Wind Armor not only enhances his speed but also possesses extremely strong defensive power!

Lu Xingchen shouted, "Brother Qin, are you done yet?"

"Hold on a little longer," Qin Feiyang replied.

"Everyone, come out and surround him!" the ape that had ambushed Lu Xingchen roared.

ROAR!

Accompanied by a cacophony of deafening bestial roars, more Black Rock Apes continuously leaped out from the jungle below.

In an instant, the sky was teeming with a dense mass of apes.

A quick glance revealed at least four to five hundred of them!

Furthermore, they all had three heads!

"Damn it, are they trying to take my old life?" Lu Xingchen's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly called out, "Brother Qin, I have to fight back now, or I'll be killed!"

Qin Feiyang replied, "Just make sure you don't kill them."

BOOM!

The swarm of apes surged forward, their mighty momentum shaking the mountains and the earth.

This was a horde of four to five hundred War Emperor-level ferocious beasts; anyone else would have been scared witless.

The tension on Lu Xingchen's face was undisguised.

If I could use lethal force, I could crush a large number of them with a wave of my hand. Most of these apes are below the Eight-Star War Emperor cultivation level. The problem is, if I start a massacre, it will draw out the Ape King. Then, our only option would be to flee and hide.

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