Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes, fingers tapping the table.

His guess was probably correct. These people weren’t assassins raised by the Sha organization from childhood. Most of the Black-tier assassins, and likely even those at the Mei tier and above, were probably the same. Their personal circumstances had forced them to join, whether to pursue immortality or to escape some form of control.

He stood and said coldly, “Keep following this lead. Inform Old Gu of the hypothesis as well. I’m heading out for a bit.”

Ji Yuchuan nodded solemnly, then bowed and said, “Yes, Pavilion Master!”

After a brief pause, he added, “Your residence is in the very center, the Cloud Tower.”

Li Guanqi nodded. His figure twisted, and he vanished with a single teleport.

He arrived at an ancient, elegant courtyard, but he paid the scenery no attention. He took out a special jade slip, recorded all his conjectures, and sent them to Su Xuan. The old man didn’t reply this time, likely caught up with other matters.

Brows still furrowed, Li Guanqi flicked his hand, and a chessboard manifested before him. Yet no matter how many moves he made on the board, he couldn’t fully grasp the situation. Gathering powerful figures from across the world, yet not claiming any territory... Hiding in the shadows, going to every length to sabotage the Abyssal-Sealing Lands and release the Abyssal Demons... What exactly do they want?

He pondered for a long while, but the motive behind the Sha organization’s actions stayed out of reach.

Sitting cross-legged across from the chessboard, he muttered, “Absorbing soul power to strengthen themselves? No. If it were only about becoming stronger, they could devour the origin power of the Abyssal Demons directly. Why go through all this trouble?”

Li Guanqi stared at the chessboard, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, in a distant palace, a man sat inside a pitch-black chamber. Beneath him, a vast formation shimmered with silver light. Two illusory figures slowly emerged.

The man opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them. The two phantoms tore through the void and vanished. “I don’t have much time left... was it you?”

Back in the Cloud Tower, Li Guanqi clutched his chest as an inexplicable palpitation struck, his heart rate surging to its limit. His face flushed, and he dropped to one knee, sweeping his gaze in every direction as his divine consciousness spread across the entire territory.

The pressure made everyone stop breathing, as if a mountain were pressing on their chests. But the aura faded as quickly as it came.

Ji Yuchuan and Xi Yunhuai hurried toward the Cloud Tower. They had both sensed killing intent in that brief aura.

Lock Moon Sword in hand, Li Guanqi scanned every direction, but he found nothing.

Ji Yuchuan watched him with a grave frown. He sent him a voice transmission. “What happened?”

Clang!

The sword returned to its sheath. Li Guanqi said coldly, “Nothing. Just a sudden, fleeting sense of dread. Don’t dwell on it. Prepare for the Daxia Sword Sect’s recall. Make sure nothing goes wrong.”

Ji Yuchuan nodded and replied in a deep voice, “Rest assured, Pavilion Master. We’ll make sure there’s no outside interference!”

“Also... ahem... the Divine Treasure Territory has sent three million high-grade spirit stones. They’ve already arrived,” Ji Yuchuan said, shooting Li Guanqi a meaningful glance.

Li Guanqi shrugged. “Give me three hundred thousand. I’m running short on spirit stones for cultivation.”

Ji Yuchuan smiled without refusing. After all, Li Guanqi was the pavilion owner. He handed Li Guanqi a storage ring.

Li Guanqi said, “Try to investigate the identities of those three masked assassins. If you can find out, do so. If not, forget it. What Guanyun Pavilion needs now is steady development. Don’t act too hastily. I don’t expect it to reach the level of the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion anytime soon.”

Ji Yuchuan breathed a sigh of relief. What he had feared most was Li Guanqi pushing for rapid expansion, which would bring Guanyun Pavilion into the public eye far too often.

Su You spoke softly. “Some factions have already set their sights on the Yunding Auction House, waiting for an opportunity to make a move.”

Ji Yuchuan’s expression darkened. He turned to Su You and said coldly, “There’s no need to report such minor matters to the pavilion master. We can handle it ourselves.”

Li Guanqi offered a silent smile before vanishing from the domain in a flash.

After Li Guanqi left, Ji Yuchuan’s expression soured. He looked at Su You. “Su You, if anything like this comes up in the future, report it to me first. These are minor issues that even you can handle on your own. There’s no need to inform the pavilion owner at all. It makes both of us look incompetent.”

Su You’s expression shifted slightly. He lowered his head and nodded. When he looked up and saw Ji Yuchuan wave him off, he quietly withdrew.

Ji Yuchuan retrieved a cultivation technique from his storage ring, a gift Li Guanqi had given to Pavilion Two. “Great Void Shadow Concealment Divine Technique... I should pass this to the Cloud Shadow Guards as soon as possible.”

Even Ji Yuchuan was shocked by the technique’s tier, so he decided to divide it into three parts before passing it down. The last section would be reserved for the core members of the Cloud Shadow Guards and would also serve as an incentive.

Ji Yuchuan laughed coldly. “Since these people want to test the forces behind Yunding, I’ll let you all have a good look. As for the price... I hope you can afford to pay it.”

He raised a hand, and a mysterious fluctuation spread outward. Space twisted slightly, and several figures vanished.

The Daxia Sword Sect’s bustling construction had drawn the attention of nearly the entire Azure Cloud Continent.

Meanwhile, after receiving Li Guanqi’s message, Ji Yuchuan sent back some mysterious spatial coordinates.

In the central region of Azure Cloud Continent, Li Guanqi strolled above the clouds, his eyes flickering with light. Within a valley brimming with spirit qi, he stood atop an ancient tree, swaying gently in the breeze.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he smiled faintly and said softly, “I’m Li Guanqi of the Daxia Sword Sect. I’ve come to visit the Tang family.”

His voice wasn’t loud, yet it carried vital force, penetrating straight through the mysterious domain before him.

Buzz!

The words had barely left his mouth when the space before him distorted. Moments later, more than a dozen figures emerged from the warped space. The man at the front wore luxurious robes embroidered with gold. His brows were thick, and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s

This man was Tang Ru’s father, Tang Wei.