Just as Bai Yuan’s right foot crossed the threshold of the Martial Arts Hall, he saw Chu Yuan walking toward him.

"Senior Brother Chu, what’s happening?"

Chu Yuan was leading five skilled practitioners from the Martial Arts Hall, all fully armed and heading out.

Seeing Bai Yuan, Chu Yuan stopped.

"Junior Brother Bai, an envoy from the Divine Mansion Sect is here."

Hearing the three words "Divine Mansion Sect," Bai Yuan’s heart tightened. After all, he possessed one of their Cultivation Techniques.

"Are they here to recruit disciples?"

"No."

Chu Yuan took a few steps closer and whispered in Bai Yuan’s ear, "The Divine Mansion Sect is here. They’re planning to move against the Soul-Chasing Tower. The Martial Arts Hall has received orders too, and I’ve been sent to attend a council. Junior Brother, be extra careful these days."

Bai Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’The Divine Mansion Sect is actually going to move against the Soul-Chasing Tower!’

Both were behemoths in Huanglong Prefecture, and now they were about to clash.

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

Bai Yuan nodded.

Chu Yuan said no more and led his men toward the County Magistrate’s Office. Bai Yuan watched their retreating figures, lost in thought.

’The Divine Mansion Sect is making such a big commotion. This doesn’t look like an attempt to annihilate the Soul-Chasing Tower.’

’The Soul-Chasing Tower has eyes and ears everywhere; they probably already know about today’s council. Unless... the Divine Mansion Sect wants to lure out more Soul-Chasing Tower assassins and wipe them all out in one fell swoop.’

’Ruthless!’

’It seems the Divine Mansion Sect is planning to drop all pretenses with the Soul-Chasing Tower.’

One had to understand that the branches in Qinghe County, and even all of Huanglong Prefecture, were just that—branches of the Soul-Chasing Tower. Destroying the Qinghe Branch Pavilion would be simple. But what would follow is the wrath of the entire Soul-Chasing Tower, something even the Divine Mansion Sect couldn’t afford to bear.

’Unless... it’s not just the Divine Mansion Sect that wants to deal with the Soul-Chasing Tower, but the entire Xuan Yang Dynasty!’

At this thought, Bai Yuan couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath. The Soul-Chasing Tower was deeply entrenched in these lands; this would not be an easy fight.

He had long heard that the current Emperor of the Xuan Yang Dynasty was an ambitious and brilliant strategist. He must have wanted to pull out this venomous thorn for a long time.

"Great chaos is coming."

Bai Yuan suddenly felt that his current combat strength, enough to slay a Yijin Martial Master, was no longer sufficient. He figured the Iron Saber Gang’s inaction was likely related to this matter as well.

Compared to the campaign to exterminate the Soul-Chasing Tower, a single True Disciple like him was utterly insignificant.

’What a pity... to lose those enhancement points that were just within my grasp.’

Bai Yuan soon arrived at Old Xue’s small courtyard.

"Master."

He brewed a cup of tea and respectfully presented it to Old Xue.

Old Xue took a sip. "Bai Yuan, the city isn’t safe lately. You should just stay in the Martial Arts Hall for now. The people from the Divine Mansion Sect have arrived. The disciple recruitment ceremony will begin in a few days."

"Yes."

Bai Yuan wore an obedient expression.

After paying his morning respects to Old Xue, he went to his own room at the Huwei Arts Hall.

As a True Disciple, he no longer had to live in the dormitories with the Inner and Outer Courtyard disciples. Instead, each True Disciple was given a small courtyard. Though not large, it was a significant improvement over the dorms.

He had too many secrets, which was why he preferred not to live at the Martial Arts Hall.

The moment he pushed open the door, he saw Xiao Qiaoniang and Li Ting sparring.

"Brother Yuan."

"Senior Brother Bai."

Seeing Bai Yuan, the two women stopped in unison.

Li Ting was perceptive. Realizing her presence would be awkward, she quickly found an excuse and slipped away.

Only Bai Yuan and Xiao Qiaoniang were left in the small courtyard.

"Brother Yuan, is everything settled?"

Xiao Qiaoniang breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Bai Yuan.

There were no secrets between them, so she knew about Bai Yuan’s feud with the Zhu Family and the Iron Saber Gang. She had originally wanted to stay, but the thought of her Skin Grinding Martial Master strength only being a burden to Bai Yuan had convinced her to leave.

Bai Yuan shook his head.

"The Iron Saber Gang didn’t make a move. The arrival of the Divine Mansion Sect must have disrupted their plans."

He couldn’t care less about the feud between the Divine Mansion Sect, the Xuan Yang Dynasty, and the Soul-Chasing Tower. Such matters were beyond his station to worry about.

However, the Tiger-Crane Form was, after all, a lost Cultivation Technique from the Divine Mansion Sect. Even if the matter was temporarily postponed because of the Soul-Chasing Tower, a reckoning would eventually come.

Once the Divine Mansion Sect got involved, not even Old Xue could protect him.

Fortunately, the Iron Saber Gang had no proof for now, only speculation. He had also burned the silk scroll on which the Tiger-Crane Form was written.

’If the Divine Mansion Sect adopts a ’better to kill a thousand innocents than let one guilty person escape’ policy, then my only option will be to fight my way out of Qinghe City.’

"Looks like I still need a Superior Body Technique."

...

For three days, nothing happened in Qinghe County. But anyone could see it was the calm before the storm. The number of pedestrians on the streets had dwindled significantly.

If even the common folk could sense it, how could the Soul-Chasing Tower be ignorant?

Beneath the Qinghe riverbed, eerie red lanterns lit up a vast cavern.

A tall figure slowly walked into the Soul-Chasing Tower. The Soul-Grabbing Little Ghosts guarding the entrance paled upon recognizing the visitor and bowed respectfully.

The Soul-Chasing Tower had never had rules. If one had to name one, it would be this: the strong are revered.

Anyone who could elicit such a reaction from the Soul-Grabbing Little Ghosts had to possess extraordinary strength.

The assassins of the Soul-Chasing Tower were not like the flashy, sheltered martial artists from sects and prominent families who rarely fought to the death. Every one of them had clawed their way out of a pile of corpses.

The tall figure ascended the tower without stopping.

Every Soul-Chasing Tower, no matter its location, had nine floors, symbolizing that from the Nine Heavens, they dared to slay even gods.

One floor... two floors... The tall figure showed no signs of stopping, ascending straight to the ninth floor in one go—a place only the Soul Chasing Tower Lord was permitted to enter.

The ninth floor of the Soul-Chasing Tower was not large. It contained only a single room, meant for one person: the Soul Chasing Tower Lord, Xinchou.

The assassins of the Soul-Chasing Tower had no names. Even if they had names before, upon entering the tower, they became the nameless, identified only by a code.

Ordinary assassins were only given a string of numbers. Only a Tower Lord could earn a name from the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.

The Soul Chasing Tower Lord of Qinghe County was named Xinchou.

Ten Heavenly Stems, twelve Earthly Branches, a sixty-year cycle. This was not the first Xinchou. The Soul-Chasing Tower had existed for even longer than the Xuan Yang Dynasty; the lineage was too ancient to trace.

The tall figure spoke slowly.

"How are the preparations for the Ten Thousand Spirits Festival coming along?"

Their voice was hazy and indistinct, as if veiled by a thin film, making it impossible to tell if they were male or female. This was a fundamental skill for Soul-Chasing Tower assassins, used to conceal their identities.

The Soul Chasing Tower Lord, Xinchou, looked at the tall figure with a hint of fear in his eyes.

"We still need more time. We don’t have enough people yet."

"Speed things up."

There was a trace of displeasure in the tall figure’s tone. They had come here to ensure that there were absolutely no mistakes with the Ten Thousand Spirits Festival.

’The Divine Mansion Sect wants to eliminate the Soul-Chasing Tower,’ they thought. ’As if we don’t have the same idea about them.’

Xinchou showed a hint of hesitation.

"I heard that Dong Wanjun attacked in Cao Valley County and slaughtered our entire branch pavilion..."

The tall figure waved a hand impatiently, cutting Xinchou off. "That is not your concern. Just focus on preparing for the Ten Thousand Spirits Festival."

"This subordinate obeys."

Xinchou dared not say more, meekly accepting the order.

An icy killing intent radiated from the tall figure.

’Dong Wanjun!’

Under the flickering candlelight of the red lanterns, a long scar stretching across both cheeks was revealed on the tall figure’s face.

The one who had inflicted it was none other than Dong Wanjun.