Due to Shen Long and his team venturing into Black Mountain, two snail avatars were kept in their possession for precaution.

  At this moment, it was Shen Long who was sending a signal to Han through the snail.

  "Hey, Senior Brother?"

  "Huff... Little Junior Brother!"

  "Why are you breathing so heavily, Senior Brother? What’s going on?"

  Are you running?

  "I've been attacked!"

  Han immediately became alert and asked urgently:

  "Who attacked you?"

  "The older brother of the Tenglong Martial Arts Pavilion's head."

  "How could a Bone Refining expert enter Black Mountain?" Han was taken aback. Could Tenglong Martial Arts Pavilion be that powerful?

  "No, he's a Zangfu Realm cultivator."

  "I'll be there right away!"

  Actually, as soon as Shen Long mentioned he was being attacked, Han had already left his house.

  He sped off, heading directly for the martial arts pavilion.

  He needed to find Bai Ruoyue and ask his senior sister for help.

  It wasn't that he couldn't handle a Zangfu Realm expert from Tenglong Martial Arts Pavilion, but the problem was that he couldn't enter Black Mountain right now.

  According to the Mountain God's rules, Bone Refining cultivators and Day Tour practitioners were not allowed into Black Mountain.

  Yesterday, Han had no issue, but today, the rules were restricting him.

  As the night grew darker, Han entered the martial arts pavilion and rushed straight into Bai Ruoyue’s chamber.

  "Senior Sister, hurry!"

  Bai Ruoyue was startled as she looked up from her desk where she had been writing. "Little Junior Brother, what’s going on at this late hour?"

  Han grabbed her and rushed outside, quickly explaining the situation.

  "What? Someone dared to chase after one of our Taibai Martial Arts Pavilion disciples?" Bai Ruoyue’s anger flared, and she immediately headed for Black Mountain, this time dragging Han along with her.

  As they ran, Han used the snail to track Shen Long's location. The snails could communicate their general positions to each other, a unique ability among their species.

  At the same time, Han reached out to Su Chang'an and He Feng. When he learned they were together, he instructed them to leave Black Mountain as long as they were safe.

  As they raced forward, Han was shocked to notice that Shen Long seemed to be moving out of Black Mountain.

  It made sense, since Han had delayed in finding Bai Ruoyue.

  Before long, Black Mountain loomed in the distance, and as they neared, they heard the sound of trees crashing down. Covered in blood, Shen Long emerged, his face lighting up with relief upon seeing the two.

  They rushed to help him.

  A few seconds later, a man with an older face also emerged. Upon seeing the situation outside the mountain, his expression changed dramatically.

  He crushed something in his hand and immediately attempted to flee.

  "Lung Tianfu?" Bai Ruoyue squinted and recognized the man.

  "How dare you lay a hand on one of Taibai Martial Arts Pavilion’s disciples!"

  Before Bai Ruoyue could finish speaking, she charged toward him with a fierce punch, her energy breaking the air as she pursued Lung Tianfu.

  "Senior Brother, what happened?" Han asked as he quickly gave Shen Long a healing pill.

  "I was on the same martial guard team as Lung Tianfu. We split up after entering the mountain to search for the demons. I found a Bone Strengthening Tree, a type of spirit plant helpful for Bone Refining, and was picking it when Lung Tianfu appeared. He tried to take the tree and kill me to silence me."

  Han’s face darkened. Lung Tianfu wanted to steal from his teammate and kill him?

  Shen Long's injuries weren’t light. If Han hadn't prepared some items for them beforehand, Shen Long might have truly been killed by Lung Tianfu.

  This was unforgivable.

  Han’s soul left his body, solidifying into a powerful force. The winds and rain from the outside world had no effect on him.

  With his soul soaring through the air, it quickly reached Lung Tianfu, and with both the Taibai Sword and the Peachwood Sword in hand, Han struck toward him.

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  In general, magic tools used by cultivators were made from soul-material, allowing them to maximize their powers while reducing the energy cost.

  However, with Han’s current strength, commanding a non-soul weapon was no problem.

  When facing Lung Tianfu, any weapon would do.

  "Day Tour Realm?!" Lung Tianfu saw Han's soul and was filled with terror. How could this kid from Taibai have reached the Day Tour Realm so quickly? This was too much!

  The two swords gleamed with brilliant light, their power overwhelming. The biting coldness of the blades made Lung Tianfu realize he couldn’t stop them. He felt as if he were falling into an ice pit.

  “I can’t block this; I’ll die!”

  Upon realizing this, Lung Tianfu shouted, "You can't kill me! I'm Lung Tianfu’s older brother, I’ve already informed Tenglong..."

  Before he could finish his words, his head was sent flying, and his life was over.

  Zangfu Realm, at its peak, cut down in one sword strike!

  It didn’t matter who his older brother was—he wasn’t mine!

  Han immediately took his soul, suppressing it, then dealt with his physical injuries before returning his soul to his body.

  The entire sequence left Bai Ruoyue stunned.

  Little Junior Brother... how is he so strong?

  A peak Zangfu Realm cultivator was slain by Little Junior Brother with one sword?

  Was that soul really from the Day Tour Realm?

  Bai Ruoyue suddenly wondered if she was dreaming. Maybe Han didn’t come to find her, and everything was just a dream.

  He’s this powerful, and he still needed me?

  But Han remained calm and composed, unaffected by the situation.

  What’s the big deal? It’s just a peak Zangfu Realm cultivator. With a hand, it’s no surprise.

  Day Tour cultivators can briefly fight against Bone Refining cultivators, but because they are in their prime martial phase, they won’t be able to defeat them.

  But Han, being a Day Tour practitioner with such a strong soul, was in a completely different league.

  His soul left his body to deal with Bone Refining cultivators, and though fighting such experts head-on might not have been the best choice for him yet, a Zangfu Realm cultivator was no threat to him.

  If a Zangfu Realm cultivator with weak vitality could last for dozens of rounds against Han, then Han might as well ask Aunt Mo to take care of his cultivation.

  Since starting his training, Han's soul had always outpaced his martial skills. Unfortunately, due to version limitations, he had only used his soul for support.

  Until today, when he crossed the Day Tour threshold, his soul finally had the chance to show its true strength.

  Moments later, lights appeared in the distance, rapidly approaching, accompanied by a powerful aura.

  The thunderous sound echoed, full of rage and murderous intent.

  "Big Brother!"

  The voice shook the air, dust swirling around as the distant rivers and clouds were thrown into chaos by the force. The terrifying presence was overwhelming.

  A surge of violet true energy shot toward Han and his companions, accompanied by a figure following closely behind.

  Bai Ruoyue let out a cold snort, taking a step forward, her internal energy surging in response.

  "Boom!"

  The ground was instantly torn open, a massive crater formed as the forceful gust of wind pushed everyone back.

  "Long Tianya?" Bai Ruoyue calmly stated the name of the approaching figure, effortlessly dissipating the opponent's force, without showing the slightest sign of weakness.

  "The Deputy Master of the Tenglong Martial Academy, a newly ascended Bone Refining Realm expert. He's Long Tianchong's third brother, and it’s him who represents Tenglong Academy in the martial guard," Shen Long whispered to Han.

  Meanwhile, several Tenglong disciples had already reached the body of Long Tianfu, beginning to retrieve his corpse.

  "Ruoyue, you dare kill my elder brother?" Long Tianya's eyes glowed with blood-red fury, locking his gaze onto Bai Ruoyue.

  "Your elder brother tried to kill my disciple. He brought this upon himself!" Bai Ruoyue shouted back, "How could someone who attacks their own companions expect to escape retribution?"

  "He’s a vile coward. Anyone like him is better off dead!"

  Bai Ruoyue took full responsibility for the killing, without exposing Han’s involvement.

  Given her strength, no one would question her for killing a weakening Vitality Realm warrior.

  "Fine, fine, fine!" Long Tianya seethed in anger.

  "You've broken through to the peak of the Vitality Realm, and now you dare be so arrogant! Today, I'll make you pay for my brother’s life!"

  Furious, Long Tianya attacked once more.

  At the same time, he shouted, "Attack! Kill those two little pests from Taibai!"

  The Tenglong disciples with him immediately launched their assault, rushing toward Han and Shen Long.

  Han gripped his sword tightly, placing a hand on Shen Long's shoulder to signal him to stay put.

  Just as both sides were about to clash, another powerful voice rang out.

  "Stop!"

  The Tenglong disciples were immediately stunned, their movements frozen.

  But Long Tianya, unwilling to relent, continued his advance, true energy boiling as he still aimed at Bai Ruoyue.

  "Bang!"

  To everyone’s surprise, Long Tianya was sent flying back by Bai Ruoyue’s strike!

  "I told you to stop!"

  The new arrival approached, revealing himself as Zuo Tianzheng, the Imperial Inspector from Yujing.

  His face was cold and severe, eyes filled with icy disdain. Seeing Long Tianya’s defiance, Zuo Tianzheng instantly appeared before him, delivering a crushing palm strike that sent him flying. Long Tianya had no chance to retaliate and immediately spat out blood.

  Although both of their names contained "Tian" (meaning "heaven"), Zuo Tianzheng showed no mercy in his actions.

  Han's heart tightened—Zuo Tianzheng’s strength seemed incredibly formidable.

  According to Lu Qingmo, Zuo Tianzheng’s natural talent was not exceptional, and he was currently only at the Bone Refining Realm's peak.

  However, as a favored figure by the Emperor, who grew up beside the throne, he must have access to top-tier martial arts and resources.

  Despite his average talent, Zuo Tianzheng could still be considered the core disciple of a grand martial arts sect.

  Zuo Tianzheng took control of the situation, his gaze sweeping the area as he bellowed:

  "As the leader of the Black Cloud Town cultivators, you should set a good example for others. Why are you fighting amongst yourselves in private?!"

  "Do you have no respect for the court? No respect for the laws of Qi?!!"

  "Anyone who dares to act again will be executed without mercy!"

  His voice was like thunder, shaking the heavens, sending shockwaves through everyone’s mind.

  Following Zuo Tianzheng were several figures, including Jiang Wenwu, Long Tianchong, and various government officials.

  "Lord Zuo, I have something to say!" Long Tianya clutched his chest, his voice filled with resentment.

  "Speak!" Zuo Tianzheng commanded.

  "Bai Ruoyue from Taibai Martial Academy killed my elder brother first, so I was forced to strike at her," Long Tianya spat, his voice filled with hatred. "This is a blood feud, one that cannot be forgiven!"

  "Taibai Martial Academy?!" Long Tianchong sneered from the side, his eyes burning with fury and murderous intent.

  "Lord Zuo, what should be done with these Taibai people who kill at will?"

  Zuo Tianzheng furrowed his brows, glancing at the headless corpse surrounded by Tenglong disciples, then turning his gaze to Bai Ruoyue.

  "Why did you kill him?"

  "He chased after my disciple first," Bai Ruoyue calmly replied, pointing to Shen Long. "They were teammates in the same martial guard, but Long Tianfu relentlessly pursued my disciple from Black Mountain. He followed him all the way out."

  "I killed him for self-preservation," Bai Ruoyue’s expression remained impassive. "He attacked one of my own, and such a person deserves to die."

  "There is no rule against self-defense, is there?" she added without a hint of hesitation.