The two ascended the wooden stairs to the second floor, which was set up like a teahouse dining hall. Rows of pillars supported the roof, and the four exterior walls had been knocked down, replaced by floor-to-ceiling windows and carved lattices that allowed guests to sit by the sill, drinking tea while enjoying the view.
Standing at the top of the stairs, Kou Beiyue looked around. The hall was filled with tea tables, wide and empty. There was not a soul in sight except for an elderly shopkeeper standing beside the counter.
Human Blood Bun led him over to the counter and said, "Old Sir, we're here for the summit."
The old man had white hair and wore a plain traditional tunic. He was hunched over his accounts, calculating figures. Hearing the voice, he lifted his cloudy eyes and spoke slowly, "Spirit Realm IDs, and recommending organization!"
"Human Blood Bun, Spirit Society Eastern District Branch."
"Kou Nanyue, Spirit Society Eastern District Branch."
The old man gave a nod, pulled two wrist tokens from a drawer, and said, "Put them on!"
Kou Beiyue reached out to take his, but the instant his fingertips touched the token, he was stunned to find that the wrinkled hand covered with age spots had transformed into a fair, delicate little hand.
He looked up to see a gently smiling young woman. Her eyes curved like crescent moons, clear and pure, yet brimming with a soft tenderness as she smiled. "Beiyue."
Kou Beiyue froze. He stared dazed at the girl before him, unshed tears welling in the corners of his eyes as he murmured, "Sister..."
His sister, who was in the prime of her youth, smiled and asked, "Beiyue, do you have any contact with the authorities or the Security Bureau?"
Hearing those words, a sudden ripple stirred across the somber, grief-stricken lake of Kou Beiyue's heart. That ripple smoothed away his anguish and confusion, making his soul shudder violently as his reason rushed back.
He looked at his "sister" again, only to find that she was still clearly that white-haired old man.
*I fell under an illusion just now, completely caught off guard without even a chance to react...* Kou Beiyue felt a nameless fury surge within him. To use his dead sister to bewitch him felt like an absolute insult to her memory.
"Beiyue?" his sister asked once more.
Fortunately, though Kou Beiyue was not particularly clever, he was no fool either. He gazed deeply at his "sister" and said, "Contact? Yeah. After you died, I was wanted everywhere. Nowadays I spend all my time hiding from the constables. Every time I see them show up, I'm scared half to death. The officials are hunting me down too. Sister, I'm running out of places to turn."
His sister gave a faint smile and asked again, "Then have you sought a backer?"
Kou Beiyue shook his head. "I'm all on my own with no one to rely on. I don't dare trust anybody. But... Sister, I recently made a good friend named Human Blood Bun. He's from the Spirit Society. I finally found companions."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the old man behind the counter nodded.
"Go in!"
The moment those words dropped, Human Blood Bun beside Kou Beiyue suddenly snapped back to his senses. Pressing a hand against his throbbing temple, where blue veins bulged, he took deep breaths to calm his racing heart.
*What did he see in his illusion? Looks like Bun has a tragic story of his own too,* Kou Beiyue mused. Pretending to have just awoken from a dream as well, he lunged forward, grabbed the old man by the collar, raised his fist, and snarled, "You motherfucker—"
He could finally vent his emotions.
"Beiyue! Beiyue!!"
Seeing this, Human Blood Bun was terrified out of his wits. He slapped Kou Beiyue away. "Kid, are you tired of living?"
Then he bowed and scraped toward the old man. "Senior, this kid doesn't have much between his ears. Please don't lower yourself to his level."
The old man smoothed out the wrinkles on his chest and chuckled. "It's rare to see such a hot-tempered and impulsive Bewitching Demon. I almost thought a Fire Master had snuck in.
"Still, combativeness is a trait of the Bewitching Demons. After all, their Dominator is called the Ancient God of War."
Seeing that the old man did not take offense, Human Blood Bun let out a sigh of relief and urged Kou Beiyue to put on the wrist token.
The next second, they saw that the previously empty dining hall was actually packed with people. They sat in groups of two or three, dressed in every manner of bizarre attire: some burly and sharp-eyed; some cloaked, brooding, and silent; some impeccably dressed in suits and leather shoes; some lounging casually in board shorts, white undershirts, and flip-flops...
It looked like a massive convention where all walks of life converged, young and old, men and women.
Kou Beiyue swept his eyes over the room, estimating roughly two hundred people present.
*Just like Master Wuhen's temple, is this a gathering that exists solely within an illusion?* Kou Beiyue silently guessed as he followed Human Blood Bun to an empty seat.
"It's not time yet. Wait a bit," Human Blood Bun said.
Kou Beiyue nodded, scanning the crowd.
Human Blood Bun leaned close, pointing toward a young man by the window. "See that? That's A-Yi, the disciple of the chairman of the Spirit Society's Central District Branch, the top guy on the Five Elements Alliance's wanted list."
*The one hailed as the strongest Transcendent-stage figure among the evil professions, A-Yi?* Kou Beiyue looked in that direction. Sitting by the window was a youth dressed in a plain T-shirt and cropped pants, with delicate facial features and hollow eyes.
From his face, Kou Beiyue could see an absolute detachment.
It was the kind of indifference that disregarded everything, as though nothing in the world was worth caring about—humanity, morality, pride, wealth, all of it was mere dust.
"That guy is an emotionless machine capable of anything. If necessary, he wouldn't bat an eye even if you told him to violate an eighty-year-old crone. If you run into him in the killing trial, make sure to steer clear," Human Blood Bun warned.
"How strong is he?" Kou Beiyue asked.
"I don't think he's any weaker than Zhao Chenghuang, and Yuanshi Tianzun might not even beat him. As for potential..." Human Blood Bun lowered his voice. "Our chairman said A-Yi is a born Gu beast. His future accomplishments in raising Gu are limitless. Give him ten years—no, five years—and the Five Elements Alliance will be facing a terrifying Witch Doctor.
"That's why the Five Elements Alliance is so wary of him and desperate to eliminate him."
Human Blood Bun then pointed toward another chubby young fellow. "That guy is Good Ministers Slay Their Masters. Don't let his appearance fool you..."
Kou Beiyue immediately looked over. It was a chubby otaku wearing glasses, with a round face and a round belly. He carried none of the sinister aura typical of an evil profession; instead, he looked quite genial.
"I know. The more harmless someone looks, the more vicious and underhanded they are," Kou Beiyue remarked with an air of seasoned experience.
Human Blood Bun paused. "Oh, that's not what I meant. This guy really is fairly pleasant, one of the milder types among evil professions. What I meant is, he's very good at using his harmless appearance to trick others into accepting him as a subordinate."
"Huh?" Kou Beiyue didn't follow.
Human Blood Bun explained gravely, "This fat guy is bizarre. I heard he's served many bosses, but every single person who became his boss ended up dying terribly. Either they perished in the Spirit Realm, were wiped out by official forces, or died in infighting between evil professions.
"In short, not a single boss of his has lived longer than three months. Once you enter the killing trial, if you run into him and he wants to acknowledge you as his big brother, whatever you do, don't agree! Otherwise, you might return to the Spirit Realm on the spot, and I won't even get to eat at your funeral banquet.
"Still, the fat bastard is quite loyal. I heard that to avenge his last boss, he actually took down a Saint."
*Anyone who becomes his boss has to die? What is that, a curse?* Kou Beiyue was amazed.
Afterward, Human Blood Bun introduced several other renowned Transcendent powerhouses one by one.
Just as Kou Beiyue was listening intently, newcomers arrived at the stairwell: a man and two women. The man was dark-skinned, gaunt, and ordinary-looking, with a thick gold chain hanging from his neck.
He was bare-chested, wearing only a pair of board shorts, looking every bit like he was taking his lovers on a vacation.
"The Lust Divine General of the Soldier Master sect, an incubus who screws wherever he goes," Human Blood Bun whispered.
*A Divine General of the Soldier Master sect...* Kou Beiyue couldn't help thinking of Heavenly King Demonic Eye. That Ancient God of War who had supposedly wanted to take him as a disciple hailed from the Soldier Master sect.
With his arms around two tall beauties, the Lust Divine General entered the room and swept his gaze over the crowd. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he strolled over to a voluptuous young woman, smiling. "Little sister, interested in following Uncle?"
The woman appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six, dressed in a white T-shirt paired with light-colored jeans. Her silky hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, and her features were exceptionally striking. Kou Beiyue had just learned from Human Blood Bun that she was none other than the famous "My Fate Is Mine, Not Heaven's."
She was ranked third on the Five Elements Alliance's Transcendent-stage wanted list.
My Fate Is Mine, Not Heaven's knitted her brows, but before she could speak, an ethereal voice drifted from the stairwell:
"The Lust Divine General has an imperial harem of three thousand beauties. You shouldn't be coveting my disciple."
Everyone looked over to see a black robe approaching. Yes, a floating black robe. In the shadows of its hood, two eerie green glints flickered.
The Lust Divine General chuckled. "Netherworld, long time no see. I thought you'd already returned to the Spirit Realm."
With his arms still around the two tall beauties, he walked over and sat at the head table.
"Netherworld Wandering Soul, one of the twelve branch heads of the Nihility Sect's Southern Branch, an expert at the peak of the Saint stage. Well, that's data from the year before last." Human Blood Bun acted the role of a big brother, introducing the prominent figures to his junior.
*A Level 6 Illusionist, an entire tier higher than Xiao Yuan...* Kou Beiyue nodded with a grim expression.
Subsequently, several more Saints arrived one after another. They included Protectors Snake Woman and Desperado Zhang San from the Spirit Society's Central District Branch; Drinking Human Blood to Quench Thirst and Water of the Underworld River from the Southern District Branch; Protectors God of Death and Illusion Immortal from the Nihility Sect's Northern Branch; as well as the newly arrived Netherworld Wandering Soul and Lust Divine General.
In total, eight peak-tier Saints.
The room full of Transcendent-stage walkers didn't dare to breathe too loudly, sitting upright with utmost obedience.
With his arms wrapped around the two beauties, casually fondling their chests, the Lust Divine General shouted toward the counter, "Elder Thousand Faces, everyone's here. Isn't it time for you, the host, to take the stage?"
*El... Elder?! That old man is a Dominator?* Kou Beiyue was thoroughly shocked. He whipped his head toward the counter, his face frozen in disbelief.
*The old man I grabbed by the collar and was about to beat up just now is a Dominator?!*
A layer of cold sweat drenched Kou Beiyue's back. He felt as though he had just walked right past the gates of hell.
The old man kept his head down over his accounts and murmured flatly, "Thirty seconds left."
*Thirty seconds? Is there something special about that timing?* Kou Beiyue counted silently. Just as thirty seconds passed, the old man laid down his ledger and stepped out from behind the counter.
Dressed in his gray tunic and wearing a pair of old cloth shoes, it was hard to imagine that such an ordinary, unassuming old man was actually a Dominator.
"This year's summit is hosted by my Southern Branch. Thank you all for coming, and thank you for not being late. I am a man with a very strict sense of punctuality."
Having delivered his opening remarks, he walked over to the head table as well, though he did not sit down. With his hands clasped behind his back, he said:
"Our freelance faction holds two summits every year. The purpose is to unite all freelance professions, reduce internal friction, and join forces in the killing trial to deal with those hypocrites from the orthodox faction.
"For the juniors who successfully clear the killing trial, whether they are rogue walkers or members of our organizations, we will award five million yuan. Those who make it into the top ten of the leaderboard will be rewarded with a Saint-grade item, and those in the top three will receive two.
"However, if anyone defects to the orthodox professions, or if anyone harms their teammates to gain points, everyone will join together to execute them."
Having said this, the old man swept a gentle gaze over the assembly before continuing:
"The orthodox professions and our freelance professions are like fire and water, a fight to the death. What is distressing is that before Fu Qingyang could even be eliminated, another figure, Yuanshi Tianzun, sprang up from the Five Elements Alliance this year.
"The theme of this summit is the hunt for these two individuals."
With that, he turned to the Saints seated at the head table before him. "All of you are going to participate in the killing trial, and there are only three slots for Dominator. Have you thought of how to deal with Fu Qingyang?"
The Lust Divine General shrugged. "I'm not participating. I'm just here representing the Soldier Master sect."
The other Saints fell silent.
Elder Thousand Faces let out a snort of disappointment at their lack of ambition, then turned his gaze toward the glamorous and alluring Yichuan Mei. "You fought Fu Qingyang in Songhai. What is your assessment of his strength?"
Today, Yichuan Mei had changed into a modest, elegant long dress. Without any makeup, she concealed all her seductive, tantalizing flesh, taking on the demeanor of a refined lady.
She pursed her lips and said, "Fu Qingyang's sword strikes have already integrated the power of rules. Any method of evasion or concealment is virtually useless against him. Furthermore, the destructive lethality of a Swordsman surpasses even that of a Mist Lord of the same tier. A single slash from him is enough to wound any of us, and he can unleash tens or hundreds of slashes. To this day, his limit remains unknown."
Yichuan Mei continued, "In addition, Fu Qingyang possesses a Saint-grade equipment set, and he undoubtedly has Dominator-grade items as well. As for Saint-grade and Transcendent-grade items, they are too numerous to count..."
A Saint-grade equipment set, Dominator-grade items, and countless mid- to low-grade items... Hearing this, both the Saints and the Transcendents fell silent.
Yichuan Mei sighed. "The Fu family has money to burn."
According to investigations by the evil organizations, the Fu family owned seven or eight publicly listed companies alone, with investments spanning every sector, from manufacturing to finance, technology to consumer goods. Their financial power was immense.
As the eldest young master of the Fu family, Fu Qingyang could simply bury his opponents in items purchased through sheer wealth.
While the crowd remained silent, the Lust Divine General scoffed, "Fu Qingyang has already grasped the power of rules while still in the Saint stage. If he is allowed to advance to Dominator, he will inevitably become a major thorn in our side, just like the Grand Marshal of the White Tiger Guards back then. Therefore, Silver Moon will also be participating in the mid-year killing trial."
The moment these words were spoken, the Transcendent walkers felt little reaction, but the Saints at the head table brightened with delight, and even Elder Thousand Faces' eyes lit up.
Silver Moon of the Soldier Master sect was the head of the Eight Divine Generals.
He was a madman whose temper was so violent he dared to scream obscenities right to a Heavenly King's face. Aside from his naturally savage disposition, the main reason was that Silver Moon had the strength to challenge a Heavenly King.
This head of the Divine Generals had once received a blessing from Asura, who had told him: *Anger is the source of strength; your fury will allow you to tear all enemies to shreds.*
From then on, Silver Moon possessed power that surpassed the limits of the Saint stage.
Although Fu Qingyang was proclaimed to be invincible beneath the Dominator stage, that was merely a title boastfully hyped by the authorities; the evil organizations had never acknowledged it.
Elder Thousand Faces mused, "Is Silver Moon participating specifically to kill Fu Qingyang, or does he intend to advance to Dominator?"
If it were the former, he could intentionally hold back his points and forfeit the quota. If it were the latter, there would be a good show to watch.
The Lust Divine General curled his lip. "Demonic Eye stumbled in Songhai. He won't be getting out for years."
Elder Thousand Faces understood.
Yichuan Mei's mood turned splendid, and she said with a bright smile, "Interesting. I'd love to see who is truly stronger between Fu Qingyang and Divine General Silver Moon."
Snake Woman flicked her tongue with a hiss, her slitted pupils gleaming with excitement. "If Divine General Silver Moon participates in the mid-year killing trial, we shall take Silver Moon as our lead and wipe out all the Saints of the orthodox faction in one fell swoop."
Snake Woman was a monster with a human torso and a serpent's tail, possessing an enchanting face, crimson lips, and slitted pupils—a beauty both thrilling and bone-chilling.
The other Saints remained silent, tacitly agreeing to Snake Woman's proposal.
Just then, a sneer drifted up from the stairwell:
"You just said you wanted to see who is stronger between Divine General Silver Moon and Fu Qingyang, which only proves you have no certainty of victory. Taking a step back, even if Divine General Silver Moon is stronger than Fu Qingyang, don't forget that he won't be fighting alone. The Ghost King of Fengdu and Yin Ji from the Taiyi Sect, and Jiang Ju, who bears the bloodline of the contemporary Flame Emperor—which one of them isn't an elite among Saints?"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. The newcomer was a tall, powerfully built man wearing a black mask and a robe patterned with flames.
Strolling over toward the head table, he let out a scornful scoff. "Since our goal is the guaranteed death of Fu Qingyang, there can be no thoughts of 'probably' or 'maybe.' The success rate must be driven above eighty percent."
Elder Thousand Faces said slowly, "Allow me to introduce him. This is a Deacon of the Dark Night Rose, representing the Dark Night Rose at this summit."
With sunken cheeks and heavy dark circles around his eyes, Drinking Human Blood to Quench Thirst raised an eyebrow. "On what grounds does the Dark Night Rose get to join our freelance summit?"
Yichuan Mei scrutinized the man and his robust aura, subconsciously licking her lips in ravenous desire.
Ignoring the hostility of the peak Saints and the seductive gaze from Yichuan Mei, the black-masked man casually took the last seat at the head table and laughed. "On the grounds that we share a common goal!
"For this killing trial, we will dispatch four Saints to participate, compensating for the evil professions' shortage in numbers, and together hunt down the Saints of the Five Elements Alliance and the Taiyi Sect."
*Four peak Saints?* The figures at the head table were stunned.
Elder Thousand Faces added, "I have already reached an agreement with the Northern Branch and the Dominators of the Spirit Society's Southern and Western branches. For this killing trial, we will lend you three Level 7 items. That is the upper limit the trial can accommodate."
Having said that, he turned to face the nearly two hundred Transcendents in the hall.
Among these two hundred Transcendents, only a third would actually participate in the killing trial. The rest were companions or promising walkers who had not yet reached the required level, brought along to broaden their horizons.
Shedding his grave tone, Elder Thousand Faces smiled like a kindly old grandfather. "Little ones, the enemy you will be tasked with handling is Yuanshi Tianzun.
"Some of you may not know much about Yuanshi Tianzun, or know very little, so I'll briefly outline his record. Yuanshi Tianzun obtained his character card in April of this year. He rose to fame by clearing the glitch-level Spirit Realm, Sheling Tunnel, and later cleared the S-level Spirit Realm, Jinshui Amusement Park, causing his reputation to soar.
"Following that, in the A-level Spirit Realm, Yinyang Town, he slew Li Xianzong, who had been nurtured by the Soldier Master sect, basking in boundless limelight. But the true reason we placed him on the hit list is that he recently won the championship in the arena tournament, defeating Zhao Chenghuang of the Taiyi Sect...
"By the way, he seems to have recently cleared yet another highly perilous trial, so he likely reaped substantial gains."
When he finished speaking, dead silence blanketed the hall.
Chapter 242