Chapter 314 - 248: Arriving at the Gate (2)

At the mere age of twenty-three, he reached the Harmony realm. A true prodigy, he was seen by the Cyan Dragon Sect as the one who could defeat Lin Quelan and avenge the shame of the sect’s defeat in Shangjing more than a decade ago.

Now, at only twenty-seven years old, he had already become the strongest expert in the Cyan Dragon Sect.

In Zhu Yuanfei’s heart, his senior brother, Wang Hai, was already a figure like an Immortal—the undisputed number one of the younger generation, beyond compare. But who could have known that a man like Zhao Xuanqi would suddenly appear?

Reaching Harmony at eighteen, he made a name for himself in Jinmen, defeated one master after another, crushed Neon’s conspiracy, forced the various armies to retreat, and was now leading the Martial Arts Association to become the leader of the Divine Land’s civilian Martial Arts Realm.

It all sounded like a fantasy, making it hard to fully believe.

"It’s nothing strange. In this world, there is always someone stronger, and a sky beyond the sky. When the Champion Marquis reached Harmony at sixteen, wasn’t that even more incredible?"

Wang Hai said indifferently.

"Alright, but I think the world calling him the number one expert in the Divine Land is an exaggeration. I believe you could do anything he’s done, Senior Brother, and even do it better. If you weren’t living in seclusion in the mountains and had actually come out into the world, that title would have never been his."

Zhu Yunfei said indignantly.

SLAP!!

He got another rap on the forehead, and it hurt so much that tears welled up in his eyes.

"Do people like us practice the Martial Dao just for the sake of empty fame?"

Wang Hai said.

Zhu Yunfei rolled his eyes but didn’t say another word.

The two traveled quickly. Even without using any astounding Stepping Techniques, it didn’t take long for them to arrive in the vicinity of the Martial Arts Association Headquarters.

"Senior Brother, should I go to the gate and present our visiting card?"

Zhu Yunfei asked Wang Hai.

At that moment, Wang Hai stood outside the towering perimeter walls of the Sanlao Residence, which housed the Martial Arts Association Headquarters, and seemed to be sensing something.

"The Heaven-Locking Array? The Three Elders of Jinmen really have some skill. But a little trick like this isn’t enough to stop me."

"It seems he isn’t here, but no matter. We’ll just go in and wait. No need for a visiting card. This will be a good chance to test his strength."

Wang Hai said with a smile.

Hearing Wang Hai’s words, Zhu Yunfei’s eyes immediately lit up.

’Are we going to stir up some trouble? This is my favorite part.’

’Oh, Senior Brother, Senior Brother, you say one thing and mean another. You say you don’t care, but you’ve gotten competitive after all, haven’t you?’

"That’s perfect, of course, but you have to protect me, Senior Brother. Otherwise, I can’t get into this Grand Array silently,"

Zhu Yunfei said.

"I always tell you to practice harder, but you always drop the ball when it counts,"

Wang Hai said, reaching out to tap lightly on Zhu Yunfei’s forehead. Then, with a light push from his toes, he easily vaulted into the residence.

Zhu Yunfei followed right behind him, leaping in as well.

The entire Martial Arts Association Headquarters residence was enveloped in an Array. Theoretically, if any enemy were to invade, the Three Elders and Lu Yuanxiang, who were stationed within, would be instantly alerted. They could even mobilize the Array’s power to immediately perceive the situation at the scene.

But as Wang Hai and Zhu Yunfei entered the courtyard, they triggered no reaction from the Array whatsoever, as if they were invisible.

Furthermore, with the World Martial Banquet drawing near, members of the Martial Arts Association were patrolling and standing guard in every courtyard to prevent intruders. Yet when the two men entered, the patrollers right beside them seemed unable to see them, simply ignoring their presence.

Dragon Concealment Technique.

It was one of the Cyan Dragon Sect’s Spiritual Secret Techniques. Within the user’s sphere of spiritual influence, it could cloud a living being’s perception to a certain degree, causing them to selectively ignore the existence of specific targets—hence its name, for it was like a dragon hiding in the mortal world, difficult to perceive.

Of course, this Secret Technique was more effective when used in conjunction with the environment, such as at night when the senses are dulled, or in the Fog. To achieve such an effect in broad daylight was purely a testament to how immense Wang Hai’s Spiritual Power was, and the vast gap in strength between him and the Guards.

One of the Neon Three Saints had once used a similar Escape Technique to infiltrate the headquarters in Liuhu Town.

"Let’s just wait here,"

Wang Hai said.

And so, the two of them found a stone table in the courtyard and sat down calmly to wait.

...

...

Having failed to get a satisfactory answer from the White Tiger and Black Tortoise sects, Zhao Xuanqi took his leave and returned to the Martial Arts Association.

He wasn’t going to waste too much time or energy on it. If he could contact the Cyan Dragon Sect, fine. If not, it didn’t matter. According to the White Tiger and Black Tortoise sects, their successor would appear eventually, and he could just pull the same trick again.

If they couldn’t reach a consensus, he’d beat them into one.

In any case, he was determined to personally inspect the ancient texts and materials the Cyan Dragon Sect might have in its collection.

But now was not the time. With the Neon invasion, the crisis was relentless.

Especially after witnessing Yuan Tianhao’s power, he understood that the true masters at the peak of this world could not be underestimated. Someone as strong as Yuan Tianhao wasn’t even certain of victory against the Neon Three Saints, and among the Six Nations’ Great Powers, there were still many existences of a restricted class.

He eagerly awaited the day he would fully recover the peak strength of his past life and could cross hands with these titans.

However, just as he stepped into the headquarters residence, his expression shifted slightly, and he frowned.

Having reached the Ghost God Realm, his sensitivity to the faint and imperceptible was even sharper than that of the Three Elders. From the very first step he took into the residence, he sensed that something was off.

To the astonishment of the nearby attendants, he stopped in his tracks, closed his eyes, and appeared to be sensing something.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes. With a light push of his foot, his figure shot through the air like a peregrine falcon, leaping over walls and rushing toward a specific location within the residence.

The attendant’s expression changed. Realizing something was wrong, they immediately ran to report to the steward.

Meanwhile, as Wang Hai and Zhu Yuanfei sat waiting quietly at the stone table in the courtyard, their expressions suddenly flickered.

"He’s noticed? Such a sharp Spirit. He really is skilled."

Wang Hai looked toward a certain part of the residence and slowly rose from the stone table.

SWOOSH!!

A figure landed in the courtyard. It was Zhao Xuanqi.

"Mr. Zhao..."

The guards standing nearby in the courtyard hurriedly greeted Zhao Xuanqi, their eyes filled with reverence.

Within Jinmen today, Zhao Xuanqi’s name was second to none.

"You two, leave this courtyard for now."

Zhao Xuanqi said, his expression calm.

"Yes, sir."

The two guards were confused, but they still obediently withdrew from the courtyard.

VWOOM!!

With a low hum, something in the courtyard seemed to shatter. Before leaving, the two guards couldn’t resist their curiosity and glanced back one last time.

They saw two unfamiliar figures appear at the stone table in the courtyard, looking as if they had been waiting there for a long time.

’Who are they?! When did they get there?! We’ve been guarding the courtyard this whole time, how did we not see them?!’

Cold sweat instantly broke out on their backs. They couldn’t tell if the two figures were men or ghosts.

"Who are you to trespass in the Martial Arts Association Headquarters?"

Zhao Xuanqi demanded.

"We are reclusive members of the civilian Martial Arts Realm. We heard a great talent has appeared and is hosting a World Martial Banquet, so we came to pay a visit, hoping for a friendly exchange."

Wang Hai said with a smile, not immediately revealing his identity as the successor of the Cyan Dragon Sect.

The next moment.

THUMP-THUMP! THUMP-THUMP!

The space between his eyebrows and his temples began to throb violently, as if a tiny heart were hidden within.

Then, a flash of cyan light glinted in his eyes.

ROAR!!

A tremendous roar echoed as the cyan light transformed into a massive dragon shadow, which took form and swept through the courtyard.

The cyan light shot toward the heavens. In an instant, its terrifying aura shocked every master in the entire Martial Arts Association Headquarters.

Even though they weren’t at the center of its influence, they all felt their bodies grow slightly stiff, as if they had lost some measure of control.

At the scene, cyan light erupted. A Divine Dragon appeared, and everything seemed to freeze within its aura.

Dragon Amber!!

Wang Hai had made his move, testing Zhao Xuanqi’s strength.

Zhao Xuanqi looked up, watching the cyan dragon in the sky and feeling the cyan light congeal around him like amber.

’If he hadn’t met Yuan Tianhao, this would have been the most powerful aura he had encountered in this world.’

’But compared to Yuan Tianhao’s aura, it was ultimately lacking.’

’And besides...’

"Aura suppression... always with the aura suppression..."

A savage grin spread across Zhao Xuanqi’s lips.

His recent fight with Yuan Tianhao had been incredibly frustrating, leaving him with terrifying pressure that he couldn’t vent. Now, this aura suppression was dredging up those rather unpleasant memories.