Bang!
Like sunlight piercing through the night!
A gunshot echoed through the bustling night market!
Holy crap! Did someone just get shot?
Damn, what are you going to do?
See if I can loot some gear!
After the gunshot, chaos erupted across the night market.
Su Xue'er narrowed her eyes, peering through her scope before sighing and deciding to put on her glasses.
She always felt like those glasses ruined her vibe.
The gunshot sent the entire night market into a frenzy, people scrambling like sardines in a packed tin.
Su Xue'er gripped her dagger and slipped quietly into the crowd.
Chaos was her opportunity.
Only in disorder could she strike.
Meanwhile.
Xue Ming, the young master of the Five Poisons Sect, stared at the device in his hand and muttered, "Search carefully. The token to the Hongtian Secret Realm appeared here."
"Yes!"
Yuan Yuan nodded, then asked seriously, "Could it be on An Yi? Should we take him out first?"
"Possible, but don’t alert him."
Xue Ming frowned, watching the panicked crowd before gritting his teeth. "Who the hell fired that shot? Everything’s ruined!"
By now, the night market was in complete disarray, people running in every direction.
Lin Chen wasted no time shoving Qin Yao into the car. "It's dangerous here. Go home!"
"The Hongtian Secret Realm token is here."
Qin Yao blinked playfully, speaking with confidence.
Lin Chen’s brow furrowed.
The Hongtian Secret Realm—a place capable of stirring a bloody storm in the martial world.
It appeared once every hundred years, yet not everyone had the chance to enter.
But breaking into the Hongtian Secret Realm was no easy feat. The powerful spatial barriers could crush even a Transcendent Realm martial artist into dust.
Only a rare substance called Black Crystal could help warriors withstand the spatial barriers, allowing safe passage into the realm.
Over thousands of years, the remaining Black Crystals had been forged into tokens.
One hundred and eight tokens—no more existed in the world.
Without one, even dreaming of entering was futile.
Hearing that a Hongtian Secret Realm token was here, Lin Chen couldn’t help but ask, "Are you sure?"
He had searched for two years without a single lead.
Qin Yao smirked. "Of course! Why else would I drag you here? So, how are you gonna thank me?"
The Qin family’s public face was business, but their true power lay in their terrifying intelligence network.
Making money? Just a side gig.
Lin Chen said seriously, "I’ll cook you something good when we get back."
Qin Yao pouted. "How about this—I go find An Yi, and you don’t tell my dad. Deal?"
"No. That guy’s scum."
Lin Chen stated firmly.
Qin Yao huffed. "You always badmouth An Yi, poisoning my ears with your lies. Well, I don’t believe your slander anymore!"
"Believe what you want. Stay in the car!"
With that, Lin Chen unceremoniously shoved her back inside.
"Can’t you let me watch? All the major sects are gathering tonight—it’s gonna be wild!"
Qin Yao protested excitedly.
Lin Chen’s expression darkened. "Little Fu, take the young mistress home. Don’t let her out without my permission."
"Got it, Brother Chen!"
Little Fu revved the engine, the Tesla roaring to life as it prepared to leave.
Qin Yao quickly tossed Lin Chen an earpiece. "Wear this."
Lin Chen put it on, puzzled.
Qin Yao grinned. "I’ll feed you coordinates. Just follow them. And be careful—the Underworld Sect, the Five Poisons Sect—"
Before she could finish, Little Fu sped off.
Lin Chen gripped his Cloud-Splitting Staff, scanning the chaotic night market.
Finding the Hongtian Secret Realm token in this mess was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
"Hey hey, poker face, you hear me?"
Qin Yao’s voice crackled through the earpiece.
Lin Chen nodded. "Loud and clear."
"Good. Now listen up! The location is—"
In a shadowy alley.
Whoosh!
A combat knife slashed through the air, cutting down a black-clad man.
The man collapsed, blood pooling beneath him.
Bodies littered the ground, the stench of blood thick in the air.
An Yi held his dagger, coldly staring into the darkness. "Skulking around like rats. Come out, or your men won’t be the only ones dying tonight."
Tap. Tap. Tap.
A pale-faced young man stepped out from the shadows.
A chilling aura spread, as if freezing the very air.
His features were delicate, but his pallor carried an eerie, deathly stillness.
"Sorry, these men weren’t sent by me. They were already here when I noticed."
The young man scratched his head, almost sheepishly.
An Yi frowned. This guy was… off.
"Impressive. As expected of the Night Emperor. Even the Yin-Yang Sect’s assassins are no match for you."
The young man smiled. "Hello, I’m Xiao Yike. Same sect as the men who tried to kill you."
An Yi scowled. "Never heard of you."
"You… don’t know me?"
Xiao Yike seemed genuinely surprised.
An Yi rolled his eyes. "The hell? Why should I?"
Xiao Yike’s demeanor shifted, a bloodthirsty aura rising around him. "Someone asked me to test you. My apologies."
In an instant, a blade shot from his sleeve, slashing toward An Yi.
An Yi barely spared him a glance, casually deflecting with an air slash.
Xiao Yike, noticing An Yi’s dismissiveness, frowned. "Don’t underestimate me. Fight me seriously, or you’ll die!"
His blade gleamed crimson.
One slash—An Yi’s air blade split apart, dissipating into nothing.
Then, a primal warning flared in Xiao Yike’s instincts.
He barely had time to react before An Yi appeared behind him.
"No clue what you’re after… but die."
Shink!
The dagger descended without mercy.
Clang!
A bloody blade intercepted at the last moment.
Xiao Yike had spun around, countering with inhuman speed.
No backstab bonus—150% damage gone.
An Yi sighed internally. Oh well. Against a minor threat like this, it didn’t matter.
Clang!
Another lightning-fast strike, angled lethally—yet Xiao Yike’s crimson shortsword blocked it effortlessly.
Xiao Yike’s lips twisted into a grotesque grin. "I said… don’t hold back!"
An Yi’s eyes narrowed.
This guy had completely changed. His movements, his presence—even his aura boiled with violence.
Behavioral habits don’t shift so easily…
Ah.
Dual souls.
A rare pain in the ass.
"Heheh… Night Emperor! Let’s see what makes you worthy of standing beside the Yin-Yang Demon Prodigy!"
Xiao Yike advanced, his once-shy demeanor replaced by something monstrous. "Last warning. Fight me with everything you’ve got… or you die here."