Leng Bingning Joins the Faction

The Leng Family.

Within the grand courtyard.

Leng Qingqiu hovered mid-air, with ten white blades floating behind her.

Beyond that, an eleventh blade flickered in and out of existence, as though still in the process of materializing.

A mere moment later—

BOOM!!

A powerful surge of energy erupted outward, and the eleventh white blade solidified completely!

Leng Qingqiu opened her eyes, her irises gleaming with a pure, radiant white light. A faint smile curled at the corners of her lips. "Excellent. The eleventh spirit blade has finally taken form."

It seemed that the intimate cultivation method she had practiced with Gu Yan had indeed been effective.

The number of spirit blades behind her was a direct representation of one's spiritual power.

Based on Leng Qingqiu's estimation, her current strength had likely reached the level of being second only to a Grandmaster.

After all... the killing techniques of a spiritualist targeted the soul directly.

Even Long Tianyuan, the head of the Martial Arts Department, might not be able to withstand a single strike from her blades.

Leng Qingqiu's spiritual perception now spanned a radius of a thousand miles.

With just a thought, she could sense every movement and disturbance within that range.

If she continued cultivating, her spiritual perception would soon envelop the entirety of Jianghai.

By then, not a single blade of grass, flower, or tree would escape her spiritual awareness.

At that moment—

Buzz!

Two auras suddenly appeared less than a hundred meters from the Leng Family.

One was faint, as though the person had lost consciousness.

The other radiated the strength of a mid-level Grandmaster.

Ever since the previous attack on the Leng Family—when enemies had attempted to abduct Leng Ling'er—Leng Qingqiu had remained vigilant, spreading her spiritual web with caution.

Now, sensing these new arrivals, she frowned.

Enemies?

No... something felt off. That Grandmaster-level aura was strangely familiar...

As if she had encountered it many years ago...

Meanwhile, Leng Bingning stood with a young girl in her arms, a raven perched on her shoulder.

From this distance, she could observe Leng Qingqiu in the midst of her cultivation.

She couldn't help but sigh. "My little sister... has grown so much stronger."

The spiritual manipulation technique—who would have thought its mysterious creator was her own sister?

"Qingqiu is amazing, isn't she? That's my wife," Gu Yan remarked proudly from the side.

For safety's sake, he had concealed his aura, blending seamlessly into the natural surroundings.

Even Leng Qingqiu, unless she focused intently, might not detect him.

"?"

"She's my sister," Leng Bingning retorted, still somewhat bitter that her precious sister had been "stolen" by this man.

But she had no choice but to accept reality.

After learning everything Gu Yan had done, she understood that he truly loved her sister.

Having seen enough, Leng Bingning spoke softly. "Let's go. Take me to the place you mentioned."

"Alright. Oh, by the way, what about the girl?"

"...I plan to take her back to the Ice Heart Sect."

As soon as the words left her mouth—

Buzz!

A black void opened, and Leng Bingning and Gu Yan vanished in an instant.

Once their presence faded—

Hiss—!

Invisible spiritual needles, previously scattered around Leng Bingning and the others, dissipated into nothingness.

Leng Qingqiu steadied her mind and withdrew her power.

It seemed they weren't enemies—just here to observe.

And yet... they had appeared and disappeared abruptly.

Only a handful of individuals in Leng Qingqiu's mind possessed such spatial manipulation abilities...

She hadn't sensed any Grandmaster-level energy activating a technique.

Meaning... there had been a third person with them?

Who could evade her perception?

Someone capable of both spatial teleportation and concealing their presence from her...

Could it be...?

Leng Qingqiu clenched her fists, an image flashing through her mind.

Was it... Gu Yan?

If it was Gu Yan, then why had he come to the doorstep only to leave without seeing her?

That bastard. Who knew what sinister scheme he was plotting in the shadows now?

......

......

Forbidden Zone No. 3.

Rumble—!

The encroaching dark clouds continued their advance.

The once lush, vibrant land was now withering into desolation.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Massive black hands pierced through the earth, devouring all living creatures while simultaneously dismantling the forbidden zone's innate power and absorbing it for their own use.

Buzz!

A black void materialized.

Leng Bingning stepped out, her gaze immediately locking onto Gu Yan, who sat atop the swirling dark clouds.

His appearance was different from what she had imagined.

Cloaked in black robes, his hair had grown long and wild from the constant absorption of life energy.

His dark locks fluttered in the wind, each strand seemingly infused with immense vitality.

Snap!

The raven on her shoulder vanished.

She approached, meeting Gu Yan's true form for the first time. "Gu Yan?"

Her brows furrowed slightly.

Through her senses, she could feel countless waves of malevolent energy clashing violently within his body.

And yet, he endured this terrifying corruption alone?

Seeing the dark miasma seeping from Gu Yan's form, Leng Bingning wasted no time.

She stepped forward, swiftly forming a series of hand seals.

Buzz!

A wave of icy energy radiated outward before she pointed directly at Gu Yan's forehead.

With a low chant, she declared: "Ice Heart Scripture!"

BOOM!

In an instant, the dark energy was forcefully suppressed.

Gu Yan's tense expression gradually relaxed.

Once it was done, Leng Bingning studied him quietly.

The veil of energy masking his features dissipated, revealing his strikingly handsome face.

She gave a slight nod.

At the very least, in terms of looks, he was indeed a worthy match for her Qingqiu.

But as Gu Yan dropped his disguise, Leng Bingning noticed something else.

Her frown deepened.

Hm? At such close proximity, she could detect traces of Qingqiu's aura lingering on him.

Such an intimate resonance could only occur between the closest of individuals.

That scoundrel! He must have forced Qingqiu into such closeness!

The next moment—

Gu Yan opened his eyes, his gaze settling on Leng Bingning.

He stood, a faint smile playing on his lips as he clasped his hands in gratitude. "Thank you for your assistance, elder sister."

"Enough pleasantries. What's your next move?"

Now that she knew they were on the same side, and aware of Gu Yan's ultimate goal, Leng Bingning was prepared to stand with him.

Seeing her straightforwardness, Gu Yan dropped all pretense.

His smile faded as he met her eyes and spoke slowly.

"What if I told you..."

"I intend to... destroy the Ancient Martial World?"

"!!"

Leng Bingning's expression shifted. "Destroy the Ancient Martial World?"

Gu Yan nodded. "Correct. The Ancient Martial World has persisted until now solely because of a natural barrier separating it from the mortal realm."

"If I dismantle that barrier... then the mortal realm and the Ancient Martial World will merge."

"Heaven and earth will converge, creating a new, unified world!"

"My original plan was to make the ancient martial sects understand the threat posed by the Night King, so they would willingly merge into the Martial Alliance we've established," Gu Yan said.

"But unfortunately... the sects would rather wage war among themselves to plunder resources than join the secular world."

"In that case... I'll have to resort to other methods."

Leng Bingning took a deep breath, her expression grave. "The barrier connecting the two realms isn't just guarded by the five strongest factions of the ancient martial world," she said solemnly.

"More importantly, this barrier concentrates the world's spiritual energy within the ancient martial realm. If it's destroyed, you'd be dispersing what little spiritual energy remains across the entire world."

"Something that was already divided into ten portions would then be split into thousands, even millions."

"This threatens the interests of every martial artist in the ancient martial world."

"By then, you'll be facing the entire ancient martial world's wrath."

"Even factions that didn't participate in the Leng Family's purge... will undoubtedly take action against you."

Yet, despite her warning, Gu Yan merely chuckled and shook his head. "I've come this far. It makes no difference whether my enemies number in the hundreds or thousands."

"Of course, my plan hinges on one condition—I must first master the power of the forbidden lands."

His gaze drifted toward a towering tree that pierced the heavens in the distance.

"Once I fully comprehend and control the power of all forbidden lands, it will be time for the ancient martial world and the secular world to merge."

"Don't worry. It won't take too long."

Leng Bingning thought Gu Yan was delusional.

Every previous Night King, no matter how powerful, had ultimately fallen to the united efforts of martial artists.

Where did Gu Yan get such confidence?

Still...

She nodded. "I understand. I'll help you."

Gu Yan was her younger sister's beloved, which made him one of the few family members she had left in this world.

She had no choice but to assist him.

As soon as she finished speaking—

Whoosh!

The crow reappeared on Leng Bingning's shoulder.

She gave Gu Yan a puzzled look. "?"

He explained, "Don't misunderstand. To ensure success, I need to gather more allies."

"The ancient martial world is embroiled in war. I can exploit the chaos to sway many to my side."

Leng Bingning scoffed. "And here I thought you were confident enough to take on hundreds alone."

Gu Yan shrugged. "Every previous Night King believed they could. Most legends exaggerate their prowess, yet they all died in the end."

"I need to guarantee my plan is foolproof."

Of course, there was one thing Gu Yan didn't mention.

In the original story, Leng Qingqiu had indeed single-handedly fought her way through the ancient martial world, then the Netherworld, and even the secular world, nearly bringing the entire world to ruin.

But... that was the original Leng Qingqiu!

What did that have to do with him, the fake Night King, Gu Yan?

Though his current strength was formidable, Gu Yan was a cautious and meticulous man—especially since this might be his last world, his final chance.

Only by planning carefully and advancing step by step could he increase his odds of success!

Leng Bingning nodded. This was for the best—at least Gu Yan wasn't acting recklessly.

Glancing at the little girl in her arms, she said, "In that case, I'll return to the Ice Heart Sect first to settle her. After that, I'll accompany your avatar to the ancient martial world... to recruit talent."

"Good. Take these."

He handed her a few items.

"This is the Paw-Paw Voice Modulator—it alters your voice."

"And this, the Paw-Paw Cloak—it conceals your identity."

"Oh, and just in case, here's the Paw-Paw Decoy Doll—lets you fake your death if needed."

With a wave of his hand—

Hum!

The objects floated before Leng Bingning.

A black orb that could modify voices.

A palm-sized straw doll.

A black hooded cloak—windproof, waterproof, shockproof, lightweight, and capable of masking all traces of the wearer's aura.

This was the...

[Paw-Paw Cloak]

[Conceals all presence and obscures the wearer's appearance.]

Leng Bingning collected the items, noting how smoothly Gu Yan distributed them—clearly not his first time.

She studied him silently before stepping into a dark portal and vanishing.

Who taught him these naming conventions?

Meanwhile, Gu Yan settled back onto his dark cloud.

Closing his eyes, he began absorbing and comprehending the forbidden land's power.

There were five such forbidden lands in the world.

This... would take a while.