The Ring Grandpa

On Long Tianyun's side.

"Understood, Shadow Lord."

Whoosh!

The death warrior left after delivering his message.

Long Tianyun gradually straightened up from his bowing posture.

After scanning his surroundings and confirming no one was present, his expression twisted into something vicious and ugly.

That old bastard!! You're trying to make me the villain here, aren't you?!

The Demon Weapon Project already violates human ethics.

But... that damned old man actually wants to use me as a shield?!!

Long Aotian, you ancient monster, how are you still alive? Weren't you so weak you couldn't even get out of bed before? And now you've actually broken through instead?!

Damn it!! Why won't you just die already?!

At that moment—

Hum!

The ring on Long Tianyun's finger flickered faintly.

An ancient voice emerged from it: "Little Yun, there's no need for such anger. Once you break through to Grandmaster and fully master the technique, dealing with your ancestor will be within reach."

Hearing this, Long Tianyun calmed slightly, though his face still showed reluctance. "Master, what must I do to reach Grandmaster?"

This ring was something he had stumbled upon in his late mother's keepsake box.

He had never paid it much attention until recently, when an anomaly in the heavens and earth caused the ring to emit a surge of energy.

That was when he discovered its secret—an ancient powerhouse's soul was residing inside!

No doubt, his mother's death was also tied to this ring.

"Little Yun, there are two ways. The first is to cultivate the [Dragon Soaring Heaven Art] I gave you. However, this manual requires absorbing a rare type of heavenly energy to progress, and such energy is exceedingly scarce. It’s unlikely you’ll encounter it easily."

"The second method is to devour enough Martial Masters to forcibly ascend to Grandmaster!"

Hearing these options, Long Tianyun's face fell. He groaned, "Master, both of these are as difficult as scaling the heavens!"

Forget about absorbing heavenly energy—where was he supposed to find so many Martial Masters to devour?

Even though breaking through had become easier after the celestial anomaly, Martial Masters weren’t exactly common like cabbages!

"Heh, reaching Grandmaster was never meant to be easy. If you truly wish to avenge your mother, you must be willing to pay the price."

The voice in the ring continued to coax him.

Long Tianyun's eyes flickered with calculation. Finally, he asked in a low voice, "Then, Master... is the Demon Weapon Project feasible?"

"If we can artificially create Martial Masters, would devouring those work as well?"

"That... I’m not entirely sure. But it’s worth a try."

"...Understood."

Long Tianyun took a deep breath, his resolve hardening.

In that case, the Demon Weapon Project must proceed!

He had to grow stronger—strong enough to kill that old monster and avenge his mother!

Thinking this, he spoke with gratitude, "Master, with the world in constant flux... right now, you’re the only one I can truly trust."

"Little Yun, if your mother were still alive, she would surely be proud of you. But alas... Long Aotian is a madman who wouldn’t hesitate to kill even his own wife."

The voice in the ring carried a complex tone, as if genuinely pained by the past.

Long Tianyun clenched his fists. "I will avenge her!"

His confidence stemmed from the master residing within his ring.

......

......

Three days later.

A bombshell announcement spread throughout the Martial Alliance—Long Tianyun had been appointed as the new leader.

This caused quite a stir online, but soon, PR teams stepped in to highlight Long Tianyun’s illustrious battle records. They emphasized that a leader needed not just strength, but also the ability to make critical decisions in dire times.

Statistics were presented showcasing how Long Tianyun had turned the tide in numerous battles along the Ancient Martial World’s borders.

Leng Qingqiu was undoubtedly powerful, but she lacked leadership experience. Thus, placing someone seasoned in the role was framed as being for her own good.

Gradually, the opposition died down.

Bai Jun returned to the Alliance, but he was quickly escorted away by Long Tianyun’s men.

No one knew where he was taken.

The half-demon who had returned with him was also led away by another group.

Most members of the Sword Holding Department were poached, voluntarily transferring out.

Even formidable sword-wielders like Shangguan Miaoyin were recruited by the new leader, Long Tianyun, to the headquarters.

Members of other departments could only sigh—new leaders always brought sweeping changes.

Long Tianyun was clearly trying to push Leng Qingqiu out!

They were furious. At a time like this, he was still playing power games?

But they couldn’t speak up—they lacked the strength, and Leng Qingqiu herself showed no signs of opposing the new leader.

So they stayed silent.

......

......

In the Ancient Martial World—now referred to as the [Demon Forbidden Zone]—

Atop a towering black mountain, Gu Yan stood, tendrils of faint energy extending from him into the void.

Whoosh!

A figure in black robes appeared behind him.

"Young Master."

The familiar voice belonged to Old Gao, who had been absent for some time.

Gu Yan had previously assigned him to remain hidden in the mortal world, gathering intelligence.

"Speak," Gu Yan ordered, still dispersing the tendrils carrying [Opportunities].

"As you predicted, the Long, Situ, and Yu Families have installed a new leader."

"The Demon Weapon Project has also officially begun in secret."

"Additionally, Long Tianyun sent envoys to the Gu Family with offers, hoping to recruit you."

"Most Sword Holding Department members have been poached."

Old Gao finished his report and waited for further instructions.

Gu Yan gave a faint nod. "Good."

Everything was proceeding as he had anticipated.

Now, the next phase could begin.

Reaching into his sleeve, he handed Old Gao several pulsating black orbs.

"These are [Demon Spheres] containing Grandmaster-level demonic entities. Once released into the mortal world, they will rapidly expand into full-fledged demons."

"The demons will attack living beings, but don’t worry—after death, the souls will be absorbed and transferred directly to me."

Old Gao accepted the spheres. "Understood. Where should I deploy them?"

"In two weeks, release them all near the Alliance headquarters."

"Yes, Young Master."

Old Gao was taken aback.

A dozen Grandmaster-level demons unleashed near the headquarters... what kind of catastrophe would that cause?

Sometimes, he couldn’t quite understand the Young Master.

Logically, Gu Yan should have lost all emotion.

Yet when it came to matters involving Leng Qingqiu, he didn’t seem entirely devoid of feeling.

......

......

Alliance Headquarters.

Long Tianyun smirked as he browsed through the online discourse.

"Ah, with this, I can secure my position in this chair. Once that’s done, mobilizing resources to gather special energy will become much easier!"

Hum!

At that moment, the ring flickered faintly, its voice hoarse: "Tianyun, I have a feeling that in half a month, some rare treasure might emerge in the south."

"This treasure could be of some help in your breakthrough to the Grandmaster realm."

"A rare treasure?!"

Long Tianyun’s expression brightened. His breakthrough to the late-stage Master realm had been guided by the mentor within the ring.

If his mentor said so, there must truly be a rare treasure about to appear!

He quickly asked, "Do you have a specific location?"

"Not clear, but the timing should be in half a month, somewhere in the south. If you’re uneasy, you can send people to scout the southern regions in advance."

Hearing this, Long Tianyun nodded. "Alright! Once I stabilize my cultivation for a few more days, I’ll dispatch martial artists to search for the treasure in the south!"

"Heh, this... is excellent."