"B-Brother Hong?"
The new disciples inside the stone house stared wide-eyed, feeling as if an invisible hand was squeezing their throats, making it hard to breathe.
Hong Yu's cold gaze swept past them and landed on the stone bed.
In that instant, the aura around Hong Yu turned sharp and fierce—cold as ice, sharp as a blade!
On the stone bed…
Two young n lay unconscious, their bodies wrapped in dicinal bandages. The strong sll of dicine emanated from them.
These two were, of course, Liu Liyun and Gao Zijie.
They couldn't move. Even through the gauze wrappings, it was clear they had suffered imnse trauma. After seven days of recuperation, Hong Yu's left eye had recovered its clarity. A faint cyan light flowed within it, allowing him to see their condition in greater detail.
The bones in their hands and feet were completely shattered, half their ribs were broken, and their internal organs were ruptured and severely damaged. Beneath the gauze, almost no patch of skin was left intact.
If not for the fact that both of them were at the Ninth Layer of the Essence Realm, their bodies countless tis tougher than an ordinary person's, there would only be two corpses lying here now.
Even so, they were only barely clinging to life.
Even Rejuvenation Pills would be useless. Only a Tier Two or higher Healing Pill could save them. Otherwise, their deaths were only a matter of ti.
"What in the world happened here?"
Hong Yu's shoulders trembled, and his teeth ground together with a harsh, grating sound like scraping steel as he stared intently at the others.
The n trembled, their legs growing weak under Hong Yu's fierce presence, unable to speak.
Hong Yu grew even more agitated, roaring through clenched teeth, "Speak! What happened?"
His sharp aura instantly enveloped them.
THUD!
One of them couldn't take it anymore and collapsed onto his rear, the acrid stench of urine filling the air around his crotch.
Without shifting his gaze, Hong Yu looked at one of them. "You. Talk."
"B-Brother Hong, you have to avenge them!"
The man suddenly knelt on the ground, wailing. "Brother Hong, after you saved us that day, we returned to the Sword Sect to report the information about the Primordial Core expert's cavern. Because of our status, we couldn't enter the Inner Sect to find any high-ranking experts, so we could only go to the person in charge of the Outer Sect. The one who received our report was Guo Tao, the fifth-ranked expert on the Earth List. He told us to wait at his residence, but not long after…"
The man's account was extrely clear. Hong Yu's sharp brows raised slightly, a flicker in his eyes.
After Liu Liyun and the others reported the information to Guo Tao, they didn't see any other experts from the Sect. Instead, an Inner Sect expert claiming to be from the Heaven and Earth Alliance appeared.
"After that person took us away, he forced us to sign and fingerprint a letter. The letter was to make us testify that it was an expert from the Heaven and Earth Alliance who rescued us. We also had to testify that it was a Heaven and Earth Alliance expert who captured the prisoner and forced out the information about the Primordial Core Realm expert's cavern."
A resentful look appeared on the man's face. "Of course, we couldn't just do what they said. As a result, they tortured us with all sorts of punishnts."
"The few of us couldn't withstand the unbearable torture, so we had no choice but to sign and fingerprint the letter."
Another man, his face full of sha, added, "But Liu Liyun and Gao Zijie refused to the death, so they were taken away separately. It wasn't until three days later that they were sent back, but by then… they already looked like this…"
'So that's what happened!'
Hong Yu took a deep breath, his gaze flickering.
He finally understood why Hong Renjie and the others had waited ten days to arrive at Liger Ravine. He also understood why Tie Shou knew nothing about this, and didn't even know that Hong Yu himself was the one who discovered the information about the Eight Desolates Mansion.
It turned out the Heaven and Earth Alliance was behind all of this.
Human nature is selfish. If the Heaven and Earth Alliance had rely stolen his credit, Hong Yu wouldn't have been this furious.
But…
for the Heaven and Earth Alliance to torture Liu Liyun and Gao Zijie to this extent had crossed his bottom line. A furious glint shone in his cold eyes as he asked icily, "Who was the person from the Heaven and Earth Alliance?"
"I-I don't know who he is."
"Guo Tao should know. He was the one who brought that person over to take us away."
The n replied, trying to recall.
Hong Yu froze, then frowned. "Guo Tao?"
"Brother Hong, y-you'd better not go looking for Guo Tao. H-He's the fifth-ranked expert on the Earth List, a-and he's the younger brother of Guo Fei, the first on the Earth List. If you offend him, you'll be offending Guo Fei," they warned.
"Fifth on the Earth List?"
Hong Yu snorted coldly. He took out two Rejuvenation Pills, administered them to the unconscious Gao Zijie and Liu Liyun to stabilize their injuries, then spun around. Radiating killing intent, he strode outside. Just as he reached the door, he turned back and asked, "Where is Guo Tao?"
"Today is the day of the martial gathering. He should be at the Martial Arts Hall!"
"The Martial Arts Hall? Got it."
Hong Yu nodded and strode away with the gait of a dragon.
Inside the stone house, the n looked at each other in dismay. It was a long mont before they realized…
"Damn, is Brother Hong going to settle the score with Guo Tao?"
"Guo Tao is the fifth-ranked master on the Earth List. Can Brother Hong even be his match?"
"Hurry, let's go watch!"
...
「Outer Sect, Martial Arts Hall.」
The Cyan Nether Sword Sect's Outer Sect held a martial gathering once every month, intended to encourage Outer Sect Disciples to learn from and correct one another.
The Martial Arts Hall was massive, large enough to accommodate one hundred thousand people at once.
Because attendance at the martial gathering was voluntary, only about thirty thousand people were currently gathered in the Martial Arts Hall.
On the central arena stage…
A young man stood with his chest puffed out arrogantly. His disdainful and contemptuous gaze was fixed straight ahead as he said indifferently, "Go ahead. If you let strike first, you won't get another chance."
"Senior Brother Guo, please correct my mistakes!"
The Outer Sect Disciple opposite him was at the Half-Step Earth Soul Realm. His Body Technique was nimble and versatile. He leaped and bounded, lunging forward to attack, and arrived in front of Guo Tao in the blink of an eye.
"Four Symbols Fist!"
The man's fist opened and closed, striking like the thunder of the four symbols, containing four kinds of profound variations that were difficult to defend against.
However, facing the young man's attack, Guo Tao rely flashed his cold eyes and snorted in disdain. "Too slow!" As the words fell, Guo Tao raised his hand and pointed a finger.
The Four Symbols Fist that the young man had painstakingly ford instantly collapsed.
A single finger tapped the surface of his fist.
The young man let out a pained cry and was sent flying backward, landing heavily below the stage. His right hand was broken, hanging limply at his side.
HISS!
The tens of thousands of spectating Outer Sect Disciples sucked in a cold breath.
To break through the full-power attack of a Refined Half-Step Earth Soul Realm expert with a single finger, and even seriously injure him—such a technique was truly astonishing.
"Senior Brother Guo Tao is so strong!"
"I heard he cultivates a Mysterious Finger Technique, a Mortal-Level Martial Skill called the Azure Commander Finger. Its power is incredible. With it, Senior Brother Guo Tao can even fight people at higher levels!"
"I've long heard that all ten masters on the Earth List have the strength of Inner Sect Core Disciples. Especially the freaks in the top five—they have the combat power to rank in the top two thousand of the Inner Sect. They just haven't participated in the Inner Sect promotion tournant for various reasons!"
"I heard the Inner Sect's quinquennial promotion tournant is in a few months. I wonder if the top five experts on the Earth List will participate this ti!"
"They probably will! I heard that Senior Brother Guo Fei, number one on the Earth List, is planning to aim for the position of True Disciple this ti!"
"A True Disciple? Is Senior Brother Guo Fei that strong?"
Over thirty thousand people were all discussing at once. One can only imagine the din.
Guo Tao frowned, clearly displeased with the commotion. A cold snort echoed across the entire Martial Arts Arena. "All of you, shut the hell up for . This is a martial gathering. If anyone else dares to co up on stage to test their Martial Arts Cultivation, then get your ass up here. If not, I'm leaving!"
"Senior Brother Guo Tao, with you up there, I doubt anyone dares to go up!"
"Hehe, Senior Brother Guo's combat power is astounding. Who would want to go up there and humiliate themselves?"
A constant stream of flattery ca from the Outer Sect Disciples.
A satisfied expression appeared on Guo Tao's face. He scanned the crowd arrogantly and said in a superior tone, "Since no one dares to co up, I'll go rest on the side."
Saying this, Guo Tao started to walk off the stage.
However, just as he was about to step off the stage, a cool, calm voice suddenly ca from the crowd. "What's the rush to leave? I haven't had the chance to ask for Senior Brother Guo's brilliant guidance yet!"
"Hm?"
Guo Tao paused, looking in the direction of the voice.
Hong Yu slowly erged from the crowd, stepped onto the stage, and looked Guo Tao directly in the eye. "What? Is Senior Brother Guo so set on leaving that you're unwilling to exchange pointers with your junior brother?"
"Who are you?"
Guo Tao asked with a frown.
Hong Yu replied nonchalantly, "An insignificant new disciple."
"Hmph, a re new disciple dares to challenge ?" Guo Tao's expression beca imposing, radiating anger without showing it.
He was the mighty fifth-ranked expert on the Earth List!
Even so ordinary Inner Sect Disciples wouldn't dare to challenge him, yet now so new disciple had co to do just that. Guo Tao felt he had been spectacularly disrespected. How could he not be angry?
His words grew colder. "Junior Brother, perhaps you aren't too familiar with , Guo Tao. Do you know what happens to everyone who challenges ?"
Hong Yu narrowed his eyes. "What? Is Senior Brother Guo afraid?"
"Afraid? Fine, fine, fine. What an arrogant brat. Since you insist on asking for trouble, I'd look like I was afraid if I refused again. But let , your senior brother, warn you: fists and feet have no eyes. If you end up with broken bones and torn ligants, don't you dare bla !"
Guo Tao jeered sarcastically.
Hong Yu nodded earnestly. "Let's begin."
"Hehe, you're the junior brother, so I'll let you go first. If I were to strike first, you wouldn't have any chance at all!"
Guo Tao said with a look of pure arrogance.
Hong Yu: "Alright. Then please be ready to receive my attack, Senior Brother Guo!"
"Bring it."
Guo Tao replied carelessly.
Among the new disciples, only the three rumored to be famous were worthy of Guo Tao's notice. As for those left in the Outer Sect, he couldn't be bothered with them.
"Senior Brother Guo, please enlighten !"
Hong Yu grinned and finally made his move.
Hong Yu's speed wasn't fast, and his fist was ordinary. It looked completely harmless, not nearly as stunning or brilliant as the earlier Four Symbols Fist.
The crowd below broke into sighs and jeers…
"Where did this country bumpkin co from? Is he an idiot? How dare he openly provoke Senior Brother Guo?"
"Hehe, so people just love to grandstand for attention!"
"Look at his Fist Technique, it's as soft as a woman's. I bet Senior Brother Guo could crush him with one finger!"
On the stage, Guo Tao also wore a disdainful sneer.
"Junior Brother, your attack is far too slow!"
A contemptuous light flickered in his eyes as he slowly raised his hand and pointed a finger once again.
But soon… the smugness and contempt on his face vanished.
Because his finger finally collided with Hong Yu's light and soft fist…
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