Summoning the Gods: Start by creating the Eternal Night.

Disciples of the Ghost Cry Sect rushed over upon hearing the commotion.

Upon seeing the scene on the stone bed, everyone was horrified.

"Quickly! Go and fetch some elders!"

"How could the sect leader...?"

Amid the chaos, a man dressed in a red robe, whose aura had reached the mid-stage of the Void Realm, hurriedly arrived.

He was none other than Ximen Qing, the vice sect leader of the Ghost Cry Sect, and also the sect leader with the highest cultivation level besides Wu Dalang.

Upon seeing Wu Dalang's corpse, his pupils contracted sharply. He then forced himself to regain his composure and said in a deep voice:

"What's the panic! Guard the cave and don't let anyone near!"

The disciples then calmed down and retreated outside the cave to stand guard.

Ximen Qing walked to the stone bed and carefully examined Wu Dalang's injuries, his brows furrowed:

"A sword piercing the heart, executed with swift precision—clearly the work of a top-tier assassin..."

He ran his fingertips across the wound, feeling the lingering, sharp sword energy.

"This sword style... is unlike any of the styles used by any faction in Qingzhou."

A moment later, several elders from the sect gathered in the cave.

Ximen Qing looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice, "With the sect leader assassinated, the sect cannot be without a leader for even a day."

"The most urgent task is to stabilize morale. I will temporarily assume the position of sect leader until the true culprit is identified, at which point a final decision will be made."

Although the elders were grieving, they knew the gravity of the situation and nodded in unison: "We are willing to obey the Vice Sect Master's orders."

"Good." A hint of joy flashed subtly in Ximen Qing's eyes.

"Immediately seal off the sect gates and thoroughly investigate everyone who entered or left the sect yesterday!"

"Furthermore, send out elite disciples to investigate and find out the killer's identity. Even if it means chasing them to the ends of the earth, we must avenge our sect leader!"

"yes!"

As orders were issued, the Ghost Cry Sect was mobilized instantly, and the resentment in the mass grave seemed to intensify due to this turn of events.

However, what they did not know was that their sect leader was actually assassinated at Xiyu Tower by their vice sect leader.

It was only because when Vice Sect Leader Ximen Qing passed by the backyard of the sect, that he was stopped by Sect Leader's wife Pan Jinglian while she was hanging out her underwear to dry.

The forked pole that accidentally hit his head struck his heart like a bolt of lightning.

From that moment on, he fell in love at first sight with his voluptuous, alluring, and charming sister-in-law, Jinglian.

She was like a blooming flower, exuding a captivating fragrance that made him unable to resist.

However, he knew full well that his strength was insufficient to contend with the sect leader.

So they had no choice but to ask Xiyulou to take action and remove Wu Dalang, this stumbling block.

....

The Great Qian Dynasty

The deepest part of the imperial capital.

An invisible barrier enveloped the area within a ten-mile radius, isolating it from the noise and prying eyes of the outside world.

This is the foundation of the Great Qian Dynasty—the Ancestral Temple.

The vermilion palace walls gleamed with a somber luster in the night, and the glazed tile roofs were covered with a thin layer of frost.

The mythical beast statues on the eaves stand silently, as if they have been guarding this place since the beginning of the dynasty, witnessing countless rises and falls of the Qian family.

Inside the ancestral temple, there is no trace of the extravagance of ordinary palaces, only a series of bluestone-paved paths leading to the ancestral hall deep inside.

Along both sides of the passageway stand stone statues of past emperors, some clad in armor and wielding swords, others standing with their hands behind their backs.

The carvings in the eyes of the stone statue are as deep as an abyss, as if silently watching over every descendant who steps into this place.

Emperor Qian Tian, ​​dressed in a black dragon robe, stepped onto the bluestone slabs one by one. His dragon boots landed silently, yet with a heavy rhythm.

He walked through the passageway alone, without any attendants.

The stone statues on both sides cast dappled shadows in the moonlight, moving as if they were alive with his steps.

The emperor, who had ruled the Great Qian Dynasty for decades, now had none of the imposing presence he displayed in court.

The decisiveness they displayed when facing external enemies was gone, replaced by an indescribable solemnity.

He walked to the ancestral hall gate and gazed at the large door made of ancient ironwood.

The door is carved with a magnificent scene of the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty. The knife marks have long been worn away by time, but they still exude a powerful aura.

"You unfilial descendant, Qian Tian, ​​begs to see our ancestor."

Qian Tian straightened his dragon robe, bowed deeply towards the gate,

The voice was deep and respectful, echoing in the silent ancestral temple, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

After a moment of silence, an aged voice came from inside the door.

It seems to have pierced through the ages, carrying the hoarse sound of time:

"Qian Tian, ​​you brat, why aren't you managing state affairs properly? What are you doing breaking into the ancestral temple in the middle of the night?"

The moment the words were spoken, lights suddenly lit up inside the ancestral hall.

It wasn't ordinary candlelight, but a glow with a pale golden hue.

It spread from deep within the ancestral hall, illuminating every beam, pillar, and brick.

In the halo of light, one can see the golden dragon carvings coiled around the beams and pillars, their scales incredibly lifelike.

It seemed as if it would break free from the shackles of the wood and soar into the clouds at any moment.

Qian Tian pushed open the door and entered, only to see an old man sitting cross-legged in mid-air in the center of the ancestral hall.

His hair and beard were all white, and his face was covered with deep wrinkles, like an ancient tree repeatedly sculpted by the hand of time.

He was wearing a faded, coarse cloth Taoist robe, which seemed somewhat out of place in this solemn ancestral hall.

However, when his gaze swept over, Qian Tian couldn't help but hold his breath—what kind of eyes were those?

It is murky yet possesses a clear understanding of everything, as if it can see through the deepest secrets of people's hearts, and it also carries a kind of weariness that has lasted for thousands of years.

This is the pillar of the Great Qian Dynasty, the ancestor of the Qian family, and a legendary figure in the eyes of the world who has already reached the realm of a terrestrial immortal and is a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Region.

"Greetings, Ancestor." Qian Tian knelt on both knees, his voice filled with reverence.

The patriarch's gaze fell on Qian Tian, ​​his brows furrowing slightly: "Speak, coming so late at night must mean something important."

Qian Tian took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in his heart, and said in a deep voice, "Ancestor, the Eastern Region has become increasingly turbulent lately."

He raised his head, a flicker of suppressed anger flashing in his eyes:

"With the Qingyun Sect and Xuanming Sect frequently fighting for territory, other forces are preparing to emerge!"

"Even members of the Nine Nether Demon Sect, who have been hiding for so long, dare to show themselves in the capital of my Great Qian Dynasty!"

At this point, Qian Tian's voice rose a few decibels, and his hands clenched tightly beneath his dragon robe:

"These forces are all treating our Great Qian like meat on a chopping block, cutting it up at will!"

He paused, his tone tinged with grievance and resentment:

"Ancestor, over the years I've wanted to send troops to wipe out these clowns one by one! But you've stopped me time and time again, why?"

The anger that had been building up inside for years finally found an outlet at this moment.

Qian Tian's voice trembled, not from fear, but from frustration—

As the emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty, watching helplessly as his ancestral legacy was devoured without even the right to retaliate was a feeling worse than death.

The ancestor looked at Qian Tian's reddened eyes, remained silent for a moment, and slowly relaxed his furrowed brows, revealing a deeper weariness.

He sighed softly, a sigh that seemed to carry a thousand pounds of weight, making the air in the entire ancestral hall seem to freeze.

"Tian'er, do you think I don't want to wipe out those rebellious elements?"

The old man's voice was hoarse like never before.

"More than anyone else, I want those forces that once submitted to the Great Qian but have now betrayed us to pay a bloody price!"

He raised his hand and waved it, and a golden light shot out from his fingertips, illuminating a mural on the wall of the ancestral hall.

The mural depicts a man clad in golden armor—the very same Emperor Taizu of the Great Qian Dynasty.