Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

Liang'an Prefecture, the headquarters of the Blood Demon Sect.

The candlelight in the main hall was dim, and the incense was so strong it was almost cloying, mixed with the stench of blood, making one's chest feel heavy. The cult members, dressed in black and masked, stood on both sides like rows of lifeless statues.

Sitting atop the blood-red jade throne in the center of the hall was an old man dressed in a blood-red robe. His face was gaunt, his cheekbones were high, his eyes were sunken, and his pupils gleamed with an eerie dark red light, as if they had been soaked in blood.

Xue Mingzi, leader of the Xue Ming Sect, the number one evil figure in the west, with the cultivation level of a Grandmaster.

When he spoke, his voice sounded like two dry bones rubbing together: "How's the injury?"

The person at the bottom stepped forward; it was none other than the Dharma Protector Bloodhand Celestial Venerable. After the Iron Sword Sect was destroyed, he personally went to Guangling Prefecture twice to investigate, but at this moment, his left arm had been severed at the elbow, the cut wrapped in black cloth, with dark blood seeping out faintly.

His face was as pale as paper, veins bulging on his forehead, and his voice was filled with barely suppressed hatred: "Your subordinate is incompetent. I was defeated by Chai Yuguan in Guangling Prefecture and forced to retreat. On the way back, I ran into Xiaoyao Hou and lost an arm after only ten moves."

A commotion broke out in the main hall as the black-clad cult members whispered amongst themselves, their voices buzzing like a swarm of bees.

Bloodhand Celestial Venerable is a late-stage Grandmaster, ranking among the top three protectors within the sect. To be able to sever one of his arms in ten moves, one must be at least a peak Grandmaster.

"Chai Yuguan, the Carefree Marquis."

Xue Mingzi's voice was flat, his fingers slowly stroking the armrest of the Blood Jade Throne, as if he were caressing a sleeping beast.

"The Azure Dragon Society has recently produced four Grandmasters, and their origins are all unknown. They've turned the territories of the four eastern prefectures upside down. Tell me, where did this Azure Dragon Society come from?"

No one answered.

The hall was so quiet that you could hear the candlelight crackling.

Because nobody knows.

The Blood Demon Cult's intelligence network had infiltrated the entire western region for decades, but when faced with the Azure Dragon Society, it was as if they had hit an invisible wall—the four hall masters had never appeared in the western martial arts world before, had no lineage, no history of fame, and no trace of the past; they seemed to have appeared out of thin air.

In the dead silence, the Blood Shadow Protector in charge of intelligence finally stepped out from the ranks, knelt on one knee, and spoke in a strained voice:

"Reporting to the Master, the first person from the Azure Dragon Society to appear in Qinghe City was a man named Meng Xinghun. He killed one of the outer sect elders of the Tianshan Sect and also seized the Tianlan Ore. However... such matters were too minor, and I did not alarm you at the time, thinking that I would deal with it after the matter with the Qingmu Sword Sect was settled. I did not expect that in just a few months, so many powerful figures would emerge from them."

Xue Mingzi didn't speak, but simply turned his head slightly, his blood-red pupils fixed on Blood Shadow Protector.

That gaze wasn't heavy, yet it felt like a blunt knife pressing on his neck. Fine beads of sweat appeared on the Blood Shadow Protector's forehead.

"A small matter?" Xue Mingzi repeated slowly, then suddenly laughed. The laugh was devoid of warmth, like a cracked riverbed.

"Your subordinate knows his mistake." Blood Shadow Protector kowtowed to the ground, not daring to raise his head.

Xue Mingzi withdrew his gaze, his withered fingers drawing a talisman in the air. A flash of blood-red light condensed into a blood-red token, which hovered in mid-air and slowly rotated.

"The Green Wood Sword Sect can't hold out at Black Wind Ridge anymore. Even with Qingxuan Daoist sending Qingsong to the front lines, it's only barely managing to stabilize the situation." Xue Mingzi's voice was as calm as if he were discussing the weather. "At most a month later, either they'll retreat voluntarily, or we'll force them to retreat. Once things are over at Black Wind Ridge—"

He paused, and the blood-red token suddenly lit up for a moment.

"I will personally make a trip to Guangling Prefecture. The Iron Sword Sect has been a pawn for fifteen years, only to be destroyed by the Azure Dragon Society. I am very interested to know where this Azure Dragon Society came from."

Bloodhand Celestial Venerable suddenly looked up, a fanatical hatred flashing in his eyes. He knelt on one knee, the black cloth covering his severed arm trembling slightly: "The Master is wise!"

Xue Mingzi waved his hand, as if shooing away a fly:

"Go. Order the branch altars in Liang'an, Yanmen, and Wuwei prefectures to closely monitor the movements of the Azure Dragon Society's April Hall. Lei Sun acted too quickly—let him run into the Iron Blood Hall's iron plate, so we don't have to do it ourselves."

"Yes, sir!" the Dharma protectors replied in unison, their voices echoing throughout the hall.

Xue Mingzi leaned back on the throne and closed his eyes to rest. The blood-red token slowly fell, turning into a wisp of smoke and dissipating.

Silence returned to the main hall, with only the incense burning silently.

Qishan Prefecture, the forbidden area behind the Green Wood Sword Sect.

In stark contrast to the dark and bloody atmosphere of the Blood Demon Cult's main hall, this place is filled with the sound of rustling pines and swirling mist, like a pure land beyond the mortal world. The mountain breeze, carrying the fresh scent of pine needles, brushes against your face, soothing and refreshing.

Beneath a thousand-year-old pine tree, Master Qingxuan sat on a stone platform. He had white hair but a youthful face, and his Taoist robes fluttered without wind. Beside him lay an ancient blue sword, its blade simple and unadorned, with a faint radiance flowing through it.

His eyes were closed, and a faint, ethereal azure sword intent swirled around him, each strike sharp enough to cleave metal and shatter stone. The Grandmaster's aura was as imposing as a mountain, calm and unshakeable. Pine needles that fell within three feet of him were silently severed in two.

Footsteps sounded.

"Sect Leader."

Master Qingsong stepped forward and stopped three steps in front of the stone platform, bowing respectfully. His face was solemn and weary, with faint dark circles under his eyes, clearly indicating that he had been traveling for days and had not slept well.

Master Qingxuan did not open his eyes.

Knowing that the sect leader was listening, Master Qingsong continued:

"Black Wind Ridge can still hold on. But the reason I came to see the sect leader this time is not for Black Wind Ridge—but for that new force that appeared before, the Azure Dragon Society."

Master Qingxuan's eyelids twitched slightly.

"The sect leader still remembers."

Master Qingsong lowered his voice, as if he were touching on a wound he didn't want to rub salt in the wound.

"In the battle of Pingyang County, Master Qingmu died in battle, and the two protectors, Tiemu and Qingsong, perished in the line of duty. More than half of our hundred elite disciples were killed or wounded. It was only because we were locked in a fierce standoff with the Blood Demon Sect that we had no time to deal with them... that we gave them a chance to catch their breath."

Master Qingxuan slowly opened his eyes.

Those eyes were as clear as a deep pool, bottomless and undisturbed.

"And now, in just two months, the Azure Dragon Society has produced four Grandmaster-level experts, who have simultaneously opened branches in the three prefectures of Guangling, Xunyang, and Yanmen, expanding rapidly. Including the previous Yiyue Branch, there are now four branches standing side by side—"

Master Qingsong recited these names word by word, his brow furrowing more deeply with each one he spoke:

"Shangguan Jin Hong, the leader of Yiyue Hall, is a mid-stage Grandmaster. He is as stable as a rock, with a deep foundation. Pingyang County has become his impregnable territory."

"Chai Yuguan, the head of the Eryue Hall, killed Zhao Tianxiong, the grandmaster of the Zhao family in Guangling Prefecture, with a single palm strike. His strength is suspected to have reached the late stage of the grandmaster level. This man is skilled in business, and he has already taken control of 60% of the trade routes in Guangling Prefecture."

"The leader of the Sanyue Hall, Xiaoyao Hou, swallowed up the Xue Shou Gang of Xunyang Prefecture, and turned the gang leader Qilian Shan into a puppet. According to the news from the Xue Ming Sect, Xue Shou Tianzun went to investigate, but was forced to flee with his arm severed within ten moves."

"Lei Sun, the leader of the April Hall, is a late-stage Grandmaster. He severely injured Duan Peng of the Wolf Fang Alliance in Yanmen Prefecture. His methods are extremely ruthless. He swept northwards and no one could stop him."

After Master Qingsong finished speaking, he took a deep breath, his tone becoming increasingly heavy:

"Four grandmasters appeared at the same time, yet their origins are all untraceable—it's as if they emerged from the ground, with no background, no lineage, and no trace of their past. Sect Leader, such a thing has never happened before in the thirteen western prefectures. It seems... we have all underestimated the Azure Dragon Society."

The sound of the pine trees suddenly intensified, as if even heaven and earth were echoing these words.

Master Qingxuan remained silent for a moment.

He didn't answer immediately, but slowly stood up. The ancient sword trembled slightly beside him, emitting a faint sword hum—as if even the sword could sense the rare solemnity deep within its master's heart.

He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the misty mountains beyond the pine forest.

"Who is the highest-ranking person in this Azure Dragon Society?" he asked.

"I don't know." Master Qingsong shook his head, a rare hint of helplessness appearing on his face. "No one can find out. The Azure Dragon Society only refers to one 'Young Dragon Leader' to outsiders, but this person never shows his face. All the affairs of each branch are decided by the branch leader. Moreover... there seems to be a subtle trend of competition between the four branches—none of them are willing to submit to the others, yet they all obey the orders of that unseen 'Young Dragon Leader'."

Master Qingxuan's eyes flickered slightly.

"Four grandmasters, of unknown origin, suddenly appeared at the same time."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unwavering certainty: "This is no coincidence; it's a deliberate scheme. To be able to plant such a pawn in the thirteen western prefectures without being detected by any force—the person behind the Azure Dragon Society must either possess earth-shattering methods or have an unspeakable background."

He turned around, his blue Taoist robe fluttering slightly in the wind, and his gaze fell on Master Qingsong's face.

How long will it take for the standoff at Black Wind Ridge to end?

"Given the current situation, the outcome will be clear within a month. But if the Blood Demon Cult reinforces its troops, the situation will worsen," Master Qingsong replied truthfully.

"Then let's finish this as soon as possible."

Master Qingxuan's voice was resolute and decisive, each word like the sound of a sword being drawn. "We can't delay any longer. The Azure Dragon Society's development speed is far beyond what is normal—give them half a year, and even Grandmasters might appear out of nowhere. By then, it will be too late to stop them. The power structure of the thirteen prefectures in the west has been maintained by the five major forces for over a hundred years. We absolutely cannot allow a force of unknown origin to break it."

He paused, a chilling undertone creeping into his voice, a glint of steel flashing in his eyes:

"Moreover, killing members of my Green Wood Sword Sect—even if they have a Grandmaster backing them up—will let them know that my Green Wood Sword Sect is not to be trifled with."

Master Qingsong bowed and clasped his hands in greeting: "I will obey the sect leader's command."

Master Qingxuan looked into the distance again, and after a moment of silence, added:

"Also, keep a close eye on Chaotian Palace and Qinglong Temple. The Qinglong Society's expansion area is closest to Linjiang Prefecture, which is Chaotian Palace's. It's impossible for Chaotian Palace not to react. When Daoist Chaotian is silent, it's often the most dangerous time. As for Qinglong Temple... they are unfathomable. No one knows how strong they really are. If they confront the Qinglong Society—that would be the best-case scenario for us."

"Yes," Master Qingsong solemnly replied.

The pine trees still rustle in the wind, and the clouds and mist surge.

The forbidden area fell silent again, but beneath that silence, a storm was silently brewing in the distance.

Master Qingxuan sat back down on the stone platform and closed his eyes. The ancient sword's clang gradually subsided, and the azure sword intent once again enveloped him, everything returning to normal.

Only the mountain wind knew that this sword had already harbored murderous intent.