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

Ten days after the end of the dispute over the ruins

On the surface, the thirteen western prefectures have returned to calm, but the undercurrents are more turbulent than ever before.

The Azure Dragon Society's successive takeovers of the White Lotus Sect's western stronghold, the acquisition of two peerless treasures—the Dragon Blood Ginseng King and the Yin-Yang Life and Death Dew—from the ruins, and the exposure of two swordsmen at the fifth level of Grandmaster—have put unprecedented pressure on all forces in the west.

The events within the ruins are crystal clear to all parties. There is no secret that the Azure Dragon Society took the Dragon Blood Ginseng King and the Yin-Yang Life-and-Death Dew.

However, the Dragon Blood Ginseng King had already been refined and used by Li Chenzhou and others, and its medicinal power had been fully integrated into their bodies. Trying to take it back was now a pipe dream. What was truly coveted was that drop of Yin-Yang Life-and-Death Dew—a divine object that could bring the dead back to life as long as there was a trace of life left in the body, which was still being strictly guarded by the Azure Dragon Society.

The news spread throughout the western region, even reaching the ears of the Antarctic Sword Sect and the White Lotus Sect headquarters.

Antarctic Sword Sect, Mountain Gate

On a solitary peak covered in snow and ice for millennia, the sword intent soared to the heavens, as if even the sky itself had been slicing away.

The tenth elder of the Antarctic Sword Sect, "Cold Sword Venerable," sat upright in a side hall, with two deacons standing before him. The hall was filled with a chilling atmosphere, and even the white breath he exhaled condensed into frost.

"The Dragon Blood Ginseng King has already been used by them, but the Yin-Yang Life and Death Dew is still there."

The Cold Sword Venerable spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but like the first crack in the ice, chilling one to the bone: "This item is of great significance to my Antarctic Sword Sect."

The sect leader is currently in seclusion, comprehending the ultimate Dao of Heaven and Man, and has no time to concern himself with such trivial matters, but the Yin-Yang Life and Death Dew—must be retrieved.

Deacon A cautiously cupped his hands: "Tenth Elder, the Azure Dragon Society is very powerful. I have heard that they have defeated the combined forces of the White Lotus Sect and the Green Wood Sword Sect in the ruins... Should we reconsider our strategy?"

"Powerful?" Venerable Cold Sword's lips curled up slightly, but his smile was colder than an ice blade.

He stood up.

With just this one movement, his aura suddenly exploded—the pressure of a Grandmaster at the seventh level was as imposing as a mountain, causing the entire side hall to tremble, and snow accumulated on the beams and pillars to fall in a rustling sound. The two stewards turned pale, their knees buckled, and they almost knelt on the ground.

"How much foundation can an emerging power truly possess?"

The Cold Sword Venerable stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze piercing through the palace gates and looking westward. "I will personally make a trip to the west. The Yin-Yang Life and Death Dew must be brought back."

Deacon B's forehead was beaded with sweat, and his voice trembled: "The Tenth Elder personally came?"

"That bunch of good-for-nothings, Ling Yunzi, can't even handle Li Chenzhou. What can we expect from them?"

The Cold Sword Venerable snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, and a sharp sword aura shot out from his fingertip, carving a three-inch deep groove in the bluestone ground. "Pass down the order: the Antarctic Sword Sect shall gather its elite forces and follow me westward."

"yes!"

The two deacons accepted the order in unison, not daring to utter another word.

The White Lotus Sect headquarters, deep underground

In a dimly lit hall, forty-nine lamps burned eternally. The pale light cast shadows throughout the hall, making it seem as if something might emerge from the shadows at any moment.

The four statues are arranged in four directions, representing the four Dharma Kings of the White Lotus Sect—one in white robes, one in red robes, one in black robes, and one in gold robes.

The position of the White-Robed Dharma King is now vacant. He was killed in the ruins by Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue of the Azure Dragon Society, leaving no trace of his body.

The seat of the Black-Clad Dharma King was also empty. He had died months ago during the battle for the western stronghold when Li Chenzhou shattered his heart meridian with a single punch.

Both Dharma Kings perished at the hands of the Azure Dragon Society.

The hall remained silent for a long time before someone finally spoke.

"The one in white is dead, and the one in black is dead too." A deep voice came from the direction of the statue of the red-robed Dharma King, like muffled thunder rolling underground. "They were all killed by the Azure Dragon Society."

"In just a few months, two of my Dharma Kings have perished..." Another voice rang out from the left, filled with suppressed anger, like a fire that had been forcibly suppressed, "The Azure Dragon Society, how dare you."

"We must not underestimate our opponent."

A third voice, steady and calm, came from a shadow beside the empty seat of the black-robed Dharma King—it was the voice of the golden-robed Dharma King. Although the black-robed one was dead, the one speaking was someone else: "The white-robed one is a Grandmaster at the fifth level. The person who can kill him must be at least at the peak of the fifth level."

Moreover, the Azure Dragon Society has two swordsmen of unknown skill, one named Ye Gucheng and the other Ximen Chuixue. Even I can't discern their fighting style when they attack.

"You mean, you're scared?" The red-robed Dharma King's voice was laced with sarcasm.

"It's not fear."

The Golden-Robed Dharma King's voice remained calm, yet carried a weight, like a piece of iron slowly pressing down: "It must be settled clearly. My White Lotus Sect has lost two Dharma Kings; this debt cannot be settled haphazardly. Nor can it be pursued haphazardly."

Silence fell over the hall once more. The forty-nine ever-burning lamps flickered silently.

After a long silence, the strongest of the four—the Golden-Robed Dharma King, the leader of the Four Dharma Kings, and a Grandmaster at the sixth level—slowly spoke.

"I'll go."

His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority, like a mountain speaking.

"I will bring back the heads of the Azure Dragon Society."

He paused, then added, his tone finally shifting slightly from calm to grave: "But don't be careless. A force capable of killing two of my Dharma Kings is no ordinary power. I will bring enough help."

"Whom do you plan to bring?" the red-robed Dharma King asked.

"All twelve Dharma Protectors have been mobilized," said the Golden-Robed Dharma King. "In addition, there are thirty-six elite Dharma Protectors. If the Azure Dragon Society is truly capable, then let them see that the White Lotus Sect has more than just two trump cards up its sleeve."

The red-robed Dharma King remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "Be careful."

"I never underestimate my enemies." The Golden-Robed Dharma King stood up, his tall figure blocking out most of the light from the ever-burning lamp. "Especially enemies who can kill my brothers."

Inside the main hall, the flickering lights cast shifting shadows on the four statues.

at the same time

The Green Wood Sword Sect, the Iron Blood Hall, and the Blood Dark Sect were also secretly mobilizing their troops.

But they didn't actively seek to deal with the Azure Dragon Society—at least not entirely.

The real driving force behind all of this was the imperial court and Qinglong Temple.

After his visit to the ruins, Yan Jingchen, the Imperial Guard's Vice Commander, submitted a detailed secret report to the court. The report was meticulous, covering everything from Li Chenzhou's combat strength to Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue's sword intent, from the refining of the Dragon Blood Ginseng King to the storage of the Yin-Yang Life and Death Dew, more detailed than any other intelligence report.

After reading it, Emperor Qin Muzhi only said five words:

"I need to know the details of the Azure Dragon Society."

Thus, the Xuanjingtai, the Jinyiwei, and the Zhenfusi joined forces to spread rumors and incite conflict in the west.

Their goal wasn't to help the five factions, but to use them as pawns to kill—to test the true strength of the Azure Dragon Society using forces like the Antarctic Sword Sect and the White Lotus Sect. The fiercer the attack, the more they would reveal; the more they revealed, the more reassured the imperial court would feel.

"Let them fight," Yan Jingchen said to his subordinates. "Once they've fought, we'll know the Azure Dragon Society's trump card."

"What if they don't fight?" the subordinate asked.

Yan Jingchen smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "I can fight. The greed and hatred in people's hearts are more effective than a knife."

Qinglong Temple's attitude was exactly the same.

Although Zen Master Huiming remained neutral in the ruins and even proposed cooperation with the Qinglong Society, the true power behind Qinglong Temple—Zen Master Qinglong—was filled with suspicion about this suddenly rising force.

"Let them fight," Zen Master Qinglong said to Zen Master Huiming, his prayer beads turning slowly, one bead at a time, unhurriedly. "Once they've finished, we'll know the Qinglong Society's trump card."

Zen Master Huiming stood with his palms together, silent for a moment, then asked, "Master, what if the Azure Dragon Sect loses?"

"If you lose, it's not worth cooperating with."

"What if we win?"

The prayer beads in Zen Master Qinglong's hand paused for a moment.

"We won..." His voice trailed off, like the wind blowing through a deep valley, "Then we need to be even more careful."

"Be cautious about what?"

"Think carefully—should we ally with such a power, or...be wary of it?"

Zen Master Huiming raised his head, looking at his master's back, hesitant to speak.

The imperial court and Qinglong Temple, one in the open and the other in the shadows, are both driving this storm.

The five factions—Antarctic Sword Sect, White Lotus Sect, Green Wood Sword Sect, Iron Blood Hall, and Blood Nether Sect—are merely knives in their hands.

The sword was already drawn.

We're just waiting for the first drop of blood to fall.