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

The news of the destruction of the Iron Blood Hall and the Blood Dark Cult spread like wildfire throughout the western region.

The power displayed by the Azure Dragon Society terrified all other factions.

Grandmaster at the eighth level—though his vital energy was depleted, he was still at the eighth level. Yet he was killed by Guan Qi's three punches!

The names of the four leaders of the Azure Dragon Society resounded throughout Xizhou overnight.

People are speculating—

Li Chenzhou, the third dragon leader, is already at the eighth level of the Heavenly Realm, and Guan Qi, the fourth dragon leader, is at the seventh level. What about the first, second, fifth, and sixth dragon leaders? What are their levels? Just how deep is the foundation of the Azure Dragon Society?

Nobody knows the answer.

But everyone knows one thing—the West has changed.

The Tian Ce Prefecture urgently requested assistance from the imperial court overnight, and a secret envoy rode out of the city at top speed, not daring to stop for a moment.

The Xuantian Sect closed its mountain gates, and the sect leader personally ordered: the mountain would be sealed off for three months from today, and no one was allowed to go out or compete with the Azure Dragon Society.

The other smaller factions, like weather vanes, switched sides one after another.

Overnight, thirty-seven factions sent envoys to the Azure Dragon Society headquarters to submit surrender documents, expressing their willingness to submit and pay tribute, only asking not to be "left without a single survivor."

The thirteen prefectures in the west were completely brought under the control of the Azure Dragon Society.

Xizhou, Qinglong Temple.

The night wind was biting on the top floor of the library.

Zen Master Qinglong stood by the window, gazing westward. The moonlight shone on him, making his white monk's robe appear as pure and holy as snow. But his expression was colder than the moonlight.

"Amitabha."

He uttered a Buddhist chant in a low voice, which echoed in the empty attic.

Zen Master Huiming stood three steps behind him, his hands clasped together, his expression solemn.

"Uncle-Master," Huiming said in a low voice, "the Azure Dragon Society is powerful enough to threaten our temple's position in the west. The Iron Blood Hall and the Blood Nether Sect were wiped out overnight, and even that ancient relic of the Eighth Heaven who had been asleep for a hundred years was killed by Guan Qi's three punches. Such strength..."

He paused, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes: "I'm afraid it's no less than what this temple has achieved."

Zen Master Qinglong did not turn around, but slowly turned the prayer beads in his hand. Each bead was carved from the finest spiritual stone, and made a soft rubbing sound between his fingertips.

"Not inferior to our temple?" he said calmly, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger. "Huiming, you think too highly of them."

Huiming was taken aback: "What does Martial Uncle mean...?"

"The Azure Dragon Society was able to destroy the Iron Blood Hall because of Guan Qi." Zen Master Azure Dragon finally turned around, his deep eyes looking at Huiming. "And Guan Qi was able to kill that old antique not because of his true eighth-level combat power, but because that old antique's blood and energy were exhausted and his lifespan was coming to an end. If it were an eighth-level expert in his prime, Guan Qi might not have been able to win."

Huiming nodded thoughtfully.

"However..." Zen Master Qinglong changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious.

"The Azure Dragon Society's rise has indeed been too rapid. Li Chenzhou's ability to break through from the fifth to the eighth level in such a short time must have been due to some extraordinary encounter. Add to that Guan Qi, Fu Hongxue, and those two swordsmen... this force is not to be underestimated."

"Uncle-Master, should we contact the imperial court to suppress this together?" Huiming asked.

"No rush."

Zen Master Qinglong shook his head. "The Qinglong Society has just destroyed the Iron Blood Hall, and their power is at its peak. It would be unwise to confront them head-on now. Let's observe first and find their weaknesses."

He paused, then said, "Send someone to investigate who the leader of the Azure Dragon Society really is. Someone who can cultivate powerhouses like Li Chenzhou and Guan Qi is no nobody. If we can find out who that person is, we might just find the Azure Dragon Society's Achilles' heel."

"Yes." Huiming bowed and accepted the order.

"And one more thing," Zen Master Qinglong called to Huiming, who was turning to leave, a cold glint in his eyes, "keep a close eye on that Zhenfu Division branch in Pingyang County. Dongfang Weiwo... this person is not simple."

The Imperial Study in the Xuan Tian Imperial City.

Emperor Qin Muzhi sat behind his dragon desk, holding a secret report in his hand, his face as calm as still water.

Cao Zhengchun stood bowing to the lower seat, not daring to utter a sound.

"The Azure Dragon Society has blocked them," the Emperor said calmly, putting down the secret report.

"Yes."

Cao Zhengchun answered cautiously, "The Antarctic Sword Sect's Xuanbing Zhenren personally took action, a Grandmaster at the seventh level. I originally thought the Azure Dragon Society was in grave danger, but I didn't expect Li Chenzhou to be a Grandmaster at the eighth level, who directly killed the opponent with a single punch."

"One punch?" The emperor raised an eyebrow slightly.

"One punch." Cao Zhengchun nodded affirmatively. "According to the report from the secret agents of the Suspended Mirror Platform, Li Chenzhou's punch was called 'Reigning Over the World.' The intent of the punch was as solid as a mountain, and Xuanbing Zhenren's ice-type true energy was like paper in front of him."

The emperor remained silent for a moment, his fingers tapping lightly on the dragon desk. The rhythm was neither fast nor slow, yet it made Cao Zhengchun's heart tighten with each tap.

"Anything else?" the emperor asked.

"And then there are those two swordsmen from the Azure Dragon Society, Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng, both at the peak of the fifth level of Grandmaster, capable of fighting a seventh-level Grandmaster together. Recently, another leader of the Four Dragons named Guan Qi, a seventh-level Grandmaster, has appeared, forcefully killing that eighth-level ancient relic of the Iron Blood Hall who had been dormant for a hundred years." Cao Zhengchun paused, swallowed, and continued, "The Iron Blood Hall and the Blood Nether Sect... have been wiped out. Not a single one was spared."

"Not a single chicken or dog will be spared." The emperor repeated these four words, a meaningful smile curving his lips. "What a fine phrase, 'Not a single chicken or dog will be spared.'"

"Your Majesty, should we dispatch the court's best warriors to the west?"

"No need," the emperor waved his hand. "Let them fight. The more chaotic the west is, the easier it will be for the court to reap the benefits. Besides—" he paused, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, "the one who's most anxious right now isn't the court, it's the Qinglong Temple. They've been lording it over the west for so long, and they've finally met their match."

He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the stars in the night sky.

"The Antarctic Sword Sect will not let this go easily. Xuanbing Zhenren was an elder of the Antarctic Sword Sect. With his death and the dissipation of his cultivation, the Antarctic Sword Sect will definitely demand an explanation. The Azure Dragon Society, the Azure Dragon Temple, and the Antarctic Sword Sect... the three parties are vying for power in the west. I want to see who will have the last laugh. Moreover, compared to them, the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, the Heavenly Demon Sect, and those powerful clans are the true enemies of my royal family."

"Your Majesty is wise." Cao Zhengchun bowed deeply.

The emperor turned around, sat back on the dragon throne, and picked up another secret report.

"Find out the origins of those two swordsmen," he said. "And that Guan Qi, that Fu Hongxue, that Gongzi Yu... find out the origins of these core figures of the Azure Dragon Society one by one. As expected, the Golden Age has all emerged."

He put down the secret report and muttered to himself:

"The Azure Dragon Society... Interesting. I hope you can survive the upcoming Golden Age, after all, the Heavenly Profound Continent is returning..."

The flickering candlelight illuminated his young face, making his eyes appear exceptionally deep.

Outside the window, the night was deep.

A new storm is brewing in the west.