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

While all parties were secretly making their plans, another group was silently approaching along the mountain path.

The leader was a young man. He was tall and slender, and his face was covered by a black mask, revealing only a pair of calm eyes.

She wore a black, fitted outfit, covered by a dark gray cloak. Her steps were light, and she landed silently.

The only one in the East.

Five people followed behind him.

Chen Jialuo, at the peak of the Acquired Divine Power Realm, held a beaded rope, his gaze steady. Wen Tailai, at the peak of the Acquired Golden Body Realm, had faint lightning crackling in his palms, his entire being resembling a volcano ready to erupt at any moment. Zhao Banshan, at the peak of the Acquired Golden Body Realm, had his hands tucked into his sleeves, the cuffs concealing numerous hidden weapons. Daoist Wuchen, at the mid-stage of the Acquired Divine Power Realm, had his longsword already drawn three-tenths of its length, his sword intent restrained.

There is one more person.

He was in his early thirties, thin and with a cold expression. His eyes were empty, as if devoid of a soul. He wore a gray cloth robe, and a long, unsheathed sword hung at his waist. The sword was as black as ink, without any decoration.

He stood half a step behind Dongfang Weiwo, without saying a word. Like a sword sheathed.

Han Tang.

This is the character that Dongfang Weiwo summoned yesterday using energy points and black iron. Han Tang, from the world of Meteor Butterfly Sword, is one of the old man's top assassins. His cultivation level is the early stage of the Innate Qi Sea Realm.

Unlike ordinary martial artists, Han Tang's "Qi Sea" was not formed by cultivating true qi, but by condensing killing intent honed through countless life-and-death battles. His sword has no fancy moves, only one word—speed.

Extremely fast. So fast that the opponent has no time to react. So fast that a single sword strike can kill.

The first time Dongfang Weiwo saw Han Tang, he sensed a familiar aura—very similar to Jing Wuming. Aloof, cold, and solitary. The entire world seemed irrelevant to him; only the sword in his hand was real.

Such a person is the best killer.

"My lord," Chen Jialuo said in a low voice, "three miles ahead, there is a three-way standoff. The Blood Nether Sect, the Heavenly Mountain Sect, and the White Lotus Sect each have a person at the early stage of the Innate Realm stationed there. The people from the Zhenfu Division are lying in ambush on the hillside, led by a centurion at the early stage of the Innate Realm."

Dongfang Weiwo nodded slightly.

He came tonight not to help the Zhenfu Division, nor to help any party.

He came to establish his authority.

For Qinglong to establish itself on this land, it needs a resounding debut. The Tianlan Mine is the perfect stage. It wants everyone to know—Qinglong wants the Tianlan Mine.

"Walk."

Dongfang Weiwo took the first step. His figure transformed into a faint black shadow in the night.

Five people followed silently behind him.

The atmosphere on the open ground outside the valley had reached its limit.

Tu Wanshan, Han Songzi, and Sun Liangyu stood in a triangular formation, none of them retreating. The auras of the three innate realm cultivators clashed, and a faint rumble of thunder could be heard in the air.

"I'll say this one last time," Han Songzi said coldly, "The Tianshan Sect wants 50%. Not a penny less."

"You're dreaming." Tu Wanshan retorted without backing down. "The Blood Nether Sect has been operating in the Northwest for a century, and the clues to this mine were first discovered by my men. Your Heavenly Mountain Sect suddenly appears and wants to take half of it? Do you really think I'm made of clay?"

Sun Liangyu smiled and said, "Both of you, stop arguing. How about this: the White Lotus Sect takes 40%, and the remaining 60% can be split between your two families. What do you say?"

"Who do you think you are!"

Tu Wanshan and Han Songzi spoke in unison. After cursing, they exchanged a glance, both showing a hint of surprise.

Sun Liangyu's smile finally turned cold.

"Then let's rely on our own abilities."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Sun Liangyu flashed forward and struck first. With a palm strike, the wind from her palm, carrying the chilling true energy of the White Lotus, aimed straight for Tu Wanshan's chest.

Tu Wanshan snorted coldly and met the attack with his Blood Fiend Palm.

The two palms collided.

boom--

A shockwave rippled through the air. The ground crater, about ten feet in diameter, was created.

"Let's do it!"

A chaotic battle broke out.

The disciples of the Tianshan Sect drew their longswords, their blades flashing like bolts of lightning. The experts of the Blood Demon Sect brandished their short swords, their blades gleaming menacingly. The White Lotus Sect masters brought by Sun Liangyu also joined the fray. A three-way battle ensued, a chaotic cacophony of swords and spears, blood splattering everywhere.

Han Songzi drew his sword, a chilling sword aura piercing straight for Sun Liangyu's back. Sun Liangyu spun around, dodging the sword aura, and struck Han Songzi's face with a backhand palm strike. Han Songzi shifted his sword stance, deflecting the palm strike.

Three cultivators at the Innate Realm were locked in combat. Every move they made contained terrifying destructive power. Trees were sliced ​​down by sword energy, rocks were shattered by palm strikes, and deep craters were carved into the ground.

The battle among the acquired realm martial artists was even more brutal. Swords clashed, sparks flew, and people frequently fell to the ground, their blood staining the mountain path.

Zheng Yuanlang lay on the hillside, watching coldly.

"Lord Centurion, when shall we make our move?"

Shen Lian didn't answer. His gaze was fixed on the chaotic battle below, his fingers lightly tapping the ground.

"Wait a little longer," he finally said. "Let them wear themselves out a bit more."

Just as the three-way battle was in full swing, a dark figure rushed out from the dense forest.

The speed was so fast that it almost exceeded the limits of the naked eye.

A dark figure charged straight into the center of the chaotic battle, his longsword transforming into a black lightning bolt. With a single strike, a Tianshan Sect disciple's throat was pierced. The disciple didn't even have time to scream before collapsing, clutching his neck.

A second dark figure rushed out. With both palms striking out simultaneously, the thunderous force sent two Blood Nether Sect experts flying.

The third, the fourth, the fifth...

Five figures rushed into the battlefield like ghosts. Wherever they went, no one could withstand them.

Finally, a masked youth wearing a dark gray cloak slowly stepped out. He was tall and composed.

"Who goes there!"

Tu Wanshan shouted and forced Sun Liangyu back with a palm strike, then turned to look at the uninvited guest.

The masked boy did not answer. He raised his hand and waved it gently.

Chen Jialuo was the first to move. The beaded rope, like a serpent emerging from its hole, coiled around the neck of a White Lotus Sect expert and pulled sharply. Crack—the neck bone shattered.

Wen Tailai struck out with both palms. The fierce force of the Thunderclap Palm caused a Tianshan Sect disciple's sternum to collapse, and he was sent flying backward, spitting out blood.

Master Wuchen's Soul-Chasing Deadly Sword moved with the speed of a shooting star. Each strike sealed the throat, and three Blood Nether Sect experts fell to the ground amidst the flashing sword light.

Zhao Banshan raised both hands in rapid succession. Hidden weapons rained down like a storm of pear blossoms, accurately striking the crowd. Each weapon claimed a life.

The most chilling sight was the thin man in the gray cloth coat.

Han Tang's sword was incredibly fast.

He didn't even use any sword techniques. He simply thrust, slashed, flicked, and parried. Every movement was clean and crisp to the extreme, without any unnecessary frills. But his sword was too fast—fast enough to leave a martial artist in the Acquired Realm with no time to react, fast enough to make even a master in the Innate Realm change color slightly.

A Blood Demon Sect expert at the Acquired Golden Body Realm swung his blade. The blade was still three feet away from Han Tang. Han Tang's sword had already pierced his throat.

A disciple of the Tianshan Sect attacked from behind. The tip of his sword was only half an inch from Han Tang's back. Without turning his head, Han Tang swung his sword backhand, the tip of which pierced through the disciple's brow.

One sword, one kill. Never a miss.

Sun Liangyu's pupils constricted sharply. Abandoning Tu Wanshan, he struck Han Tang with a palm. It was a full-force attack from an early-stage Innate Realm cultivator, the palm wind carrying the true energy of the White Lotus, enough to shatter stone tablets.

Han Tang did not dodge.

He drew his sword to meet the force of the palm strike.

A flash of sword light. Sun Liangyu's palm strike was cleaved in two by this sword. The sword energy grazed Sun Liangyu's cheek, leaving a deep bloody gash on his left face.

Sun Liangyu was horrified and retreated hastily.

"Innate Qi Sea Realm!" he exclaimed in surprise.

The masked boy stood in the center of the battlefield, hands behind his back. The mask gleamed with a cold, eerie light under the moonlight, obscuring his expression. But his eyes revealed a composure and indifference beyond his years.

He glanced around.

The chaotic battle had been reversed after his men intervened. More than half of the three forces had been killed or wounded, and the rest were all injured. Tu Wanshan was hit in the left arm by a hidden weapon, Han Songzi's robe was torn in several places by sword energy, and Sun Liangyu's face was still bleeding from the wound.

"Gentlemen," the masked youth finally spoke, his voice calm and undisturbed, "this Tianlan Mine belongs to the Azure Dragon Society from this day forward."

"The Azure Dragon Society?" Tu Wanshan frowned. "What Azure Dragon Society? I've never heard of it."

"You'll hear about it after today."

No sooner had the masked boy finished speaking than Han Tang drew his sword again.

This sword strike was aimed directly at Tu Wanshan.

Tu Wanshan was, after all, a veteran expert at the early stage of the Innate Realm. Although his left arm was injured, his reactions were still swift. He retreated rapidly, simultaneously unleashing his Blood Fiend Palm with all his might, attempting to block Han Tang's sword with his palm force.

But Han Tang's sword was too fast.

The sword light pierced through the wind from the Blood Fiend Palm, leaving a bloody hole in Tu Wanshan's shoulder.

Tu Wanshan grunted, dared not fight any longer, and turned to flee.

"Retreat!" he shouted. The remaining Blood Demon Cult experts followed him and disappeared into the mountains.

Seeing the situation was dire, Han Songzi led the Tianshan Sect disciples in retreat. Sun Liangyu covered the wound on her face, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes, but ultimately chose to retreat as well.

The masked boy did not chase after him.

He has achieved his goal tonight.

The name "Azure Dragon Society" will spread throughout Qinghe City, Guangling Prefecture, and the entire martial arts world of the Xuantian Dynasty starting tonight.

On the hillside, Zheng Yuanlang and Shen Lian witnessed the entire process.

Cold sweat beaded on Zheng Yuanlang's forehead. He turned to Shen Lian: "Commander, what's the background of the Azure Dragon Society?"

Shen Lian remained silent for a long time.

"I don't know." He finally spoke, his voice tinged with seriousness. "But that gray-clad swordsman is at the Qi Sea Realm. That masked youth can command a Qi Sea Realm cultivator to fight for him, so his background must be extraordinary."

"Should we investigate?"

"Investigate." Shen Lian nodded, "But don't alert them. The Azure Dragon Society's targets are the Blood Demon Sect, the Heavenly Mountain Sect, and the White Lotus Sect. They haven't touched our Zhenfu Division, which means they don't intend to antagonize the imperial court for the time being. It's best not to offend these kinds of people if possible."

He paused, his gaze falling on the black figure disappearing into the distance.

"However... the matter of the Tianlan Mine cannot be left unresolved. After we return, write a detailed report, and I will personally submit it to Commander Qianhu."

The vast mountain range, the temporary stronghold of the Azure Dragon Society.

Dongfang Weiwo removed his mask, revealing a young yet composed face.

"My lord," Chen Jialuo stepped forward, "we killed a total of twenty-three enemies in this battle. Among them, twelve were at the Acquired Realm and one was at the Innate Qi Sea Realm."

Dongfang Wei saw that he had gained a total of 12,000 energy points on the system.

Twelve thousand energy points, plus the remaining fifteen hundred, for a total of thirteen thousand five hundred points. Enough for one Bronze Summon, or thirteen Iron Summons.

But he wasn't in a hurry to use it.

"Pass down the order: everyone retreat to the stronghold to rest and regroup," Dongfang Weiwo said. "The matter of the Tianlan Mine is temporarily over. Next, all parties will reassess the situation, and there won't be any major moves in the short term. We can take this time to consolidate our strength and expand our manpower."

"Yes."

Chen Jialuo turned and left.

Dongfang Weiwo stood alone by the window, gazing at the undulating mountains in the darkness in the distance.

After tonight, the name of the Azure Dragon Society will spread. More people will notice this name, and more forces will begin to investigate it.

But that's exactly what he wanted.

A force that hides in the shadows will never amount to anything. Truly powerful forces move between the light and the shadows—they know when to hide and when to shine.

The Azure Dragon Society is only just beginning.