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

Before Shangguan Jin Hong could turn around, Shuang Huan was still on his way back to provide support, leaving his back wide open.

Zhao Tianxiong's palm strike had already approached within three feet, and its overwhelming power was enough to severely injure him.

however--

A white figure appeared behind Shangguan Jin Hong without warning, as if it had been standing there from the very beginning.

A slender, fair hand reached out, unhurriedly and casually, like picking a flower or brushing off a whisk, and so casually met Zhao Tianxiong's fatal palm strike.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, a shockwave rippled outwards. Zhao Tianxiong's long-prepared strike was effortlessly caught by this palm. He couldn't even force his opponent to take a single step back.

Zhao Tianxiong's pupils contracted sharply, and he retreated hastily—but it was too late.

The moment the white-clad man's hand caught the palm strike, his five fingers suddenly blossomed like orchids, and a power even purer and more subtle than Zhao Tianxiong's previous palm strike surged forth like a tide. Zhao Tianxiong felt a hidden force drill into his internal organs along his arm, his expression changed drastically, and he tried to pull away, only to find that his entire arm was firmly held in place by an invisible force.

"you--"

He only had time to utter one word.

The man in white smiled slightly and gently flipped his hand.

"Click."

Zhao Tianxiong's right arm bent backward in a bizarre manner, the sound of bones shattering clearly audible. He coughed up blood and his body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the rocks ten feet away, sending debris flying.

Zhao Tianxiong struggled to stand up, only to find that his meridians had been shattered inch by inch by the subtle, hidden force. He looked down at his chest—a deep palm print, right in the center of his heart meridian.

"Who...are you...?" He stared wide-eyed at the man in white.

The man in white stood with his hands behind his back, his robes spotless. He looked down at Zhao Tianxiong and said calmly, "Chai Yuguan. Master of the Second Month Hall of the Azure Dragon Society."

Zhao Tianxiong's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but the light in his eyes quickly dimmed. His body stiffened, and he fell backward to the ground, lifeless.

Zhao Tianxiong, the patriarch of the Zhao family and a mid-stage Grandmaster, was killed in one move.

Iron Sword Mountain was deathly silent.

Even Shangguan Jin Hong was stunned. He knew Chai Yu Guan was strong, but he didn't expect him to be this strong—Zhao Tian Xiong had been immersed in the mid-stage of the Grandmaster realm for many years and was a level above Dugu Yi, yet he was killed by Chai Yu Guan with a single, seemingly effortless palm strike.

Dugu Yi's face turned deathly pale, and he trembled all over. He suddenly realized that if he had insisted on not surrendering, he would have died even faster than Zhao Tianxiong.

The man in white—Chai Yuguan—withdrew his hand, glanced at Zhao Tianxiong's corpse, and said in a calm tone as if he were talking about a trivial matter: "A sneak attack from behind, he deserves to die."

He turned around, glanced at Shangguan Jin Hong, and nodded slightly. Shangguan Jin Hong took a deep breath, suppressed the surging blood in his body, and walked towards the fallen Dugu Yi.

"Sect Leader Dugu, surrender," Shangguan Jin Hong said calmly. "The Iron Sword Sect will be merged into the Azure Dragon Society, and you can continue to be your sect leader."

Dugu Yi gritted his teeth, glanced at Shangguan Jin Hong, then at the unfathomable Chai Yu Guan in his white robes, and finally lowered his head, his voice hoarse: "I... surrender."

Shangguan Jin Hong nodded, turned to face down the mountain, and spoke softly, yet his voice carried throughout the entire Iron Sword Mountain:

"Dugu Yi, the leader of the Iron Sword Sect, has submitted to the Azure Dragon Society. From this day forward, the Iron Sword Sect is merged into our Azure Dragon Society. Anyone who disobeys will be killed without mercy!"

Everything that happened on Iron Sword Mountain was witnessed by countless eyes. The sight of the white-robed figure killing Zhao Tianxiong with a single palm strike sent chills down the spines of many.

But those forces that have truly witnessed great things reacted much more calmly.

Eight miles west of Iron Sword Mountain lies an abandoned temple.

Zhou Yuanli, the grandmaster of the Zhou family, slowly opened his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in them, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Zhao Tianxiong is dead."

Zhou Shiwen's voice trembled, "One palm strike... just one palm strike!"

Zhou Yuanli was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "Zhao Tianxiong was too arrogant. He thought his opponent was only a mid-stage Grandmaster, but he didn't know that the person didn't follow the purely forceful path at all. That subtle, hidden force was specifically designed to break through protective qi. Zhao Tianxiong underestimated his opponent first, so his death was not unjust."

"Lord Yuanli, that person's strength..."

"Very strong." Zhou Yuanli stood up, brushing the dust off his robes. "But he may not be at the Grandmaster level. The technique of that palm strike was more like some kind of secret 'Qi Refining and Power Transformation' technique, derived from the Taoist internal alchemy lineage. There aren't many people like that in the martial world, but they do exist."

He paused, then said, "Pass down the order: the Zhou family should not engage in direct conflict with the Azure Dragon Society for the time being. But there's no need to be overly tense—the thirteen prefectures of the west are full of hidden talents; the death of Zhao Tianxiong won't cause the sky to fall."

Zhou Shiwen nodded quickly.

Jinpeng Ridge.

Li Tianpeng sat on the golden throne, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest, witnessing the entire process of that palm strike.

"Chai Yuguan..." He repeated the name, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Interesting."

"Master, Zhao Tianxiong has been killed!" The protector behind him said urgently.

"I saw it," Li Tianpeng said calmly. "Zhao Tianxiong was arrogant and self-willed his whole life. It's not surprising that he died because of his own arrogance. As for that Chai Yuguan..." He paused for a moment, "His way of striking doesn't seem like that of a grandmaster, but rather like that of a sorcerer or a cultivator. There are such people in the Zhenfu Division as well. They cultivate their Qi to become spirits, and they don't rely on brute force, but their methods are strange."

"Then we..."

"No need to make a fuss." Li Tianpeng flicked the gold coin up and caught it steadily. "The thirteen prefectures in the west are so large, it's normal for them to hide a few experts. Continue to observe, but don't make a move rashly."

Tianlang Ridge.

Xiao Pojun stood atop the mountain, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his gaze fixed on the direction of Iron Sword Mountain.

The moment Zhao Tianxiong fell, his brow furrowed slightly, then relaxed.

"Mountain Lord, that person..." the old man behind him whispered.

"Your palm technique is not bad," Xiao Pojun said calmly, "but killing Zhao Tianxiong doesn't prove anything. Zhao Tianxiong's kung fu is inherently more about force and strength. When he encounters a master who uses softness to overcome hardness, he is completely defeated, which is to be expected."

"Then what about our Tianlang Mountain..."

"Hold your positions." Xiao Pojun turned around. "If the Azure Dragon Society wants to expand, let them. The thirteen prefectures in the west are so vast; they can't be suppressed by killing just one person."

Forty li south of Iron Sword Mountain lies Guangling Prefecture.

At the Zhenfu Division's Thousand-Household Office, Thousand-Household Commander Shen Jinghong stood by the window, holding a cup of tea in his hand, calmly looking at the secret report in his hand.

"Chai Yuguan killed Zhao Tianxiong with a single palm strike." He read it aloud, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked, "Have you found out his background?"

"No," the centurion behind him said respectfully. "This person has no record of anything in the martial arts world; it's as if he appeared out of thin air."

Shen Jinghong put down his teacup and smiled faintly: "The martial world is so vast that it's not surprising that a few reclusive cultivators emerge every year. In the thirteen prefectures of the west, there are three Grandmasters registered under the Zhenfu Division, and no fewer than twenty others at the Grandmaster level. A powerful figure of unknown origin is not worth causing us to panic."

"What you say is true, sir." The centurion nodded, but hesitated for a moment, "But... Zhao Tianxiong was killed on Iron Sword Mountain after all. Isn't the Azure Dragon Society being a bit too audacious?"

"Zhao Tianxiong struck first, he deserved to die."

Shen Jinghong said casually, "As for the Azure Dragon Society—keep an eye on them and record it in the files, but there's no need to be overly nervous. If they really dare to violate the laws of the court, someone will naturally deal with them."

Inside the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters, Commander Gu Changfeng sat behind his desk, flipping through secret reports with no expression on his face.

"Chai Yuguan... killed Zhao Tianxiong with a single palm strike."

He tossed the report onto the table, scoffed, and said, "Zhao Tianxiong has been holed up in the Zhao family for too many years; his claws have long since dulled. What's the big deal about him being killed by some unknown rogue cultivator?"

"My lord, the Zhao family is making a huge fuss and they're saying they want the imperial court to intervene."

"Should we ask the imperial court to intervene?"

Gu Changfeng sneered, "Can the imperial court handle all the feuds in the martial world? Let them investigate themselves. As for Chai Yuguan—investigate his background. If you find anything, make a note of it; if you don't, it doesn't matter. Every year, at least eighty or a hundred martial arts masters go missing in the thirteen western prefectures. One more won't make a difference."

He paused, then added, "Besides, it's not even certain if that person is a grandmaster. Some unorthodox practitioners have practiced some evil techniques, and their combat power may look intimidating, but their cultivation level may not be that high. There's no need to take it too seriously."

"Yes."