Your Spell Version is Too Low!

"Don’t know him?" Qi Yun looked up, his calm gaze sweeping over Ning Feng.

Ning Feng, this Talisman broker, was well-connected throughout the entire Inner Mansion and had dealt with people from all walks of life.

And according to Li Chong’s earlier description, this Chang Qing was no nobody in the Inner Mansion. With his strength at the peak of the Qi Refining Eighth Layer and his bizarre techniques, he was bound to have a reputation and a social circle.

’Given Ning Feng’s nature—always moving at the scent of profit, wishing he knew every single person of note—

how could he possibly have no impression of a man like that?’

"Yup." Feeling uneasy under Qi Yun’s gaze, which seemed to see right through him, Ning Feng stiffened his neck and forced a nod, trying to remain calm.

Qi Yun understood, but he didn’t call him out on it, simply saying nonchalantly,

"Alright, if you don’t know him, you don’t know him. I’ll go ask someone else."

With that, he lifted his teacup, feigning a sip, and looked away from Ning Feng.

Seeing this, Ning Feng’s expression wavered. After a moment of internal struggle, he silently picked up his own cup of lukewarm tea, took two large gulps, and finally, unable to restrain himself, lowered his voice and said,

"So... uh, what do you want with Chang Qing anyway?"

Hearing this, Qi Yun’s eyes returned to Ning Feng’s face, a hint of amusement in them.

"Didn’t you just say... you don’t know Chang Qing?"

"I... I’m just asking, can’t I do that?!" Ning Feng, caught off guard, rolled his eyes in embarrassment and anger. His mouth twitched as he seemed to wage a fierce internal debate.

Finally, as if he’d made up his mind, he leaned forward and lowered his voice even more, his tone full of warning.

"Qi Yun, seeing as our partnership has been fairly pleasant so far, let me give you a word of advice.

This Chang Qing... he’s bad news. He’s notorious in the Inner Mansion for being a handful.

You’d be better off... not getting involved with him."

At this, not only did Qi Yun show no fear, but he actually let out a soft laugh, his tone tinged with curiosity.

"Oh? And why’s that? Is this Chang Qing so terrifying?

If that’s really the case, then I’d be very interested to see for myself."

"Hey! Why won’t you listen to reason?!" Seeing Qi Yun’s nonchalant expression, Ning Feng grew anxious. He leaned in closer, his words a rushed whisper.

"Tch! Fine, fine, I’ll just tell you!

This Chang Qing is notorious in the Inner Mansion for his cruelty and ruthlessness.

He has a Qi Refining Eighth Layer Cultivation and practices the extremely unorthodox and malicious Asura’s Hidden Technique.

He clawed his way to his current Cultivation through sheer slaughter. The man has a sea of blood on his hands.

In terms of actual combat strength, he’s definitely in the top ten among the Inner Mansion’s Qi Refining Disciples!"

He took a breath and continued,

"And most importantly, because he cultivates that Demon Technique, he’s not quite right in the head. He’s completely reckless and vengeful over the smallest slight.

Once you get on his bad side, it’s like being stalked by a venomous snake—you’ll never shake him.

Take my advice: stay far away from him. It’s for your own good."

After speaking, Ning Feng stared intently at Qi Yun, expecting to see apprehension or even lingering fear on his face.

And just as he’d hoped, upon hearing this detailed description, the relaxed expression on Qi Yun’s face gradually vanished, replaced by a solemn look.

He rubbed the teacup in his hand, saying nothing as he appeared to digest the information.

Seeing this, Ning Feng breathed a small sigh of relief, thinking his warning had worked.

But the next second, he heard the young cultivator across from him click his tongue and mutter under his breath,

"’Just as I thought... Li Chong’s offer really was too low.’"

Ning Feng was speechless.

"Hey! You’re impossible! Why won’t you listen?

He’s a tough customer, not just some random nobody! You could get killed if you mess this up!"

Seeing that Qi Yun wasn’t scared at all and instead looked eager for a challenge, Ning Feng got so agitated he almost jumped out of his seat, spittle flying from his mouth nearly hitting Qi Yun in the face.

An imperceptible layer of Protective True Essence shimmered around Qi Yun, deflecting the "enthusiastic" spray. He smiled faintly. "I appreciate your good intentions, Senior Brother Ning, and I understand the risks.

Rest assured, I’m not some bloodthirsty battle maniac.

If it isn’t necessary, I certainly won’t go out of my way to provoke the man."

"That’s more like it..." Ning Feng relaxed slightly and picked up his teacup to calm his nerves. But then he suddenly realized what Qi Yun had actually said, and his eyes flew wide.

"Huh?! Wait a minute!

What did you just say? What do you mean, ’if it isn’t necessary’?!

You..."

"Drink your tea, Senior Brother Ning. This Spirit Tea will lose its flavor if it gets cold." Qi Yun smiled, gesturing with an open palm and cutting off Ning Feng’s rapid-fire questions with a tone that brooked no argument.

Ning Feng stared at his impenetrable facade, opened his mouth, but could only gulp down a large mouthful of tea in frustration, silently cursing the kid’s reckless audacity.

...

Meanwhile, after leaving Qi Yun’s quiet courtyard, Li Chong did not return to his own residence.

Instead, he hurried through the labyrinthine pavilions of the Inner Mansion, heading in a completely different direction.

The farther he walked, the more grim and austere his surroundings became.

The Spiritual Qi in the air seemed to carry the cold tang of rust and blood, and the light itself seemed to dim.

At last, he stopped before a building forged entirely from dark Profound Iron, its shape resembling a colossal, inverted sword plunged into the earth.

It bore no plaque and no adornments, only cold, hard, straight lines that emanated a brutal aura, warning all to keep their distance.

This was the dojo of Black Death Peak, renowned within the Inner Mansion for its formidable combat strength and ruthless style.

Li Chong suppressed his aura completely, his expression becoming utterly reverent, even fearful, as he stepped inside.

The interior was not the splendid, golden hall one might have imagined.

It was an exceptionally vast and empty hall.

The floor and walls were of a dark hue, as if they could swallow all light.

Only a few clusters of eerie blue flames burned silently in the wall sconces, illuminating countless weapon scars and some deep brown stains that had resisted all attempts at cleaning.

He walked directly to the far end of the hall, stopping before a pitch-black wall as smooth as a mirror, yet which cast no reflection.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he fell to his knees and touched his forehead to the floor in a gesture of absolute humility.

"Did he agree?" A deep, cold voice, like grinding metal, abruptly echoed through the hall, devoid of emotion.

Li Chong remained prostrated, not daring to raise his head, his voice filled with awe.

"Reporting to Master, this disciple followed your instructions and presented him with the conditions and the Three-Life Glazed Treasure Mirror."

"But the man is exceedingly suspicious and cautious. He did not agree on the spot, only saying... he needs to think it over."

"Hmph." With a cold snort, the temperature in the entire hall seemed to plummet.

"Just like that old bastard Deng Yin. The brat he raised is just as crafty."

"Not even a treasure like the Three-Life Glazed Treasure Mirror is enough to reel him in?"

Li Chong hesitated for a moment before he couldn’t stop himself from asking,

"Master, forgive this disciple’s ignorance."

"Chang Qing is strong, but with this disciple’s own strength, and the help of any of my senior brothers, I am confident I could take care of him...

Why must we choose Qi Yun? He is not of our Black Death Peak, after all."

"What do you know!" the cold voice retorted, laced with impatience and mockery.

"The person backing Chang Qing is even more troublesome than he is!

If you or any other disciple from this peak were to make a move, no matter how covertly, that person would undoubtedly use it as a pretext to entangle me in endless trouble.

It must be an ’outsider’ who strikes. Then, I will personally act to sever all threads of causality and connection.

Only then can this be handled safely, forcing his backer to suffer a loss in silence."

He paused, his tone filled with an unshakeable resolve.

"So be it. Since the bait isn’t sweet enough to catch this slippery little fish, I shall go and see for myself.

Let’s see just what kind of cunning mind this junior who claimed the title of Champion Scholar possesses, what makes him so remarkable!"

At these words, Li Chong’s body trembled. He snapped his head up, his face a mask of astonishment.

"Master, you... you’re going to see him personally?!"

"Mm."

With that faint reply, the space before the smooth, black wall rippled. A figure seemed to peel away from the shadows, solidifying in front of Li Chong.

The man who appeared was about forty years of age, with a stern, chiseled face and sharp features. His eyes were as deep and bottomless as a frozen pool.

He wore a simple, unadorned black robe, yet he naturally exuded a heart-stopping pressure, as if he were the very incarnation of slaughter and cruelty.

He simply stood there, and the entire vast, grim hall seemed to have become an extension of his will.

This was the Peak Master of Black Death Peak, the Foundation Establishment Master renowned throughout the Holy Sect for his tyrannical combat strength and ruthless methods—Li Hanyan.

...

In the courtyard, the air rippled unnaturally, like the surface of a pond.

Qi Yun, who was clearing the tea set from the stone table, froze mid-motion, his sharp gaze snapping to the source of the ripple.

A figure emerged, passing through the layers of Restrictions around the courtyard as if they were an invisible curtain of water, and stepped silently into view.

The visitor wore an unadorned black robe, his figure tall and straight. His expression was indifferent, betraying no emotion.

Merely by standing there, he naturally exuded a heart-stopping, cold pressure that seemed to make the very air in the courtyard congeal.

’Ignoring the Restrictions, appearing directly in my courtyard... It’s an Inner Mansion Master!’

’And not just any ordinary Master on rotational duty. With an aura this ruthless and domineering, he’s likely a Peak Master.’

Instantly deducing the man’s probable status and overwhelming power, alarms screamed in Qi Yun’s mind, but he didn’t dare show a hint of disrespect.

He swiftly concealed all emotion, bowing respectfully. His movements were fluid, his voice steady but firm.

"Inner Mansion Disciple Qi Yun greets the Master.

I was unaware of your arrival, Master. Please forgive my failure to welcome you properly."

Li Hanyan’s indifferent gaze was almost tangible as it swept over Qi Yun.

Qi Yun instantly felt as though a cold blade were scraping across his very bones and Divine Soul, leaving no secret hidden.

He fought back the instinct to circulate his Cultivation Skill in resistance, allowing the man to probe him freely.

’In any case, if an old veteran like Elder Master couldn’t see through his secrets, he had nothing to fear from anyone else.’

"Not bad at all," Li Hanyan muttered, retracting his gaze. An almost imperceptible, strange light flickered in his indifferent eyes.

"’His foundation is far more robust than his peers, Spiritual Light is contained within his Hundred Acupoints, his Magical Power surges like the tide, and there are several distinct Magic Intents lying dormant within him...

Deng Yin certainly found himself a good seedling.’"

As if he were in his own backyard, he walked over to a stone bench and sat down, his black robe brushing over the stone without gathering a single speck of dust.

He looked up at Qi Yun, who was still holding his bow. With no pleasantries or explanation, Li Hanyan gave a direct command in a tone that brooked no argument:

"Your Cultivation is decent. Go kill someone for me."

Qi Yun’s thoughts raced, but his expression remained respectful.

"Who does the Master wish me to kill?"

"An Inner Mansion True Cultivator Disciple, Chang Qing." Li Hanyan spoke the name, his tone as casual as if he were mentioning something utterly insignificant.

"Who?!"

Qi Yun snapped his head up, his face a picture of shock and disbelief.

"Master, don’t you know he is my senior brother?"

...