Northern Lands, Yan State.

The night rain was vast, shrouding the world.

It was already late autumn; with the rain, it felt even colder.

It was deep into the night, and the rain grew heavier. This alley, bustling during the day, was now exceptionally quiet, with only the patter of raindrops striking the eaves and water gathering like a curtain, cascading down.

Somehow, a figure appeared in this quiet alley.

He wore a black robe and walked soundlessly, as if completely merged into the night.

However, if anyone from the martial world saw him, they wouldn't be able to help but exclaim in surprise.

The person traveling on this rainy night was none other than Yan Tiefeng, Elder of the Yan State's dominant Sunset Sect, and one of the two Half-Step Celestial Humans of the Sunset Sect.

This person practiced one of the sect's two divine skills, the "Void Formless Celestial String Arrow Scripture," able to condense invisible arrows from True Qi, killing enemies invisibly from a hundred feet away. Apart from the current sect leader Gu Xiaoyun, he was the most fearsome person.

Currently, there are no Celestial Humans in the Northern Lands. Each Half-Step Celestial Human was a peerless master who could roam invincibly across the north, impacting the fortunes of the entire northern Five States. A mere stomp from them could stir up a tempest in the martial world.

No one would have thought that such an important figure would travel on a rainy night, appearing in this desolate and uninhabited alley.

As Yan Tiefeng walked in the rain-drenched alley, the torrential rain poured down, rolling off his black robe, hair, and face, yet leaving no trace of water on his body or clothes.

The rain didn't touch him; his control over True Qi had reached an extraordinary zenith, allowing the raindrops to fall on his clothes and then roll off onto the ground.

Such achievement was indeed terrifying and awe-inspiring!

Yet this figure, revered by everyone in the martial world, was deeply worried at this moment; his brow furrowed. He didn't even look at the road ahead, his steps slow yet sharp, each step covering several feet.

"The situation of the world is becoming clearer. King Han has swept through the Han, Xiang, Wu, Yue, and Yang Five States, having the strongest power and influence. His son Liu Wu, a prodigy, has become invincible at a young age and carries an implicit aura of the world's foremost."

"In the south, only the miasma-laden, mountainfolded Man State and the Chu Kingdom, reduced to just seven cities, remain unconquered by King Han."

"Our northern lands currently have no Celestial Human. The Sunset Sect has been declining more and more in recent years, with no promising disciples succeeding the lineage. If we don't make early plans, we may eventually lose the ancestral foundation."

Yan Tiefeng was well aware that the Sunset Sect was almost becoming Gu Family's dictation. In recent years, the sect leadership has been in Gu Family's hands for three generations.

To maintain their family's position within the sect, they mercilessly suppressed other master-disciple lineages, and whenever gifted disciples showed talent, mishaps would occur.

The power of the Gu Family within the sect was getting stronger, controlling almost half of the Sunset Sect. The resentment between master-disciple inheritors and the Gu Family was deepening, to the point where it was a fight to the death.

The Sunset Sect's decline these years was almost closely tied to the Gu Family's strength.

However, what troubled Yan Tiefeng most was that Gu Yunxiao was old; he was already 107 years old.

The key issue was, Gu Family's next generation was unimpressive, with no one capable of breaking through to Half-Step Celestial Human.

In recent years, Gu Yunxiao actively leaned towards the Yuncang Sword Sect, hoping to find a strong external ally for the Gu Family to suppress the increasingly obvious divisions within the sect.

Yan Tiefeng felt Gu Yunxiao's malice and murderous intent towards him many times.

Compared to Gu Yunxiao, he, only 87 years old, was naturally still young. With his martial path skills and control over his Essence, Qi, and Spirit, he could live for at least another thirty years.

Once Gu Yunxiao dies, and with no Half-Step Celestial Human in the Gu Family, they would almost definitely be purged by the master-disciple lineage, a fact easily anticipated by everyone.

As a Half-Step Celestial Human of the master-disciple lineage, he had become a thorn in Gu Yunxiao's side.

Gu Yunxiao practiced one of the two divine skills of the Sunset Sect, the "Sunset Heaven-Shaking Scripture," which in Gu Family's hands, had almost become their family legacy, kept strictly secret.

Only by practicing the Sunset Heaven-Shaking Scripture could one use the sect's legacy treasure, the Sunset Divine Bow.

With the Sunset Bow in hand, he was definitely no match for Gu Yunxiao.

Yan Tiefeng knew very well that Gu Yunxiao had always sought an opportunity to eliminate him. He couldn't give him this chance, nor did he want to completely break ties in front of everyone.

Should both parties break ties, it might instantly induce a sect split, a consequence he couldn't bear.

Therefore, he chose King Han.

"The dominance of King Han uniting the world is already very clear. No one in the northern Five States can withstand the Great Han's military power; nobody in the martial world can compete with Crown Prince Liu Wu."

"The ambitious Northern Flood Dragon King from the Yuncang Sword Sect has broadened his actions in the northern Five States, preparing his troops to engulf the Northern Lands."

"He became a Half-Step Celestial Human at just over twenty years old. Given enough time, he might break through to become a Celestial Human and achieve great things, but..."

Yan Tiefeng arrived at the end of this alley, where there was a small tavern. It was already deep into the night, and it was raining heavily, yet under the tavern's eaves hung a dim lantern, emitting a faint glow.

"But in the south, an even more monstrous remarkable person appeared, achieving Unity of Heaven and Man at only twenty, invincible across the world, killing King Wu with one spear, forcing King Chu to change his capital three times."

"Even if the Northern Flood Dragon King broke through to being a Celestial Human, he would be no match for him."

"The overall situation of the world is decided, and the Yuncang Sword Sect has no chance."

These thoughts steeled his choice. Ahead, that small tavern was his rendezvous point with King Han's envoy.

That was why he was rushing through this night of torrential rain.

When he saw that somewhat dim lantern, Yan Tiefeng couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. That was their agreed-upon signal, indicating that King Han's envoy had already arrived.

He felt a bit relieved, yet somewhat indescribably complicated. The Sunset Sect had a long heritage, standing tall in the Northern Lands for centuries long before the Han Kingdom was established. But now, he had to represent the Sunset Sect and bow to King Han.

He felt a sense of shame, mixed with pain and helplessness.

"I have ultimately let down the Sect's ancestors!"

Yan Tiefeng looked up at the pitch-black night sky. The rain fell heavier, as if a hole had opened in the dark sky, pouring rain down like a torrent.

"Sigh!"

He let out a barely audible sigh and walked toward the small tavern.

However, when he reached the tavern door, his body suddenly stopped, like a startled tiger, retreating rapidly, colliding and shattering the rain curtain, even stirring a violent gust and roaring sound.

A cold sword light appeared out of nowhere, like the bright moonlight tearing through the dark night sky, gliding through the heavy raindrops, gently slicing through Yan Tiefeng's body.

He retreated quickly, but not fast enough.

So when he had retreated three zhang, he suddenly stopped.

He couldn't move, and he didn't dare to move.

If he moved again, he would die.

No, it should be said that he was already dead.

Yan Tiefeng's face was full of anger, mixed with pain and bewilderment, and his hoarse voice said, "Northern Flood Dragon King?!"

His tone was very certain. In the entire Northern Lands, besides that young overlord, he couldn't think of anyone who could wield such a fast sword; he couldn't think of anyone who could wield such a cold sword.

With just one sword stroke, he was already dead.

This sword had shattered all his hopes!

Thud!

A head fell from the eaves, rolling to Yan Tiefeng's feet, still bleeding. Clearly, the owner of the head had died not long ago.

As the rain fell, the blood mingled with the rain, quickly forming a pool of blood.

It wasn't until then that Yan Tiefeng noticed someone sitting on the tavern's eaves, wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat, holding a dark yellow wine gourd in his left hand.

Unable to see his face due to the hat.

Yet he was so at ease in the stormy night, even having time to savory the wine in the gourd, that sense of contentment and freedom made Yan Tiefeng feel an innate fear.

Even though he had never met the Northern Flood Dragon King Lu Chengfeng, he was now completely convinced that the person in the raincoat and bamboo hat was indeed the Sect Leader of the Yuncang Sword Sect, the most monstrous genius of the Northern Lands, Northern Flood Dragon King Lu Chengfeng.

Even though he hadn't set foot in the martial world for three years.

Yet in these three years, growing increasingly understated but ever stronger, to the point of fear, the Yuncang Sword Sect instilled a sincere dread of the Northern Flood Dragon King in countless people of the Northern Lands.

Upon seeing the man on the eaves, Yan Tiefeng finally understood where that sword stroke had come from. But he still didn't know when Lu Chengfeng struck or when he withdrew.

His chest heaved violently, blood trickling from his mouth, his face turning an intense crimson. The True Qi within him was boiling and burning furiously.

He wasn't doing this to fight for his life, but to live a few more breaths, to say his final words.

"I beg the Northern Flood Dragon King, do not destroy the heritage of my Sunset Sect!"

With that, Yan Tiefeng knelt down with a thud.

This time, the rain soaked his hair and clothes, making him look utterly bedraggled like a drenched chicken.

He bent slightly, as if intending to kowtow.

Then a bloodline appeared on his neck.

Thud!

Yan Tiefeng's head rolled down, the headless body sprawling on the ground, as if in supplication.

On the eaves, Lu Chengfeng didn't glance at him, merely took a sip from the gourd, unable to help praising, "Strong enough!"

The pouring rain drowned everything, enveloping the entire world in a misty blur.

Lu Chengfeng's figure vanished at some point.

No one knew when he had come, nor did anyone see when he had left.

Only the two heads submerged in rain and the pool of blood on the ground bore witness to what had transpired here.

With a creak, the tavern door was pushed open by a twelve or thirteen-year-old waiter who deftly took down the lantern hanging under the eaves before returning indoors.

The alley plunged back into darkness.

Nothing could be seen.

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