The structure of the Tang Sect's stronghold is a five-story tower inside Black Cloud Mountain.

The floors are square-shaped, circling upwards.

In the middle is a long spiral staircase.

Each floor is three times higher than a standard floor; even a Fifth Blood Tang Sect Assassin cannot leap from one floor directly to the next.

Most of the Tang Sect assassins use the stairs to ascend.

The purpose of this design is that if someone invades and steps onto the central staircase, they become the target of assassins on all five floors.

The third layer of the Tang Sect stronghold has a long corridor leading to the Tang Sect's Scripture Pavilion.

On the top floor is where the Tang Sect's top leader "Mirage" Zhou Yinseng resides.

Outside, it is said that he has only opened ten meridians.

His Martial Arts Realm is not top-notch in Jiannan Prefecture City, relying on body technique speed and Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons to win.

But in reality, he has opened eleven meridians.

Coupled with his body technique speed and hidden weapon technique, he is more formidable than outside rumors suggest.

Not long ago, he easily subdued Ou Family's head, Ou Haquan, who opened twelve meridians, with his body technique speed and hidden weapon technique.

Moreover, his twelfth meridian is about to be fully opened.

He is currently sitting in the reception hall, across the tea table is the Celestial River Prefecture Tang Sect stronghold leader, codename "Shadowless," named Rakshasa.

This person is in his forties, has a high brow ridge, a sinister gaze, and an aquiline nose.

He has opened thirteen meridians, and his Tang Sect martial arts and hidden weapon skills surpass Zhou Yinseng.

The Southern Liang region mainly divides into Celestial South State and Miaojiang.

Celestial South State has three major cities: Celestial River City, Jiannan City, and Nanming City.

The Liang Kingdom's regional system is divided into five levels: state, prefecture, county, town, village.

Celestial River City is the most prosperous of the three major cities and closer to the Central Plains, designated as a "state-level" city by the Liang Court.

Jiannan City and Nanming City are "prefecture-level" cities.

In the Southern Domain, Celestial South State occupies two-thirds, and Miaojiang occupies one-third.

Miaojiang lies in the southwestern part of the Southern Liang, bordering the Jiannan Prefecture region.

Rakshasa came to the Jiannan Prefecture City stronghold because he was ordered by the Tang Sect Inner Sect to go to Miaojiang for rare poisonous plants and passed through Jiannan Prefecture City.

Moreover, Zhou Yinseng lost three contacts earlier and sent a message to the upper levels requesting more people.

The message first passes through Rakshasa before reaching the Tang Sect Inner Sect in the Central Plains.

Rakshasa also came to personally inquire about the situation from Zhou Yinseng.

Tang Sect Outer Disciples are divided into six levels: Celestial, Earth, A, B, C, D.

Zhou Yinseng is Earth Level, Rakshasa is Celestial Level.

Only Celestial Level disciples, after accumulating enough accolades, are recognized by the Tang Sect Inner Sect and bestowed with the surname "Tang," becoming Inner Sect disciples.

Outer Disciples' cultivation technique manuals can advance but are incomplete.

Only by becoming an Inner Sect disciple can one receive the complete cultivation techniques.

Rakshasa has been an Outer Disciple of the Tang Sect for nearly thirty years, accumulating many accolades.

The Tang Sect Inner Sect Elders promised him that if he brought back the rare and precious poisonous plants from Miaojiang, he would earn significant accolades, allowing him into the Tang Sect Inner Sect.

The challenge of retrieving poisonous plants from Miaojiang lies in its being dubbed the "land of ten thousand mountains," where it's filled with treacherous terrain.

Every two steps brings poisonous plants and insects, every ten steps brings toxic miasma swamps.

Moreover, Miaojiang houses a major force named the "Cave of Myriad Poisons."

They excel in Poison Technique and Witchcraft, with studies in poison rumored to rival and even surpass the Tang Sect.

The Tang Sect is unsure if the "Cave of Myriad Poisons" also collects those rare poisonous plants.

If they do, conflict with this force is possible.

Thus, Rakshasa's journey is fraught with peril.

"Zhou Yinseng, your Tang Sect stronghold has so many events occurring, its deterrence in Jiannan City is too low."

Rakshasa, after hearing Zhou Yinseng's words, sipped his tea and shook his head.

Zhou Yinseng, after hearing, felt quite embarrassed.

Suddenly, Rakshasa's eyes brightened, saying, "Zhou Yinseng, look, even under your watch, someone dares to attack the stronghold."

Initially, Zhou Yinseng was unclear because his hearing was weaker than Rakshasa's, so he didn't catch the commotion below.

But soon, he also heard the sounds of fighting below and his expression slightly changed.

Rakshasa ignored Zhou Yinseng and suddenly stood up, "Brother, since I'm passing by, let me lend you a hand and see which force dares to provoke the Tang Sect!"

With that, his figure flashed and he dashed out.

...

"Here are all assassins, show no mercy, kill them all!"

Li Xuanji shouted to his subordinates, and with those words, deflected over a dozen poison needles with a slash and charged forward, beheading a Tang Sect assassin.

Blood spattered instantly, sticking to the wooden wall.

Li Xuanji's men followed his orders, rushing up the stairs, evading and blocking Tang Sect's hidden weapons while killing.

Su Que didn't ascend via the stairs but moved towards the center of the floor.

He used lightweight skill to bounce off the wall twice.

Then, infusing True Qi throughout his body, smashed through the roof to reach the next floor.

He learned from Profound Tiger that Tang Sect masters are on the top floor.

If he ascended via the stairs, he might face several waves of hidden weapons from those masters before reaching.

He suggested to Li Xuanji that they ascend like him.

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