"I understand! Elder, I, Qiy Army, now swear to the heavens that I am willing to leave the Qiu Family of Yellow Snake Mountain and join the Flying Leopard to serve my country. Should I break this oath, may I fall into hell and be tormented for all eternity."

As the Third Ancestor of the Qiu Family of Yellow Snake Mountain, hailed as its uncrowned king, Qiy Army was arguably the closest person to the next level within the entire Lingnan Mountains—just one step away. Naturally, he was unwilling to see his efforts fail at this juncture, and he was even less willing to force Chen Fei to act personally.

After all, having experienced what just happened, he fully understood that the young man in his twenties standing before him possessed a strength that far surpassed his imagination, one that utterly dominated his own.

Although he couldn't imagine how someone as young as Chen Fei could achieve such a thing, it didn't stop the fear blossoming in his heart or the gradual erosion of his will to resist.

Indeed, a peerless monster with such horrifying achievements at such a tender age was a truly terrifying and shocking existence. He, Qiy Army, was a mere practitioner who hadn't even reached the Innate Ancient Martial Artist stage. Apart from bowing his head, what other choice did he have?

Observing his reaction, a hint of hesitation flashed in Chen Fei's eyes, but he ultimately nodded. He stretched out his hand and traced a line on the man's forehead. Instantly, a faint red wound appeared, and a spark that caused a slight stinging pain entered Qiy Army's body before vanishing.

"I imagine you understand this kind of measure. If you harbor any dissent in the future, then I'm sorry, but your end will be quite tragic," Chen Fei said coolly once he was finished.

"Elder, please rest assured. I guarantee that day will never come!" Qiy Army responded, sweating profusely and trembling.

Of course, he understood such restrictive measures, as he himself had often used them. Sometimes it was the threat of poison; other times, the very Martial Arts Internal Power he cultivated had such properties. To think that I, Qiy Army, would one day be on the receiving end... aah, how the tides have turned.

"Alright, get going. The battle over there isn't over yet. Perfect timing. Do you want to use it to prove your newfound loyalty?" With a flash, Chen Fei vanished into the quiet, nocturnal jungle.

Hearing this, Qiy Army shuddered. He ultimately gritted his teeth and strode toward the area where the Shadow Guards of the Qiy Family were battling Captain Pei's team. A short while later, the area was a scene of utter devastation.

However, neither he nor Chen Fei noticed that just a few minutes after they had departed, a beautiful figure slowly emerged from the darkness near an ancient, towering tree. Instantly, a strange, soul-penetrating fragrance seemed to waft through the air.

She was a young woman, over 1.7 meters tall, with long, slender legs and fair skin. Her stunning figure was perfectly accentuated by a milky-white dress adorned with hints of light blue. Her shoulder-length hair swayed in the night breeze, dancing like an elf's and exuding an indescribable, captivating gallantry.

She then stepped forward, her lotus-like steps light and silent. A gorgeous face was revealed in the faint moonlight, with eyebrows arched like crescent moons and skin as soft as white snow. Most striking of all were her eyes, as bright as a clear stream, and the cute incisors that peeked from behind her soft lips.

Combined with the Butterfly Dagger slung across her tender waist, it was a truly unique and unimaginable sight.

"That man just now, he..."

The young woman's crescent eyebrows furrowed slightly. Her voice, like the tinkling of a spring, was somewhat cool but overwhelmingly pleasant. Her creek-bright eyes blinked softly as she gazed in the direction Chen Fei had left, remaining silent for a long time.

This was truly unexpected. Had she been here the whole time?

As the saying goes, you can't wrap a fire in paper. This is especially true when people of such high status suddenly disappear; it's impossible for such an event to be buried by time like a common incident.

Almost as soon as the sun rose the next day, news began to spread. Elder Qiy Tong and other Half-Step Innates from the Qiy Family had disappeared. Along with them, the Holy Fire Sect's newly advanced Half-Step Innate Powerhouse—an elder surnamed Xue—had also vanished!

Both factions had arrived with a large contingent, but now only a few stragglers remained. In particular, Junn Yuanyi, the Young Lord of the Holy Fire Sect, was seen fleeing in terror with his men early in the morning. This scene was witnessed by many and sparked deep speculation.

Clearly, this was no small matter. Many people knew about the conflict that had taken place in the Tian Kui Market the previous day. A young man from the Flying Leopard versus the Qiy Family and the Holy Fire Sect?

The implication chilled many to the bone. Could it be?

Just then, even more astonishing news broke out. Someone had discovered signs of a great battle outside the market.

And bodies.

Among the corpses, two were burned beyond recognition, their identities indiscernible. However, the other five corpses were identified in horror as belonging to the Shadow Guards of the Qiy Family. Once this news was confirmed, a palpable sense of dread rippled through the crowd.

These were the Shadow Guards of the Qiy Family! They were said to be on par with the Bai Family's White Dragon Guards, their existence and strength both unfathomable and mysterious. Yet an entire team had fallen here.

But that wasn't the most terrifying part. What was even more terrifying was the timing. Furthermore, the two bodies, burned beyond recognition, corresponded perfectly to the two missing Half-Step Innates from the Qiy Family and the Holy Fire Sect. Could it really be them?

In the following days, Chen Fei and the others from the Flying Leopard appeared in public as usual, causing quite a stir as people connected the dots.

"Hey, see them? That's them. They say the two Half-Step Innates from the Qiy Family and the Holy Fire Sect died at their hands."

"Shh, keep your voice down. I saw them already. I never expected the Flying Leopard to be so strong again. After all, that was two Half-Step Innates and an entire troop of the Shadow Guards of the Qiy Family."

"Tell me about it. But wasn't it a bit reckless of them? They already have an old feud with the Blade Forge of Evil Dragon Pool, and now they've added the Qiy Family and the Holy Fire Sect to their list of enemies... I heard Jun Duanshan has successfully broken through to become an Innate Ancient Martial Artist."

...

As Chen Fei and his group walked through the Tian Kui Market, they were met with constant pointing and whispering.

"Looks like we're practically celebrities now," Chen Fei joked with Captain Pei and the others behind him. Although he had been prepared for this, he still felt a bit uncomfortable, shaking his head with a wry smile.

"It can't be helped. The news spread too fast. It seems like everyone knows we, the Flying Leopard, were the ones who took care of them," Captain Pei replied. He didn't seem to mind, instead gazing at Chen Fei with immense admiration as he sighed faintly.

After all, who could have imagined that on that night, besides killing two Half-Step Innates and a team from the Shadow Guards of the Qiy Family, Chief Instructor Chen had also subjugated Qiy Army—the man regarded as the uncrowned king of the Qiy Family and their Third Ancestor. He was well aware of Qiy Army's power; the man had once killed a formidable Early Innate Ancient Martial Artist, a feat that, to Captain Pei, represented an astonishing level of strength. Yet, when faced with Chief Instructor Chen, that same fearsome individual could only bow his head and submit. It was almost... unbelievable.

"Ah, whatever. If they know, they know. Chief Luo sent me here to establish our might anyway."

Chen Fei shook his head helplessly, then grew thoughtful. "Calculating the time, the Lingnan Mountain grand assembly should officially start in two days, right?"

"Yes. In two days, the grand tournament on Tian Kui Peak will officially begin. Deputy Instructor Wang already delivered the entry pass," Captain Pei confirmed, pulling an ancient-looking bamboo slip from his clothes. The archaic characters for 'Tian Kui' were engraved on it.

"He came back? Where is he now?" Chen Fei asked, slightly surprised, as he hadn't noticed his return.

"He probably went back to the top of Tian Kui Pavilion. The atmosphere up there has been rather tense these last few days," Captain Pei said.

"Tian Kui Pavilion?"

Chen Fei paused for a moment, then a faint smile slowly spread across his lips. "I heard that in the past few days, a number of prominent young masters have appeared, mimicking the old-timers on the top floor of Tian Kui Pavilion by holding court in the first and second-floor halls?"

"That's right. It's said that many of the true top-tier figures of the younger generation have arrived, for example, the heir to the Blade Forge of Evil Dragon Pool…" At this, Captain Pei's voice turned cold. Clearly, their old feud ran deep.

"The Blade Forge of Evil Dragon Pool? Alright then. In that case, shall we go take a look?" Chen Fei's eyes glinted sharply as he waved his hand.

Since he was here representing the Flying Leopard, some confrontations were unavoidable... Might as well go and see for myself. I wonder what the heirs of the so-called Four Great Hidden Sects will be like in this generation.

Suddenly, a commotion rippled through the nearby crowd. Accompanied by a wafting fragrance, someone cried out, "Qingqiu? Is that someone from Qingqiu arriving?" In an instant, many faces lit up with excitement as their gazes shot toward the entrance.

Qingqiu? Even Chen Fei was taken aback and instinctively turned to look.

At the entrance to the Tian Kui Market, several graceful young women entered the crowd's view. They were led by a mature, still-beautiful woman in palace attire, moving like stars orbiting a moon. The picturesque scene, full of springtime allure, captivated nearly everyone.

Among them, the woman in palace attire was undoubtedly the center of attention. She possessed a powdered face and vermillion lips, an elegant bearing, and clear, beautiful eyes. But what truly made everyone's pupils contract was the faint aura she radiated—it was unmistakably the presence of an Innate Ancient Martial Artist!

And this woman in palace attire was none other than Ruan Qingxiu, one of the five Innate Ancient Martial Artists of Qingqiu.

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