The moment Zhuge Jun stepped through the door, he erupted into a torrent of tears and snot, wailing with a grief so profound it seemed to rend his very being. His heartbroken cries left Jiang Wang utterly speechless. Even Wei Bo Fang, who in private was prone to more dramatic outbursts than Zhuge Jun, couldn’t bear to watch. He stepped forward, saying, “Enough, enough. The Hall Master presides over myriad affairs daily. Where would he find the leisure to listen to your caterwauling?”

Wei Bo Fang, despite his private inclinations, presented a facade of unwavering righteousness in front of others, a true upright minister. Yet, Zhuge Jun paid him no mind, only continuing to gaze at Jiang Wang with tear-filled eyes, his voice heavy with grievance. “Hall Master! Why did you not seek out your subordinate first upon your return? Know that in the beginning, I was the first to pledge my loyalty! Everything I possess was bestowed by the Hall Master, and I am willing to sacrifice everything for you, without regret, even life and death! In the entire Ling Kong Hall, who could surpass my loyalty to you?”

“Zhuge Jun, what is the meaning of these words?” Wei Bo Fang’s displeasure was evident. “Could my loyalty to the Hall Master be less than yours by half a point?”

Seeing his two chief pillars about to engage in a struggle for favor, Hall Master Jiang swiftly intervened. “I am aware of both your loyalties. All that you have accomplished, I have seen with my own eyes.” He subtly shifted his stance. “My purpose in coming here is twofold: first, to see you both, and second, to fulfill a promise made long ago – to address the difficulties in the sect’s development that you have been unable to resolve.” His gaze swept over the two men as he emphasized, “I have other matters to attend to, and my time is limited.”

Zhuge Jun’s tears instantly ceased. He knelt on the ground and exchanged a quick glance with Wei Bo Fang, conveying a swift, unspoken message. Finally, Wei Bo Fang spoke. “Regarding the unresolved difficulties, it is only the matter of the Wu Sheng Teach. Their growth has been too rapid! We only began to take notice of this Teach in July of last year, yet within a year’s time, they are already able to stand in opposition to us, even pressing down upon us. We expended considerable effort to invite a powerful individual to serve as protector and offered substantial bribes to officials, requesting the city lord’s mansion to mediate, thus barely maintaining the current situation… Your subordinate is incompetent; I beg the Hall Master to punish me!”

“Who is in charge of their operations here? What is their strength?” Jiang Wang asked casually.

Zhuge Jun replied, “The leader of this Wu Sheng Teach is a character known as the Di You Messenger… They have completed the Five Mansions and possess divine power. Your subordinate is indeed no match.”

Zhang Lin Chuan is truly ambitious, evident in his establishment of the seventy-two Di Sha Messenger positions. Their strength is undeniable; this structure is clearly modeled after top-tier forces. Originally, the White Bone Dao only had three great elders and twelve Bone Faces! However, upon closer examination, setting aside the matter of the White Bone Evil God’s descent, the current Wu Sheng Teach is indeed far more formidable than the original White Bone Dao. The three great elders of the original Wu Sheng Teach likely combined could not rival the current Zhang Lin Chuan. Moreover, as Wang Chang Ji mentioned earlier, Lu Yan, who betrayed the White Bone Evil God, has also achieved Divine Arrival with his innate Nether Eyes. Add to this the seventy-two Di Sha Messengers appearing on the surface… Are there perhaps thirty-six Tian Gang Messengers above them?

The overall strength of the Wu Sheng Teach has completely surpassed that of the original White Bone Dao. This, of course, is partly due to the White Bone Evil God’s singular focus on his own worldly descent, neglecting the Teach. However, Zhang Lin Chuan’s capabilities are clearly discernible. How long has the Wu Sheng Teach been established since the demise of the White Bone Dao? From Yong Country to Cheng Country, and now to Reef Country, which was just cleared by Wang Chang Ji, Zhang Lin Chuan’s presence is almost ubiquitous. Although most of their development is concentrated in smaller countries, their hidden forces cannot be underestimated.

Wei Bo Fang and Zhuge Jun’s ability to develop the Ling Kong Hall, having a precedent to follow, certainly indicates talent. However, their vision is limited, confined only to this small corner of Cheng Country. They still believe that the Di You Messenger is the leader of the Wu Sheng Teach, unaware that the Wu Sheng Teach’s influence extends far beyond the borders of a single country. Furthermore, for a casual Di Sha Messenger to possess divine power? Is divine power so easily acquired? Is the Di You Messenger in charge of Cheng Country particularly powerful, or are there other reasons?

“I understand,” Jiang Wang said without changing his expression. “Besides this?”

Zhuge Jun sighed deeply. “Inviting a deity is easy, but sending one away is difficult!”

Bai Na Dao Ren is a renowned lone cultivator in Cheng Country, having broken through four Mansions and acquired a divine power. Divine power cultivators are not common. This individual had been cultivating in Cheng Country’s cultivation world for over a decade, his reputation illustrious, a figure of note. Wei Bo Fang and Zhuge Jun had invited him with generous rewards to help them counter the Wu Sheng Teach. Initially, things were satisfactory; he accepted their offerings and acted accordingly. However, as time passed, despite Zhuge Jun being in the Two Mansions and Wei Bo Fang being advanced in years, with the four great offerings all being ordinary Inner Mansions who had not acquired divine power, Bai Na Dao Ren inevitably began to entertain certain thoughts, wishing to usurp their positions.

Wei Bo Fang and Zhuge Jun, on one hand, relied on Bai Na Dao Ren to oppose the Wu Sheng Teach. On the other hand, within the sect, it became increasingly difficult to openly confront Bai Na Dao Ren. In the cultivation world, after all, strength reigns supreme!

One day, Wei Bo Fang suddenly summoned all the high-ranking members above the Hall Master level in the Ling Kong Hall, announcing that there were significant matters to discuss. The nine Hall Masters and four great offerings all arrived. Only the two elders, Wei Bo Fang and Zhuge Jun, remained seated. Bai Na Dao Ren arrived late. He strode into the hall with a swagger, his tone casual. “Old Wei, what is being announced today? Why was I not informed beforehand? Hahaha, could it be a public declaration of me as Hall Master, a surprise?”

Wei Bo Fang, seated in the chief elder’s position on the left, did not smile. “Your joke is not amusing.” The elder’s seat next to him was opposite his own. The Ling Kong Hall currently had only one protector position, directly to his left. One could say that within the entire Ling Kong Hall, this position was second only to the elders. Unfortunately, his heart was discontented, his desires insatiable.

The Hall Master’s position at the very front of this discussion hall had been vacant for a very long time. Everyone knew it belonged to an individual with a powerful background, a compound surname Du Gu. It was a pity that this individual had not appeared again for a long time. A tiger’s skin displayed for too long, without the tiger, allows people to see through the facade. This inevitably gives rise to various ambitions.

Bai Na Dao Ren curled his lip and impolitely pointed at the seat symbolizing the Ling Kong Hall Master. “Then tell me, how long will this position remain vacant? Who are you waiting for?! That Du Gu individual? When you all came begging at my door, where was he? When I was fighting tooth and nail for the sect, bleeding against the experts of the Wu Sheng Teach, where was he?” He waved his hand in a downward chopping motion, his aura suddenly becoming fierce. “Perhaps he’s already dead! Perhaps from the beginning, it was all just a lie you fabricated!”

Wei Bo Fang and Zhuge Jun had suddenly summoned all the high-ranking members for discussion, and several who had secretly defected to him had received no prior warning. He instinctively felt that something was amiss. Now, he directly declared his ambitions to the assembly, both as a form of probing and to reveal his hand, forcing others to choose sides. He simply wanted to become the Ling Kong Hall Master and was too lazy to continue chipping away bit by bit. No matter what schemes Wei Bo Fang and the others had, in the end, it would come down to brute force!

What was unexpected was this. Facing Bai Na Dao Ren’s forceful questioning, Wei Bo Fang and Zhuge Jun remained silent.

Then, *da, da, da*—the sound of boots stepping on the ground echoed clearly within the grand hall. A figure wearing a hood and hemp clothing walked out from the back hall. There was no overbearing aura; as he walked, he appeared only relaxed and gentle. Bai Na Dao Ren furrowed his brow and glanced at him, then turned towards Wei Bo Fang, saying, “Where did this lone soul and wild ghost come from? How can anyone just enter our sect’s sacred ground, a gathering of high-ranking members?”

“Look at me.” He heard only this voice speaking. The voice was calm, clear, and held an undeniable authority. He subconsciously shifted his gaze, wanting to see who this person was, and what they intended to do.

He saw only a streak of icy sword light!

*Clang clang!* There seemed to be the sound of a long sword leaving its sheath. He thought he heard it, but perhaps he had missed it. His world brightened for a moment, then darkened. After this, it never brightened again.

In the sight of everyone present, only a blood line appeared on Bai Na Dao Ren’s neck. Blood spurted out like a fountain, blooming into a brief, fan-shaped spray in the air. As the blood droplets fell, the figure plummeted to the ground with a *boom*.

The figure wearing a hood and hemp clothing, however, continued to walk forward unhurriedly, leisurely approaching the position signifying the Ling Kong Hall Master. His hand was still several inches away from the sword hilt; the long sword at his waist seemed never to have been drawn. That flash of cold light seemed to exist only in illusion.

The entire grand hall was completely silent. The high-ranking members of the Ling Kong Hall, including Wei Bo Fang and Zhuge Jun, who were seated on either side of the hall, not one of them spoke. A renowned divine power cultivator had died so directly, without even a single scream of agony. The shock was palpable! In that moment, only Bai Na Dao Ren’s corpse lay quietly on the main path in the center of the grand hall, facing the large chair on the high platform.

Jiang Wang walked to the seat of the Ling Kong Hall Master but did not sit down. He simply turned around, looking down from above. Compared to the places he had seen before, the Ling Kong Hall was certainly not magnificent. But this was his territory. His hands controlled eight aspects here: Judgement, Reaping, Flight, Command, Killing, Birth, Protection, and Seizing. Where his gaze fell, no one dared to meet his eyes directly. This kind of elevated dignity could easily lead to being lost in oneself. Of course, for Jiang Wang, the Emperor who had held court numerous times in Da Qi, the small power before him was truly insignificant. The so-called power over life and death in such a weak environment held little appeal. He only tried to recall how the Qi Emperor held the heavens and the earth in his grasp, how his grace and might were intertwined.

After a brief period of silence, allowing the pressure to spread throughout everyone’s hearts, he looked towards Zhuge Jun. “Did I forget to ask a question?” He thought for a moment. “Ah yes, what divine power did Bai Na Dao Ren possess?”

Zhuge Jun’s expression changed dramatically. He immediately left his seat and bowed low. “Your subordinate deserves ten thousand deaths! Because the Hall Master’s divine skill covers the world, your subordinate, feeling honored and proud, did not consider Bai Na Dao Ren significant, to the extent of forgetting to report his divine power information…”

Jiang Wang raised a hand, interrupting his explanation. “Forget it, it’s not important.” From the beginning, he had never expected unwavering loyalty from people like Zhuge Jun and Wei Bo Fang. Nor did he offer them complete trust, for he had always understood that these individuals could be used, but their hearts could not be confided in. At this moment, he shifted his gaze, looking at the assembled high-ranking members, and spoke slowly. “I am your Hall Master, that is undeniable, and I am not dead.”

Zhuge Jun, who was already kneeling on the ground, immediately prostrated himself, knocking his head against the floor. “Your subordinate pays respect to the Hall Master, and wishes only for the Hall Master to have great fortune aligned with the heavens, and ten thousand years of boundless life!” Wei Bo Fang also immediately followed suit, bowing low, his voice strong and resonant. “Ling Kong Hall Chief Elder Wei Bo Fang, bows to the Hall Master!”

The seven Hall Masters and four offerings in the hall all followed suit, bowing down. Only that one protector lay in their midst. Jiang Wang raised his hand. “Rise, all of you.” His gaze, devoid of aggression, gently fell upon everyone. “I will not frequently visit the sect, but I will pay attention here. The Ling Kong Hall may not be a very powerful sect, and its future prospects are uncertain, but I hope it will become the best choice for all of you. Perhaps we have met before, or perhaps not… I hope we can meet again in the future.”

He spoke only these few sentences, then waved his hand. “Alright, everyone may withdraw, elders Wei and Zhuge, stay.”

Soon, the grand hall was empty. Jiang Wang turned to face the three individuals, his tone still calm. “My time is limited, so I will only speak these words once.” He held up three fingers, then lowered them one by one.

“First, I will deal with the Di You Messenger tonight.”

“Second, you do not need to rush to exterminate the Wu Sheng Teach. While they are without a leader, find a way to infiltrate some individuals, understand their intentions, and their actions must be clandestine. When I next contact you, I will require an answer. The more news you gather, the more significant it is, and the greater the rewards. Yuan Stones, cultivation methods, all are not issues.”

“As for the third… I have a question for elders Wei and Zhuge. I recall that before you both, the Ling Kong Hall originally had a chief elder. What is his current state?”

Wei Bo Fang and Zhuge Jun exchanged glances, both seeing the nervousness in the other. Finally, Wei Bo Fang spoke. “Elder Song… sacrificed himself bravely for the sect’s cause!”

Jiang Wang only smiled. “Then you must all cherish yourselves. Until we meet again.” With that, he walked out of the grand hall alone.

The three elders of the Ling Kong Hall stood quietly in the empty hall. They watched as the hooded figure in hemp clothing walked against the light, his back receding. They could only feel…

Like an abyss, like the sea, unfathomably deep.