Lian Que soared into the air, his flight swift and true. Within his body, it was as though a furnace roared to life, his whole being radiating an astonishing heat.

This was South Yao City, the heart of the Lian family. No matter the circumstances, Jiang Wang stood unwavering by Lian Que’s side.

To support his friend, Jiang Wang didn’t hesitate to call upon both his Inner Palace and Skyreaching Palace, unleashing the formidable aura of his divine Inner Palace without reservation.

“The Sword Furnace!” Lian Que’s voice was laced with anxiety.

The Lian family’s most prized possessions were undoubtedly the three ancient furnaces. These were treasures that the Lian family ancestors had refused to abandon, even during their earliest struggles. They represented history, inheritance, and were a cornerstone of the Lian family’s status as masters of the forging world.

And the Sword Furnace was where the recently famed weapon, Long Xiang Si, had been forged. Jiang Wang had even spent a few days with Lian Que at the Sword Furnace during the initial forging process, making him quite familiar with the environment.

“The Sword Furnace is protected by a sword formation; it won’t be damaged so quickly,” Jiang Wang reassured, flying alongside him.

His hand was already on his sword. Whatever was happening at the Sword Furnace, displaying some martial prowess before the Lian family members wouldn’t be a bad thing, and it would significantly benefit Lian Que’s standing.

“Where did this rat of a generation come from, daring to cause trouble in my Lian family!” Lian Que was consumed by fury, his enraged roar echoing from afar.

Jiang Wang also fully released his aura, his sharp edge completely exposed.

His sword stance had already begun, but from a distance, he hastily loosened his grip on the sword hilt, reaching out to grab Lian Que. “Don’t go throwing your life away!”

He not only blocked Lian Que but also swiftly pulled him back.

Within his line of sight, a long-haired, handsome man was virtually suspended in mid-air.

The sword forest of broken swords surrounding the Sword Furnace, originally the sword formation protecting the ancient furnace, was now fully activated, its sword qi piercing the heavens.

And the handsome man, his fist wreathed in green light, smashed directly onto the sword forest without any hesitation!

Who else could it be but Yin Guan!

The strongest fighting force within the Lian family were cultivators of the Outer Building realm, and the Lian family, renowned for forging, would absolutely be no match for a formidable figure like Yin Guan.

So, without a word, Jiang Wang pulled Lian Que and retreated.

Lian Que still struggled fiercely, seething with rage. “Don’t pull me! He actually dares to touch the Sword Furnace, I’ll kill him!”

The Lian family’s reverence for their ancient furnaces was immense, but Jiang Wang would never allow him to rush to his death.

There, Yin Guan’s fist descended.

With just one fist, countless broken swords shattered cleanly, exploding into fragments that filled the sky.

The remaining broken swords still managed to maintain the sword formation, but any discerning eye could see that it wouldn’t withstand a second punch.

Lian Que immediately ceased his struggles.

He was indeed hot-tempered and fearless of death, but he wasn’t a fool.

The fighting force displayed by Yin Guan’s fist far surpassed his own capabilities. Even risking his life might not be enough to injure the opponent in the slightest.

Jiang Wang had assessed the situation immediately and chosen to avoid, but it was clear that Lian Que’s loud shouting had still attracted Yin Guan’s attention.

As Yin Guan unleashed his second fist towards the sword formation, his gaze swept in their direction.

In that instant, a powerful pressure bore down, an intense killing intent pouring forth like a tangible substance. Lian Que’s muscles tensed, and for a moment, he truly believed he was about to be killed!

But Yin Guan merely swept his gaze over them before blasting the entire sword formation with a single fist!

The furnace, seemingly stepping out of history and carrying the weight of ancient tales, now stood exposed before him.

Lian Que, though anxious, felt a chilling dread settle in Jiang Wang’s heart. He knew, with certainty, that Yin Guan had noticed him.

“This ancient furnace is over a thousand years old! If you damage it in the slightest, the Lian family will pursue you to the death!” From another direction, the Lian family patriarch, Lian Zhu Ping, led a group of elders, flying swiftly towards them.

Because Jiang Wang and Lian Que were originally near other forging furnaces, they were closer and thus arrived first.

Involving the ancient furnace concerned the very foundation of the Lian family. Therefore, almost all the fighting force the Lian family could mobilize at this moment had appeared. Lian Zhu Ping himself was only at the peak of the Inner Palace realm, but among the elders were two strong cultivators at the Outer Building realm.

Yin Guan smiled faintly, paying no heed to Lian Zhu Ping’s threat. “I came here intending to exterminate the Lian family, to shatter the ancient furnaces and leave a deeper impression on those big figures in Lin Zi. But now, I’ve changed my mind.”

There was a hidden meaning in his words, one that likely only Jiang Wang understood.

Yin Guan glanced at the ancient furnace once more, then turned. “Furthermore, I will leave this ancient furnace here. I will come back to use it later when I have time.”

“Does the Lian family mean nothing to you, coming and going as you please?” Lian Zhu Ping was furious.

Yin Guan suddenly turned back and instantly lunged towards Lian Zhu Ping, his fist wreathed in emerald green light, striking directly at his head!

Lian Zhu Ping panicked and retaliated. The Lian family elders with him also moved in succession. Among them, the two Outer Building realm elders, one unleashed a phantom fire furnace, scorching the heavens and earth, while the other wielded a giant hammer to counter-strike, like a collapsing mountain.

One could not say they weren’t putting in effort, nor that they lacked power.

But the conflict, which began in an instant, also ended in an instant.

Yin Guan stood firm and unmoving. The phantom fire furnace was extinguished, the mighty giant hammer was directly smashed into a lump of iron. A crowd of elders fell, scattering in all directions, and Lian Zhu Ping coughed up blood as he flew backward, leaving a trail of fresh blood!

Shock and terror filled the air.

“You are like clay chickens and pottery dogs, unable to even withstand one punch. How dare you speak of pursuing me, Yin Guan, to the death?”

Yin Guan gave them a cold glance, turned, and stepped into the air to depart.

This time, no one dared to utter a sound.

He truly had come and gone as he pleased.

Lian Que, though still furious, was utterly powerless, and Jiang Wang was filled with worry.

Sitting alone in his room that night, he decided to leave South Yao as soon as possible.

He fundamentally didn’t want to get involved in the affairs of the Hell No Door, but some things were simply coincidental. He had come to South Yao, and the Lian family was precisely targeted by Yin Guan.

From Yin Guan’s words, it was clear that he intended to stir up trouble and create a stir within the Qi territory.

The Lian family, as one of the world’s five great centers of forging mastery, held immense fame, but their fighting force was not their strength. They were undoubtedly an excellent target for establishing dominance.

If he truly exterminated the Lian family, it would be enough to cause huge waves throughout the entire Qi country.

Of course, by then, the person dispatched by the Qi country would not be just one Yue Leng.

The Qi country currently dispatched Yue Leng not because they could only send cultivators of that level, but because Yue Leng was sufficient. Once Yue Leng was proven “insufficient,” and the Hell No Door dared to cause even greater trouble, stronger experts would naturally emerge.

Therefore, Yin Guan needed to control the scale. How to distract the pursuit team’s line of sight without escalating the Qi country’s response was a difficult balance to strike.

After leaving Bei County, Jiang Wang hadn’t received any news of the Hell No Door. It was also impossible for anyone from the pursuit team to specifically transmit intelligence to him.

He therefore didn’t know that at this time, the pursuit team had already been led to Bi Wu County.

Jiang Wang was only thinking, King Qin Guang had appeared in Chi Yang County.

What about King Wu Guan, who always acted together with him?

Just at this moment, a voice suddenly spoke.

“May I conveniently come in?”

Jiang Wang had already expected the owner of the voice, so despite his complex emotions, he still said, “Please enter.”

Before his eyes could register, Yin Guan had already appeared in the room. He self-importantly found a tea stool to sit down, flipped over a teacup, and leisurely poured himself a cup of tea.

Jiang Wang remained silent, waiting for him to explain his intention.

“We were already quits before, but now you owe me another favor,” Yin Guan said, taking a sip of tea, his tone casual.

During the day, he wouldn’t have minded killing Lian Que in passing. It was only because he saw Jiang Wang that he chose to stop.

He even stopped his actions against the Lian family afterward.

“Yes,” Jiang Wang didn’t deny it.

“This tea isn’t bad. Your friend treats you quite thoughtfully.”

Yin Guan commented casually, put down the teacup, and turned to look at Jiang Wang. “I said, people like me live day to day, with no guarantee of tomorrow. I may not be able to wait for later repayment. So, whatever needs to be repaid, it’s best to do it immediately. Since you also agree that you owe me a favor, then now, you have to help me do something.”