Start from Panlong and kill through the heavens

"Chen Mu, I will definitely kill you!"

Moonlight streamed through the carved window lattice, slicing across the bluestone slab. Gong Li's hunched back was wedged into that cold, white crack.

She stared at the torn hem of her dress fluttering in the night wind, like the silent opening and closing of a dying fish's gills.

The stone pillar against his lower back sent a chill through him, and the uneven lotus reliefs now seemed like fangs that were gnawing at his flesh.

Half a crushed oil-paper umbrella clung to her hair, its thin bamboo ribs piercing her temples and seeping dark red. She smelled the lingering scent of pine soot ink from Chen Mu's sleeve, mingling with the metallic stench rising in her throat and fermenting between her teeth.

A few strands of gold thread, torn from the other person's clothes, were embedded under her fingernails, gleaming like snake tongues in the moonlight.

Water droplets falling from the eaves hit the hollow of her collarbone, causing her to convulse violently.

The pool of water reflected half of a broken face—the left cheek was swollen and purplish, and there was a scab of blood on the corner of the lips. Only the eyes shone with a terrifying light, like two extinguished will-o'-the-wisps.

She suddenly reached out and stirred the water, the ripples distorting the mottled gold-painted murals of the ancient stage behind her, turning the peonies and phoenixes into grotesque clumps of color.

The muffled sound of the awning boat brushing past the stone bridge still echoes in my ears, and the boatwoman's Wu dialect tune is still wrapped in the sweet fragrance of osmanthus.

At this moment, the night mist covered her feet, and the moss curled up in the cracks of the stone, just like the way she huddled at the base of the pillar.

Her fingertips touched a sharp-edged pebble, and a sharp pain shot through her palm as she clenched it. This pain actually made her smile – it turned out that this body could still feel pain.

The sound of a night watchman's clapper came from afar, startling the owls perched on the eaves. Gong Li watched the dark shadow sweep across the moon, a sob suddenly escaping her throat, which she quickly swallowed back by biting the back of her hand.

The bloodstained teeth left crescent-shaped marks on the pale skin, three times more vivid than the bruises on her neck.

At this time, Rean had already left their manor and arrived at the main hall of the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion. The pavilion masters and elders of all the branch pavilions had gathered together to await his arrival.

Pavilion Master Gong Yangyan could never have imagined that his precious daughter had just been used as a target for Li En's venting and had been thoroughly sedated.

Li En did not kill Gong Li directly. After all, if he did so, he would face the pursuit of the entire Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion. Although he might not be afraid, it was really unnecessary.

Moreover, after the previous battle, he actually found this cheap wife quite delicious and worth savoring repeatedly.

Unbeknownst to Li En, not long after he left, Gong Li tidied herself up, restored her former goddess appearance, and then went to her senior brother Han Yao's residence.

Afterwards, she and Han Yao went directly to the main building of the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion. It seemed that she was determined to sever ties with Li En. From Han Yao's undisguised excitement, it was not hard to tell that Han Yao must have received some kind of promise.

At this moment, inside the Wanjian Pavilion's main hall, Li En revealed his peak Douhuang strength in front of Gong Yangyan and a group of elders. In terms of Dou Qi, he was indeed only at the peak of Douhuang at the moment.

Of course, his combat power is not solely based on his battle qi. If he were to unleash his full power, he could even fight against a one-star Dou Zun.

However, when Gong Yangyan and the others saw that his true realm was only at the peak of Dou Huang, they were still somewhat disappointed, after all, they thought that Li En had really broken through to a three-star Dou Zong or above.

"So it really was just a special secret technique?" Gong Yangyan sighed inwardly. Although a forty-year-old peak Dou Huang was rare, he seemed less outstanding compared to a forty-year-old three-star Dou Zong. The other elders also sighed inwardly. They all hoped to see the Myriad Swords Pavilion produce a super genius who could ensure its prosperity for hundreds of years. After all, they and the Myriad Swords Pavilion were one; their fates were intertwined.

However, it seems that although Li En can be considered a genius, he has little hope of even breaking through to the Dou Zun level, let alone becoming a super strong person who surpasses Gong Yangyan.

"Chen Mu, you can go down now." Gong Yangyan said directly. His meaning was clear: Li En was not qualified to participate in this Pavilion Master Conference, since his strength was not yet sufficient to serve as a Pavilion Master.

Rean didn't say much and was about to leave when a cold voice suddenly came from outside the wide gate.

"Wait!" Immediately afterwards, Gong Li's figure in white appeared in everyone's sight, and behind her was Han Yao, who was also dressed in white.

"Huh? Daughter, what are you doing? We are holding a meeting of the Pavilion Masters. How can you bring an outsider in?" Gong Yangyan was immediately displeased. Although he valued Han Yao's talent and status, he would not allow an outsider to interfere with their meeting of the Pavilion Masters.

"He is not an outsider." At this moment, Gong Li spoke coldly in front of Li En and all the elders and pavilion masters. She did not look at Li En once, because she hated Li En so much that she felt disgusted even looking at him.

"He is my future husband." As soon as Gong Li said this, the hall fell silent instantly, and people's eyes turned to Li En and Han Yao with a hint of surprise.

"Insolence!" Gong Yangyan instantly flew into a rage, unleashing a terrifying aura that made everyone present feel breathless.

He glared at Gong Li and shouted, "What nonsense are you talking about? Have you forgotten that you are a married woman?"

Gong Li also sensed the terrifying rage emanating from her father, and her face paled slightly, but she still raised her head and shouted loudly:

“I do not acknowledge any relationship with him. I am here today to inform my father that I want to sever ties with him. Senior Brother Han Yao will become my husband. He is also willing to give up his identity in the Pill Tower and join my Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion.”

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the hall turned to look at Han Yao, and even Gong Yangyan fell silent.

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Han Yao glanced indifferently at Li En beside him and said loudly, "That's right, I am willing to give up my status as a core disciple of the Pill Tower and join the Myriad Swords Pavilion. I hope the Pavilion Master and the elders will not find it distasteful."

Han Yao is a Dou Huang powerhouse, and most importantly, he is a very noble eighth-grade alchemist.

There are no more than ten Rank 8 alchemists on the surface in the entire Dou Qi Continent, but in reality, there are probably no more than twenty. Each one of them is extremely precious.

The quality of an eighth-grade pill refined by an eighth-grade alchemist is determined by the number and colors of the pill lightning that appears when the pill is formed, ranging from two to nine colors.

Generally, any pill that has undergone seven or more colors of lightning can possess the ability to transform into a beast form, and its intelligence is extremely strong; a nine-colored, eighth-grade pill is enough to cause a frenzy among peak Dou Zun and a fight among half-saints.

Even the lowest grade eight pills have the potential to help a Dou Zong break through to Dou Zun, which shows how much help an eighth-grade alchemist can provide to a large sect.

Originally, Gong Yangyan and others believed that if Li En possessed strength above the three-star Dou Zong level, he would have a chance to surpass Gong Yangyan in the future. In addition, he grew up in the Wan Jian Ge, so his value was naturally far higher than Han Yao's.

But now that they know Li En is only at the peak of the Dou Huang realm, his value is far less than Han Yao's. If Han Yao is truly willing to give up his identity in the Pill Tower and join the Myriad Swords Pavilion, it is indeed a condition he cannot refuse. (End of Chapter)