I just want to be a middleman between the two worlds.

The battle inside the Sihai Chamber of Commerce's private room ended faster than expected.

The surprise attack from the powerful flashlight was extremely effective. Liu Neng was just a supervisor with mediocre cultivation; the moment he was blinded by the bright light, he immediately clutched his eyes, screamed, and collapsed to the ground, no longer posing a threat. Although the two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators were experienced, their movements were inevitably momentarily halted by the panic of having their sight instantly taken away.

This stagnation determined the outcome.

Su Muxi's sword moved like a dragon, seizing the opening where her opponent's mind had faltered. The tip of her sword emitted a pale blue, cold light as she unleashed the ultimate move of the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique, "Clouds Break, Moon Arrives," aiming straight for the throat of the cultivator on the left. The cultivator barely managed to raise his blade to parry, but he was a fraction of a second too slow. The sword sliced ​​across his shoulder blade, spraying blood, and he screamed as he staggered backward.

Another cultivator roared and swung his sword at Su Muxi's flank, attempting to relieve the siege by attacking from the rear. But Lu Yan was already prepared. He shone another powerful flashlight on her and at the same time threw a small "stun grenade" (crudely made by Li Mo using the principle of firecrackers, with sound and light effects outweighing its destructive power) at the other's feet.

With a muffled thud and a blinding flash, the cultivator's movements were distorted once again. Su Muxi swung her sword back, precisely deflecting his weapon, and the tip of her sword struck a vital point on his chest. With a burst of spiritual energy, she instantly caused him to collapse to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, one of the two late-stage Qi Refining experts was injured and the other captured! Upon seeing this, Liu Neng turned ashen-faced and tried to scramble away, but Lu Yan kicked him over and tied him up securely with the ropes he had prepared.

"Search them, gag them," Lu Yan calmly ordered. Su Muxi acted swiftly, finding some spirit stones, talismans, and pills on the two cultivators, and then gagged the three of them with rags.

"Let's go! Back to the sect!" Without hesitation, Lu Yan and Su Muxi rushed out of the elegant room. There were still some guards downstairs at the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce, but seeing the blood-dripping longsword in Su Muxi's hand and Lu Yan's unknown "magic weapon" (a powerful flashlight), none of them dared to stop them. The two rushed out of the Chamber of Commerce, using their movement techniques, like two wisps of green smoke, and sped towards Liuyun Mountain.

Meanwhile, the battle on Liuyun Mountain has reached a fever pitch.

Black Wind Stronghold had mobilized its entire force, outnumbering the Flowing Cloud Sect disciples several times over. Under He Biao's supervision, the bandits relentlessly charged the Flowing Cloud Sect's defenses. Uncle Zhao directed his disciples to tenaciously resist from the fortifications, arrows and stones raining down, while occasional exploding packets of chili powder created chaos and panic among the crowd. However, the disparity in strength was too great; the defenses were breached in several places, disciples were already wounded, and the situation was extremely precarious.

"Hold on! For the sect!" Uncle Zhao, his beard and hair bristling, personally swung his sword and cut down a bandit who charged at him, but more enemies surged forward.

"Hahaha! You trash of the Flowing Cloud Sect, prepare to die!" He Biao, his one eye bloodshot, brandished his ghost-head saber, slashing away an incoming arrow, and strode forward with fierce momentum, about to break through the last line of defense.

At this critical moment!

"Whoosh—Bang!"

A green signal arrow, trailing a dazzling flame, exploded in the sky above Liuyun Mountain! It was the signal Lu Yan had arranged beforehand—the reinforcements were about to arrive, and the trap to lure the enemy in was complete!

Almost simultaneously with the launch of the signal arrow, a thick, conspicuous column of yellow smoke shot into the sky from the rear of the Black Wind Stronghold troops, towards the north slope! That was the signal smoke lit by Wang Lei and Zhang Daniu!

"What happened?"

"What happened next?"

"Is there an ambush?"

The Black Wind Stronghold bandits' offensive suddenly slowed down, and many of them turned around in alarm. He Biao was also taken aback, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

Just as morale was wavering, Scarface, who was mixed in with the bandits, suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs, as planned: "It's bad! We've fallen into a trap! He Biao wants to use the Flowing Cloud Sect to kill all of us brothers here so he can pocket the bounty from the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce! Third Boss! Brother Jiang! You must avenge us!"

His shout was like a bucket of cold water poured into boiling oil! Jiang Kui, the third-in-command known as "Broken Mountain Bear," who had long harbored resentment towards He Biao and already had doubts about this risky operation, was now even more suspicious upon hearing this and seeing the signal smoke behind them. He glared at He Biao and shouted, "He Biao! Is Scarface telling the truth?!"

"Bullshit! Jiang Kui, don't listen to this traitor's nonsense!" He Biao was both shocked and furious. He never expected that Scarface would actually betray them!

The bandit group instantly teetered on the brink of infighting, their morale plummeting. Seeing this, the disciples of the Flowing Cloud Sect, their spirits soaring, launched a counter-attack under the leadership of their Uncle-Master Zhao!

Just then, Lu Yan and Su Muxi appeared as if they were divine soldiers descending from the sky, shooting out of the forest on the side of the stronghold!

"He Biao! Your death is near!" Su Muxi shouted, her sword flashing like a bolt of lightning, heading straight for He Biao!

Lu Yan, wielding a powerful flashlight, shone it wildly at the chaotic crowd of bandits, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Listen up, Black Wind Stronghold people! He Biao, in collusion with the Four Seas Merchant Guild, intends to kill you all! Lay down your weapons and you will be spared! Those who resist will be killed without mercy!"

The blinding light and the piercing words were devastating! The already chaotic Black Wind Stronghold bandits completely collapsed when they saw their leader being entangled by Su Muxi, the third leader seemingly turning against them, and the signal for an ambush from behind!

"I surrender! Don't kill me!"

"He Biao ruined me!"

"Run!"

The bandits cried out in despair, discarding their weapons and fleeing in panic. Seeing this, Jiang Kui sighed and turned to leave with his trusted men, no longer wanting to get involved in this mess.

He Biao was already at a disadvantage fighting Su Muxi alone. Now that he saw that the situation was hopeless, he was terrified and tried to escape after making a feint with his sword.

"Where do you think you're going!" Su Muxi pressed forward with her sword, giving him no chance whatsoever.

Lu Yan seized the opportunity, maneuvered the drone to swoop down, and precisely smashed the last "concentrated scent bomb" onto He Biao's bald head!

"Pfft!" Red oil smeared on his face, and the pungent smell exploded instantly!

"Ah—!" He Biao let out a scream ten times more agonizing than the last one from the small leader. He had completely lost the ability to resist and was stabbed through the thigh by Su Muxi's sword, captured alive!

As the sun rose above the horizon, its golden rays bathed Liuyun Mountain. On the battlefield, the smoke (chili powder) hadn't yet dissipated, but the shouts of battle had subsided. The Black Wind Stronghold bandits were either dead or captured, the rest scattering in all directions. The Liuyun Sect disciples, supporting each other, looked at the carnage and the captured He Biao, their faces filled with unbelievable, euphoric joy at surviving such a catastrophe!

"We won! We held on!"

"Long live Senior Brother Lu! Long live Senior Sister Su!"

Cheers echoed through the valley. Uncle Zhao, tears streaming down his face, looked at Lu Yan and Su Muxi approaching and bowed deeply: "Young Master Lu, Muxi, you are the benefactors who revived the Flowing Cloud Sect!"

Lu Yan helped his Uncle Zhao up, looking at the excited crowd before him, his heart filled with emotion. That night, he had used intelligence, technology, people's hearts, and strategy to ultimately defeat the stronger enemy and win this crucial victory.

"Clean up the battlefield, treat the wounded, and count the prisoners." Lu Yan quickly issued the orders, but his gaze was fixed on the direction of the Qingtai Market at the foot of the mountain. Although the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce had suffered a temporary setback, it would not give up so easily. Moreover, after this battle, the names "Liuyun Sect" and "Lu Yan" would probably truly enter the sights of some forces in the Qingxuan Realm.

The crisis has been temporarily averted, but greater challenges and opportunities may have only just begun. He touched the warm jade pendant on his chest, feeling the energy within it that seemed to be more active. A thought became clearer: he must improve his strength as soon as possible, whether it was his personal cultivation, the power of his sect, or... that nascent "domain technology".

After being baptized in blood and fire, the path of these middlemen has become even wider.