I run a casino in the immortal realm.

Li Jianfeng had already stood on the second-floor rooftop at some point. He drew his sword, his movements simple to the extreme.

A sword was swung out.

There were no fancy sword moves, only a crescent-shaped sword aura three zhang long, like frost from the depths of hell, sweeping out along the ground.

Wherever the sword energy passed, it carved a deep furrow into the bluestone pavement.

The seven or eight men in black running at the front didn't even have time to scream before they were sliced ​​into pieces by the sword energy, their severed limbs scattered all over the ground.

One-sided massacre.

Three Nascent Soul stage killing gods dealing with a group of assassins who hadn't even reached the late Nascent Soul stage was like cutting melons and vegetables.

In the time it takes to drink a bowl of tea, Chang Le Street returned to its deathly silence.

Twenty masked men, none survived. The thick stench of blood filled the air.

"This is so boring, it wasn't even enough to warm me up."

Ouyang Zhan flicked the blood off his knife and muttered something in dissatisfaction.

The owl didn't speak, but silently crouched down and began searching the body.

"Aside from their weapons, they have no other means of identification; they are assassins."

Night Owl stood up, his voice completely calm.

Li Jianfeng gracefully descended from the rooftop, sheathing his sword: "Forget about identities, hurry up and clean up the battlefield, make sure it's clean before dawn."

The three of them moved swiftly, took out an empty storage bag, and stuffed it full of the corpses, fragments, and even the blood-soaked bluestone slabs on the ground.

However, Ouyang Zhan carried several buckets of water and washed the street until no obvious bloodstains were visible.

After dealing with everything, Night Owl picked up the storage bag full of corpses and disappeared into the night in a flash.

He was going to the SF Express dock to throw these things into the deep sea to feed the fish.

The next morning, the atmosphere in the study of the Zhao family compound was so oppressive it was suffocating.

Zhao Wuji didn't sleep all night, waiting for news. But by daybreak, the twenty Earth-rank assassins he had sent out had vanished without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea.

The steward rushed in, sweating profusely, and knelt on the ground: "Master, something has happened. News has come from Chang Le Street that Duobao Pavilion is open for business as usual today, and the area in front of the store is clean and tidy, and nothing has happened."

"Nothing happened?"

Zhao Wuji grabbed the steward by the collar, his eyes terrifying: "Twenty assassins, three of whom are in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and you're telling me nothing happened? Where are they?!"

"No...we didn't find anyone. Not even a drop of blood was left."

The manager's voice trembled.

Zhao Wuji released his grip and slumped into the armchair, his brows furrowed into a tight knot.

The fact that twenty assassins disappeared without a trace—what does that signify?

This indicates that the Treasure Pavilion harbors an extremely formidable expert whose strength far surpasses that of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Such an expert could even instantly kill them, leaving them no chance to send out a distress signal.

"Well done, Zheng Yifei! Well done, Duobaoge! It seems I underestimated these outsiders."

Zhao Wuji took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He carefully reviewed the arrangements made last night.

Although those twenty assassins were not the Zhao family's most elite force, their teamwork was excellent, and even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would have to suffer greatly if they encountered them.

To be able to annihilate them all in such a short time and destroy all evidence, the other side must have at least one Nascent Soul cultivator in charge, and definitely more than one.

"Master, what do we do now?"

The manager asked.

A fierce glint flashed in Zhao Wuji's eyes: "Since they have experts at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, sending more people will only lead to their deaths. This Liuhua County will not tolerate any forces that are not under the control of our three major families."

He stood up, and his aura suddenly erupted, a terrifying spiritual pressure belonging to a Nascent Soul cultivator instantly sweeping across the entire study.

The tea set on the table shattered under this oppressive force.

"This group of immigrants actually includes Nascent Soul cultivators at the peak of their cultivation, and there's more than one. It seems I'll have to take action myself."

Zhao Wuji said coldly. He hadn't personally taken action for a long time, but he knew that only a Nascent Soul cultivator could achieve a fatal blow against a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Meanwhile, in a private room on the second floor of Duobaoge.

Zheng Yifei also received Li Jianfeng's message and rushed to the shop immediately. He sat in a grand chair, listened to Ouyang Zhan and Li Jianfeng's detailed report on last night's battle, and lightly tapped his fingers on the table.

"Twenty assassins, three of whom are in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. It seems the Zhao family is truly desperate."

Zheng Yifei's face was ashen.

"Yifei, those guys are too weak. How about I sneak into the Zhao family compound tonight and chop that patriarch down?"

Ouyang Zhan said nonchalantly.

"Nonsense."

Zheng Yifei glared at him: "This is the Eastern Divine Continent, not the Southern Wilderness. The Zhao family has been able to stand in Liuhua County for so many years, their foundation is unfathomable. As far as I know, the Zhao family patriarch, Zhao Wuji, is a genuine early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator."

Upon hearing the words "early stage of Nascent Soul," Ouyang Zhan and Li Jianfeng's expressions also turned serious.

The difference between the Nascent Soul stage and the Deity Transformation stage may seem to be only one major realm, but the gap in strength is worlds apart.

A cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage can already mobilize the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and their magical power is inexhaustible; it cannot be easily replenished by sheer numbers.

"You killed so many of them last night, Zhao Wuji must have already realized your true strength. Ordinary assassins are useless, and he will definitely not let this go. Next, he will likely take action personally."

Zheng Yifei analyzed.

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the bustling street. Duobao Pavilion was now their foundation; it absolutely could not be lost.

"Yifei, if the Nascent Soul stage really comes, the three of us probably won't be able to stop it."

Li Jianfeng stated truthfully. Although his sword energy was sharp, it was extremely difficult to break through the protective aura of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.

Zheng Yifei nodded and took out two communication talismans from his storage bag.

"I will immediately send a message to Sect Master Ouyang and Sect Master Murong. They are both at the early stage of Nascent Soul. Sect Master Ouyang has extremely high attainments in formations, and Sect Master Murong has several high-level magic treasures. I will have them come over immediately."

Zheng Yifei infused his spiritual power into the communication talisman, whispered a few words, and the talisman transformed into a flame and flew out of the window.

"Starting tonight, the two sect leaders and the three of you will take turns keeping watch in the shop. Sect Leader Ouyang will set up a fifth-order trapping formation in the shop, so even if four Nascent Soul cultivators come, they won't be able to escape unscathed."

A ruthless glint flashed in Zheng Yifei's eyes.

He knew very well that in the world of cultivation, constant concessions would only lead to further exploitation. Only by inflicting pain and fear on the other side could Duobao Pavilion truly gain a foothold in Liuhua County.

So what if he's at the Nascent Soul stage? Cultivators from the Southern Wilderness Domain are least afraid of killing people of higher levels.

Zheng Yifei then called Zhao Ling over and had all the fifth and sixth-order pill formulas he had memorized in the county government's library copied onto jade slips and handed them to her.

"Zhao Ling, these are the formulas for top-grade pills needed to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. We'll handle the troubles outside. Your task now is to refine these pills as quickly as possible, at all costs. Once we both break through to the Nascent Soul stage, we'll be the ones to set the rules for Liuhua County."

Zhao Ling took the jade slip, scanned it with her divine sense, and her eyes burst with fanatical light. For a pill fanatic, nothing was more exciting than a high-level pill formula.

Zhao Ling solemnly promised.

Zheng Yifei nodded, his gaze returning to the window. A storm was brewing; the night in Liuhua County was destined to be anything but peaceful.

On Chang Le Street, the place was bustling with activity as the staff of Duobao Pavilion were busy attending to customers.

Unbeknownst to anyone, beneath this seemingly prosperous and peaceful facade, a shocking killing plot targeting Nascent Soul stage cultivators was being quietly laid out.