“Great Elder, we’ve arrived,” Chouniu gently pulled the reins, bringing the carriage to a stop before a courtyard.

Bai Hehuai lifted the curtain and peered out. Before she stood what appeared to be an utterly ordinary courtyard, distinguished only by a coat of blood-red paint. She asked in confusion, “This is the so-called nest?”

“What do you know!” Chouniu turned and snapped in a low voice.

“Spider Shadow maintains such nests in both Beili and Nanjue. The saying goes ‘spiders return to their nests’ – each location is built like a fortress prepared for battle. Don’t underestimate this courtyard. For ordinary people who step in here, there are a hundred ways to die,” the Great Elder touched the Sleeping Dragon Sword at her waist. “That’s why many people don’t want us to enter.”

“Great Elder, watch out!” Chouniu suddenly whirled around with a shout.

A masked burly man wielding a massive ring blade descended from above, striking directly at the carriage. There was a loud “bang,” and the man’s ring blade cracked, while the carriage merely shook slightly. The Great Elder let out a cold snort: “With just this level of skill, you dare try to kill me?”

The burly man landed on the ground, stumbling back several steps. At the same time, several masked figures in green robes rushed out from the corners, drawing their weapons and charging at the burly man. A person wearing purple boots emerged from behind the burly man, drawing a flexible sword with a swift motion to rescue him.

Chouniu snorted coldly: “It’s the Xie family’s people.”

“Chouniu, no need to state the obvious,” the Great Elder said in a deep voice.

“Great Elder, since the Xie family dares to make such a move, there’s no need to show them any courtesy anymore,” Chouniu cursed under his breath.

The purple-booted person and the burly man immediately stood back-to-back, one wielding a sword and the other a blade, blocking the attacks from the Spider Shadow assassins. Behind them, a group of white-robed figures suddenly took to the air, each holding a faint silk thread that extended from the end of the long street. They yanked upward sharply, directly slicing a Spider Shadow assassin in half!

“They’ve laid down the Heaven’s Net Formation!” Chouniu drew the long blade from his waist.

“Heaven’s Net Formation?” Bai Hehuai startled slightly.

“Don’t look!” Chouniu quickly pulled down the curtain, trying to block Bai Hehuai’s view, but in that final moment, she still saw the horse in front of them being cut into two by an almost invisible silk thread. Blood sprayed toward her, but thankfully Chouniu had pulled down the curtain in time to block the blood. The carriage then crashed heavily to the ground.

“Chouniu!” Bai Hehuai cried out, stumbling and nearly falling.

“Not dead yet,” Chouniu’s heavy breathing came from outside the carriage.

The Great Elder thoughtfully stroked the Sleeping Dragon Sword in her hand.

“Great Elder, didn’t you say this carriage was impervious to weapons and full of mechanisms?” Bai Hehuai asked urgently. “Why aren’t we using them?”

“It’s too late, he’s already inside,” the Great Elder smiled.

“He?” Bai Hehuai looked up at the curtain and noticed the bloodstains had transformed into eerily beautiful red flowers. She suddenly turned her head to find an extremely thin man in white robes sitting between her and the Great Elder. The man held a white handkerchief, covering his mouth as he coughed lightly. When he lowered the handkerchief, it was spotted with blood.

“Ah, it’s Fanhua,” the Great Elder smiled faintly.

“It’s been a while, Great Elder. Please forgive this subordinate for not paying proper respects due to my poor health,” Xie Fanhua bowed slightly, then raised the handkerchief again to cover another fit of heavy coughing.

“Consumption ghost,” Bai Hehuai frowned slightly. “Your illness has seeped into your bones. Even the gods couldn’t cure you now.”

“Indeed, I’m a man destined to die soon. That’s why I dare to come to see the Great Elder so directly, without fear of punishment,” Xie Fanhua grinned.

“So what is it you wish to tell me?” the Great Elder asked with a smile.

Xie Fanhua sighed lightly: “Great Elder, you’ve held this position for a long time. Now that you’re severely injured, wouldn’t it be better to retire and enjoy your remaining years, letting someone in their prime handle these troublesome matters?”

“Someone in their prime – you mean that boy Xie Ba?” the Great Elder said softly.

“Our Xie family’s patriarch has devoted himself to the Dark River these years. He’s naturally the best choice,” Xie Fanhua said calmly.

“And if I refuse?” the Great Elder’s voice deepened.

“If the Great Elder refuses, then Fanhua will have to be discourteous,” Xie Fanhua lowered his head slightly.

Bai Hehuai kept her hands within her sleeves, gripping two silver needles, ready to strike at any moment.

The Great Elder seemed unbothered by Xie Fanhua’s challenge, continuing to smile faintly while stroking the hilt of the Sleeping Dragon Sword: “What you want is nothing more than my Sleeping Dragon Sword.”

Xie Fanhua looked up, his eyes revealing a hint of greed as he gazed at the lifelike sleeping dragon carved on the sword hilt: “Only one who holds the Sleeping Dragon Sword is the true master of the Dark River!”

“Since you know this, then you should also see who currently holds the Sleeping Dragon Sword,” the Great Elder suddenly raised her head. “As long as I hold the Sleeping Dragon Sword, I still command the Dark River!”

The sleeping dragon’s eyes suddenly opened, emitting a golden light!

Xie Fanhua quickly dodged to the side as the Sleeping Dragon Sword passed within an inch of his neck. He immediately crouched down, shaking his sleeves to reveal two black short blades in his hands, sweeping forward to counter-attack the Great Elder. But in the next instant, his figure suddenly vanished, reappearing behind the Great Elder.

Bai Hehuai blinked hard, afraid she was seeing things.

“Ghost Blade!” the Great Elder shouted angrily, flicking her wrist to sweep the two black blades aside with the Sleeping Dragon Sword, then striking toward Xie Fanhua’s chest.

Xie Fanhua was shocked – how could such power come from a dying person? He quickly retreated, flying out of the carriage, but before leaving, he flicked an incense stick that landed between Bai Hehuai and the Great Elder.

“Go!” The Great Elder’s hand swept out, and the Sleeping Dragon Sword flew from the carriage. With a sound like breaking strings, all the silk threads outside the carriage were shattered by the Sleeping Dragon Sword. The Spider Shadow assassins immediately broke free from the Heaven’s Net Formation’s containment, retreating to guard the carriage.

“Soul-Drawing Incense?” Bai Hehuai’s silver needles immediately flew out, cutting the incense stick in half, but strangely, even with half its length severed, the remaining portion continued to burn.

“Return!” The Great Elder grasped the Sleeping Dragon Sword, waving it to shatter the incense stick to powder.