The next day.

Jun Changxiao arranged everything properly and set off with Li Qingyang and the others.

After traveling for three days straight and entering the territory of Huaying Commandery, he ordered them all to change into black clothing.

When dealing with righteous sects like Vast Righteousness Sect, one could openly challenge them at their doorstep. But when dealing with evil sects like Black Eagle Hall, naturally one had to use different methods.

What methods?

Playing sneak attacks and ambushes, of course.

If the Seal-Opening Talisman weren’t so precious, only to be used in times of dire emergency, he’d be willing to use it.

Otherwise, Sect Master Jun wouldn’t go through such trouble—he’d just drag out his forty-meter greatsword and kill his way into Black Eagle Hall alone.

“Sect Master.”

After changing into black clothing, Ye Xingchen said indifferently, “It’s just destroying a seventh-rate sect. Why bring so many people? I alone am sufficient to resolve this.”

Night Emperor was still so domineering.

Indeed, during this period, tempering his body in the Training Tower had noticeably improved his physical strength.

His chest, abdomen, and arms bulged with muscle, but not at an explosive level—rather, they were very well-proportioned, very perfect.

What improved wasn’t just his physique.

Ye Xingchen hadn’t neglected his cultivation either. After returning for over half a month, his realm had advanced from Ninth-Rank Wutu to peak Wutu.

When just reborn, Li Qingyang had already possessed Wutu cultivation after participating in the sect competition.

Now Ye Xingchen had caught up all the way and even broken through to peak Wutu one step ahead of him. What did this indicate?

Worthy of being a Martial Emperor’s rebirth?

Wrong—it was because the Divine-Grade and Above Profound Mystery Scripture was truly mysterious!

One of the two cultivation methods left behind by the Profound Mystery Elder.

Since his rebirth, Ye Xingchen had constantly been comprehending it. Though he’d temporarily only grasped the second level, he’d still benefited immensely—otherwise he wouldn’t have broken through so quickly.

Looking at it currently.

Dying for this thing was still worth it.

Even more worthwhile was being forcibly recruited into the Iron Bones Sect with various resources provided.

According to normal novel plots.

After a Martial Emperor’s rebirth, they either join an academy or a sect.

Play around with various competitions, and when you beat the junior, the senior comes—every day either stomping on villains’ faces or on the road to stomping on villains’ faces.

What about our Night Emperor?

After joining the Iron Bones Sect, just showing a bit of performance gets you resources.

No need to engage in various competitions or stomp on various villains—just cultivate happily, living a wonderfully comfortable life.

Xiao Zueji was the same.

After joining the Iron Bones Sect, with resources provided by the Sect Master, there was no need to walk the protagonist’s difficult path.

Just wholeheartedly cultivate and continuously grow stronger.

This made things hard for Jun Changxiao.

As the master of a sect, wanting the sect to grow stronger and the disciples to grow stronger, he could only continuously earn money to support the family.

Sigh.

Being a protagonist was difficult, but being a sect master was even more difficult.

Ye Xingchen wouldn’t be satisfied with the current state. He still had great vengeance to repay and must obtain more resources to improve.

Therefore, for this trip to destroy Black Eagle Hall, he volunteered enthusiastically.

Unfortunately.

Even if Lord Night Emperor truly had the strength to destroy a seventh-rate sect, Jun Changxiao wouldn’t let him go alone—after all, the other disciples also needed training.

…

In Huaying Commandery stood a mountain that was called Black Eagle Mountain because eagle beasts constantly circled around it year-round.

A hundred years ago, an evil cultivator passed by this place by chance. Seeing that spiritual energy was abundant here, he established a sect on this mountain, founding Black Eagle Hall.

Because they followed crooked and evil paths, Black Eagle Hall had advanced from unranked to today’s seventh-rate in a short time.

To accomplish this in a hundred years was truly rare and precious.

Several decades ago, the first Hall Master, in pursuit of a higher realm, left the sect, and his eldest disciple Lie Heisha succeeded him as the second Hall Master.

Lie Heisha was a person with a cruel and ruthless heart, extremely vicious. He often went to rob other forces and independent cultivators, so the sect’s development speed became even faster.

Black Eagle Mountain—mountains connected to mountains, undulating continuously.

The valley below the mountainside seemed cleaved by a giant axe, with river waters surging forth with tremendous momentum.

On the mountaintop, large and small buildings were arrayed—that was Black Eagle Hall’s headquarters and main base.

At this moment.

Inside Black Eagle Hall’s great hall.

Hall Master Lie Heisha sat in the seat of honor, his brow radiating intense killing intent.

Vice Hall Master He Qing had taken over sixty disciples to Death Valley for training over half a month ago and hadn’t returned, making him realize something was wrong. He’d sent people to investigate.

This morning, news had arrived.

Vice Hall Master He had come to Death Valley and learned from independent cultivators that the Iron Bones Sect had come out from inside, so he led his subordinates in pursuit.

Then… they lost contact.

“Hall Master.”

Another Vice Hall Master, after reading the letter, said, “Vice Hall Master He hasn’t returned to this day. I’m afraid he’s met with misfortune. The Iron Bones Sect definitely can’t escape responsibility.”

“Crack.”

The violent and cruel Lie Heisha crushed his teacup, full of killing intent, and said, “Summon the brothers to follow this seat to the Iron Bones Sect!”

Exactly as Jun Changxiao had thought.

This kind of evil sect, once they suspected you, wouldn’t bother with evidence at all and would just bring people to kill you.

“Yes.”

The Vice Hall Master hurriedly left.

“Hmph.”

Lie Heisha’s killing intent grew increasingly intense as he said, “The Iron Bones Sect dares to kill this seat’s people, then there’s no need for them to exist.”

Clearly, he was heading there to exterminate the entire sect.

“Hall Master.”

Sitting in the lower seat, a goateed middle-aged man in long robes said with a grave expression, “This Iron Bones Sect is somewhat unusual.”

His name was Yang Zhi.

His cultivation wasn’t particularly impressive, but he was Black Eagle Hall’s strategist.

When going out to rob and such, everything was arranged and planned by him. Having pulled off so many jobs, they rarely failed.

“Oh?”

Lie Heisha said, “How are they unusual?”

Yang Zhi said, “As far as I know, this Iron Bones Sect recently went to challenge Vast Righteousness Sect.”

Lie Heisha’s expression froze, and he said in surprise, “Could this sect also be a sixth-rate sect, daring to challenge a sixth-rate sect?”

If they were sixth-rate, he’d need to be cautious.

He couldn’t impulsively rush over to kill them—he’d have to play dirty tricks instead.

Yang Zhi said, “The Iron Bones Sect is nin—oh no, they’re an eighth-rate sect that only recently advanced.”

“What?”

Lie Heisha’s eyes widened as he said, “A newly advanced eighth-rate sect went to challenge a sixth-rate sect like Vast Righteousness Sect?”

Yang Zhi said, “I went to the city to purchase supplies and heard this news. I also found it somewhat unbelievable.”

Lie Heisha laughed and said, “Daring to challenge Qin Haoran, they must have been thrashed so badly they couldn’t tell north from south.”

“Quite the contrary.”

Yang Zhi said, “The one who was thrashed was Qin Haoran and several of his personal disciples.”

More detailed information was unknown, as this matter occurred in Qingyang Commandery, and the only way to obtain information was through hearsay.

“Nonsense!”

Lie Heisha slapped the table and said, “How could a worthless eighth-rate sect thrash Qin Haoran? Mister Yang must have heard rumors.”

“Hall Master.”

Yang Zhi said seriously, “This matter may not be without foundation. This subordinate believes that since we’re going to deal with the Iron Bones Sect, we still need to plan carefully and absolutely cannot act rashly.”

Lie Heisha still trusted him greatly, because many times, the suggestions he gave were extremely important and had avoided quite a few casualties during robberies.

“Mister Yang.”

He said, “In your view, what should we do?”

Yang Zhi said, “Currently, we still can’t confirm whether the Iron Bones Sect is the culprit. We can first send people with the Blood Recognition Technique to confirm whether they carry the blood energy of Vice Hall Master He and the others.”

“And if they do?” Lie Heisha said.

Yang Zhi narrowed his small eyes and said coldly, “We can blockade the Iron Bones Sect from outside, killing their disciples one by one as they come out, making them die with unresolved grievances.”

If Jun Changxiao heard these words, he’d definitely pull out his Desert Eagle and shoot him with one bullet, because what he hated most was precisely this kind of method.

“Good.”

Lie Heisha decided, “Let the Hunting Group go. With their strength, they should be able to make the Iron Bones Sect restless.”

The so-called Blood Recognition Technique was a rather sinister cultivation method, while the Hunting Group was Black Eagle Hall’s elite division.

Hall Master Lie dispatching them meant that once they confirmed the Vice Hall Master’s blood energy, they’d truly employ all kinds of cruel methods.

Unfortunately.

While the two were deliberating here.

At the mountain’s base, Jun Changxiao had already rendezvoused with Li Luoqiu, who had arrived one step ahead, and was setting about arranging the plan to destroy Black Eagle Hall.