Chapter 279: The Master Descends! An Oscar-Winning Performance!
Meanwhile.
The screen of the secure phone lit up with a harsh glare in the dimly lit room.
Shen Anyu took out his phone, his gaze sweeping over the encrypted message. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
The person who sent him the message was, surprisingly, a high-ranking remnant of the [Netherworld Palace].
In the previous conflicts, the ninety-nine branch palaces of the [Netherworld Palace] had basically been uprooted by Shen Anyu's private army and the Shen Family's military might. It was a massacre that shook the underground world.
But a centipede, even when dead, still wriggles. There were still scattered remnants outside who had escaped the calamity because they were on missions or simply lucky enough to be away from the base.
During the subsequent pursuit, most of them were hunted down like dogs.
But among those who remained, the smartest ones—the ones who valued their lives more than loyalty—had secretly submitted to Shen Anyu.
In this world, true martyrs are rare. Even if the [Child of Destiny] has a "Leadership Halo" that inspires loyalty, Shen Anyu's title of [Destined Villain] came with its own perks: "Absolute Fear" and "Infinite Resources."
Between dying for a lost cause and living with wealth and power under a new master, the choice was simple. After a series of threats, inducements, and selective killings, one after another, the pillars of the enemy crumbled.
The person who sent the message to Shen Anyu this time was the most significant turncoat among them: Guo Laoliu, the Palace Master of the Sixth Branch Palace.
[Guo Laoliu: Young Master, urgent report. That person has already come down the mountain. He has learned that the Netherworld Palace was destroyed and the Young Master was captured. He is furious. He is preparing to raid the detention site tonight to rescue Ye Yan and make a move against you!]
Shen Anyu's eyes immediately sharpened into cold blades.
"Tian Yunzi!"
Ye Yan's Master. The Supreme Palace Master of the [Netherworld Palace]. A legendary figure in the hidden martial arts world. A top expert at the [Heavenly Human Realm].
He has finally come down the mountain!
Originally, Shen Anyu planned to play it safe. He wanted to wait until he had accumulated 10 million [Destiny Points], upgraded the System to Level 4, and unlocked higher-tier cultivation methods before personally going deep into the mountains to hunt Tian Yunzi.
Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Dealing with a top expert at the [Heavenly Human Realm]—someone who could fly short distances and shatter tanks with their bare hands—required absolute certainty.
Furthermore, Shen Anyu's maternal grandfather (Head of the An Family) and paternal grandfather (Head of the Shen Family) were already mobilizing their own hidden experts to form a net.
But Tian Yunzi came down faster than expected.
"Ye Yan still has over a million [Destiny Points] left," Shen Anyu mused, tapping the table. "Is this the Heavenly Dao's final struggle? A desperate counterattack triggered by the protagonist's impending doom?"
"Tian Yunzi, who was deep in seclusion in the Kunlun Mountains, shouldn't have received the news so quickly. Someone—or something—must have tipped him off."
"However... it doesn't matter!"
Shen Anyu stood up, buttoning his suit jacket. He walked to the window, looking out at the sprawling Jiangjing Manor. He revealed a sunny, hearty smile that didn't reach his cold eyes.
"He's here. Just in time. It saves me the trouble of finding him."
"Let's have a family reunion in hell."
...
In a secluded, dilapidated courtyard in the suburbs of the Demon Capital (Modu).
The atmosphere was suffocating.
Guo Laoliu wiped the sweat from his forehead as he stepped out of the makeshift restroom. He looked like an honest, simple middle-aged man—the type you'd see selling vegetables at a market. From his appearance, it was hard to tell that he was a ruthless [Grandmaster]-level killer who had slaughtered countless people.
Or that he had just betrayed his supreme leader.
After ensuring the text message was sent and deleted, he composed his expression, putting on a mask of grief and loyalty, and returned to the main hall.
Inside the hall, the air was thick with tension.
An immortal-like old man with white hair and a long beard sat high in the center of the main hall. He sat on the only remaining piece of decent furniture—a red sandalwood Grandmaster's chair. His demeanor was extraordinary, like a Taoist sage who had transcended the mortal world.
However, at this moment, the immortal-like old man's face was ashen. His eyes burned with a terrifying fire, like a dormant volcano about to erupt and bury everything in ash.
It was Tian Yunzi.
Surrounding him were the tattered remnants of the [Netherworld Palace]—about a dozen high-ranking killers and elders. They were filled with grief and indignation, speaking in hushed, fearful tones:
"Old Palace Master! You must avenge the Netherworld Palace! That Shen Anyu is truly insane; he used heavy artillery and gunships! He destroyed our base without mercy! Countless brothers died tragically on the spot!"
"Yes, Old Palace Master! Even the Grand Protector was killed by Shen Anyu's subordinates. His head was hung on the gates!"
"Old Palace Master, the Young Master... Ye Yan has been captured by Shen Anyu. We haven't heard from him since. Who knows what torture he is suffering?"
"Old Palace Master, the Yanxia Shen Family is a powerful force in the secular world. They control the army and the police. This matter requires careful consideration!"
"..."
These remnants were a mix of hawks and doves. Some wanted blood, some wanted to flee. But in front of Tian Yunzi, none dared to suggest retreat.
Seeing this scene, Tian Yunzi's expression softened a bit. He stroked his beard, thinking to himself that despite the disaster, the core of the [Netherworld Palace] was still loyal. They didn't flinch even when facing the titan that was the Yanxia Shen Family.
"At least the sect's spirit is not dead," he thought.
But then, his thoughts turned to his disciple, and his face darkened again.
"Ye Yan... Oh, Yan'er! Why were you so impulsive?!"
Tian Yunzi sighed deeply, a sound that seemed to vibrate the very air in the room.
"I repeatedly warned you! Do not rush into conflict with the true rulers of the secular world! Develop your strength! Build your harem! Form alliances with other families! Only act when you are invincible!"
"But you... for a woman, you provoked the Shen Family prematurely. And now? The Netherworld Palace is wiped out. Decades of foundation, gone in a night."
"This matter indeed requires careful consideration," Tian Yunzi said aloud, his voice deep and resonant. "But first, we must rescue Yan. He is the future of our sect."
Although he was very disappointed with Ye Yan for messing up, Ye Yan was, after all, his most valued closed-door disciple. He was the [Child of Destiny] he had handpicked. Their bond was deeper than blood.
"Guo Laoliu."
Tian Yunzi's gaze shifted, locking onto the honest-looking man who had just entered.
"How was your intelligence gathering? How is Yan'er's current situation? Where is he being held?"
Everyone's eyes turned to Guo Laoliu in unison.
Since Guo Laoliu and his Sixth Palace were on an external mission when the base was bombed, they survived with their strength relatively intact. He had always been known for his loyalty and honesty, so at this critical moment, Tian Yunzi regarded him as a trusted right-hand man.
Thud!
Guo Laoliu didn't hesitate. He immediately fell to his knees, his face twisting in anguish.
"Reporting to Old Palace Master!"
"During this period, I, Guo Laoliu, risked my life! I bribed officials, I interrogated Shen Family servants, I crawled through sewers! I investigated repeatedly, and finally... finally found where the Young Master is being held!"
At this point, Guo Laoliu's acting skills peaked. His eyes immediately turned red, bloodshot with lack of sleep and "grief." Tears welled up in his eyes.
"The Young Master... is truly too miserable!"
"His tendons... his hamstrings and hand tendons were severed on the spot by that Shen Anyu! His martial arts are crippled!"
"He is imprisoned in a water dungeon! Suffering torture and beatings day and night! They... they feed him pig swill!"
"If I didn't know that my meager strength would be useless... if I didn't know that the dungeon is surrounded by several [Grandmasters] and dozens of [Master-level] experts with heavy weapons... I, Laoliu, would rather exchange my life for his!"
"Old Palace Master! Please save the Young Master quickly! Otherwise... otherwise he will be tortured to death by that beast Shen Anyu!"
Guo Laoliu slammed his head against the floor. Bang! Bang! Bang!
Silence.
Dead silence.
Then—
BOOM!
A terrifying wave of Qi exploded from the center of the room.
Tian Yunzi stood up with a roar.
The explosive pressure directly crushed the solid red sandalwood Grandmaster's chair beneath him into splinters. The marble floor under his feet groaned and shattered, dense spiderweb-like cracks spreading out for meters.
The air in the room became heavy, as if gravity had increased tenfold.
The surrounding remnants trembled like small boats in a tsunami. Some of the weaker ones fell to their knees, unable to breathe.
Guo Laoliu, kneeling on the ground with his head buried, felt his heart trembling for real this time.
"Is this the power of a top expert at the [Heavenly Human Realm]?" he thought in terror. "It's monstrous! If my identity as an inside agent were exposed right now... he wouldn't even need to touch me. One thought, and I would be paste."
Now, Guo Laoliu could only pray that Young Master Shen's preparations were solid. Otherwise, they were all going to die.
"Shen... An... Yu!!!"
Tian Yunzi roared, his voice filled with killing intent that chilled the bone.
He was furious. Truly furious. He had sensed that Ye Yan was in trouble, but he hadn't expected it to be this tragic. Crippled? Tortured? Fed pig swill?
This was a slap in the face of the [Netherworld Palace]. A slap in the face of a [Heavenly Human]!
"This old man will certainly make that Shen Anyu pay a heavy price! I will extract his soul and burn it in lamp oil for a hundred years to atone for the Netherworld Palace and for Yan'er!"
Tian Yunzi's hair floated around him without wind, his aura expanding.
"Hmph! It's just a few [Grandmasters] and dozens of [Masters]?"
"In the eyes of a [Heavenly Human], they are nothing but ants! Breaking their formation is as easy as picking something out of a bag!"
Tian Yunzi looked down at his subordinates with a cold and arrogant expression, his confidence absolute.
"Tonight! We move!"
"We will raid the dungeon and rescue Yan'er. And if that Shen Anyu is there... we will capture him alive!"
"I will hang him on the gates of the Shen Family to serve as a warning to the world!"
...
Miles away, in the comfort of his study.
"Hehe... capture me alive?"
Shen Anyu watched this scene in high definition through the projection on his wall.
The feed came from a [Nanometer Monitoring Robot] hidden in the collar of Guo Laoliu's shirt.
He sipped his red wine, his smile widening.
"Confidence is good, Old Man. But arrogance is fatal."
"Come then. I have prepared a grand stage for you."
"Tonight... a big surprise awaits you."
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