Outside the black barrier, Kang Hao sat quietly against a carved wooden pillar inside the reception hall. His expression looked weary, as if he were still injured, yet the light within his eyes was cold and composed. He could hear every word spoken inside with perfect clarity because Zhang Wen had secretly interfered with the flow of power, allowing none of the conversation between Liu Long and Guo Ning to escape his awareness.
Kang Hao let out a faint sigh. A trace of admiration for Liu Long rose within his heart. That man was not only loyal to Guo Ning, he was also willing to make cruel decisions for her sake. In a world filled with struggles for power, such loyalty was not something just anyone could possess.
But what surprised Kang Hao even more was Zhang Wen's strength. He could clearly sense that Zhang Wen was nowhere near this place, yet he could still pierce through a Saint King's barrier using nothing more than a fragment of power transmitted through a spatial ring. A level of power like this caused Kang Hao's heartbeat to slow without him even realizing it.
The black barrier in front of him trembled slightly before quietly parting.
Inside the room, Liu Long stood beside a stone table, his face returning to its usual cold indifference. Guo Ning's body had been laid neatly on a sofa at the side to rest.
At that moment, Chen Yao slowly opened her eyes. Her breathing was heavy, her face pale from forcing herself to purge the poison.
"What happened to Sister Guo Ning…"
Her voice was soft but filled with worry.
Liu Long turned to look at her before answering in a calm tone.
"She merely fainted from anger. She should wake up soon."
Chen Yao nodded slightly, as if she wanted to say something more, but the strength in her body weakened once again. Her eyes slowly closed before her consciousness faded and she fell unconscious.
Liu Long stepped forward to check her condition briefly and found that she was not seriously harmed. After that, he turned to look at Kang Hao.
"Well then, City Lord, what is your plan next?"
Kang Hao, who had been pretending to tend to his injuries, slowly opened his eyes in a natural manner.
"Based on the intelligence about the Cloud Commerce Guild's forces, they should currently have four Saint Kings and ten Saints. That should be their entire strength, and I am certain there is no one above the Saint Emperor level here."
Liu Long frowned.
"How can you be so sure?"
Kang Hao nodded lightly.
"If they truly had someone at that level, they would not waste time creating all these schemes just to sell pills. They would have already seized control of the City Lord's residence by force, and the benefits would be far greater."
Liu Long fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
"That is only speculation."
Kang Hao raised his hand, and a silver information crystal floated out from his spatial ring.
"It is not speculation. I already infiltrated the Cloud Commerce Guild and secretly knocked out some members to examine their memories."
"I know that Wang Qiang has fourteen followers. They were sent directly by his father to guard him. At first, I only obtained their appearances, but after taking their portraits to the Rat Pipe Association for verification, I obtained their names, power levels, and all their information."
The information crystal floated forward and stopped in front of Liu Long.
Liu Long reached out to receive it, then used his divine sense to examine it. Shadows of several men and women appeared within his mind.
Not long after, his eyes narrowed.
"I recognize some of them. Your information should be correct… but what did you do to the Cloud Commerce Guild members whose memories you examined?"
Kang Hao answered without the slightest hesitation.
"I killed them."
Liu Long fell silent for a moment before continuing.
"But our combat strength is still not enough. If a clash happens, aside from me at the Saint King level and you at the Saint level, together with the Seven-Colored Peacock Commerce Guild that has five Saint-level elders, it still does not seem sufficient. Can the people from your City Lord's residence still fight?"
Kang Hao nodded.
"All ten of them can still fight, but one still has poison in his body from consuming the pill. He cannot appear openly because the other side should already be able to control the poison."
Liu Long fell silent again, his expression thoughtful as he spoke.
"This is still not enough."
Kang Hao nodded in understanding.
"I will go to the other eight top-ranked commerce guilds to bring them in as allies at this time."
Liu Long paused to think for only a brief moment.
"And you and your other followers were not poisoned as well?"
Kang Hao met Liu Long's gaze.
"I and the other nine only took in a small amount of poison. It has not caused any significant problems to our bodies."
Liu Long nodded slightly.
"Then I will go with you to make the negotiations easier."
Kang Hao smiled sincerely.
"Thank you."
After finishing their discussion, the two prepared to depart.
Liu Long turned back to look at Liu Qing, Guo Ning, and Chen Yao, who lay soaked in their own blood for a brief moment before opening his spatial ring. Dense black power surged out and spread rapidly around the room.
A high-level barrier formed instantly.
It sealed the entire room off from the outside world. No one could break in, and only those inside could leave.
After confirming everything was in order, Liu Long turned back toward Kang Hao.
The two met each other's eyes for only a brief moment.
In an instant, their figures distorted in midair before disappearing from the room immediately.
…..
…..
Not long after, the Cloud Commerce Guild fell into a state no different from a surging tide of humanity. Uproar filled the entire street in front as people crowded together like mad. Every face was filled with fear and anger that could not be concealed.
"Move aside! Make way for me!"
A young woman screamed at the top of her lungs, her body nearly knocked over, yet she still forced her way forward through the crowd.
"Back off! I need the antidote pill for my son!"
Cries, curses, and desperate pleas mixed together in waves, as if the entire city were sinking into madness. People fought for their own path to survival without caring who fell or who died.
Inside the guild, the sounds of counters slamming, bottles of pills clinking, and massive amounts of spirit stones pouring into the treasury rang out without pause, like a rain of wealth falling endlessly.
At the same time, inside Wang Qiang's office, Ming Yuan sat behind a luxurious wooden desk, his expression calm as if none of this had anything to do with him. The brush in his hand moved steadily, tracing the account figures that were rising at a frantic pace.
Suddenly, a pitch black crow flew in and landed on the edge of the window. Its crimson eyes stared at Ming Yuan before it let out a low call.
"The next phase of the plan… is about to begin, sir."
Ming Yuan did not reply. He simply flicked his finger lightly.
A single drop of water floated out of the air. It shattered into a thin veil before seeping into his body. His form, face, scent, power level, and aura all transformed in the blink of an eye.
Ming Yuan… became Wang Qiang perfectly in a single instant.
At the same time, outside the guild, the sounds of battle erupted.
"Hand over the pills! Or I will kill you!"
An elderly cultivator roared, his eyes bloodshot as he chased a middle-aged man who was fleeing for his life with all his strength.
"No! I cannot give it to you! My wife is still waiting for the pill!"
Fury twisted the old man's face as he shot forward, preparing to kill without hesitation.
Boommmmm!!!
An immense pressure descended from the sky in a single instant. The auras of numerous Saints erupted at once, like dozens of mountains pressing down on everyone's heads.
Twenty-eight Saints… and two Saint Kings… hovered in formation across the sky.
All movement stopped instantly.
Kang Hao's voice rang out, firm and domineering, shaking the very souls of those who heard it.
"Please let all citizens remain calm!"
At that instant, the great gates of the Cloud Commerce Guild swung open.
Wang Qiang floated out together with fourteen men in black. The aura of each of them was icy and razor sharp, like the edge of a blade.
Wang Qiang smiled faintly and tilted his head toward Kang Hao.
"We meet again, City Lord… but this time, it seems you have come with ill intentions once more."
His gaze swept toward the figures behind Kang Hao.
There… stood representatives from almost all of the top nine commerce guilds of Heavenly Sword City.
The atmosphere grew so tense it was almost suffocating.
Kang Hao's expression remained calm, his eyes deep and still.
"Do you have anything to say?"
Wang Qiang replied shortly.
"No."
At that very moment, a voice sounded inside Kang Hao's mind, and only he could hear it.
Everything fell silent.
The entire city seemed to freeze.
And in the split second when everyone let their guard down…
Whoosh!!!
Kang Hao shot forward at his maximum speed. Power exploded beneath his feet as he appeared right in front of Wang Qiang in the blink of an eye, his large hand reaching straight for his throat.
Slash!!!
A streak of sword light flashed through the air. Kang Hao's arm was severed in a single instant, blood spraying across the sky.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Thirteen more blades thrust into his body at the same time!
Gasps erupted from every direction. Liu Long's eyes widened in shock because nothing like this had been part of their plan.
But what happened next… made everyone's skin crawl.
Kang Hao's severed arm did not fall to the ground. It began to move on its own before grabbing Wang Qiang's throat instead, then swung his body with terrifying force so fast that even the four Saint Kings could not react in time.
Boom!
Wang Qiang's body shot back toward Liu Long like a stone fired from a siege weapon.
Kang Hao stood in midair with his body pierced through, blood flowing down his form, yet his eyes remained cold. He turned to look at Liu Long before speaking softly but firmly.
"I… I entrust the rest to you… please protect this city in my place…"