“Gang Leader, it was a disaster.”

The subordinate knelt on the cold floor of the Assembly Hall, trembling violently. His forehead was pressed against the stone, his voice thick with grief and terror.

“A few days ago, during our conflict with the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, the Earth Cloud Sprout was stolen from our treasury. Deputy Gang Leader Cao personally led the pursuit, only to discover the thief was none other than Elder Qin Meran of the Azure Mystic Sacred Land’s Ink Scroll Peak.”

The subordinate swallowed hard, sweat dripping onto the floor.

“Elder Qin was severely injured. Deputy Leader Cao decided to repay evil with kindness. He intended to bring her back, treat her wounds, and forge an alliance.”

The man’s voice cracked. “But that night… the Venerable One from the Azure Mystic Sacred Land arrived personally. He took Elder Qin, Deputy Leader Cao, and all our Hall Masters away. Within hours, every single one of their soul lamps extinguished.”

Seated on the main throne was a middle-aged man with a face that looked deceptively honest and simple.

This was Yu Sihai, the Leader of the Four Seas Gang.

His life was a legend written in blood. Born a mortal in the Northern Abyss Demon Domain, he had once enjoyed a simple, happy life. That ended the day a powerful demonic cultivator slaughtered his entire city to refine a single magical artifact.

Yu Sihai had returned home to find his parents, wife, and children reduced to desiccated husks.

He did not break. He did not despair. Instead, he swore a blood oath to the heavens.

With a mere mortal body, he infiltrated the demonic sect that had destroyed his life. He started as a menial slave, clawed his way up to the core, and eventually—after years of plotting—slaughtered the entire sect.

He left not a single chicken or dog alive.

Fleeing the retaliation, he arrived in Cloud Firmament City as a lowly rogue cultivator. He played the part of the fool. He smiled when insulted, bowed when humiliated, and let people call him a spineless coward.

Three years later, that “coward” dismantled the city’s largest gang overnight and built the Four Seas Gang on its ruins.

Yu Sihai’s expression remained as calm as a stagnant pond. The gloom that had initially clouded his face vanished, leaving behind an unreadable mask.

“How did they die?” Yu Sihai asked softly.

“This…” The subordinate shuddered. “One of them managed to send a final transmission before the end.”

“Speak.”

“Th… The Venerable One… devoured their souls!”

A cold, sharp light flashed in Yu Sihai’s eyes. The temperature in the hall seemed to drop.

After a long silence, he waved his hand. “I understand. You may leave.”

The gang member scrambled to his feet but hesitated at the door. “Gang Leader… Qin Meran is still in a coma at the Azure Mystic encampment. Before she fell unconscious, she denied taking our immortal medicine. She seems unwilling to acknowledge the debt.”

“Go.”

The subordinate fled the hall.

When silence returned to the Assembly Hall, a ghostly voice drifted from the shadows.

“Gang Leader Yu, have you considered my offer?”

Yu Sihai didn’t look up. He stared at his hands, calloused and strong.

The voice continued, dripping with mockery. “The people of the Azure Mystic Sacred Land are ungrateful hypocrites. If you think half a stalk of immortal medicine buys you a ticket on their warship, you are gravely mistaken.”

“Qin Meran is the worst of them. She is strict with others but lenient with herself. She values her ‘face’ above all else. Since she denied the theft once, she will deny it until death. Now that your witnesses are dead, the truth died with them.”

“You bet on the wrong horse.”

Yu Sihai raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

“Agree to my proposal,” the shadow persuaded. “I can ensure the Four Seas Gang survives the Azure Mystic Sacred Land’s wrath.”

Yu Sihai frowned, deep in thought. Finally, he spoke.

“You only want me to investigate the life or death of Gu Xiu? Nothing else?”

“Correct,” the voice replied instantly. “I only need confirmation. Is Gu Xiu alive, or is he dead?”

“If he is alive, what will you do?”

“I will vanish. I will never emerge for eternity.”

“And if he is dead?”

The shadow seemed to smile. “If he is dead… and if you plan your strategy well, Gang Leader Yu… a heaven-shattering opportunity will fall into your hands.”

Inside the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, the atmosphere was solemn.

Incense smoke curled through the air as the high-ranking staff gathered for the investiture ceremony.

“Light the Soul Lamp!” the master of ceremonies chanted.

“The Soul Lamp is lit, guarding the Ten Thousand Treasures!”

“Present the Jade Token!”

“The Jade Token is formed, the Elder gains respect!”

“Worship Heaven and Earth!”

“The Heavenly Dao bears witness; the Earthly Venerable observes!”

“The ceremony is complete! Congratulations to Senior Feng Bugui for becoming a Ninth Grade Elder of our Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion!”

A “Ninth Grade Elder” was a unique position. It was not an employment contract; it was an offering.

The Pavilion would provide unconditional support. Gu Xiu could demand resources, command staff, and act with the authority of the Pavilion Master himself. In return, he was required to do… nothing.

He had no obligations. He could watch the Pavilion burn to the ground without lifting a finger.

It seemed like a foolish investment, paying a fortune to worship an ancestor who might never answer prayers. Yet, this philosophy was exactly why the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion had stood for hundreds of years. They understood that karma was the most valuable currency of all.

“Fellow Daoist Feng,” Wan Xiaobei said, her voice bright with genuine enthusiasm. “Thank you for accepting our offer. With you joining us, the Pavilion will surely reach new heights!”

“I should be the one thanking Pavilion Master Wan for her high regard,” Gu Xiu replied with a faint smile, fingering the jade token.

“You are too modest,” Wan Xiaobei insisted. “The formation you modified saved us again last night. Countless factions would kill to befriend you for that alone.”

Wan Xiaobei might act like a starry-eyed girl around Su Rumei, but she was a shrewd businesswoman. She had seen Sang Shoudao—the terrifying City Lord—walk out of Gu Xiu’s courtyard that morning. The two were clearly close.

Su Rumei was a gambler. Wan Xiaobei was a high roller.

Why hesitate? Securing a connection to a man with such “Immense Providence” was worth any price. If she missed this chance, she would regret it for a lifetime.

After exchanging pleasantries, Wan Xiaobei shifted the topic.

“Since Fellow Daoist Feng is so accomplished in the Dao of Formations… I wonder if you have some free time in the near future?”

Gu Xiu looked at her calmly. “If Pavilion Master Wan has a request, please speak directly.”

Wan Xiaobei paused for effect.

“I wonder if Fellow Daoist Feng has heard of… Falling Rain Valley?”

Falling Rain Valley.

The moment those three words were spoken, a light sparked in Gu Xiu’s eyes.

After healing his soul, this was the second opportunity he had been waiting for.

Falling Rain Valley was a forbidden zone hidden deep within the Heaven-Leveling Mountains. It was an ancient secret realm, its origins lost to history, perpetually shrouded in gloom and rain. Even Mahayana cultivators could not force their way inside.

“It opens once every thirty years,” Wan Xiaobei explained, watching him closely. “But due to the restrictions, only cultivators below the Golden Core stage can enter. Five hundred years ago, the Five Sects and Three Clans made a treaty to monopolize it. Rogue cultivators are barred.”

She sighed. “A century ago, we negotiated a slot for one team. But I won’t lie to you—the restrictions inside are brutal. We’ve sent three teams in the past, and they returned with almost nothing. Most didn’t return at all.”

She hesitated, noticing his expression hadn’t changed. “Does… Fellow Daoist Feng know of this place?”

“I have heard a little about it,” Gu Xiu said.

It was a massive understatement.

He hadn’t just heard of it. He was intimately familiar with it.

Five hundred years ago, when Falling Rain Valley first appeared, the great powers of the world had nearly destroyed each other fighting for control. It was Gu Xiu who had stepped in. It was Gu Xiu who had brokered the treaty between the Five Sects and Three Clans.

And as for the interior of the valley?

No one alive knew it better than him.

There was something inside that he had left behind. Five hundred years ago, the time hadn’t been right to claim it.

But now?

Gu Xiu looked toward the distant mountains. Five centuries had passed. The fruit was ripe.

It was time to go and take it back.