The skinny guard, singled out by Chen Ziyi, felt a surge of humiliated fury.

“You little bitch, looking down on me?!”

He roared, a short blade materializing in his hand. His figure flickered as he lunged straight for Chen Ziyi’s throat. In his eyes, a little girl at the second layer of Meridian Opening was nothing but fish on a chopping block—someone he could gut in two moves.

But Chen Ziyi wasn’t the same girl from a month ago.

Day and night, she had “cultivated” with Zhou Kai, her body tempered by his essence and her own hard work. Facing the strike, the [Dragon Roaming the Void] footwork flowed naturally from her core. Her body swayed like a willow in the wind, drifting several feet to the side with ghostly grace.

“What?” The skinny guard’s blade slashed empty air, his eyes widening.

Seeing her agile movements, Zhou Kai relaxed slightly, though he kept one eye on her while dealing with his own opponent.

“Kid, weren’t you good at running just now? What’s wrong, legs gone soft?”

The burly guard laughed, his large blade chopping down with a whistling wind.

“Aiyo!” Zhou Kai shrieked, feigning terror as he staggered back. The blade missed his nose by a hair’s breadth.

“Big brother, let’s talk this out properly! I have no grudge against you guys, why go for the kill?!”

He pleaded pathetically, but his body was as slippery as an eel. Every time the heavy blade crashed down, Zhou Kai was already gone, dodging by millimeters.

The burly guard grew frustrated. His attacks were fierce, each strike capable of splitting a boulder, yet he couldn’t even touch the hem of this kid’s robe.

Just a desperate struggle, he thought, sneering. Let’s see how long you can dance.

Minutes ticked by. The two guards grew increasingly alarmed. They had expected an easy capture, but these two “ants” were proving to be exceptionally tough nuts to crack.

“Something’s off! These two are hiding their strength!” The burly guard’s heart skipped a beat, his arrogance evaporating like mist.

Suddenly, the dynamic of the battlefield shifted.

On the other side, Chen Ziyi’s fists began to glow with a faint, jade-colored radiance. She stepped into the guard’s guard, her fist whistling through the air.

Bam!

A solid punch connected with the skinny guard’s chest. Ribs cracked audibly.

“Warm-up’s over,” Zhou Kai announced, his terrified expression vanishing instantly. A cold smirk replaced it. “Time to hit the road.”

Before the words faded, the massive Mountain Crashing Hammer appeared in his grip. His figure blurred, accelerating with explosive force.

The burly guard only saw a shadow before his vision went dark.

BOOM!

The hammer slammed into his chest. The man flew backward, crashing into the dirt with blood spraying from his mouth and nose. He scrambled to his feet, terror in his eyes, and turned to flee.

“Leaving so soon?”

Zhou Kai didn’t give him a chance. He leaped into the air, the hammer descending like a judgment.

CRUNCH!

Another strike to the back. The guard’s spine shattered. He collapsed, vomiting chunks of visceral organs, his body twitching in the death throes.

Zhou Kai stepped forward and delivered one final, merciful blow to the skull, ending him.

“Suppressing others with raw stats… truly satisfying.”

The Vitality and strength bonuses from the [Roaming Dragon White Jade Body] were intoxicating. With his body cultivation at the Meridian Opening Sixth Layer and the sheer weight of the Mountain Crashing Hammer, crushing these unequipped cultivators was like smashing rotten wood.

On the other side, the skinny guard was already broken. Seeing his partner turned into meat paste scared the wits out of him. He crawled backward, scrambling away from the jade-fisted demoness.

“Heroes! Heroine! Spare me! I failed to recognize Mount Tai! Please, be magnanimous and spare my dog life!”

Chen Ziyi looked down at the wretch. He was pathetic, snot and tears streaming down his face. But she remembered the killing intent in his eyes just moments ago.

She glanced at her fist, then at the man. She frowned slightly.

“Husband, give me the hammer.”

“No! I—”

SPLAT.

The guard’s plea was cut short as his head exploded like a ripe watermelon.

Zhou Kai whistled appreciatively as he looted the corpses. “Clean and decisive. My wife is becoming quite the Hammer Queen.”

Chen Ziyi blushed, wiping a speck of blood from her cheek. “Husband, this ‘Roaming Dragon White Jade Body’ is amazing! My strength and speed have improved tremendously. Dealing with a Fourth Layer Qi Condensation cultivator was easier than fighting Wu Yong and Xiong Gang!”

“Of course it is,” Zhou Kai grinned. “You get what you pay for.”

Just then, his expression shifted. He looked toward the treeline.

An aged figure flew swiftly through the forest, landing before them. It was Uncle Sun.

“Young Friend Zhou, Young Friend Chen, what happened here?”

Zhou Kai waved a hand dismissively. “Nothing major. Just cleaned up two clueless petty thieves.”

Uncle Sun looked at the mangled corpses, his eyes narrowing. “Your stealth skills are rare indeed. That group that flew past earlier… that was an extremely grand procession. I recognized them. They were from the Golden Copper Dock’s Fu Family.”

“The one in the Grand Master’s Chair was Fu Weilun, the eldest young master. He reached the Second Layer of Foundation Establishment years ago.”

The Fu Family? Them again?

Zhou Kai frowned. That chair had flown toward Broken Wood Bay. Fu Sheng was dead without proof, but Fu Weilun had definitely seen their faces. Leaving Lake Heart Island before the array was finished was no longer an option.

But why was Uncle Sun telling him this?

“Uncle Sun,” Zhou Kai asked slowly. “Could it be you have some history with this Fu family?”

Uncle Sun fell silent. The air grew heavy.

“I won’t hide it from you, Young Friend Zhou,” the old man sighed, his posture sagging. “This old man is one hundred and six years old. My end is near.”

“My Eldest Young Master… as you’ve seen… doesn’t have many days left either.”

He looked up, his eyes filled with a profound sadness. “My only remaining worry is my Young Lady. That child, Su Qingzhu… she lost her father young. She lacks security and is terrified of abandonment. Her heart is simple and pure. I believe you have sensed this?”

Zhou Kai nodded. Su Qingzhu’s behavior—inviting strangers into her home, trusting them with tokens, delivering the herbs without hesitation—it all pointed to a naive, trusting nature masked by courtesy.

“Uncle Sun,” Chen Ziyi stepped forward softly. She remembered tending the spirit herbs with the old man, their interactions like grandfather and granddaughter. “Is there something… you want us to help with?”

“Could it be the Su family has a blood feud with the Fu family?” Zhou Kai interjected, cutting to the chase.

Uncle Sun nodded.

“Our Su family was originally the Golden Copper Dock’s Array Lineage Family, passed down for centuries.”

“But many years ago, the Fu family schemed against us. They ambushed and exterminated our entire clan. I barely escaped with the Young Master and Young Lady.”

“The Young Master’s soul was shattered in that battle.”

He took a shaky breath. “Young Friend Zhou, that magic treasure fragment you possess… the original Truth-Seeking Jade… was the tool the Fu family used to breach our mountain-protecting array. It was shattered by our ancestor in his final strike.”

Suddenly, Uncle Sun did something shocking.

His knees buckled, and he dropped straight to the ground.

He knelt before Chen Ziyi.

“Uncle Sun! What are you doing? Quickly, rise!” Chen Ziyi rushed forward, trying to lift him.

But the old man refused to budge. He looked at Zhou Kai, his eyes pleading.

“Young Friend Zhou possesses a superior Wood Spirit Root and is a Second-Grade Alchemist at such a young age. Young Friend Chen is intelligent, virtuous, and talented in body cultivation. You have both entered the Calamity Abyss Valley sect. Your future is bright.”

“This old man… knows his days are numbered. I dare not leave my Young Lady alone in this world.”

“I only wish to make a transaction with you!”

“A transaction?” Zhou Kai’s eyes sharpened.

Uncle Sun bowed his head until it touched the dirt.

“I hope that after my death, you two can look after my Young Lady, Lin Zhiwei… ah, Su Qingzhu. As repayment, I am willing to hand over the Lin Family’s Ancestral Array Inheritance to you completely!”

Zhou Kai stared at the kneeling old man.

Is this still the mysterious, cunning expert he knew? Where was the inscrutable mask?

He had laid all his secrets bare. He had revealed Su Qingzhu’s true identity and their vendetta.

This old fox is truly desperate.