Zhang Mansion…

In one night, its residents were unable to recover from their attacked state.

Zhang Taiying stayed up all night, but he too did not know what he was thinking.

However, the silhouette of that weak yet formidable young man was etched in his mind.

Crack!

He tightened his fist and slowly released it.

In this world, there were too many helpless situations mixed with reality. It had never occurred to Zhang Taiying in the past when Tiansang City was not so vibrant and Zhang Mansion could dominate one end of it.

Nowadays, there was a mixture of good and evil people. If they let their guard down and revealed their weakness, they would be attacked by similar folks again.

After this night, Zhang Taiying finally understood it.

Even if he was a Sovereign Stage, the limitations of this world still confined him.

He could not break free and could only witness himself sinking deeper and deeper, inch by inch.

"Is this the limit..."

The morning sun beamed on the top of his head and gradually brought his surroundings to light.

Zhang Taiying raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot. He basked in the warm feeling that radiated from his face. Only then did his heart slightly relax.

"No, no one can stop me!"

He got up and walked toward the direction of the Hidden Scriptures Pavilion.

…

The collapsed tower…

Only half of it remained.

Zhang Zhongmou stayed at the same place. Unlike Zhang Taiying, he only spent half the night recuperating from the aftermath of the battle.

"You came."

The old man spoke quietly as he heard footsteps approaching.

Zhang Taiying marched to the door. Neither of them entered the tower. They only raised their eyes slightly to see the top level of the collapsed tower.

On regular days, they rarely lingered on that floor.

At this moment, it had become the highest floor.

Zhang Taiying's face turned dark but soon recovered.

"Was that Xu Xiaoshou's protector who came to seek revenge?" he asked.

Zhang Zhongmou nodded. "It should not be wrong."

"Are the three Sovereign Stages there just to protect an Innate Stage brat?"

"Perhaps…"

When Zhang Zhongmou said this sentence out loud, even he did not believe it.

But the facts were right in front of him, and the desolation and hopelessness that this picture painted forced him to believe it.

"Infernal Heavenly Flames, sword cognition, Sovereign Stage Physique..."

"The abilities that only appeared last night are three of the most difficult techniques to cultivate in the world..."

"This…"

Zhang Zhongmou shook his head without feeling but solemnly said, "At least we know that the former Dean of Tiansang Spirit Palace, who is now the Vice Dean, has a foot in this."

"Then he is a swordsman... But if he were a swordsman, Xiao Qixiu did not seem to follow this path."

"That young man, on the contrary, resembles a person."

"Who?" Zhang Taiying looked back.

Zhang Zhongmou did not offer a further explanation but only said two words. "Su family!"

Zhang Taiying felt his heart sinking. He knew who exactly Chief Elder was speaking of.

Not long ago, a terrifying event transpired in Tiansang City.

The Su family had been an unshakable giant in Tiansang City since ancient times.

The reason was naturally due to the famed sword in their possession, Epitaph of City Snow.

Each generation of the sword-bearer of the Su family had extraordinarily terrifying combat power. Even if Zhang Taiying was to face the sword-bearer alone, he had no confidence that he could safely retreat.

Yes, victory was unthinkable. The only thought that should occur to one was how to escape alive after defeat.

It was this kind of existence that drew enemies from afar.

That night, a masked man who did not even have a sword attacked the Zhang family in a killing rampage and threatened to take Epitaph of City Snow.

But how could the Su family compromise?

The Su family was a noble family of swordsmen, the type that would rather die than turn their backs on their beliefs.

Immediately, both parties were fighting to draw blood.

The ending was also very apparent. Almost no one could strike the masked man with a sword before admitting defeat.

As per the swordsmen rite, if one loses, one dies.

That night, there was a bloodbath at the Su Mansion.

Almost all the existing Sovereign Stage cultivators in the Su family died.

Even if the elder of the Su family made his final defense, he still failed miserably.

Even until the masked man killed the last person in the battle, no one would reveal the whereabouts of the famed sword.

This tragic ending was simply bone-chilling.

If one randomly asked anybody on the spot, almost everyone in Tiansang City would answer this question.

The famed sword of the Su family was in Tiansang Spirit Palace in the hands of Su Qianqian.

It was no secret.

Almost all the higher levels of the Su family paid with their lives to protect this secret. Although, this secret was not a secret at all.

"What for?"

Zhang Taiying could understand the reasoning behind it that the others could not think of, even if they cracked their heads.

However, understanding the reason did not mean that he empathized with them or was willing to follow in their footsteps.

At least when the young man arrived the previous night, he chose a different path from the Su family.

In the end, he saved a small remnant of the Zhang Mansion.

Whether the ending was good or bad, Zhang Taiying was not sure. He certainly did not regret his choice.

If he had to do it again, he would still make the same decision.

"So, do you think that young man is the same person who killed the Su family?" Zhang Taiying asked after he was silent for a while.

Zhang Zhongmou was confused, and it showed in his eyes.

He did not understand it very well. That guy looked very similar. At least, his sword was at the height that the masked man could strike.

Suspicion vaguely arose in his heart. He could not put a finger on the strange feeling he felt.

Was the person who came this time an impostor?

"I cannot tell definitely, but I am 70 or 80 percent sure!"

Zhang Zhongmou sighed and said, "Perhaps it is not the same person, but they will be from the same organization. No matter how you decide to proceed, I will respect your decision."

Zhang Taiying glanced at the collapsed tower and closed his eyes.

"My decision has caused the Zhang Mansion half of its fortune!"

"We are lucky that it's only half."

Zhang Zhongmou patted him on the shoulder. "The Su family's decision obliterated their entire clan."

"The sword-bearer…"

Zhang Taiying murmured to himself. Sometimes he could understand Elder Su's thoughts, but sometimes he felt that it was not worth it.

"Let it be."

Without thinking about it too much, Zhang Taiying regained his composure and said, "Whether the misfortune of the Zhang Mansion is a blessing or a curse, it remains hard to tell."

"Maybe this person was not completely lured over by Xu Xiaoshou."

Zhang Taiying paused and thought seriously. "The masked man had his sights set on the famed sword. Perhaps he obtained intelligence about the Sacrificial Carving from somewhere and came to investigate the rumors."

"The Sacrificial Carving..."

Zhang Zhongmou murmured. Suddenly, his pupils contracted, and he raised his head. He gazed at the top level of the collapsed tower.

His heart twitched with a horrifying realization, and panic appeared on his face.

Zhang Taiying did not notice his expression and continued his monolog. "Our Zhang family has spent so much effort and only then retrieved two pieces of Sacrificial Carvings from White Cave."

"Whether or not we can soar into the sky and achieve new heights, it ultimately depends on this opportunity."

"The City Lord Mansion definitely cannot resist this temptation. As long as we claim the White Cave quota this time, we will still have a chance to take off."

"The mere Hidden Scriptures Pavilion... We can give it to him!"

Zhang Taiying sneered coldly. He glanced back at Zhang Zhongmou and wanted to continue talking but was frightened by the black face of the old man.

"What's wrong?" He was puzzled.

Zhang Zhongmou whispered and said in a trembling voice, "The Sacrificial Carving is on… It's on the ninth floor..."

"The ninth floor?"

Zhang Taiying was a little confused. When he watched Zhang Zhongmou staring in the direction of the collapsed tower, he suddenly realized that something was wrong.

"You mean…"

"That's right."

Zhang Zhongmou swallowed the lump in his throat and said with much difficulty, "The Sacrificial Carving that we were going to give to the City Lord Mansion, as well as the letters, are still on the ninth floor of the Hidden Scriptures Pavilion."

Zhang Taiying was speechless.

Where on earth was the ninth floor?

The highest place in sight was only four and a half floors.