"Damn it! Damn it…"
In the vast mountains and forests outside Swiftwind City, roars echoed incessantly.
Hun Ba moved somewhat awkwardly through the forest, venting his anger without restraint, unable to calm down for a long time.
Dozens of subordinates around him, seeing his fury, dared not step forward to comfort him. They could only stand still with their heads bowed, trying to avoid attracting his attention.
Even the powerful Hun Jiu did not escape Hun Ba's cruel hand, let alone them.
"Damn it, well done, Ye Cangtian. You truly are a troublesome opponent!"
After a long while, Hun Ba's anger subsided, and a sinister glint appeared in his eyes.
He had initially believed that Ye Cangtian's confrontation with Wan Mingxuan this time would end in a hard-won victory.
After all, according to the collected information, Ye Cangtian meticulously planned everything he did.
Therefore, even in a dangerous place like Swiftwind Tower, he was confident that Ye Cangtian would emerge alive and achieve ultimate victory.
However, he had not expected that Wan Mingxuan, after controlling Swiftwind Tower for so long, would have such weak trump cards.
He hadn't even managed to force out Ye Cangtian's final trump card, leaving him greatly disappointed.
Concurrently, this outcome completely disrupted his plans.
His original plan was to take advantage of Ye Cangtian's hard-won victory and his supposed injuries to seize Ye Cangtian's life.
But now that Ye Cangtian was unharmed and at peak fighting strength, he naturally dared not act rashly, as failure meant death!
It was only after Hun Ba had regained his composure that a subordinate slowly approached and said, "Lord Hun Ba, this subordinate has a plan. Perhaps you could try it…"
As he spoke, the subordinate whispered into Hun Ba's ear.
Hun Ba's eyes immediately began to dart around, and as they did, the light in his eyes grew stronger.
Finally, he clapped his subordinate's shoulder with a smile and said, "Good, very good. Well done. If this plan succeeds, you will undoubtedly be the primary contributor, and I will personally recommend you for merit!"
Upon hearing this, the subordinate quickly bowed and said, "This subordinate dares not accept your praise. Everything is due to Lord Hun Ba's excellent guidance…"
Hun Ba, somewhat dazed by the subordinate's flattery, burst into laughter. He then led the remaining men out of the mountains and forests.
…
Swiftwind City.
After a few days of reorganization, Swiftwind Tower had returned to its former state. The era of Wan Mingxuan had completely passed, leaving not a single trace behind.
Furthermore, to prevent the tragedy from recurring, Feng Lingzi had publicly revealed Feng Xiang'er's identity and kept her by his side.
In this regard, Wan Mingxuan had, in a way, fulfilled Feng Xiang'er's wishes.
Currently, within the inner hall of Swiftwind Tower, Ye Cangtian was wiping the sweat from his brow, having just absorbed all the toxins from Feng Lingzi's body.
"Senior, although the toxins in your body are gone, you are still weak. I suggest you take a Nine-Revolving Golden Elixir to regulate your condition."
Ye Cangtian's voice was heard, and Feng Lingzi nodded, saying, "Alright, I'll listen to you! I must thank you for this. Otherwise, this old man would probably have very little time left…"
"It's just a small effort."
Ye Cangtian smiled faintly and continued, "Senior, now that the poison in your body has been resolved, it is time for me to take my leave. I bid you farewell here…"
"This…"
Feng Lingzi was taken aback upon hearing this and immediately said, "Young man, you've finally come to Swiftwind Tower, yet you're leaving without having properly explored. That would make people say Swiftwind Tower is inhospitable!"
Saying this, Feng Lingzi, without waiting for Ye Cangtian's reply, continued, "How about this? For the next few days, I'll have Xiang'er take you on a thorough tour. What do you say?"
Feng Lingzi had his own plans in mind.
Ye Cangtian was a leading figure among the younger generation. If Tian Xiang'er were to grow closer to Ye Cangtian and eventually end up together.
Then, it would be of immense benefit to both Tian Xiang'er and Swiftwind Tower.
Therefore, he wanted to keep Ye Cangtian here to foster their relationship.
On the other hand, Ye Cangtian smiled and shook his head, saying, "Senior, I appreciate your kind offer, but we have important matters at hand. I need to return to the Hidden Group to prepare and strive to destroy the Five Poisons Sect as soon as possible!"
"Alright!"
Hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Feng Lingzi sighed inwardly.
He naturally could not insist further when Ye Cangtian presented such a reason; otherwise, it would be a matter of misplacing priorities.
The next moment, Feng Lingzi said, "Young man, the alliance of our three families to eliminate the Five Poisons Sect has been settled. Have you thought about the specific action plan?"
"Mm."
Ye Cangtian nodded and said, "I have already devised the action plan. It is all contained within this Qiankun Bag. However, I hope this plan will not be made public for now. It will be timely enough to release it when the operation commences."
Ye Cangtian's intention was simple: among various factions, there might be spies from other forces.
If the plan were to be revealed in advance, it might be leaked. Then, if the Five Poisons Sect were prepared, the losses would undoubtedly multiply.
On the other hand, Feng Lingzi immediately understood Ye Cangtian's intentions.
He then nodded, signifying his agreement.
He naturally had his own discretion in such matters.
Besides Yi Feipeng, he did not intend to show it to anyone else, not even the Three Tower Lords. They would only learn of everything when the operation began.
"Senior, since that is the case, I shall take my leave!" Seeing that the other party had agreed, Ye Cangtian felt there was nothing more to mention. He cupped his hands and bowed.
"Wait."
"Young man, although you have shown us great kindness, to be honest, I am very curious about the Four Great Seals. I wonder if you could tell me about them…"
Feng Lingzi stopped Ye Cangtian and spoke hesitantly.
He also knew that Ye Cangtian had been of great help to him and Swiftwind Tower, and it was improper to covet the Four Great Seals any further. However, the problem was that he couldn't control himself!
On one hand, it was curiosity, and on the other, it was the immense allure of the Four Great Seals.
"Senior, what is said in rumors is largely true. The Four Great Seals each possess unique abilities and can open the gate to the Heavenly Realm!"
"As for the rumors about pursuing eternal life and reaching the pinnacle of martial arts, I believe it's a matter of 'benevolent see benevolent, wise see wise'!"
Ye Cangtian glanced at him and slowly spoke his mind.
The fact that he could voice it openly showed that he was quite forthright. Besides, these things were already widely circulated outside, so Ye Cangtian didn't need to conceal them particularly.
"What do you mean by 'benevolent see benevolent, wise see wise'?" Feng Lingzi asked instinctively.
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian began to explain.
Whether one could achieve eternal life and reach the pinnacle of martial arts after entering the gate to the Heavenly Realm had never been confirmed, as no one who had gone there had ever returned alive.
Even if all of this were true, how much danger would one have to endure while pursuing eternal life and the peak of martial arts? How many people could succeed?
Furthermore, in order to achieve these, is it truly worth abandoning everything one has now?
Speaking to this point, Ye Cangtian looked at Feng Lingzi and said faintly, "For example, Senior, if you were to be separated from Tian Xiang'er forever, would you truly be able to bear it?"
"This…"
A single sentence made Feng Lingzi hesitate. This time, having lost and regained her, he cherished Tian Xiang'er even more.
If he were truly forced to choose between Tian Xiang'er and the Heavenly Realm, he would definitely choose the former.
Because he couldn't let go, and he was willing to sacrifice everything for his daughter.
With that thought, he cupped his hands towards Ye Cangtian and said, "Young man, I thank you once again. You have enlightened me. Otherwise, this old man might have found it difficult to control his inner demons and done something foolish!"
Seeing this, Ye Cangtian showed a faint smile. It was naturally for the best that the other party could let go of his obsessions.
After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Senior, although I do not advocate going to the Heavenly Realm, it does not mean the gate to the Heavenly Realm will be permanently closed. It is simply that due to my busy schedule recently, I have not yet devised a proper plan…"
Ye Cangtian knew very well that the Four Great Seals held too much temptation for people.
If he continued to obstruct them, it was likely that the Hidden Group would soon become the public enemy within the ruins.
This was in line with the old saying: it is better to unblock than to dam.
Therefore, Ye Cangtian was also considering how to open the gate to the Heavenly Realm in a reasonable manner. For the Hidden Group, this would not be a disadvantage but rather an advantage.
Listening to Ye Cangtian's words, Feng Lingzi nodded.
After being enlightened by Ye Cangtian, his covetous desire for the Four Great Seals had basically been eliminated. Therefore, he was not particularly interested in the plan Ye Cangtian was contemplating.
Thus, he did not offer any suggestions.
Besides, that was ultimately the Hidden Group's own affair, and it was best to let the Hidden Group handle it themselves.