The northern area of Ghost City was in chaos. Xuan Sanwu and his men were locked in a fierce battle with various factions, and casualties on both sides were mounting.
Meanwhile, in the center of Ghost City, over a dozen masked strongmen appeared.
Carrying their weapons, the strongmen, with fierce gazes, charged towards a certain courtyard.
The four guards at the courtyard entrance were no match for the attackers and fell in pools of blood. However, the commotion from the fight alerted the guards within the courtyard.
The next moment, dozens of guards rushed out from various corners of the courtyard.
As soon as the two sides engaged, the group of a dozen was instantly routed and scattered.
Faced with such a situation, the guards were not about to let them go easily. They left a few behind and pursued the rest.
*Drip, drip, drip…*
With most of the guards dispatched, a figure slowly approached the courtyard entrance, drawing the attention of the two remaining guards.
"Lord Xuan Qi, what brings you here!"
Upon hearing this, Xuan Qi smiled slightly and said, "I heard the commotion here and just came to take a look."
The two remaining guards exchanged glances and let down their guard.
Then, one of them said, "Lord Xuan Qi, please rest assured, those petty thieves have been defeated. If there's nothing else, please leave quickly."
"It's good that it's resolved, but you guys are too inhospitable."
"I came all this way to help, and you won't even invite me in for a drink?"
Ye Cangtian glanced at the guards and chuckled unhappily.
Hearing this, the remaining guards bowed slightly to Ye Cangtian and said, "Lord Xuan Qi, it's not that we don't want to invite you in, but we must obey orders from above!"
The guards stated that unless it was a Earth-level official or they possessed a token from Lord Xing Yuan, no one was allowed to set foot in the courtyard.
"Obeying orders is a good thing."
Ye Cangtian smiled slightly, stepped forward, and patted the guards' shoulders.
The next moment, a flash of saber light appeared, and the guard fell into a pool of blood.
Seeing this, before the other guard could even react, another flash of saber light appeared, instantly slitting his throat.
Ye Cangtian had intended to use Xuan Qi's identity to infiltrate the courtyard, but with such strict guards, it was impossible. He would have to force his way in.
Regardless, this was a golden opportunity that absolutely could not be missed. Otherwise, it would be impossible to rescue Shangguan Yanran.
Since he had to force his way in, there was no need to use Xuan Qi's identity.
Xuan Qi's identity was very useful. If he could deceive everyone and rescue Shangguan Yanran, it would be all the better.
Taking off his mask and quickly changing his attire, Ye Cangtian quietly infiltrated the courtyard.
After a brief reconnaissance, Ye Cangtian was secretly shocked. The guards here were even more numerous than he had initially scouted.
Even with some being drawn away, over a dozen remained, not to mention the experts always lurking in the shadows, those who had not yet revealed themselves.
Fortunately, his actions had been outside the gate and silent, otherwise, he would likely have been discovered.
With that thought, Ye Cangtian walked out from the shadows.
There was no other way. The courtyard was small, and eyes were watching from all directions. It was impossible to sneak into Shangguan Yanran's room.
"Who? Trespassers will die!"
A cold voice echoed, and instantly, over ten guards appeared from all directions.
They held their weapons, their eyes filled with killing intent, and without hesitation, they charged towards Ye Cangtian.
Seeing this, Ye Cangtian said no more. He directly drew his skull dagger, his figure flashed, and he met them head-on.
*Clang, clang, clang…*
The sound of weapons rang out, and streaks of blood splattered into the air.
These guards were skilled, all being experts of the Profound level early to mid-stage. They cooperated seamlessly and were fearless.
However, in front of Ye Cangtian, they appeared extremely stiff. Their speed was no match for his, and he eliminated them one by one. In just a few minutes, they were all dealt with.
With the guards in the courtyard cleared, Ye Cangtian did not enter the pavilion.
He stood in the center of the courtyard and said calmly, "Aren't you coming out? If you don't come out, I'll take Shangguan Yanran away!"
*Clap! Clap! Clap!*
As his words fell, a round of applause sounded.
The next second, a figure appeared on the roof of the pavilion.
He was dressed in a gray long gown, wearing a silver mask, and his pupils emanated a sinister smile.
"You are Ye Cangtian, aren't you?"
"As a promising individual, a key person cultivated by the Hidden Group, daring to come alone, truly earns my admiration!"
"What's even more commendable is your intellect. I believe the riots in other cities were all orchestrated by you!"
The man, high above, looked down at Ye Cangtian.
It wasn't difficult to recognize Ye Cangtian; the Dark Association had already circulated his photos.
It was just that he hadn't expected him to appear here. However, connecting it with the news from recent days, he quickly realized the truth.
The riots in various cities were undoubtedly a diversion tactic by this person, aiming to rescue Shangguan Yanran by drawing away the Dark Association's experts.
After the Earth-level deacons like Hong Mo had left, he continued to divert attention, scattering the guards in the central region, dispersing the guards here, thus creating an opportunity.
These endless diversion tactics, seemingly simple and foolish, had actually made the Dark Association scramble and be led by the nose, which was truly infuriating.
"I won't take the blame for this!"
"You should know that the last time the Hidden Group headquarters was infiltrated, the Hidden Group suffered immense losses. I am now a lone commander."
"However, I have many friends in the Hidden Group, and naturally, there are those willing to cooperate with the Hidden Group, such as the Bright Hall..."
Ye Cangtian was somewhat surprised by the man's appearance. Looking at his mask, this person was actually Xuan Si of the Dark Association.
This person had not appeared when Hong Mo and the others were selecting deputies. It was clear that this person was not weak and was trusted by the Dark Association.
But none of that was important. What mattered was that he wouldn't take the blame for the Dark Association.
After all, if Shangguan Yanran was rescued, the Dark Association would surely be enraged, and he didn't want all of that anger to be directed at the Hidden Group.
"Bright Hall?"
"The Hidden Group actually joined forces with the Bright Hall?"
Xuan Si's eyes showed a hint of surprise, some disbelief, but Ye Cangtian's words didn't seem like a lie.
The Hidden Group had indeed suffered heavy losses previously due to trespassing into the Dark Association's headquarters.
To accumulate such strength in such a short period was simply impossible.
"Have you heard of Bardock?"
"His mission this time is to kill Xuan Qi."
Ye Cangtian smiled faintly, then his expression turned serious. "Alright, let's not waste any more words. I won't give you time to stall. Come down and fight!"
Bardock?
Hearing this name, a look of solemnity appeared in Xuan Si's eyes.
The Dark Association was aware of the potential rising stars from various factions, and Bardock was among them. His strength and talent were essentially second only to Nancy.
He was a formidable opponent. If Bardock was also nearby and joined forces with Ye Cangtian, then it would truly be difficult for him to hold this place.
But the other party didn't give him time, and he could only choose to fight.
The next moment, Xuan Si descended gracefully and stood steadily in front of Ye Cangtian.
At the same time, the guards hidden in the courtyard revealed themselves one by one, surrounding Ye Cangtian.
"Since you want to die quickly, I will grant you your wish!"
"Not just you, but soon the ruins will welcome a bloodbath. The Hidden Group, the Bright Hall, and those ant-like factions will all be completely wiped out!"
As he spoke, Xuan Si pointed at Ye Cangtian, and the surrounding guards instantly charged forward.
They were all incredibly fast.
In terms of strength alone, they were at least at the Profound level mid to late-stage. With their coordination, even Ye Cangtian found it somewhat difficult to deal with, and he didn't have many opportunities to attack.
After all, Xuan Si was also lurking, waiting for an opportunity. Ye Cangtian could not afford to show any weakness, nor could he trade injury for injury.