Qin Han Chu secluded himself for alchemy, completely cutting off contact with the outside world.
Besides the Duchy of Berlin, the royal families of other kingdoms also issued arrest warrants for Qin Han Chu.
Under pressure from the Dragon Gate, the Great Yan Kingdom's royal family also secretly sent people to search for Qin Han Chu.
After all, Qin Han Chu was the martial arts icon promoted by the royal family. If they searched for him with an arrest warrant, wouldn't that be a contradiction?
More than ten countries across the Blue Star were searching for Qin Han Chu, but he had vanished as if he had evaporated, leaving no trace.
Unable to find Qin Han Chu, Zhao Hai and Wan Qiong shifted their target to those around Qin Han Chu.
The Shen family of Bamin Prefecture was their first stop.
As soon as the two arrived at the Shen family, Shen Wan Feng came out to greet them.
"Greetings, two seniors," Shen Wan Feng said, cupping his fists.
"You knew we were coming?" Zhao Hai asked, frowning at Shen Wan Feng's actions.
Shen Wan Feng nodded. "If you couldn't find the Marquis, you would surely come to us to extort information about him."
"Since you know our intentions, you should have made a choice," Wan Qiong said coldly.
"Master said for me not to resist and to go with you first," Shen Wan Feng replied. "He will come to you for us when he returns."
"He will come to us voluntarily?" Zhao Hai said coldly.
"He will emerge in about three months. No one can contact him before then. Even if you kill me, I cannot tell you his whereabouts."
Shen Wan Feng's answers left Wan Qiong and Zhao Hai feeling powerless. They could see that Shen Wan Feng was not lying.
Did Qin Han Chu really intend to walk into their trap? What could he do in three months? Could he possibly create several late-stage Grandmasters to contend with them?
In fact, they guessed correctly. Besides the Blade Ancestor, the Xiao family ancestor had also arrived at Qin Han Chu's secluded cultivation place long ago.
At this moment, the Xiao family ancestor was using Qin Han Chu's Jade Marrow Pill to temper his inner energy.
Unable to get any leads on Qin Han Chu, Wan Qiong and Zhao Hai had no choice but to leave with Shen Wan Feng. They could only wait and see.
Time flew by, and two months had passed.
During this period, Qin Han Chu refined two types of pills using the medicinal herbs obtained from the Duchy of Berlin. One was the Meridian Protecting Pill, which strengthened meridians, and the other was the Qi Harmonizing Powder, which helped enhance strength.
Qin Han Chu kept some for himself and gave the rest to the Blade Ancestor and the Blood Blade Ancestor. With the aid of these two medicines, their strength could advance by leaps and bounds. Even if they couldn't reach the late stage of Grandmaster, they would be at the peak of the middle stage. As long as their foundation was strong enough, Qin Han Chu could help them break through their limitations and reach the late stage of Grandmaster.
For the next month, the three of them cultivated in seclusion together. Time passed quickly during their cultivation. One month was like a fleeting moment, gone in the blink of an eye. After a month of cultivation, Qin Han Chu's strength had improved significantly.
At this moment, Qin Han Chu had reached the peak of the late stage of Grandmaster. Although he was only a step away from the Grandmaster realm's apex, Qin Han Chu had no intention of breaking through. He could feel that his foundation was not yet stable. Rushing for progress would surely leave hidden dangers. He needed time to settle and solidify his foundation.
While Qin Han Chu did not break through, the Blade Ancestor had entered the late stage of Grandmaster with the help of Qin Han Chu's medicine. The Xiao family ancestor, though he hadn't broken through, had reached the peak of the late stage of Grandmaster. With the Xiao family ancestor's solid foundation, Qin Han Chu could completely assist him in completing his advancement.
Assisting a middle-stage Grandmaster to break through was also a significant challenge for Qin Han Chu. With Qin Han Chu's help, the Xiao family ancestor finally completed his breakthrough after three days. During these three days, Qin Han Chu's qi power was depleted several times due to the acupuncture. Although it was arduous, the process was also a form of tempering for Qin Han Chu. After this experience, Qin Han Chu became more adept at using his qi.
After two weeks of consolidating his strength, Qin Han Chu left the secret base with the Xiao family ancestor and the Blood Blade Ancestor.
...
Mount Zhongnan not only boasted magnificent cliffs but also picturesque scenery. Wan Qiong and Zhao Hai were there. Besides the two of them, five hostages were also present: Shen Wan Feng, Qing Dai, Wan Tong, Suan Mei, and Long Yong An.
At that moment, Qing Dai's phone rang.
"Whose call is it?" Wan Qiong asked sternly.
Qing Dai replied calmly, "This phone only has the young master's contact information."
Hearing this, Wan Qiong immediately became alert. She reached out and said, "Give me the phone."
Qing Dai did not refuse and readily handed the phone to Wan Qiong. Wan Qiong pressed the answer button, and Qin Han Chu's voice came through, "Where are the two seniors from the Dragon Gate?"
"What? Finally decided to show yourself?" Wan Qiong said coldly.
"I had some matters to attend to, so I had to keep the two seniors waiting," Qin Han Chu said with a smile.
Wan Qiong said sternly, "Mount Zhongnan. Come."
"I'll be there in two hours. Wait for me a little longer!" Qin Han Chu said before hanging up.
"He actually dares to come?" Zhao Hai frowned.
"If he didn't intend to come, there would be no need to make this call," Wan Qiong said.
Zhao Hai nodded. "True."
"His tone suggests he's confident he can handle us," Wan Qiong mused.
Zhao Hai looked at Shen Wan Feng and the other four hostages. He asked, "What trump card does your young master have? Surely, two late-stage Grandmasters like us aren't beneath his notice?"
"Since the young master dares to come, he must be fully confident," Wan Tong said with a smile. "Please look forward to it."
Zhao Hai and Wan Qiong frowned. Did Qin Han Chu really have a way to deal with them? Based on their calculations, Qin Han Chu's backing was, at most, one late-stage Grandmaster. Even if he had two, Zhao Hai and Wan Qiong would not be afraid. Even if they couldn't capture Qin Han Chu, they would at least uncover his trump cards.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. Just then, a helicopter approached rapidly. The helicopter hovered at an altitude of ten meters, and Qin Han Chu and two others jumped down. After the three landed, the helicopter flew away.
Zhao Hai and Wan Qiong first glanced at Qin Han Chu, then their gaze shifted to those behind him. The Blade Ancestor and the Xiao family ancestor wore golden masks, obscuring their faces. Qin Han Chu did this to protect the members of the Xiao family. Furthermore, he did not want others to know who the late-stage Grandmasters accompanying him were.
"Two late-stage Grandmasters?" Even before engaging, it was evident that to be Qin Han Chu's backing, they had to be at least late-stage Grandmasters.
"Yes, without the protection of late-stage Grandmasters, how could I dare to visit the two seniors?" Qin Han Chu said with a smile.
Wan Qiong's eyes widened in surprise. She said, "To think that a powerful expert in the late stage of Grandmaster would wear a mask. Is he too ashamed to show his face?"