Chapter 1790: Black Soul

The old man sighed softly. "You've come to the right person with that question. I've been guarding Juexing Peak for centuries, and I've dealt with countless top-tier assassins.

"Generally speaking, the most mysterious among them is the Heavenly Sect lineage.

"Their assassins never leave any trace or clue. Even if they are suppressed by their targets, they possess various special means to escape.

"Otherwise, they choose the most brutal methods to destroy all evidence.

"It's astonishing that the Heavenly Sect has dominated the entire Ancient Martial Divine Path for nearly ten thousand years, yet no one has ever discovered who their true leader is.

"As for the rival dynasty, their most renowned assassin organization is called Black Soul.

"Oh, that's likely the group that ambushed you on your way here.

"In terms of foundation, they cannot compare to the Heavenly Sect, but Black Soul possesses a unique characteristic that other assassin organizations cannot match.

"They share a very close bloodline relationship with the royal family of the neighboring dynasty."

Xu Yang couldn't help but show a puzzled expression. "Senior, do you mean that the leader of the Black Soul organization is a direct member of the neighboring dynasty's royal family? In other words, their assassin organization is the royal family's sharpest blade?"

The old man nodded slightly. "Precisely. In reality, the conflict between the two dynasties has already escalated to an irreconcilable point. The reason they still hold these meetings is merely a superficial way to buy time. A great war could erupt at any moment.

"If my judgment is correct, upon your triumphant return this time, you will surely be highly regarded by the dynasty. It's very likely they will ask you and your companions to personally lead martial arts forces in a direct confrontation with the neighboring dynasty."

Hearing the old senior's words, Xu Yang revealed a meaningful smile.

"They are nowhere near qualified to use the three of us as their pawns.

"Right now, what interests me most are those mysterious organizations lurking in the shadows of the Ancient Martial Divine Path. We are willing to work for whoever can provide us with clues about them."

After several exchanges, Xu Yang and his two companions ultimately stood as victors, receiving protection from Qin Han and other royal representatives, as well as commendations from the generals. According to the rules established at the beginning of the competition, this year's winners were to leave a trace of their martial arts essence within Juexing Peak.

After completing all of this, Xu Yang and his two companions returned triumphantly with the main imperial forces. They soon bid farewell to the venerable old "living fossil" and headed back towards Tiandu.

The old "living fossil" watched Xu Yang and the others depart. He then returned to the traces of martial arts essence left by the three. Sensing their extraordinary talent, he personally acted to seal these three essential energies once more.

Regardless of their identities or origins, these three young individuals would be the backbone of the imperial martial arts community among the younger generation for a considerable period. Everything related to them must be carefully preserved.

It was crucial to prevent malicious individuals from obtaining these three martial arts essences prematurely and developing exclusive cultivation methods to target them. His true responsibility was to safeguard the spark of hope.

Thinking this, the old senior immediately began to act, outlining a complete sealing formation. However, just as he was casting the spell, an incredibly powerful martial arts aura suddenly erupted from behind him.

Greatly alarmed, the old man had no time to fully defend. He could only grit his teeth and endure the blow with his physical body, while simultaneously completing the sealing of Xu Yang and his companions' martial arts essences.

"Hahaha, it seems your move was a little too slow. I still managed to complete the sealing of those three young ones' essences. It looks like you'll be empty-handed again this time."

The person standing behind the old man was dressed bizarrely, with their facial features and contours obscured. They wore a ghost-head mask, and the martial arts aura emanating from them was incredibly potent, indicating they were also a powerful martial artist who had entered the Dao Integration realm.

"Since you already know my purpose for coming here every time, you insist on opposing me, don't you, old man? However, what surprises me is that you didn't use your martial arts power to counter my technique, yet you weren't instantly killed by my palm. You should know I used eighty percent of my strength just now."

The old man wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, slowly turned around, and spoke.

"That's because I just consumed a spirit core from a powerful expert whose strength was comparable to mine. Otherwise, your strike just now would have left me mortally wounded, and you would have likely succeeded this time."

The powerful martial artist wearing the ghost-head mask sneered, "Regardless, you won't escape death today. I've received new orders, and I'm determined to obtain the essences of those three individuals. Moreover, I came prepared this time."

As soon as they finished speaking, the powerful figure with the ghost-head mask subtly waved their hand.

Around them, cultivators appeared one after another, moving with astonishing agility. Each wore an identical mask, but their colors differed significantly from the leader's. The followers wore green masks, while the Dao Integration realm expert wore a purple one.

The old man did not display the expected panic. Instead, he seized this valuable time to circulate his cultivation energy, attempting to recover from his injuries.

He knew very well that an all-out battle to the death was imminent. However, just as these individuals were about to launch their attack and encircle the old "living fossil," Xu Yang returned. He transformed into a streak of light and appeared out of thin air beside the old man.

"Young brother, why have you returned?"

The old man was exceptionally shocked. Clearly, this was not part of any plan he had made with Xu Yang. He had previously prepared himself for death to protect the essences of Xu Yang and his two companions. Now, seeing Xu Yang's return, a hint of worry crept into his heart.

"Hahaha, if I didn't come back, that grand gift of the spirit core I just gave away would have been for naught. Senior, you absolutely cannot be harmed right now. Juexing Peak is our territory!"

As Xu Yang finished speaking, he subtly pressed his palm against the old man's arm. A continuous surge of immense life force flowed from Xu Yang's palm into the old man's meridians. This completely stunned the "living fossil" level Dao Integration realm expert.

Such potent life force could not possibly be possessed by an ordinary cultivator. Clearly, Xu Yang's true strength surpassed the old man's estimations, possibly even reaching a level beyond the Dao Integration realm.