Patriarch Chen Delu

"How is that possible? At your age, with how little you've trained, you actually managed to comprehend the Seven Kill Blade Intent within this Seven Kill Blade?"

"...Is it real? It's utterly baffling."

Liang Qisheng's heart jolted, a flash of insight sparking in his mind.

He already knew exactly who this suddenly appearing old stranger was.

But before he could respectfully reply, the old man took a single step and appeared right before him.

He couldn't even see the old man's movements clearly before he was already there.

Suddenly, the man's hands pressed directly onto his shoulders.

Those two palms were like iron clamps, locking him in place and rendering him completely immobile.

It felt like facing a peerless ferocious beast. Liang Qisheng's face turned grim as he sensed a beastly roar, his blood nearly frozen solid.

If the Black Tiger Fist he cultivated was merely a tiger bursting from its cage, then this man was a Tyrannosaurus Rex, an unprecedented wave of crushing pressure.

Even though his entire body was nearly frozen stiff by that terrifying aura, he dared not move an inch, let alone struggle, fearing the man would tear him in half with a single squeeze.

"Master, why are you here?"

The voice of Senior Brother Zhao Hu from beside him caused Liang Qisheng's tense body to relax slightly.

The old man's identity was exactly as he had guessed—this was the Elder Chen he had never met since becoming a disciple.

The current strongest existence in the Yama Sect, and the founding ancestor of the executioner lineage, renowned throughout both the underworld and officialdom of Shiwu County.

He also understood that with Elder Chen's strength, the more he struggled, the worse it would get, so he simply stopped resisting.

"Have you touched upon a trace of the Seven Kill Blade Intent?"

But Elder Chen before him seemed not to hear Senior Brother Zhao Hu's words, his towering figure looming like a demon god.

His eyes fixed unblinkingly on Liang Qisheng, a hint of excitement detectable beneath his calm voice—clearly, those seemingly deep eyes were not so tranquil.

"Yes!"

Since he couldn't hide it from Elder Chen's eyes, there was no need to lie. He nodded directly in admission.

"Good, good, truly excellent. My Yama Gate has an heir."

Elder Chen burst into loud laughter, the sound shaking Liang Qisheng's eardrums, making him want to cover his ears.

At the same time, his understanding of Elder Chen's strength rose to a new level.

This old bastard was truly a veteran executioner who had killed countless people; his martial skill had likely reached a level Liang Qisheng couldn't even imagine.

Just his laughter made his mind tremble and his eardrums ache. If he truly tried to resist, he probably wouldn't even have a chance to strike before being crushed into meat paste.

"Indeed..."

When Senior Brother Zhao Hu respectfully stepped aside and called out the old man's title, Liang Qisheng knew his guess about the man's identity was correct.

But at the same time, his heart jolted.

This Elder Chen—

Chen Delu.

This was the true founding ancestor of the executioner lineage.

The so-called Yama Gate was built because of him. It wasn't a purely orthodox sect, but more like a martial arts school that taught skills for silver.

In his youth, this old man was a major figure throughout Shiwu County, only entering semi-retirement as he aged, settling down in Blade-Casting Town.

Yet even in retirement, he still kept the Yama Gate thriving, nearly monopolizing the executioner trade across all nine towns of Shiwu County.

No matter the profession, no matter how lowly, if you reach the top, nothing about it is simple.

At least in the executioner trade, Elder Chen's name was a golden brand.

Liang Qisheng hadn't expected that the appearance of the Decapitation Ghost Blade's Seven Kill Blade Intent would draw out this living legend of the Yama Gate.

He couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

After all, at this moment, he had used Merit Points to refine—or rather, devour—the divine intent left by a Yama Sect senior within that demon blade, merging it with the perfected Decapitation Blade Technique to transform it into the Seven Kill Blood-Transforming Divine Blade.

He was also afraid the other party would discover this secret, leaving him unable to explain.

But clearly, he had worried for nothing.

The Merit Point enhancement was utterly mysterious; everything changed silently, and no one noticed except himself.

Even though the Decapitation Blade Technique had transformed into the Seven Kill Blood-Transforming Divine Blade, the other party sensed nothing.

At this moment, Elder Chen began asking Senior Brother Zhao Hu about Liang Qisheng's background and training progress.

This old man was in semi-retirement and normally paid no attention to the martial school.

Matters like how many people were in the Yama Gate or how much silver they took in were not within his purview; instead, Senior Brother Zhao Hu, along with a few inner courtyard senior brothers, handled everything.

That was why Liang Qisheng, after three months as an outer courtyard disciple, had never even seen the face of this nominal master.

Simply put, there was no need for him to bother.

The Decapitation Blade Technique was an entry-level martial art of the executioner lineage, but mastering it to a superior level was no easy feat. Only those who could command the blade with human intent and be accepted into the inner courtyard might have a chance to see him.

Liang Qisheng had arrived too recently—a mere three months naturally placed him outside this category.

But now that such a massive disturbance had been triggered, even causing the inner courtyard's treasured blade, the Decapitation Ghost Blade, to stir and the Seven Kill Blade Intent to manifest...

This touched upon a great secret of their lineage, so he naturally could not turn a blind eye to Liang Qisheng.

If this person's background proved problematic, then even if he had to steel his heart, he would grind his bones to dust and scatter his ashes, leaving no future trouble.

What if they ended up nurturing a rival or an enemy!

Senior Brother Zhao Hu, standing nearby, seemed to hold great reverence for this Old Master Chen, completely unlike his demeanor in the outer courtyard. He immediately answered honestly and respectfully.

Upon learning that Liang Qisheng's identity was clean and that he had cultivated the Decapitation Blade Technique to the realm of mind-blade unity and human-commanding-blade in just three months, the smile on Old Master Chen's face could no longer be contained.

He took another look at Liang Qisheng, sensing that his entire skeletal frame was solid and sturdy, clearly built on an extremely firm foundation.

At the same time, the Seven Kill Blade Intent flooded his body, practically forging him into a fine seedling for martial arts and blade cultivation.

Especially the profound degree of harmony between this man and his blade—being able to comprehend the "Seven Kill Blade Intent" through the Decapitation Ghost Blade, even if only a sliver, was enough to mark him as exceptional material.

Old Master Chen was deeply satisfied in his heart.

"This Decapitation Ghost Blade is a secret inheritance of my Yama Sect. Since you have gained something from it, comprehending a sliver of Seven Kill Blade Intent and even causing the treasured blade to tremble, I will take you as my disciple. Are you willing!?"

Chen Delu spoke again, his eyes narrowing as he fixed his gaze on Liang Qisheng, his voice carrying an unmistakable tone of finality.

Liang Qisheng cursed inwardly. This old bastard was clearly playing dumb while saying the opposite of what he meant.

He understood full well that the inheritance "Seven Kill Blade Intent" he had obtained from the Decapitation Ghost Blade had already touched upon the secrets of Yama Gate.

If he refused, he likely wouldn't be leaving this place alive today.