The White Tiger moved extremely fast, only stopping at one post station along the way to rest.
In just over a day, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a wide river stretching between heaven and earth.
The river water was muddy and yellow, surging ceaselessly, and even in late autumn, not a trace of ice could be seen.
Along the riverbank, a cluster of buildings built along the water stretches for miles, with blue bricks and gray tiles, pavilions and towers scattered about, and banners fluttering in the distance.
At the very front stands a tall stone archway inscribed with the three large characters " Iron River Gang " in vigorous calligraphy.
This is the headquarters of the Iron River Gang.
The White Tiger slowed its pace and walked along a bluestone-paved road toward the complex of buildings.
Fang Han looked out the car window and gazed into the distance.
Almost simultaneously, from another direction, a huge black figure was speeding along the riverbank.
It was a black panther.
It was only slightly smaller than the White Tiger, its entire body was jet black without a single blemish, and it gleamed with a cold, eerie luster in the afternoon sunlight.
It is extremely fast, like a black lightning bolt, its four claws landing silently, its running posture smooth and graceful.
The black panther also carried a carriage on its back, with three people sitting inside.
The first man had a handsome face, and his brows revealed a sense of vicissitude and depth that was beyond his years. He was none other than Ling Wuyuan, the Pavilion Master of the Nether Pavilion.
Two people sat beside him. One of them had a handsome face but a sinister look on his face. He was Meng Xian, the True Disciple of the Nether Pavilion.
The other man had a knife at his waist and a face that could barely be described as handsome; he was Duan Wuya Wuyai, who had been seriously injured by Fang Han.
The black leopard stopped a few feet away from the White Tiger.
The two First Grade demons exchanged a glance, then simultaneously lowered their bodies, letting out a low whimper, and each took a few steps back.
Then, both sides jumped out of the carriage.
"Sect Master Ling, how have you been?"
Chen Tianyuan bowed slightly to Ling Wuyuan.
"Sect Leader Chen, it's been a long time."
Ling Wuyuan also cupped his hands in greeting, a faint smile on his face, as if the two were old friends of many years, rather than sworn enemies who had been fighting each other for decades.
Fang Han listened to the two's polite greetings, his gaze sweeping over the Nether Pavilion.
After You Xin's death, Meng Xian and Duan Wuya became the two most outstanding members of the Nether Pavilion.
Coincidentally, both of them had a grudge against Fang Han.
Both of them had a more composed aura than before, clearly indicating that their cultivation had greatly improved in recent days.
"..."
Fang Han looked at him, Meng Xian's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, then he lowered his eyes and turned his face away.
Duan Wuya also looked away the moment his gaze fell on Fang Han, and instead looked towards the cluster of buildings built along the river in the distance.
They dared not provoke them.
Both of them were well aware that with Fang Han's current strength, firmly holding the top spot on the Prodigy Ranking, they were no longer a match for him.
Fang Han withdrew his gaze and turned it towards Ling Wuyuan.
The Nether Pavilion Master was speaking quietly with Chen Tianyuan, his expression calm and showing no sign of hostility.
Seemingly sensing Fang Han's gaze, Ling Wuyuan slightly turned his head, his deep eyes falling on Fang Han.
An indescribable sense of oppression washed over me like a tidal wave.
Like an invisible mountain, it weighed heavily on Fang Han's heart, making the hairs on the back of his Fang Han stand on end.
' Barrier-Breaking Martial Artist!'
Fang Han felt a chill run down his spine and quickly looked away.
Barrier-Breaking Martial Artist.
Ling Wuyuan is definitely Barrier-Breaking Martial Artist. With his current strength, only Barrier-Breaking Martial Artist can put such pressure on him.
It's unclear how many levels Ling Wuyuan actually cleared, but it's highly unlikely he only cleared one.
Ling Wuyuan's faint smile deepened slightly as he withdrew his gaze and turned to Chen Tianyuan.
"Sect Master Chen, is this your sect's top-ranked disciple on the Prodigy Ranking?"
His voice was calm, with a hint of approval.
"He truly is a handsome man."
"You flatter me, Pavilion Master Ling."
Chen Tianyuan shook his head, his tone indifferent.
"Young people still need to be tempered and don't deserve such praise."
He paused, then looked away from Fang Han, his voice becoming more casual.
"Those two disciples under Pavilion Master Ling also seem quite outstanding."
"Them? They're far from it."
Ling Wuyuan waved his hand and said no more.
Fang Han lowered his eyes, listening to the two exchanging polite pleasantries.
Chen Tianyuan's attitude seemed casual, but his wariness was hidden beneath a calm exterior.
Ling Wuyuan's praise just now, on the surface, was polite, but in reality, it was a test.
It is unusual for a sect leader to praise a disciple of another sect.
Fang Han knew it, and so did Chen Tianyuan.
Just then, a figure strode quickly from the direction of the Iron River Gang headquarters.
He was a middle-aged man with a dark complexion and sharp eyes, wearing a dark blue Brocade Robe, with a wide leather belt around his waist, from which hung a long knife.
With steady steps, he covered dozens of feet in just a few strides, approached them, and bowed to Chen Tianyuan and Ling Wuyuan respectively, his voice loud and clear.
"Sect Leader Chen, Pavilion Master Ling, you have come from afar. Please forgive us for not welcoming you properly!"
He paused, then stepped aside and gestured.
"Please follow me, your lodgings have been arranged."
"Thank you for your trouble, Chief Qi!"
Chen Tianyuan nodded slightly and followed, with Fang Han, Luo Yuntian, and Yun Muyao following behind Chen Tianyuan.
Ling Wuyuan followed, with Meng Xian and Duan Wuya beside him.
The two groups of people, one in front of the other, followed Qi Zhen into the headquarters of the Iron River Gang.
Qi Zhen, the leader of the Iron River Gang, placed the Azure Profound Sect and the Nether Pavilion in two separate courtyards.
The villa was small but quite elegant, with several clumps of Emerald Bamboo planted in the courtyard and a small pond in the corner, in which several koi carp were kept.
Fang Han's assigned room was on the east side of the courtyard, and he could see the surging Iron River just by opening the window.
The river water was muddy and yellow, with waves crashing against the shore, and the sound of the water could be faintly heard, which gave it a certain grandeur.
Three days later.
The Grandmaster Banquet was held as scheduled.
The banquet was held in a huge hall deep inside the Iron River Gang headquarters.
The hall was spacious enough to accommodate hundreds of people, with huge calligraphy and paintings hanging on the four walls, and a long table in the center was filled with various dishes and wines.
Dozens of low tables were set up on both sides of the hall, covered with brocade and decorated with fruits and teacups.
When Fang Han followed Chen Tianyuan into the hall, quite a few people had already arrived.
His gaze swept over the faces, some familiar, some unfamiliar.
He was particularly interested in the abbot of Vajra Temple, the valley master of Hundred Flower Valley, the sect master of the Tyrant Blade Sect, the sect master of the Lingyun Sword Sect, the tower master of Rain Listening Tower, and the leaders of the major forces in the prefecture.
The crowd's gaze lingered on the group from the Azure Profound Sect for a moment before shifting away, whispering amongst themselves.
People would occasionally glance at the empty seat at the front of the hall, their eyes filled with scrutiny and contemplation.
" The Iron River Gang has produced a grandmaster. What do you think, is it true or false?"
"Grandmaster-level martial arts techniques are firmly controlled by the Seven Sects and are never passed on to outsiders. Where did the Iron River Gang obtain these Grandmaster-level techniques?"
"Who knows? Perhaps the Iron River Gang secretly obtained the legacy left behind by a grandmaster."
"The legacy of a grandmaster is not something that can be easily obtained."
"That's true..."
The buzzing of discussion was deafening; some believed it, some didn't.
Fang Han sat down next to Chen Tianyuan, looking towards the front of the hall.
There, a door draped with brocade hung tightly shut, behind which lay the legendary master of the Iron River Gang.
If the Iron River Gang truly produces a Grandmaster, the power structure of Qingyang Prefecture will be rewritten.
Just then--
The tightly closed door at the front of the hall slowly opened, and three people walked out.
The man on the left is Qi Zhen, the leader of the Iron River Gang.
Today he wore a Dark Gold Brocade Robe with a matching silk sash around his waist, and he looked more energetic than he had three days ago.
On the other side was a woman.
The woman was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a beautiful face. She was dressed in a light blue outfit, with a claw weapon hanging on each of her waists. She was Yang Yuan, the True Disciple Iron River Gang, ranked twenty-fifth on the Prodigy Ranking.
And between the two.
He was an elderly man.
The old man was thin and wore a gray cloth robe. His face was ancient and his wrinkles were deep and etched.
His hair was gray, casually tied up with a wooden hairpin, with a few stray strands falling across his forehead, swaying slightly in the light streaming in from inside the door.
He walked with his hands behind his back, his pace unhurried, just like an ordinary old man.
But the instant his gaze swept across the hall—
A terrifying aura emanated from him.
That aura was as deep as an abyss, as vast as the sea, carrying a kind of oppressive power that made one's soul tremble.
Like an invisible mountain, it pressed down from directly in front of the hall.
Everything in the hall seemed to freeze for a moment.
The ripples in the wine ceased, and the flickering of the candlelight slowed.
Even the dust particles floating in the air were suppressed by that invisible force and slowly settled.
'Such a terrifying aura, this is undoubtedly a Grandmaster-level expert!'
Fang Han's breathing suddenly became difficult at this moment.
My heart felt like it was being gripped by an invisible hand, and every beat required all my strength.
The Second Grade Internal Qi within his body, as refined as mercury, was like a small boat in a stormy sea before this aura, and could capsize at any moment.
His face was slightly pale, and fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead as he stared intently at the aged figure.
The mere release of his aura made everyone present feel as insignificant as ants gazing at the sky.
He is undoubtedly a grandmaster!
Chen Tianyuan. His pupils contracted slightly in his warm eyes, and a crack appeared on his usually composed face.
The faint smile on Ling Wuyuan's lips froze, and a solemn expression appeared on his face that even he himself was unwilling to admit.
Abbot Ku Du of Vajra Temple clasped his hands together, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
Hua Nishang, the Valley Master of Hundred Flower Valley, sat up slightly, a sharp glint flashing in her watery eyes.
The veins on the hand of Lei Pojun, the leader of the Tyrant Blade Sect, bulged as he gripped the wine bowl.
The sect leader of the Lingyun Sword Sect, Xie Changkong, gently placed the wine cup in his hand on the table, making a very soft, crisp sound.
Shen Tinglan, the owner of Rain Listening Tower, lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly.
Those with weaker cultivation levels fared even worse.
Some people were ashen-faced, some trembled slightly as they held their cups, and some instinctively reached for their weapons at their waists before quietly letting go.
A brief, deathly silence fell over the hall.
Fortunately, this aura came and went quickly, soon receding like the tide.
Only then did everyone recover from that terrible pressure.
Qi Zhen's gaze swept over the various expressions on the faces in the hall, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
He turned slightly to the side, raised his hand in a gesture, and spoke softly, yet clearly to everyone's ears.
"Fellow practitioners, this is the Supreme Elder of my Iron River Gang— "
He paused, a hint of undisguised pride creeping into his voice.
"Grandmaster, Yan Wuji."