Yan's Vicious Plan

As Yang Jian left.

Yan hid behind a half-open window high above, staring fixedly at the carriage as it gradually disappeared into the distance, his clenched fist cracking.

His knuckles had turned white, his nails nearly digging into his flesh, yet he felt no pain at all.

At that moment, countless indescribable emotions churned within Yan's chest.

Helplessness, fury, resentment, and hatred that seeped into his bones.

Six years.

For those six years, he had trained like a madman.

He went to the training grounds before dawn and returned only after nightfall.

While others rested, he trained. While others slept, he trained.

He had thought he could catch up to Yang Jian.

He had thought he could prove to everyone that six years ago, he had merely been careless.

But what now?

Yang Jian had already broken through level fifty.

All he needed was to hunt another spirit ring, and he would become a Spirit King.

Not only had Yan failed to catch up, he had fallen even farther behind.

His efforts over the past six years felt like a joke.

Hatred flashed through Yan's eyes as the scene from six years ago resurfaced in his mind.

At the training grounds, Yang Jian had sent him flying with a single slash. He had fallen to the ground, coughing up blood, while the people around him pointed and whispered.

"Senior Brother Yan was defeated in one move?"

"Who's that child?"

"Isn't Senior Brother Yan usually pretty strong?"

"How could he not even beat a child?"

Those voices pierced straight through his heart.

Yet what he found even more unbearable was Hu Liena's attitude.

Ever since Yang Jian had arrived, Hu Liena had grown increasingly distant from him. She had at least spoken a few words to him before, but now she would not even spare him a glance.

Yang Jian was the only one in her eyes.

"Yang Jian!"

Yan took a deep breath, his gaze gradually darkening.

Yang Jian had always stayed in Spirit Hall before.

There had been nothing Yan could do.

But now, Yang Jian had left Spirit Hall to gain experience.

Yue Guan was the only one by his side.

The opportunity had come!

He turned and walked deeper into the room, taking a sheet of parchment and a pen from a drawer.

After thinking briefly, he began writing.

"To Sect Master Ning of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect..."

His handwriting was messy and hurried, as though he feared he might change his mind.

After finishing, he read it over once more. Only after confirming that he had left behind no trace that could lead back to him did he roll the parchment into a thin tube and seal it with wax.

"Spirit Hall has produced a twelve-year-old Spirit King. Ning Fengzhi will definitely be interested in this information."

Yan sneered and swiftly tucked the letter tube into his clothes.

Those lofty sects feared nothing more than Spirit Hall producing an unrivaled genius.

Especially the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. That old fox Ning Fengzhi would never stand by and do nothing.

Yang Jian, just wait for death.

Meanwhile, the carriage was slowly traveling along the main road.

The interior of the carriage had been arranged with exceptional comfort: soft cushions, an exquisite small table, and a pot of warm tea.

The sound of the wheels rolling over the road was monotonous and rhythmic, enough to make one drowsy.

Yue Guan leaned against one side of the carriage with his eyes closed, resting as he casually asked, "Where are we going first?"

"I'll go home first to see my brother and sister." Yang Jian sat opposite him, looking at the scenery rapidly receding beyond the window. "Then we'll travel around the Heaven Dou Empire and take a look around."

Yue Guan nodded and said nothing more.

With his strength, flying with Yang Jian would naturally be faster.

But that would consume too much spirit power. If they encountered danger along the way, the consequences would be difficult to predict.

For safety's sake, it was better to travel by carriage.

In any case, they had plenty of time.

Two months later.

The carriage crossed the border of Idefu Province and entered the territory of Linhai City.

The air gradually became damp, and the wind carried a faint salty, fishy scent.

The vegetation on both sides of the road had also changed.

There were more salt-tolerant shrubs and short palm trees.

Yang Jian lifted the carriage curtain and took a deep breath.

He had smelled this sea scent every day as a child and had long grown accustomed to it.

Later, he had gone to Spirit Hall and had not smelled it for six years. He had thought he would find it unfamiliar, yet now it felt especially comforting.

"We're here." Yue Guan opened his eyes. "I won't go in with you. I'll guard you from the shadows."

The moment he finished speaking, his figure vanished from the carriage as though he had never been there.

Yang Jian was not surprised. Once the carriage came to a stop, he got out by himself.

Linhai City was not large, but it was far more prosperous than Weihai City.

The streets bustled with people. Vendors called out their wares, buyers haggled, and children laughed and played, all blending into a lively atmosphere.

Yang Jian stood at the roadside, got his bearings, and headed toward the Spirit Hall Branch.

He had barely taken a few steps when he noticed something strange.

Quite a few people around him were looking at him.

More precisely, they were looking at his face.

A young girl in luxurious clothes approached from the opposite direction. The instant she saw him, her steps visibly faltered. Her face reddened slightly, and she lowered her head before quickly hurrying away.

Several women nearby were even less restrained, openly whispering among themselves as their gazes lingered on his face.

Yang Jian frowned slightly.

He knew he was not bad-looking now, but being watched like some rare animal still made him uncomfortable.

"Young master, are you alone? Would you like to come up and have some fun?" A heavily made-up woman poked her head out from a teahouse beside him and shot him a seductive glance.

Yang Jian did not slow down. He walked past with a blank expression.

Having spent so much time around a stunning beauty like Hu Liena, ordinary women could not catch his eye at all.

The Spirit Hall Branch was located in the center of Linhai City. It was a three-story building constructed entirely of white stone, with two stone pillars standing before its entrance, their tops carved with the emblem of Spirit Hall.

Yang Jian reached the entrance and was about to enter when the two guards simultaneously raised their hands to stop him.

"Stop. This is an important Spirit Hall site. Unauthorized persons are not permitted to enter."

The two guards were both young men in their twenties, dressed in Spirit Hall's standard light armor with longswords hanging from their waists.

They looked Yang Jian up and down, their gazes filled with scrutiny.

Yang Jian was not angered. He took a token from his clothes and handed it over.

"My name is Yang Jian. I've come to see Wang Hegui."

The two guards accepted the token. The moment they lowered their heads to examine it, both their pupils contracted.

An Elder Token.

It was actually an Elder Token that only experts at the Title Douluo level could possess.

A Spirit Hall Elder Token.

The two guards exchanged glances, each seeing shock and confusion in the other's eyes.

How could this teenager, who looked barely more than ten years old, possibly be a Title Douluo?

Then.

Their gazes unconsciously fell upon Yang Jian's clothes again.

The fabric was fine, and the craftsmanship exquisite. They were clearly not clothes an ordinary person could afford.

Moreover, though the youth was young, he stood there calm and composed, carrying himself with extraordinary poise. He was clearly no ordinary person.

"Please wait a moment. I'll report this immediately." One of the guards instantly became respectful. He returned the token with both hands, then turned and hurried into the branch hall.

The other guard remained where he was, secretly studying Yang Jian without even daring to breathe too loudly.

A moment later, hurried footsteps came from within the branch hall.

"Where is he? Where is the person?"