--- Chapter 23 ---
Three hours later.
After the heads of business clans were eliminated and replaced.
Wind Blade Sect.
Within the pavilion of an ancient-looking palace, two men toasted their cups of wine.
The first man is short and bald but has a stylish goatee. He wore a yellow martial robe and matching pants, exuding the pressure of Sky Profound Realm expert.
On the other hand, the second man is tall and muscular. He has medium-length brown hair but no facial hair. He wore an open-chested blue robe and black pants. Just like the first man, he has the presence of a Sky Profound Realm expert.
These two are the sect leaders of the Cloud Palm Sect and Wind Blade Sect, respectively. Yan Mu and Jiang Gu.
"Brother Mu, enjoy the wine. Soon, we will get the Profound Breaking Pill from Elder Mu Lei and enter a higher realm after many years." The Wind Blade Sect's Leader, Jiang Gu, laughed.
"Hehehe, Toast!"
The Cloud Palm Sect's Leader, Yan Mu, chuckled and drank the wine in one motion.
They are having a great time in their lives.
"Still, Yu Clan has grown so big in just three years..." Jiang Gu greedily said. "Anyone who isn't a fool could see something wasn't right."
"Yes, but your Wind Blade Sect is doing things messily." Yan Mu commented casually.
"Oh, what do you mean by that?"
Yan Mu snorted, "Do you think I didn't know you supported the Zhu Clan from the shadows, even using your elders to attack Yu Clan's caravans."
"My sect, on the other hand, did this more cleanly. We are asking for 'enrollment money' for Yu Clan's third young master."
"Pfft, shameless bastard." Jiang Gu slammed his table in disbelief.
"Isn't that basically the same thing?"
"Hehe, of course not." Yan Mu shook his head gently. "Although we confirmed that Yu Clan didn't make a significant connection in the Blue Wind Empire, I don't want to erase my suspicion easily."
"Such a clan usually has protection from the super faction."
"I merely covered my steps."
"Tsk, what kind of super faction could the Yu Clan have? The Patriarch Yu Zhan is a normal fellow with no profound strength, and his range of connection is limited." Jiang Gu criticized, not believing his friend.
"You're just being overcautious."
"Can I have this?" Someone suddenly asked, startling them.
"Huh?" 2x.
Jiang Gu and Yan Mu stepped back in a hurry, releasing their cultivation base to attack at any moment.
They blinked and saw a gray-clothed youth leaning on the wall, pouring wine into a new cup.
The youth sipped the wine and commented, "Uugh, so bitter."
"My palate is still young..."
He glanced at them and smiled, "Oh, hello there. Nice afternoon, isn't it?"
"W-Who are you?" Yan Mu questioned with a frown. This kid actually could enter their personal space without them noticing.
This youth isn't simple.
Yu Long placed the cup of wine down and replied, "Hmm... How should I answer this."
"Oh, right. I'm a passerby who just happened to take fancy to your little establishment. Would you believe that?"
Hearing 'little establishment' from Yu Long's mouth, Yan Mu's mouth twitched in disbelief.
Who will believe such words?
And it successfully irked Jiang Gu beside Yan Mu.
"Kid, stop joking around..."
"Just tell us your identity." Jiang Gu indifferently said, almost in a commanding tone.
"Haha~! Are you perhaps afraid that I was from a super duper background and will apologize by kowtowing to me later if it is right? Aih, Cultivation World with its 'bully the weak and fear the strong' attitude." Yu Long mocked them in annoyance.
"Whatever, I'm coming here to settle a few things."
He pointed his finger at Yan Mu, "You, are you the one who scammed my third brother?"
"Your face looks like a scammer."
"Third brother..." Yan Mu squinted his eyes. He recalled that the Yu Clan has four young masters. And the youngest one has gone outside for over three months.
Looking at Yu Long's facial features, he did resemble the Yu Clan's Patriarch.
"Yu Zhan's 4th Son. Yu Long, you're only ten, I believe..."
'So, how in hell did he sneak under our nose!' Yan Mu's critical mind was alarmed.
Fuck, something isn't right.
However, unlike Yan Mu, Jiang Gu isn't very patient.
"Hmph, just a little brat from a backwater background." Jiang Gu summoned a sword and stepped forward. "Killing you will settle everything!"
"Brother Gu, don't-!" Yan Mu shouted. Still, Jiang Gu already swung his sword without profound skills, causing a whistling noise in the surroundings.
Swoosh!
The sword slashed through the air but awkwardly stopped just when it was about to touch Yu Long's hair.
"What?!"
"Why can't my blade move..." Jiang Gu flexed his arm's muscles. Still, the sword couldn't move an inch.
Yu Long poked the sword casually, "As expected."
'They couldn't see my profound incarnation.'
A muscular figure currently pinched Jiang Gu's sword, stopping it from reaching Yu Long.
Just like Stand, profound incarnations are ethereal images. It exists in a different space.
Only a person like Xia Qingyue with Heart of Snow Glazed Glass could see profound incarnations.
Nevertheless, this doesn't confirm that cultivators from the Upper Realm couldn't see profound incarnations because they developed Divine Sense after transcending the Mortal Realm.
"Melt..." Yu Long commanded indifferently.
The profound incarnation gathered heat inside its finger and transferred it into a sword.
And yes, we are talking about heat coming from the 'initial level' of Fire Law. It's not something Quasi Sky Profound Weapon could handle.
Jiang Gu's sword started melting like ice cream, dropping to the wooden floor.
He released the sword's handle and hissed because the heat reached his hand. "Kuugh, what did you do?" Wearing a painful expression, Jiang Gu held his hand in horror.
"Oh, just a normal appliance of radiation." Yu Long shrugged like it was the most normal thing ever. "Nothing special."
"But your sensitivity sure is poor." He narrowed his eyes on Jiang Gu.
"This is what happens when one thinks profound entrances are everything."
"Jiang Gu, use everything you have!" Yan Mu shouted in panic.
"He must have used a secret technique to stop your attack. Don't be lured into his trap!"
"You're right." Jiang Gu huffed.
Another sword appeared in Jiang Gu because this time, he'd use Wind Blade Sect's final technique immediately.
"Wind Blade Storm!"
"Haa... You're talking too much." Yu Long scoffed at the fool.
The profound incarnation listened to Yu Long's order and moved like a flash, punching a hole in Jiang Gu's chest. A charred hole appeared, smelling like burnt meat.
"Y-You..." Jiang Gu's eyes widened as he dropped dead to the floor.
"What a disappointment." Yu Long emotionlessly stared at the corpse beneath him.
"!!!" Yan Mu stepped back and ran as if his life depended on it.
Run!
RUN!!
FUCKING RUN!!!
Yan Mu had never seen such a monster before.
That kid isn't human!
That's not the gaze of a human!
How unfortunate of Yan Mu. It was too late.
BAM!
Yan Mu felt a smack on his chest and coughed a mouthful of blood. He fell to the ground heavily with a handful of dirt inside his mouth.
An invisible force lifted Yan Mu by the neck, paralyzing his body as if death just landed its hand on him.
Yan Mu slowly hovered back to Yu Long, seeing the golden-eyed monster sit and enjoy the wind.
"You know, I have no plan of exposing my power this early..."
"But you guys force me to do this."
"If only you're doing your job as dogs and watch from the sidelines." Yu Long indifferently rubbed his forehead.
Staring into Yan Mu's terrified eyes, Yu Long didn't say much, but the Cloud Palm Sect's Leader understood what he meant.
'W-We are such fools... We actually awakened a sleeping beast!' Yan Mu thought before getting his neck snapped.
"Sky Profound Realm."
"They are like twigs." Yu Long closed his eyes.
Hong Guan, Lily, and eleven Shadow Phantoms appeared shortly after.
"Young master, we have wiped important people in the Wind Blade Sect and Cloud Palm Sect," Lily quickly reported. "We also have assigned replacements from the Shadow Realm."
"Mm, good job." Yu Long nodded slightly. "For now, stabilize the situation."
"I'll send a letter to the Heavenly Spear Thunderfire Fortress to lure the bastard who touched my things..."
"We understand, Lord Shadow!" The eleven Shadow Phantoms answered and disappeared from the yard.
Hong Guan stared at the two corpses beside Yu Long and mumbled, "Sky Profound Realm."
"So, this is the power of profound incarnation."
"Yes." Yu Long smiled at her. "And you might awaken it soon, Sister Guan."
"What do you think?"
"Do you want to fight Mu Lei by yourself?"
"YES! LET ME DO IT!" Hong Guan replied without hesitation.