Seeing that Yi Tianyun could still manage a smile, the Third Elder sneered, "You don’t even realize you’re at death’s door. Don’t think you’re invincible just because you have a little skill. The Profound Celestial Spirit King’s abilities were impressive, yes, but unless your cultivation has reached the Spirit Pill Stage today, even a dragon would have to coil up obediently before me!"

He Qianhan and the others looked grim. They never expected members of the Elder Council to be traitors. It seemed they had been plotting this for a long time, and most critically, they had the Mansion Master under their control. They had all truly believed the Mansion Master was in seclusion, never imagining he had been captured and imprisoned in the basement!

"You pack of traitors! First it was that Steward Qian, and now it’s your turn... It’s simply impossible to guard against. No wonder you were so obsessed with finding the Profound Celestial Divine Technique. It was all for the Netherworld Empire!" The First Elder straightened up, the rage in his eyes so intense that if it could take physical form, the entire place would have already been a sea of flames.

"The Celestial Extreme Mansion has fallen into decline. We have no resources, surviving only on the offerings from a few families. I refuse to live like that any longer. Becoming a vassal of the Netherworld Empire is our best possible future..." The Third Elder looked at them with a sinister smile. "The Mansion Master kept resisting, insisting on independence, saying he would rather die than become a vassal... Well, fine. The result is a dead end. Oh, no, he’s not dead yet. He’s just trapped down below, constantly being tortured, so he can learn the consequences of refusal!"

As he spoke, he walked over to the Second Elder and looked down at him coldly.

"Help... help me..." the Second Elder begged in a barely audible voice.

"Get lost!" The Third Elder then kicked out, sending the Second Elder flying. He tumbled dozens of times before coming to a stop, coughing up blood unceasingly.

This act stunned the First Elder and the others. ’Wasn’t he one of their own? How could he attack his own ally?’

"Useless trash. You’re already in this state, what’s the point of saving you?" The Third Elder laughed maniacally. "From this day forward, I am the Mansion Master! As for the rest of you... you will all die today!"

There weren’t many people present—only Yi Tianyun and his group. As long as he killed them to silence them, everything could proceed as planned, and he would become the Mansion Master. Originally, the Second Elder was supposed to become the Mansion Master, but now it would be him!

’With the Second Elder dead, wouldn’t that make *him* the Mansion Master?’

"You... you..." The Second Elder pointed at him, his eyes wide with disbelief. He never thought that in the end, he would be betrayed by one of his own.

PTHOO...

Overcome with rage, he spat a mouthful of blood toward the sky. His eyes bulged, and then he died.

"Ding! Successfully killed the Second Elder. Obtained 24,000 Experience, 3,400 Madness Value, 50 Sin Value. Obtained item: Flowing Cloud Blade, 100,000-point Experience Pill."

’Huh? What?’

Yi Tianyun was taken aback. He hadn’t expected the Second Elder to just die like that. He hadn’t even activated Mad Experience Mode yet; what a waste. Although the final blow was the Third Elder’s kick, the preceding punches were all his. In the end, the system judged it as his kill.

Yi Tianyun wasn’t surprised by the Third Elder’s ambition to usurp power. For those who would so easily betray their sect, backstabbing their own allies was hardly unexpected. The moment they encountered any real danger, they would be the first to abandon their comrades.

The Third Elder saw their furious expressions and chuckled. "No need to be so angry. I’ll be sending you down to see him soon enough..." He then raised a hand, pointed at them, and commanded, "Kill them! All of them except for that kid. Leave no one alive!"

The moment his voice fell, five Shadow Guard figures flickered and vanished into thin air. It was impossible to see where they went; they had completely concealed themselves within the space. They all cultivated a special Spatial Body Technique that allowed them to hide perfectly in the air, making them ideal for assassination.

Each one’s cultivation was at the second or third level of the Spirit Pill Stage or higher. Their cultivation might not be considered high, but their assassination skills were exceptional. The First Elder’s serious injuries were the result of a sneak attack by these very Shadow Guards. If his cultivation hadn’t been so robust, he probably wouldn’t even be able to stand.

"Everyone, get to my side!" the First Elder roared. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, but it was overshadowed by grim determination. To protect his granddaughter, he decided to risk it all. He would fight to the death to carve a bloody path and get them out of here!

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Just then, three black figures were kicked through the air, smashing heavily against the wall. THUD! The entire wall shook violently, nearly collapsing. This impact was far stronger than any before.

As the tremors subsided, they saw the Shadow Guards slide down the wall, completely devoid of life...

"Trying to catch me with this trash?"

Yi Tianyun slowly retracted his foot. He had killed one with a single kick. This time, he hadn’t held back at all—it was a fatal blow!

"Ding! Successfully killed a Shadow Guard. Obtained 170,000 Experience, 3,200 Madness Value, 50 Sin Value. Obtained Shadow Blade (Mid-grade Soul Artifact), Shadow Step!"

"Ding! Successfully killed a Shadow Guard. Obtained 176,000 Experience, 3,300 Madness Value, 50 Sin Value. Obtained Shadow Blade, Shadow Step..."

"Ding! Successfully..."

The three notifications confirmed that he had easily killed three Shadow Guards, without any difficulty at all. So what if they used Stealth? His own concealment abilities were on par, and more importantly, his cultivation was far superior to theirs. Finding them was a simple matter.

"Th-this..." The Third Elder was dumbfounded. Three of the five Shadow Guards had been dealt with just like that. ’What kind of power is this?’

At that moment, a figure materialized behind Yi Tianyun, swinging a Shadow Blade toward his chest. Once they had judged him to be a dangerous target, they attacked without the slightest hesitation.

"Look out—"

The instant the attack came, the First Elder saw the Shadow Guard’s silhouette, but Yi Tianyun’s speed was even faster. Without even looking back, he reached up and snatched violently at the air. A black figure was dragged out of the Void as if by force. He then performed a savage over-the-shoulder throw, slamming the captured assassin into the one trying to ambush him from behind.

BOOM!

The two collided, the impact so great it shattered the ground beneath them. The throw was terrifying, as if backed by the force of ten thousand tons. Everyone felt a tremor run through the floor, a testament to the throw’s overwhelming power.

"Ding! Successfully killed a Shadow Guard. Obtained..."

With just one throw, both of them were crushed to death. It was clean, efficient power, without an ounce of wasted motion. Yi Tianyun didn’t bother wasting words with them, nor would he strike a second time. These Shadow Guards were ruthless individuals; not only would you be unable to interrogate them, but they might even self-destruct. It was better to kill them in one fell swoop without saying a word.

He then straightened up, turned to the Third Elder, whose legs had gone soft with fear, and dusted off his hands. "Your turn."