"Me? I just arrived myself. The first thing I saw was him defeating the famous Little Sword Immortal."

The old man with salt-and-pepper hair, dressed in a magnificent robe, said with a laugh.

"Also, there’s one other thing."

The old man’s expression turned a bit strange. "On my way here, I saw another naked figure hanging from the city walls. It had drawn quite a crowd."

"Another naked figure?"

Luo Hongtian was stunned.

"Yes. If I’m not mistaken, he also seemed to be an expert from the Human List."

The old man stroked his chin and mused, "It looked like ’Asura Hand’ Jiang Hantian of the Mixed Element Sect!"

"Jiang Hantian from the Mixed Element Sect?"

Luo Hongtian’s expression changed drastically. "The one ranked twenty-fifth on the Human List, Jiang Hantian?"

"Indeed."

Mr. Zhuo smiled.

"Wh-who did this?"

Luo Hongtian’s heart skipped a beat. ’Could it be Chen Xuan again?’

’Earlier today, an elder from the Mixed Element Sect came running here. He looked for his young master three times, and now that same young master has been stripped naked and hung from the city walls?’

"That I’m not sure about. After all, I was just passing by and didn’t see it happen with my own eyes."

The old man smiled faintly. "However, I doubt it could be anyone else. Tell me, in all of Qinghe County, who else possesses such strength?"

’Mixed Element Sect... Celestial Sword Sect...’

Luo Hongtian’s mind reeled, a deafening buzz filling his ears.

Either of those two great powers could easily annihilate the Twelve Alliances.

"Mr. Zhuo, a prodigy like him... he can join the organization, right?"

He quickly looked at the old man as if he were his savior.

"But of course!"

The old man gave a placid nod and smiled. "To be honest, when you wrote that he had the strength of someone ranked ninetieth on the Human List, it was merely passable. We weren’t originally planning to send anyone. But then you mentioned he was only twenty years old.

A twenty-year-old at the ninetieth rank of the Human List—that’s a different matter entirely. It was worth my while to come personally. To my great surprise, the reality is even more astonishing. He’s far more than just ninetieth! He managed to defeat the twenty-fourth *and* twenty-fifth-ranked experts. This is a world-shaking prodigy! Luo Hongtian, you have performed a great service!"

He beamed at Luo Hongtian.

Luo Hongtian’s heart finally settled, and he was filled with emotion.

A single word of praise from Mr. Zhuo was worth more than decades of his own hard work.

’To think, back in the day, I was just a discarded pawn...’

"As long as the organization hasn’t forgotten me, I am deeply grateful,"

Luo Hongtian said.

"Alright, let’s wait here and discuss the terms the organization is offering."

Mr. Zhuo chuckled.

"Mr. Zhuo, please, let’s talk inside!"

Luo Hongtian said at once.

With Mr. Zhuo’s personal assurance, the threats from the Celestial Sword Sect and Mixed Element Sect were no longer a concern.

"Mm."

The old man smiled faintly and walked toward the main hall.

Luo Hongtian immediately followed close behind.

...

「At that very moment.」

Below the city walls, an untold number of onlookers were still gathered.

Their faces were filled with astonishment as they pointed up at the wall, chattering amongst themselves.

"Who is that? A man or a woman?"

"Who knows? Doesn’t look like a man, but doesn’t look like a woman either. Could it be a eunuch?"

"A eunuch? No way, that’s clearly a man..."

"A man? You’re kidding, right? With... that little thing?"

The crowd was utterly astounded.

Under everyone’s gaze, Chen Xuan leaped over from a distance. Ignoring the Little Sword Immortal’s struggles and humiliation, he casually flicked his wrist, shattering the man’s clothes to dust. The Little Sword Immortal, overcome with shame, let out a shrill scream.

"Chen Xuan, I’ll hunt you to the ends of the earth! The Celestial Sword Sect will not let you go! Get me some clothes!"

"Shut it!"

Chen Xuan slapped him so hard he coughed up blood, his True Qi scattering. He then took a rope, bound him tightly, and hoisted him up, placing him right next to Jiang Hantian. They now hung side by side, one on the left and one on the right.

Below the city wall, the crowd erupted into discussion once more.

Countless shocked gasps echoed through the air.

"That’s Foreign Affairs Envoy Chen! Heavens, he’s the one who strung them both up!"

"Who are these two?"

"No idea, but for Foreign Affairs Envoy Chen to hang them up himself, they must have done something to really piss him off, right?"

...

Amidst the noisy chatter of the crowd...

To the side, Jiang Hantian, his face contorted in pain, groggily opened his tightly shut eyes. He had finally woken from his stupor.

The moment he awoke, a chill ran over his body. He looked down in terror and let out a blood-curdling shriek.

"AHH!"

He had really been stripped stark naked by Chen Xuan and hung from the city wall.

’And there are countless people below watching?’

This was so humiliating he wanted to die!

He struggled desperately, but Chen Xuan had damaged his internal organs and meridians. Every movement sent a searing pain through him.

In the midst of his frantic struggling, his pupils suddenly contracted. He had just noticed another figure, completely naked, hanging beside him.

It was the Little Sword Immortal!

’He was hung up here too!’

Jiang Hantian instinctively glanced down at the Little Sword Immortal’s lower body. A sour feeling instantly filled his heart, and a thick wave of insecurity washed over him once again...

’Why is everyone better than me?’

"Chen Xuan, I’ll kill you!"

Jiang Hantian screamed in agony, "Let me go! Let me go, WAHHHH..."

He broke down completely, wailing uncontrollably.

"Let you go?"

Chen Xuan’s cold, emotionless voice rang out. "You wanted to strip me naked and hang me on the city wall, and now you want me to let you go? Are you kidding me? ’He who humiliates others will himself be humiliated.’ Haven’t you ever heard that saying?"

Suddenly, Chen Xuan’s gaze swept over the crowd below the wall, and he continued to shout.

"Everyone, do you know who these two are?"

"These two are famous experts from the Human List! The one next to me is the legendary Little Sword Immortal, and the one on the right... Hey, what’s your name?"

Chen Xuan looked at Jiang Hantian.

He still hadn’t asked for the man’s name.

"My name is Zhang San! I’m Zhang San..."

Jiang Hantian replied hurriedly.

He wouldn’t dare reveal his real name even if it killed him!

"Zhang San?"

Chen Xuan frowned. "Fine. If you won’t say your real name, so be it. In any case, you’re also an expert from the Human List!"

"Everyone, take a good look! These are two experts from the Human List!"

Chen Xuan bellowed, introducing them to the crowd.

An uproar swept through the crowd below.

Everyone was utterly shocked.

The Little Sword Immortal coughed up blood again and again, the humiliation unbearable. If his True Qi hadn’t been shattered, he really would have killed himself. He couldn’t go on living...

"Human List experts? And one of them is the Little Sword Immortal, Ye Guyun? How is that possible?"

"No way, the one on the left is the Little Sword Immortal, Ye Guyun?"

"Then who’s the other one, the one that looks like neither a man nor a woman..."

"Who knows? As long as he’s on the Human List, that’s what matters..."

"Speaking of which, he’s so small... Experts from the Human List aren’t all that, huh... How can he be so tiny? He’s got less than my son..."

"Yeah, he’s a lot worse off than the Little Sword Immortal..."

A new wave of discussion rose from the crowd.

Tears streamed down Jiang Hantian’s face as he wailed in grief. Suddenly, a mouthful of blood surged up his throat. He spat it out, the whites of his eyes rolled back, and he fainted...

Beside him, the Little Sword Immortal was also overwhelmed with humiliation. He too spat out a mouthful of blood and passed out.

[Detected secondary mental collapse of two Human List experts. Exceptional retribution. +13,000 retribution points!]

Another line of text appeared.

A glint appeared in Chen Xuan’s eyes.

’I can even shear the sheep a second time!’

’Excellent, excellent!’

’The heavens are truly on my side!’

His gaze fell upon his panel.

At this moment, Retribution Points: 53,300.

’Very good!’

’If I have points, I should use them!’

’Retribution points, add points to the Molten Fire Forging Gold Skill!’

He recited the command silently in his mind.

[Ding! You have consumed 25,000 retribution points to continue upgrading the Molten Fire Forging Gold Skill. You feel the scorching True Qi within you begin to boil. A searing heat spreads through your meridians and flesh. Your body feels as if it has been cast into a great furnace for tempering, and a sharp pain stabs at your limbs and bones.]

[Perhaps in the next moment, your body will undergo a transformation.]

[Without hesitation, you add another 25,000 retribution points. Finally, the turmoil within your body begins to slowly subside!]

[Congratulations, Host! You have reached the True Qi Fourth Layer!]

...

*PHEW!*

Chen Xuan’s eyes flashed as he slowly exhaled a breath of hot air. He could feel the Fire Attribute True Qi within him had grown more violent, more powerful.

’Excellent!’

’I broke through another layer without anyone even noticing!’

’Who could possibly imagine this kind of speed?’

’I’m a man with a system. How could I let some local natives crush me?’

’If that happened, wouldn’t my system be a complete waste?’

’A system like this is truly worthy of a transmigrator!’

’I still have 3,300 points left. I’ll go find the Alliance Leader later and get the materials to cultivate the Iron Wall Dragon Elephant Skill and the Heavy Mountain Palm. I’ll see if I can push those skills to the perfection stage...’

He thought to himself.

’Without the help of medicinal herbs, I’d have to spend a massive amount of retribution points!’

’But that would be a terrible trade-off.’

Just as he was preparing to leave...

From within the distant crowd, an old man in a yellow robe, his face a mask of fury, was rapidly approaching at an unimaginable speed. He was cloaked in a terrifying aura of True Qi, charging recklessly like a savage demon beast.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

"AHHHH!"

In an instant, figures were sent flying as screams rang out...

Large swathes of the crowd were sent flying by his True Qi... fluttering everywhere like scraps of paper.

Chen Xuan’s eyes narrowed. He whipped his head around and looked down.

An old man shrouded in yellow light had reached him in the blink of an eye. He leaped up like a yellow dragon, soaring straight for the city wall. With a face full of rage, he thrust a palm at Chen Xuan.

"Die, you spawn of evil!"

’How dare he humiliate my young master like this!’

He was going to slice the man into a thousand pieces!