Pressure

A figure, tinged with a hint of blood-red, streaked across the sky and quickly descended into a dark corner of Bloodwolf Town's main street. Following that, the faint blood-colored Qi on him retracted back into the Yunhuang Ring. "Old Coot! What are you doing? With just a little more effort, we could have taken the lives of the Long family father and son! I've been planning this for so long, just for this moment!" Li Yi roared inwardly, his heart burning with the desire to turn back and annihilate the Long family duo. However, he was forcibly taken away by the Snake Venerable.

"Stop your chatter! Keep calm right now! Head into the main street, or else don't blame me if you end up dead!" The voice of the Snake Venerable came rushing in, this time with an utmost seriousness. Li Yi's heart skipped a beat; it was the first time he heard the Snake Venerable use such a tone, indicating there must be a reason behind his actions. Without any further words, Li Yi's figure flickered, merging into the crowd of mercenaries on the street.

Suddenly, an immense pressure descended upon everyone on the street. With just a gentle push, countless people found their breaths stifled, and those of lower realms couldn't help but spit out blood. Li Yi also felt his heart jump; almost instinctively, he wanted to suppress the urge to bleed, but in a flash of thought, he too spat out blood and, like the others, fell to the ground pale-faced. At this moment, everyone's gaze turned towards the sky.

There, a faint white figure hovered, overlooking everyone in Bloodwolf Town. The aura emanating from him was so daunting that it left people weak, unable to muster any resistance. The figure's scrutinizing gaze slowly swept over everyone, causing those he looked at to break out in cold sweat. Li Yi felt a chill run through him, deliberately avoiding the figure's gaze, and spat out another mouthful of blood as if unable to resist the pressure. This act, though deliberate, was in line with his current strength as a One Crystal Fighter.

When the heavy pressure finally lifted from him, Li Yi breathed a sigh of relief. The feeling of encountering a natural predator made it clear to him that in the eyes of that figure, he was no different from an ant. If the figure had chosen to attack, even at his peak, Li Yi wouldn't have been able to resist. This realization frustrated him.

After a while, the white figure seemed to shake its head slightly and then, with a light tap in the void, moved towards the north. Once he had left, the mercenaries around finally let out a long breath. "My heavens! That person was just standing in mid-air... What realm is that? A King? An Emperor!?"

"You ignorant fellow, even an Emperor would need to transform Qi into wings to float in mid-air... That person didn't even use Qi wings... could it be..." The speaker was suddenly struck with terror, realizing that discussing the figure's terrifying strength might not be safe if the figure could hear them. Above an Emperor!?

Li Yi couldn't help but smile bitterly at the thought. No wonder he felt such immense pressure from the figure; just a glance was unbearable. If he was right, that white figure was most likely here for the Snake Venerable. Although he didn't know how much strength the Snake Venerable could exert at the moment, he surmised that even if he used all his power, he might not be a match for the figure. Otherwise, the Snake Venerable wouldn't have acted so abruptly.

For caution's sake, Li Yi dared not approach the Snake Venerable to ask anything at the moment. He wandered around like an ordinary mercenary, found a cheap inn for a room, and hid there until midnight. Once he was relatively sure it was safe, he gently tapped the Yunhuang Ring and whispered, "Old Coot, who was that person today?"

After a moment, the ethereal figure of the Snake Venerable slowly floated out. He seemed to sense something with closed eyes for a while, then frowned and said, "It's nobody special, just an 'old friend'..." The way the Snake Venerable stressed the words 'old friend' was heavy with killing intent, even Li Yi could sense it. He couldn't help but ask, "Old Coot, who is that person... how can he move in the void, what is he..."

"What does it matter who he is to you? When you have enough strength, you will naturally come to know these things..." The Snake Venerable looked at Li Yi with an enigmatic smile, "As for his realm... I didn't dare to sense too closely earlier, but being able to stay in mid-air without Qi wings, he must be above an Emperor. However, how far he has reached, if he doesn't make a full effort, even I can't see through... But you need to know this – unless I am in my prime, in my current state, I'm definitely not his match."

"So, you mean just now..." The Snake Venerable nodded, "Yes, I am a soul entity after all, my senses are sharper than ordinary people. After faintly sensing his aura, I had to retreat. Although there was a chance to kill the Long family father and son, if we were delayed and discovered by him, we probably wouldn't have been able to escape. Now, even though we didn't resolve the Long family father and son, we can find another way in the future... but..."

"But what?" The Snake Venerable spoke indifferently, "That old friend most likely received some news and knew I had fallen to this place, that's why he appeared. However, if I don't show myself, he won't be able to find me... Kid, it seems I won't be able to help you freely in the future. You'll have to rely more on yourself. Once this matter here is settled, you better hasten your cultivation. The God Sacrifice Ceremony in two months is extremely important. Moreover, if you can enter the Martial Deity Hall, it will be greatly beneficial for you. I originally planned to train you slowly without needing anything else, but now it seems without a strong identity to conceal yourself, problems will inevitably arise." With that, the Snake Venerable's figure flashed and retreated back into the Yunhuang Ring, his caution sending a chill through Li Yi.

Of course, Li Yi was aware that with his current strength, compared to that person, he was less than an ant. It seems these days he had been too complacent, almost developing an arrogance. Only now did Li Yi realize how long and arduous the path of the strong was... Without the Snake Venerable's assistance, trying to deal with Long Fei and Long Aotian by himself would be a joke. Not to mention, with a Warrior taking him seriously, he was no match, let alone the Long family that had three Warriors.

However, having planned for so long and finally dealt with Yin Tianjie, it would be a pity if the great foundation of Bloodwolf Town fell into the Long family's hands. After all, his aim was to suppress the Long family, not to inadvertently strengthen them. Now, unable to rely on annihilating Long Fei and Long Aotian to achieve this, it seemed he would have to resort to other means. Glancing at the black robe beside him, Li Yi suddenly clapped his hands, and a scroll emitting a faint cyan glow reappeared in his palm... It seems to suppress the Long family, he would need to rely on other forces...

"Seems like I'm destined for a life of hard labor!" Standing in front of Fenglou, Li Yi couldn't help but curl his lips, feeling helpless. Looking up at Fenglou, he couldn't help but take a deep breath. Fenglou, rather than a building, was more like a large connected structure, elegantly oppressive, and not smaller than Bloodwolf Fortress. At the building's main entrance, armored guards surveyed the passersby. Regular customers entering Fenglou were greeted with respectful smiles from the guards. However, more people cast envious glances at the magnificent doors before leaving dejectedly. What business does Fenglou actually do? Curiosity welled up in Li Yi, but he quickly dismissed these thoughts and strode towards the main entrance of Fenglou.

Perhaps Li Yi's daydreaming had already caught the attention of the guards. Seeing him approach, two guards simultaneously stepped forward, their spears slightly moving, and one of them said, "Sir, this place is not for ordinary people. Judging by your appearance, this is your first time here. If you don't have a referral, please leave."

Li Yi touched his nose, his face still hidden under the cloak, keeping the guards from seeing him clearly, "Are you saying I can't go in?"

"Of course, if our Fenglou allowed just anyone to enter, wouldn't that be shameful?" The guard spoke with a touch of arrogance.

Li Yi couldn't help but laugh inwardly. Although this guard had the strength of a Fighter, to Li Yi, such a person was nothing; he could easily wipe out a hundred of them. He shook his head and said lightly, "Since I can't enter, then have Wu Xinyu come to see me."

"How dare you! To address our master by name!" Both guards roared, pointing their spears.

"Clang! Clang!" The spears flew into the air and landed on the ground at an angle. Blowing on his fingers and looking at the incredulous guards, Li Yi said calmly, "I'll say it again, have Wu Xinyu come see me... If she refuses to come out, I don't mind forcing my way in. But then, whether we're friends or foes, it won't be up to me anymore..."

Li Yi's casual tone left the guards in doubt and their hands numb. Li Yi had just flicked away their spears, causing them such serious injury!? Just then, hurried footsteps came from inside Fenglou, and several figures emerged from the door.

"Hehe, isn't this the gentleman from the main street today? May I know what business you have with me?" Wu Xinyu's gaze swept over Li Yi, and upon recognizing the black robe that left a deep impression on her, she couldn't help but smile gently. As a clever person, she understood that if Li Yi was here to cause trouble, he wouldn't be so polite. His courteous manner indicated there might be an opportunity for cooperation. Listening to her charming voice, Li Yi inwardly cursed 'siren' and slowly turned his gaze to Wu Xinyu. This was Li Yi's first close encounter with Wu Xinyu. Her face, pure to the extreme, carried a lazily intoxicating aura. Her clear eyes seemed to hide a cunning smile, and her mature, attractive figure was tightly wrapped in a long dress, revealing her perfect form. A faint fragrance seemed to emanate from her, spreading with her words... No wonder the Yin family father and son were interested in her...