Heavenly Sword Sect's Plan

As Li Huang made his way through the city, he paused in an alleyway. Suddenly, the system's voice echoed in his mind.

[Host, I didn't expect you to have this side to you…] the system remarked slyly.

But instead of a witty retort, only the sound of Li Huang vomiting filled the alley. "Urgh… blegh… ughhh… cough…"

[I'll be sure to remember that impressive image of yours just now,] the system teased with a mocking tone.

Li Huang's vomiting continued, unrelenting. "Urgh… blegh… ughhh… ughh…"

[Oh wow… oh, wow… it's really something, Host. Truly eye-catching.]

"Urgh... blegh... cough... stupid system..." Li Huang rasped between bouts of retching.

[Wait a second! That last sentence didn't seem related to vomiting, did it?] the system replied, feigning confusion.

After finally recovering from his nausea, Li Huang let out a weak laugh. "This is the fastest way to rid my body of dirt. You should give it a try, system. I don't mind sharing."

[No thanks, Host. Please, you can keep that method all to yourself. I insist,] the system replied, sounding bewildered.

Li Huang chuckled. "Are you mocking me?"

Before the system could respond, a man in black suddenly emerged from the shadows, dragging the man who had earlier attempted to strike down the young girl. His body was bound in chains, and his flesh was covered in bruises.

Li Huang stepped closer, his voice cold and sharp. "What exactly does the Heavenly Sword Sect want?"

The man remained silent, his eyes filled with defiance. Without hesitation, Li Huang raised his hand and snapped one of the man's fingers. The sound of cracking bone echoed in the quiet alley. The man gritted his teeth, fighting back the pain, but Li Huang methodically broke his fingers one by one, each snap deliberate, each interval drawn out to maximize the agony.

After all ten fingers were broken, tears streamed down the man's face, but he still refused to speak. Li Huang smiled coldly before beginning to sever the man's fingers, one by one. The man's agonized screams filled the air.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" the man finally cried out, his voice quivering with terror and pain. As soon as Li Huang stopped, the man quickly revealed everything about Sun Hao.

"Sun Hao is the son of the general you killed earlier… and he's gathered men from the Heavenly Sword Sect to assassinate you! The strongest among them is a cultivator at the first level of the Spirit Foundation realm, and the rest—300 in total—are all at the Golden Core stage. They'll arrive in two days!"

Li Huang's expression of satisfaction didn't falter as his cold gaze remained fixed on the man. Then, without hesitation, he continued cutting off the man's fingers. The agonizing screams rang out again, echoing through the alley. "I told you everything… Aghhh!" The man's screams eventually died down, and after Li Huang had extracted all the necessary information, he calmly walked away. The man collapsed to the ground, lifeless, as the Shadow Secret Unit swiftly came to dispose of the body.

Upon returning to the palace, Li Huang knew that in two days, he would need to be fully prepared to face Sun Hao. The system's voice then chimed in his mind, reminding him of the Black Dragon Cavalry and the Shadow Secret Unit's success in annihilating the Yin-Yang Demon Sect's forces.

[Congratulations, Host, for killing a level 8 Qi Condition cultivator. You have earned 80 kill points.]

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[Congratulations, Host, for killing a level 9 Qi Condition cultivator. You have earned 90 kill points.]

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[Congratulations, Host, for killing a level 1 Foundation cultivator. You have earned 100 kill points.]

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[Congratulations, Host, for killing a level 3 Foundation cultivator. You have earned 300 kill points.]

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[Congratulations, Host, for killing a level 9 Foundation cultivator. You have earned 900 kill points.]

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[Congratulations, Host, for killing a level 1 Spirit Sea cultivator. You have earned 1,000 kill points.]

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[Congratulations, Host, for killing a level 4 Spirit Sea cultivator. You have earned 4,000 kill points.]

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[Congratulations, Host, for killing a level 7 Spirit Sea cultivator. You have earned 7,000 kill points.]

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[Congratulations, Host, for killing a level 8 Spirit Sea cultivator. You have earned 8,000 kill points.]

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[Congratulations, Host, for killing a level 1 Golden Core cultivator. You have earned 10,000 kill points.]

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[Congratulations, Host, for killing a level 3 Golden Core cultivator. You have earned 30,000 kill points.]

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[Congratulations, Host, for killing a level 5 Golden Core cultivator. You have earned 50,000 kill points.]

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[Congratulations, Host, for killing a level 9 Golden Core cultivator. You have earned 90,000 kill points.]

[Total kill points: 1,251,550.]

Li Huang whispered, "Upgrade the Shadow Secret Unit to level 4."

The system responded promptly. [Understood, Host. Beginning upgrade…]

[Shadow Secret Unit Level 4: All members now possess cultivation at the peak of the Spirit Foundation realm, level 9. They are elite intelligence operatives and assassins, guaranteed to eliminate their targets. They can blend perfectly with shadows, erasing their presence from all detection. They can read and extract information from their enemies' minds and mimic those they have seen. The host can summon up to 500 members per day. Loyalty to the host: 100%. (Next upgrade requires 10,000,000 kill points.)]

[Total kill points: 251,550.]

Upon hearing the report, Li Huang smirked. "Spirit Foundation level 9… hmm."

[Don't get too proud, Host. In more powerful regions, Spirit Foundation level cultivators are considered low-level practitioners.]

"I didn't say anything... but have you been talking too much lately?" Li Huang remarked.

[Whose fault do you think that is!??]