Chapter Eight: Stealing Again? I’ve Come for You.

"Xiao Huang, what is going on here? Have those bandits lost their minds? They dare to rob even a disciple of the Taixuan Sect. And what did you mean earlier when you said the Taixuan Sect is not what it used to be?"

On the road, Lin Hao was filled with questions. He had a premonition that by stepping out of Tianbao City, he had stepped into a deep pit.

"It’s a long story, let me explain it to you, Lin Hao." Huang Liang sighed. "The Great Xia territory is vast, spanning a million miles of mountains and rivers. Aside from the Great Xia Academy in the Imperial Capital, there are sects in every region. These sects are under the jurisdiction of Great Xia and cultivate talents for the nation. Many of the top geniuses in the Great Xia Academy are selected from these various sects. Within all of Great Xia, there are a total of 108 sects. The current Taixuan Sect’s ranking is somewhat low."

"How low?" Lin Hao asked.

"One hundred and eighth." Huang Liang’s face flushed.

Lin Hao: ...

You might as well have just said they were dead last!

"This year, Great Xia introduced a new policy to abolish eight sects and retain one hundred. In a month, there will be a massive competition among the hundred sects, and the eight lowest-ranked ones will be abolished," Huang Liang said.

"Since there is a competition, it doesn't necessarily mean the Taixuan Sect will be abolished. We have to wait for the results; how can anything be certain before the competition?" Lin Hao argued.

"The Taixuan Sect has already lost its qualification to participate in the Hundred Sects Competition. A sect that doesn't even have the right to compete has no hope left," Huang Liang replied. "The Taixuan Sect is destined to be abolished. The entire sect is currently in a state of panic, and everyone is looking for a new path. At this time, news spread from the Imperial Capital about a discarded heir of a noble house, and with the Ling family dropping some subtle hints behind the scenes, so..."

"So many people want to finish me off, seeing in me a chance to climb the social ladder. By killing me, even if they only contribute a little, they might receive a favor from the Ling family and secure a bright future," Lin Hao said, his tone surprisingly calm. "So, the Taixuan Sect gave the Lin family a spot, not because my family is recognized by them, but because those people see me as a tool for their own advancement."

"Of course, not everyone in the Taixuan Sect is like that. After all, the Ling family doesn't have complete control over Great Xia, and not everyone wants to be their lackey. Those with connections have already found other ways out. To be precise, the Lin family's spot was secured by Li Qingchuan personally," Huang Liang added.

"Why did the Taixuan Sect lose its qualification for the Hundred Sects Competition?" Lin Hao continued to ask. He needed to understand everything now, because since he had already stepped into this trap, he needed to know exactly how deep it went.

"The Taixuan Sect has no geniuses on the Dragon Gate Ranking," Huang Liang answered.

"The Dragon Gate Ranking? What is that?"

"Within every sect, there is a Dragon Gate, a tool used to test a disciple's talent and potential. Every new disciple gets one chance to leap the Dragon Gate. The last genius from the Taixuan Sect to make it onto the Dragon Gate Ranking was our Saintess, three years ago. In these three years, not a single person from our sect has made the list."

Huang Liang continued, "And the disciples from various sects participating in the Hundred Sects Competition must be geniuses who have cleared the Dragon Gate to be eligible. Therefore, the Taixuan Sect lost its qualification; we are the only one of the 108 sects without it."

"Can't the Saintess compete?" Lin Hao asked.

"The Saintess is indeed exceptionally talented; she leaped seven zhang on the Dragon Gate. But there is another condition for the competition: the disciples must be in the Qi Sea Realm. It is a competition of a sect's potential, requiring a constant stream of new geniuses. The Saintess is already at the peak of the Huayuan Realm and is ineligible. In fact, the Taixuan Sect hasn't produced a Dragon Gate genius in at least five years. It was only the Saintess’s seven-zhang leap that allowed the sect to survive until now," Huang Liang explained.

"The Dragon Gate..." Lin Hao’s eyes sparkled. "Who is number one on the Dragon Gate Ranking?"

"It is..." Huang Liang hesitated.

"It's Lin Han, isn't it?" Lin Hao guessed from Huang Liang’s expression.

"Yes. Not long ago, Lin Han leaped nine zhang on the Dragon Gate—the highest point—and he is far ahead of all other geniuses on the nine-zhang mark," Huang Liang admitted.

"Nine zhang on the Dragon Gate..." The corners of Lin Hao’s mouth curled upward slightly, and the Supreme Divine Meridian within his body began to throb involuntarily.

Huang Liang felt Lin Hao’s shift in mood and couldn't help but tremble. He saw the hot-blooded spirit of a youth, charging forward with indomitable will. He saw a determination that refused to admit defeat.

The Dragon Gate Ranking, the qualification to compete... Perhaps, the Taixuan Sect still had hope.

Meanwhile, inside the Black Mountain Stronghold!

"Bastards! Daring to kill my men—you’ve reached the end of your lives!" A burly man roared, looking at the one-eyed corpse carried back by four bandits. He smashed a nearby table with one blow. His aura was powerful, his true energy roaring like a gale; he was a Fifth-Layer Qi Sea Realm expert.

"Boss, those two shouldn't have left the mountain yet. Please, we beg you to seek justice for us!" the four bandits gritted their teeth.

"Shut up, you bunch of trash! You’ve disgraced the name of Black Mountain Stronghold. Don't you dare call yourselves our men ever again!" the second-in-command shouted from the side.

"We can talk about the disgrace later. Gather all the brothers immediately and follow me to intercept them! Anyone who dares to kill our men and steal our goods must be dealt with!" the boss roared in anger.

*Bang!*

"Ouch!"

Just as the boss finished speaking, two human sandbags flew in. The gates of the Black Mountain Stronghold were smashed to pieces, and two white-clad youths swept in like a whirlwind.

"Still want to rob us? We’ve come to collect you," Lin Yang said, pointing his middle finger at the boss.

"Black Mountain Stronghold, right? You've kicked a steel plate today. None of you will survive," Lin Shuang gestured around the room. There were twenty or thirty bandits gathered here, including seven or eight in the Qi Sea Realm—a force not to be underestimated.

"You four dogs, Brother Hao spared your lives, yet you still dare to jump around? You dogs, since you don't cherish your lives, then go to hell."

Lin Yang flicked his wrist, and with a flash of cold light, the four bandits were decapitated before they could even let out a sound. Blood sprayed everywhere, and the scene in the stronghold instantly became gruesome.

The rest of the bandits finally reacted, and the boss bellowed, "Who are you people?"

It was all too sudden; they had no time to prepare. These two youths had broken in and started killing within a few breaths, hacking away without a word.

"I told you, we’re here to collect you," Lin Yang said, holding a gleaming battle sword, his killing intent suffocating.

The boss felt a jolt in his heart. Being highly cultivated and experienced, he could see at a glance that the sword in the youth's hand had tasted countless lives—that kind of killing intent was washed in blood.

He feared they had run into real trouble. Could it be that the people they had robbed earlier were these two? This was inviting disaster!

"Little brothers, there might be a misunderstanding here. We can sit down and talk, maybe become friends," the boss said, his face full of forced smiles.

"Friends? You aren't worthy," Lin Shuang sneered.

"Damn it, boss, why waste words with them? Let's kill these little brats!" The second-in-command rushed out with a large blade; the boss couldn't even stop him in time.

*Swish!*

Lin Yang struck with his sword, the speed so fast it was suffocating. The second-in-command was cleaved in two. A Third-Layer Qi Sea Realm expert, like an ant.

"Little brothers, let's talk this over," the boss said, his scalp tingling and cold sweat soaking his body. He had provoked a demon.

"Go tell that to the King of Hell. Shuang, finish it," Lin Yang said, his eyes cold. His sword moved like a venomous snake, piercing a gaping hole through the boss's throat with an eerie arc.

A few moments later, the Black Mountain Stronghold had turned into a living hell, with corpses littering the floor.

"Brother, were we too cruel?" Lin Shuang frowned slightly.

"Mercy is never for enemies. The boss only tried to bow down because he couldn't beat us. You must understand, this world is one where the weak are prey to the strong. If we were the ones at a disadvantage, do you think you could pray for the enemy's mercy?" Lin Yang patted Lin Shuang’s shoulder. "These bandits have no honor; they change faces in an instant. Don't forget, what we practice is the Way of the Killing God. Either we don't kill, or... we kill them all!"