Li Yuanning defeated his opponent, but before he could continue, the Village Chief suddenly led people away.
Next, he sensed a somewhat familiar aura and, caught off guard, Profound Thunder Zhenren made a move.
His expression changed as he looked at the sword light in the distance, murmuring in his heart, "Having cultivated Sword Intent, the destructive power of Sword Control Attack can be significantly enhanced. This person from the Yun Family is no ordinary figure."
Li Yuanning, without showing any change in expression, followed the others at a steady pace towards the source of the commotion, only seeing the departing figure of Shen Wang.
He glanced at the corpse on the ground, thinking this couldn’t have been done by one of their own, feeling a bit surprised: "This person wasn’t trapped inside. How dare they still come out and kill someone?"
The array isolated Shen Wang’s aura, and after Shen Wang disappeared once he only saw his back, he didn’t know that Shen Wang had reached Foundation Establishment.
However, judging from the fact that quite a few people died on the scene, this Shen Wang’s strength had significantly improved since before, and he had quite the encounter to be able to keep a capable Profound Thunder Zhenren here, making it definitely not simple.
While he was contemplating, Gong Yu turned his head and fixed his gaze on Li Yuanning, who did not stand out in the crowd.
"Li Yuanning, where did you learn your Saber Technique from?"
Gong Yu said, looking at Li Yuanning with an enigmatic expression.
"It came from an ancient secret manual. I saw the Saber Technique was very powerful, so I diligently practiced it to improve my skills."
Li Yuanning, although sensing something amiss, replied calmly.
"What is your relationship with Shen Wang?" Yun Conghui suddenly asked, feeling there was something off about Li Yuanning.
Li Yuanning glanced at the ancestral home, knowing that Shen Wang used the Black Death Blade in front of these people, showcasing what used to be his signature move, and he himself used a Saber Technique, making it easy to detect a connection between the two.
He replied, "We went to explore a relic together at the time and acquired the same Saber Technique."
Yun Conghui and several others exchanged glances, not expecting that Shen Wang and Li Yuanning had such a deep connection.
"What Saber Technique?" Gong Yu sensed that Li Yuanning was hiding something.
"Not sure, I only got an incomplete piece."
Li Yuanning shook his head, "Even as an incomplete piece, its power is still formidable."
"Oh, then you two are quite fateful. Now that you’ve joined the Black Water Stronghold in besieging Shen Wang, do you know anything?"
Ge Changzhuang sneered, "Do you think his wealth came from the relic you explored last time?"
Li Yuanning shook his head, "It shouldn’t be. A relic we Qi Cultivation Level cultivators can explore isn’t highly difficult, and the resources are few. Finding some secret cultivation technique manuals would be fortunate."
Gong Yu gave him a deep look and said, "What do you think of Shen Wang as a person?"
Li Yuanning answered naturally, "Not simple at all. Back then, I didn’t gain much benefit by following along."
Ge Changzhuang spoke up, "Come, show me your Saber Technique as thoroughly as possible."
Gong Yu waved his hand, "Ge, there’s no rush. This gentleman is the new master of our Black Water Stronghold; there’ll be opportunities to demonstrate the Saber Technique in the future."
He couldn’t act too excessively. After all, on the surface, Shen Wang and Li Yuanning didn’t have much connection. If he came to rescue someone, he wouldn’t reveal the same Saber Technique without reason, inviting unnecessary suspicion.
Mindful of maintaining goodwill, he stopped Ge Changzhuang from taking action, saying, "The brothers who participated in the contest today are tired; let’s rest first. We’ll discuss matters in detail later."
Li Yuanning bowed to Gong Yu, knowing in his heart that the other party was trying to win him over, though any ulterior motives were unclear.
"Everyone present, stay alert, and remain on standby for our instructions."
Gong Yu ordered, telling Ge Changzhuang and Yun Conghui, "Gentlemen, let’s go see the Zhenren and await his orders."
Everyone started moving orderly, and the nearby bandits multiplied several times over, temporarily surrounding the ancestral home completely.
Shen Wang, observing the situation outside, sneered inwardly, "Stay vigilant; let’s see how long you can maintain it."
The situation was now advantageous for him because people couldn’t stay alert indefinitely, and he could choose an opportune moment to strike.
The prolonged state of tension and fear would take a toll on these individuals’ minds, and any moment they could lose their lives, recovering some ground for him.
He couldn’t figure out why Li Yuanning joined in, seemingly muddying the waters but with what benefits?
Without joining the Black Water Stronghold, with his experience, even as a Loose Cultivator, it wouldn’t be bad—and he could live freely.
If he joined the Black Water Stronghold and didn’t use the Black Death Saber Technique, this guy could remain concealed all along—for what reason?
Before this, he believed that Profound Thunder Zhenren had a good capacity for secrecy and wouldn’t reveal that he held valuable items to Li Yuanning.
In the grand scheme of things, Li Yuanning might have joined the Black Water Stronghold for its or the Yun Family’s resources.
There was also the slightest chance he was there for him.
If it was for him, he couldn’t think of anything worth holding the other’s interest for at the moment.
Recalling his interactions with the Black Death Blade King, he only received a pile of classics, a Saber Technique, an incomplete Qi Absorption Technique, and a set of Foundation Establishment Items. Since the other party gave them away, they were likely not very precious to them.
He could only proceed step by step, believing that when the time was right, Li Yuanning’s purpose would be revealed.
A mile away on a cliff, Yun Conghui flew using a magical artifact, while Gong Yu and Ge Changzhuang leapt agilely up the cliff like monkeys, quickly arriving on top.
The place was very quiet, with no one in sight around. Profound Thunder Zhenren sat cross-legged on a rock, holding a Spirit Stone to cultivate.
Yun Conghui was about to speak when Profound Thunder Zhenren opened his eyes, "I’ve also been watching that man. He mostly harbors secrets. His motive for joining the Black Water Stronghold is probably related to that person. Just keep an eye on him from the shadows and eliminate anything unusual."
Ge Changzhuang said, "Zhenren, I think he’s hiding something about Shen Wang. Should we apprehend him directly for interrogation?"
"If he tries to flee, apprehend him directly," Profound Thunder Zhenren said, "There’s no rush—we might catch Shen Wang through him."
The three of them discussed a few more things with Profound Thunder Zhenren and then quietly left.
From this day on, Shen Wang’s display of Saber Technique created suspicion towards Li Yuanning among Gong Yu and the others.
Seemingly doing nothing, they nevertheless paid close attention to him, second only to Shen Wang.
Li Yuanning, sensing this, behaved very candidly, participating in depleting the array every day, appearing very diligent.
Gong Yu and the others thought having an extra person doing grunt work wasn’t bad, so they weren’t in a hurry to grab Li Yuanning for interrogation.
Shen Wang and his family enjoyed fresh supplies for a few days. The vigilance outside gradually eased over time, as nobody could maintain it indefinitely.
On the seventh day, Shen Wang made a move, killing seven ordinary bandits.
This time, he didn’t leave the array—he merely used hidden weapons and decisively stopped before others could react, inciting panic among the ordinary bandits.
When Gong Yu and the others arrived, they didn’t see Shen Wang at all. Besides looking displeased, they couldn’t do anything about him.
Learning Shen Wang had used low-level hidden weapons, they could only have everyone keep their distance and wear armor for as much protection as possible.
But these measures were ultimately ineffective. Shen Wang’s hidden weapons were fast, accurate, and lethal, capable of killing through the eyes and other vulnerable spots.