Chapter 24: The Rise of the Tianxia Guild (Final Chapter)

"Hahaha... If the mighty warriors of Miao Territory amount to nothing more than this pathetic lot, you might as well stay here permanently!"

The Dragon Emperor of Wind and Cloud looked at them with utter contempt. With such mediocre skills, lacking even a single titan and barely scraping past the level of heavenly kings, he could easily pass for a boss-tier entity himself.

Two heavenly kings, accompanied by one from the Six Ministries and one from the Eight Gates, confronting an unweakened boss—this was nothing short of delivering themselves on a platter!

Among the four, only Hidden Mirror and Chixue Guuming could trade blows with him individually. If Hemeng Tianye and Yao Mingyue were to face him alone, they would simply be throwing their lives away.

Following a clash of supreme techniques, realizing the vast discrepancy in their foundational power, the group immediately shifted their strategy, relying primarily on close-quarters combat and intricate maneuvers.

Hidden Mirror's fists and Chixue Guuming's saber attacks came in rapid succession, while Yao Mingyue and Hemeng Tianye circled around to provide flanking support.

The Dragon Emperor met the punches with punches. No sooner had he repelled Hidden Mirror than Chixue Guuming's blade descended, aiming straight for his vital points.

In a fraction of a second, the Dragon Emperor transformed his fist into an open palm, deflecting the edge of the blade. With a gentle tap against the side of the saber, he used its momentum to glide past his opponent.

Hemeng Tianye's saber strike carried overwhelming force. With a simple, textbook downward cleaving motion, he forced the Dragon Emperor to sidestep and evade.

Often, clever and subtle techniques can be redirected with the flow, whereas straightforward, immensely powerful strikes leave no choice but to dodge.

Had the Dragon Emperor dared to receive Hemeng Tianye's cleaving blow head-on, his stance would have faltered momentarily, and the Tyrannical Empress's iron whip would have immediately pierced a hole through his body.

Stepping forward with his right foot and pivoting sideways, he dodged the cleaving strike while using Hemeng Tianye's own blade momentum to parry the incoming attack from Hidden Mirror.

Resting his right hand on the hilt of Hemeng Tianye's saber, he reversed the blade's trajectory to block Chixue Guuming, and then swiftly kicked Hemeng Tianye in the shin. As his opponent's body listed to the side, a single punch sent him flying backward.

Yao Mingyue attempted to strike several times, but the Dragon Emperor effortlessly shifted his position each time, using Hemeng Tianye as a human shield.

Having beaten back Chixue Guuming's saber, Hidden Mirror's fist arrived. After repelling the fists, there was still Yao Mingyue, along with Hemeng Tianye, who had just managed to recover his stance.

Through a continuous cascade of punches, open palms, finger strikes, and kicks, the Dragon Emperor dismantled their assaults one by one. Yet, even while maintaining an absolute upper hand, he inevitably took a few hits from Hidden Mirror.

Fortunately, protected by the Samsara Formula, the Void Annihilation, and various force-dispersing martial arts supreme techniques, those blows failed to inflict any fundamental damage upon him.

After a full quarter-hour of fierce entanglement, both Hidden Mirror and Chixue Guuming had sustained several bruises and blows, leaving only the semi-ranged Yao Mingyue uninjured, before the group finally fell back.

"Well? Do you still wish to continue the fight?"

Looking at the panting quartet, the Dragon Emperor stood composed and unruffled.

After all, being merely an avatar—though possessing a human shape, lacking true flesh and blood—he naturally did not experience physical exhaustion or breathlessness.

"Your Excellency is truly formidable!"

Hidden Mirror glanced at Chixue Guuming, stepped forward, and asked:

"May I know what background Your Excellency hails from?"

"Finding out my origins is a matter of your own capability; surely you don't expect me to simply tell you!"

The Dragon Emperor remained indifferent. Investigating someone's identity was their prerogative, but whether they possessed the ability to uncover the truth was entirely their own affair.

"Then... we trust that Your Excellency's World-Conquering Guild will conduct itself properly and refrain from plunging the realm into chaos!"

Hidden Mirror cast a deep, lingering look at the Dragon Emperor, then declared, "Let's go!"

Watching them depart, the Dragon Emperor curled the corners of his lips into a smile. Had he not deliberately held back, how could this group possibly match him as they were now!

From this moment onward, the World-Conquering Guild had firmly established its footing in Miao Territory. Furthermore, the assassination business within the region was now divided between the World-Conquering Guild and the House of Returning Pearls, leaving no surviving space for any lesser factions.

After Hidden Mirror and his companions departed from the Nine Veins Peak, Chixue Guuming spoke up:

"Little Mirror, I am going to the House of Returning Pearls to take a look, and while I'm at it, I'll issue a task for them to keep an eye on the World-Conquering Guild!"

The first part of his sentence was addressed to Hidden Mirror, while the latter served as an explanation to Yao Mingyue and Hemeng Tianye.

Given the terrifying strength displayed by the Dragon Emperor, both Hidden Mirror and Chixue Guuming felt deeply concerned for the Master of the House of Returning Pearls should he ever face the adversary alone.

"Understood. Be careful!"

Hidden Mirror nodded in agreement.

Chixue Guuming parted ways with the others, leading the Miao warriors back to report to the King of Miao, while he himself headed toward the House of Returning Pearls.

...

Inside the House of Returning Pearls, Chixue Guuming was led inside by Fengdie.

"Adoptive father, are you alright?"

Fengdie looked at Chixue Guuming with concern. With the extensive intelligence network of the House of Returning Pearls, such events could never be kept hidden from her.

"I am fine!"

Chixue Guuming reached out and gently stroked young Fengdie's head.

"Oh my! The master has returned, and I never saw you show this much concern for him?"

Su Wenhuang lay reclined on his couch, completely motionless. Hearing Fengdie's words, a hint of jealousy laced his tone.

"Little Wen, are you alright?"

Chixue Guuming turned his gaze toward Su Wenhuang. "Looking at you, you don't seem to have a single thing wrong with you—you've had us worried over nothing!"

"We," of course, referred to Hidden Mirror and himself, as they were the only two who knew that the elusive Master of the House of Returning Pearls was none other than their close friend, Su Wenhuang.

"Is the leader of the World-Conquering Guild truly that powerful?"

Su Wenhuang put down his book and gently waved his feathered fan.

"More than just powerful! The four of us launched a joint assault, yet he dissolved our attacks with effortless ease."

"I suspect he was still holding back a portion of his strength!"

Su Wenhuang cast a glance at Chixue Guuming, silently doubting whether his friend possessed such acute discernment.

"It's only natural for him to hold back. Didn't you all hold back yourselves?"

Su Wenhuang looked at Chixue Guuming once more. After all, certain figures had been lurking among the Miao soldiers, and until a desperate situation arose, one could never truly know if an opponent was unleashing their full potential.

"Haha, I knew nothing could escape your eyes!"

Chixue Guuming offered a dry laugh, then turned solemn and asked:

"Do you have any idea who he really is?"

"The House of Returning Pearls was founded only after he had faded into obscurity. How could I possibly know his true identity?"

Su Wenhuang replied, gently shaking his head:

"There are still quite a few of our outer-layer assassins stationed around their perimeter, but as for the inner circle, not a single one has managed to infiltrate—or if they did, they ceased belonging to the House of Returning Pearls the moment they stepped inside."

"In fact, I am quite certain that he must have planted a multitude of his own people within the House of Returning Pearls right from its inception."

"Good grief! Doesn't that mean every single move you make is under his constant surveillance? And here I was thinking about asking you to keep tabs on the World-Conquering Guild for me!"

Chixue Guuming slapped his forehead and sighed:

"Do all master strategists prepare everything in advance, simply waiting for others to jump into the traps you've laid out?"

"It's nothing that dramatic; merely a few casual pieces left out on the board just in case. As for the World-Conquering Guild, I will keep an eye on them."

Su Wenhuang shook his head with a faint smile:

"You spend all your time with your Royal Uncle. If you truly wish to learn these arts, would he refuse to teach you?"

"Forget it, forget it. Just thinking about studying this gives me a headache. You strategists can handle all the plotting; my only job is to fight! I'm off. You know how to find me if anything comes up!"

Chixue Guuming waved his hand dismissively and strode out of the House of Returning Pearls.

Watching Chixue Guuming's retreating figure, Su Wenhuang's gaze grew deep and distant:

"My friend... what if one day, the person you trust the most..."

His voice gradually faded until it was inaudible.

...

At the First Tower of the World-Conquering Guild, the Dragon Emperor of Wind and Cloud stood atop the rooftop the moment he returned.

"Guild Master, now that the World-Conquering Guild has gained official recognition, should we publicize the location of our headquarters to the entire realm so that heroes from all directions may come to pledge their allegiance?"

Xiong Da pondered for a brief moment before offering his suggestion.