The man in black was handsome, with the air of a refined young master. However, this appearance, combined with the long sword in his hand, made him look particularly ferocious.
"Hmm?"
Seeing the man in black approach, Zhou Yan opened his eyes and then looked towards him, smiling faintly. "Young Master Chen, what business do you have with me?"
Hearing Zhou Yan's words, Young Master Chen took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. He looked at Zhou Yan and said coldly, "Zhou Yan, since you already know my identity, there's no need for me to hide anything. I've come to see you about matters concerning the Xuanwu Sect!"
"Oh? It's about the Xuanwu Sect? Then, Young Master Chen, are you planning to negotiate with me, Zhou Yan?" Zhou Yan said with a smile, but a glint of cold light flickered in his eyes.
"Zhou Yan, don't play dumb. I, Young Master Chen, am not a fool. Since we are competitors, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. If you want our Xuanwu Sect, you must pay a price to secure my Xuanwu Sect's support. Otherwise, I, Young Master Chen, will absolutely not discuss any matters concerning the Xuanwu Sect with you," Young Master Chen said sternly, looking at Zhou Yan.
"That goes without saying. I never intended to ask for your Xuanwu Sect's intervention," Zhou Yan shrugged, chuckling lightly.
Hearing Zhou Yan's words, Young Master Chen's brow furrowed immediately, and he said with dissatisfaction, "Zhou Yan, what do you mean by that? Don't you need the Xuanwu Sect's help? Don't you know that within the Xuanwu Mountain Range, besides our Xuanwu Sect, there are two other forces? One is an opponent of the Xuanwu Sect, and the other is a deeply hidden force that we cannot investigate at all. However, as far as I know, this force and our Xuanwu Sect have always been at odds, with frequent friction between us."
"How much do you know about this force, Young Master Chen?" Zhou Yan asked with a smile.
"Hmph! I've only heard rumors about this force. I'm not very clear about the specifics!" Young Master Chen said indifferently.
"Is that so!" Hearing Young Master Chen's words, Zhou Yan smiled and said, "Young Master Chen, I'd like to ask, how much do you know about me, Zhou Yan? And do you think your Chen family can withstand the attacks of these two great forces?"
Hearing Zhou Yan's words, Young Master Chen's face turned extremely grim, his eyes filled with intense anger.
The Chen family was the family Zhou Yan despised the most. Although the Chen family's strength was considered top-tier, they seemed to lack foundation compared to the Xuanwu Sect.
All of this was attributed to the Xuanwu Sect's influence. While the Xuanwu Sect's power was not overwhelming, its influence was deeply hidden. Neither the Zhou family nor the Chen family could ascertain the Xuanwu Sect's background or whereabouts.
And now, this Zhou Yan was insulting him so openly. How could Young Master Chen not be angry?
Seeing Young Master Chen's grim expression, Zhou Yan sneered inwardly and said dismissively, "Young Master Chen, this is Tianwu City, the territory of my Zhou family. You'd better understand the situation and don't cause trouble for me."
Hearing Zhou Yan's words, Young Master Chen's face turned ashen, but he did not refute Zhou Yan, because Zhou Yan was speaking the truth. Zhou Yan's strength was formidable, even superior to his own. If he were to clash with Zhou Yan, he would be the one to suffer.
However, Young Master Chen did not wish to discuss this topic with Zhou Yan. He turned to the man in black and said, "Who are you? I've never heard of you joining the Xuanwu Sect."
"My name is Li Hu!" the man in black said with a cold laugh. "The Sect Master of the Xuanwu Sect has handed over the authority of the Xuanwu Sect to me!"
"What? Handed over the authority of the Xuanwu Sect to you!" Hearing the man in black's words, Young Master Chen's face suddenly changed, and he looked at Li Hu in shock.
"Young Master Chen, it seems you truly don't know much about the Xuanwu Sect's affairs. Let me explain in detail!" Li Hu said with a smile. "This time, the Xuanwu Sect has dispatched four great protectors to Tianwu City, with the target being that Lin Feng!"
"And Lin Feng is precisely the newly recruited disciple of the Xuanwu Sect!" Li Hu said indifferently.
"So, the Xuanwu Sect has already colluded with this Lin Feng, and it was personally ordered by the Sect Master of the Xuanwu Sect!"
Hearing Li Hu's words, Young Master Chen's face turned completely grim, and a killing intent emanated from him. It was evident that he harbored immense hostility towards Li Hu.
Young Master Chen was narrow-minded and would never let go of anyone he disliked.
"You... you want to help that Lin Feng?" Young Master Chen asked through gritted teeth.
Li Hu shook his head and said indifferently, "Of course not. I just find that brat named Lin Feng very annoying!"
"Annoying? Hmph, I think you want to kill him!" Young Master Chen said disdainfully.
Hearing Young Master Chen's words, Li Hu did not refute, merely smiling and nodding.
"Young Master Chen, you also know that the Xuanwu Sect's mission this time is arduous. If it succeeds, the Xuanwu Sect's status will rise again. By then, our Xuanwu Sect's overall strength will skyrocket, and even your Chen family will not dare to provoke us easily!" Li Hu said calmly. "If we fail, I'm afraid the Xuanwu Sect will completely perish!"
After listening to Li Hu's words, Young Master Chen's expression changed. He knew that the man before him was telling the truth. The Xuanwu Sect was currently in a precarious situation. If they failed this time, the Chen family might be destroyed, and then the Xuanwu Sect would completely disappear, and he would be reduced to the same state as the Chen family.
"I don't know, what should we do?" Young Master Chen asked hesitantly.
"It's very simple. I will give you a pill. Once you take it, you will be able to break through to the demigod realm!" Li Hu said calmly.
Hearing Li Hu's words, Young Master Chen's expression flickered, and he looked at Li Hu in disbelief. "Is it really that powerful?"
"You can choose to believe me or not. Regardless, the outcome in the end will depend on your own control," Li Hu said calmly.
Hearing Li Hu's words, Young Master Chen's expression changed several times. Then, he took a deep breath and said, "Alright, I believe you!"
Hearing Young Master Chen's words, a cold smile appeared at the corner of Li Hu's mouth. His gaze shifted to a tall building in the distance, and he said lightly, "Young Master Chen, that person is inside that building. As long as you can get in and eliminate that person, I will give you the antidote. Then, you can do whatever you want!"