Chapter 1: Prologue

At the foot of a certain mountain, the sounds of intense fighting drifted faintly from afar. The clashing of various weapons, shouts, and screams merged into a single cacophony, sounding exceptionally piercing in the quiet morning.

Looking toward the source of the sound, one could see a man wearing a golden wolf mask and blue robes, holding a blue token about two feet long. He was leading twelve men dressed in black, all wearing silver ghost masks, as they besieged a middle-aged man dressed in beige robes.

Strangely, the man in beige also held a token in his hand, though his was red. They were all using the tokens in their hands as weapons for killing; it seemed the tokens possessed immense power.

Their clothing appeared extremely similar, as if they were the uniform attire of a certain sect, with only the different colors representing different identities.

At this moment, the middle-aged man in beige was covered in blood. It appeared he was seriously injured, and he was gradually losing the upper hand!

The man in blue robes stopped his token and pointed coldly at the man in beige, saying, "Senior Brother, stop resisting. You know that these Twelve Generals of the Earth Group were personally trained by me. Every single one of them is unafraid of death. Though their martial arts may not match ours, they are absolute top-tier experts. Even if you hold the Yang Token, what of it? You will die in the end!"

The man in beige also stopped. Hearing this, he gave a cold laugh. "Li Xuanqi! I have long since retired from the martial world and ceased to care for worldly affairs. You have already obtained the position of Pavilion Master; why won't you just let me go?" At the thought of the tragic death of his family, his eyes nearly spat fire.

The man in gold, Li Xuanqi, was clearly somewhat smug. "Senior Brother, you have retired from the martial world, but you took away things that do not belong to you!"

The man in beige instinctively glanced at the token in his hand. "This Yang Token was entrusted to my care by Master before his death. You hold the Yin Token, and I hold the Yang Token. This was also Master's final instruction before he passed. Have you forgotten?"

Li Xuanqi let out a cold snort, his voice becoming even more ruthless. "Senior Brother! Master was an old fool. I am the Pavilion Master. Only the Pavilion Master is qualified to possess the Yin-Yang Death Tokens. You are nothing more than an obscure hermit now. What use do you have for this Yang Token? If you had just obediently handed it over, your whole family wouldn't have had to die. All of this is because you forced my hand!"

"Hmph! Li Xuanqi, you killed my wife and children, so I never intended to leave here alive anyway. However, once I am dead, you will never know where your daughter is!" The man in beige laughed somewhat cruelly, though large mouthfuls of blood were surging from his mouth.

Li Xuanqi's eyes suddenly turned icy. The Yin Token in his hand instantly transformed into a blue water-sword, thrusting straight toward the man in beige. "Then let me tell you! So what if it's just one daughter? I, Li Xuanqi, will have countless more daughters in the future. What does it matter if one dies!"

In his eyes, there were only fame and fortune. What did a daughter matter? If one died, he could simply have a woman bear him countless more!

Perhaps the man in beige did not expect Li Xuanqi to strike so suddenly, or perhaps he truly lacked the strength to resist; the Yin Token in Li Xuanqi's hand pierced straight into his chest, and blood instantly stained the blue Yin Token red.

"Ugh!" The man in beige opened his mouth wide but could only manage a muffled groan. His massive frame collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, and the red Yang Token slipped from his hand.

The blue light flickered, and in an instant, the Yang Token was in Li Xuanqi's hand. He burst into triumphant laughter, using his sleeve to lightly wipe away the bloodstains. However, in just that single moment, his expression changed!

He flipped the Yang Token over to inspect it, only to find himself filled with disappointment. He grabbed the man in beige, who lay in a pool of blood, and asked ferociously, "Speak! Where is the Vermilion Bird Fire Bead on this? Where did it go? Speak!"

A Yang Token without the Vermilion Bird Fire Bead was nothing more than a piece of scrap iron; it could not exert its infinite power, nor could it merge with the Yin Token to assist him in practicing the Yin-Yang Divine Art!

Looking at the enraged Li Xuanqi, a triumphant smile actually curled onto the blood-stained face of the man in beige. "Li Xuanqi, you have caused the destruction of my family, so I will make sure you live a life of regret. You will never find the Vermilion Bird Fire Bead. Never! Hahaha... cough, cough..."

After a few laughs, he began to cough violently, and large clots of blood surged out.

Furious, Li Xuanqi slammed him heavily against the ground. "Tantai Liancheng, I will find a thousand ways to make you talk!" His exposed eyes were filled with venomous malice.

"Li Xuanqi, you will never have that chance again! I will be watching from above as you receive your retribution!" After Tantai Liancheng finished speaking, he gripped the handle of the Yin Token and thrust it forward violently.

*Schlick!* The entire Yin Token pierced through his entire chest. This time, even a Great Immortal could not save him.

Seeing that Tantai Liancheng had actually chosen death to resist him, Li Xuanqi was so angry he was practically gnashing his teeth. He roared to the people beside him, "Drag his corpse back and hack it into pieces, then throw it out to the dogs!"

He then let out a laugh like a ghost's wail: "Tantai Liancheng, do you think it's over just because you're dead? I'm telling you, even if you die, I won't let you go! I will make sure you die without a whole corpse! Hahaha..."

That arrogant and venomous laughter echoed at the foot of the mountain, sounding incredibly piercing.

Elsewhere, an old man held a sleeping infant in his arms, while a six or seven-year-old boy lay prone beside them.

The young boy did not move at all; he had clearly had his acupoints struck. His large, clear eyes were filled with tears, but they also burned with a raging fire—a kind of hatred sufficient to destroy everything...