In the Lower Realm, within the Ten Thousand Oceans Trading Hall located at the center of the largest city on the western frontier, the elegance of its glass halls and translucent blue stone pillars stood in stark contrast to the scene unfolding atop the building's highest floor. Inside a private reception room reserved only for high-level negotiations accessible to only a handful of individuals in the entire world a quiet tension lingered.
At the center of the room sat a dining table crafted from rare jade stone. Around it, eight figures clad in black robes with masks that concealed their faces except for the mouth sat leisurely, enjoying a refined meal. The scent of exquisite dishes filled the space, but beneath the table, in a jarring contradiction to the luxurious setting, an old man knelt quietly on the stone floor.
He wore the golden robes of the Lower Realm's branch leader of the Ten Thousand Oceans Trading Hall a garb symbolizing unmatched authority within one of the most powerful mercantile networks.
And yet now… he knelt like a lowly servant, his posture that of utter submission.
Han Ming, seated at the head of the table and wearing a smiling-face mask, gently set down his chopsticks. He then picked up a scroll and began to read, speaking in a voice so altered that even his gender could not be discerned.
"This is the entirety of your trade secrets, is it not?"
The old man looked up at the group before him with calm eyes. Though the pressure weighing on him was suffocating, he did not allow fear to show at least not outwardly. Inside, however, his heart was far from settled.
The eight people before him might have appeared serene, but the power radiating from each of them was far from ordinary. They were all at the level of Great Emperor, just as he was, but the gap in power between them felt as vast as the heavens and the abyss.
He remained silent for a moment before giving a firm nod and replying with conviction.
"This is everything, sir."
Han Ming offered no further comment. He merely gave a slight nod before speaking in a soft tone.
"From this moment forward, you are now a full accomplice. Be sure to keep this secret buried deep."
The old man lowered his head slightly. "Understood, sir."
Despite his words, his thoughts swirled with frustration.
"Who would even dare speak? Whatever you just implanted in me earlier… you think I've forgotten?"
He could only shake his head in quiet resignation.
Just a short while earlier, he had been informed by the deputy branch leader that a group of strangers had arrived with a trade proposal of exceptional importance. They had brought thousands of Emperor-grade herbs, all genuine with not a single counterfeit among them.
He had decided to personally greet them, but what followed was anything but a negotiation.
One of the masked figures, the one wearing the smiling-face mask, stepped forward slowly and struck without warning. The entire area was sealed off from the outside world. Not even a distress signal could be sent.
And then something far worse happened something was implanted into his body before he could react. The power was strange, mysterious, and utterly foreign.
Han Ming didn't say much. He simply left behind a single command.
"You are forbidden from doing anything that could be considered betrayal against me."
Only a breath later, Han Ming activated the implanted power without giving him a moment to brace himself. Agonizing pain, as if his soul and body were being torn apart simultaneously, surged through him. He collapsed, writhing on the floor.
"I... I haven't even done anything yet..." he cried out in desperation.
But the reply from the other side completely disregarded his plea.
"Bring me all of your trade secrets. Every piece of management data, transportation protocols to the Upper Realm, the internal structure of the trading hall, and all other confidential information."
Of course, the old man wasn't willing to give in so easily. He was still bound by a soul-seal contract with the Ten Thousand Oceans Trading Hall, one that forbade betrayal or disclosure of secrets under any circumstance. No matter how severe the threat, if he broke the contract, he would die.
Yet Han Ming undid the seal with ease. He didn't destroy it he simply disabled it. The seal remained, but its power was completely nullified for the moment.
The old man was left with no choice. He was merely one powerful figure in a world governed by those far stronger. No matter how high his status, he still valued his life. So he did the only thing he could. He gathered every piece of information Han Ming had asked for and handed it over… without resistance.
Returning to the present, Han Ming sat reading through the documents swiftly. He had begun studying the business operations of the Ten Thousand Oceans Trading Hall since yesterday their management methods, logistical systems and found them quite satisfactory. So he decided to steal their entire framework and use it as the foundation for a trading organization of his own in the Upper Realm.
Once everything had gone as planned, Han Ming snapped his fingers lightly.
Boom!
An explosive roar shook the entire central trade district of the city. The sound came from the Ten Thousand Oceans Trading Hall, which had now been heavily damaged. Its outer structure lay in ruin, black smoke rising into the sky as if piercing the heavens.
Among the chaos, a staff member screamed out.
"Disaster! The Spirit Hall exploded! Hurry, call the branch leader!"
At the same time, inside the opulent reception chamber of the trading hall, the current branch leader still knelt calmly on the floor, unaware of the disaster unfolding outside. But then, Han Ming's voice rang out in the air.
"Hao Yang."
The man in black, his face concealed behind a flame-shaped mask, slowly rose from the dining table with deliberate calm. He walked toward the old man, whose body began to tremble as if he could sense death approaching. A chill ran down his spine, and his breath grew shallow, instinct warning him that something terrible was about to happen.
Hao Yang came to a halt before him, then slowly removed his mask.
"It's been a long time…"
His voice was soft, yet it was enough to awaken every buried nightmare.
The old man's eyes widened in an instant, his lips trembling uncontrollably, unable to form coherent words.
"You… you… you…"
"Aaaaahhhhhhh!!"
A shriek of agony burst from his mouth. He looked down at his feet, where red flames were already devouring his flesh, charring it into blackened ash. The searing scent of burning blood and fresh meat filled the room.
The flames crept slowly upward, from feet to shins, licking hungrily at his legs, consuming him inch by inch in a tormenting crawl.
"Aaahh!! You!! Aaahh!! Kill… me!! Kill meeeeee!!"
In unspeakable pain, the old man clenched his jaw and tried to bite down on his own tongue to end his life and escape the torment. But before he could, Hao Yang's fist smashed into his face with bone-crushing force.
Crack!!
The sound echoed throughout the chamber.
His jaw was shattered, completely pulverized. His mouth could no longer move. Only ragged breaths and unintelligible groans slipped out from his throat as the flames continued to crawl up his body.
The fire slithered from his torso to his arms, from arms to shoulders, slowly closing in on his face.
This pain had no end. No reprieve. No salvation. No matter how loud he screamed, the heavens would not answer. No matter how great he once was, now he was nothing but an old man, consumed by fire, his soul on the verge of collapse.
"No… I… should… have… killed… you… back… then…"
His final words dissolved into silence as his body crumbled into black ash.
Hao Yang said nothing more. He stood there, quietly watching as the flames consumed the old man's body. There was no rage in his eyes, no satisfaction. Only stillness, like a verdict long predestined by fate.
At the same moment, outside the trading hall, chaos continued to unfold.
All of Han Ming's disciples moved swiftly to plunder the Ten Thousand Oceans Trading Hall. They stormed the treasure vault, the resource chambers, and the alchemy stores, not sparing so much as a single drop of elixir.
Everything they seized was delivered directly to Han Ming. Not one item was kept for themselves. Not one.
Han Ming quietly observed everything for a moment before turning to the seven disciples standing before him, awaiting orders.
"All right. For now, go take care of your own matters. If you have no business left in the Lower Realm, return to train in the special dimension. Or, help the others as you see fit."
His voice was calm, carrying no urgency at all.
"The weapons I gave you earlier are more than just weapons. They're keys that allow you to enter and exit the special dimension at any time. Use them wisely."
He paused briefly before giving one final instruction.
"Three days from now… regroup in the special dimension."
All seven disciples nodded in unison and responded loudly in perfect harmony.
"Understood, Master!!"
Their voices echoed powerfully, filled with unwavering devotion not merely as disciples, but as individuals ready to entrust their lives to the man standing before them.
Han Ming looked over his seven disciples once more. His gaze remained composed, and he spoke no further. He simply raised his hand lightly, and his figure began to fade away into the void, like mist scattered by the wind, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Once Han Ming had departed, a moment of silence lingered before being broken by Lei Chen's voice.
"See you in three days, then. Don't be late."
He raised his hand and effortlessly tore open a rift in the void. His power cleaved through space like slicing thin paper, and his figure darted through the crack without so much as glancing back.
The tension began to ease. Rong Lixian and Feng Huangjun exchanged glances.
Rong Lixian smirked mischievously. "Well, Black-faced Bird, think you can handle it?"
Feng Huangjun chuckled softly before replying, "Piece of cake, Sister Yellow Dragon. When it comes to spatial manipulation, you know I'm several levels above you."
The two of them shared a brief smile before Feng Huangjun raised his hand and opened a rift in the void just as Lei Chen had done.
Rong Lixian chuckled. "Let's go. Watching out for our senior brother has always been our middle name anyway."
Hao Yang tried to say something. "I… have nothing to do with this."
Su Baining interjected. "Letting Senior Brother go off on his own is too dangerous. We shouldn't let him travel alone."
Rong Lixian laughed. "Good point, Sister Su. That way, when we get caught, instead of blaming Black-faced Bird alone, we can use this excuse to escape for our lives."
Guan Zixuan and Ye Liyin laughed lightly and walked straight into the void without another word.
Hao Yang remained standing, his expression serious, as though something still weighed on his mind.
"Then… what about Master… why...."
Before he could finish, Rong Lixian, as if reading his thoughts, suddenly launched herself forward and kicked Hao Yang with full force.
Thud!
"Go! Don't linger! Getting scolded as a group of six is better than getting scolded alone! As for Master, Black-faced Bird won't be able to catch up anyway because he's weak and too slow!"
Hao Yang's voice vanished into the dimensional rift before he could even react. Su Baining and Rong Lixian followed right after, stepping through without hesitation or another word.
Feng Huangjun shook his head slightly, then leapt and kicked himself through the void.
"Aaah—" Rong Lixian's voice echoed faintly behind.