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Chapter 22: Chapter 22: The Dark Emperor

"No, this needs to be agreed upon beforehand. If what I ask you to do is unreasonable, you can inform the sect master. Even if he punishes me, I'll accept it. But if you don't agree to this, we won't leave," Zhong Shan insisted, his expression grave.

"Fine, fine, you're so nagging. I'll listen to you," Tian Ling'er replied, still unwilling.

Seeing her expression, Zhong Shan smiled slightly. She truly had the demeanor of a young lady.

"Let's choose something unique. Hmm, you like to eat 'osmanthus cakes,' so we'll use 'osmanthus cake' as the code. Whenever I mention osmanthus cake, it means I'm very serious, and you must listen to me. Absolutely must," Zhong Shan said solemnly.

"Alright, alright, osmanthus cake, hehe!" Tian Ling'er couldn't help but laugh at the peculiar code. Who uses such a code?

"Good. Since that's settled, wait here. I'll get my luggage, and we can leave together," Zhong Shan nodded and said.

After speaking, Zhong Shan went into the house and returned with a massive bundle weighing at least fifty pounds. Carrying the bundle on his back and holding a large knife, he said, "Alright, let's go."

"Give it to me. I'll put it in my storage bracelet. You look so tired," Tian Ling'er offered with a smile.

Zhong Shan didn't hesitate and handed her the bundle, keeping only the large knife in his hand.

"Alas, my Red Silk is only a second-grade item and can only carry me. You use the Wind-Chasing Boots, and we'll move quickly together," Tian Ling'er said.

"Alright." With the large knife on his back, Zhong Shan channeled his qi and shot off in a particular direction.

Tian Ling'er stepped onto a piece of red silk and flew alongside him, feeling incredibly happy about leaving.

Knowing the way out of the mountain, Tian Ling'er quickly led Zhong Shan past the grand formation and out of the Kaiyang Sect.

Outside the Kaiyang Sect, Zhong Shan glanced at the small thatched hut, feeling a mix of emotions. He was now a member of the immortal sect.

Zhong Shan didn't greet the 'mountain guardian' in the hut. Instead, he led Tian Ling'er and swiftly ran in a specific direction.

It had taken several months to arrive, but leaving the mountain, Zhong Shan believed that with his current speed and the Wind-Chasing Boots, it would take no more than fifteen days to reach his manor.

After running through the mountains for a day, they were both tired by nightfall. They found a pleasant spot, took out two hammocks from the bundle, tied them high up between the trees, and scattered some herbs around to ward off poisonous insects.

"Alright, we'll sleep here tonight," Zhong Shan said to Tian Ling'er.

Seeing the large net between the trees, Tian Ling'er's eyes sparkled with excitement. She looked at Zhong Shan with admiration.

"Zhong Shan, this is fantastic! How did you think of this?" Tian Ling'er immediately flew up to one of the hammocks, lying in it, wriggling around excitedly.

Watching her innocent and lively demeanor, Zhong Shan shook his head without saying much. He too leapt into his hammock.

"Alright, you look at the stars. I'm going to sleep first," Zhong Shan said.

Lying in the hammock, staring at the star-filled sky and listening to the chirping of forest insects, Tian Ling'er was too excited to sleep anytime soon.

At the same time, in the Zhong Mansion of the Great Kun Kingdom, Zhong Shan's hidden body was sitting cross-legged inside a room.

Silently, the hidden Zhong Shan stood up, picked up a small booklet from the table beside him. The booklet was titled "Secret Assault Techniques." It was something his main body had found in the Kaiyang Sect's library not long ago. Inside the booklet was also a portrait, a picture of Hao San.

Grasping the skill of stealth, his hidden form flickered slightly, transforming into a dark shadow, then indeed into a mere silhouette. Within the black night, he slipped through the paper-thin cracks of the door and emerged. Beneath the moonlight, a black figure streaked across the earth, galloping swiftly like a ghost, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Different from his true form, his hidden body seemed remarkably outstanding. The cultivation speed of the Taiyin True Scripture was extraordinarily fast. Whenever his true self made a breakthrough, his hidden self would immediately follow suit. However, this was also a major limitation of his hidden self. Currently, Zhongshan's hidden strength had reached the third level of innate talent.

An hour later, a shadow entered a valley. Within the valley stood numerous houses, well-concealed from view. The shadow of Zhongshan headed straight for the central hall. Above the hall's plaque were three black characters, "Dark Night Hall."

Dark Night Hall, the nightmare of the high-ranking officials of the Great Kun Nation and five surrounding countries. It was the most powerful assassin hall, with countless killers inside and terrifying strength. It was rumored that even innate masters lurked within its ranks. Therefore, it was a term that struck fear into the hearts of people in the six nations.

As Zhongshan approached the entrance of Dark Night Hall, his figure suddenly appeared. He walked slowly towards the interior, where only one person was present, a man studying a large map by lamplight. The man didn't notice Zhongshan's entry until he fully stepped into the hall. Turning around, he drew a slender sword from his side.

Upon seeing Zhongshan, the man visibly relaxed. He was an average-looking man around fifty years old, the kind that would easily blend into a crowd unnoticed.

"Master," the man greeted Zhongshan respectfully.

"Ah, Anhuang, how many times do I have to tell you? We're like brothers; there's no need for such formality. Moreover, you've already reached the innate realm, but you're unwilling to participate in the selection of the Immortal Sect. It's unfair to you. " Zhongshan shook his head.

"Master, Anhuang owes his life to you. It's because of you that Anhuang was able to avenge his family and clan. Anhuang has sworn loyalty to you for life, without complaint or regret. There's no question of unfairness," Anhuang said respectfully.

"You're now the Lord of Dark Night Hall. The aristocratic families and royal families of the surrounding countries all fear you," Zhongshan said, smiling and shaking his head.

"Everything is because of Master. Dark Night Hall will always be loyal to you," Anhuang replied immediately.

"Well, I won't say much more to prevent you from calling me 'Master' incessantly. It feels awkward. Here, continue practicing this innate technique." Zhongshan handed the booklet to Anhuang.

"Innate technique?" Anhuang exclaimed in surprise as he took the booklet, which bore the three characters "Dark Assault Technique" on its cover.

"I've also been practicing an innate technique now, different from yours though. This one is a top-notch innate technique, divided into ten levels. It can be cultivated to the Golden Core stage. Work hard in your cultivation. When you reach the Golden Core stage in the future, I'll find another one for you," Zhongshan said earnestly.

"Yes, I will practice diligently and also train the best assassins for Master," Anhuang replied respectfully.

"By the way, there's a portrait in the Dark Assault Technique depicting an innate master. Search everywhere for this person. Whether alive or dead, just inform me when you find them," Zhongshan instructed.

"Yes, I will spare no effort in finding this person," Anhuang bowed.

"Alright, I'll leave you to your tasks. I'll be on my way." Zhongshan then slowly walked out of sight, transforming into a shadow and swiftly retracing his steps.

As Anhuang looked at the Dark Assault Technique in his hand, he sighed inwardly. Then, his gaze shifted to the place where Zhongshan had disappeared, determination gleaming in his eyes.

As for Zhongshan's true self, the next day before dawn, he woke up and saw Tianlinger, who had stayed excitedly awake for most of the night. Zhongshan didn't wake her up but instead packed up the hammock, took his big knife, and began practicing his swordsmanship not far away.

"Splitting the Mountain with Force! Slaughtering All Enemies!"

Practicing on a large rock, Zhongshan's goal was to slice it open like tofu, relying on his intuition to find its weak points. It was something only Zhongshan would dare to imagine; even the creator of the sword technique didn't have such a terrifying idea. Carving patterns on wood was one thing, but finding weak points on stone?

After practicing for an hour, Zhongshan took a break and quickly sat down to meditate.

At this moment, Tianlinger also woke up. Seeing Zhongshan diligently practicing, she felt ashamed. Tianlinger's aptitude was the opposite of Zhongshan's; her talent was so good that she didn't need to work hard to progress faster than ordinary people.

In this desolate mountainous area, Zhongshan didn't dare to indulge for long; he only summarized his insights from breaking the stones. Gently opening his eyes, he happened to see Tianlinger's sparkling eyes, with the morning sun reflecting on her porcelain-like face, making her appear like a radiant masterpiece.