Chapter 154: Going Alone to the Banquet

"No!"

Ling Xiao refused decisively, leaving Gu Mingyan looking somewhat aggrieved.

"You're too biased! I came all this way just to see you, and you treat me like this!"

"If you keep acting up, I'll punish you by sending you back to Ghost Valley to face the wall in contemplation!"

Gu Mingyan quickly stuck out her tongue playfully, while Mu Yiren chuckled and said,

"Ling Xiao, stop scaring Sister Mingyan. She was genuinely worried about you, which is why she came along with me!"

"At least Yiren understands me."

Ling Xiao could not help rubbing his temples with a helpless sigh.

"All right, stop standing here like a pair of fools. Let's go back and talk."

Once inside the car, Gu Mingyan put away her playful expression, her face turning solemn.

"Ling Xiao, we just got a lead on the whereabouts of the White Tiger Black Iron Token. But..."

"But what?"

"This piece of news seems full of suspicious points. It popped up out of nowhere, and the evidence is entirely, flawlessly airtight! In all previous editions of the Hundred Sects Tournament, the Black Iron Token has never surfaced this quickly!"

Ling Xiao frowned slightly.

"Where is the source of the news?"

"From a minor sect. However, I've checked, and this minor sect shows no traces of having interacted with any other factions."

"What about the Saber Emperor Sect and the Absolute God Palace?"

"The people of the Saber Emperor Sect are generally upright and do not resort to petty conspiracies, but I haven't been able to uncover much about the Absolute God Palace! After all, that sect has always acted somewhat mysteriously, making it very difficult to track their true location."

"The only intelligence the Shadow Hall currently has is that the young master of the Absolute God Palace visited quite a few sects prior to the start of the Hundred Sects Tournament!"

After a moment of silent reflection, Ling Xiao finally spoke:

"Then let them fight over it first! Eventually, someone will bring the Black Iron Token out into the open. There is no need for us to waste time; we can just sit back and reap the rewards."

"You are truly wise, Young Master!"

...

On the other side, Ouyang Xiaobai had escorted Ouyang Yuluo back home.

"Hah!"

Lying on his sister's small bed, Ouyang Xiaobai wore an expression of complete relief.

"It's still best at home! Here, you don't have to fear anything, and you don't have to worry about a thing!"

Ouyang Yuluo smiled, put down her bag, and sat beside her younger brother.

"Once you graduate from university, you can stay home all the time!"

Ouyang Xiaobai's gaze grew deep and distant.

"Not yet! I must become very strong so that I can protect you, Sister!"

"You're already very strong now."

Ouyang Xiaobai shook his head.

"I am still not strong enough! I want to be the strongest person alive! When that day comes, no one will ever dare bully the two of us again!"

"When we were little, Mom and Dad died early, and we suffered so many cold glares and humiliations. When I was in my teens, that eldest aunt tried to arrange a match for me, making it sound like she was finding someone to take care of me, but in reality, she just wanted to sell me off for money! Sooner or later, I will settle this score with that wretched woman!"

"How many years ago was that? You need to learn to let things go, Xiaobai, otherwise you'll be exhausted for the rest of your life!"

Ouyang Xiaobai sat up, gently stroked his sister's face, and channeled a stream of spiritual energy to heal her still-red cheek. His eyes burned with a resolute and unyielding gaze!

"Sister! Give me just a few more months! Once this period passes, I will return, and I will stay in Jiangnan forever—never to leave you again!"

"Then I'll be waiting for you!"

At that moment, the chirping of orioles came from outside the window. Ouyang Xiaobai's eyes flickered, and he smiled:

"Sister! I'm going out for a moment, I'll be right back!"

"Okay!"

With those words, Ouyang Xiaobai left the room and walked downstairs, where over a hundred disciples dressed in black martial attire quickly approached him.

"Young Master, there is movement from the Absolute God Palace as well. Time waits for no one; we can no longer afford to wait!"

Ouyang Xiaobai nodded, his gaze as cold and piercing as ice.

"Has there been any movement from Ghost Valley?"

"Reporting to the Young Master, Ghost Valley Ling Xiao's girlfriend seems to have arrived in Jiangnan, so he went to the airport to pick her up. It would appear... he hasn't received this intelligence yet!"

"In that case, the White Tiger Black Iron Token belongs to my Saber Emperor Sect!"

"Young Master, should we notify the main forces of the Saber Emperor Sect stationed in the outskirts of Jiangnan?"

"No need. The more people involved, the greater the commotion. Attracting too many people will only make it harder to secure the White Tiger Token! Let's move out. The White Tiger Token—my Saber Emperor Sect is bound to win it!"

"Understood!"

Over a hundred figures moved out swiftly, flashing through the night and vanishing into the darkness.

Upstairs, Ouyang Yuluo leaned against the window, her hands clasped tightly over her chest.

"Xiaobai, please, stay safe!"

...

The sky over Jiangnan gradually choked with a layer of dark clouds, swallowing every last star!

Before long, accompanied by a flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder, a fine drizzle began to drift across Jiangnan.

Several figures pressed forward through the rain, gradually closing in on Jiangnan Mountain!

"Young Master, ahead is Jiangnan Mountain! Back then, the mortal martial saint Su Yunnan cultivated in seclusion right here on Jiangnan Mountain!"

"It seems Jiangnan Mountain is the vein of the dragon grounding Jiangnan! It makes sense that the White Tiger Token would appear here!"

"Once we capture the White Tiger Token, the Young Master can lead the Saber Emperor Sect into the top four. At that time, as long as we don't run directly into Xuanyuan Lingyu of Kunlun, the Young Master's ability to fight opponents above his level will certainly secure a top-two finish for our sect!"

Everyone's eyes gleamed with excitement.

Even Ouyang Xiaobai could not help a smile from curving the corner of his lips.

As long as he achieved a great result in the Hundred Sects Tournament, his position within the Saber Emperor Sect would become unshakable. When that day came, he could finally do as he pleased and stay by his sister's side forever!

However, the moment his feet touched the ground of Jiangnan Mountain, seven beams of red light suddenly erupted into the sky, piercing the clouds!

In a fraction of a second, heaven and earth shuddered violently as a frenzy of thunder and lightning crashed down upon them!

Ouyang Xiaobai's pupils contracted sharply!

"This... This is... A trap? Fall back!"

Yet how fast was the speed of lightning? Even with their formidable strength, the group could not withstand this sudden ambush!

A wild barrage of lightning cracked and slammed down continuously for a full minute, shearing a hundred meters off the very peak of Jiangnan Mountain!

As the lightning gradually faded, half of the hundred men of the Saber Emperor Sect had been reduced to fine ash, a small portion had been charred to charcoal, and only twenty or thirty remained, their skin severely burned.

Standing right at the center, Ouyang Xiaobai was pale and breathing heavily.

Just now, relying on his extraordinary strength, he had hacked frantically with supreme sword intent to counter the lightning, exhausting a massive amount of power!

Yet, had it not been for his desperate counterattack, not a single one of the hundred men from the Saber Emperor Sect would have survived!

Before the shock could even settle, the sound of slow clapping began to echo through the air.

*Clap, clap...*

Like the tolling bell of a life-claiming wraith.

"Hehehe... As expected of Ouyang Xiaobai, one of the Four Young Masters of the Martial World and the heir to the Saber Emperor. Truly well-deserved!"

Ouyang Xiaobai's pupils constricted.

"Gu Quan!"