74: Chapter 74 The Strange Li Hu

Manager Ma Yingjie had long been certain that Hu Nan had been resurrected using an Ancient Divine Ability.

Otherwise, how could the curse of their Blood Demon Sect fail to kill Hu Nan?

The masked man nodded slightly and said, "What you say makes sense!"

"Stand up!"

Manager Ma Yingjie stood up, glanced at the masked man, and then cautiously inquired, "Young... Young Lord, your sub... subordinate will immediately take people to Qingyun Tower to kill him?"

"After he is resurrected, I will continue to kill him!"

"Even if he possesses an Ancient Divine Ability, it's impossible for him to resurrect so many times in such a short period!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the masked man slowly shook his head. "No need."

Manager Ma Yingjie was stunned, his face full of bewilderment. He quickly lowered his head, not daring to ask more, yet unable to suppress the doubt in his heart.

The masked man slowly turned around and sat back down on the wooden chair.

"This Young Lord has his own plans. He is more useful alive than dead."

"Young Lord, what do you mean by this?"

"He possesses an Ancient Divine Ability, which is very detrimental to the great cause of our Blood Demon Sect!" Manager Ma Yingjie asked, puzzled.

“Hehehe, what do you know!” The masked man gave a cold laugh and said, “This Young Lord intends to use the Blood Demon Grand Art to perform a Possession of Hu Nan's body!”

“Only in this way can I completely obtain the Ancient Divine Ability within him and use his body for Rebirth. At that time, let alone one Hu Nan, the entire Heavenly Sword Sect, and even the Southern Region's cultivation world, will be under this Young Lord's control!”

Manager Ma Yingjie was shaken to the core upon hearing this, the bewilderment on his face instantly replaced by awe. He quickly kowtowed and reported, “Young Lord is brilliant! Your subordinate was dull-witted and failed to grasp your profound meaning! Your subordinate is willing to assist the Young Lord with all my strength!”

The masked man gave him a cold glance, his tone carrying a hint of impatience: “Immediately keep a close watch on Hu Nan's movements and report to me at any time. There must not be the slightest mistake!”

“Yes! Your subordinate obeys! I will certainly exert all my efforts to keep a close eye on Hu Nan and will never fail!” Manager Ma Yingjie quickly responded.

...

Qingyun Tower.

Inside a private room.

When Hu Nan walked into the private room, over ten fellow townsmen were already seated.

“Sorry, I'm late again!” Hu Nan greeted them with a smile.

“It's fine, Li Hu hasn't arrived yet either!” Zhang Han stood up.

Hearing Zhang Han's words, Hu Nan also carefully scanned the room and found that Li Hu was indeed not there.

“Where did Li Hu go?” Hu Nan asked, pretending to be casual.

“Li Hu arrived long ago, but he just said he had a small matter to attend to and had to step out for a bit,” Hu Nan said with a smile.

“Come, come, Hu Nan, sit here!”

“The Great Competition is coming up soon this year!”

“I wonder if I can get a ranking!”

“I think it'll be hard. Within our Heavenly Sword Sect, there are many Senior Brothers at the Level 10 Qi Refining Stage Great Perfection!”

“I heard the rewards this year are very rich!”

“Unfortunately, we don't have many resources!”

Because the Great Competition was coming up in March, everyone was talking about the Heavenly Sword Sect's Great Competition.

At that moment, the door of the private room was pushed open, and a hearty laugh followed, breaking the lively atmosphere: “Sorry, sorry, fellow townsmen, I've kept you all waiting. I had an urgent matter just now that delayed me for a bit. I hope everyone can be understanding.”

Everyone turned their heads to look and saw Li Hu walking in from outside with a smile.

As he smiled and apologized, he raised his hand to wipe the light sweat from his face and walked in quickly.

“Li Hu, you're finally back. If you hadn't come, we wouldn't have waited and would've started eating!” Zhang Han joked with a laugh, and the others chimed in, making the atmosphere in the room even more lively.

Li Hu smiled and cupped his hands in apology, his gaze casually sweeping across the room. He responded politely to everyone's teasing, and as his gaze shifted, it inadvertently swept past Hu Nan, who was sitting near the door.

His originally smiling eyes paused for a split second upon touching Hu Nan—so fast it was hard to notice—before returning to his usual warm smile, as if it were just a casual glance with nothing unusual.

But this brief glance did not escape Qin Changsheng's Divine Sense.

Since Hu Nan was Qin Changsheng's Incarnation, Qin Changsheng's Divine Sense was focused on Hu Nan.

Therefore, that flicker of greed hidden beneath the smile was clearly captured by him.

Qin Changsheng's eyes showed a bit more doubt and a hint of confusion.

He didn't understand at all why Li Hu was looking at Hu Nan with greedy eyes.

It was a very pure kind of greed, burning and urgent, like a hungry wolf encountering a lamb, eyes full of determined covetousness without any disguise.

“Li Hu?” Qin Changsheng recalled Li Hu's past.

This Li Hu was from Beihai Prefecture, but Qin Changsheng didn't know exactly where he lived.

“Come, fellow townsmen, it's rare for us to gather today. Let's have a drink together. I wish everyone's cultivation to improve in the new year and for you to Breakthrough your Realms soon!” Zhang Han raised his wine cup, his face full of smiles as he loudly proposed a toast.

Everyone raised their wine cups and echoed loudly. The clinking of the cups made a crisp sound, and then they drained them in one gulp.

After several rounds of wine and many dishes, everyone's chatter gradually opened up. The topics shifted from their individual situations to the major events of the entire Heavenly Sword Sect.

After all, most of the people present were under the banner of the Heavenly Sword Sect or relied on the Sect for their cultivation. Every move of the Sect was closely related to their future.

“Speaking of the biggest event in the Sect this year, it must be the Heavenly Sword Sect Great Competition coming up in March, right?” a fellow townsman said, putting down his wine cup.

As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell silent for a moment, followed by an even more heated discussion. Everyone's face showed expressions of concern and yearning.

The Heavenly Sword Sect Great Competition was held every ten years and was the most grand event in the Sect. Regardless of cultivation level, as long as one was an Outer Sect Disciple, they could participate.

And the rewards of the Great Competition were so rich they were enviable, enough to make countless low-level Cultivators go crazy.

“Isn't that the truth!” another fellow townsman took up the conversation, his face full of envy. “I heard that the rewards for this competition are even richer than the last one!”

“The champion will not only receive Cultivation Techniques, Medicinal Pills, and Magical Artifacts, but also have the chance to take a Heavenly Sword Sect Elder as their master, and even enter the Sect's treasury to pick a suitable treasure!”

“Go to the Sect's treasury to pick a treasure?!” someone exclaimed, their tone full of disbelief.

“It would be great if I could take an Elder as my master!”

“That way, we wouldn't have to worry about resources!”

“This championship has nothing to do with us at all!”

“Speaking of this year's champion, I think it will definitely be Lin Hao!”

“Lin Hao is now at the Peak of Level 10 Qi Refining Stage, only one step away from the Foundation Establishment Stage. Moreover, the sword techniques he Cultivates are sharp and overbearing. After ten years of bitter cultivation without pause, his strength has surely improved significantly. The championship is definitely in his pocket!”

As soon as these words came out, many people nodded in agreement.

“True, true. Lin Hao's strength is obvious to all. With a cultivation at the Peak of Level 10 Qi Refining Stage plus powerful sword techniques, there are probably very few in the entire Sect who can compete with him.”

“I think it's not necessarily so.”

“Jiang Lijuan has obtained a High-level Secret Technique!”

“This time the champion will definitely be Jiang Lijuan!”

Everyone's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and they all chimed in.

For a while, the room was divided into two factions: one supporting Lin Hao, believing he would surely take the championship;

The other favored Jiang Lijuan, feeling she had a chance for an upset. Everyone held their own views, arguing incessantly with excitement on their faces. The aroma of wine mixed with the sounds of debate, filling the entire room with a bustling atmosphere.

In the entire private room, almost everyone was immersed in the heated discussion about the Great Competition, except for Li Hu, who remained silent throughout.

His expression clearly showed disdain for the group's heated discussion, as if he found their debate incredibly laughable and not worth mentioning.