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Chapter 968 - 978: Stepping Stone! (Second Update)

Chapter 968: Chapter 978: Stepping Stone! (Second Update)

The news of Yan He’s death quickly spread throughout Xuanjing City.

No one could have anticipated Tang Zhong to be so audacious.

At the very least, when the Yan Family sought to desecrate someone’s ancestral burial grounds, others didn’t dare say a single word!

Yet Tang Zhong actually killed Yan He.

The Yan Family summoned all their elite members overnight to discuss the next steps.

As for the martyrs’ cemetery, personnel had already been dispatched to take care of it.

Finally, after half a day, a messenger arrived from the Yan Family to the Dragon Group, leaving a letter before departing immediately.

That letter remained untouched in the Dragon Group, for it was addressed exclusively to Tang Zhong.

When Tang Zhong personally opened the letter,

everyone was shocked.

The message read: Yan Chihuo of Xuan Country challenges Tang Zhong, the top-ranked warrior on Xuan Country’s Black List!

This was Yan Chihuo’s strategy. Upon seeing this message, everyone in the Dragon Group furrowed their brows deeply.

The Dragon Group immediately recalled all its members.

The elite martial arts families of Xuan Country had always been at odds with the Dragon Group.

In the conference room,

everyone had a grave expression, their brows tightly knitted, and the letter lay on the table.

Zhang Changgong and the others stood by the table, their faces dark and somber.

If it were anyone else challenging Tang Zhong, they wouldn’t say anything at all. But this time, the challenger was Yan Chihuo—the true first-ranking warrior of Xuan Country!

No matter how they discussed, they couldn’t reach a conclusion!

Faced with Yan Chihuo, they were utterly helpless.

Fifty years ago, Yan Chihuo was already ranked third on the Black List.

Now, fifty years later, he is the fourth-ranked, but keep in mind—fifty years ago cannot be compared to the present.

And now, Yan Chihuo was preparing to emerge.

This news was like a thunderclap, shaking all of Xuan Country, and not just Xuan Country—the whole world. Yan Chihuo’s feat of repelling Bei Country’s army with a single palm strike was tremendously renowned.

Finally, Tang Zhong returned, uprighted General Peng Yuan’s coffin once more, bowed thrice and knelt nine times before leaving.

Upon his return,

he was immediately called to the office by Zhang Changgong.

"Take a look at this!" Zhang Changgong handed the letter to Tang Zhong.

Tang Zhong glanced over it and showed no expression on his face.

"This is the Yan Family’s declaration of battle!" Zhang Changgong said.

"Oh? Send a reply; I accept!" Tang Zhong replied.

"Absolutely not!" Zhang Changgong immediately objected. "That’s Yan Chihuo we’re talking about! My suggestion is to ignore this declaration and just give the Yan Family some kind of explanation. You must understand, this is Yan Chihuo—if General Peng Yuan were still here, he wouldn’t allow you to take such a risk!"

"No, this isn’t a risk," Tang Zhong replied. "This is a battle between the strong, and Xuan Country can have only one supreme warrior!"

Hearing this, Zhang Changgong almost forgot that the seemingly young man before him was already a harbinger on the Black List.

"For this reason, I must fight him!" Tang Zhong declared.

"Very well!" Zhang Changgong nodded.

He sent someone to return the letter, accepting the challenge.

Soon, the letter was returned intact to the Yan Family.

The Yan Family’s members clenched their fists in rage.

"A fool courting death!" Yan Nantian, the Yan Family’s second master, exclaimed angrily.

With the family head Yan He now dead,

the room was filled with Yan Family relatives.

Especially one lady—a furious expression etched across her face. Next to her stood a simpleton.

She was Yan Biao’s primary wife, while the simpleton was Yan Long, dirty-faced and snot-nosed, constantly circling the lady calling her "Mother!"

Ever since Yan Biao’s death, the lady had been consumed by grief. Now, learning that Yan Chihuo would take a stand for the Yan Family, she venomously declared, "Second Brother, you must tell the old patriarch to act and kill that Tang Zhong!"

"Sister-in-law, rest assured!" Yan Nantian nodded.

The others chimed in one after another, "This Tang Zhong is utterly despicable for treating our Yan Family like this. He absolutely deserves to die!"

"Indeed! Get the old patriarch to kill him! For all these years, the old patriarch hasn’t emerged, and many must have forgotten the might of our Yan Family!"

"Very well, I’ll go visit the old patriarch now!" Yan Nantian said.

He exited the house and headed toward the distant mountain—Yan Mountain, named for the Yan family itself. Legend held that Yan Chihuo was deep in retreat within the mountain.

Soon, outside a cave atop the mountain, Yan Nantian knelt on the ground before the cave entrance, which resembled an ancient abode.

"Old Patriarch!"

A hoarse voice echoed from within the cave: "What is it?"

"Old Patriarch, Tang Zhong has accepted your declaration of battle!" Yan Nantian said.

"Good... very good!" Laughter erupted from the cave.

Yan Nantian was taken aback. "Old Patriarch, why are you so delighted?"

"You wouldn’t understand!" came the reply from within.

"Old Patriarch, that Tang Zhong is too outrageous. He dared to desecrate our ancestral tomb! When you emerge, you must kill him to restore the prestige of our Yan Family!" Yan Nantian urged.

"Nantian... I’ve always regarded you as my most promising successor, and you hold a high rank in the military. But why is your vision so narrow? Do you truly think I’m acting because Tang Zhong desecrated our tombs?" the voice replied.

"Then what is it?" Yan Nantian was stunned.

"It’s because I am only one step away from Martial Supreme. However, I’ve hit a bottleneck in my cultivation. I need a significant battle to relieve this stagnation, and there are few remaining fighters in this world worthy of my effort. Ogur and Wuji are both dead, Apollo is in Egypt, and even if they were here, fighting them wouldn’t help me progress—they’re all too weak!"

"Could it be that you’ve already stepped into that realm, Old Patriarch?" Yan Nantian’s face lit up with joy.

"Yes, I am at the threshold—a half-step into Martial Supreme Realm, just one step shy!" Yan Chihuo’s voice resonated from within.

"Congratulations, Old Patriarch!" Yan Nantian exclaimed with excitement.

He could barely contain his elation.

"No need for congratulations. Now, I’m just missing the final step. Let Tang Zhong come to Yan Mountain!"

"Understood!" Yan Nantian replied excitedly. "If the Old Patriarch emerges, it will undoubtedly shake all of Xuan Country!"

"Haha, naturally, for Xuan Country was always destined to bear the Yan name!"

The mention of the Yan name made Yan Nantian’s eyes gleam with ambition. "Old Patriarch, are you planning to seize power?"

"That won’t be necessary. Commanding under the name of the emperor is much more effective!"

"Understood!" Yan Nantian retreated from Yan Mountain with a smile.

Commanding under the emperor—it seemed that, when the time came, all of Xuan Country might indeed bear the Yan name.

Now, though, the news had to spread.

Surely, this would send shockwaves through all of Xuan Country.

Soon, the entire Martial Arts World of Xuan Country was abuzz with news.

Yan Chihuo challenged Tang Zhong, and Tang Zhong had accepted.