[If you want to firmly control the Lu family and prevent even the Demon City from interfering, it’s clear that the Gu family alone isn’t enough. Other forces must be involved.]

[The power of the mastermind behind the scenes seems greater than you initially thought.]

[Upon hearing this news, Li Yang let out a sigh of relief: “That’s good. As long as the Lu family can’t act, my Li family has nothing to fear in the Magic City. It’s just a shame that Ye Chen, that brat, dared to cause trouble in my Li family. He even injured the ancestor and brought shame upon us.”]

[“Hehe, but that kid was captured by the ‘Venerable’ two days ago. They’ll soon have results from searching his soul and interrogating him about that secret technique.”]

[Ye Chen was captured!]

[Hearing this news, you were shocked. You never expected Ye Chen, the destined protagonist, to be caught and have his soul searched by someone called “The Venerable.”]

[Though you haven’t heard anything about this “Venerable” in the past few days, you had originally planned to seize Ye Chen’s “Nine Steps to Heaven.” But now, it seems someone else got to him first.]

[But who is this “Venerable” mentioned by the Li family’s father and son?]

[You want to eavesdrop more, but the Li family seems suspicious and quickly changes the topic. They discuss other matters instead.]

[Li Ge, the head of the Li family, asks about the person the ghost doctor wants to kill.]

[“Father, the target the ghost doctor wants us to kill seems to be a hybrid of human and ghost. I’ve arranged for someone to handle it.”]

[Suddenly, Li Yang changes the subject and pulls out a photo, handing it to his father.]

[You’re hiding in the shadows, and by chance, you glimpse the figure in the photo. It’s "Su Mei!" Your heart races, and you accidentally let out a slight breath.]

[“Who is it?” The patriarch of the Li family instantly notices and shouts.]

[Boom!]

[Realizing you’ve been exposed, you don’t hesitate. You leap from the shadows, activating the "Dragon Elephant Tyrant Body" and throwing two powerful punches. A massive dragon roar rings out as your "Cang Mang Tyrant Dragon Fist" hits with full force.]

[With the "Power of Two Dragons" and the "Cang Mang Tyrant Dragon Fist" blessing, your punch is powerful enough to destroy a mountain.]

[You kill the stunned Li Yang with one punch, leaving only destruction in your wake.]

[“No! Yang’er!”]

[The patriarch of the Li family is overwhelmed with shock and anger, bursting with an aura from the sixth realm. He retaliates with a punch, aiming to face you head-on.]

[Boom!]

[The study shatters. The Li family patriarch stumbles back, stunned: “Eighth-level Celestial Martial Arts?!”]

[You remain calm, entering “Supreme Mode,” but a sharp pain sears through your right arm, causing it to lose feeling. You use the recoil of the punch to propel yourself forward, disappearing like a shadow.]

[Swish! Swish! Swish!]

[You unleash hundreds of “Lightning Talismans” from your storage bag, each one exploding upon impact, illuminating the Li family estate with terrifying flashes of light. The blasts send everyone into chaos.]

[“How dare you! Who dares to cause trouble in my Li family?!...Ahhh!!”]

[“My eyes!”]

[Afraid of waking the unconscious Li family ancestor, you hide in the shadows and focus solely on escaping, with no desire to engage in further fighting.]

[You’re not Ye Chen, who can unleash multiple realm-level combat abilities with his “Nine Steps to Heaven.” Your strength still has its limits.]

[But luckily, under the cover of lightning, you manage to escape the Li family and race back home, determined to reach Su Mei before they do.]

[Though you’re unsure why the ghost doctor has designated Su Mei as the target, you promised Su Meng you’d protect her sister, and you’re determined not to break that promise.]

[After all, Su Meng risked his life to protect you, allowing you to escape from your shell.]

[As long as your life isn’t in danger, you’ll honor your vows.]

[“I hope I’m not too late. If I am, I’ll just have to get stronger and seek revenge in the future.”]

[You use the "Thousand Shadows Magic Art" to its fullest, turning into a shadow, and with the help of "Oil on the Feet" and the second-level "God-Speed Talisman," you move at near-sonic speed, faster than even fifth-level Mountain and River masters.]

[At this moment, you gain a new understanding of the "Thousand Shadows Magic Art," reaching its fifth level.]

[You’ve unlocked a new magical ability: "Shadow Changing."]

[Teleport: Uniting mind and form, you can change your appearance and teleport almost instantly. The more living or dead objects you carry, the higher the energy cost.]

["Shapeshift."]

["I actually unlocked the teleportation ability!" You’re surprised but grateful, realizing that your cultivation talents aren’t to be underestimated.]

[You test the "Shadow Change" ability, visualizing Su Meng’s home in your mind. Everything around you becomes blurry, and then, in an instant, you’re near Magic City University, just a short distance from your destination.]

[In the future, when your cultivation improves, this teleportation ability may rival the "Life-Substituting Blood Escape Talisman."]

[But just as you feel pleased, a wave of weakness strikes, and you realize your spiritual energy is nearly exhausted.]

["Oops, I’ve almost drained it."]

[Quickly, you take some pills to regain strength and proceed cautiously towards Su Meng’s home.]

[Perhaps fate is on your side. When you arrive, the Li family hasn’t shown up yet.]

["Seems like I’m lucky and destiny is in my hands."]

[You straighten your clothes, transform into Su Meng’s appearance, step forward, and open the door.]

[Drip... drip... drip...]

[The TV makes an odd static noise, with no image, just a blur of black and white.]

[On the sofa, Su Mei sits with her back to you, eating snacks while the TV plays.]

[You walk up to her, gently take her hand, and calmly say, “Mei’er, I’ve found a new place for us to stay. I’ll take you there.”]

[Drop!]

[A drop of blood falls onto your hand.]

[Your face freezes as you realize that Su Mei’s eyes have disappeared completely, replaced by two empty bloody holes.]

[Her face is contorted, like a puppet, and she whispers, “...Run... quickly...”]