Cultivation System: Stronger with Age

The Great Marsh Prefecture, a Frontier State Mansion, had not seen such extraordinary talents in centuries!"

Gao Yunchao's eyes suddenly flashed. "You know," he said, "could this mysterious Martial Cultivator be related to that Conical Hat Guest? That Conical Hat Guest was also extremely powerful and elusive!"

Jiang Yuran's eyes sparkled. "Hmm, it's not impossible!"

Zhao Yufei, hearing this, secretly glanced at Lin Xuankong.

Lin Xuankong: ...

Your imaginations are too wild! You can connect completely unrelated things!

He immediately decided to change the subject, turning to Ma Jiang. "Boss, I haven't seen you in over twenty days! I've been eager to have a drink with you!"

Ma Jiang laughed heartily at this, slapping the table.

"Forget all that! The fact that we all made it back alive is a tremendous blessing, worthy of a grand celebration!

Grand Steward Jiang, how long are you going to keep questioning? Shouldn't you welcome everyone back properly first?"

「At the Great Marsh Branch of the Black Tiger Gang,」

Two Stewards, along with dozens of other Stewards, stood somewhat nervously on either side.

Zhao Renxiong and Hall Master Liy exchanged glances, their faces extremely grim.

Especially Hall Master Liy Ruoqing. This time, to ensure Liy Ruofeng could make significant gains in the Demon Valley, he had even lent the Black Tiger Gang's famous Nine-Scaly Armor to Liy Ruofeng.

Who would have known that out of the thousand Martial Cultivators, seven or eight hundred would survive, yet the Black Tiger Gang's Vice Hall Master, Grand Chief Steward, and several Stewards would all be wiped out, not a single one emerging from the Demon Valley! Now, the once talent-filled Black Tiger Gang Great Marsh Hall was left with a pitiful two Stewards!

This Hall Master Liy, who had overseen the Great Marsh for over a decade, tightly clenched the red Demon Pearl in his hand, feeling that the recent momentum of the Black Tiger Gang Great Marsh Hall was deeply problematic.

At this moment, a Steward hurried into the hall, cupped his hands, and said,

"We've received word from the Gu Yue Sect. San Gu and several other members of their sect were all wiped out. None of them made it out of the Demon Valley!"

"San Gu of the Gu Yue Sect was as strong as Ruo Feng, and his men were no worse than Shangguan Si's. A lineup like that... wiped out as well?" Hall Master Liy's face turned ashen.

Zhao Renxiong furrowed his brow, pondering for a moment before decisively stating,

"Feng Zhulong from the Feng Family and Guo Chui from the Guo Family are both extremely strong, and they were assigned to the same gathering place as Vice Hall Master Li. They might have some information about what happened to him!"

Before he finished speaking,

another Steward hurried into the hall, cupped his hands, and said,

"Reporting to the Hall Master, the Feng Family has sent someone over! They said that their Sixth Young Master Feng and the people he took with him didn't make it out of the Demon Valley, and they want to ask about the situation here!"

Zhao Renxiong: ...

Hall Master Liy's face showed a trace of shock.

Zhao Renxiong frowned deeply. "Feng Zhulong had a Tier Four Spirit Cat. With Tier Three Demons, it would be hard for them to cause him any trouble. He should have been able to dominate the Demon-Suppressing Valley. Could he have met with disaster too?"

Suddenly, the sound of something tearing through the air came from outside. Immediately after, a burly, square-faced, broad-mouthed middle-aged man in a purple robe strode in.

"Hall Master Liy, Hall Master Zhao, is Vice Hall Master Li here? My nephew Guo Chui had an agreement with Vice Hall Master Li and the others before entering the Demon Valley. They were to join forces against other people and those Demons. Why hasn't he returned yet?"

Zhao Renxiong frowned upon seeing the newcomer. "Brother Yun Kui!"

Liy Ruoqing said in surprise, "Young Master Guo possesses the Kui Ox Library and is ranked fourth on the Hero List. He could easily defeat more than ten Same Tier Martial Cultivators simultaneously. He, like Ruo Feng, also didn't make it out of the Demon Valley?"

Guo Yunkui, the Guo Family's Third Chief and a Mid-grade Fifth Layer cultivator, had a face as dark as the bottom of a pot. "The Guo Family sent seven people into the Demon Valley, and not one has returned! Hall Master Liy, from what you just said... Vice Hall Master Li didn't make it out either?"

Liy Ruoqing fell silent.

In previous Demon Slaying Conferences, the Feng Family, Guo Family, Black Tiger Gang, and Gu Yue Sect had always allied to secretly reap benefits, and their hauls were always quite substantial!

In contrast, the Huang Family and the Yin Talisman Sect would have all their elites wiped out each time, their core strength constantly diminishing, leading to their gradual decline!

This time, the contingent sent by the Feng Family, Guo Family, Black Tiger Gang, Gu Yue Sect, and others was the strongest in the history of the Demon Slaying Conference. They had expected a great harvest... Who would have thought that in a Demon Slaying Conference with the highest survival rate ever, where every other family and sect was celebrating, not a single person from the Feng Family, Guo Family, or Black Tiger Gang's parties had returned alive!

Thinking of this, Liy Ruoqing, Zhao Renxiong, and Guo Yunkui all had faces as dark as the bottom of a pot.

"My sixth brother, Feng Zhulong, along with Young Master Guo, Vice Hall Master Li, and San Gu, possessed strength far exceeding ordinary peak Tier Three cultivators. They absolutely could not have died to Tier Three Demons. The only possibility is that someone targeted them!"

From outside the hall, a voice carried in from a distance. Then, a short, plump, round-faced Martial Cultivator with narrow eyes floated into the hall. It was none other than the Feng Family's Eldest Young Master, Feng Zhushi, an Early Stage Fifth Layer cultivator!

The Guo Family's Third Chief, Guo Yunkui, had a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Could the people from the Yin Talisman Sect be targeting our families?"

Feng Zhushi narrowed his already small eyes. "Impossible. The strongest from the Yin Talisman Sect, Zhao Yufei, is only Late Stage Tier Three. Even three or five of her combined wouldn't be a match for my sixth brother! The rest of them are even more mediocre!"

Guo Yunkui clenched his fists tightly. "We must find a way to investigate! Our three families must unite and investigate relentlessly! We absolutely must find out what happened at the Zhen Character Gathering Place!"

「More than two Hours later,」

The Yin Talisman Sect's welcoming feast finally concluded.

The welcoming feast prepared in the hall was indeed excellent, featuring all the most authentic dishes from the New Piaoxiang Tower. Unfortunately, the portions were too small!

Lin Xuankong, accustomed to consuming over a thousand pounds of Demon Flesh per meal, felt the emptiness in his stomach as he stepped out of the hall.

As he walked along the street, he glanced at the taverns and eateries lining the road. He saw some Yin Talisman Sect disciples and many Loose Cultivators animatedly discussing the astounding events of this Demon Slaying Conference.

Whether it was the survival rate far exceeding previous years, the peculiar Mysterious Female Cultivator, or the mysterious Martial Cultivator who defeated her, these topics had rapidly spread through word of mouth among Martial Cultivators. They had become subjects of amazement and post-meal conversation.

As various accounts circulated, they were embellished and became increasingly fantastical. Tales spread of the Mysterious Female Cultivator shattering hundreds of Tier Three Demons in a single day, and of the mysterious Martial Cultivator unleashing boundless power with a wave of his hand, instantly defeating her!

In short, the fame of these two mysterious Martial Cultivators, one male and one female, had even overshadowed that of the Conical Hat Guest, who had recently gained notoriety in the Great Marsh Prefecture...

A short while later, Lin Xuankong approached Wutong Village and suddenly felt a headache coming on.

Although Zhao Yufei hadn't insisted he propose marriage immediately upon their return to the Great Marsh Prefecture, the truth can't be concealed forever. Sooner or later, he'd have to face the music—a catastrophe akin to a meteor striking the continent!

How should he persuade... no, 'guide' the Young Lady during this time? How could he get her to accept that he planned to find her a 'sister'?

Also, the Black Tiger Gang, Guo Family, Feng Family, and Gu Yue Sect must be in an uproar by now...

Recently, besides diligent Cultivation to quickly reach Fourth Layer Perfection and rapidly enhance his strength, he needed to stir up some trouble to divert their attention, preventing their investigations from leading to him! What kind of major incident could he create that would capture the attention and manpower of these major powers without revealing his identity?