Patriarch Fenn's words immediately made everyone more respectful. If, just a moment ago, they were treating him as an equal, now they were all on edge, afraid that if he got upset, he might destroy them. Some started to feel uneasy—after all, if the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Insects was obtained, it would surely end up in Patriarch Fenn's hands.
But his next words made everyone happy again: "I have no interest in that Ancestor of Ten Thousand Insects. You all know I'm at the Pseudo-Immortal Stage now—the only thing I want is to find that place. So I'm withdrawing from the competition, but I want that kid's life."
"No problem, Brother Fenn. That kid is all yours. As for the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Insects, the rest of us will compete for it." The Ninefold Palace Lord eased the tension with a smile.
Everyone nodded, so Patriarch Fenn continued, "Since that's settled, let's keep discussing how to deal with the Genius Pavilion."
As soon as he said this, everyone perked up again, turning their attention to how to handle the Genius Pavilion. After the discussion, a new alliance to attack the Genius Pavilion was formed. Now, as long as anyone was found to be a disciple of the Genius Pavilion, the alliance's followers would capture them one by one.
Of course, this sort of thing was left to their underlings. The top brass stayed at the Fenn estate, waiting for news and keeping a close watch on the Genius Pavilion, certain that the Pavilion's leaders wouldn't just sit back and do nothing.
Even if they couldn't get into Genius Star, they'd force the Pavilion's people out. That was everyone's current plan.
One day, while Patriarch Fenn was waiting for news, his steward came looking for him and called him aside. Patriarch Fenn went to a secluded spot and asked, "What is it?"
"Patriarch, I've captured Sevenmile Peak's Third Peak Lord, Gale Foster," the steward reported.
Patriarch Fenn was overjoyed. "Where is he?"
'In a secret chamber,' the steward said.
That old venom dared to harm me in secret. I can't find him now, but with a Sevenmile Peak person here, I refuse to believe the others won't show up." Patriarch Fenn snorted coldly, then followed the steward to the secret chamber.
Inside the chamber, Gale Foster cursed himself for coming out—wouldn't it have been better to hide? He hadn't expected to be discovered by the Fenn Family as soon as he appeared.
Just as he was cursing himself, Patriarch Fenn entered. When Gale Foster saw him, he cried out in terror, "Patriarch Fenn!"
"Where's Old Venom?" Patriarch Fenn asked.
"I don't know," Gale Foster shook his head.
"Don't know? Hmph, I don't believe you. Steward, stand guard outside. I'll make him talk." Patriarch Fenn said.
The steward nodded and went outside, leaving Patriarch Fenn alone with Gale Foster. Gale Foster backed away, saying, "Patriarch Fenn, I really don't know anything. Please let me go."
"Swallow it," Patriarch Fenn produced a Mind-Veil Pill.
"No, I don't want to," Gale Foster shook his head.
"Even if you don't want to, you have to." Patriarch Fenn quickly shoved a pill into Gale Foster's mouth and forced him to swallow it. Soon, Gale Foster was affected by the pill.
"Where is Old Venom?" Patriarch Fenn asked.
"I don't know," Gale Foster shook his head.
"You don't know? What about the other peak lords?" Patriarch Fenn asked suspiciously.
"They're hiding on an unknown planet," Gale Foster replied.
"An unknown planet? Where exactly?" Patriarch Fenn asked curiously.
Gale Foster told Patriarch Fenn the planet's exact location. Then Patriarch Fenn asked, "Why did Old Venom capture that person?"
This was a question Patriarch Fenn had always wondered about. He didn’t believe it was just because the Fenn Family killed Sevenmile Peak members that Old Venom would dare to take action against him.
"The Immortal-Gate Entrance Map," Gale Foster answered.
"What!" Patriarch Fenn was shocked, especially upon hearing about the Immortal-Gate Entrance Map. It was hard to imagine.
Patriarch Fenn pressed for how the map was obtained and its final whereabouts. When he learned it had been taken by someone skilled in the Tyrant Seal Art, he showed a strange expression. He immediately released Gale Foster, who had no idea what he had just said, and locked him up. Patriarch Fenn then went to find the steward.
"Come with me," Patriarch Fenn said.
The steward saw Patriarch Fenn's expression and followed curiously. When they arrived at the place where Patriarch Fenn usually handled affairs, Patriarch Fenn called the steward over and said with a strange look, "There’s something I need you to handle in secret."
"What is it?" the steward asked curiously.
"Are you still tracking the person who uses the Tyrant Seal Art?" Patriarch Fenn asked.
"I am. But since Old Venom made his move last time, there’s been no trace," the steward replied.
"Good. Keep increasing manpower, but if you find any trace of him, report to me immediately. Don’t scare him off," Patriarch Fenn said.
The steward didn’t understand why Patriarch Fenn suddenly cared so much, but since Patriarch Fenn didn’t explain, he didn’t ask and just went to make arrangements.
After the steward left, Patriarch Fenn muttered to himself, "Has the Immortal-Gate Entrance Map appeared again?" As he spoke, a map fragment appeared in his hand, similar to the one Evan Yang possessed—both were incomplete.
If Evan Yang knew, he’d be shocked. He never expected Patriarch Fenn to have a map fragment too.
Meanwhile, Evan Yang had entered another space in the Genius Pavilion. As soon as he stepped inside, he was confused—how could there be another area within the Genius Pavilion?
It felt like a primitive cave, but unlike before, the walls were covered in inscriptions. Evan Yang couldn’t understand the writing, which frustrated him most.
'Ask Kong Zhi,' Evan Yang decided to find out where he was by questioning Kong Zhi.
When Kong Zhi appeared and saw Evan Yang in a sealed cave, he asked strangely, "Where are you?"
"I was about to ask you," Evan Yang replied.
"Ask me what?" Kong Zhi asked suspiciously.
Evan Yang recounted everything that happened with the pavilion masters and elders. The more Kong Zhi listened, the wider his eyes grew, finally exclaiming, "Pavilion Master!"
"Yes, it was them," Evan Yang said.
"No, I mean you," Kong Zhi said.
"What? I'm not the pavilion master—how could I be? Don't joke with me," Evan Yang shook his head. He only knew he’d become a core disciple of the Genius Pavilion, unaware he had become its chief disciple.
Kong Zhi explained, "The Genius Pavilion has a rule: only the pavilion master can enter the teleportation gate, and it can only be opened with the combined strength of the pavilion master and the elders."
"What?" Evan Yang was surprised and stared at Kong Zhi in disbelief.
Kong Zhi gradually calmed down and said, "Given your current potential, it’s no surprise you became pavilion master."
"Alright, let’s set aside the pavilion master issue for now. First, tell me what all these dense inscriptions mean," Evan Yang sighed.
"Pavilion master, I can’t help you with this. Even if I knew, I couldn’t look. Let me enter the tower," Kong Zhi said respectfully.
Hearing this, Evan Yang was a bit annoyed. "Stop calling me pavilion master. Just address me like before."
"Better not. If the pavilion masters found out, I’d be in trouble," Kong Zhi said, frustrated.
"Those pavilion masters? Right, you mentioned them—they’re the real pavilion masters. How could I possibly be one?" Evan Yang seemed to realize something.
"I don’t know. Only the pavilion master can enter here," Kong Zhi replied. He wasn’t sure what kind of pavilion master Evan Yang was, and would only find out after leaving.
Evan Yang said helplessly, "Then help me. Let’s study together."
"No, you study on your own. I want to go back and see my daughter," Kong Zhi said.
"If you don’t help, I won’t let you enter," Evan Yang said, frustrated.
"Then I’ll sleep. You do your thing. When a hundred years pass and the gate opens, you’ll know," Kong Zhi said.
Evan Yang was frustrated hearing it would take a hundred years, so he helplessly put the stubborn Kong Zhi away.
Staring at the dense inscriptions on the walls, Evan Yang sat down, dazed by the characters around him.
Reading from start to finish took Evan Yang a whole year. When he finished, he muttered, "A year has passed? Unbelievable."
Evan Yang hadn’t expected reading these inscriptions would take a year, nor that he’d have no reaction, remaining absorbed in the texts as if they were endless scriptures.
"Strange, I’ll keep going," Evan Yang decided to continue reading to see if anything unusual appeared.
The second time he finished, ten months had passed—faster than the first. Evan Yang wondered, "Does reading it more times make it faster?"
With this curiosity, Evan Yang continued. He had no idea what was happening outside.
The other Fenn Family palace members had already withdrawn, each returning to their own palace. Affairs continued as usual; since the Genius Pavilion’s leadership wasn’t coming out, gathering together served no purpose.
So everyone agreed to wait for the Genius Pavilion to show signs of activity before gathering again.
This made Patriarch Fenn more confident in sending people to track the person impersonating Elder Liu.
"Grandpa’s not easy to deal with, but why is he chasing after that guy again?" Fenn Third Young Master muttered in his manor. Sitting across from him was his father, Fenn Third Lord.
"Evan Yang is now in another space of the Genius Pavilion. I hear it’ll take a hundred years for him to come out. So everyone is only acting busy on the surface; deep down, we all know what’s going on. Your grandpa just wants to catch the Tyrant Seal Art user early and find out his whereabouts," Fenn Third Lord said.
"Evan Yang is truly strange. In just a few years, he’s become so formidable and even the chief pavilion master of the Genius Pavilion." Fenn Third Young Master was most upset hearing Evan Yang had been made chief pavilion master, far outranking himself.
What bothered him most was hearing Evan Yang’s strength had advanced greatly. He used to think he could catch Evan Yang and ask about the Ye Family’s whereabouts, but now not only had his fiancée been abducted and the Ye Family head rescued, Evan Yang’s repeated interference hadn’t led to his capture.