"Relax, I swear I'll save them!" Ryan Ling took a deep breath. Ever since coming down from Skycrest Peak, one thought kept pounding in his head: he had to get to Nine-Dragon Gate, ASAP. He was just one step away from breaking into the Profound Immortal realm, but that step needed tons of energy and fresh immortal-grade flesh and blood. Nothing else would cut it—only Nine-Dragon Gate had what he needed. So, he had no choice but to go!
He didn’t hesitate. Ryan immediately set out for Nine-Dragon Gate. After their attack on the Sky-Burial Necropolis, they probably wouldn’t hit it again right away, so Elder Harold Hong, Linglong Xiao and the rest were safe for now. That meant Ryan could focus entirely on Nine-Dragon Gate!
But Nine-Dragon Gate isn’t some ordinary place. Ryan hadn’t hit his target cultivation yet, so charging in head-on was out of the question. He had to disguise himself!
Right now, Ryan was at peak Heavenly Immortal great-perfection. With power like that, changing his appearance was child’s play. Plus, after that steamy adventure with Lady Melody at Skycrest Peak, he’d picked up a trace of Profound Immortal aura—perfect for hiding himself. With that, nobody except a Profound Immortal staring straight at him could possibly see through his disguise!
He rushed all day, and by evening, Ryan finally reached the foot of Nine-Dragon Gate’s mountain. This place was seriously next-level—the whole gate looked like nine dragons sprawled across the earth, and its height was second only to Skycrest Peak. Storming in would be suicide, even for someone at his level. The sheer pressure from the sect would crush him!
But tonight, Nine-Dragon Gate was in full party mode. The whole sect was celebrating, disciples singing, dancing, and getting wasted everywhere. It was a total carnival! Which was perfect—everyone was too busy having fun to be on guard, so Ryan could slip inside and, while he was at it, maybe swipe a few treasures from their vaults.
With a plan in mind, Ryan breezed right through the mountain gate. Nobody noticed a thing. Honestly, with his current power, unless Drake Long himself was watching, nobody here could possibly spot him.
Nine-Dragon Gate was massive—at least several times bigger than Ruins Sect. Exotic flowers bloomed everywhere, rare spirit beasts roamed the grounds, and the whole place just screamed luxury. The qi on Nine-Dragon Mountain was way purer than anywhere else, too—just breathing it in made you feel a hundred times more alive!
But Ryan wasn’t here to sightsee. He made his way past the disciples’ quarters and the training halls, heading straight for the prison block. Honestly, another reason he’d rushed to Nine-Dragon Gate was to break out Ruins Sect’s people. Most of them weren’t that close to him, but Jade Xuan and Linglong? No way was he leaving them behind!
As Ryan crept forward, he suddenly caught a familiar aura—Arthur Shentu from Ruins Sect! The guy looked half-dead from all the torture, but somehow he was still alive. And he wasn’t alone—there were several other Divine Immortal-level bigshots from Ruins Sect locked up with him. Ryan was honestly surprised they’d survived this long!
Maybe Nine-Dragon Gate still saw some value in these guys, or maybe they were saving them for a public execution later. Whatever—Ryan didn’t really care. He was here for Jade Xuan and Linglong. But after searching all over, he couldn’t find a trace of them, not even a hint of their aura. A bad feeling started creeping up his spine.
Just then, the chatter between two nearby jailers caught his attention.
"Those two chicks are seriously wild. With all of us guys, we still almost got wrecked by them. The men from Ruins Sect aren’t half as tough as those two women!"
"Totally. Those girls are fierce—Third Bro almost got his finger bitten off! But hey, now that Madam Long’s got them, she’ll make them wish they were dead. Even if she doesn’t kill them, they’ll be begging for mercy!"
...
While they were chatting, a giant hand suddenly yanked both guys from behind.
"Who—" One of them tried to shout, but Ryan didn’t give him the chance. He smashed the guy’s head with a single punch—brutal. The other jailer dropped to his knees, scared out of his mind.
Ryan grabbed the survivor by the collar, snarling, "You get one chance. If you don’t spill, you’ll die even worse than him!"
"I’ll tell you anything, just please don’t kill me!" The jailer begged for his life, instantly realizing he was dealing with a total monster.
"Where does Madam Long live?" Ryan demanded.
"Madam Long? Uh..." The jailer hesitated, clearly nervous.
"Say it or die right now!" Ryan snapped, zero mercy. He twisted the guy’s arm until it snapped.
The jailer tried to scream, but Ryan pinched off his throat meridian—no sound came out.
"Talk, or you’re dead!" Ryan growled, voice cold as ice.
The jailer completely caved, pointing frantically at a quiet mountain peak in the distance. That had to be Madam Long’s place!
Ryan didn’t hesitate for a second—he finished off the jailer, cleaned up the bodies, and shot straight toward the mountain. This peak was clearly one of Nine-Dragon Gate’s ‘dragons,’ but it oozed elegance and style, covered in flowers and totally queen-like. No doubt about it—this was Madam Long’s domain.
Ryan wasn’t here to admire the scenery. He had to find Jade Xuan and Linglong, fast. Who knew what tricks Madam Long had up her sleeve? If those two ended up in her hands, things would get ugly.
He started searching every room, inside and out. The whole mountain was packed with women, each one more stunning than the last. Ryan couldn’t help getting a little excited—after all, things with Lady Melody hadn’t exactly gone all the way, and his internal fire hadn’t burned out yet. Surrounded by all these beauties, how could he not get a little worked up?
But now wasn’t the time for distractions—he had to find Jade Xuan and Linglong, period.
After a few minutes of searching, Ryan finally caught a faint whiff of Jade Xuan’s aura. It was weak, but at least it meant she and Linglong were still alive—for now.
Ryan followed the faint aura, moving forward until he found himself outside a massive, luxurious mansion. Compared to the other buildings, this one was straight-up regal—queen vibes everywhere. Tons of maids circled the place, all looking super tense, like one wrong move could get them all killed.
Ryan wasn’t stupid—this had to be Madam Long’s real residence, and she was definitely Drake Long’s wife. Only someone like her could radiate that kind of dominance. Getting inside was risky as hell, but Jade Xuan and Linglong were in there. Even if it meant betting his life, Ryan had to go!
He scoped the place out and spotted a small open window. Without hesitating, he slipped right through!
"Who are you?" a voice suddenly called out behind him!
Ryan didn’t even blink—he punched the guy dead on the spot, lightning quick. Only after did he realize the victim was some pretty-boy type.
Ryan kicked the body aside, not giving a damn—anyone hanging around Madam Long’s place was probably bad news anyway. But just then, a sultry, seductive voice echoed from deeper inside.
"My little darling, are you ready? I’ve been waiting sooo long—I just can’t hold back anymore!"...