Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

Chunxiao City!

This is a major city located north of Lianyun Mountain, home to branches of various powerful groups such as the Meridian Refining Master Association and Douling Commerce. Yet today, a peculiar and somber atmosphere pervades the Douling Commerce branch.

”How is it? Has Protector Situ returned?”

In a great hall, at the highest seat sits the branch chairman of Chunxiao City’s Douling Commerce, Shen Litong, who is himself a peak Seeking Origin Realm expert. But at this moment, his face is marked with anxiety, and his tone is quite irritable.

This Chairman Shen was involved with Protector Situ Lang from the Douling Commerce headquarters in the pursuit of Chi Yan north of Lianyun Mountain. Unfortunately, despite days of chasing, they failed to capture that uniquely fire-attributed mouse-shaped Vein Demon.

Being the chairman of Chunxiao City’s Douling Commerce branch, Shen Litong naturally has many mundane duties to attend to and cannot waste too much time wandering Lianyun Mountain alongside Situ Lang.

So, after a month, he had to return first to Chunxiao City to attend to the mountains of accumulating affairs.

Initially, upon returning to the Chunxiao City branch, Shen Litong found nothing amiss, but recent days have left him restless.

Every night, an Elder from the Douling Commerce branch goes missing without a sign, not even a body to be found; it’s unknown whether they are dead or alive.

To know this is the Douling Commerce branch is crucial, for few dare provoke this giant entity. Yet such bizarre events are happening, igniting anger and fear.

”Where is the Sixth Elder? Why hasn’t he come?”

Looking at a vacant seat in the great hall, Shen Litong, without waiting for a response, felt increasingly restless. At such a critical moment, what could be more important than this strange affair?

Tap, tap, tap!

As Shen Litong grew anxious, footsteps came from outside the hall. A guard from the branch quickly rushed in, holding something strange and black in his palms against his chest.

Seeing the guard’s hurried steps and irrepressible fear, Shen Litong’s heart first sank with a sense of misfortune, already suspecting something.

”Chairman, something terrible has happened!”

The guard knelt on one knee, his words sending the branch chairman and five great elders exchanging glances, each seeing a hint of panic in the others’ eyes.

”What has happened? Where is the Sixth Elder?”

This guard was familiar to Shen Litong; he had been sent to invite the Sixth Elder for a meeting, yet returned alone with such an expression, evidently something had gone awry.

”The Sixth Elder… the Sixth Elder… may already be… dead!”

Upon the chairman mentioning the Sixth Elder, the guard’s body trembled, and a few specks of black dust leaked from between his fingers. Remembering certain things, he was still somewhat unsettled.

”Reveal everything you know!”

With a gloomy face, Shen Litong, though having some guesses, did not yet disclose them, needing more confirmed details from the guard, who clearly knew certain unseen information.

”I… I was sent by the chairman to the Sixth Elder’s courtyard. As I reached outside, a fiery red shadow flashed by—it seemed to be... a mouse-shaped Vein Demon!”

The guard dared not hide anything, and upon hearing his last words, the five branch elders, including Shen Litong, all shuddered, flashes of sharp awareness in their eyes.

”Continue!”

Shen Litong’s face grew darker, almost dripping with foreboding. His suspicions became clearer, yet he didn’t voice them but demanded more from the guard.

”Surprised, I heard a painful scream from the Sixth Elder’s courtyard. Without hesitation, I pushed the door open. Inside, the Sixth Elder was already consumed by flames and finally… finally…”

Recalling the prior horrific scene, the guard’s final words trembled, holding out the black dust, prompting everyone to realize what it was.

”The Sixth Elder’s ashes!”

Shen Litong and the five elders reacted swiftly, grasping the truth immediately while the elders involved in Lianyun Mountain affairs already needed no further explanation.

”Damn beast!”

At this moment, all truths were revealed. With the Sixth Elder already turned to ashes, the Chunxiao City branch of Spirit Fighting Commerce had lost four elders in just a few days.