"Acheng, let's go."

The moment Chen Zheng's figure vanished, Wang Lin had the middle-aged man follow. They moved like the wind to the corridor entrance, where Wang Lin gave Acheng a meaningful look. In an instant, Acheng flashed in front of Chen Zheng and Guo Fu, blocking the entryway like an insurmountable mountain.

"What is the meaning of this?" Guo Fu's voice was as cold as a sword's edge.

Wang Lin stepped forward with a smile. "Please don't misunderstand. We only came to make a trade, not to make enemies of you."

"Then why are you blocking our path?" Guo Fu asked, her brows furrowed.

Wang Lin looked at Chen Zheng, suddenly realizing he didn't even know the man's name. "Er... sir, perhaps we could join forces?" he tried.

"Not interested," Chen Zheng replied coldly.

"Ahem, our Wang Family possesses a portion of the recipe's fragments—enough to complete the Spirit Jade Elixir to fifty percent!" Wang Lin pressed on. "If you are willing to share the complete recipe with us, your six billion will be returned to you in full. On top of that, we will give you the fifty-percent-complete Spirit Jade Elixir. What do you say?"

"Not interested," Chen Zheng repeated flatly. He then simply walked around Acheng, who did not stop him. Wang Lin's expression had turned dangerously grim.

"Young Master, what are your orders?" Acheng asked.

Wang Lin's voice was low and firm. "They refused our goodwill, so let them taste the consequences. Go. Tell our people they're waiting for them in the shadows."

"As you command." Acheng's figure vanished into the night.

The Wang Family already had everything in place, originally to ensure Wang Lin's safety after he acquired the formula. But now their objective had shifted: they had to make sure the formula didn't fall into anyone else's hands.

Chen Zheng and Guo Fu knew nothing of this, having already driven away from the area. Chen Zheng had spent all his money and didn't plan on buying anything else. The brocade box with the Spirit Jade Elixir formula was now safely in his system space. Before storing it, however, he couldn't resist taking a peek. The recipe had been completely renewed; the writing was pristine, as if freshly inscribed, revealing the full secret of the formula. I should try refining this as soon as I get back, Chen Zheng thought with delight. Let's see if this six-billion-dollar investment yields an astonishing return.

The car sped along the main road. At that very moment, an urgent message was relayed: a group of people had suddenly appeared on the road to Longyin Village.

"Acheng's orders! Intercept this car and capture the occupants alive!" The leader was a man over fifty with graying hair, but his eyes shone with unwavering resolve. He gripped his phone tightly, the screen displaying a photo of Chen Zheng and Guo Fu's vehicle.

"Yes, sir!" his men responded in unison.

He pocketed his phone and looked up at a massive boulder on the cliff face. In the next moment, he leaped, his body shooting into the air like an arrow. A half-meter-deep pit was left in the ground where he had stood, a testament to his immense power. His figure hovered in mid-air like a descending deity as he slowly raised his hand. The very air around his palm began to vibrate, humming with energy. Then, with the force of a thunderclap, he struck out.

BOOM! The massive boulder shattered as if torn apart by an invisible force, its fragments tumbling down the mountainside.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The rocks crashed onto the road below, kicking up a thick cloud of dust. A few seconds later, the dust settled to reveal that the path was completely blocked, as if sealed by the ages.

The old man descended from the air, his figure appearing even more formidable in the swirling dust.

"Elder Zhao's power is incredible!" his retinue immediately exclaimed, gathering around him with faces full of admiration.

This elder was Zhao Hai, a retainer of the Wang Family and a mid-stage Grandmaster. Hearing their praise, Zhao Hai smiled. "If you all cultivate diligently, you too can reach this level one day."

"Yes, Elder!" the men responded, their eyes gleaming with hope.

"Now, move out! The mission is our top priority!" Zhao Hai's voice boomed like a war drum. His men scattered like arrows, disappearing into the darkness. Zhao Hai's gaze lingered on the road toward Longyin Village for a moment before his own figure vanished like a flash of lightning down the darkened path.

Meanwhile, Chen Zheng and Guo Fu sped along the winding mountain road at sixty kilometers per hour. As they rounded a sharp bend, they saw that the road ahead was blocked by massive stones. Guo Fu's heart leaped into her throat as she slammed on the brakes.

Chen Zheng's expression grew stern, his eyes flashing with determination. "Get out!" he shouted.

Before Guo Fu could react, Chen Zheng grabbed her tightly. The scene that followed would be seared into her memory for the rest of her life. With a flick of his wrist, a longsword shimmering with a mysterious light appeared in Chen Zheng's hand. He swung it once, slicing the car's roof off as if it were paper. Then, a powerful force surged from his arm, yanking her from her seat and catapulting her body into the air. Her seatbelt had been cut in the same instant.

WHOOSH! A piercing whistle tore past Guo Fu's ears. When she opened her eyes, she was floating in mid-air like a wingless butterfly. Beside her, Chen Zheng gazed down dispassionately at the world below, as if none of it concerned him.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion erupted from below. Guo Fu looked down nervously to see the car they had just been in get struck by an invisible force. It flew into the air, flipping over and over before smashing violently against the cliffside. A terrifying palm print was clearly visible on the vehicle's mangled frame, which was now completely twisted, as if ripped apart by a savage beast. If Chen Zheng had been even a second slower... An icy dread seized Guo Fu's heart.

Just then, a voice rang out, "Not a bad reaction." A figure shot out from the cliff face, hovering in the air before them.

Zhao Hai stared at Chen Zheng in surprise, not having expected this young man to be a Grandmaster. Good thing I arrived in time, Zhao Hai thought. Otherwise, this situation might have been impossible to control.

"Are you from the Wang Family?" Chen Zheng asked coolly.

"That's right!" Zhao Hai admitted without hesitation, waving a hand. Instantly, more than a dozen figures appeared around them, surrounding Chen Zheng and Guo Fu with menacing glares.

"Young Master Wang ordered us to capture you alive. I advise you not to resist," Zhao Hai said casually. "Of course, you can try to resist. But if you do, I can't guarantee you'll remain unharmed."

With my mid-stage Grandmaster cultivation, there's no way I'll lose to a young Grandmaster like him, he thought confidently.

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