The capital of Li Xiao was magnificent and heavily guarded. At the city gate, there was a faint large formation, and all cultivators entering or leaving had to pass through it.

The capital's guards were highly vigilant. They seemed to be much stricter than those in the Central Continent.

This was perhaps because the Central Continent Empire was a first-tier empire and had no fear of anyone daring to cause trouble.

Fang Chen moved through the shadows. When he passed by the formation, it remained silent. Others, however, would be swept by the formation, which recorded them, noting their identities. This way, the identities and origins of the cultivators entering the capital would be documented.

"I heard that Young Master Gai Wu is returning home for a visit soon. He is the son of the Heavenly King Zhen. I wonder if we will have the chance to see him here," remarked one of the guards.

"This is the main gate of the capital. As long as we are on duty, we will naturally get to see Young Master Gai Wu. If he notices us and takes us to the Heavenly King Zhen Manor, that would truly be a fortune. A few of my colleagues have made their fortune that way before," replied another guard.

"Oh? How did they catch his eye?"

"You've just joined, so you wouldn't know. Young Master Gai Wu always gathers the sons of the noble families from the capital at Dragon Gate Lake for a feast whenever he returns for a visit. Naturally, we will need to keep watch during that time."

"If we get assigned there, we might have a chance to get close to him. Otherwise, we can at least get familiar with those noble ladies. These noble ladies enjoy having their subordinates duel. If we can showcase our skills during that time, we will surely gain their favor."

"Thank you for the information, big brother!"

Hearing the idle chatter of a few guards, Fang Chen smiled. It seemed he had arrived a step earlier.

After entering the capital, Fang Chen chose not to reveal himself. Instead, he observed and surveyed the area, meticulously mapping out all the routes and paths.

Eventually, he arrived at a seemingly abandoned residence that had not been inhabited for many years. It was located not far from the imperial palace. The owner of this house had likely been away for a long time and had not left any servants to take care of it, as a thick layer of dust covered everything.

From his location, he could clearly see the main entrance of the palace. This spot was very convenient for what he had in mind.

Having found a suitable spot, Fang Chen patiently waited for over a month.

Finally, one day, an immortal boat soared through the air from a distance. Three figures stood at the bow of the boat—Gai Hong, Gai Wu, and Gai Yunnuo.

Fang Chen furrowed his brows. "Why are these two also here?"

Li Xiao Empire had dispatched many experts and several prominent figures to personally welcome them, leading the three along with their attendants into the palace. Fang Chen remained still, refraining from making any rash moves.

Killing Gai Wu inside the palace was unrealistic. He was waiting for an opportunity; regardless of whether that opportunity would arise, he would wait for half a year.

If he could not take action in six months, he would leave and wait for another chance.

About an hour later, Gai Hong and Gai Yunnuo, escorted by several high-ranking officials from Li Xiao, settled into a residence not far from where Fang Chen was hiding. ᚱ𝐚ＮȰ𝖇ĚS

Inside, Gai Yunnuo had a look of dissatisfaction all over her face. After the Li Xiao officials departed, she looked at Gai Hong and complained, "Big Brother, why do we have to make this trip in person? This Li Xiao emperor is too arrogant; he doesn't even show himself when we are here."

In the shadows, Fang Chen quietly watched Gai Hong, curious about why Gai Hong had chosen to make a trip over here.

Does he harbor some suspicions about the Yu Family?

Gai Hong was a cultivator of the Killing Spiritual Division, so that possibility certainly existed.

"Isn't this trip mainly for our third brother?" Gai Hong replied with a faint smile. "Do you think the calamity facing our third brother came out of nowhere?"

Gai Yunnuo's eyes flickered with interest. "Oh? Is there something wrong with his calamity?"

"Very wrong. Little Ninth. Gai Wu, Xu Peng, and Fang Chen's calamities descended all at once. This is no coincidence," stated Gai Hong.

Gai Yun Nuo frowned. "While I also feel that something is off, calamity can strike unexpectedly. Can anyone maniplate calamtieis even?"

Gai Hong sighed lightly. "There might have been ways to achieve this in ancient Dao sects."

Gai Yunnuo's gaze shifted, and she glanced toward the palace, saying, "Are you suspecting that this is the work of Fang Chen? Are you afraid he might ambush Gai Wu? That spoiled child, if he dies, so be it. Why must you personally protect him?"

"Regardless, he shares the same bloodline as us. He is still our father's son. Even if our father may not place much importance on this, as brothers, we should lend a hand when we can," said Gai Hong with a smile. "Besides, it won't take up too much of our time. We'll stay here for a few days, and if nothing unexpected happens, I'll return to Giant Antler Empire, and you can head back to Celestial Dome."

Gai Hong paused. "Besides, since our two empires have some business dealings with Li Xiao, we should take this opportunity to make contact with various parties here during this time."

"You are the Emperor of Giant Antler Empire, and I am the Empress of Celestial Dome. As fellow second-tier empires, the Li Xiao Emperor's lack of appearance is disrespectful to us. If there's anything to discuss, you can go ahead and negotiate. I plan to stay for a few days and then leave," replied Gai Yunnuo before standing up to depart.

Fang Chen hadn't expected that the Blessing Disaster Technique would lead Gai Hong to suspect he might attack Gai Wu. His earlier considerations had been somewhat imprudent and could indeed have startled the snake. However, if it weren't for that, Gai Wu would either still be in the capital or have returned to the Heavenly King Zhen Manor, making it impossible for Fang Chen to seize this opportunity.

After Gai Yunnuo left, Gai Hong suddenly waved his hand to set up a formation and took out a Heaven Profound Mirror.

"I have arrived in Li Xiao, and everything appears normal here. In conversations with those officials, I found that the empire is peaceful and prosperous. Even if the Spirit Blood Sect is lurking here, there are no signs of their schemes," reported Gai Hong.

A voice that Fang Chen found familiar came from the mirror. "Have you seen the Li Xiao Emperor?"

Fang Chen was slightly surprised. The voice clearly belonged to Qin Hucheng, the senior brother from Extreme Sword Peak.

A smile rose on Fang Chen's lips after the shock.

Turns out Senior Brother Qin is also a Killing Spiritual Division colleague.

It seemed that, insidious as the Spirit Blood Sect was, there were some discerning individuals in the Central Continent Empire striving to oppose it.

"I didn't get to meet him. Although I am also the emperor of a second-tier empire like him, he is a Profound Immortal, while I am just at the Fusion Realm. Even with my father as a backing, a Profound Immortal wouldn't necessarily pay me any mind, let alone personally meet with us. To him, I'm merely a junior," replied Gai Hong.

Qin Hucheng conceded, "That's true."

"Is that all? If you have any leads, just say so. The Spirit Blood Sect once plotted to provoke a conflict between Heavenly King Zhen Manor and the Void Immortal Sword Sect. Although they failed, it really disgusted me. This matter also concerns my third brother," continued Gai Hong.

Qin Hucheng began, "The traitor from the Void Immortal Sword Sect died too quickly, so we didn't get much useful information out of him. However, several elders had people investigate and ultimately discovered that he had spent some time in Li Xiao.

"At that time, your father hadn't yet married the Li Xiao Emperor's daughter, Yu Qingmei. This traitor has been confirmed to be from the Spirit Blood Sect. We're just afraid that the Yu Family is also involved with them."

Gai Hong chuckled and shook his head. "Brother Qin, that's unlikely. The Yu Family has a long-standing legacy and has a Profound Immortal watching over them. Why would they consort with a bunch of rats from the Spirit Blood Sect?"

Qin Hucheng replied, "No matter. It's just a guess. You might want to investigate this a little. By the way, is Fang Chen still in the capital?"

"Junior Brother Fang has already left."

"I knew it…. If you have the chance, persuade him not to target my third brother anymore. What he did was wrong, but wasn't there also the Spirit Blood Sect's instigation behind it? Moreover, that traitor was one of your own from the Void Immortal Sword Sect," added Gai Hong.

On the other end, Qin Hucheng rubbed his nose. "I won't speak to him about this. You go talk to him yourself. Farewell."

As the glow of the Heaven Profound Mirror gradually dimmed, Gai Hong pouted and put it away, striding out.

"The traitor from the Void Immortal Sword Sect… had previously stayed in Li Xiao…" Fang Chen mused, his brow furrowing.

This new information piqued his curiosity. Could there be more connections between the Spirit Blood Sect and the factions within Li Xiao than he initially thought? It appeared that the undercurrents were far more complex than they seemed.