"Actually, in my battle with Ye Xiu, I didn’t use my full strength. I thought that before I died, he would tell me what I wanted to know for the sake of our past friendship. I didn’t expect to miscalculate."

Ergouzi was annoyed. He had arranged three plans today. First, he had sent Wei Bayin to kidnap Qin Qing and force Ye Xiu to reveal the Cultivation Technique for the Seven Kills Blade Intent above the Seventh Realm, but that had failed. Second, he suspected Ye Xiu didn’t possess a Cultivation Technique for realms above the seventh either and believed he could defeat or even kill Ye Xiu with his Slaughter City Blade. Third, he had tried using his last words to beg Ye Xiu to reveal the Cultivation Technique, but that had also failed.

"I can teach you the Cultivation Technique for realms beyond a Second Realm War God. With your talent, it’s possible for you to catch up to or even surpass Ye Xiu. If you perform well, I will also teach you the Immortality Divine Skill. By then, even if you can’t kill Ye Xiu, you’ll at least be able to stand undefeated," Ergouzi said, tempting her.

He had noticed Ming Yue when she first arrived in Guoyang, greatly appreciating her martial arts talent and temperament. He had wanted to recruit her for a long time. Of course, he only wanted to use her, and his words were half-truths. For instance, he couldn’t actually teach her the so-called Immortality Divine Skill.

"Ming Yue, Ye Xiu will kill you sooner or later. Cooperating with us is your only chance to survive," Jiao Fuping urged. He was actually extremely shocked himself, as he hadn’t known Ye Liangchen was Ye Xiu until now.

"Alright, I’ll risk it!" After much internal struggle, Ming Yue finally agreed. She then asked, "What did you mean earlier by a Second Realm War God?"

"Actually, War Gods are categorized into different realms," Ergouzi said with a smile. "Very few people know this secret, not even the Long Family or Medicine King Valley.

"The War Gods on the Global War God Ranking are actually just First Realm War Gods.

"And what you call ’above a War God’ is actually a Second Realm War God. After that, there are the Third Realm, Fourth Realm, and so on.

"The difference in strength between the realms is vast, and the gap only grows larger with each subsequent level. Advancing to the next realm requires a special method."

Ming Yue was startled to learn that the famous fighters on the Global War God Ranking were actually the lowest level of War God, and what she had thought was a level ’above a War God’ was merely a Second Realm War God.

Ergouzi took a handwritten mental method he had prepared from his pocket and tossed it to Ming Yue. "This allows cultivation up to the Sixth Realm. You can either switch to it completely or adapt it to complement your own."

"Why aren’t you giving me the mental method for realms beyond the sixth?" Ming Yue asked as she caught it.

"I’ll give it to you after we’ve established a relationship of trust," Ergouzi said with a smile. "Alright, you can go now. Continue to lie low by Ye Xiu’s side and do as he asks. I’ll contact you when I need you."

"Alright!" Ming Yue nodded without hesitation and left.

Only then did Jiao Fuping ask, "I’m clearly not from the Main Lineage of Medicine King Valley. My father, my grandfather... my ancestors were all Medicine Slaves for the Valley for generations. So why would I inherit the Medicine King Valley Totem? And how did you inherit it too?"

Jiao Fuping had survived because the Totem Power of Medicine King Valley had awakened within him after Ye Xiu killed him. Similarly, Ergouzi hadn’t died back when Ye Xiu shattered his heart meridians for the same reason: the Totem Power awakened in him upon death. This power was incredible. Besides enhancing one’s combat strength, it also granted a nearly immortal constitution, allowing the user to self-heal from any fatal injury.

"You don’t need to know why I inherited the Medicine King Valley Totem," Ergouzi said. "As for you... you inherited it because your biological father isn’t Jiao Lizhu. It’s Jiang He, Jiang Yuan’s grandson."

"What?" Jiao Fuping looked as if he had been struck by lightning. He... he’s actually from the Main Lineage of Medicine King Valley?

Ergouzi emotionlessly revealed one of the deepest secrets of Medicine King Valley’s reformist faction. "Did you ever wonder why your mother, the stunningly beautiful Feng Jingya, would marry a simple, honest man like Jiao Lizhu—a man so timid he wouldn’t even make a peep? It’s because Feng Jingya was Jiang He’s lover. Your mother only married Jiao Lizhu as a cover. In fact, from beginning to end, your mother never had a real relationship with Jiao Lizhu. She was always Jiang He’s mistress."

There was something he didn’t say: he was Jiao Fuping’s younger brother, also a son of Jiang He and Feng Jingya.

Ten years ago, he had inadvertently seen Jiang He and Feng Jingya having an affair, and Jiang Yuan discovered it—and discovered him. So, Jiang Yuan gave him a mission: go to the Xipoloya training camp and kill Ye Xiu. To put it bluntly, he was sold off to the Xipoloya training camp and left to fend for himself. If he had remained in Medicine King Valley and the affair between Jiang He and Feng Jingya came to light, the reputation of the reformist faction would have been tarnished.

Of course, he didn’t understand Jiang Yuan’s true intentions back then. After being sent to the Xipoloya training camp, he strictly followed Jiang Yuan’s orders. It was for this reason that he betrayed Ye Xiu five years ago, nearly killing him in an explosion. He died at the hands of Ye Xiu, awakened the Totem Power, and returned to Medicine King Valley to see Jiang Yuan, only to be ambushed by Jiang Yuan and die again. Before his second death, Jiang Yuan revealed the truth.

After resurrecting with the Totem Power, he swore to destroy the reformist faction and obliterate all of Medicine King Valley.

In truth, no one in Medicine King Valley was his match at that time. However, if he had acted, the Valley would have discovered that death was a shortcut to awakening the Totem Power. Moreover, he didn’t know how to permanently kill someone who had already awakened this power. Therefore, he infiltrated the Long Family as an undercover agent, secretly building his strength and researching a way to kill those who possessed the Totem Power.

"Don’t tell anyone about your true parentage, or Jiang Yuan will surely kill you. Understand?" Ergouzi instructed.

"Understood," Jiao Fuping nodded, his face grim.

"I’m going deep undercover," Ergouzi said. "You will lead the people of Seven Killings Valley and deal with Ye Xiu. Also, secretly inform the Long Family that Ye Liangchen is Ye Xiu."

"If I’m the one to deal with Ye Xiu, he’ll eventually find me," Jiao Fuping said. "Once he does, he’ll figure out why I’m still alive, and then he’ll realize you must be alive too."

"I want him to know that I’m still alive so that he’ll come personally to Seven Killings Valley to kill me. As long as he comes, he is certain to die!" Ergouzi said with unwavering confidence.

"Alright!" Jiao Fuping nodded.

「Long Family Manor!」

In a villa bedroom, the Long family head lay half-dead in bed.

"Where is Ye Liangchen? It’s noon already; why hasn’t he come back?"

Sitting beside him, Long Tianhao said, "I’ve called him, but no one answered. There’s still no news from the people who went out to look for him."

The Long family head was furious. His injuries were so severe that he felt he might not even survive until evening.

Just then, Long Tianhao suddenly received a text from a stranger. After reading the message, his face changed drastically.

"What happened?" the Long family head asked.

"I received an anonymous text message," Long Tianhao said, his voice laced with shock. "It says Ye Liangchen is Ye Xiu."

The news hit him like a bolt from the blue, leaving his mind reeling.