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*****
"Seventeen, come on, what are you dawdling for? After all these years, you're still the same lousy chess player, not an ounce of improvement. Hahaha!"
In a clearing before a cave deep within the forest of Nassen Island, a scruffy, disheveled old man moved his cannon piece across the board, capturing his opponent's elephant.
"Checkmate!"
"Old Wang, give me a moment, let me think!"
Sitting across from him was a bald, rotund man. Stroking his chin, he stared at the board in helpless frustration, clearly unable to find a way out of the predicament.
Seeing this, the scruffy old man casually pulled out a piece of chocolate from his robes and began crunching on it noisily.
The bald man frowned.
"You went to the market again?"
"Mm. Just wanted to grab something different for a change of taste."
The old man nodded indifferently.
The bald man sighed heavily.
"With the method I taught you, you'll never starve here. Why risk going to the market again? You've only been on this island for three years; you don't understand how dangerous it is. Keep this up and something will happen sooner or later."
"Hahaha! Seventeen, is that your way of showing concern for me?"
The old man burst into unrestrained laughter.
The bald man nodded without hesitation.
"Most of my friends are already dead. There aren't many left who still call me Seventeen. All I ask is that you be careful—live a few more years. Once you've mastered the method I've taught you, then you can wander as you please."
The two continued their game while chatting amiably, the atmosphere warm and harmonious.
After the match, the bald man sat facing the scruffy elder, and the two began cultivating a technique—the bald man's original creation, one of the eight legendary abilities of the Outsider World, the renowned Six Vaulted Immortal Thieves.
But just as they began their practice, eight figures dressed in different garb emerged from the depths of the forest.
"We've come to escort you, Master Ruan Feng!"
The eight stood firmly in the clearing, one stepping forward and calling out loudly to the bald man.
Indeed, this bald giant was none other than Ruan Feng, once one of the Thirty-Six Bandits and founder of the Eight Strange Arts.
"Eh? Getting old has dulled my hearing. Young man, that name you just called—say it again?"
At first, Ruan Feng paid little attention to the group, but the moment he heard them call his true name, his expression changed. He shot to his feet, murderous intent flooding from his body.
For years he had hidden his identity, never once using his true name—only the alias "Seventeen." Even Nassen Island's rulers had failed to uncover his past.
Yet these eight had spoken his name outright. They had clearly come prepared.
"Master Ruan Feng, did I say something wrong?"
The man was not cowed by Ruan Feng's killing intent. He immediately activated a protective artifact and repeated his words.
The next second, half of his neck vanished. Ruan Feng appeared behind him, ending his life with a single blow.
A clean, instant kill.
The remaining seven showed no surprise. Instead, they exclaimed at Ruan Feng's might even as their hands moved without pause, unleashing their abilities in unison.
All seven were experts of the Outsider World, each carrying protective artifacts. Working together, even Ruan Feng could not finish them quickly.
"Hurry! Report this to the King!"
At the cave's perimeter, two Nassen Island sentinels who had been secretly observing Ruan Feng immediately pulled out communication devices.
When Ruan Feng first arrived, his overwhelming presence had already alerted the Nassen King. But, unwilling to provoke such a powerhouse, the King chose not to intervene directly—merely sending guards to keep a distant watch.
"The gap is too great! If you can't find an opening in this elder's defenses, then we'll all die here!"
During the heated clash, one outsider controlling sinister specters shouted at his comrade wearing a duckbill cap.
That man instantly sat cross-legged on the ground and began chanting:
"Namo Demon King of Mara—"
The strange incantation echoed through the forest, and Ruan Feng's expression abruptly changed.
"This chant… I've heard it before. It's the Heaven-Demon Incantation of Self-Transcendence my Fourth Brother once recited!"
His mind wavered, as though dragged into an illusory realm.
Seizing the chance, one outsider plunged a weapon into Ruan Feng's abdomen, flooding his body with poisonous energy.
Just then, a voice rang out overhead.
"Looks like someone managed to beat me to the punch."
George descended into the clearing, scanning the group with a glance. He immediately recognized them as experts sent by Qu Tong to capture Ruan Feng.
Having absorbed Qu Tong's memories, he was well aware of her schemes. Her ambitions were boundless—seeking immortality itself. Capturing Ruan Feng to brainwash him and extract his techniques was simply one step in her plan.
"It's you!"
The outsiders' faces paled at the sight of George.
Ruan Feng was terrifying, yes, but they had prepared countermeasures for him. Even if some of them died, there was still a good chance of completing the mission.
But George was different. According to intelligence, he was a monster even stronger than the Celestial Master.
"Master Ruan Feng is my friend. Go tell your mistress not to covet him."
George waved his hand dismissively, signaling for them to leave.
Their leader, Tao Shanggong, forced a smile and replied slowly,
"Mr. Jin, we are not your enemies. If you give us Master Ruan Feng, our Society will surely reward you generously."
"Scram."
George uttered only a single word.
To him, Qu Tong's mind had already been plundered of everything valuable. She no longer held any worth.
And with no value, there was no reason to show her lackeys any courtesy. They were never friends—merely business partners, ones who would have turned on him without hesitation at the first sign of weakness.
"In that case, forgive our offense!"
Tao Shanggong's skin instantly turned golden as he lunged toward George at maximum speed.
George was formidable, but their mission could not fail.
"Namo Demon King of Mara—"
The duckbill man resumed chanting the Heaven-Demon Incantation of Self-Transcendence, while the others abandoned Ruan Feng and attacked George with full force.
"This incantation… it is rather intriguing."
George didn't even glance at Tao Shanggong and the others. His own demonic power erupted outward, the sheer pressure alone blasting them all away.
But the strange chant, endlessly gnawing at his spirit, trying to drag his mind into illusion, stirred his curiosity.
This Heaven-Demon Incantation of Self-Transcendence—used by someone as weak as the duckbill outsider—had managed to disrupt Ruan Feng's mind, even if only for a moment.
If George himself were to wield it, enhanced by his immense spiritual power, the effect would likely be far greater.
In a flash, he appeared before the duckbill man and began a soul search.
"Useless… It seems our mission has failed."
Blasted aside by George's aura, Tao Shanggong and the others realized that even the Heaven-Demon Incantation was powerless against him.
Just his presence alone had left them grievously injured. If he truly struck, none of them would last even a second.
(End of Chapter)