Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Hunt

"It's very simple, Young Hero Wang Lu. You only need to face one of our Seven-Three Sect members in a duel on the stage. Regardless of whether you win or lose, all past grievances between our Seven-Three Sect and the evil Li Ju will be wiped clean," one of the Seven-Three Sect representatives declared.

"Very well, I accept," Wang Lu nodded.

"In that case, there's no need to delay. Let us settle everything today. Rest assured, Young Hero Wang Lu, our Seven-Three Sect will not take advantage of age. The person we will send to fight you is your peer," he continued.

For some reason, Wang Lu sensed a chill emanating from the speaker's words.

"Allow me to introduce you, this is the 'Little Lord' of our generation in the Seven-Three Sect, Meng He." The man gestured to another member of their group.

"Greetings, Young Hero Wang Lu," Meng He said, holding a folding fan. His face was handsome, a jade pendant hung at his waist, and his demeanor was courteous.

"Greetings, Young Hero Meng He," Wang Lu replied with a respectful gesture. Although he could feel the tremendous power contained within Meng He, he was not afraid in the slightest.

As someone who, at barely twenty years old, had already broken through to the inner realm, Wang Lu believed his sword feared no enemy.

...

"Wang Lu, last remaining disciple of the Flying Sword Sect, had his limbs broken and his martial arts destroyed by the Little Lord Meng He of the Seven-Three Sect, in front of the entire righteous martial world," the report read.

Inside the dim palace, Li Ju stared at the message in his hand, expressionless.

"Senior..." Before him, the Fourth Prince and Princess Qi, who had brought him the news, watched him with trembling bodies.

"It is nothing," Li Ju glanced at them, suppressing the aura he had inadvertently released.

After all, he had not fully grasped control over the royal family yet. To prevent leaks, the royal household did not know his true identity.

"Did Hai Yuanyi really allow the Seven-Three Sect to cripple his son-in-law right in front of him?" Li Ju placed the letter on the table, tapping its surface lightly.

"It was said that the Alliance Master Hai intended to intervene, but for reasons unknown, he stood frozen and did nothing," the Fourth Prince answered cautiously, while Princess Qi stole nervous glances at Li Ju.

Both sensed that the senior before them was in an unusual mood today.

...

"It appears the Seven-Three Sect was well prepared," Li Ju mused.

He knew this was a deliberate display, aimed at him. The Seven-Three Sect was letting him know that although they could not find him, they could target those close to him. In this scenario, he had no parents, being an orphan.

Otherwise, Li Ju believed the Seven-Three Sect would not hesitate to act as bandits, kidnapping his family to force him out of hiding.

"Little Lord Meng He..." Li Ju studied the name in the letter.

After the battle on Pine-Green Mountain, Meng He's name had become renowned throughout the martial world, acclaimed everywhere.

"It is said Meng He used the Flying Sword Technique in his duel with Wang Lu, shattering all of Wang Lu's martial skills and defeating him with ease," the Fourth Prince added, carefully.

"Flying Sword Technique..."

"So the Seven-Three Sect truly obtained the Flying Sword Technique through that useless Di Yuan."

To use the Flying Sword Technique against a disciple of the Flying Sword Sect—no wonder Wang Lu was so thoroughly defeated. It was not a matter of overwhelming strength, but of absolute suppression through technique.

"Unfortunately, I cannot reveal myself right now," Li Ju thought.

The Seven-Three Sect was surely waiting for him to hear the news and act rashly. If he, still injured, were to confront them now, the outcome would be grim.

"But however useless Hai Yuanyi may be, he can at least temporarily protect Senior Brother Wang's life."

"And I have more pressing matters..."

Li Ju clenched his fist, crushing the letter into dust.

"Have you found the location of the Ancient Bosso Kingdom?" he asked the Fourth Prince.

"Senior, according to the scouts from the west, the Ancient Bosso Kingdom perished centuries ago. The country that now stands on its former territory is called the Western Wu Kingdom," the Fourth Prince replied respectfully.

Yet he felt puzzled—both the Ancient Bosso Kingdom and Western Wu lay thousands of miles from Chen. Their distance rendered them of little value to Chen, and few in Chen had even heard of them.

"I need you to gather as much information on the Ancient Bosso Kingdom as possible, and obtain a map to the Western Wu Kingdom," Li Ju instructed, picking up a book from the table.

"As you command."

...

The Fourth Prince received his orders and withdrew, leaving only Princess Qi, who had been sent by the royal family to serve Li Ju due to her familiarity with him.

The only sound in the palace was the turning of book pages.

Princess Qi stood by Li Ju's side, watching him immerse himself in the book, feeling rather bored.

"Senior, may I ask what is so extraordinary about the Ancient Bosso Kingdom and the Western Wu Kingdom that you seek them so diligently?" she finally ventured, unable to resist her curiosity.

"The Ancient Bosso Kingdom and Western Wu Kingdom?" Li Ju set down his book.

"They are wondrous places indeed," he said, with a note of awe.

Who would have guessed that the demonic sect, which had dominated Chen for centuries, did not originate in Chen, but from the distant Ancient Bosso Kingdom?

If not for his extensive reading in the royal archives, Li Ju would never have discovered such a fact.

His current strength had reached the pinnacle of what he could achieve. His previous leaps in power came from unlocking the potential of the Hundred-Poison Vajra Body, but now that potential was exhausted.

To advance further, he had only one path: break through the Bat Demon Technique and reach the Lesser Three Yuan level.

But such a breakthrough was no easy feat—so many martial geniuses had failed at this stage. With his mediocre aptitude, Li Ju doubted he could overcome this barrier so easily.

And to fulfill his task, his current strength would not suffice; he needed to find a way to grow stronger.

Thus, he turned to the vast array of books, seeking clues about the demonic sect that might aid him. The trail he found led to the Ancient Bosso Kingdom.

"For ages, martial artists have pursued strength in their own ways."

"The lesser martial artists obsess over techniques; the middling ones focus on talent; the greatest pursue realms."

"But I am unlike any of them..."

Li Ju stretched out his hand as if to grasp something intangible.

"To me, of all things in time and space, nothing is grander, nothing holds more value than history itself. Therefore, I..."

"I hunt history."