Xu Yuehuai walked towards the backyard, and the surrounding noise gradually faded away with her steps. The cheers and fighting sounds coming from the arena behind her had now become indistinct background noise.

The backyard was quiet, with a gentle breeze rustling through the bamboo stalks.

Xu Yuehuai found a stone bench and sat down, her brows furrowed as she pondered to herself.

Although this place is not the core, it is still of great importance. What kind of force would have such a bold idea to target the middle level?

She recalled some anomalies she had noticed before; those seemingly trivial clues all pointed in the same direction.

As I was deep in thought, I heard a soft footstep behind me.

Xu Yuehuai turned around warily and saw that Qi Guze had followed her.

Qi Guze stepped forward and asked softly, "Yuehuai, why did you suddenly come here? Is something on your mind?"

Xu Yuehuai glanced at him, sighed, and said, "I'm wondering who exactly has the intention to destroy the middle level. This matter is too suspicious, and the force behind it must be extraordinary."

Qi Guze sat down beside her, pondered for a moment, and said, "In my opinion, the person behind this is probably vying for some important resource."

Xu Yuehua nodded slightly, "What you said makes sense, but there are too few clues at the moment, so we can't be sure yet."

Quan Cang remained hidden in the shadows, his gaze fixed on Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze.

He watched the two sitting on the stone bench, talking in hushed tones, and his brows furrowed slightly.

Images of his past interactions with Xu Yuehuai flashed through his mind, but now that he had embarked on the Path of Ruthlessness, he quickly suppressed these emotions.

Seeing that the two were just sitting quietly in thought and did nothing else, Quan Cang turned around and quietly walked towards the dueling platform.

The atmosphere around the arena was incredibly lively.

The cheers and shouts of the audience mingled together as the contestants exchanged blows on stage, showcasing their unique skills.

Quan Cang had just returned to the crowd and hadn't even gotten his footing when he heard a sharp shout of curses.

"Quan Cang, you heartless man! How could you do this to me!" A woman with disheveled hair and tears streaming down her face rushed towards Quan Cang.

She was dressed in a plain silk dress, but now she looked disheveled, her hair flying wildly, with a few strands clinging to her tear-streaked cheeks.

Quan Cang's face instantly turned gloomy; he hadn't expected this woman to come here.

This woman was someone he had randomly found a few days ago in order to improve his strength. He thought that after giving her some money and sending her away, there would be no further contact, but he did not expect that she would find her in the sect.

The woman rushed up to Quan Cang, raised her hand to hit him, her nails nearly scratching his face, and kept shouting, "I treated you with all my heart, but you abandoned me. Today you must give me an explanation!"

People around them cast curious glances and began whispering among themselves.

"Who is this woman? Why is she causing such a scene here?"

"It seems they're looking for someone named Quan Cang. Could it be his lover?"

Quan Cang was furious. He suppressed his anger and said in a low voice, "Don't talk nonsense here and ruin my reputation."

The woman ignored her pleas and burst into tears, crying out, "You still want to argue! We were husband and wife, and now that you've achieved success, you want to kick me aside? How cruel you are!"

She cried and stomped her feet, her sobs becoming increasingly loud, attracting more and more people who surrounded her. Everyone pointed and whispered about Quan Cang.

Quan Cang felt his face burning, as if he were being scorched by everyone's gaze.

A murderous intent surged within him, and his hands clenched unconsciously, his knuckles turning white from the force. However, in front of so many people, he could not act rashly.

He gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "If you cause any more trouble, don't blame me for being impolite."

The woman seemed to be enraged, crying even louder until her throat became hoarse. She lunged at Quan Cang, trying to tear off his clothes, her hands flailing wildly in the air.

Quan Cang dodged to the side, and the woman missed her target and fell to the ground.

She lay sprawled on the ground, hands supporting her weight, still crying and cursing, the scene in complete chaos.

At this moment, the competition on stage was temporarily suspended, and everyone's attention was drawn to the farce unfolding on the other side.

Nangong Yu, Fu Ziyi, and the others also cast puzzled glances at them.

Nangong Yu frowned and said, "How did Quan Cang cause such a big trouble? What kind of behavior is this in front of everyone?"

Fu Ziyi looked gloating and teased, "Looks like he's having a tough time too. This woman really knows how to pick her moments to cause trouble."

The veins on Quan Cang's forehead bulged and twisted like earthworms. His eyes were bloodshot with anger, almost dripping with blood, as he stared intently at the crying woman on the ground.

The surrounding noise surged in like a tide, and every word of discussion pierced him like needles, making his murderous intent no longer able to be suppressed.

"Shut up!" Quan Cang roared, his voice booming like a bell, making the ears of those around him ring.

A dark, ominous light instantly emanated from his right palm, swirling like thick ink. A nauseating, fishy stench, like the smell of rotting flesh, filled the air.

He flashed forward like a ghost, moving so fast that only a blur could be seen.

The hand, radiating an eerie power, slammed straight toward the woman's chest.

The woman stared wide-eyed in terror, her mouth, which had been open, froze in place, and her crying stopped abruptly, leaving only a weak sob.

Quan Cang's hand pierced through her chest without resistance, and in his palm, he tightly gripped a heart that was still beating slightly. The heart was still beating stubbornly, trying to break free from this terrifying control, and blood slowly flowed down Quan Cang's arm.

The woman flew backward several meters and crashed heavily to the ground, her limbs outstretched, lifeless, her eyes still wide open.

The entire place fell into a deathly silence. Everyone was too shocked to speak by the bloody and brutal scene.

Some people covered their mouths, unable to believe what they were seeing.

Some people stared wide-eyed, utterly terrified.

Some people were so frightened that they backed away.

Quan Cang slowly raised his blood-stained hand, brought the heart to his lips, and gently licked the blood on it with the tip of his tongue. The blood spread on his tongue, and then he squeezed it hard, and blood dripped down between his fingers, drawing streaks of blood in the air.

He tilted his head back and let out a maniacal laugh that echoed throughout the venue, sending chills down everyone's spine.

"Today, I will use her blood to prove my ruthless path!" Quan Cang's voice was icy, tinged with madness. "Love is nothing but a shackle; only by severing it can one reach the peak. This middle level will be mine sooner or later!"

A burst of angry curses erupted from the crowd: "Quan Cang, you are utterly heartless!"

A young disciple, his face flushed red, eyes wide open, veins bulging on his forehead, roared with all his might.