The announcement that Sacrifice City would soon hold the inauguration ceremony for the Northwest General Manager of the Sacrificial Shop spread like wildfire across the entire Black-Corner Region.
The effect was immediate—and explosive.
Even before the identity of the General Manager was revealed, the preview of benefits alone pushed the city into a state of frenzy.
Thirty percent off for items below Tier Three.
Fifteen percent off for Tier Four to Tier Six goods.
Five percent off even for Tier Seven treasures.
For a region where life was traded for resources and strength was bought with blood, such discounts were nothing short of madness.
Sacrifice City overflowed.
Cultivators, mercenaries, alchemists, treasure hunters, clan representatives—people poured in from every direction. The streets became seas of humanity, inns filled beyond capacity, and even the air itself carried a restless, feverish excitement.
When the inner city could no longer contain the crowds, temporary markets sprang up outside the city walls, forming chaotic rings of trade and barter. Rare items that the Sacrificial Shop had temporarily sold out of appeared here at inflated prices, drawing yet more attention.
Among those who arrived… was Han Feng.
Han Feng stood at the edge of one such market, his black robe fluttering slightly in the crowd's turbulence.
The three miraculous pills he had purchased from the Sacrificial Shop earlier had done exactly what they promised.
He had broken through.
Dou Zong.
Not only that—his alchemy foundation had stabilized further. His flame burned more smoothly. His confidence soared like never before.
"At last…"
Han Feng clenched his fist, feeling the surging Dou Qi in his body.
"With my current strength, coupled with my status as a seventh-grade alchemist, who in the Black-Corner Region dares look down on me?"
When he heard of the inauguration discounts, he immediately mobilized every resource Feng City could offer.
Spirit herbs.
Beast cores.
Stored pills.
Hidden reserves accumulated over decades.
All of it was converted into sacrificial coins.
His goal was simple and ambitious—
A seventh-tier spirit weapon.
"With a Dou Zong's strength, a seventh-grade alchemist's status, and a seventh-tier spirit weapon…"
Han Feng's eyes gleamed with ambition.
"I, Han Feng, will once again stand at the very top of this region."
To maximize his gains, he rented the highest-grade alchemy room in Wanbao Pavilion, refining pills day and night.
Bottle after bottle of high-grade pills was exchanged at the Sacrificial Shop.
Sacrificial coins flowed steadily into his crystal card.
Every successful refinement reinforced his belief.
"This celebration… is my stepping stone."
The day of the inauguration finally arrived.
A magnificent high platform had been erected in the central square of Sacrifice City. Flags bearing the Sacrificial Shop's emblem fluttered in the wind, while layers upon layers of spectators packed the surrounding streets.
Han Feng, relying on his Dou Zong cultivation, easily secured a prime position near the front.
His gaze fixed firmly on the empty main seat atop the platform.
"Han Feng… you've broken through to Dou Zong?"
A familiar voice sounded beside him.
The Golden and Silver Elders had arrived.
Their expressions were warm—almost flattering.
"Brother Han's strength has truly advanced by leaps and bounds," Elder Jin said with a cupped fist. "Your future is limitless."
Han Feng smiled thinly.
"Haha, just a fortunate breakthrough."
Though resentment still simmered in his heart—he had not forgotten how these two once looked down on him—this was not the time to stir old grudges.
Nearby, Elder Su Qian of Canaan Academy noticed Han Feng but showed no reaction. With new Dou Zongs in the Academy and a seventh-tier spirit weapon in hand, Han Feng no longer commanded his attention.
Gu Yuena.
Kaguya.
Medusa.
These figures ignored Han Feng entirely.
Even so, the surrounding admiration soothed his pride. For a brief moment, he felt as though he had returned to the era when his identity alone inspired fear and reverence.
Then—
The bells rang.
Clear, resonant chimes echoed across Sacrifice City, washing over the square like a cleansing tide.
Silence fell.
All eyes turned upward.
Space above the high platform rippled subtly, and a figure stepped forth without warning.
Green robes.
Calm features.
Eyes deep as still water.
Yao Chen.
The moment Han Feng saw him—
"Teacher?!"
The cry tore from his throat before he could stop himself.
Time froze.
Blood drained from Han Feng's face. His pupils shrank violently as his mind struggled to comprehend what his eyes were seeing.
A physical body.
Not a soul remnant.
Not an illusion.
Yao Chen stood there—alive, whole, and real.
And not only that—
Northwest General Manager of the Sacrificial Shop.
Han Feng's world collapsed.
Yao Chen's gaze swept calmly over the square, passing over Han Feng's twisted expression for the briefest instant.
A faint smile—so faint it could almost be mistaken for imagination—curved at the corner of his lips.
Then he looked away.
As though Han Feng were nothing more than dust.
The crowd misunderstood.
Instantly.
"So Brother Han is the General Manager's disciple?!"
"No wonder—no wonder his rise has been so rapid!"
The Golden and Silver Elders reacted at once, their attitudes transforming completely.
"Grandmaster Han truly hides his brilliance," Elder Yin laughed. "Please look after us in the future!"
Ning Fengzhi hurried forward, face solemn.
"The Douluo Alliance apologizes for any past disrespect."
Nara Shikaku stepped in, voice earnest.
"The Ninja World Alliance would be honored to invite Grandmaster Han as an advisor—"
Even Canaan Academy fell silent.
Elder Su Qian's heart raced.
If Han Feng truly had Yao Chen's backing… should the Fallen Heart Flame be offered?
Compliments flooded in.
But to Han Feng—
Every word was ice.
Every smile was a knife.
Cold sweat soaked his back as the temperature around him seemed to plummet. His limbs grew stiff. His breathing faltered.
Something was terribly wrong.
When the ceremony ended and Yao Chen vanished from the stage, Han Feng snapped awake.
Run.
He had to run.
But Sacrifice City was not a place where one could flee easily.
Flying was forbidden.
Reckless Dou Qi use was restricted.
The very people who had just flattered him now became obstacles, hemming him in with smiles and questions.
"Move—move aside!" Han Feng shouted hoarsely.
Patrol members of the Sacrificial Shop arrived at once.
"Clear the roads!"
Hyuga Hizashi's cold gaze swept the crowd—and stopped on Han Feng.
Someone tried to explain.
"This is the General Manager's disciple—"
Hizashi sneered.
"Disciple?"
His voice carried clearly.
"The General Manager once raised him like a son."
A pause.
"But now?"
"He is nothing more than a beast who colluded with outsiders to murder his own master."
The square exploded into silence.
Then revulsion.
People retreated as if struck by plague.
Contempt replaced awe.
In an instant, Han Feng stood alone.
Surrounded by murderous gazes.
Golden and Silver Elders.
Elder Su Qian.
Medusa.
Gu Yuena.
Every escape route sealed.
Han Feng collapsed.
"Teacher! Please—mercy!"
No answer came.
Desperation drove him from one figure to another—only to be rejected again and again.
Finally, broken, stripped of dignity, he sat beneath the city gate, pretending to be dead.
Until—
The chants began.
"Master-killing traitor!"
"He must be executed!"
Mockery followed.
Humiliation.
Coins tossed at his feet.
His pride shattered.
With a final, maddened scream, Han Feng fled—
And the moment he crossed the city gate—
Multiple Dou Zong killing strikes erupted.
Light swallowed him.
When it faded—
Nothing remained.
No Han Feng.
No legacy.
Only silence.
Inside Sacrifice City, the celebration continued.
Han Feng's death passed unnoticed—
a ripple swallowed by the tide.
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