Chapter Twenty-Two: The Nickname "The Castrator"

"Phantom Shadow Finger? It can break his Iron Shirt technique?"

"You are a newborn calf, ignorant of the dangers of the martial arts world. Do you think that because you have mastered the Iron Shirt, you can disregard the ultimate techniques of others? You are simply courting death! How many divine manuals and secret arts are there in this world? What is the Iron Shirt? It does not even rank as a third-rate skill. Remember this, old man: from now on, do not go around showing off, lest you get yourself killed and end up as a corpse in the wilderness!"

Second Elder He Yun shouted sternly. If it were not for the sake of the Five Poisons Sect’s reputation and to provide an account to Qian Dacai, he would not have bothered with Chen Xuan at all. Earlier, Tao Haigong of the Seven Kills Palace had only restrained Tan Bao because he suspected Chen Xuan might know the [Five Poisons Divine Palm]. If Tao Haigong had known that Chen Xuan possessed nothing but the Iron Shirt, he would have definitely let Tan Bao teach Chen Xuan a lesson on how to conduct himself.

Chen Xuan felt cold sweat running down his back. It was true! He had been far too arrogant just now. He had dared to accept a challenge from others simply because he thought his Iron Shirt was perfected. If his technique had truly been broken, he would have had no time to regret it. It was the first time he had realized that the Iron Shirt could be countered.

"Yes, Second Elder is right to reprimand me," Chen Xuan said honestly. Ever since his Iron Shirt began to show results, his self-confidence had clearly become too inflated. This was definitely not a good sign.

"Hmph!" He Yun snorted coldly and asked indifferently, "Tell me, how did you escape last night?" Clearly, he harbored a trace of suspicion, worrying that Chen Xuan might have defected or something similar.

Chen Xuan immediately recounted the story of being hunted and jumping off the cliff. During the process, He Yun asked several detailed questions, all of which Chen Xuan answered one by one. When asked how he had brought his Iron Shirt to perfection, Chen Xuan bluntly replied that he did not know; it had just happened as he practiced. He Yun frowned, asking several more times, but Chen Xuan refused to budge. Seeing this, he had to stop and said coldly, "Fine, you go back first."

"Yes, Second Elder!" Chen Xuan replied, turned, and retreated.

"Wait!" Suddenly, He Yun spoke again. "Did your master not teach you any movement techniques or palm styles?" Having seen Chen Xuan’s earlier performance, he noticed it lacked any structured approach—it was all wild, mindless flailing, straight and ugly, with no technique to speak of, which prompted his question.

"No, the time before I came was too rushed. How about the Second Elder teaches me a palm style for self-defense?" Chen Xuan asked.

"Hmph, if your master didn't teach you, how could I overstep my bounds? I don't want your master to judge my gentlemanly heart with his petty mind," He Yun curled his lip.

"That won't happen, I would never betray the Second Elder!" Chen Xuan promised.

"Enough, go back. Since your master did not teach you, there must be a profound reason for it," He Yun waved his hand.

*Damn it,* Chen Xuan swore internally. He bowed again and left the place.

"Wait!" He Yun spoke again. Chen Xuan stopped once more, looking puzzled. He Yun pondered for a moment and said, "Come closer."

Chen Xuan stepped forward. He Yun’s eyes were cold and dark as he whispered, "Kid, remember my words. It is easy to draw a dragon or a tiger, but hard to draw their bones; you can know a person’s face, but not their heart. Everyone who manages to gain a foothold in the unorthodox sects is a cold-blooded devil who kills without blinking. Do not be fooled by the smiles and banter of the group earlier; once they turn their backs, many will kill you without hesitation. It is best not to trust anyone easily. You can be superficial brothers with them, but never open your heart, or you will be the one to die. Do you understand?"

Chen Xuan was shocked, looking at He Yun again. Why was the Second Elder suddenly being so kind to him? Why would he even warn him about such things?

"Yes, I understand," Chen Xuan said.

"Good, go," the Second Elder said. Chen Xuan bowed again and turned to leave. Watching his figure, He Yun’s eyes were dark, filled with a hint of jealousy. "Where did that old man Qian Dacai find this disciple? Why don't I have such luck..." If Chen Xuan could have such strength and performance before even entering the martial arts world, how much more powerful would he be once his internal energy was cultivated and he stepped into the world? He was far better than his own useless disciples. Of course, that was only if the Five Poisons Sect could survive this crisis. If they couldn't, everything else was meaningless. The three major unorthodox sects had arrived, but they likely weren't here purely to help; the possibility of them taking advantage of the chaos was much higher.

After leaving the Second Elder’s courtyard, Chen Xuan found Wang Wu, Luo Hai, and Zhang Li, and had them arrange a place for him to stay. After hearing Chen Xuan’s story and witnessing his strength, these three had already developed immense admiration for him, almost becoming his little fans. Hearing that Chen Xuan needed lodging, they excitedly prepared it for him.

...

In his room, Chen Xuan sat cross-legged on the bed, continuing to practice the Five Poisons Heart Sutra. The initial entry into internal cultivation depends entirely on individual aptitude; those with high aptitude can enter within a few hours, while those without might not succeed even after half a month. Therefore, Chen Xuan was not in a hurry and practiced the sutra whenever he had free time. As for the Dissolving Power Technique and the Eight-Step Cicada, he was not in a rush to practice them. Neither of those added to his internal energy or physical strength in the early stages; their power relied entirely on the practitioner's internal energy, especially the Dissolving Power Technique. The stronger his internal energy, the greater the effect. It would be better to wait until he had mastered the fundamental Five Poisons Heart Sutra.

...

Time passed quickly. At dusk, the sound of rapid hoofbeats suddenly came from afar, heading straight for the temple gates. A blood-stained figure tumbled from his horse, crashed through the gate, and screamed: "Something is wrong! Our scouts stationed in all the villages have been wiped out by the three great families!"

After shouting, he staggered and collapsed to the ground, falling into a coma.

*Whoosh!* Figures flickered in the courtyard, wind whistled, and people converged from all directions, their faces turning pale as they landed.

"It’s Elder Zhao from the Iron Garment Tower! Quickly, revive him!" someone exclaimed.

Fang Wuqi, the leading elder of the Iron Garment Tower, had already appeared before the man, grabbing his wrist and channeling his true energy into the man’s body. Another person retrieved a medicinal pill, pried open Elder Zhao’s mouth, and forced it in, helping him swallow. Before long, Elder Zhao woke up, his face pale and his breathing chaotic.

"What exactly happened?" Fang Wuqi asked darkly.

The three unorthodox sects had come to aid the Five Poisons Sect, with more than half of their forces gathering at the temple, while the rest were scattered across the surrounding villages and towns to monitor the movements of the three righteous families. It should have been extremely difficult for the three families to wipe them out all at once. After all, there were too many villages and towns; the three righteous families shouldn't have wasted their energy on such a task.

"Everything was normal until noon, but after that, the three righteous families and the various sects began moving frantically. By the time I realized something was wrong, it was already too late. Even my hiding place was discovered. After a bitter battle, I managed to escape. According to the information I gathered from them, it seems someone of great importance in the Yunzhou Cui clan died, which is why they have suddenly gone mad," Elder Zhao said, his face pale.

"What?" Everyone present was startled. Many turned to look at the Second Elder of the Five Poisons Sect. When the Second Elder and his men had arrived, they had clashed with the Yunzhou Cui clan once, so they should know something. However, faced with their gazes, He Yun and his group frowned and looked at each other.

"I am not sure either. At the time, I was entangled by the Third and Fourth Elders of the Cui clan and had no time to spare. I had no idea what happened," He Yun said.

"We were the same, tied down by several experts and did not notice anything else!" the Fourth and Sixth Elders added.

He Yun looked at Elder Zhao and asked, "Brother Zhao, can you be more specific?"

"Oh, right! I have a wanted poster here, issued by the Yunzhou Cui clan. It is related to this matter." Elder Zhao suddenly pulled a blood-stained wanted poster from his robes. Fang Wuqi took it and unfolded it. As the eyes of the elders and elite disciples fell upon it, their expressions changed instantly. The Second Elder and his group, in particular, looked stunned.

"Chen Xuan!" the Sixth Elder gasped. The drawing depicted a young man with a shaved head and a right hand dyed a dark, greenish color. Although the facial features were not very accurate, the bald head and the right hand were unmistakable.

"How is this possible?" The other elders were filled with astonishment. This kid really had something to him. Although they didn't know who he had killed, the fact that he could drive the Yunzhou Cui clan to such madness meant the victim must have been someone of significant status. In an instant, Chen Xuan's reputation rose even higher in their minds.

Elder Zhao looked shocked and asked, "This... is the person drawn here really one of our own?"

"Brother Zhao, you might not know, but the person depicted here is indeed a talent of the younger generation of our Five Poisons Sect, 'Iron-Blooded Young Master' Chen Xuan," Tao Haigong said with a mocking smile.

"But... it clearly says [Hand of Extinction] on it?" Elder Zhao was bewildered.

"That might be a nickname added by the righteous path," Tao Haigong said, looking uncertainly at He Yun.

He Yun shook his head slightly and said, "The nickname 'Iron-Blooded Young Master' was not Chen Xuan's original one. His original nickname was indeed [Hand of Extinction]. The reason he changed it to 'Iron-Blooded Young Master' is simply the arrogance of youth; he wanted something that sounded better." He intentionally twisted the facts to build up Chen Xuan's image. Chen Xuan had already brought great honor to the Five Poisons Sect during the day, and now this happened at night! Why would he debunk it? Since Chen Xuan had claimed the nickname 'Iron-Blooded Young Master' earlier, many had been skeptical, so by claiming it was a self-styled name and that his original one was 'Hand of Extinction,' he made it sound more credible.

"Hand of Extinction?" The elite disciples looked at each other again, trying to discern something from one another's eyes. Unfortunately, none of them had ever heard of this nickname.

"Who exactly did this Nephew Chen kill?" Elder Zhao asked.

"This..." He Yun hesitated, then looked at his disciple, "Wu Jiang, go and call Chen Xuan here."

"Yes, Master," Wu Jiang bowed and said.