"You guys handle things at the company. I'll have my people investigate as well." After some discussion and finding no further information about Gai Nie, Xu San, Xu Si, and Lu Jin decided to go their separate ways and use their networks to gather information on Gai Nie.
Whether from the company's perspective or that of the Ten Elders, someone as powerful yet mysterious as Gai Nie usually spelled trouble.
After the conversation ended, Xu San, Xu Si, and Lu Jin quickly parted ways. Xu San and Xu Si were left to handle the aftermath, while Lu Jin went to consult the Old Heavenly Master about the situation involving Zhang Lingyu and Xia He. He needed to figure out how to resolve this matter.
After all, Xia He was notorious, and if word got out about her relationship with Zhang Lingyu, it would damage the reputation of the Heavenly Master Sect. Of course, there were ways to preserve their name—such as removing Zhang Lingyu from the sect. Ultimately, the decision would rest with the Old Heavenly Master.
"Xiao Xiao couldn't escape his fate after all." Hidden and observing from a distance, Daniel Davis shook his head slightly as he saw Xiao Xiao on a stretcher, missing an arm.
Xiao Xiao was a decent guy, but he wasn't very lucky. To heal his arm, he sought out Qu Tong from the Yaoxing Society, which was like walking into a lion's den. Still, it wasn't entirely his fault. After all, he wanted to fix his arm, and not everyone could lose a limb and be as unaffected as Red-Haired Shanks.
For someone like Xiao Xiao, whose martial arts depended heavily on the "Heng Ha Two Qi" technique, losing an arm would significantly weaken him. Figures like Red-Haired Shanks or Fujitora Issho were rare exceptions. It's not that people with strong Haki don't need their eyes, for example.
Even for someone like Daniel Davis, whose Haki was already very strong, he still needed his eyes—not just to observe the colorful world but also because improved sight came with increased power.
In this regard, the Pirate World fell short. Their physical abilities were strong, but their bodies were still mortal. Even Gol D. Roger, as powerful as he was, ultimately succumbed to illness. In worlds where energy cultivation existed, someone like Roger would rarely face such an issue.
Look at Kamar-Taj's magic, which could heal even completely paralyzed patients.
"I've been waiting for you." Disguised as Gai Nie, Daniel Davis had just arrived on the main road in front of the Heavenly Master Sect when twelve men in black suits, looking like bodyguards, suddenly jumped out of vehicles on both sides of the road, surrounding him.
"We've caught him." One of the men, presumably the leader, holding a phone, spoke respectfully to the person on the other end.
"Bring him back," a familiar, elderly voice on the other end ordered. It was Wang Ai.
"Well, that saves me the trouble of looking for him." Upon hearing Wang Ai's voice, Daniel made no unnecessary moves. The reason he had kept Gai Nie's face for so long was to shift all the attention onto this identity.
There was no denying the Ten Elders' strength. Each of the people surrounding him was quite powerful. Individually, they might not compare to Zhang Chulan, Zhang Lingyu, or others of their generation, but as a group of twelve, the situation was entirely different.
"Please." At the leader's gesture, Daniel said nothing and got into the car as directed. The others quickly followed, and the cars headed for their destination.
Before long, they arrived at an exquisitely decorated, isolated villa. Surrounded by the men in black, Daniel was led into a luxuriously furnished hall. Wang Ai and Lu Ci were sitting on opposite sofas in the center of the room, with a young man standing behind each of them.
As soon as Daniel entered, the men who had escorted him quickly left.
"We meet again." Wang Ai's gaze flashed with cold malice as he saw Daniel. His beloved grandson had been beaten so severely that Wang Ai had been obsessing over revenge ever since.
"Let me cut to the chase. Hand over the Tongtian Record, and I promise Wang Lao will at most give you a beating to avenge his grandson, but you can leave here alive," Lu Ci said directly after exchanging a glance with Wang Ai.
True to his reputation as the "Mad Dog," Lu Ci didn't bother hiding his intentions.
"Oh? Can you make that call? It seems like the person across from you can't wait to kill me." Daniel glanced at Lu Ci, his expression calm.
"Young man, trying to sow discord won't work on me. I've lived longer than you've walked. If I say you'll leave alive, then you will," Lu Ci sneered.
"You want me alive so that Lu Jin won't cause trouble for you, right?" Daniel smirked. "I just got the Tongtian Record. If I die soon after and you take it, Lu Jin will definitely come after your families."
"Young man, don't test my patience. Do you really think Lu Jin would go to war with our families over you?" Lu Ci glared coldly at Daniel.
"Break his limbs and take the Tongtian Record," Wang Ai suddenly ordered the young man behind him.
"Understood." The young man nodded and began walking toward Daniel, his expression cold.
"Do you know why I came here so willingly?" Daniel didn't even glance at the approaching youth as he calmly addressed Lu Ci and Wang Ai.
Before they could respond, Daniel continued, "Just like you want my Tongtian Record, I want your Eight Miraculous Techniques."
"Impudent!" The youth was enraged by Daniel's words, his energy surging as he charged toward him. However, in the next moment, there was a muffled groan. The youth was lifted into the air by his neck, gripped tightly by Daniel's left hand.
Crack.
With a crisp sound, the young man's neck snapped, and Daniel tossed his body aside like trash.
"Qi'er!" Wang Ai's expression immediately darkened. The young man Daniel had killed wasn't his most beloved grandson, but he was still of his lineage.
"You'll pay for this!" Wang Ai stood up, his right hand waving as a black shadow flew out of his palm, coalescing into the form of a samurai spirit wielding a katana. It was a powerful spirit obtained from Japan through the "Controlling Spirits and Dispatching Generals" technique.
"Kill him!" Wang Ai shouted in fury.
"Controlling Spirits and Dispatching Generals? That's exactly what I wanted." Daniel smiled as the spirit charged at him. With a slight sidestep, he pressed his palm onto the spirit's chest. If one were fighting against spirits in this world without the right methods, it would be difficult to deal with them, as they could simply reform after being dispersed.
But Wang Ai had no idea that when it came to expertise in dealing with souls, his technique was nothing compared to Daniel's Kamar-Taj magic.
With a faint sound, the spirit disintegrated under Daniel's touch, showing no signs of reforming.
"Impossible!" Wang Ai tried to summon another spirit, but just as he was about to, intense pain shot through his arms, causing him to scream uncontrollably.
"Shut up," Daniel snapped, slapping Wang Ai hard across the mouth, cutting off his wails.
"Who the hell are you?" Lu Ci, who had been preparing to fight, was now stunned as he watched Wang Ai's arms get broken and his teeth knocked out in a matter of seconds. Wang Ai, one of the Ten Elders, was not only a powerful figure within his family but also a force to be reckoned with on his own.
"You don't need to know." Daniel responded coldly as he summoned a storm of green leaves from his hand, sending them shooting toward the door. Hearing Wang Ai's screams, the guards outside had rushed in, only to be met by death, as each green leaf killed one guard. Moments later, the room was filled with bodies, each with a leaf embedded in their throats.
"Now that it's quiet, hand over the 'Controlling Spirits and Dispatching Generals,' or I'll wipe out your entire family," Daniel said icily, his gaze fixed on Wang Ai, who was struggling to endure the pain of his broken arms.
"You have some nerve! Do you know who I am?" Wang Ai shouted through his broken teeth.
"Of course I do. One of the Ten Elders. But so what? To me, the Ten Elders are just trash," Daniel replied, suddenly punching the ceiling.
Boom!
A massive explosion echoed through the air. In an instant, the top three floors of the four-story villa were obliterated, torn apart by the sheer force of Daniel's punch. Sunlight poured into the hall, illuminating the stunned group.
"I'll ask one more time—hand over the 'Controlling Spirits and Dispatching Generals.'" Daniel's voice was calm, but the threat in his tone was undeniable.
"You... you..." The sight in front of them left Lu Ci, Wang Ai, and the young man behind Lu Ci utterly shocked. This level of destruction was beyond anything they had ever witnessed.
Even the Old Heavenly Master himself might not be capable of such complete annihilation.
The sheer power on display shattered Wang Ai's will. He realized that no matter how many people his family had, they wouldn't be able to stop Daniel's might.
"You'd better not play games with me. Feng Zhenghao from the Feng family also has 'Controlling Spirits and Dispatching Generals.' If I find out that yours is different, I won't be as polite next time."
Thud.
After Wang Ai reluctantly agreed to hand
over the technique, Daniel knocked him out and then turned his attention to Lu Ci, who was standing nearby, tense and ready for a fight.
"Your family has the Eight Miraculous Techniques too, don't they, Lu Lao? Hand over 'Double Full Hand' as well," Daniel said, making Lu Ci's face instantly change. Without a second thought, Lu Ci knocked out the young man beside him.
"What do you know?" Lu Ci finally asked, astonished that this mysterious figure seemed to know even the most closely guarded secret of the Lu family.
Lu Ci didn't deny it. There was no point. If Daniel had spoken up, it meant he had enough evidence to make a denial useless.
"Are you talking about 'Double Full Hand'?" As soon as Daniel uttered those three words, Lu Ci's energy surged in response. But just as quickly, he restrained himself. He knew from Daniel's earlier display of strength that he was no match for him, and any move against him would be suicide.
"Hand over 'Double Full Hand,' and your family's secrets will remain yours. Otherwise, don't blame me for what happens. I wonder what the Exorcist Community will think if they find out the Lu family has such a dangerous technique," Daniel said.
Of the Eight Miraculous Techniques, 'Double Full Hand' was the one that absolutely should never see the light of day. The reason was simple—it was too terrifying. It could manipulate memories at will, and if news of the Lu family possessing such a technique got out, they would be doomed. The Exorcist Community would never tolerate a family with such an ability, and neither would the company.
Unlike 'Soul Technique,' which could also manipulate memories but was innate and dependent on luck, 'Double Full Hand' could be learned—despite its strict conditions.
"You..." Lu Ci was fuming, breathing heavily in frustration. If he had the strength to fight Daniel, he would have risked everything by now. Just hearing the name 'Double Full Hand' made him want to kill anyone who knew about it, and now this stranger knew their family secret.
"I don't care if you don't want to hand it over. I won't force you. Goodbye." Daniel said, picking up the unconscious Wang Ai and preparing to leave.
"Wait!" Despite his immense anger, Lu Ci couldn't let Daniel walk away. This was a matter of life and death for his family. The saying "A man without guilt becomes guilty when he possesses a precious jewel" had always held true, especially in their world. A technique like 'Double Full Hand' was far too dangerous to keep secret. Even the company wouldn't tolerate it.
Lu Ci's family had split the technique up precisely to avoid this kind of exposure. In fact, Lu Ai hadn't planned to pass it on, even after his death.
"I'll tell you," Lu Ci finally conceded, revealing the method for cultivating 'Double Full Hand.' He was the only one in the Lu family who knew it, and even though he had mastered it, he hadn't been able to restore his blind eye.
"You'd better not have tampered with this. And just so you know, the Lu family isn't the only one who knows 'Double Full Hand.' If there's anything wrong with this, your family will be on its own," Daniel said as he left.
"Who else? Who else knows 'Double Full Hand?'" Lu Ci frantically chased after Daniel, desperate for answers.
"Figure it out yourself," Daniel said, disappearing into the distance, leaving Lu Ci behind to contemplate the dangerous reality his family now faced.
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