SSS-Rank 10x Reward System: Accepting Disciples to Live Forever-Chapter 175: Where is Rong Lua

Wang Chen was completely unaware of the tectonic upheavals unfolding at the center of the universe. At this moment, his attention was fixed on something far more immediate—and far more irritating.

"Hmm... where are Rong Lua and Young Master Yun...?"

His voice was calm, but a faint crease had already formed between his brows. This question had been gnawing at him ever since he set foot in Ancient Sword City. His disciple had been driven to the brink, bloodied and cornered, yet the two people he had personally assigned to safeguard him were nowhere to be seen.

That was not a small oversight.

That was negligence.

And Wang Chen did not tolerate negligence.

After Ying Yue’s death, Lin Huang looked like a completely different person. The restrained, solemn smile he usually wore had vanished without a trace. In its place was an unguarded, almost carefree grin—light, relaxed, and strangely liberating. It was a smile Wang Chen had never seen on his disciple’s face before.

Yet the moment Wang Chen asked that question, Lin Huang’s smile froze.

Just for an instant.

It was subtle—so subtle that most people would have missed it. But Wang Chen didn’t. He saw it clearly, like a ripple in still water. It was the expression of someone who had just swallowed something unpleasant.

That reaction caught Wang Chen off guard.

He had expected regret. Perhaps guilt. Even disappointment.

But this... this was different.

Sensing Wang Chen’s gaze settle on him, Lin Huang knew there was no way around it. He exhaled quietly and began to explain.

"After I told them my plan," Lin Huang said, his tone steady but faintly restrained, "Rong Lua vehemently opposed it. He tried to dissuade me—again and again. Told me it was reckless. That I was throwing my life away."

Wang Chen nodded slowly.

That sounded like Rong Lua. The man wasn’t foolish. If anyone truly understood the terrifying depth of the Thousand Sword Sect, it would be him. His caution had been reasonable—expected, even.

What Wang Chen cared about was what came after.

Lin Huang continued, "When he realized I had no intention of backing down... he stopped arguing."

A brief pause.

"He went to the Yun Family with Young Master Yun to call for reinforcements."

Wang Chen’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"They should be here anytime now," Lin Huang added.

"So that’s how it is, huh...?" Wang Chen murmured, his brows lifting just a fraction.

His gaze shifted, landing on Zhao Yunfei, silently asking for confirmation.

The unspoken question lingered in the air, heavy and deliberate.

Feeling Wang Chen’s gaze linger on her, Zhao Yunfei reacted instantly—she turned her head away as if she hadn’t noticed him at all.

Her movements were a fraction too stiff.

A faint warmth crept up her cheeks, coloring her fair skin. If anyone had been standing close enough, they would have heard her muttering under her breath:

Damn you, Master... because of you, I can’t even make eye contact with Grandmaster anymore. Just how much more are you planning to embarrass us...?

It took every ounce of her self-control to suppress the urge to stomp her foot into the ground like an aggrieved child.

Watching her obvious discomfort, Wang Chen merely shook his head, a trace of helpless amusement flashing through his eyes. He didn’t press the matter. Instead, his gaze shifted—piercing past the arena, past the city walls, stretching far into the distance.

Several powerful auras were rapidly approaching.

He recognized them almost immediately.

Young Master Yun.

Rong Lua.

Lin Huang’s reinforcements had finally arrived—late, but at least not too late.

Among their group stood a white-bearded old man, his posture relaxed yet imposing. The fluctuations radiating from his body were subtle, but unmistakable. Wang Chen’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Grand Ascension Realm... at the very least.

Seeing this, Wang Chen nodded inwardly.

Good. At least this kid is somewhat reliable.

There was little doubt in his mind. That old man had to be the Yun Family’s ancestor—the kind of existence that normally wouldn’t move even if the sky collapsed. Wang Chen couldn’t help but feel a flicker of curiosity.

Just what method did Young Master Yun use to drag someone like that out of millennia-long seclusion?

...

Rong Lua, on the other hand, looked nothing like someone who had just succeeded.

His expression was twisted, tense, as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on his shoulders.

If something really happened to Lin Huang... that old monster would skin me alive... 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The thought alone made his scalp tingle.

Just why is Young Master Lin Huang so damn reckless? Does he have a death wish?

His thoughts spiraled, frustration piling atop fear, until he felt on the verge of grabbing his own hair, beating his chest, and jumping around like a mad monkey.

Argh—this entire situation is driving me insane...!

Thankfully, amidst the chaos churning in his mind, there was at least one piece of good news.

They had succeeded.

Against all odds, they had managed to convince the Yun Family’s ancient ancestor—an existence that had remained secluded for thousands of years—to step outside.

That alone was no small miracle.

Thinking this far, Rong Lua’s gaze inevitably drifted toward Young Master Yun at the front of the group—more precisely, toward the thin red mark encircling his neck.

It was faint, already beginning to fade, but it stood out like a brand burned into flesh.

A trace of admiration surfaced in Rong Lua’s eyes.

This guy... he’s really something.

To force the Ancestor to move, Young Master Yun had done the unthinkable. At first, he had argued. Then pleaded. When none of his words stirred even the slightest reaction, he escalated without hesitation.

He drew his sword.

No threats. No theatrics.

Just cold steel resting against his own throat.

It was only when the blade bit into skin, when blood began to trickle down his neck and the killing intent turned real, that the Yun Family’s Ancestor finally appeared.

After all, no matter how furious or disappointed he was, the old man could not afford to watch the Yun Family’s sole male heir die like that—especially not for "no reason."