The sound of hurried footsteps immediately echoed through the passageway.

Wang Kun appeared at the end of the corridor.

When he saw Wang Yuanyi's miserable state, his eyes nearly burst from their sockets.

"Yuanyi!!"

Only then did Wang Kun notice He Yu standing calmly across from them.

Wang Kun's eyelids twitched as he roughly understood that He Yu was responsible for Wang Yuanyi's condition.

But he had no time to assess He Yu's strength or fight him.

With bloodshot eyes, he immediately activated his movement technique, charging down the passage toward Wang Yuanyi at incredible speed.

Wang Kun reached Wang Yuanyi's side, grabbed him, and retreated toward the secret chamber.

The thick, sturdy stone walls on either side of the passage continued closing rapidly.

At the last moment, Wang Kun managed to pull Wang Yuanyi back into the secret chamber.

Relief washed over both father and son's faces.

As long as they returned to the secret chamber, they could escape through another passage.

They believed themselves safe now.

Wang Yuanyi glared venomously at He Yu from the other end of the corridor.

"He Yu! I won't let you get away with this!!"

Wang Kun also studied He Yu with a grim expression.

The stone walls continued closing, now leaving less than half a foot of space, about to seal completely.

Wang Yuanyi sneered coldly, preparing to spit more threats.

Suddenly, both he and Wang Kun felt themselves locked by an overwhelming aura!

The Wang father and son were simultaneously shocked.

Before they could react, two ghostly streams of true qi shot toward them from the other end of the passage.

He Yu had been charging these two bursts of true qi for a long time - even a Bone Tempering peak martial artist couldn't withstand them.

Let alone early-stage Bone Tempering Wang Kun.

The Wang duo sensed the danger but had no time to dodge.

In the next instant, two heads exploded violently!

Blood and brain matter splattered everywhere.

Both bodies collapsed simultaneously, twitching a few times before lying completely still.

The stone walls finally closed completely, leaving no gap.

Their corpses would remain forever trapped behind those thick stone barriers.

"Villains die from talking too much - the ancients didn't lie." He Yu remarked calmly.

With the Wang father and son dealt with, not a single living soul remained in the Golden Saber Martial Arts School.

He Yu then wandered through the school, collecting all the corpses into his spatial storage.

Dead objects could be stored, but not living beings.

He Yu thoroughly cleaned up all traces at the scene.

Even if outsiders entered the Golden Saber Martial Arts School now, they'd only think everyone had mysteriously disappeared.

They wouldn't immediately suspect a massacre.

Since Duan Qian's true strength remained unknown, He Yu needed to conceal his actions.

This way, even if Duan Qian investigated, it would take time, giving He Yu temporary safety.

It also bought him time for more simulations.

After simulating thousands or tens of thousands of times, he'd gain sufficient power.

Then no scheme could withstand absolute strength - he could cut through any conspiracy!

"He Yu, I believe in you!" He Yu cheered himself on.

He thoroughly searched the entire Golden Saber Martial Arts School for evidence of Wang Kun and Zhang Hongwen's human trafficking operations.

But after turning the place upside down multiple times, he couldn't find even a suspicious scrap of paper.

"Did Wang Kun store it in the underground chamber beneath the library?"

That seemed highly likely.

He Yu returned to the secret chamber entrance.

The thick stone walls were constructed from special materials, extraordinarily sturdy and heavy.

Not easily broken through.

He Yu could force his way in, but the noise would undoubtedly raise suspicions.

After some thought,

He Yu suddenly realized Wang Kun had retreated into the chamber rather than escaping outward.

This meant there must be another exit - and thus another entrance!

He Yu immediately searched the school again.

Indeed, he found an entrance inside a dry well.

"Not bad, having multiple escape routes like a cunning rabbit!"

He Yu carefully entered the secret chamber.

There he found the account books documenting the human trafficking transactions.

Detailed records of the trafficked individuals' information and transaction prices.

He Yu even found his own name.

"With my identity records removed from the Golden Saber Martial Arts School, Duan Qian can't trace me now."

He Yu stored all the account books in his spatial storage.

He also took the Wang father and son's corpses.

After completing everything, He Yu left through the back gate that night.

Under cover of darkness, He Yu traveled over eighty li north of Xian'an City to a desolate area.

The surrounding ten li radius was completely uninhabited.

He dug a large pit, threw in all the corpses from the Golden Saber Martial Arts School, and set them ablaze!

After complete carbonization, He Yu filled in the pit.

He even brought surface soil from elsewhere to cover the filled pit.

The surface now looked no different from ordinary wasteland.

"I'm moved to tears by how ridiculously cautious I am!"

He Yu left the area.

He found an inn nearby and rented an ordinary room.

Sitting on a chair, He Yu mused: "It should be safe now - time to investigate Duan Qian."

He wouldn't charge in recklessly, choosing instead to scout through simulation.

After all, simulated time passed instantly in reality.

He could have simulated right at the Golden Saber Martial Arts School.

But He Yu felt too insecure staying there.

While he could die infinitely in simulations, real life allowed no mistakes.

Utmost caution was necessary.

Calming his mind, He Yu initiated the fourth simulation.

[You enter the simulation]

[You leave the inn for Duan Qian's residence]

[One month later, you locate Duan Qian's mansion]

[You observe Duan Qian for three consecutive months]

[You find nothing unusual about him]

[Nor do you detect any martial artists stronger than you in his household]

[One day, you finally lose patience]

[On a late night, you sneak into Duan Qian's mansion]

[You reach the roof above Duan Qian's bedroom]

[After observing for half a shichen, you slip in through the window]

[Duan Qian and his wife sleep soundly]

[You draw your Soul Awakening Blade and strike suddenly]

[You slash toward them]

[But instead of seeing Duan Qian bisected as expected]

[Your world suddenly spins violently]

[You see your own chest, then downward past your abdomen, knees, and shoes]

[Finally you see your headless body collapsing]

[You faintly hear a deep voice: "Been waiting for you!"]

[Your world goes dark]

[You die]

[This simulation ends]

Back in the inn chair, He Yu regained his senses.

"So strong!!"

The aura of that death still lingered in He Yu's heart.

The simulated He Yu hadn't even sensed his attacker before being decapitated.

The assailant was countless times stronger.

He Yu never expected Duan Qian to have someone who could instantly kill him.

Now at early Marrow Washing stage, He Yu could defeat early Essence Refining martial artists across realms.

So whoever killed him must be at least Dragon Transformation level.

Possibly even Grandmaster or Ultimate Grandmaster!

But was He Yu afraid?

Well... a little...

After all, this wasn't a simulation - death here was permanent.

He Yu knew he needed to improve his strength quickly.

Although he'd erased all traces connecting him to the Golden Saber Martial Arts School,

when Duan Qian noticed everyone's disappearance, he'd investigate thoroughly.

Duan Qian might still trace it back to He Yu eventually.

"Big Brother Duan Qian is untouchable with that level of protection - no one can kill him."

He Yu decided to leave Duan Qian alone for now.

Time for the fifth simulation.

Improving strength and gaining self-preservation ability were top priorities.

"Simulator, activate again!!"

[You enter the simulation]

[You stay at the inn for one month]

[During this time, you advance your Heavenly Desire Formless Technique from Bone Tempering peak to early Marrow Washing]

[Both your Wild Heaven Saber Technique and Heavenly Desire Formless Technique - two sect-level techniques - reach early Marrow Washing]

[You discover Blood Qi Pills no longer aid your cultivation]

[You can only use internal spirit pills now]

[But unlike Blood Qi Pills, internal spirit pills are extremely rare and priceless]

[They're unavailable even with money]

[Though you have many internal spirit pills, they'll eventually run out]

[You must obtain more internal spirit pills]