Family Rise: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 654 Severing an Arm, the Secret of Changling Mountain, Shifting the Blame East
"No!" Su Wan exclaimed, trying to turn back, but Chen Feng used his gentle strength to send her even further away.

Chen Feng suddenly turned around and faced the Second Elder who was rushing towards him. He unleashed the spiritual power of the seventh level of the Golden Core in his body without reservation. A long sword burning with flames appeared in his hand. With a roar, he slashed out with the sword!

"Flame burns the sky!"

The blazing blade light tore through the air, transforming into a massive bolt of flame that crashed down towards the Second Elder! This was Chen Feng's trump card technique, powerful enough to threaten even a late-stage Golden Core cultivator!

However, the Second Elder only showed disdain in his eyes.

"The mantis' arms are like a chariot!"

He didn't even use any magic weapons; he simply raised his right hand casually, his five fingers forming a claw, and gently gripped the raging flame blade light!
"puff!"

As if a bubble had burst, the powerful flames and blades of light were crushed by his bare hands, turning into sparks that dissipated into the air!

The immense force of the recoil struck Chen Feng as if he had been hit hard. He groaned, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and staggered backward.

The difference between a nascent infant and a seventh-level Golden Core cultivator is like an insurmountable chasm!

"You do have some guts, but unfortunately, you're too weak." The Second Elder sneered, his figure flashing like lightning as he appeared in front of Chen Feng in an instant. He struck Chen Feng's dantian with a palm, intending to cripple his cultivation!
"Brother Feng!" Su Wan, who had been pushed away, turned back with bloodshot eyes and took out a jade shield to block Chen Feng.

"Kacha!"

The jade shield shattered like paper under the Second Elder's palm, and Su Wan was also sent flying backward, spitting blood, by the aftershock.

It looked like Chen Feng was about to be captured by the Second Elder.

At the critical moment!
“Hiss—!”

A sharp, piercing cry, as if from the deepest hell, suddenly rang out from an inconspicuous black leather pouch at Chen Feng's waist!

Followed by.

A black shadow darted out like lightning, growing taller with the wind, instantly transforming into a bizarre demonic plant several meters tall, entirely black, and twisted and entwined with countless thick vines! Its vines resembled stark white bones, with pale white flowers blooming at the top, while the centers of the flowers were hideous mouths filled with sharp teeth, exuding a dense aura of death and eeriness!
It was the near-fifth-tier spiritual plant left behind by Fu Changsheng—the Skeleton Demon Vine!
The Skeleton Demon Vine appeared.

The terrifying pressure from the near-fifth-tier demonic plant, mixed with the eerie death aura, spread like a tide, causing the surrounding flowers, grasses, and trees to wither and die at a visible speed!

Its countless vines danced wildly as if they were alive.

Several of the thickest bone vines, accompanied by a piercing shriek that tore through the air, lashed out at the Second Elder like venomous pythons!
This strike contained a deathly power that could corrode living beings; its power was terrifying!

"A near-fifth-tier Skeleton Demon Vine?!"

The Second Elder's sinister smile froze instantly, replaced by utter horror and disbelief!
The panic on Chen Feng and Su Wan's faces had subsided.

Obviously.

The previous powerlessness was meant to lure the Second Elder into underestimating the enemy, so that once he got close, the Skeleton Demon Vine could deliver a fatal blow.

"Skeleton, attack!"

Chen Feng hadn't finished speaking.

The bone vines, imbued with a dense aura of death, lashed fiercely at the protective spiritual light hastily summoned by the Second Elder, like chains from the netherworld!
"laugh--!"

The protective aura melted away rapidly, like snow under the scorching sun, as deathly energy corroded it, producing a sickeningly corrosive sound. The bone vine, undeterred, struck the Second Elder squarely in the chest with immense force!

"puff!"

The Second Elder was sent flying backward as if struck by a meteorite, the blood spurting from his mouth tracing a blinding arc in the air. His robes shattered instantly, revealing an inner armor that shimmered with spiritual light, but the light had dimmed, and fine cracks had appeared on its surface, with a chilling death aura constantly seeping in.

He smashed several ancient trees with great force before he could barely steady himself. His face was deathly pale and his breathing was disordered, clearly indicating that he had suffered serious internal injuries.

"You...you've got a good plan!"

The Second Elder was both shocked and furious. He stared intently at Chen Feng and Su Wan before realizing that he had fallen into a trap!
Opportunities are fleeting; we must strike while the iron is hot and finish him off!
"Wan'er!" Chen Feng called out in a low voice.

Su Wan understood, and the two intertwined their figures, their hands forming hand seals, their spiritual energy resonating at a strange frequency. A powerful aura, far exceeding what the two of them could achieve individually, suddenly erupted!
"Yin and Yang rotate, sword energy soars to the heavens!"

The two shouted in unison.

Chen Feng unleashed a fierce and domineering yang energy with his flaming longsword, while Su Wan pointed her fingers like a sword and pointed out a cold and sharp yin energy.

The two completely different forces, one yin and one yang, did not repel each other. Instead, they intertwined and entangled in the air, transforming into a huge spiral sword aura that was half red and half blue and had a terrifying and astonishing aura. It tore through the sky like a drill and went straight for the seriously injured Second Elder!
at the same time.

The Skeleton Vine let out an even sharper hiss, and countless vines danced wildly, like giant black pythons, wrapping around the Second Elder from all directions, sealing off all his escape space. The pale white flowers spewed out a gray poisonous mist, further eroding his protective spiritual power and vitality!
Faced with this seemingly hopeless situation, the Second Elder's eyes flashed with madness.

Under the interference of the Skeleton Vine and the erosion of death energy.

He was utterly powerless to completely evade or block the long-planned combined attack technique of Chen Feng and his wife.

If you get hit, you're guaranteed to die!
"You forced me to do this!!"

The Second Elder let out a beast-like roar, a ruthless and resolute glint in his eyes.

He suddenly slapped his head, spitting out a mouthful of his life essence, and his hands formed a strange and evil hand seal at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.

"Blood sacrifice to the remnant soul, borrowing power from the netherworld! Devouring Spirit Demon Body, open!"

As his mournful incantation rang out, his life essence instantly ignited, transforming into a dense crimson mist that enveloped him.

A far more violent, yet chaotic and ominous aura erupted from his body! His eyes instantly turned blood red, twisted black demonic patterns appeared on his skin, and the spiritual energy around him became mixed and violent. His cultivation level was forcibly increased in a short period of time, faintly touching the threshold of the Nascent Soul stage. However, the price was that his life force was burning rapidly, and his soul was also experiencing a tearing pain!
This is an extremely vicious and forbidden technique. It costs one's life essence and part of one's soul to gain immense power in a short period of time. However, afterward, at best, one's cultivation level will plummet and one's foundation will be damaged; at worst, one's soul will be crippled, turning one into a monster that only knows how to kill!

After unleashing the forbidden technique, the Second Elder's strength surged. He laughed wildly, neither dodging nor avoiding, and directly punched the incoming spiral sword energy!
"Boom!!!"

The fist energy and the sword energy collided fiercely, unleashing a deafening roar.

The violent energy shockwave spread outwards, destroying all the surrounding trees and rocks!

Chen Feng and Su Wan turned pale and spat out a mouthful of blood, flying backward. Their combined attack technique was forcibly broken by the opponent with brute force!

The vines that the Skeleton Demon Vine had been coiling around were mostly shaken off by the violent blood energy erupting from the Second Elder's body. Only a few of the toughest bone vines managed to hold onto his hands and feet, but they were also being scorched by the blood energy, sizzling as death energy and blood energy corroded each other.

"Hahaha! You ants, are you feeling the despair?"

The Second Elder appeared to be insane, his bloodshot eyes fixed intently on Chen Feng and his wife.

...

...

at the same time.

On the other route, Fu Yongyi was being relentlessly pursued by the effeminate-looking seventh elder of the Wu family.

The Seventh Elder was at the late Golden Core stage, and his escape speed far surpassed Fu Yongyi's, so the distance between the two was constantly closing.

"Boy, surrender obediently, and you'll suffer less!" The Seventh Elder's cold voice rang out behind Fu Yongyi like a venomous snake, carrying a mocking tone reminiscent of a cat catching a mouse. He didn't go all out; in his view, capturing a junior at the early stage of the Golden Core realm was a piece of cake.

Fu Yongyi's face was pale, his breathing was disordered, and his escape light seemed to be on the verge of collapse, as if he might run out of energy at any moment. He flew away desperately without looking back, deliberately choosing to traverse places with complex terrain and dense forests. He seemed to be running around in a panic, but in reality, he was secretly observing the Seventh Elder's pursuit rhythm and protective measures.

He noticed that although the Seventh Elder possessed profound cultivation, he seemed quite afraid of death, as his body was always shrouded in a faint blue light shield—the spiritual light emanating from a high-quality defensive magic treasure. Moreover, this person was cautious by nature; even with an absolute advantage, he did not act rashly and always maintained a safe distance.

"We must break through his defenses in one strike, otherwise we have no chance of winning..." Fu Yongyi calmly analyzed in his mind, while his divine sense quietly communicated with a certain entity in the spirit beast pouch.

Finally, when they flew to a narrow valley between two mountains with jagged rocks, a glint of light flashed in Fu Yongyi's eyes!
This is it! The terrain makes it difficult for the opponent to dodge!

He abruptly stopped his escape, turned around, and faced the Seventh Elder who was rushing towards him. There was no trace of panic on his face, only a cold calm.

Upon seeing this, the Seventh Elder was taken aback at first, then sneered: "What? Not running away anymore? Finally faced with reality?"

Fu Yongyi did not answer, but suddenly patted an inconspicuous gray leather bag at his waist.

"Roar--!"

A deep, savage roar, as if from the beginning of chaos, suddenly rang out! The sound wasn't loud, but it carried a primal sense of oppression that struck straight to the soul!
Followed by.

A gray shadow shot out and instantly expanded, transforming into a gigantic, ferocious beast! This beast resembled neither a lion nor a tiger, its body covered in dark, dull scales, with a twisted horn growing from the center of its head, and its beastly eyes displaying a chaotic gray hue. Its entire body exuded an aura of chaos and all-consuming power!

"A peak fourth-tier demonic beast?!"

The Seventh Elder's expression changed slightly, and he immediately activated the azure light shield around his body.

However, Chaos's attack was faster and more bizarre than he had imagined!

Suddenly, the twisted horn on Chaos's forehead lit up with a hazy gray light, and an invisible wave spread out from it!
[Bloodline Spiritual Art: Breath of Return to Nothingness]!
There was no earth-shattering display, but wherever that hazy light passed, space seemed to distort slightly, and spiritual energy was instantly repelled and annihilated! The solid cyan light shield around the Seventh Elder melted and dimmed at a visible speed the moment it was touched by this hazy light, just like ice and snow thrown into the scorching sun!
"What?! This is impossible!"

The Seventh Elder was horrified.

His [Azure Wood Spiritual Light Barrier] is a top-grade fourth-tier defensive magic treasure, capable of withstanding the full force of a fake Nascent Soul cultivator's attack. How could it be so easily eroded by a fourth-tier demon beast?

Just as his mind trembled violently, and he desperately channeled his spiritual power to try and maintain the light barrier—

Fu Yongyi, who had been waiting in the wings, finally made his move!
This is the opportunity he has been waiting for!
"Shocking Thrust!"

Fu Yongyi's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and an extremely condensed, formless and intangible divine sense attack, like the sharpest needle, instantly crossed the distance between the two and fiercely pierced the Seventh Elder's sea of ​​consciousness!

The Seventh Elder was fully engaged in dealing with the strange aura of chaos returning to nothingness, his protective shield teetering on the brink of collapse, and his mind inevitably experienced a momentary lapse. This sudden attack of divine sense was like the last straw that broke the camel's back, causing a sharp pain in his sea of ​​consciousness, and a momentary blurring and blankness in his awareness!
Although this momentary lapse can be fatal in a duel between masters!

In the blink of an eye!
"Whoosh!"

A barely audible whooshing sound rang out.

A streak of dark light shot out from Fu Yongyi's sleeve, as fast as lightning! It was a small, handleless sword, no more than three inches long, entirely black, and devoid of any spiritual energy fluctuations—[Lightless]!
This is a hidden weapon developed by Fu Yongjing.

Because it has no spiritual energy fluctuations, it is extremely difficult to be detected by divine sense, and it is especially effective at breaking through the moment when a cultivator's protective spiritual light is weakened!

At this moment, the Seventh Elder's protective shield had been eroded by the breath of the Void to the point of being as thin as a cicada's wing, and its operation was sluggish due to the damage to his divine consciousness!
"Pfft!"

The dark light easily pierced through the almost non-existent defense and precisely entered the Seventh Elder's brow!

The Seventh Elder's body stiffened abruptly, his eyes freezing in shock and disbelief. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no sound came out. A drop of crimson seeped from between his brows, and then his eyes quickly darkened, his aura receding like a receding tide.

"boom!"

His body fell from mid-air, kicking up a cloud of dust.

An elder in the late stage of the Golden Core realm was killed in just a few breaths by Fu Yongyi and the Chaos Beast in a single, perfectly coordinated attack!

Fu Yongyi let out a long sigh of relief, his face turning somewhat pale.

The use of the Divine Strike technique took a toll on him.

He quickly put away the Chaos Beast and the Lightless Sword, not even having time to check the Seventh Elder's storage bag. He simply waved his hand and unleashed a fireball that reduced the Seventh Elder's corpse to ashes before turning around and rushing back to help Su Wan and Chen Feng.

...

...

Just as Fu Yongyi was plotting to kill the Seventh Elder, on another route, Fairy Tianyin was also being closely pursued by the Eighth Elder of the Wu family.

Unlike the effeminate Seventh Elder, the Eighth Elder was tall and had a somewhat rugged face, but his eyes were openly fixed on the Fairy of Heavenly Sound's slender figure and beautiful face, filled with greed and lewdness.

"Little beauty, why are you running so fast?" The Eighth Elder chuckled as he chased after her at a leisurely pace, his voice nauseatingly sticky. "With your looks and cultivation, why suffer with those country bumpkins from the Fu family? Why not become my eighteenth concubine? I guarantee you'll live a life of luxury in Jinzhou, with endless cultivation resources. Wouldn't that be much more enjoyable than fighting and killing?"

"Senior... is what you say true? Can you really guarantee my safety and grant me resources for cultivation?"

Seeing that Fairy Tianyin seemed interested, the Eighth Elder was overjoyed and relaxed his guard, laughing loudly:

"Hahaha! This elder keeps his word! As long as you behave, you'll get your share of the benefits! Stop now, don't waste your energy."

"Then...then this junior will trust you this once, senior."

As if she had made up her mind, Fairy Tianyin slowly stopped her escape light and landed in a relatively open clearing in the forest. She lowered her head slightly, looking submissive.

The Eighth Elder, feeling smug, also landed. Looking at the beauty so close and seemingly within reach, his desire burned even brighter. He couldn't help but take a few steps forward, intending to reach out and embrace the Fairy of Heavenly Sound's slender waist.

However, just as he relaxed his guard and thought the situation was settled—

A cold glint suddenly flashed in the lowered eyes of the Heavenly Sound Fairy!

She suddenly raised her hands, which had been behind her back, forward!
"Om-!"

Five array flags, each a different color and only the size of a palm, shot out as if they were alive, instantly disappearing into the open space around the two people and inserting themselves into the ground along some mysterious trajectory!

Immediately afterwards, a huge five-colored light screen suddenly rose up, enveloping the Eighth Elder and Fairy Tianyin herself! On the light screen, gold, green, blue, red, and yellow spiritual lights flowed endlessly, radiating a powerful sealing and oppressive force!

[Minor Five Elements Trapping Array]! And it was a pre-prepared array diagram, activated instantly!
"You wretch! You dare to play me?!" The lewd smile on the Eighth Elder's face instantly turned into fury. Only then did he realize that he had fallen for the other party's delaying tactic! He reacted extremely quickly. The moment he was enveloped by the formation, a yellowish-brown tortoise-shell-shaped magic weapon was summoned, transforming into a solid light shield to protect him. At the same time, a gleaming ghost-head blade appeared in his hand. This was his natal magic weapon, the Soul-Splitting Blade, which he had refined for many years!
"Break for me!" the Eighth Elder roared, pouring all his late-stage Golden Core spiritual power into the Soul-Splitting Blade. The blade instantly swelled, transforming into a massive blade aura over ten zhang long, accompanied by a mournful ghostly howl, as it slashed fiercely at the five-colored light barrier in front of him! He intended to break the spell with brute force and forcibly tear open this trapping formation!
However, since Fairy Tianyin set up this formation, how could she not have a backup plan?
Facing the terrifying blade energy, she remained calm, changed her hand seals again, and softly opened her mouth: "Five Elements Rotation, Control!"

The five-colored light curtain shone brightly, and the five elements of spiritual power circulated continuously. At the location where the blade energy struck, the thick earth-yellow spiritual light instantly gathered, forming a huge shield phantom!

"boom!"

The blade's energy struck the shield's shadow, producing a dull, resounding crash. The shield's shadow shook violently, its light dimming, but it ultimately withstood this ferocious attack! The counter-force of the formation caused the Eighth Elder's blood to surge.

"Let's see how many blows you can take!" The Eighth Elder was both shocked and furious, and was about to swing his sword again.

But then, Fairy Tianyin flipped her jade hand, and a spirit beast pouch appeared in her palm. She gently tapped the pouch, and five thin golden rays shot out, rapidly growing larger in the air, transforming into five fist-sized, beetle-like, strange spirit insects with transparent thin wings on their backs and ferocious mouthparts! They were five fourth-tier [Spirit Devouring Insects]!
After the five spirit-devouring insects appeared, they did not attack directly. Instead, following some ancient battle formation trajectory, they instantly scattered to five directions around the Eighth Elder, surrounding him in the center.

"squeak--!"

The five spirit-devouring insects simultaneously emitted sharp hisses, their bodies glowing with gold, green, blue, red, and yellow light respectively. Their auras were connected, drawing upon the five elements of spiritual energy in the world! A more complex and profound array phantom than the previous Lesser Five Elements Trapping Array instantly formed between them!
【Ancient Demon Battle Formation Record: Five Elements Spirit Control Formation】!
Once this formation was complete, a force of the Five Elements, far more powerful and aggressive than the Lesser Five Elements Trapping Formation, suddenly descended! It was as if five invisible mountains were pressing down on the Eighth Elder from all directions, not only restricting his movements but also frantically drawing away and eroding the spiritual power of his protective shield and his own magical power!

"What the hell is this?!"

The Eighth Elder's expression changed drastically. He felt his spiritual power rapidly draining away, and his protective aura was on the verge of collapse! The array formed by the five strange spirit insects posed a deadly threat to him!
"We can't hold back anymore!"

A ruthless glint flashed in the Eighth Elder's eyes. He knew that if he dragged this out any longer, he would surely die!
He suddenly bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the Soul-Splitting Blade. The blade was instantly covered in a layer of blood, and the ghostly howl became even more shrill and piercing!
"Blood Burning Secret Technique! Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, Slay!"

He unleashed a secret technique that drained his vital energy, transforming the Soul-Splitting Blade into a blood-red rainbow, carrying countless twisted ghostly shadows, its power amplified, as it once again fiercely struck the Five Elements Spirit Control Array! This was his desperate attack!
However, what Fairy Tianyin was waiting for was the moment when he would unleash his full power, when his old strength had dissipated and his new strength had not yet been generated!
Just as the crimson sword rainbow clashed violently with the Five Elements Spirit Control Array, unleashing a blinding light and an energy storm, Fairy Tianyin moved!

Her figure blended into the flowing spiritual light of the array like a ghost, silently appearing behind the Eighth Elder—the very spot where the Five Elements Spirit Control Array had a tiny gap in its power flow when fighting the blood-red sword rainbow!

A long needle, as thin as a hair and almost transparent, appeared in her hand without her noticing—the [Shadowless Needle]!
There was no fluctuation of spiritual energy, nor any leakage of killing intent.

Under the cover of the booming array and the bursting energy, the Shadowless Needle seemed to merge into the void, piercing with unparalleled precision at the Eighth Elder's temple, which was the weakest point in his defense due to the full activation of his secret technique!
The Eighth Elder was completely focused on fighting the Five Elements Spirit Control Array and controlling the Soul Splitting Blade, and was completely unaware of this flawless sneak attack!
"puff!"

A barely perceptible soft sound.

The Shadowless Needle easily pierced through the protective light shield that had become thin due to the spiritual energy being drawn out by the formation, and entered the Eighth Elder's temple!
The Eighth Elder's body stiffened abruptly, his movements as he manipulated the Soul-Splitting Blade instantly halting. He turned his eyes in disbelief, looking at the cold face of Fairy Tianyin behind him. He opened his mouth, but could only let out a hoarse "heh heh" sound.

The lewdness, rage, and horror in his eyes vanished completely.

The blood-red light on the Soul-Splitting Blade faded rapidly, and it fell to the ground with a clatter. The pressure of the Five Elements Spirit Control Array instantly crushed his lifeless body.

"boom!"

The Eighth Elder's body collapsed limply to the ground.

Fairy Tianyin expressionlessly withdrew the Shadowless Needle, snatched the storage bag from the Eighth Elder, then had five Spirit-Devouring Insects devour the corpse, removed the formation, took a pill to restore her spiritual power, and immediately transformed into a streak of light, returning home.

She was concerned about the battle between Chen Feng and his wife and the Second Elder. After all, the Second Elder was a fake Nascent Soul cultivator, and even with the help of the Skeleton Demon Vine, the outcome was still uncertain.

As she silently crept back into the forest area ravaged by the fierce battle, she saw Fu Yongyi rushing towards her from another direction. The two exchanged a glance and saw the seriousness in each other's eyes.

The scene in the room made their hearts tighten.

Chen Feng and Su Wan stood supporting each other in the distance, their faces pale, blood trickling from their lips, and their breaths weak, clearly indicating serious injuries. Further away, the Second Elder, looking like a madman, had blood and death energy mingling around him, and the demonic patterns on his skin twisted and writhed as he laughed maniacally and threw a punch at the skeleton demon vines protecting Chen Feng and Su Wan.

The incredibly tough bone vines of the Skeleton Demon Vine were shattered inch by inch by the violent power gained from the Second Elder burning his life and soul. Most of the pale white flowers were broken, and much of the deathly poison mist it spewed out was dispersed by the scorching blood energy. It was clearly severely injured, but it was struggling to hold on with its powerful life force.

"Hahaha! Let's see how long you can hold out!" The Second Elder roared and threw another punch, shattering several bone vines that were wrapping around him, pressing forward step by step.

"We can't wait any longer!" Fu Yongyi shouted, and he and Fairy Tianyin attacked at the same time with perfect tacit understanding!

Fu Yongyi activated the [Shocking Divine Thrust] again, sending an invisible needle piercing straight into the Second Elder's sea of ​​consciousness! Although the Second Elder's soul was in chaos and rage due to the forbidden technique, this sudden attack on his consciousness still made him pause slightly, and his maniacal laughter came to an abrupt halt.

That instant of stillness!

With a wave of her jade hand, Fairy Tianyin summoned the five Spirit-Devouring Insects that had just devoured the Eighth Elder and whose auras seemed to have become more refined! They hissed and instantly set up the [Five Elements Spirit Control Array]. The five-colored light, like shackles, wrapped around the Second Elder from all directions, further restricting his movements and accelerating the devouring of his spiritual power and life force, which were already rapidly draining away due to the forbidden technique!

At the same time, the Heavenly Sound Fairy silently shot out the Shadowless Needle from her sleeve, aiming directly at the Second Elder's vital point in the back, where his defenses had been greatly weakened due to the use of a secret technique!
However, the fake infant cultivator's last-ditch counterattack was far beyond imagination!
Although the Second Elder was disturbed by the divine sense attack and bound by the Five Elements Spirit Control Array, he actually twisted his body violently with the help of his beast-like instincts just before the Shadowless Needle hit his body!
"puff!"

The invisible needle failed to strike his vital point in the back, but instead pierced deep into his right scapula! The excruciating pain caused him to let out a piercing roar!

"You... all deserve to die!"

The Second Elder went completely mad. He ignored the Skeleton Demon Vine and Chen Feng and his wife. His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Fu Yongyi and Fairy Tianyin, who had just made their move. His blood energy erupted like a volcano, temporarily breaking free from the restraints of the Five Elements Spirit Control Array. He transformed into a blood shadow, rushing towards Fu Yongyi, who was closer, with the momentum of mutual destruction!

"Yongyi, be careful!" Chen Feng and Su Wan exclaimed.

Fu Yongyi's expression changed. The Chaos Beast had just used its bloodline spiritual technique and couldn't use it again for a while, and he himself was also greatly exhausted. Facing this near-death attack from the fake Nascent Soul cultivator, he felt a fatal threat!

At this critical moment!
The skeletal vines, which had been struggling to hold on, seemed to have been unleashed their final ferocity, letting out a piercing shriek! All its remaining vines ceased their defense and instead, like countless javelins, suddenly contracted, then stabbed wildly at the blood shadow that was the Second Elder at an even greater speed than before! They were even willing to sacrifice their own vines to break in order to stop him!
"Puff-puff-!"

A series of piercing sounds rang out as dozens of bone vines, like spears, pierced through the Second Elder's blood shadow in an instant! Although most of the bone vines shattered and disintegrated the moment they came into contact with the blood energy, several of the toughest bone vines still managed to pierce into the Second Elder's body!

The Second Elder's forward momentum abruptly halted, the bloody shadow dissipated, revealing his true form covered in demonic runes and holes. He looked down in disbelief at the pale white bone vines that had pierced through his chest and abdomen, the madness in his eyes quickly replaced by deathly stillness.

"Heh...heh..." He opened his mouth, but in the end he couldn't say anything. His blood energy receded like the tide, his demonic runes dimmed, and his life force was completely extinguished.

"boom!"

The Second Elder's corpse was flung to the ground like a rag by the Skeleton Demon Vine. The few remaining bone vines did not retract; instead, they greedily coiled around him like sharks that had smelled blood.

"Hiss..."

The Skeleton Vine emitted a low, satisfied hiss. The tip of the bone vine that pierced through the Second Elder's body split open, revealing fine, root-like tendrils that burrowed deep into the corpse.

A rich essence of flesh and blood, along with a powerful spiritual energy that had not yet completely dissipated, was being frantically absorbed by the bone vine like a stream.

The Second Elder, being a pseudo-Nascent Soul cultivator, possessed an energy in his corpse that far surpassed that of ordinary Golden Core cultivators.

The broken tendrils of the Skeleton Demon Vine began to wriggle and heal at a speed visible to the naked eye. New shoots sprouted from the broken ends, and although the pale white flowers could not be restored immediately, the previously withered aura quickly stabilized and began to slowly rise again.

The deathly, eerie aura that enveloped him became even more solid.

Upon seeing this, Fu Yongyi had an idea and immediately threw the Seventh Elder's corpse at the Skeleton Demon Vine.

"Skull, this is for you too. Recover as soon as possible!"

Without any hesitation, the Skeleton Vine separated a relatively intact bone vine, which coiled around the charred corpse like a python, and began to absorb the remaining energy within it.

The two corpses of high-level cultivators would undoubtedly be a great tonic for this kind of demonic plant.

With the continuous injection of energy.

The Skeleton Vine's recovery speed has accelerated significantly. The broken vines have regrown, and the shattered flowers show signs of re-coagulating. Although it will take some time before it fully recovers to its peak, it has at least stabilized its injuries and restored some of its combat power.

Seeing that the Skeleton Demon Vine's condition had stabilized, Fu Yongyi and Fairy Tianyin both breathed a sigh of relief.

With it there, their journey back to the state capital would be more secure.

"This place is no place to stay any longer; we must leave immediately!"

Fairy Tianyin cautiously sensed her surroundings. The commotion from the successive battles was too great; the Wu family's reinforcements were probably already on their way.

Fu Yongyi nodded and stepped forward to help Chen Feng and Su Wan, who were seriously injured, together with Fairy Tianyin.

Chen Feng looked at the skeleton vine that was devouring corpses to regenerate and said with a wry smile:
"Thanks to it, and also to Yongyi and Fairy Tianyin for their timely assistance, otherwise my wife and I would probably be dead here today."

Su Wan nodded, still feeling uneasy.

"We're family, let's leave first and talk later," Fu Yongyi said in a deep voice, quickly putting away the Second Elder's storage bag.

This is the spoils of war.

Perhaps we can find some clues about the Wu family's schemes here.

They determined their direction, headed towards the city, increased their speed to the maximum, transformed into four streaks of light, and quickly disappeared into the horizon.

...

...

Deep within Changling Mountain, in a hidden cave.

Elder Wu Hong frowned, standing with his hands behind his back in front of the control panel, his gaze fixed on the empty area on the mirror. The Second Elder and the other two had been gone for some time. Given their cultivation levels, capturing and killing a few Golden Core juniors should have been a piece of cake. Even with that near-fifth-tier Skeleton Vine, and with the Second Elder present, it shouldn't have taken so long.

"Could it be... that something unexpected has happened?" A sense of foreboding crept into his heart like a venomous snake. His previous unease now grew even stronger.

"Someone come here!" he shouted in a deep voice.

A trusted Golden Core elder entered in response: "What are your orders, Grand Elder?"

"Take two people and investigate along the direction the Second Elder and the others left in. See if there's anything unusual. Remember, be careful. If anything seems amiss, retreat immediately!" Wu Hong instructed. He needed to find out what had happened.

"Yes!" The trusted elder accepted the order and was about to turn and leave.

Sudden--

A communication jade talisman in Wu Hong's arms began to vibrate violently, emitting a rapid red light!
This is a top-level emergency message from the family!
Wu Hong's expression changed slightly, and he immediately took out the jade talisman and immersed his divine sense into it.

The next moment, his body suddenly trembled, the color drained from his face instantly, and his eyes were filled with disbelief and horror!

"How could this be... This is absolutely impossible!" he roared in a low voice, his hand gripping the jade talisman trembling slightly from the excessive force.

Upon seeing this, the trusted elder felt a chill and cautiously asked, "Elder, what has happened?"

Wu Hong slowly raised his head, his eyes vacant, his voice dry and hoarse: "The clan leader sent a message... Second Elder, Seventh Elder, Eighth Elder... their life lamps... just now... went out at the same time!"

"What?!" The trusted elder was struck dumb, his face turning deathly pale. "Three elders... have perished at the same time? This... how is this possible! The Second Elder was a Nascent Soul cultivator!"

“Yes… a mere Nascent Soul cultivator…” Wu Hong muttered to himself, his face filled with confusion and shock. “The highest cultivation level among the Fu family members is only the seventh level of the Golden Core stage. Even with the help of that near-fifth-tier Skeleton Demon Vine, there’s absolutely no way they could have captured the Second Elder! Let alone prevent him from even sending a distress signal…”

He was puzzled.

The Fu family members certainly did not have this ability, but if it was not the Fu family, who in this Jinzhou territory would so ruthlessly attack the three core elders of the Wu family? And do it so cleanly and efficiently?

"Elder!" The trusted elder suddenly realized something, his voice filled with fear and urgency, "Second Elder... he is the Ancestor's own younger brother! The Ancestor has always favored him! Now that the Second Elder has gone out into trouble in your territory, the Ancestor is furious, and I'm afraid... I'm afraid he will take his anger out on you!"

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, instantly snapping Wu Hong out of his shock. A chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!
That's right!

Second Elder Wu Li is not only an important fighting force of the family, but also the younger brother of the Wu family patriarch, Wu Laozu! Wu Laozu is quite indulgent towards his brother, which is an important reason why Wu Li dares to be so arrogant and even disregards him, the eldest elder.

now.

Wu Li perished right under his nose.

Whatever the reason, the enraged Martial Ancestor is very likely to blame part of the responsibility on his poor command and ineffective leadership!
Furthermore, given that Patriarch Wu already harbored resentment towards the clan leader's lineage for holding the position of Grand Elder, it is highly likely that he would seize this opportunity to launch an attack, strip him of his position as Grand Elder, or even impose more severe punishments!

Thinking of Wu Laozu's domineering, ruthless, and vindictive personality.

Wu Hong couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

During the message, the clan chief clearly stated that the patriarch ordered him to immediately return to the clan headquarters and explain the whole story!

"We have to find a way...we have to come up with a reasonable explanation..."

Wu Hong forced himself to calm down, his brain racing.

Blaming the Fu family? There's insufficient evidence, and the disparity in strength is too great to be believable.

Blaming it on unknown forces? That would only make you look incompetent and add fuel to the fire.

His gaze involuntarily drifted back to the control panel, to the constantly flashing light representing the hidden place in the mountains. A bold and adventurous idea, like a lightning bolt streaking across the darkness, suddenly appeared in his mind.

He took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes, and said in a deep voice to his trusted elder:

"You must immediately prepare to return to the clan with me. Also, pass on my orders to keep the news of the Second Elder's demise a secret; it must not be circulated outside the clan until we return!"

"Yes!" The trusted elder, though puzzled, immediately accepted the order and left.

Only Wu Hong remained inside the cave.

He stared at the flickering light, his eyes shifting uncertainly.

"Perhaps... only this reason can make sense, can divert the patriarch's anger elsewhere, and even... buy me more time and resources..."

...

...

The Wu family's main clan is located in a mountain range in the heart of Jinzhou, a region renowned for its abundant spiritual energy. Their palaces stretch across the land, exuding a magnificent aura. However, at this moment, the atmosphere in the core area of ​​the clan is as oppressive as the calm before a storm.

Wu Hong, accompanied by his trusted confidants, entered the family council hall in silence, his face grave.

The main seat above the main hall is empty; that is the seat of the clan leader.

Beside the main seat was a large rosewood chair, upon which sat a woman dressed in a deep purple palace gown, her hair piled high, her face cold and elegant. She appeared to be only in her early thirties, with skin as white as jade, yet her eyes held a sharp and weathered air of long-accumulated power. Her aura, though restrained, subtly distorted the space of the entire hall.

This person is none other than Wu Hongluan, the patriarch of the Wu family!
To the left of Wu Hongluan sat the current head of the Wu family.

"Wu Hong greets the Ancestor and the Clan Chief!" Wu Hong stepped forward, bowed deeply, and lowered his posture considerably.

"Hmph!" Wu Hongluan snorted coldly, her voice clear yet carrying a chilling edge. "Wu Hong, my brother Wu Li, and the seventh and eighth brothers, what's going on with their life-soul lamps? You were in charge of Changling Mountain, and they left right under your nose! Give me an explanation!"

Wu Hong forced himself to calm down, his face showing a mixture of grief, indignation, and self-reproach, and bowed deeply once more:
"Ancestor, please calm your anger! This matter... this matter was indeed unexpected. It was Wu Hong's oversight. Please punish me, Ancestor!"

"Oversight failure?" Wu Hongluan's phoenix eyes flashed with murderous intent. "Does a mere 'oversight failure' really save my brother's life? Tell me! What exactly happened? Was it the younger generation of the Fu family who were behind this?"

(End of this chapter)