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Chapter 349 The ruthless bandit has emerged from the mountains.

As the autumn rain fell, the sky became overcast.

The carriage carrying everyone left Shengjing and then traveled north along the official road of Zhongzhou, passing through several major cities in Zhongzhou.

After the zombie horde attack, these cities were all reduced to ruins, and repairs began after the disaster.

Now, its basic shape has been temporarily taken shape, but the atmosphere in the city is heavy and the air pressure is low.

This was mainly due to the open and covert struggles among powerful families, their self-serving actions, and their mutual distrust, which led to a confrontational and unpredictable atmosphere.

Like a stack of building blocks, originally piled up haphazardly, they maintain a delicate balance, calm and stable.

But with the Li family wiped out, and other powerful families also being destroyed in the disaster, this balance was completely broken.

Nowadays, all powerful families are thinking about making a profit, so it's natural that tensions will inevitably rise.

"After the disaster, the Li family was visited by almost all the aristocratic families in Zhongzhou, which caused several battles. The Li family's ancestral property has not been completely divided up to this day, which shows how profound the foundation of a thousand-year-old family must be."

Cao Jingsong spoke in a low voice.

"When a whale falls, all things come to life." Ji You offered a fitting metaphor.

What is a whale?

"A type of large sea fish, so big that its carcass is enough to feed an entire ecosystem after it dies."

"That analogy is quite apt."

The air pressure in the city was low, rain was falling outside the window, and the sky was overcast, making it the perfect time for a short rest.

At this time, apart from Cao Jingsong and Ji You, everyone else was already asleep in the carriage.

Ding Yao was sleeping on the opposite side of Ji You, her snow-white feet almost reaching into Ji You's arms.

Meanwhile, Lu Qingqiu was also huddled in a corner of the carriage, her almond-shaped eyes half-open as she observed Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu for a while.

Without a doubt, this was the person who had contacted me before the New Year last year, and I had asked her many questions, such as whether it was big or not, and whether it hurt.

That serious and earnest demeanor was just like that of a personal maid in the main house of the house.

The Lu sisters always believed that Yuan Caiwei was the legitimate wife, and they had invited her to banquets many times in an attempt to build a good relationship with her in advance. However, she was certain that the two women were not Yuan Caiwei's people.

Moreover, the women of the Dan Sect are gentle and kind, and they would not likely raise such an arrogant person to be by their side.

Gollum-

The carriage continued its journey, and Cao Jingsong remained peeking out from behind the curtain. In the distance, he could see a familiar city: "To the south is the territory of the Rulong clan, which now seems to be occupied by the Sun family."

Ji You raised her eyes: "The Sun family?"

“A small family in Zhongzhou is not even comparable to the Bai family. Such a family has no ability to compete for the foundation of those ruined families. They can only pick up scraps. The Sun family has a large number of people, so they took the Bai family’s land.”

"Small aristocratic families actually have more members?"

Cao Jingsong nodded: "For aristocratic families like this, the opportunity to climb up the social ladder is to keep having children, hoping that the family can produce some exceptionally talented children and achieve a revival. Some thousand-year-old aristocratic families, on the contrary, consciously control their reproduction because of internal struggles."

After hearing this, Ji You lifted the curtain and peeked out, handing a tael or two of silver to the coachman ahead: "Take a detour ahead, go to the northeast side of Lin Yuan City."

"Okay, sir."

"Thank you."

Cao Jingsong watched him sit back down, exchanged a silent glance with him, and began to understand the situation.

The Bai family is located in Linyuan City; this wicked disciple is planning to go to the Bai family.

The reason for going to the Bai family at this time was certainly not to congratulate the Sun family on acquiring a large amount of land, but most likely to help Bai Rulong reclaim the clan land.

Old Cao felt he had grasped his wicked disciple's thought process and gently touched the longsword beside him.

After entering the Yingtian Realm, his strength increased greatly, and he has yet to have a chance to make a move. The Dao Sword in his hand is already itching for action.

The carriage traveled north and soon arrived at Lin Yuan City.

Just like when Ji You left this place, it is still a wasteland.

The two looked out through the curtained carriage window, and the Bai family's territory quickly came into view.

From afar, the courtyard, now a ruin, was filled with young men clearing away the rubble.

The courtyard wall and gatehouse in the southwest corner have been rebuilt, and the collapsed front courtyard hall is also under repair.

Under the rain, there was a makeshift wooden shed on the west side of the artificial hill in the courtyard, where thirteen people were sitting, drinking and eating meat while keeping an eye on the progress of the construction projects.

These people all had fluctuations of spiritual energy around them. The strongest one was at the initial stage of the Fusion Dao Realm and already looked middle-aged. The others were slightly younger, a small part of whom were at the Profound Realm, and the rest were all at the peak of the lower three realms.

"The Sun family should be under the shed. You don't need to do anything later; I can handle it all by myself."

"What are you going to do?"

"?"

Cao Jingsong frowned slightly: "Didn't we come here to help Rulong reclaim his clan's territory?"

Ji You curled up her legs: "Bai Rulong's Dao heart is out of control now, and he probably can't stay in his old place. Besides, he doesn't have a penny on him. Even if you take it back for him, what can he do? He'll still be guarding a pile of ruins."

"Then why did we go through all this trouble to come here?"

"Let's check the progress of the project and wait until they've finished fixing it before making any decisions."

"???"

Cao Jingsong was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself, "Wait until the Sun family has repaired the house before robbing it? Damn it, your trainer really can't keep up with your thought process."

Ji You looked out the car window and said, "Look at these selfless people, how kind they are. When I think about how diligently they help others, I feel that even their faces become much more gentle."

"It has to be you..."

"Let's go and take another look at the Du family."

"?"

Ji You pointed to a place further north: "I went to the Du family when I came to rescue Ru Long. It's probably not far ahead."

After a long silence, Cao Jingsong opened his eyes wide and asked, "You're going to inspect the Du family's project too?"

"Isn't it possible?"

What is your relationship with Du Zhu?

"Du Zhu and I entered the academy in the same year and studied together for five years. Although there were constant frictions in the early stages, we gradually came to appreciate each other in the subsequent competitions. We confided in each other for many years and became as close as brothers. This is common knowledge in Tianshu Academy."

Ji You revealed a hint of melancholy: "Now the Du family has fallen into an abyss of no return because of a trace of greed, and the clan is about to perish. But whether as a classmate or a brother, I, Ji, have a responsibility to protect their clan's land, even at the cost of my life."

Cao Jingsong opened his mouth, but all that was left was "I'm so angry."

They were as close as brothers, and back then, the group led by Du Zhu were the most vocal about the phrase "private repairs in the countryside."

Now that there's no way to prove anything, it's your turn to make a fortune.

"It's a pity the Li family lives too far away, otherwise I could have gone to visit them on the way."

"No one from the Li family is at the Heavenly Academy," Cao Jingsong couldn't help but remind him.

Upon hearing this, Ji You immediately waved her hand: "It's alright, I can share the story I make up anytime."

Cao Jingsong's mustache stood on end: "The Du family and the Bai family are fine, but the Li family is different. The Li family has countless in-law families. Even if you make up a godparent family, how can it be closer than them? Your idea won't work."

"No, they dare not."

"?"

"The Li family has been listed as the mastermind behind the chaos in the world, but whether there were other close aristocratic families assisting them is unclear to the six major immortal sects. In principle, these in-law families are all suspects. At this moment, what they are most anxious about is to sever ties with them and would never dare to use this as an excuse. But I am different."

Ji You looked calmly at Cao Jingsong: "I severed the Heavenly Dao Sacrifice."

Upon hearing this, Cao Jingsong immediately understood.

Indeed, it is still uncertain whether the chaos in the Heavenly Dao is limited to those listed aristocratic families, and their in-law families are naturally under suspicion.

Even if someone is on good terms with the Li family, or even has connections through bloodlines, they dare not speak out in order to distance themselves from the family.

But Ji You is different. Even if he says that the Li family patriarch is his godfather, no one will doubt him.

Because in the end, it was he who severed the Heavenly Dao Sacrifice, causing the sacred artifact to revive and preventing the chaos.

"It's just a pity about my best friend Chu He..."

"???"

"Chu He is kind-hearted and generous, but he was taken advantage of in this disaster. As his godfather, I should take care of his funeral arrangements. It's just a pity that Youzhou is now occupied by the barbarians, and I can hardly protect Chu City for him."

"Chu He is truly blessed to have you as his godfather."

As Cao Jingsong was speaking, he suddenly saw a golden light rise in Ji You's eyes. As if he had sensed something, he was slightly taken aback and then spread his divine sense out as well.

"There was a fight?"

Ji You nodded: "Yingtian Realm also participated."

"With such a high-level expert present, it seems that it's still for the Li family's inheritance. Those heirloom treasures are now ownerless and have been constantly fought over. It is said that the Liu family of Zhongzhou obtained a heirloom technique from the Li family and had kept it at home for more than a month, but it was still broken into and taken away."

As soon as Cao Jingsong finished speaking, he felt a chill rush towards him, and then he saw that Ji You had disappeared into the carriage.

After a moment of stunned silence, Lao Cao clicked his tongue, thinking to himself that he should be more careful with his words in the future.

He couldn't bear to hear a word about the heirloom treasure. "Chase after it!"

"Whoever seizes the secret technique of the Instant Kill Finger Seal first will become a core member of my Wang family and receive personal instruction from the family head!"

"Yes!!!"

In the dark mountains and forests, magnificent spiritual energy gathers and flows, raging continuously in the autumn rain.

Hundreds of members of the Wang family from Zhongzhou rampaged through the valley, fiercely battling with the Gan family members, their swords flashing and their shadows gleaming.

Among them, Wang Rong, the elder of the Wang family at the Yingtian Realm, wielded a thunder technique and fiercely fought against Gan Wei, the elder of the Gan family who had conjured a fiery palm.

Amidst the interplay of thunder and lightning, trees snapped in the forest, and the wet ground seemed to be torn apart, sending debris flying everywhere.

The Li family's Instant Kill Finger Seal is also a killing technique, which was obtained by a Li family head three hundred years ago after he comprehended the Dao.

It is said that this art of hand seals can only be understood intuitively and cannot be explained in words, but after a century of evolution by the ancestor of the Li family, this art of hand seals has gradually been passed down through generations.

Simply put, even if the Li family members cannot comprehend the ins and outs of the Heavenly Dao laws, they can still cultivate this finger seal technique.

This is the charm of inherited magic techniques, and also what makes them so precious.

This secret manual was engraved on an iron scroll, which was later obtained by the Gan family. They had been hiding it, intending to take it home, but it was eventually exposed under the pursuit of the Wang family.

Therefore, Gan Wei and his family members could only keep blocking the attacks from the Wang family behind them, while another elder, Gan Hui, held an iron scroll and tried to shake off the pursuers.

"boom!!!"

The explosive sounds of magic continued to resound beneath the dark clouds, and blood mixed with rainwater gathered in the valley, forming a ribbon-like pink hue.

Gan returned home without having time to care for his family members. He could only keep running with the iron scroll in his hand. The abundant spiritual energy gathered beneath his feet as he flew deeper into a canyon.

His destination was not this easily attacked but difficult to defend place, but rather to cross the canyon and allow the Gan family members behind him to use the terrain to cover their retreat.

However, just as Gan Hui suddenly stomped his foot and leaped towards the cliff in front of him, he suddenly sensed a presence.

Before he could react, he saw a Dao sword crashing down upon him.

Suddenly, Gan Hui's pupils constricted, and his two fiery palms rose into the air, carrying a scorching killing intent as he met the sword.

He had already sensed that aura, but his divine sense confirmed that the opponent was not strong, so the best course of action was naturally to kill it and then continue along the route he had originally planned.

But just as he turned his palm over, he sensed something strange.

The aura emanating from the approaching figure was like that of a ferocious beast, carrying an oppressive force that made it difficult to look up.

Meanwhile, the rain here is trembling all over the sky.

"boom!!!!"

The heavy sword pressure suddenly descended, and Gan Hui almost felt a tremor surge from within his body. His hands, which were engulfed in flames, instantly felt a sharp pain, and he was then slammed off the cliff.

The powerful sword energy pressed down on him, shattering the rocks beneath him, and he fell into the deep pit.

In just a moment of exchange, Gan Hui knew he was no match for him.

He immediately rolled over and tried to back away, but before he could take even half a step, a hand grabbed his shoulder.

The iron scroll he had been holding in his arms was instantly snatched back by the other party, and the scorching heat made it difficult for him to resist.

Ji You, his face covered by a brocade handkerchief, reached down, took the gourd from the other's waist, and threw Gan Hui off the cliff. His body was still rumbling with energy.

After the battle between Tiandaoji and Chu Xian, although he was seriously injured, he also benefited from the misfortune and crossed a major realm.

After a long hiatus, his strength, speed, and physical resilience have far surpassed what they were before, giving him the feeling that he could split the heavens with a single sword strike.

Upon seeing this, all the Gan family members who had followed stopped in their tracks, looking up with a hint of fear in their eyes.

"Where is he? Chase after him!"

"Elder, they've entered the valley; it seems they intend to use the terrain to suppress us!"

"Does the Gan family really think that my Wang family has no tricks up its sleeve?!"

Wang Rong sneered and took out a palm-sized tower the instant he stepped into the valley.

This is a magical artifact of the Wang family, a family heirloom, which has been refined and polished by generations of ancestors, and has acquired unparalleled power.

In the face of this momentous change, he specifically took out this item, intending to secure a bright future for the royal family.

At this moment, the golden light of the palm tower flew out, and Wang Rong struck it out fiercely with his palms surging with spiritual energy. It flew directly into the valley with a soaring pressure.

From afar, the palm-shaped tower burst forth with golden light that tore through the night, constantly surging, instantly revealing a proud sense of control to Wang Rong.

But just as the killing intent surged down into the valley, the bright golden light that shone in all directions suddenly disappeared, and the world returned to darkness, causing the Wang family members to freeze in shock.

After the instant kill, Wang Rong flew into a rage, his aura bursting forth as he roared into the valley.

That damned Gan family, they actually had a backup plan, enduring for so long!
However, when he rushed into the valley, a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.

In his imagination, the Gan family must have used some unknown means to suppress the Wang family's pagoda, and it should have already broken out of the valley by now.

But to his surprise, the Gan family was still in the valley.

Gan Hui, who was carrying the iron scroll, was also there, but his right arm was hanging down, and he was slumped in a pile of rubble, his body disheveled, with blood still hanging from the corner of his mouth.

Wang Rong suddenly noticed the gazes of the crowd, so he looked up and his expression gradually became serious.

On a low hill ahead, a figure stood holding a sword.

The icy autumn rain fell continuously from the sky, but before it hit him, it made a hissing sound and then quickly vaporized into rising white mist.

The man stood amidst the surging white mist, his aura overwhelming.

Ji You looked down at the group in the valley, his body radiating sword energy.

His initial ideal was to be a ruthless bandit, robbing immortals to help the poor, and living a life of luxury.

However, due to various events, his wonderful life plan took a turn for the worse, and he had no choice but to enter the Heavenly Academy. After years of hard work, he suppressed his bandit heart.

Of course, this is also due to insufficient strength in the early stages.

After taking five years of detours, he hasn't forgotten his original aspirations and has finally found a job he loves.

"I planted this tree, I opened this road. If you want to pass through, leave behind your storage gourd."

"?"

Wang Rong then looked at Gan Hui and asked, "Who is he?!"

Gan Hui clutched his chest, suppressing his surging blood and qi, and spoke sharply: "What do you think?"

That figure was so young, yet his aura was incredibly powerful; there were very few people like that in Qingyun.

Where is my tower?

"He took it..."

Wang Rong instantly grasped a ball of lightning: "Let's join forces!"

It's one thing to fail to snatch the Instant Kill Finger Seal, but the real problem is that he also lost his tower, discarding an expensive clan-protecting artifact. He won't be able to explain this when he gets back.

As soon as he finished speaking, Gan Wei, who had been chasing after Wang Rong, immediately raised his hands in a fiery gesture. He didn't say anything, but that was his response to Wang Rong's suggestion to join forces.

Upon seeing this, Wang Rong immediately raised his body, which was covered in wind and thunder, and together with Gan Wei, they rushed towards the hill.

The two auras collided, and the powerful force instantly blasted away the rain falling from the sky, causing the disciples of the two families in the valley to exclaim in surprise.

At this moment, Ji You suddenly leaped up from the cliff, and his sword energy soared straight into the sky.

hum-

The powerful pressure of the sword was like a mountain descending. Before the sword even arrived, Wang Rong and Gan Wei's eyes were already bloodshot and their hearts were trembling.

With a thud, both lightning and fire magic were instantly extinguished, and the two figures were sent flying through the blast wave.

However, before he could land, Wang Rong was grabbed by an iron hand, and his storage gourd was instantly taken from his waist.

As the rain poured down, the Wang family members were the first to flee outwards, followed closely by the Gan family members who also ran away.

Canglang——

With the sound of an iron sword being drawn, the disciples of the Qin, Wei, and Jiang families of Zhongzhou rushed over.

The Qin family elder at the forefront swung his sword, stopping the Wang family member who was running at the front.

Tonight, what's being fought over isn't just the iron scroll with the Instant Kill Finger Mark, but also other secret techniques passed down through generations of the Li family, as well as family heirlooms.

The Qin, Wei, and Jiang families were not powerful clans, but in order to seize this opportunity to secure a future for their families, they had long since united and formed a formidable fighting force.

They had just snatched the Wind and Rain Banner, a magical artifact passed down in the Li family, from the Zhang family. Now they immediately came to snatch the Iron Scroll of Instant Kill Finger Imprint, but unexpectedly saw everyone retreating. So they grabbed one of them to ask questions.

"Where's the iron scroll with the Instant Kill Finger Mark?!"

"In...in the valley!"

The Qin family elder released the disciple and waved his hand behind him: "Disciples of the three sects, come with me quickly!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the three disciples immediately followed Elder Qin and ran wildly towards the valley.

Seeing this, the Wang family member who had been grabbed by the neck earlier gasped for breath, then pursed his lips as he watched them run away.

Okay, go ahead, you all go ahead, but each of you will be without a storage gourd.

(End of this chapter)