Building a long-lasting family lineage starting with genealogy

Chapter 207 Talisman-Making Genius, Trade Fair, Clan Extermination Target (10k-word long chapter)

In a quiet room.

Xu Chonghui and the shopkeeper brought the female cultivator several sets of materials for making talismans.

Cao Shengyang and his sister were also interested and watched from the side.

"By the way, what's your name yet?" the shopkeeper asked.

"My name is Li Hongyi, and my brother's name is Li Yuanhua."

The shopkeeper nodded slightly. "Let's begin. If you do indeed have a talent for talisman making, my shop can recruit you and your brother."

Li Hongyi bowed and said, "Thank you, senior."

After a moment's hesitation, she took out a talisman pen from her storage bag.

It is about nine inches long, with a wooden handle that is as black as ink and has dark gold patterns on the surface. The bristles are silvery white and have a faint icy blue luster.

The overall flow is elegant and radiant, quite remarkable.

"High-quality talisman pen?"

Those present were all quite knowledgeable and recognized her at a glance. However, none of them spoke up to disturb her, but instead watched quietly as Li Hongyi drew the talisman.

"This woman and her brother are only at the third or fourth level of Qi Refining, yet they possess high-grade talisman brushes. This must be due to either a family tradition or a special opportunity they had."

Let's observe and see how things develop. If he truly has the potential to become a master talisman maker, then we can recruit and train him.

Li Hongyi drew four low-grade talismans in a row, only one of which failed, which was due to her insufficient magical power.

It is naturally difficult for a cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining to use a high-grade magic weapon.

Moreover, she had such skill in drawing talismans even before her divine sense had been born, which surprised the group quite a bit.

"This girl has extraordinary talent in talisman making, perhaps even surpassing Second Uncle. If she can be fully nurtured by the Xu family, she has a good chance of becoming a top talisman making master, and may even become a talisman making grandmaster."

However, she's only in her early twenties and at the third level of Qi Refining, so she probably only has pseudo-spiritual root aptitude.

While Xu Chonghui was deliberating, Cao Shengyang also began to have designs on Li Hongyi.

“Fairy Hongyi has quite a skill in talismanic arts. I happen to have a Rejuvenation Pill, so I will give it to you,” Cao Shengyang said with a faint smile.

"Really, thank you so much, senior."

Li Hongyi's eyes narrowed, and a sharp glint flashed within them.

His originally pale face suddenly regained some color in his anger.

"Brother Shengyang, do you intend to take this woman in as a concubine?" Xu Chonghui asked.

“I see that she has a good talent for talismanic arts, and I do have this idea.” He turned to look at Li Hongyi and said, “Fairy Hongyi, would you be interested in joining my royal palace?”

"My royal palace will certainly do everything in its power to help you go further on the path of talismanic arts."

Li Hongyi's brows furrowed in surprise. After a moment's hesitation, she replied, "If the Prince's Mansion can save my brother, Hongyi is willing to enter the Prince's Mansion."

"Fairy Hongyi is truly devoted to her brother, but unfortunately there are very few people who can save him. Even joining the royal palace would be in vain."

Xu Mingqing suddenly walked in.

"What do you mean by that, Brother Mingqing?" Cao Shengyang frowned slightly, and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "My royal palace has a master alchemist. Surely we can't even save a mere cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refining?"

"If Brother Shengyang doesn't believe me, you can take the person back and have your alchemy master treat him."

"Fine, I refuse to believe it!"

Xu Chonghui also extended an invitation to Li Hongyi.

However, her answer was exactly the same: the prerequisite was to save his brother.

In the palace.

"Master He, how is it? Can this child be cured?"

Master He examined the boy and then clasped his hands in a fist and said to Cao Shengyang, “Your Highness, my strength is limited. This boy’s injuries are not ordinary, but rather his spiritual sense is severely damaged.”

He was only at the fourth level of Qi Refining and had only recently developed divine sense, so he couldn't maintain it for long.

They can only hold out for a day or two at most.

“My mother also suffered a spiritual injury back then. I remember there should have been some Jade Sprout Pills left. Could it be that even such a holy healing item couldn’t save her?”

"The Jade Sprout Pill can indeed treat injuries to the divine sense. It should be feasible if the injury has just occurred, but this child's vitality is too weak now and he cannot withstand the medicinal properties of the Jade Sprout Pill."

He probably died on the spot before the drug even took effect.

"Is it really beyond saving?"

Master He shook his head and clasped his hands in a fist salute again: "I'm afraid I can't help you."

"Is my brother really beyond saving?"

Li Hongyi was filled with grief, and her eyes were dim and lifeless. But suddenly, she remembered Xu Mingqing's words and quickly turned her head to look at him. "Young Master said that there were very few who could save my brother before."

The young master must know this person; I hope you will inform him.

If her brother is saved, Hongyi will serve the Xu family for the rest of her life.

"Brother Mingqing, are you perhaps referring to Uncle Xu?"

"nature."

Xu Mingqing already possessed skills comparable to a master alchemist, yet he wasn't confident he could save Li Yuanhua. How could an ordinary master alchemist possibly do it?

Unless he can comprehend the life force that Xu Chuan taught him.

Unfortunately, this path is extremely mysterious, and even with his innate Yi Wood bloodline, he had no clue how to grasp it.

“Bring your brother with you and come with me. If we delay any longer, even my father won’t be able to save him.”

"Thank you, sir."

Li Hongyi immediately took Li Yuanhua and left.

Master He asked curiously, "Young Master, may I ask who this man's father is, that he possesses such abilities?"

Cao Shengyang turned his head to look, and after a moment he uttered a sentence, "Master San Shu".

"If it were him, it would be quite possible."

"What a pity, such a promising talent for talisman making." Cao Shengyang sighed slightly and said to his younger sister, "Sister, the Xu family's fortune is so strong, Father's judgment was indeed correct."

Have you made up your mind?

Cao Shenglin nodded slightly. "Brother, I've made up my mind."

When Xu Chuan saw Xu Mingqing and Xu Chonghui arrive, accompanied by two other people, he couldn't help but smile and ask, "What trouble have you two gotten into?"

Xu Mingqing laughed and said, "What trouble could Chonghui and I possibly cause?"

Then he introduced Li Yuanhua and his sister, and emphasized Li Hongyi's talent for making talismans.

Xu Chuan glanced at the brother and sister and said, "Bring them over so I can take a look."

"Thank you very much, senior." Li Hongyi bowed repeatedly.

After carefully examining the child with his divine sense, Xu Chuan's conclusion was roughly the same as Master He's, but he said, "I can save this child, but do you really not regret joining my Xu family?"
With your talent in talismanic arts, you could have sought refuge with other powerful families and received their protection, preventing your brother from falling into such a predicament.

"Replying to senior, I have pseudo-spiritual root aptitude, while my elder brother has mixed spiritual root aptitude. My elder brother is also a talisman maker and has a certain reputation in the county city."

Someone once tried to recruit my brother, but he insisted on taking me with him, so the matter was dropped.

At that time, I hadn't yet begun learning how to make talismans.

"That explains it." Xu Chuan nodded slightly, then said, "It will be difficult to save your brother. If I succeed, you and your brother will both join my Xu family. This is the condition."

Would you be willing?

"Junior is willing."

Li Hongyi had seen the talismans sold in the Xu family's business. The fact that they had high-quality talismans meant that the Xu family had a master talisman maker.

Tongshan County has more than a dozen weapon-refining masters, but only one or two talisman-making masters.

They were all retainers of powerful families.

It is extremely difficult for a rogue cultivator to grow into a master talisman maker.

Even if someone has good talent, if they get in the way of a powerful family's interests, they will either have to integrate or be suppressed.

She and her brother had also heard of Yuehu County. Since the rise of the Xu family, the entire Yuehu County has been transformed. As long as the independent cultivators behave themselves, the aristocratic families will not make things too difficult for them.

Many independent cultivators want to join the Xu family, but unfortunately, the Xu family has very strict conditions for accepting independent cultivators.

This was an opportunity for her, and also for her brother.

"The people stay here; you all wait outside."

After Xu Mingqing and the others left, Xu Chuan began treatment.

He nourished his body with his boundless vitality, restoring it to normal, even healing some long-standing hidden injuries.

Then, take out a low-grade Jade Sprout Pill to help it refine.

With the life force supporting him, his body naturally and easily withstood the astonishing medicinal power of the Jade Sprout Pill.

Two hours later.

With a flick of his sleeve, the door opened.

"Take your brother away. He should wake up in about half an hour. You two siblings can stay in the guest rooms of the Prince's Mansion for now. Mingqing, go and tell Cao Shengyang."

"I understand, Father."

That night.

Cao Jinming then learned that the Xu family had taken in a talented talisman maker, and immediately went to congratulate them.

"I'm glad Brother Cao doesn't blame me for stealing the deal."

"What are you saying? If it weren't for your superb medical skills, Brother Xu, you wouldn't have been able to intercept it even if you wanted to."

Many things seem like coincidences, but this is precisely proof of the Xu family's strong fortune.

Cao Jinming became increasingly determined to maintain a good relationship with the Xu family.

Several days have passed in the blink of an eye.

After Cao Jinming collected all the materials for the Divine Mind Pill, he personally delivered them to Xu Chuan's room.

After Xu Chuan finished refining the pills, he handed over the agreed-upon six high-grade Divine Sense Pills to Cao Jinming.

"Thank you, Brother Xu. Now all the betrothal gifts requested by the Qin family are complete."

Xu Chuan smiled faintly, then asked, "Then what kind of betrothal gifts does Brother Cao desire?"

Cao Shenglin ultimately chose Xu Chonghui.

When Xu Chonghui got married and had a son, he became the fifth generation of the Xu family.

“We have a bond, so give me whatever you think is appropriate. I, Cao, am marrying off my daughter, not selling her,” Cao Jinming said.

Xu Chuan raised his hand and said, "Brother Cao, this is not right of you. If you give too little, I'm afraid everyone will criticize my Xu family for being stingy, or say that they look down on Brother Cao."

After a short while, he said again, "How about this, let's take a look at my nephew Shengyang's betrothal gift list, is that alright?"

After careful consideration, Cao Jinming took out the betrothal gift list from his storage bag.

Xu Chuan glanced at it.

The betrothal gifts were substantial, with the bulk consisting of exquisite magical artifacts and three high-grade Divine Sense Pills, in addition to two high-grade flying swords.

Seeing Xu Chuan's brows twitch slightly, Cao Jinming said, "The main reason is that the daughter Qin married this time has exceptional talent and aptitude. Other members of my Cao clan only get two or three high-grade magic artifacts and some pills when they marry."

The Xu family's situation is pretty much settled.

"How can other clansmen compare to your lineage?" Xu Chuan smiled and said, "My Xu family can certainly produce high-quality magical artifacts."

Xu already had a clear idea of ​​the specifics, and after some time, he would draft a list of betrothal gifts and send it to Brother Cao for his review.

Then we went to the trade fair.

Xu Chonghui took Li Yuanhua and his sister back to Dongxi, while Xu Mingqing begged Xu Chuan to go and join the excitement of the trade fair.

Xu Chuan then let him stay.

Moon Lake County, Dongxi.

Xu Dezhao took the handwritten letter from Xu Chuan that Xu Chonghui had brought back.

The letter mentioned the arrangements for Li Yuanhua and his sister, as well as Xu Chonghui's marriage.

He looked at Xu Chonghui and said, "Chonghui, your great-grandfather has chosen a marriage for you."

"Is that Cao Shenglin? No wonder my great-grandfather summoned both me and my uncle. Given her status and position, there are very few people in the Xu family who are worthy of her."

"Then are you willing?"

Xu Chonghui thought for a moment and said, "Two years ago, Father also mentioned this matter, but I refused for the time being on the grounds of cultivation."

My great-grandfather's proposal of this marriage alliance was likely intended to leverage the prestige of the Cao family's Tongshan branch to allow my Xu family to develop better in Tongshan County.

As the eldest son of the direct line, I have enjoyed the Xu family's top-notch upbringing since childhood.

If I refuse again, I fear I will be ashamed to call myself a member of the Xu family.

Xu Dezhao patted him on the shoulder, "It's good that you've come to your senses. If you find a woman you like in the future, just marry her."

"Thank you father."

Tongshan County.

Gemstone Trading Conference.

The trade fair was held at the Treasure Pavilion.

Xu Chuan heard a lot of inside information from Cao Jinming. The main monster cores were the Blood Python Tiger Core, the White Scaled Flood Dragon Core, and the Purple Lightning Thunder Eagle Core.

The former is the inner core of a demon beast in the late Foundation Establishment stage, which is extremely valuable. The White Scaled Flood Dragon contains the bloodline of a dragon, so its inner core is naturally also precious.

The Purple Lightning Thunder Eagle is a rare and powerful demonic beast. Although it is only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, it contains lightning attributes, which are even stronger than the inner core of the White Scaled Flood Dragon at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

All three are extremely useful to the Xu family, and he is determined to obtain them.

As for recipes, thousand-year-old spiritual herbs, spiritual wood, demonic beasts, and refining materials, it depends on the situation.

He even obtained several high-grade magic artifacts from the Xu family business in Tongshan County, and refined a considerable number of high-grade pills as proceeds for the transaction.

Inside the Treasure Pavilion.

The first floor serves as the main venue for the trade fair.

Inside were cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refining, while those in the Foundation Establishment stage were arranged on the second floor.

Most of these late-stage Qi Refining cultivators came from Qi Refining families in various prefectures, while some were independent cultivators.

As soon as Xu Chuan and Xu Mingqing reached the second floor, they heard a familiar voice coming from not far away.

"Brother Xu, you've come too."

"Brother Zhou."

This person was Zhou Qingfang, and he was accompanied by four or five members of the Zhou family, including Ye Xuehua.

This woman's face was like ice sculpted, her skin like fresh snow covering jade, her eyebrows like distant mountains shrouded in mist, with the ends of her eyebrows naturally rising three-tenths of an inch. Her hair was half-tied up with a plain silver hairpin, with the rest of her black hair hanging down to her waist.

Her neck was long and slender like a crane's, her waist was bound by a jade belt, and she held a sword in her hand, closely following Zhou Qingfang on the left.

When Xu Mingqing saw Ye Xuehua, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Twelve or thirteen years have passed, and he has reached the ninth level of Qi Refining. It seems the Zhou family has been nurturing him with all their might, perhaps intending for him to participate in the 'Wuhua Dharma Assembly'?"

Xu Chuan thought to himself, "That's true. With the aptitude of Earth Spirit Root, if he enters the 'Wuhua Secret Realm,' he might even be able to directly break through to the Foundation Establishment stage."

Those who can reach the Foundation Establishment stage in the secret realm are mostly able to enter the top ten.

Zhou Qingfang said, "I was thinking of informing Brother Xu, but I didn't expect you to arrive in Tongshan County so early."

"Brother Zhou, you're very kind."

Looking at his son's expression, Xu Chuan smiled faintly, "Why don't we go together?"

"That's perfect."

The two families shared a private room, opposite which was a wooden floor-to-ceiling window with a small balcony outside. Every private room had the same layout.

"Fairy, may I ask for your name."

"Ye Xuehua".

"The sword's light flashes amidst the frost, and the poem's rhyme is clear as I recite the snow-covered blossoms. What a fine name! My name is Xu Mingqing."

Ye Xuehua nodded slightly upon hearing this.

"Xu Jiaming is a second-generation member, so this person must be the youngest son of the Xu family's eldest elder."

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but take a second look.

The other members of the Zhou family looked indignant when they saw that Xu Mingqing seemed to be eyeing Ye Xuehua.

But Zhou Qingfang and Xu Chuan were both present, and they dared not speak out against their anger.

Ye Xuehua was a beloved daughter of the Zhou family, admired by all the young men. Many had even dreamt of her.

However, she has a cold and aloof temperament, keeping people at arm's length, and is also a direct disciple of Zhou Qingfang, making her of extremely high seniority.

Even the head of the Zhou family dared not casually order him to do things.

“Brother Zhou’s disciple is indeed outstanding,” Xu Chuan suddenly said.

“Not at all, Mingqing is the real dragon among men,” Zhou Qingfang replied with a compliment.

"Then what do you think of my son and your disciple?"

Zhou Qingfang was not surprised and said with a faint smile, "Xuehua is my precious disciple. I promised him that I would not interfere with his marriage."

If Mingqing has the ability to sway him, Zhou would be happy to see it happen.

This reply was impeccable.

"Did you hear that, brat? If you're so capable, go get it yourself," Xu Chuan transmitted his voice.
"Thank you, Father." Xu Mingqing grinned.

A few quarters of an hour later.

The trade fair has officially begun.

The host was a voluptuous woman from the Qin family who had reached the peak of Qi cultivation; the patch of snow-white skin on her chest was particularly eye-catching.

"Thank you all for coming from afar to participate in the once-in-a-decade trade fair of Tongshan County. This time, it is the Qin family's turn to host the trade fair."

"I am Qin Shiyun, and I humbly request the support of all fellow cultivators and seniors."

"This trade fair is divided into two parts. The first part will be initiated by the various families of Tongshan County, while the second part will be handed over to all the fellow Daoists and seniors present."

If you have items you wish to trade, you can go up on stage and introduce and explain what you want to trade.

The items traded can include various cultivation resources such as spirit stones, elixirs, spirit herbs, spirit wood, materials, magical artifacts, and cultivation techniques.

"Without further ado, I hereby declare this trading conference officially open."

Although it's called a transaction, it's actually quite similar to an auction.

Immediately afterwards, a young female cultivator carried a sandalwood tray and went up to the high platform.

On the tray was a palm-sized blue wooden box.

Qin Shiyun took the wooden box and walked a few steps. Its snow-white color made people's eyes dazzle.

He smiled and said, "This item is from my Qin family. It is the demon core of a Blood Python Tiger in the late Foundation Establishment stage. In exchange, we will trade it for a first-grade high-quality defensive array plate or twelve high-quality talismans."

A bottle of a second-grade high-quality pill beneficial to Foundation Establishment cultivation would also suffice.

"The Qin family is preparing for the 'Wuhua Dharma Assembly'," Zhou Qingfang transmitted his voice.

"The Wuhua Dharma Assembly is only three years away, whether it's a Foundation Establishment family or a Qi Refining family that wants to fight tooth and nail."

The superior defensive array plate is precious. Even if a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining has it protecting him, it would be difficult to harm him even if he reached the peak of Qi Refining.

In the hands of a Qi Refining Master, it is comparable to a high-quality defensive magic weapon.

Of course, there are also disadvantages.

That means it requires a long time to use, which will consume a lot of mana or spirit stones.

Therefore, its value is far less than that of a fine defensive magic weapon, but it is still much more precious than a high-grade defensive magic weapon.

The Blood Python Tiger Demon Core is precious in the late Foundation Establishment stage, but the item proposed by the Qin family is also not something that can be seen in ordinary times.

Unless they had other uses for the demon core, most noble families would not trade this item.

Xu Chuan hesitated for a moment before saying, "One bottle of high-grade True Essence Pills."

Many people looked towards Xu Chuan.

"So it was the eldest elder of the Xu family. Only someone with his alchemy skills could easily produce a high-grade True Essence Pill."

"It is rumored that his alchemy skills are among the top three in the Great Wei Dynasty, but I don't know if this is true or not."

"Several of the Dan Hall's guests can refine second-grade high-quality pills. I think the claim that the top three alchemists in the Great Wei are truly exaggerated."

"Senior Xu is offering a second-grade high-quality True Essence Pill. Are there any other fellow Daoists or seniors willing to trade with him?"

"If no one speaks up after ten breaths, this demon core will belong to the Xu family."

The countdown is over.

"Congratulations, Senior Xu, on obtaining the Blood Python Tiger Demon Core in the transaction."

Xu Chuan handed a white porcelain bottle to Qin Shiyao. After examining it, she smiled and nodded, "It is indeed a second-grade high-quality True Essence Pill."

After saying this, he handed the cyan wooden box containing the Blood Python Tiger Demon Core to Xu Chuan.

He opened and inspected it, then said, "The transaction is complete." Qin Shiyao smiled slightly, "Then please present the second item from my Qin family."

"This is a set of superior magic artifacts called 'Zhen Kong'. It consists of seven flying swords, with the main magic artifact being of superior quality and the rest being of medium quality. Its attack power is comparable to that of a fine-quality attack magic artifact."

"For this item, my Qin family would trade it for over 800 spirit stones, equivalent to high-quality or top-tier magic weapon materials, as well as the previously mentioned high-grade array plate, high-grade talisman, and second-tier high-grade pills."

Xu Chuan wasn't interested, but a disciple from the Zhou family was envious. However, it was clear that many people wanted this set of magical artifacts.

Zhou Qingfang made a bid, but was quickly overtaken.

The next item was also a traded item for the Qin family; it was a high-quality magical artifact, making the competition even fiercer.

Next are the other Foundation Establishment families.

Xu Chuan purchased both the inner core of the White-Scaled Flood Dragon and the inner core of the Purple Lightning Thunder Eagle.

The former costs one bottle of Qingling Pills, while the latter costs five high-grade Qingling Pills and three Suzhen Pills.

Su Zhen Dan is a pill suitable for Foundation Establishment stage cultivators to recover from injuries. It is more precious than Qing Ling Dan and even comparable to Zhen Yuan Dan.

"The next item for trade is a second-tier green jade bamboo, which can be used to refine high-quality magic weapons, and can be refined approximately three times."

This item was provided by Prince Cao. The trade is for two hundred spirit stones, a mid-grade or higher Foundation Establishment stage cultivation pill, or four high-grade talismans.

"This wood-attribute spirit bamboo is perfect for Xu Mingqing to refine magical artifacts, and with Xu Deling's current mastery of artifact crafting, he can make near-perfect use of these materials."

Xu Chuan glanced at Xu Mingqing and rolled his eyes when he saw that Xu Mingqing's gaze was fixed on Ye Xuehua.

At this point, two or three people had already made bids.

Xu Chuan said calmly, "I will offer a bottle of mid-grade True Essence Pills."

“My royal residence is willing to make a deal with the Xu family,” Cao Jinming said with a smile.

Many people are discussing it.

After all, Xu Chuan has only used second-tier pills to exchange for pills so far, and they are all of medium to high quality, which makes many Foundation Establishment families curious about how many he still has.

Subsequently, Xu Chuan also traded two thousand-year-old spiritual herbs and three hundred-year-old spiritual herbs, as well as three unique pill formulas.

Two of them actually used the inner cores of demonic beasts as the main ingredient, and another one was a recipe for a Qi-unifying pill.

The Qi-Harmony Pill is suitable for improving mana in the later stages of Foundation Establishment.

Xu Chuan plans to study the other two, but as for trying them out, that will have to wait until the future.

After all, the inner cores of the demonic beasts he possesses are currently all of use.

The first half ended quickly.

After a 15-minute break, the second half began.

Some Qi cultivation families or independent cultivators made an appearance, but many of the items they brought out went unsold.

With the "Wuhua Dharma Assembly" approaching, the most sought-after items are still those that can increase the strength of Qi Refining cultivators.

Guangling County, Xiuxianfang Market.

"Boss, I heard some news today: Tongshan County is holding a trade fair, and many Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining families are going to participate."

Leng Mu stared at Xue Ming's face, seemingly expectant, "Why don't we take this opportunity to rob the market in Guangling County?"

Xue Ming didn't reply, but turned to Qiu Jiu and asked, "Fourth brother, do you know about that trade fair?"

"The Treasure Trade Fair of Tongshan County?!" Qiu Jiu asked with slight surprise, "Has it gotten this far?"

He paused for a moment, then continued, "This trade fair is held once every ten years in Tongshan County and is quite famous in the Great Wei."

Many Foundation Establishment cultivators would bring several family members with them.

This is also true for some families that have practiced Qi cultivation.

"However, I think it would be better to destroy a powerful family than to rob the market, as Third Brother suggested."

"Why?"

“The powerful families are all cold-hearted. Every household in the market has its own property. If we rob them, many people will probably come looking for us.”

However, if one powerful family is wiped out, the other powerful families will at most be on edge for a while before acting as if nothing happened.

Unless we intend to leave the Great Wei, I do not recommend raiding the cultivation market.

Qingling smiled and said, "The two great Foundation Establishment families of Guangling County are probably not in their clan territories, unless the great formations in the Foundation Establishment family territories are all second-order formations."

I really want to try and wipe out a Foundation Establishment family.

"Let's listen to the fourth brother and choose a powerful family in Guangling County to wipe out. We've already explored the area around this county enough, so after that we'll go to Yuehu County to take a look."

The four of them stayed in Guangling County for a period of time, and naturally learned about some basic aspects of the county.

soon.

They stood in the sky above the Ge family's territory.

Leng Mu held a black banner, looked down, licked his lips, and his eyes flashed with greed.

"The Ge family is the number one Qi Refining family in Guangling County. By collecting their souls, the strength of the ghosts in my Soul Banner will increase significantly."

Xue Ming patted his storage bag, and a blood-red array plate flew out.

He formed hand seals, and as the cyan array plate trembled, magical power surged into it, causing the array plate to spew out a burst of blood-red light.

The crimson glow spread out and soon enveloped the entire Ge family territory.

Dark red mist permeated the edge of the formation.

Black energy surged on the surface of the black banner in Leng Mu's hand, and countless distorted human faces shrieked on the banner.

With a gentle wave of the black banner, more than a dozen gray shadows sprang out from beneath it—all of them were ghosts he had refined.

Why is the sky all red?

What are those red mists?

A young guard staggered backward, his long sword clattering to the ground.

He looked up at the blood-red sky, his pupils reflecting the distorted ghostly figures in the mist.

Soon.

One figure after another rushed out of the courtyard, their eyes wide with horror as they looked around.

“Grandfather, this…” Ge Yuchen felt a sense of unease.

Not only him, but also Ge ​​Yanhua, Ge Yanfeng, and all the elders of the Ge family, including the other branches of the Ge family, all felt a sense of impending doom.

"A ghost, it's a demonic cultivator!"

"Oh no! I heard that several Qi Refining families in several counties were wiped out. I thought it was revenge, but it turns out it was demonic cultivators!"

Ge Yanhua said, "Everyone should escape together. As long as we can get out of this formation and ask for help from the outside world, our Ge family may have a chance to survive."

Otherwise, they would suffer the same fate as the previous Qi-cultivating families, being wiped out.

"Third brother, why are you using the Soul Banner now? Although demonic cultivators are rare in the Great Wei territory, it's not like we haven't heard of them before."

"Your ghostly aura is so sinister; I'm afraid even the Ge family has realized we're demonic cultivators."

"I forgot for a moment," Leng Mu said dismissively.

"Fine, since that's the case, then go all out," Xue Ming said. "After all, the Ge family is much stronger than the aristocratic families that were wiped out before."

Qiu Jiu sighed slightly and had no choice but to give up.

Moreover, among the four, he was the weakest and therefore had the least say.

"Go, my darlings, and absorb all their life essence and souls!"

With Xue Ming's permission, Leng Mu no longer hesitated and shook the Soul Banner.

Hundreds of ghosts roared out.

"What is that? A ghost!"

"Help!"

In the blink of an eye, dozens of acquired martial artists perished.

Innate martial artists have the power to resist, and some ghosts can even be burned by their blood energy. However, if there are too many, the essence of an innate martial artist will be absorbed.

Sword lights flashed, slaying some low-level ghosts.

Xue Ming, Qing Leng, and Qiu Jiu didn't just stand by and watch; they all flew towards the cultivators.

"What are you?"

Before he could finish speaking, the man saw hundreds of blood-red bats fly over and suck all the blood from his body.

Xue Ming cultivates the Blood Demon Path technique, a strange technique that can devour the essence and blood of cultivators to enhance their cultivation level.

Because of this shortcut, his cultivation level far surpassed the others, reaching the sixth level of Foundation Establishment.

As for Qing Leng, she lightly touched the air with her toes, her skirt fluttering like a butterfly, and pink mist swirled around her, eventually condensing into countless delicate and beautiful skulls.

Peach-colored flames danced in the eye sockets of those skulls, and a girlish laugh escaped as their jaws opened and closed, while a sweet fragrance drifted on the wind.

Those who smelled it were all dazed, and even the hand holding the knife went limp.

His body seemed to be ignited with lust, and he was so immersed in love that even when his head was sliced ​​off by a flying sword, he would not let out a scream.

Qiu Jiu, on the other hand, appeared much more normal, with a cold expression and holding a long black sword.

The long sword trailed a dark red flame, like a bolt of lightning splitting the night sky, and slashed straight at a Ge family cultivator.

The magical artifact in the man's hand snapped in two with a crack, its momentum undiminished, and the man himself was cleaved in two.

Suddenly, more than a dozen flying swords shot towards them.

But the dark red aura around his body suddenly condensed into the shape of armor, blocking all the flying swords.

Then, like a black streak, it swiftly rushed to their side.

A silver light flashed.

Several people were then beheaded.

"Elder brother, Grand Elder, please escort Yu Chen away!"

Ge Yanfeng charged toward the approaching ghost.

This ghost has a physical form, unlike other ghosts that are merely gray mist; its strength is comparable to that of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

Furthermore, due to the unique nature of ghosts, they are difficult to completely destroy with ordinary spells unless countered by magical artifacts or techniques.

Ge Yanhua's eyes were bloodshot and his face was full of pain, but he still gritted his teeth and said, "Go to the edge of the formation and find a way to leave!"

"Grandfather, I will live and die with the Ge family!"

"This calamity came too suddenly. All four of them are Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators. My Ge family is probably doomed, but as long as one of them survives, my Ge family will have hope of rising again!"

"Yu Chen, you are the most talented person among the three lineages, you must live!"

"Even if it costs us our lives, the Grand Elder and I will send you away. After you leave, head straight for the Xu family. Only there will you have a chance of survival!"

"Did you hear that, Yu Chen?!"

Ge Yanhua pressed down on his shoulder, and Ge Yuchen nodded repeatedly, tears streaming down his face.

The same applies to the other three branches.

The first choice is always the most outstanding member of the clan.

The Ge family territories are quite large, and the clan has nearly ten thousand members, making it difficult for the four members of Xue Ming to wipe them all out in a short period of time.

Ge Yanhua and the other two did not fly on their swords in a high-profile manner.

The more conspicuous you are at this moment, the faster you will die.

In a short while, they arrived at the edge of the formation.

At the end of the red mist was a semi-transparent red light screen. Ge Yanhua and the other two shouted in unison and attacked the light screen of the great formation with all their might.

"boom--!"

The three men's flying swords simultaneously struck the blood-red light barrier.

The light curtain rippled like water, but did not shatter.

"A high-grade first-tier trapping formation!"

The Grand Elder was incredulous, but made a decision the next moment.

"Patriarch, my self-destruction should be enough to crack the array walls here. If you all join forces to attack, you should be able to break through!"

"Elder!" Seeing the resolve in his eyes, Ge Yanhua closed his own eyes with a heavy heart and said, "May you have a safe journey!"

When Ge Yanhua and the others attacked the great formation, Xue Ming sensed it and immediately said, "Fourth brother, there are rats trying to escape from the southwest. Go and take care of them!"

"Yes, Boss Blood Demon!"

Qiu Jiu immediately flew in the direction Xue Ming had indicated.

At the edge of the battle formation.

"Patriarch, Yu Chen, please step aside."

The elder's roar was hoarse and as if tearing silk.

His hunched body suddenly straightened, and spiderweb-like crimson cracks appeared under his dry skin, each crack surging with boiling spiritual power.

Ge Yanhua's pupils contracted sharply, and he grabbed Yu Chen and pulled her backward violently.

As Ge Yuchen staggered, he turned around and saw that the Grand Elder had crashed into the blood-red array wall like a meteor. His spiritual power was compressed to the extreme, and it even scorched twisted marks in the air.

"boom!!!"

At the moment of the explosion, a blinding white light engulfed everyone's vision.

The array walls shattered like glass, and the violent spiritual pressure transformed into a ring of air waves that swept in all directions, scraping away three feet of soil from the ground.

When the smoke and dust cleared, a three-zhang-wide crack had appeared in the array wall.

Where the Grand Elder had stood, only a charred finger bone remained, along with the lingering smell of blood in the air.

He possessed the strength of the Qi Refining Perfection stage. By burning his life force and then self-destructing, his power was comparable to the full-force attack of a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Before they could grieve, the two rushed outside.

But at this moment, Qiu Jiu approached at an extremely fast speed, and Ge Yanhua made a decisive move, pushing Ge Yuchen directly out of the shattered array wall.

"Come on!"

Then he charged toward Qiu Jiu, who was surrounded by malevolent energy and resembled a demon.

Ge Yucheng glanced back at Ge Yanhua's resolute back before taking off on his sword and rushing towards the Xu family's territory.

"court death!"

When Qiu Jiu saw that someone had actually run out, his expression became even more ferocious, and he was about to kill Ge Yanhua with a single blow.

"Qiang!"

Ge Yanhua did not die; instead, he withstood Qiu Jiu's attack.

"Burning your life essence to gain a momentary strength close to Foundation Establishment, that's quite decisive. It seems we underestimated your Ge family!"

Some aristocratic families have members who are mostly selfish and greedy.

But some, united as one, are even more willing to risk their lives when faced with danger!

Ge Yanhua's meridians lit up with crimson lines, and his aura rose steadily. He even briefly broke through the Qi Refining barrier and stepped into the Foundation Establishment stage!
"Listen up, members of the Ge family! Today, our Ge family is facing a great calamity. Hundreds of years of accumulation will be destroyed in an instant. However, I, Sun Yucheng, have successfully escaped thanks to the self-destruction of the Grand Elder."

He'll be able to bring reinforcements in no time at all.

"They want to exterminate our Ge family, then our Ge family will take a piece of their flesh!"

The sound, like thunder, echoed over the Ge family's land.

Then, the heads of the other three families also spoke up.

"We, the Ge family, will fight to the death and never retreat!"

Even if it means death, I will tear a piece of flesh from their bodies!

The sounds that rang out one after another, like a ray of dawn in the darkness, ignited their last bit of fighting spirit.

Although most people are still like ants in front of Xue Ming and his group, their fearless fighting spirit has indeed caused them a lot of trouble.

Tens of breaths later.

"I'll go first!"

Ge Yanhua's laughter exploded, and blood and foam spurted from between his teeth.

His meridians were already cracked, and the backlash from burning his essence blood had appeared. If he was not careful, he would be killed with a single blow when facing a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Therefore, Ge Yanhua did not hesitate at all.

"madman!"

Qiu Jiu retreated rapidly, a shield held horizontally in front of his chest.

"boom!!!"

The golden light fell to earth like a blazing sun, instantly evaporating the red mist within a radius of a hundred feet, and even slightly distorting the space at the center of the explosion.

When the smoke and dust cleared, only a scorched pit ten feet wide remained.

At the bottom of the pit lay a broken jade tablet belonging to the head of the family, its edge still stained with half a blood-stained piece of clothing.

This explosion was like the opening ceremony of a grand banquet.

One explosion after another rang out.

Even cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining would choose to self-destruct to severely injure an irresistible ghost.

Leng Mu's face turned ashen.

Cultivating ghosts is not easy. Although they are not easy to kill, they are not easy to recover after being severely injured. They require a lot of Yin-attribute materials and a lot of time.

Even Xue Ming, with his Foundation Establishment Level 6 strength, was injured when he was surrounded and self-destructed by two or three elders of the Ge family.

"Brother, I'm going after that kid. I won't let him escape!"

Qiu Jiu was seriously injured, but he still made a decisive move to break out of the formation.

"You're all asking for death!"

Xue Ming's voice seemed to come from the deepest hell, each word carrying a thick, bloody scent.

His body blazed with red light, and wisps of blood-red flames appeared out of thin air, scorching the air with black cracks wherever they passed.

That flame was no ordinary fire, but a demonic blood flame that burned the soul and corroded the bones.

Blood-red flames flew toward a dozen Qi Refining cultivators; those who were merely touched by a trace were instantly incinerated.

The excruciating pain caused cries of agony to echo through the sky.

The blood flames landed, twisting and writhing like living things, and in the blink of an eye, they climbed up the nearest beam.

The flames seemed to possess a spirit, igniting wood and melting stone, even scorching spiderweb-like cracks into the bluestone training ground.

"laugh--!"

A century-old cypress tree was licked by flames, its trunk instantly charred and withered, and its crown transformed into a towering pillar of fire within three breaths.

Amidst the sweltering heat, the plaque of the Ge Family Ancestral Hall crashed down, plunging into the sea of ​​fire and scattering a string of scarlet sparks.

"You deserve to die!"

An elder of the Ge family, his eyes bloodshot with rage, wanted to self-destruct to inflict further damage on Xue Ming.

But after suffering several setbacks, how could Xue Ming and his group be easily approached by the Ge family?

If the distance is too far, even if the self-destruction is powerful, it won't harm them much.

Outside the formation.

As Ge Yuchen flew rapidly toward the Xu family, he circulated his dantian, his voice resounding in all directions.

"The demonic cultivators have attacked and are threatening to destroy my Ge family! Fellow cultivators, please come to my rescue!"

"The demonic cultivators have attacked and are threatening to destroy my Ge family! Fellow cultivators, please come to my rescue!"

Many prominent families were horrified upon hearing this.

A look of disbelief appeared on his face.

But the next moment, they all ordered the activation of the clan's protective formation!

Qiu Jiu's face was grim.

Due to the distance, he was unable to kill Ge Yuchen in one strike.

Xu family land.

"The demonic cultivators have attacked and are threatening to destroy my Ge family! Fellow cultivators, please come to my rescue!"

No one has arrived yet.

The sound then reached this place.

Xu Mingyuan's voice immediately resounded across the clan's territory, "Everyone in the Xu family, be on high alert!"

"The clan protection formation is activated! All martial artists and cultivators above the Innate Realm level, assemble outside the formation!"

"Non-combat personnel, stay at home and do not go out!"

"Follow the orders of the Patriarch!"

(End of this chapter)