Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 500 Falling Horse Ravine

In the southern suburbs of Pucheng, the Pu River flows quietly, its surface shimmering in the sunlight.

The rolling hills on the opposite bank are partially obscured by the thin mist, and the dense forest stretches along the mountainside as far as the eye can see, like a tranquil natural painting.

Suddenly, a few rough shouts rang out, followed by the crisp, chaotic sound of horses' hooves crunching on gravel, startling several perched birds.

"Second Master, this road is not easy to travel!"

An old man with a white beard caught up from the back of the caravan, leading a mottled old horse. A boy dressed in coarse linen sat on the horse's back.

The leader was a burly man dressed in tight-fitting clothes. He reined in his horse and turned back, saying in a deep voice, "The road is difficult, but if we get through here, we can reach Juque Valley as quickly as possible. You know how important this shipment is. Let the brothers get through this. Once we reach Juque Valley, I'll give everyone a reward."

"This……"

The old man hesitated, then wisely withdrew.

He knew that he could only offer suggestions, while the second-in-command had clearly already made up his mind.

However, the boy on horseback couldn't contain himself. He jumped down and ran a few steps to the second-in-command, looking up at him and asking, "Second-in-command, I've heard that many monsters roam around here. Is that true?"

The second-in-command's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, and he nodded, saying, "Of course it's true. The enormous 'Emerald Cloud Barrier' contains countless demonic beasts, each one a ferocious creature that drinks blood and eats people without spitting out bones."

"hiss!"

The boy gasped, but a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes as he pressed, "Will we encounter any danger if we pass through here?"

"Well, it's hard to say!"

The second-in-command gave a vague answer, but quickly realized that the boy's question was actually a concern for the entire caravan. He immediately raised his voice and said loudly, "But you don't need to worry too much! The White Dew Sect has carried out a large-scale cleanup of the 'Emerald Cloud Barrier.' Although there are still some remnants of monsters here, most of them are afraid of people and rarely come out to harass passing caravans. We have traveled this road twice before, and nothing happened."

He paused, then added, "What's more, this time we've invited the immortal masters of Yuyuan to protect us!"

"Yuyuan?"

The boy's eyes lit up: "Is that the Yuyuan in Pushui Market that specializes in training spirit pets?"

"Yes."

The second-in-command nodded, his tone tinged with arrogance: "Yuyuan not only tames spirit beasts, but also takes on the business of guarding merchant caravans. With a celestial master in charge, even if there are demonic beasts, they won't be able to cause any trouble."

"With the immortal master here, what do we have to fear?"

"I've heard that Yuyuan has a powerful force backing it up..."

"It's no small feat that we were able to invite the immortal master from Yuyuan!"

After the second-in-command finished speaking, everyone started discussing, and the tense atmosphere in the group immediately dissipated a lot. Some people even started joking.

The caravan proceeded with confidence!

The wheels rolled over the rugged mountain road, making a dull creak that echoed through the silent forest.

"Stop!"

After an unknown amount of time, a deep, resonant voice suddenly rang out.

The second-in-command quickly raised his hand, ordering the procession to stop. He then walked to a carriage in the middle of the procession and respectfully inquired, "Does Master Cao have any instructions?"

"What's ahead?"

"Reporting to Immortal Master Cao, the path ahead is Luoma Ravine!"

The second-in-command answered without hesitation, then forced a smile and added, "We can walk along the mountain stream for a while, let the horses drink some water, and rest for a bit."

“Re-plan the route.”

Inside the carriage, Master Cao responded calmly.

The second-in-command was taken aback and couldn't help but say, "Master, although the name of Luoma Ravine is not very auspicious, we are just passing by and will not be wading through the rapids, so it should be fine, right? Changing course now might delay our journey..."

"If you insist on going, I will not accompany you."

Master Cao lifted the curtain of the carriage, revealing an old and indifferent face.

The second-in-command immediately lowered his head.

The Emerald Cloud Barrier is vast and boundless. Even though the White Dew Sect has cleared this area, there's no guarantee that some arrogant little demons won't sneak out and cause trouble. Without a celestial master to oversee things, the caravan would likely face dire consequences if they encountered demonic beasts.
Most importantly, the payment has already been made!

A moment's hesitation flashed across his face before he immediately looked up and said with a forced smile, "I apologize for not considering this carefully. Everything will be as Master Cao says. I will go and replan the route now. Please be patient, Master."

Master Cao nodded slightly, but his gaze went over his shoulder and looked at the distant, faintly visible mountain mist, as if he wanted to penetrate the barrier and find out what was going on.

In the end, he simply lowered the curtain again, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes to rest.
-
Three people were scattered in the empty river valley.

At this moment, another person flew over. He looked middle-aged and had a faint smile on his lips. He joked, "Sixth Uncle, you're overthinking it. It's just a caravan of ordinary people."

All three of them turned their heads to look!

One of the elderly men, with a sturdy face and silver hair and beard, frowned: "Yuan Ye, are you just going to let them go so easily?"

Qin Yuanye raised an eyebrow: "If I were to intervene, wouldn't that interfere with the important matters here?"

Qin Yuanlang, who was standing nearby, chimed in at the right moment: "Sixth Uncle, Yuanye's approach isn't really problematic. Li Xiangren is our primary target on this trip! Doing other things will only lead to more mistakes, so let's all work together and finish this quickly."

Qin Liyu glanced at the two men, his brows furrowing even more, but he said nothing more. Instead, he instructed the third man who had remained silent, "Qin Cheng, it's your turn to make a move."

Qin Cheng nodded slightly, his feet moving with a mysterious footwork as he circled the valley several times.

Suddenly, his eyes flashed with a sharp light, and a yellowed talisman appeared between his fingers. He shouted, "Go!"

The talisman burst into flames, transforming into a streak of fire that shot towards the open space ahead.

The surrounding air vibrated violently, creating ripples.

Before long, a stone wall appeared out of nowhere in the previously empty valley. Underneath the wall, bushes grew thickly, and a narrow crevice, barely wide enough for one person to pass through, was faintly visible.

"Brother Li."

Qin Cheng stood with his hands behind his back, his voice unhurried: "My Qin family is renowned for its weapon crafting, with array formations being secondary. Your Lesser Five Elements Illusion Array is not bad, but it's ultimately just an inanimate object inscribed on an array plate. It can't be properly arranged, and without an array master to control it, it loses its mystique. In my eyes, it's flawed in every way!"

Having said that, he took a step forward, pointed his fingers like a sword, and thrust them fiercely into the void.

The stone wall vanished without a trace, like a bubble!

Qin Cheng snorted lightly, flicked his finger, aimed at a stubborn rock on the ground, and shouted, "Break!"

The stones peeled away layer by layer, as if fading, and in the blink of an eye, they transformed into a hillside. The entire valley landscape changed accordingly, revealing its true appearance, which had been concealed by the array.

The mountain wind howled, and the stream seemed to weep.

Li Xiangren leaned against the earthen slope, tightly embracing Ye Yun's cold body. His disheveled long hair fell down, obscuring most of his face, with only the "Zhan Yun" sword beside him shining brightly in the dark valley.

Qin Cheng circled around to the front, looked at the scene before him, and couldn't help but sigh: "Brother Li, I still remember the heroic spirit of you and me fighting demons side by side on the banks of the Pu River. The Xuanxu Molin Beast was ferocious and terrifying. We were caught off guard and fled for our lives in panic, but you single-handedly defeated it with your sword and saved dozens of lives. I still admire your demeanor to this day."

"However, as the saying goes, a wise man submits to circumstances. The situation is clear now. With four Foundation Establishment cultivators from my Qin family joining forces, you have no chance of winning. Why put up a last-ditch resistance? If you had listened to my advice, your sister-in-law wouldn't have died so tragically."

"Sister-in-law?"

Li Xiangren's voice was hoarse as he gently laid Ye Yun's body down. His entire aura instantly changed, and "Zhan Yun" trembled slightly, emitting a sword hum. Qin Cheng's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly took several steps back, shouting, "Brother Li, come back to Red Stone Valley with me, there is still a glimmer of hope! If you make a move here, you will surely perish at Luoma Ravine."

Li Xiangren ignored him, slowly turned around, and coldly faced Qin Cheng: "I saved your life in the past, but I never expected you to forget your roots and abandon your name, ultimately leading my wife and me to this predicament! Before I die, I only have one question to ask: how did you find Ye Yun faster than I did?"

Qin Cheng hesitated for a moment, looked at Qin Liyu, and said nothing.

Qin Yuanye stepped forward, smiling, and said, "Li Xiangren, you were indeed a wise man until the very end. Fine, for the sake of your past reputation, I don't want you to become a fool! We are faster than you because we were already in Pudong, or rather, we were waiting for Ye Yun."

Li Xiangren was stunned and speechless for a moment.

"Can't figure it out?"

Qin Yuanye grinned: "I'm not afraid to tell you, Ye Yun's departure from the Li family was all our doing. Without our 'kind' reminder, how could she have thought of going home to visit her family at this critical juncture?"

Li Xiangren clenched his fists, his face filled with anger: "She's just a woman, she can't threaten your Qin family! Is she worth all this trouble?"

Qin Yuanye shook his head: "But you can threaten the Qin family! If Ye Yun's Daoist partner wasn't you, we wouldn't even give her a second glance. Li Xiangren, you don't need to be so angry. It wasn't just us who caused her death; you were partly responsible too."

At this point, a purple glint flashed in Qin Yuanye's eyes as he slowly stepped forward, each step feeling like it was treading on Li Xiangren's heart: "If you hadn't hesitated and let Min Ning pester you, how could Ye Yun have been taken advantage of by our people? If you hadn't gone into seclusion, leaving Ye Yun feeling insecure, how could she have left so resolutely?"

"Take today for example. We gave you a choice: if you came with us to Redstone Valley, we would let Ye Yun go. You refused, and that's why Ye Yun died. All the responsibility lies with you!"

Qin Yuanye's voice rose and fell, like a poisonous insect crawling out from the depths of hell. Li Xiangren trembled all over as he listened, his fingernails digging into his palms, and blood dripped down.

Qin Yuanye became even more excited and licked his lips: "Do you want to know who our people are? It will definitely shock you when I tell you, but if you calm down, you can actually guess, since they are familiar faces."

"Which people?"

Faces flashed through Li Xiangren's mind, and his eyes gradually turned red.

"That's right, just as you think."

Qin Yuanye stepped forward again, spread his hands, and said in an extremely agitated voice, "Those people are! They are all the murderers who killed Ye Yun!"

"Killed Ye Yun".

Lee Sang-in's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and tears of blood slid down from the corners of his eyes.

Qin Liyu frowned as he witnessed this scene.

A hint of admiration flashed in Qin Yuanlang's eyes as he stroked his long beard and said, "Yuanye has mastered the essence of the 'Nine Netherworld Bewitching Heart Scripture,' and he can even arouse the inner demons of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. He is truly remarkable."

"Humph!"

Qin Liyu flicked his wide sleeves, his brows furrowed with disgust: "Using demonic sounds to bewitch people and using devious methods to confuse their minds, Yuan Ye, as a direct descendant of the Qin family, cultivates such unorthodox methods, which is simply ruining the Qin family's thousand-year-old reputation."

"Sixth Uncle!"

Qin Yuanlang looked helpless, raised his hand to catch a falling withered leaf, and gently twirled it between his fingers: "Look at the plants and trees in the mountains. If only pines and cypresses are evergreen, how can there be distinct seasons? My Qin family's Ganglong Technique has been passed down by many clansmen. Yuanye's cultivation of the 'Nine Netherworld Bewitching Heart True Scripture' is a sacrifice of himself to enrich my Qin family's methods. Isn't the success of Xiaotang in recent years enough to satisfy Sixth Uncle?"

Upon hearing the term "Owl Hall," Qin Liyu's expression softened slightly, but he still harbored some dissatisfaction: "If he found the inheritance himself, I would certainly support him. But this method was obtained in exchange from the Mang Sect; how can there not be hidden dangers?"

"Could it be that Sixth Uncle has been influenced by that brat Zheng Yi?"

Qin Yuanlang turned his head and glanced at Qin Liyu, a strange look flashing in his eyes.

Qin Liyu immediately fell silent.

Seeing this, Qin Yuanlang sighed, "Zhengyi is good, but he is not yet capable of shouldering the heavy responsibilities of the Qin family. Sixth Uncle, you should take care of yourself and not let Yuanchu and the others suffer too much."

Having said that, he said no more and turned to look at Li Xiangren on the field.

At this moment, Li Xiangren's energy was completely disordered, and his magical power was also obscure. Although he was a living person, he was emitting a trace of death energy.

Qin Yuanlang couldn't help but clap his hands in amazement, exclaiming, "The power of the inner demon is truly terrifying!"

Qin Liyu also frequently glanced at him.

Rumor has it that Li Xiangren received a swordsmanship inheritance from an elder of the Boundless Sword Sect, making him far more powerful than other cultivators of the same level. Therefore, to be on the safe side, the Qin family dispatched a full four Foundation Establishment cultivators!
Lee Sang-in had indeed surprised him in the previous encounter.

However, under Qin Yuanye's instigation, Li Xiangren suddenly developed inner demons, and all his schemes came to naught, turning him into an ordinary person who was completely defenseless!

"Sixth Uncle, such a good opportunity cannot be delayed any longer."

Qin Yuanlang murmured, then drew a white-bodied, red-tasseled spear and twirled it.

Qin Liyu understood and gathered powerful magical energy in his palms.

Just then, Qin Cheng suddenly sensed something, retreated rapidly, and shouted sharply, "Watch out!"

Before he finished speaking, a sudden change occurred!
The bloodshot in Li Xiangren's eyes vanished, replaced by a chilling clarity.

With a swift movement, he transformed into a blinding golden light, passing by Qin Yuanye with lightning speed.

Qin Yuanye remained in the hand seal posture, looking down blankly at his hands—the hand seals for the "Heart Demon Spell".

He instinctively tried to continue casting the spell, but found that his fingers could no longer move an inch. Even his body began to act strangely.
"Oh!"

With a loud bang, ten thousand golden rays burst forth from Qin Yuanye's body, and his entire body was torn to shreds from the inside by countless sword energies, just like a delicate piece of porcelain!
In an instant, flesh and blood flew everywhere, bones shattered, and a strong stench of blood filled the entire valley.

Qin Cheng's throat bobbed, and he almost vomited.

Qin Liyu and Qin Yuanlang, who were standing there in a daze, had no way to avoid being sprayed with blood mist from head to toe.

"Yuan Yuanye?"

Qin Yuanlang murmured something before snapping out of his daze. His face turned deathly pale as he stared intently at Li Xiangren on the other side.

"Die!"

Qin Liyu reacted even faster, leaping into the air like an eagle pouncing on a rabbit, his withered hands transforming into sharp claws as he pounced on Li Xiangren!

Li Xiangren remained expressionless, his sword finger held to his lips as he chanted incantations. In an instant, countless golden sword shadows appeared out of thin air, weaving together into an impenetrable sword formation around him.

"clang!"

Qin Liyu's claws slammed into the sword formation, but were actually forced back several steps by a tremendous force!

"Well done, what a remarkable prodigy of the Li family!"

Qin Liyu laughed in extreme anger, his aged face twisted like a demon.

With his left hand raised to the sky, a jade seal emitting a bluish light rose into the air; with his right hand clenched, a jet-black spear appeared out of thin air, its tip pointing directly at Li Xiangren's throat: "It was my carelessness that led to Yuan Ye's death at your hands! But today, you will not leave this Luoma Ravine alive!"

Li Xiangren stood silently in the sword formation, his gaze calm and unwavering: "You are right, I am to blame for Ye Yun's death."

As he spoke, he slowly raised his hand, and "Zhan Yun" emitted a clear and melodious sword sound. The sword tip turned slightly, and its cold light reflected his resolute face.

"So, I'm not leaving."

"you."

"And don't even think about leaving."

"What I owe Ye Yun, and what I owe the Li family, I will repay today!"

(End of this chapter)